GB2566254A

GB2566254A - Façade Bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2566254A
Application number: GB1712264.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Evans Jonathan
Original assignee: Ash and Lacy Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Ash and Lacy Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2017-07-31
Filing date: 2017-07-31
Publication date: 2019-03-13
Also published as: WO2019025755A1; GB201712264D0

Abstract

A rail-support bracket 10 for a façade system substructure comprises a back-fixing plate 14, a rail-carrier plate 16 perpendicular to the back-fixing plate, and a rail-carrier support 12 to support the rail-carrier plate against the back-fixingplate. The rail-carrier plate comprises a clip arrangement 22A, 22B for holding a cladding-supporting rail in slidable engagement relative to the rail-carrier plate while inhibiting removal of the rail perpendicular to the rail-carrier plate. The rail-carrier support is a unitary sheet substantially perpendicular to both the back-fixing plate 4 and the rail-carrier plate. The bracket may be made from a folded unitary steel or aluminium sheet. The rail-carrier plate may be wider than the back-fixing plate in the direction perpendicular to the rail-carrier support. The rail-carrier plate may have at least one elongate opening 24A, 24B and at least one circular opening 26A, 26B for receiving bolts. The back-fixing plate may have at least one elongate opening 28A, 28B, 30 for receiving a bolt The rail‑support bracket 10 facilitates the installation and alignment of mounting rails during assembly of a cladding structure.

Description

Facade Bracket

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to rail-support brackets of the type used to fix mounting rails to a wall structure. More specifically, the invention relates to so-called “helping hand” railsupport brackets that allow mounting rails to be provisionally held in a slideable engagement so as to allow the rails to be aligned, and, once aligned, to be securely fixed in the aligned condition.

Background

Mounting rails (horizontal rails or vertical mullions) for faqade systems are typically mounted to a wall structure via a plurality of brackets. Such brackets typically have an L-profile comprising two plates perpendicular to each other, one plate constituting a back-fixing plate to be fixed via an insulating pad to the wall structure, and the other plate constituting a rail-fixing plate. The rail-fixing plate is configured to allow a rail to be slidably held for pre-alignment and to allow the rail, once aligned, to be permanently fixed in the pre-aligned position. To slidably hold a rail, the rail-fixing plate comprises a so-called ‘helping hand’ clip capable of provisionally holding a rail. To fix the rail in position, the rail-fixing plate comprises holes to receive bolts for permanent fixation of the rail to the bracket and thereby, via the bracket, to the wall structure.

The faqade assembly has considerable mass and brackets need to provide sufficient load bearing capacity to support the dead load of a faqade system, or, depending on the installation, to support both wind load and dead load of a faqade system. Brackets for vertical rails (mullions) are installed in a vertical series with the bend of the L-profile extending vertically and the rail fixing plates oriented vertically. In this orientation the clips of the rail-fixing plate allow the rail (mullion) to be moved up or down, and towards and away from the walling structure for pre-fixation alignment. Furthermore, in a vertical configuration, both plates of the L-profile and the bend are vertically oriented, providing good support for the load of a heavy faqade system.

For horizontal rails, the bracket may be installed horizontally, such that the rail-fixing plate with the helping-hand clip is horizontally oriented. This allows the rail to be moved laterally (left or right), and towards and away from the walling structure for prefixation alignment. However, if an L-profile bracket is oriented horizontally, this is unfavourably exposed to the dead load of the rail. To improve the load-bearing capacity it is customary to use an arrangement of two brackets for each fixing point for horizontal rails. The two brackets comprise a rail-bearing bracket and an intermediate bracket via which the rail-bearing bracket is mounted to the walling structure. This ensures that the load is better supported by an angled support.

Between the bracket interfaces, insulating material or padding is provided for thermal decoupling and to protect against corrosion that may otherwise occur at a bracketbuilding interface.

