IE75662B1 - A connector for joining channel members and an assembly of channel members joined thereby - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector 21 for joining two channel members 14' and 14" end to end in axial alignment comprises a body portion 22 whose opposite ends 24 and 25 are slid into the ends of the two channel members, and a centre flange 23 which forms an abutment against which the ends of the channel members come to rest in their fully engaged position on the connector.

Description

A CONNECTOR FOR JOINING CHANNEL MEMBERS AND AN ASSEMBLY OF CHANNEL MEMBERS JOINED THEREBY This invention relates to a connector for joining two channel members end to end, and to an assembly of two channel members joined using such a connector. The i invention is applicable to the construction of pre5 fabricated roof assemblies.

Pre-fabricated roof assemblies are known in which elongate channel members having a substantially constant cross-section typically in the form of a shallow arch or inverted V-shape overlie rafters or other roof frame members in the longitudinal direction, and the adjacent edges of glazing sheets or other roof panel units which extend laterally under the opposite edges of the channel members are clamped between each rafter and its respective channel member by fixing means passing from the channel member and into the rafter between adjacent edges of the panel units. Typical of such assemblies is that described in UK Patent Specification GB 2,258,282 of which figure 1 is reproduced as figure 1 of the present Specification.

Referring to figure 1, an inverted channel member 14 of extruded aluminium or similar rigid material overlies a wooden rafter 10, and sandwiches between r itself and the rafter 10 the edges of two triple glazing panels 13 which rest on the longitudinal edges of the rafter. Screws 15 pass through the gap 12 between the edges of the panels 13 to secure the channel member 14 to the rafter 10. Gaskets 18 held in narrow grooves 17 seal between the edges of the channel member 14 and the top surfaces of the panels 13, and similar gaskets 19 seal between the rafter 10 and the bottom surfaces of the panels 13. It will be understood that the rafter 10 and channel member 14 of figure l will in general be highly elongated in the direction along the channel member 14, the figure showing only a short section of the assembly.

A disadvantage of such constructions is that the length of channel member 14 required for a particular job is usually determined on site and cut from long lengths up to 6m long. This can result in wasteful off-cuts. Also, distributing such long lengths to the site is difficult, and requires a long vehicle. Further, the manipulation of long lengths on site is unwieldy and can cause damage to the length itself, to other property, or to persons.

It is an object of the invention to provide a connector for joining two channel members end to end, particularly but not exclusively for use on a roof assembly.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a connector for joining end to end two elongate channel members having a substantially constant shallow arched or V-shaped cross-section, the connector comprising a ♦ body portion having opposite ends whose cross-section substantially corresponds to the inside cross section « of the channel members so that in use they may be slid respectively into the channels at the ends of the two channel members, and a stop member which is formed on the body portion intermediate its ends and against opposite sides of which the ends of the two channel members in use come to abut when slidably engaged to their fullest extent on the body portion, the connector having means for engaging in use the channel members to prevent the ends of the body portion disengaging the channel members by lateral movement out of the open side of the channel members thereby to maintain the ends of the channel members substantially in axial alignment by the connector.

The body portion of the connector may have lateral slots for engagement by in-turned formations in the channel members for maintaining the channel members substantially in axial alignment.

The stop member may have retaining means which on each side of the stop member extends over the body portion towards the respective free end thereof to * define a slot between the retaining means and the body portion, the end of the respective channel member in use entering the slot when engaged to its fullest extent on the body portion, the body portion and retaining means together serving to maintain the ends of the channel members in axial alignment.

The stop member may comprise a flange which is substantially normal to the axis of the body portion, the outer edge of the flange, disregarding any retaining means, having a profile substantially the same as that of the outer surface of the channel members so as to provide, in use, visual continuity across the join.

The invention also includes an assembly of two elongate channel members joined end to end, eachchannel member having a substantially constant shallow arched or v-shaped cross-section, wherein the channel members are joined by a connector comprising a body portion having opposite ends whose cross-section substantially corresponds to the inside cross-section of the channel members and which ends are slidably engaged respectively in the channels at the adjacent ends of the two channel members, and a stop member which is formed on the body portion intermediate its ends and against opposite sides of which the ends of the two channel members abut, the connector having means which engages the channel members to prevent the ends of the body portion disengaging the channel members by lateral movement out of the open side of the channel members thereby to maintain the ends of the channel members substantially in axial alignment by the connector. » One advantage of the invention, in relation to roof assemblies, is that any given length of channel member can be built up from two or more shorter pieces joined by a connector according to the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l, previously described, is a crosssectional view of a roof assembly according to the prior art, Figure 2 is a similar view of figure 1 which uses a connector according to the first embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the channel members of figure 2 showing details of the connector, Figure 3A is a cross-section of the assembly of figure 3 taken through one of the channel members and the connector body portion, Figure 4 is a view similar to figure 3 showing a second embodiment of connector, and * Figure 4A is a cross section similar to figure 3A.

