GB2276644A

GB2276644A - Roof or wall cladding supporting system

Info

Publication number: GB2276644A
Application number: GB9403475A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Howard Lowe; Geoffrey John Higgins
Original assignee: Stramit Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Stramit Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1993-03-23
Filing date: 1994-02-18
Publication date: 1994-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2014-02-18
Also published as: GB9403475D0; GB9305946D0; GB2276644B

Abstract

A support system for a double skin roof or wall structure comprises a succession of adjoining elongate rails (38) of inverted channel section, and a plurality of securing brackets (6) each having a base (12) for mounting on the inner skin (2) of the roof structure. Each bracket has a head (16) of box-like section connected to the base by an upstanding leg (14), the head being adapted to engage the open ends of adjoining rails. Wings may extend from the leg inside the head to strengthen the bracket; and tabs (36) may be provided to limit insertion of the head into the adjacent rails. Ears (30) extend into holes (42) in the side walls of the rails. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Roof or Wall Supports Field of the Invention This invention relates to roof or wall supports, and more particularly to a method of and arrangement for supporting a double skin roof structure in a spaced apart relationship.

Background to the Invention The spacing of a double skin roof structure has traditionally been maintained by timber packers/spacers or by pressed metal elements of Z-section resting upon plastic ferrules. However, in recent years there has been a move towards more sophisticated spacing means, particularly since the thickness of insulation has been increasing, and the traditional methods tend to be uneconomic and potentially unstable.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a support for roof or wall panels comprising a succession of aligned and adjacent elongate members whose ends are open and on which the panels are to be mounted, and a plurality of securing brackets each having a head shaped and dimensioned to enter the opposed ends of two adjacent elongate members and having a base for securing to a support structure.

The head of each bracket may be connected to the base by an upstanding leg.

The bracket may be fabricated from galvanised sheet steel.

In this case a continuous strengthening rib may be formed along the internal corner juncture between the base and the leg.

Each elongate member is preferably hollow over its entire length and of rectangular cross-section.

The head of the bracket may comprise an upper part from which depend a pair of substantially parallel side walls engagable with opposite internal faces of the elongate member.

The internal faces of the elongate member may be formed with a pair of opposed apertures into which engage corresponding side detents on opposite walls of the head, which is thereby secured within the end of the member.

The upstanding leg is preferably formed with a pair of wings which extend internally along the walls of the head, thereby strengthening the bracket.

The end of each wing may be provided with a tab which locks into a slot formed down the centre of the respective wall of the head.

Additionally or alternatively a stiffening rib may be formed along the internal corner juncture between the top of the leg and the upper part of the head.

Preferably the tab of each wing projects ooutwardly from the respective slot in the wall to engage the end of an elongate member into which the head is entered and thereby to limit insertion thereof.

Alternatively each wall may be formed with an outwardly extending ear to perform a similar function of limiting insertion of the head.

The invention also provides a method of supporting roof or wall panels on elongate members relative to a plane support structure comprising the steps of securing to the structure a bracket having a head adapted to fit into each of the opposed open ends of two aligned elongate members, fitting one member around one end of the bracket head and fitting another member around the other end of the bracket head, fitting at least part of each of two other bracket heads with the opposite open ends of the two elongate members and securing the brackets to the support structure.

Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of a support arrangement for a roof or wall in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a side view of the general arrangement of a support in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a first support bracket about to be connected with an elongate rail member; Figure 3 is a side view of the bracket; Figure 4 is an end view of the bracket partly in section, taken on the line IV-IV; Figure 5 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which the first bracket is fabricated; Figure 6 is a plan view of a second bracket similar to Figure 5 but drawn to a larger scale; Figure 7 is an end view, partly in section, of the second bracket taken on the line CC in Figure 9;; Figure 8 is a side view, as seen in the direction of arrows AA in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a sectional side view taken on the centre line BB in Figure 7; Figure 10 is a further sectional side view taken on the line EE in Figure 7; Figure 11 is an end view taken on the section line DD in Figure 8; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a third bracket connected to a rail member.