The present invention seeks to improve the known bracket designs so as to facilitate the installation procedures of brackets for mounting rails.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a railsupport bracket as defined in claim 1, for a fagade system substructure in which a cladding-supporting rail is mounted via a series of brackets to a wall structure, the bracket comprising a back-fixing plate, a rail-carrier plate substantially perpendicular to the back-fixing plate, and a rail-carrier support extending from the back-fixing plate to support the rail-carrier plate, wherein the rail-carrier plate comprises a clip arrangement suitable for holding a cladding-supporting rail to be provided to hold the claddingsupporting rail in a slidable engagement relative to the rail-carrier plate preventing removal of the cladding-supporting rail perpendicular to the rail-carrier plate, and wherein the rail-carrier support is provided by a unitary sheet substantially perpendicular to both the back-fixing plate and to the rail-carrier plate.

In other words, the first aspect provides a so-called “helping hand” rail-support bracket comprising a back-fixing plate, a helping hand rail-carrier plate substantially perpendicular to the back-fixing plate, and a rail-carrier support to provide load support for the rail-carrier plate, wherein the rail-carrier support is provided by a unitary sheet substantially perpendicular to both the back-fixing plate and to the rail-carrier plate.

A so-called “helping hand” bracket is understood in the trade to be a bracket comprising a clip arrangement suitable for pre-aligning the cladding rail across a series of brackets before this is fixed in position. The clip holds the cladding rail against the rail-carrier plate and allows the rail-carrier plate to be slid parallel to the rail-carrier plate while preventing a lifting of the cladding rail from the rail-carrier plate.

By “unitary” it is understood that the rail-carrier support between the back-fixing plate and the rail-carrier plate is made from a single component. This avoids the need for an assembly of multiple separate components, ie this avoids the need for mounting a back-fixing plate component to a rail-carrier plate component.

The perpendicular arrangement of the rail-carrier support relative to both the rail-carrier plate and the back-fixing plate provides a support structure with improved load-bearing capability.

Conventionally, horizontal rail support brackets are supported against the vertically aligned back-fixing plate by a strut arrangement comprising multiple components, to facilitate relative alignment. For instance, a T-profile rail-carrier plate may be engaged in an L-profile helping hand bracket. Such a system requires multiple components to be installed on site or pre-fabricated.

The present invention was derived from the appreciation that a unitary sheet provides sufficient additional support if this is oriented perpendicular to both the back-fixing plate and the rail-carrier plate.

In some embodiments, a unitary sheet forms the back-fixing plate, the rail-carrier support and the rail-carrier plate.

The bracket may be made as a unitary component from a unitary sheet, folded appropriately to provide the back-fixing plate, the rail-carrier support, and the rail-carrier plate.

In some embodiments, the back-fixing plate is folded substantially perpendicularly to the rail-carrier support and the rail-carrier support is folded substantially perpendicularly to the rail-carrier plate.

The first bend (between the rail-carrier support and the back-fixing plate) and the second bend (between the rail-carrier support and the rail-carrier plate) are perpendicular to each other.

In some embodiments, the back-fixing plate and the rail-carrier plate are on the same side of the rail-carrier support.

This provides a twisted C-profile that facilitates nesting, or stacking, fortransport and at the construction site.

In some embodiments, the rail-carrier plate is spaced apart from a plane defined by the extension of the back-fixing plate.

The plane defined by the extension of the back-fixing plate can be understood to be the surface level of the wall structure to which the back-fixing plate is to be mounted. The spaced apart configuration provides better tolerance for deflection. When the bracket is mounted to a wall structure, the spaced apart relationship prevents the rail-carrier plate from abutting the wall beneath it.

In some embodiments, the rail-carrier plate is has a different width than the back-fixing plate in the direction perpendicular to the rail-carrier support.

The rail-carrier plate may be narrower than the back-fixing plate. The rail-carrier plate may be wider than the back-fixing plate. A wider back-fixing plate provides a larger support surface for a cladding rail. For instance, the components of a helping hand clip arrangement may be spaced apart wider than the width of the back-fixing plate.

The clip arrangement can thereby be spaced apart further than would be possible with an L-profile helping hand bracket.

In some embodiments, the rail-carrier plate comprises at least one substantially elongate opening and at least one substantially circular opening, the elongate opening providing a sliding connection with a bolt to be provided through the elongate opening, the circular opening providing a fixed connection with a bolt to be provided through the circular opening.

