GB2346920A - Roof cover - Google Patents

Abstract

A cover for a roof is supported at opposing sides (shown for two adjacent covers in the figure). A first support (303) is supported by wheels or rollers (103) and is configured to support a first one of the sides. Similarly, a second support is also supported by wheels or rollers. An adjusting mechanism (203, 302) is provided to facilitate adjustment of the distance between the first rolling wheels and the second rolling wheels such that the width of the cover is adjustable. The rolling wheels may be configured to roll within tracks (104), and the adjusting mechanism may be adjusted in order to accommodate the distance between the tracks.

Description

Roof Cover The present invention relates to a cover for a roof.

Roof structures used to cover permanent roofs are known and are found in applications where a permanent roof is under construction, maintenance or repair and it is necessary to keep the weather out while the permanent roof is not whole. If the whole roof is to be covered at once or just part of the roof needs to be covered, a static cover is sufficient for this purpose. Such static covers are common and may, for example, take the form of scaffold to which sheets are attached.

In certain circumstances it is useful to have a roof cover which is moveable. An example of this is when the roof concemed is particularly large.

It is then most economical to cover the part of the roof which is currently being worked on and when this region is finished, move the roof cover to the next region to be worked on. Moveable covers are also well known. They generally take the form of a rigid framework (with sheets attached) which is mounted on wheels which then run along tracks. Since the framework is rigid, the relative spacing of the wheels remains fixed and subsequently the tracks must be positioned with an accurately measured inter-rail distance, which ideally should not vary along the length, ie the tracks need to be parallel.

Without this necessary accuracy, the framework could be difficult to move or may even derail when moved.

In some situations it is difficult or even impossible to provide accurately spaced parallel tracks. It is therefore desirable to have a framework which has the flexibility to be moved along tracks which are not exactly parallel, while remaining structurally sound.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover for a roof supported at opposing sides, wherein a first supporting means is supported by first rolling means and is configured to support a first one of said sides; a second supporting means is supported by a second rolling means; and adjusting means provides adjustment of the distance between said first rolling means and second rolling means.

Preferably, the rolling means are confined within tracks. In a preferred embodiment, the cover comprises extruded beams and said extruded beams may be fabricated from aluminium.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beam for a cover for a roof supported at opposing ends wherein a first supporting means is supported by rolling means and a second supporting means is supported by second rolling means, wherein said second supporting means includes adjusting means to provide adjustment of the distance between said rolling means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fabricating a cover for a roof, wherein said roof is supported at opposing sides, the method comprising the steps of applying a fabric cover over supporting means, wherein a first supporting means is supported by first rolling means and is configured to support one of said sides; a second supporting means is supported by second rolling means; and adjusting means provide adjustment of the distance between said first rolling means and said second rolling means.

Preferably, the adjusting means is adjusted so as to facilitate the rolling of said rolling means within confined tracks.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a railway station from above; Figure 2 shows an end view of the railway station identified in Figure 9 ; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of elements identified in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows an altemative view of the element identified in Figure 3; Figure 5 illustrates an altemative embodiment; Figure 6 details operation of the altemative embodiment identified in Figure 5; and Figure 7 shows a second altemative embodiment.

A railway station is shown in Figure 1, in which a part of the railway station roof 101 under repair is covered by four separate covers 102. Each cover 102 is supported by wheel bogies 103. The bogies 103 are confined to tracks 104 on opposing sides of said cover. Said tracks may be secured directly to the building in the gutter region 105 or to scaffold which is previously erected within said gutter region.

Due to the nature of the roof 101, it may be very difficult to arrange for the tracks 104 to be fixed in exactly straight and parallel lines. A railway station roof of the type shown may have gutter regions 105 which approximate straight parallel lines but are in reality curved and non-parallel, due to the building being curved and tapered along its length.

A second problem encountered when positioning the tracks 104 is illustrated by Figure 2. The distance between said tracks cannot easily be measured directly, due to the roof 101 extending upward between said tracks. The distance between a pair of tracks could be typically 20m and the height of the roof ridge 201 above the gutter region 105 could be 5m or more.

Adjustment to the width between the rolling means therefore allows for greater tolerances in the positioning of the tracks.

A single element 202 of the cover 102 is shown in position above the roof 101. Both rigging screws 203 are attached to said element. A cover may be constructed from two or more of said elements. The number of said elements being dependent on the length of the roof which is to be covered.

A detailed cross-sectional view of the ends of two elements 202 which form part of a cover are shown in Figure 3. Each of said elements, comprises a main beam 301, a beam carrier 302, a wheel bogy 103, an upright support 303 and a rigging screw 203. The main beam 301 is rigidly attached to the beam carrier 302. The beam carrier 302, the bogy 103 and the rigging screw 203 are connected to each other by pin joints 304,305 and 306. The wheel bogy 103, is enclose within an extruded aluminium alloy beam which forms the track 104. The track 104 is shown bolted to clamps 307 which are attached to scaffold 308.