Detailed Description In Figure 1 there is shown an inner skin of a roof having regularly spaced raised sections or ribs 4. Mounted on the roof 2 are brackets 6, of which a first embodiment is shown in enlarged form in the perspective view of Figure 2.

The bracket is secured to the roof structure by a single screw 8 which may be self-drilling or self-tapping screw.

Mounted between the bracket and the roof 2 is a pad 10 of foam sealant or plastics, which may be factory-applied to the underside of the bracket to act as a thermal break and/or vapour seal.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the bracket comprises a base 12, an upstanding leg 14, and a generally box-like sleeve or head 16.

The base 12 is provided with a central hole 18 through which the screw 8 secures the bracket to the inner structure of the roof 2. On each side of the hole 18 is a stiffening rib 20 which also extends up part of the leg 14. A further rib 22 extends centrally along part of the base and generally up the leg 14.

The sleeve or head 16 is formed from sheet material bent into an inverted U and comprising an upper panel 24 from opposite side edges of which extend downwardly two side walls or panels 26, 27. The lower ends of the side panels 26, 27 are inwardly inclined, as shown at 28, 29. Each side panel 26, 27 is formed with oppositely facing and outwardly protruding ears or detents 30 and a central upright slot 32.

Extending from the opposite sides of the leg 14 are reinforcing wings 34, 35 having tabs 36, 37 at their outer ends which enter and pass through the respective slot 32.

The junction between the sleeve and leg is thus made very rigid, thereby increasing the strength of the bracket against lateral forces.

The sleeve 16 is designed to support the end of a hollow elongate rail or member 38 of square cross section and which has a rolled slot 40 extending along its underside, the slot being provided with upturned edges.

The method of assembly is best illustrated with reference to Figures 1 and 2. A bracket 6 is first secured to the inner roof 2 by means of a self-tapping screw 8. A length of hollow elongate rail 38 is next pushed onto one side of the sleeve 16 until it comes to rest against the tabs 36, 37 extending out of the side panel 26, 27. The sides of the rail 38 are formed at their ends with holes 42 positioned such that the respective ears 30 extend into the holes 42 when the rail is in its correct position on the sleeve.

A second bracket 6 is then fitted into the other end of the rail, as shown in Figure 2, and is likewise secured to the inner roof, and a further rail is fitted to it and so forth, until a substantially continuous line of rails has been secured to the inner roof. Outer roof members (not shown) are then secured to the rails by conventional means.

It will be apparent that the legs of the brackets may be made any height, but in practice are dimensioned so as to provide an overall depth between inner and outer roofs of between 80mm and 200mm.

The length of each rail is nominally 1 metre, but different lengths may be employed to suit the specific applications and the location of the raised ribs 4 on the inner skin 2 of the roof.

It will be appreciated that if the ears 30 and tabs 36, 37 are omitted, a bracket may be positioned at any point along the length of the rail, thereby providing intermediate supports for the rails, if required.

Reference will now be made to Figures 6 to 11, which together show a second embodiment of a bracket, and in which parts similar to the first embodiment are designated by the previous reference numbers followed by a dash (').

A rectangular base 12' again supports an upstanding leg 14' which includes a pair of forwardly facing wings 34'.

Extending forwardly from the top of the leg is a sleeve or head 16' from whose upper part 24' depend opposed side walls 26'. The width of each wall decreases towards the bottom, and the lower ends of the walls are again inwardly bent, as shown at 28'.

An ear 32' is formed at each wall from material cut and bent from the wall.

Across the corner juncture between the base and the leg are a pair of outer stiffening ribs 20' with a central stiffening rib 22' extending further up the leg. Across the juncture between the leg and the upper part 24' of the head is formed an internal central stiffening rib 50.