In some embodiments, the back-fixing plate comprises at least one substantially elongate opening providing a sliding connection with a bolt to be provided through the elongate opening.

In some embodiments, the rail-support bracket is made from steel or a steel alloy.

The properties may be that of or similar to stainless steel 316, as known in the trade. The bracket may be provided with a mill finish.

In some embodiments, the rail-support bracket is made from aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

The properties may be according to EN AW-6063T6 and/or BS EN 755-2:1997, as known in the trade. The bracket may be provided with a mill finish. The bracket may be provided with an anodised finish.

One or more rail-support brackets of the first aspect may be comprised in sub-frame assembly of a building structure. The sub-frame may be used to support rain screen cladding.

Description of the Figures

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the Figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a part of a fagade system;

Figure 2 shows a top view of a part of a fagade system;

Figure 3 shows an isometric view of an embodiment;

Figure 4 shows an isometric view of another embodiment;

Figure 5 shows a top view illustrating an arrangement comprising an embodiment;

Figure 6 shows a side view of the Figure 4 arrangement;

Figure 7 shows a top view illustrating an arrangement comprising an embodiment;

Figure 8 shows a side view of the Figure 7 arrangement; and

Figure 9 shows a side view of a variant of the Figure 7 arrangement.

Description

Figure 1 shows a side view illustrating a vertical rail bracket 4 in the context of a sub frame 1 for a cladding system such as rain screen cladding. In the reading orientation of Figure 1, the interior wall side is to the left and the exterior wall side is to the right. A wall structure 2 is provided with a series of L-profile brackets 4 (only one L-profile bracket 4 shown in Figure 1). The L-profile bracket 4 holds a vertical rail 5V (in Figure 1: in vertical orientation) spaced apart from the wall structure 2. It will be understood that a series of laterally spaced apart vertical rails 5V is mounted to the wall structure 2, each vertical rail mounted via a series of multiple L-profile brackets 4. The plurality of vertical rails 5 serves as support for a cladding system 9. The cladding system 9 is only schematically indicated in Figure 1 and could be comprised of a series of panels fixed to the series of rails. Between the wall structure 2 and the series of vertical rails 5 there is a cavity 8 that may be filled with insulating material.

Figure 2 shows a top view illustrating a sub-frame 1A that is a variant of the Figure 1 sub-frame. Whereas Figure 1 shows a vertical rail 5V, Figure 2 depicts a horizontal rail 5 mounted to the wall structure 2. In the reading orientation of Figure 2, the interior wall side is on the top and the exterior wall side is on the bottom. A plurality (here: two) L-profile brackets 4 are mounted in a vertical orientation, corresponding to the orientation in Figure 1, to the wall structure 2. Each L-profile bracket 4 is adapted to carry a T-profile helping hand bracket 6 onto which a rail 5 can be mounted. The arrangement comprising an L-profile bracket 4 and a T-profile helping hand bracket is more stable for vertical loads than a single horizontal L-profile bracket would be expected to be. This is of interest for heavy fagade systems.

Figure 3 shows an isometric view of a rail-support bracket 10 manufactured from a single sheet of material. The material may be metal, in particular steel or aluminium. The sheet comprises a first face 12 with a generally frusto-triangular shape, from which a first wing 14 and a second wing 16 extend. Each wing is bent at a right angle to the first face 12 and perpendicular to the other wing, as described below.

The first wing 14 extends from a first edge of the first face 12 and is bent at a rightangled bend 18 to one side of the first face 12 to provide a second face. The second face is substantially perpendicular to the first face 12. The second wing 16 extends from a second edge of the first face 12 that is perpendicular to the first edge. The second wing 16 is bent at a right-angled bend 20 to one side of the first face 12 to provide a third face. The third face is substantially perpendicular to the first face 12. The first wing 14 and the second wing 16 are bent towards the same side of the first face 12.

The first wing 14 constitutes a back-fixing plate. The first face 12 constitutes a railcarrier support. The second wing 16 constitutes a rail-carrier plate.