In the roof assembly shown in figure 2 the single continuous channel member 14 used in the construction of figure 1 has been replaced by a plurality of separate shorter channel members, such as 14' and 14'', joined in end to end alignment by connectors such as that shown at 21. Of course, figure 2 only shows a short section of the assembly in the vicinity of the join between the two adjacent channel members 14' and 14.

Referring now to figure 3, a connector 21 comprises a body portion 22 having a substantially constant cross section, and a central flange 23 which is substantially normal to the axis of the body portion. The flange 23 divides the body portion 22 into two opposite ends 24 and 25. The connector 21 may be moulded in one piece out of a strong weatherresistant material such as glass fibre filled nylon or high impact polypropylene.

The channel members 14' and 14'' have a pair of downwardly dependent internal legs 26 with in-turned feet 27. As seen in figure 3A, the cross-section of the body portion 22 of the connector 21 corresponds substantially to the cross-section of each channel member between its legs 26. The channel members 14' and 14 are joined together by sliding the channels at the ends of the two channel member 14' and 14'' onto the ends 24' and 25 respectively of the connector body portion, as indicated by the arrows in figure 3, the feet 27 sliding in grooves 28 along the opposite sides of the body portion. The flange 23 forms a stop member against whose opposite sides 29 the ends of the two channel members 14' and 14'' come to abut when slidably engaged to their fullest extent on the body portion, as shown in figure 2.

Clearly, due to the cross-sectional configuration of the channel between the legs 26 and the presence of the feet 27, the ends of the channel members 14' and 14 are maintained substantially in axial alignment by the connector 21 when fully engaged on the body portion 22, solely by engagement of the ends 24 and 25 of the body portion 22 in the channels, preventing the ends of the body portion 22 disengaging the channel members 14' and 14 by lateral movement out of the open side of the channel members 14' and 14.

The outer edge 30 of the flange 23 has a profile substantially the same as that of the outer surface of the channel members so as to provide visual continuity across the join,a s seen in figure 2.

Figure 4 and 4A show another embodiment of the invention, in which the same reference numerals have been used for the same or similar parts as figures 3 and 3A. In this case the channel members 14' and 14 do not have internal legs 26, so that due to the flared shape of the channel the mere engagement by the body portion 22 in the ends of the channels is not in itself sufficient to maintain the channel members in axial alignment, since there is nothing to prevent the ends of the channel members lifting off the body portion.

Therefore, in this case the outer edge 30 of the flange 2 3 has a pair of plates 31 formed integrally therewith. On each side of the flange 23 each plates 31 extends over the body portion 24 or 25 towards the respective free end thereof to define a parallel-sided slot 32 between the plate 31 and the body portion, the slot having a width very slightly larger than the thickness of the channel member 14' or 14. Thus, the end of each channel member 14' and 14 enters the respective slot 32 when engaged to its fullest extend on the body portion. In this case, therefore, the body portion 22 and the plates 31 together serve to maintain the ends of the channel members 14' and 14 in axial alignment by preventing the ends of the body portion disengaging the channel members 14' and 14 by lateral movement out of the open side of the channel members 14' and 14.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS:

1. A connector for joining end to end two elongate channel members having a substantially constant shallow arched or V-shaped cross-section, the connector comprising a body portion having opposite ends whose cross-section substantially corresponds to the inside cross section of the channel members so that in use they may be slid respectively into the channels at the ends of the two channel members, and a stop member which is formed on the body portion intermediate its ends and against opposite sides of which the ends of the two channel members in use come to abut when slidably engaged to their fullest extent on the.body portion, the connector having means for engaging in use the channel members to prevent the ends of the body portion disengaging the channel members by lateral movement out of the open side of the channel members thereby to maintain the ends of the channel members substantially in axial alignment by the connector.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body portion of the connector has lateral slots for engagement by in-turned formations in the channel members for maintaining the channel members substantially in axial alignment.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop member has retaining means which on each side of the stop member extends over the body portion towards the respective free end thereof to define a slot between the retaining means and the body portion, the end of the respective channel member in use entering the slot when engaged to its fullest extent on the body portion, the body portion and retaining means together serving to maintain the ends of the channel members in axial alignment.

4. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the stop member comprises a flange which is substantially normal to the axis of the body portion, the outer edge of the flange, disregarding any retaining means as claimed in claim 3, having a profile substantially the same as that of the outer surface of the channel members so as to provide, in use, visual continuity across the join.

5. A connector substantially as described with reference to figure 3 or figure 4.

6. An assembly of two elongate channel members joined end to end, each channel member having a substantially constant shallow arched or v-shaped cross-section, wherein the channel members are joined by a connector comprising a body portion having opposite ends whose cross-section substantially corresponds to the inside cross-section of the channel 5 members and which ends are slidably engaged respectively in the channels at the adjacent ends of the two channel members, and a stop member which is formed on the body portion intermediate its ends and against opposite sides of which the ends of the two 10 channel members abut, the connector having means which engages the channel members to prevent the ends of the body portion disengaging the channel members by lateral movement out of the open side of the channel members thereby to maintain the ends of the channel 15 members substantially in axial alignment by the connector.

7. An assembly substantially as described with reference to figure 3 or figure 4.