Furthermore four small radial ribs 48 are formed around the fixing hole 18' in the base 12'.

As with the first bracket, the height of the second bracket may be varied by producing different lengths of the leg, as shown at 52.

The second bracket operates in the same manner as the first bracket, the main difference being that the wings 34' do not lock into the head, the stiffness between the head and the leg being instead increased by the stiffening rib 50. In consequence, the second bracket is simpler and cheaper to manufacture than the first bracket.

Figure 12 illustrates a third bracket 60 which is a further development of the second bracket. The bracket is shown with its head 61 entered in one end of a rail member 62, which has been partly broken away to show the head.

In this arrangement the base of the bracket is secured to a base plate 63, and the section of each stiffening rib 64 is of generally triangular shape, rather than semicircular as previously.

The lower part of leg 65 tapers inwardly towards the head 61, which has side walls 66 similar to the walls 26 of the second bracket.

Each wing 68 which extends from the leg 65 is disposed in two planes, the lower part being in the plane of the taper of the leg, while the upper part is vertical.

Projecting from the upper part of each wing 68 is a curled tongue 70, whose function it is to limit undue flexure of the side walls 66 of the bracket head, which may occur during assembly or during use of the support.

The arrangements described all have the advantage that they provide a stronger and stiffer assembly than previous arrangements (such as Z-section metal elements) by virtue of the channel shaped structure of the bracket head, which thereby resists bending in two axes. The bracket additionally permits a greater depth spacing between inner and outer roofs than previously. The arrangement also leads to safer installation, in that only one rail at a time is fitted to a bracket and then secured in place by a further bracket.

Claims

1. A support for roof or wall panels comprising a succession of aligned and adjacent elongate members whose ends are open and on which the panels are to be mounted, and a plurality of securing brackets each having a head shaped and dimensioned to enter the opposed ends of two adjacent elongate members and having a base for securing to a support structure.

2. A support according to claim 1 in which the head of each bracket is connected to the base by an upstanding leg.

3. A support according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the bracket is fabricated from galvanised sheet steel.

4. A support according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which a continuous strengthening rib is formed along the internal corner juncture between the base and the leg.

5. A support according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which each elongate member is hollow over its entire length and of rectangular cross-section with parallel internal faces.

6. A support according to claim 5 in which the head of the bracket comprises an upper part from which depend a pair of substantially parallel side walls engagable with said internal faces of the elongate member.

7. A support according to claim 6 in which the internal faces of the elongate member are formed with a pair of opposed apertures into which engage corresponding side detents on opposite side walls of the head, which is thereby secured within the end of the member.

8. A support according to claim 6 of claim 7 in which the upstanding leg is formed with a pair of wings which extend along the side walls of the head internally thereof, thereby strengthening the bracket.

9. A support according to claim 8 in which the end of each wing is provided with a tab which locks into a slot formed towards the centre of the respective side wall of the head.

10. A support according to claim 9 in which the tab of each wing projects outwardly from the respective slot in the side wall to engage the end of an elongate member into which the head is entered, thereby limiting insertion thereof.

11. A support according to any one of claims 6 to 8 in which each side wall is formed with an outwardly extending ear to limit insertion of the head in the end of an elongate member.

12. A support according to any one of claims 6 to 11 in which a stiffening rib is formed along the internal corner juncture between the top of the leg and the upper part of the head.

13. A support according to claim 8 in which the wings are formed with an outwardly projecting tongue to limit flexure of the side walls towards the wings.

14. A method of supporting roof or wall panels on elongate members relative to a plane support structure comprising the steps of securing to the structure a bracket having a head adapted to fit into each of the opposed open ends of two aligned elongate members, fitting a member over the bracket head, fitting the head of another bracket to the opposite open end of the member and securing the other bracket to the support structure.

15. A support for roof or wall panels substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1 to 5, Figures 6 to 11, or Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of supporting roof or wall panels substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.