The first wing 14 comprises a number of openings for receiving fixtures, such as bolts or rivets, to fix the rail-support bracket to a wall structure. The openings include a plurality of short holes 28A and a large hole 30. The second wing 16 comprises a clip arrangement comprising cladding-rail clips 22A, 22B. The second wing 16 further comprises a plurality (here: two) elongate holes 24A, 24B and a plurality (here: two) round holes 26A, 26B.

With reference to the plane of the first face 12, the first face 12 comprises a forward edge 36 the first wing 14 and a lower edge 32 opposite second wing 16. The forward edge 36 is chamfered and meets the lower edge 32 at a chamfered corner 34. This arrangement is believed to improve the stability of the rail-support bracket 10 under loads and the material used for a rail-support bracket.

Figure 4 shows an isometric view of a tall rail-support bracket 10A that corresponds in several aspects to the rail-support bracket 10 of Figure 3. The same numerals are used in Figure 4 for corresponding elements of Figure 3. Numerals with a suffix ‘-A’ are used in Figure 4 for elements that are variants of corresponding elements in Figure

3.

The tall rail-support bracket 10A is more elongate in the vertical direction (vertical in the orientation in which it is intended to be installed on a wall). Thus, the tall bracket 10A comprises a longer first face 12A and a correspondingly longer second face 14A. The second face 14A allows more openings 28A, 30A, 28B, 30B, and 28C to be provided.

This improves the mounting points and thus the load-bearing characteristics of the tall rail-support bracket 10A when compared to the rail-support bracket 10. For instance, the rail-support bracket 10 may be used to support the dead load of a cladding system.

The tall rail-support bracket 10A may be used for wind-exposed fagades, to support the dead load and the wind load of a cladding system.

Figures 5 to 9 illustrate brackets 10 or 10A, respectively, used on a wall. It will be appreciated that the brackets 10A in Figures 5 and 7 are a mirror image of the bracket 10A illustrated in Figure 4. Figure 5 is a top view of a wall 50, corresponding to the orientation of Figure 2, the wall 50 comprising a wall structure 2 to which a plurality (here: two) rail-support brackets 10A are mounted. It can be appreciated that each bracket 10A is in a vertical orientation. Figure 6 is a side view of the Figure 5 arrangement, showing the same components using the same numerals as in Figure 5. In contrast to Figure 2, the arrangement of Figures 5 and 6 requires only a single bracket component per fixing point, instead of an arrangement requiring an L-profile bracket and a T-profile bracket. Compared to the Figure 2 arrangement, the Figure 5 arrangement reduces the installation and alignment effort.

Figure 7 shows a T-profile rail 5A mounted to the walling system 50 of Figure 5. Figure 8 shows a side view corresponding to Figure 7, with corresponding numerals used as in Figure 7. The T-profile rail 5A is held in the helping hand clips 22A, 22B of each railsupport bracket 10A. Prior to having been fixed with bolts, the T-profile rail 5A may be moved parallel to the plane of the third face (see second wing 16 in Figure 4 constituting a rail-carrier plate), ie toward or away from the walling structure, or laterally (left or right). Once aligned, the T-profile rail 5A is fixed in position using a series of fixtures 52, 54. The fixtures 52 and 54 may be of the same type. The different numerals 52 and 54 are used in Figure 7 to clarify the different positions of the fixtures: the fixtures 52 are installed in the round holes of the rail-carrier plate. The fixtures 54 are installed in the elongate holes of the rail-carrier plate. In a series of brackets 10A supporting one T-profile rail 5A, the round holes of one bracket are used for a fixed point connection and the elongate holes of the other brackets are used for a sliding connection, to provide tolerance for an expansion of the T-profile rail 5A, eg as may be required due to temperature fluctuations.

