GB2414249A

GB2414249A - Attachment of roof panels to roof support members

Info

Publication number: GB2414249A
Application number: GB0507856A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Lowe
Original assignee: SPEEDDECK BUILDING SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: SPEEDDECK BUILDING SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 2004-05-20
Filing date: 2005-04-19
Publication date: 2005-11-23
Also published as: GB0411221D0; GB0507856D0

Abstract

A roof panel 9 is secured to a roof support member 1 by means of a base member attached to the roof support member and a slider member attached to the roof panel, the slider member being slidable with respect to the base member to accommodate movement of the roof panel relative to the support member. In a first embodiment (Figures 1 to 4), the base member 3 has a slot 4 through which the slider member 5 can slide. In a second embodiment (Figures 5 to 7), the base member 20 has a projection on which the slotted slider member 26 can slide.

Description

24 1 4249 Attachment of Roof Panels to Roof Support Members

Field of the invention

This invention relates to the attachment of roof panels to roof support members.

Background to the invention

Conventional metal roof panels have, along their longitudinal edges, upstanding flanges terminating in ribs which, on installation, interlock and are mechanically seamed around the upper edges of upstanding brackets commonly called halters (from the German word of that spelling meaning "holder"). The lower edges of the brackets are attached to roof support members. The invention tackles the problem of accommodating movement of the roof panels relative to the roof support members, for example as a consequence of thermal expansion or contraction of the roof panels.

Summary of the invention

According to the invention there is provided attachment means for securing a roof panel to a roof support member, the attachment means comprising a base member for attachment to the roof support member and a slider member to which the roof panel is attachable, one of said members of the attachment means having a through-going slot and the other member of the attachment means having a projection of a shape complementary to the slot, so that the slider member is slidable with respect to the base member in the through-going direction of the slot in order to accommodate movement of the roof panel relative to the roof support member, for example caused by thermal expansion or contraction of the roof panel. The through-going direction is the direction of passage into the slot, through the slot and out of the slot.

Thus, in the invention movement of the roof panel is accommodated by sliding movement of the slider member through the base member with the avoidance of undue friction and lateral forces, in contrast to known systems which rely on the roof panel sliding over the halter and which are dependent on accuracy and skill in installation on site.

The slider member may have a greater length than the base member in the through-going direction of the slot.

The base member conveniently has outwardly projecting flanges provided with holes for bolting the base member to a roof support member.

The top of the slider member may be defined by an enlarged ridge around which ribs of adjoining roof panels are mechanically seamed.

In a first embodiment, the base member has the slot and the slider member has the projection which may take the form of two shoulders or flanges projecting outwardly on respective sides of, and at the lower edge of, a central web of the slider member. The web preferably defines a central plane of symmetry of the slider member, imparting to the slider member a cross-sectional shape having a vertical line of symmetry. Similarly, the base member preferably has a vertical line of symmetry in transverse cross section.

With the central plane of the web vertical, each shoulder preferably projects outwardly from the web at a chosen angle which may be horizontal, but in a preferred embodiment each shoulder projects outwardly and slightly upwardly at an acute angle to the web of between 75" and 85O, preferably 80 . In this case, the slot, being of complementary shape, will have two recesses extending outwardly and upwardly from a central upwardly facing mouth of the slot.

The upper surface of each recess may be formed with a pad for bearing on the upper surface of the corresponding shoulder, the engagement of pad and shoulder resisting the tendency for the slider member to tilt or twist out of its desired orientation. The base member may have out-turned flanges provided with holes for bolting the base member to a roof support member. The base member may be 25 mm long and the slider member 90 mm long.

In a second embodiment, the base member has the projection and the slider member has the slot. The base member may have the shape of an inverted T. with a central web having, adjacent its upper end, two outwardly projecting ribs imparting a cruciform-shaped projection to the upper end of the web. In this example, the slider member has the shape of an extended bar or strip with a cruciform-shaped slot therein.

To reduce friction between the base and slider members of either embodiment, one or both of them may be made of a low friction material such as aluminium, optionally anodised or coated.

For practical purposes, the attachment means will comprise a plurality of base members and a plurality of slider members enabling roof panels to be secured to roof support members at a number of spaced positions over the area of the roof. Typically the attachment means will be pre-assembled with the slider member temporarily secured central to the base member.

The invention includes within its scope a roof constructed using the inventive attachment means.

Brief description of the drawings

Two embodiments of attachment means according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a roof panel attached to a roof support member by the first embodiment of attachment means; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a base member of the attachment means of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a slider member of the attachment means of Figure l; Figure 4 is a cross- sectional view of the slider member of Figure 3 in engagement with the base member of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a roof panel attached to a roof support member by the second embodiment of attachment means; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a base member of the attachments means of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the slider and base members of Figure 5 in engagement.

lO Detailed description of the drawings

Referring to Figure 1, a transverse roof support member 1 has a flange 2 to which is bolted a base member 3 having a through-going slot 4 in which a slider member 5 is received for sliding movement in a longitudinal direction indicated by arrow A. The slider member 5 has a central vertical web 6 terminating at its upper end in an enlarged ridge 7 having a curved top 8 over which the interlocking ribs of conventional metal roof panels (one of which is shown at 9) are mechanically seamed. The members 3 and 5 are both aluminiun alloy extrusions, typically of the same material as the roof panels.

Spaced legs to depend from the roof support member 1 and the lower flanges of the legs carry a profiled liner 12. Thermal insulation 13 is positioned between the liner 12 and the support member 1.