The series of holes 309 on the beam carrier 302 allows for a choice of position for the pin joint 305. The particular position chosen is that which minimises the angle between the upright support 303 and the vertical, so minimising sideways forces on the bogies 103.

During movement of an individual element 202 (which does not form part of a cover) the rigging screw 203 at one end of said element may be disconnected. This allows the distance between the bogies 103 on said element to vary within limits, since the angle between the vertical and the upright support 303 can vary. This movement of the upright support is possible since the pin joints 304 and 305 act as hinge mechanisms. Allowing the distance between the bogies to vary in this way, will enable the element to travel along tracks which are non-parallel.

During movement of a whole cover 102, one rigging screw 203 on each element 202 may by disconnected for similar reasons, thus allowing the cover to travel along tracks which are non-parallel.

To construct a cover, elements 202 are firstly positioned in appropriate locations along the track. Ridge beams and eaves beams 310 which are aluminium alloy extrusions may then be hooked onto adjacent elements 202. Other beams, (referred to as purins) may also be hooked on to adjacent elements at this stage, parallel to the ridge and eaves beams.

The structure is then strengthened by the application of either cross-wires or bracing struts before polymer coated, woven polyester sheets are inserted into slots 311 on the main beams 301.

An alternative view of one end of an element is shown in Figure 4, which gives a clear view of the slots 311.

Fixing lugs 401 and 402 form part of the structure of the upright support 303 and wheel bogy 103, respectively. Support struts 403 are attached to lugs 401 and 402 by bolts or pins. The struts 403 reduce the total moment acting about pin joint 304 and so alleviate stresses therein.

The length of the wheel bogy is typically 1 m.

The resulting individual element 202 is structurally sound. Said element may therefore be moved into the required position on the roof along with other similar elements in readiness of completing the assembly of the whole cover.

A second embodiment is shown in Figure 5. The upright support 303 has been modified so that it has an extra pair of fixing lugs 501. The lugs 401 and 501 may then be used to connect two elements 202 by means of a ladder structure 601 as shown in Figure 6. The resulting structure is then structurally sound and may be pushed along the track 104 to the required position. In the second embodiment, the wheel bogies 103 may be of shorter length than those of the first embodiment, if so required.

In a third embodiment shown in Figure 7, a broad upright support 701 is configured at the lower end to slot into a corresponding groove 702 on a base plate 703, such that said upright support cannot be lifted out of said groove. Said base plate is rigidly mounted on the wheel bogy 103.

In this embodiment the distance between the wheel bogies on each element is adjusted by means of the upright support 701 sliding in the groove 702. Wheels 704 are constrained within aluminium extrusion 705. Wheels 704 are supported by a support plate 706 formed within the extrusion. In order to improve the hardness of support plate 706, a steel cover plate 707 is slid into position on top of said support plate. In this way, the interaction between wheels 704 and their support is significantly enhanced.

Claims (16)

Claims

1. A cover for a roof supported at opposing sides, wherein a first supporting means is supported by first rolling means and is configured to support a first one of said sides; a second supporting means is supported by a second rolling means; and adjusting means provides adjustment of the distance between said first rolling means and said second rolling means.

2. A cover according to claim 1, wherein said rolling means are confined within tracks.

3. A cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said cover comprises extruded beams.

4. A cover according to claim 3, wherein said extruded beams are fabricated from aluminium.

5. A cover according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein sheets for said cover are fabricated from a woven plastics material.

6. A cover according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said rolling means are wheels.

7. A cover according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said adjusting means adjusts the position of attachment of said supporting means to said cover.

8. A cover according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said adjusting means is the variable angular orientation of the supporting means.

9. A cover according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein adjusting means provides adjustment of the position of attachment of said supporting means to said cover and the variable angular orientation of the supporting means.

10. A cover according to claim 2, wherein said track is an extruded aluminium alloy beam.

11. A cover according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said adjusting means provides adjustment of the position of attachment of said supporting means to said cover and/or adjustment of the position of attachment of said supporting means to said rolling means.

12. A beam for a cover for a roof supported at opposing ends wherein a first supporting means is supported by rolling means and a second supporting means is supported by second rolling means, wherein said second supporting means includes adjusting means to provide adjustment of the distance between said rolling means.

13. A method of fabricating a cover for a roof, wherein said roof is supported at opposing sides, the method comprising the steps of applying a fabric cover over supporting means, wherein a first supporting means is supported by first rolling means and is configured to support a first one of said sides; a second supporting means is supported by second rolling means; and adjusting means provide adjustment of the distance between said first rolling means and said second rolling means.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said adjusting means is adjusted so as to facilitate the rolling of said rolling means within confined tracks.

15. A cover substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Figures.

16. A method substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Figures.