Figure 9 shows side view corresponding to Figure 8 and using the same numerals for corresponding elements, illustrating however a variant of a horizontal L-profile rail 5B mounted on a rail-support bracket 10. In Figure 9, the horizontal L-profile rail 5B is illustrated at a distance D1 from the wall structure 2. Further, shown in dashed lines, is a horizontal L-profile rail 5C (that may be the same rail as rail 5B). The horizontal L-profile rail 5C is illustrated in a position moved further away from the wall structure 2 at a distance D2 that is greater than the distance D1. Figure 9 illustrates how a horizontal rail may be moved for pre-alignment, while provisionally held in the helping hand clip arrangement, before being fixed in position by fixtures 52. It will be understood that the rail 5A of Figures 7 and 8 has a corresponding sliding engagement with the clip arrangement, allowing the rail to be horizontally aligned, both toward and away from the wall structure 2 and laterally, before being fixed in position.

Due to the single-sheet configuration of the rail-support brackets 10 and 10A, a plurality of rail-support brackets 10 or 10A may be stacked, or nested, and so this facilitates logistics for transport and handling of a supply of such brackets on site when compared to pre-assembled horizontal rail support assemblies.

As may be appreciated from Figures 5 to 9, the rail support brackets are mounted to the wall structure 2 directly, ie without insulating pad. The rail-support brackets 10, 10A are made from steel and so there is less concern about thermal de-coupling and corrosion resistance than there would be for aluminium brackets. An arrangement not requiring insulating pads further facilitates the installation procedures. Furthermore, steel has a better fire rating, as aluminium has a melting point in the region of 660 degrees Celsius that may be exceeded by severe fire.

The holes in the back-fixing plate and in the rail-carrier plate, and the clips may be stamped or laser-cut.

The bends such as the bends 18 and 20 in Figures 3 and 4, or the bend portions of the clips 22A, 22B may be reinforced with ribs. The curvature of the bends may be optimised to provide a stable load support, eg to at least 2 mm radius or to a radius at least the thickness of the sheet from which the bracket is formed.

Herein, a reference to a right angle or to a perpendicular arrangement is understood to be a reference to a substantially right-angled arrangement. It will be understood that due to tolerances in the trade, angles of more or less than 90 degrees may still be understood to be perpendicular to each other.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rail-support bracket for a fagade system substructure in which a claddingsupporting rail is mounted via a series of brackets to a wall structure, the bracket comprising a back-fixing plate, a rail-carrier plate substantially perpendicular to the back-fixing plate, and a rail-carrier support extending from the back-fixing plate to support the rail-carrier plate, wherein the rail-carrier plate comprises a clip arrangement suitable for holding a cladding-supporting rail to be provided, the clip arrangement to hold the claddingsupporting rail in a slidable engagement relative to the rail-carrier plate while inhibiting removal of the cladding-supporting rail perpendicular to the rail-carrier plate, and wherein the rail-carrier support is provided by a unitary sheet substantially perpendicular to both the back-fixing plate and to the rail-carrier plate.

2. The rail-support bracket according to claim 1, wherein a unitary sheet forms the back-fixing plate, the rail-carrier support and the rail-carrier plate.

3. The rail-support bracket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the back-fixing plate is folded substantially perpendicularly to the rail-carrier support and the rail-carrier support is folded substantially perpendicularly to the rail-carrier plate.

4. The rail-support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the back-fixing plate and the rail-carrier plate are on the same side of the rail-carrier support.

5. The rail-support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail-carrier plate is spaced apart from a plane defined by the back-fixing plate.

6. The rail-support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail-carrier plate is has a different width than the back-fixing plate in the direction perpendicular to the rail-carrier support.

7. The rail-support bracket according to claim 6, wherein the rail-carrier plate is wider than the back-fixing plate in the direction perpendicular to the rail-carrier support.

8. The rail-support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rail-carrier plate comprises at least one substantially elongate opening and at least one substantially circular opening, the elongate opening providing a sliding connection with a bolt to be provided through the elongate opening, the circular opening providing

5 a fixed connection with a bolt to be provided through the circular opening.

9. The rail-support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the back-fixing plate comprises at least one substantially elongate opening providing a sliding connection with a bolt to be provided through the elongate opening.

10. The rail-support bracket according to any one of the preceding claims, made from steel or a steel alloy.

11. The rail-support bracket according to any one of claims 1 to 10, made from 15 aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

12. A sub-frame assembly comprising one or more rail-support brackets according to any one of the preceding claims.