The cross-sectional shape of the base member 3 is shown in Figure 2. It can be seen that in cross-section the base member 3 is symmetrical about a central vertical line and that the base member has two outwardly projecting attachment flanges 14 by which the base member 3 is attached to the roof support member 1 by bolts, one of which is visible in Figure 1. The through-going slot 4 has an upwardly open mouth 15 and two sidewardly extending recesses 16, each recess 16 being angled upwardly and outwardly so that the base of each recess makes an angle of 10" to the horizontal. The upper margins of the recesses are defined by inwardly projecting lips 17 and the lower surface of each lip is formed with a downwardly projecting bearing pad 18.

The cross-sectional shape of the slider member 5 is shown in Figure 3. The cross- sectional shape of the slider member is symmetrical about a central vertical line and it can be seen that the lower end of the web 6 terminates in two outwardly projecting shoulders or flanges 19 which extend outwardly and upwardly from the web 6, making an angle of 10 to the horizontal.

The lower end of the slider member 5 has a cross-sectional shape complementary to the slot 4 in the base member 3, in such manner that the slider member 5 is an easy sliding fit in the slot 4 in the base member, with each shoulder or flange 19 being received in a corresponding recess 16 and the web 6 projecting upwardly through the mouth 15 of the slot 4, as illustrated in Figure 4. To reduce friction, the base member 3 may be anodised.

On installation, the interlocking ridges of adjacent roof panels 9 are mechanically seamed around the top 8 of the slider member 5 so that there is no sliding movement between the roof panels and the slider member. Any tendency for the roof panels to move with respect to the roof support member, for example as a result of thermal expansion or contraction, is accommodated by sliding movement of the slider member 5 through the slot 4 in the base member 3, in the longitudinal direction A. This results in a reliable, consistent and predictable sliding action, with less reliance on accuracy and skill in installation. There are also less lateral forces exerted on the members 3 and 5, thereby reducing the rotation and leverage effects.

In the example, the member 3 is 25mm long and the member 5 is 90mm long but the lengths of these members may be chosen to suit roof sheet lengths and the potential amount of movement. Thus member 5 may be 79mm long for sheet lengths of less than 20m, 106mm for 20-30m long sheets and 133mm for 30-40m long sheets.

In the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, sliding movement occurs at the base of the interengaging members. This may have the disadvantage that the members bind or fail to slide satisfactorily, and the embodiment of Figures 5 to 7 was devised to overcome this possible problem.

Referring to Figures 5 to 7, the base member 20 has the shape of an inverted T. with a central vertical web 22 the lower end of which adjoins two oppositely projecting horizontal flanges 23 having holes for bolting the base member to the upper flange 2 of a transverse roof support member l, in a manner corresponding to Figure 1. Adjacent its upper end the web 22 has two outwardly projecting ribs 24 (Figures 6 and 7) so that the projection at the upper end of the web is of cruciform shape and is complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the through-going slot 25 (Figures 5 and 7) in the bar-shaped slider member 26 around which, in use, ridges of roof panels 9 are mechanically seamed, as described for Figure 1.

Any tendency for the roof panels to move with respect to the roof support member is accommodated by sliding movement of the slider member 26 on the projection at the upper end of the web 22 of the base member, in the longitudinal direction A. In the example of Figures 5 to 7, the slider member is lOOmm long and the base member is 60nm long. The slider member may be crimped on the base member to retain the two members as a pair, or a locking and centralising device such as a pin (of metal or plastics) could be inserted through the members during manufacture, the pin being withdrawn immediately prior to installation.

Claims

Claims 1. Attachment means for securing a roof panel to a roof support

member, the attachment means comprising a base member for attachment to the roof support member and a slider member to which the roof panel is attachable, one of said members of the attachment means having a through-going slot and the other member of the attachment means having a projection of a shape complementary to the slot, so that the slider member is slidable with respect to the base member in the through-going direction of the slot in order to accommodate movement of the roof panel relative to the roof support member.
2. Attachment means according to claim 1, wherein the slider member has a greater length than the base member in the through-going direction of the slot.
3. Attachment means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base member has outwardly projecting flanges provided with holes for bolting the base member to a roof support member.
4. Attachment means according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the top of the slider member is defined by an enlarged ridge around which, in use, ribs of adjoining roof panels are mechanically seamed.
5. Attachment means according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one or both of the base member and the slider member are made of a low friction material such as extruded aluminium, in order to reduce sliding friction between the base member and the slider member.
6. Attachment means according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the base member has the slot and the slider member has the projection.
7. Attachment means according to claim 6, wherein the projection takes the form of two shoulders or flanges projecting outwardly on respective sides of, and at the lower edge of, a central web of the slider member.
8. Attachment means according to claim 7, wherein the web defines a central plane of symmetry of the slider member, imparting to the slider member a cross-sectional shape having a vertical line of symmetry, the base member also having a vertical line of symmetry in transverse cross section.
9. Attachment means according to claim 8, wherein with the central plane of the web vertical, each shoulder projects outwardly from the web at a chosen angle which is such that each shoulder projects outwardly and slightly upwardly at an acute angle to the web of between 75 and 85", preferably 80 , with the slot having two recesses extending outwardly and upwardly from a central upwardly facing mouth of the slot.
10. Attachment means according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the upper surface of each recess is formed with a pad for bearing on the upper surface of the corresponding shoulder, the engagement of pad and shoulder resisting the tendency for the slider member to tilt or twist out of its desired orientation.
11. Attachment means according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base member has the projection and the slider member has the slot.
12. Attachment means according to claim 11, wherein the base member has the shape of an inverted T. with a central web having, adjacent its upper end, two outwardly projecting ribs imparting a cruciform-shaped projection to the upper end of the web.
13. Attachment means according to claim 12, wherein the slider member has the shape of an extended bar or strip with a cruciform-shaped slot therein.
14. Attachment means constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, or Figures 5 to 7, of the accompanying drawings.