IE76120B1 - Roof fixing arrangement and gasket therefor - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a fixing arrangement 5 for use in a roof assembly, for example, but not limited to a roof assembly of the general kind described in our co-pending Irish Provisional Patent Application No. 2747/91 .

The roofing system described and illustrated in the above mentioned Patent Application uses a capping or bridging member to bridge across the edges of two panel units, each side of the bridging member carrying a respective gasket which engages and seals against the surface of a respective panel unit.

A disadvantage of this prior system is that the bridging member cannot accommodate panel units forming a hip,! or valley, a hip being formed when panel units such as sheets of glazing material are at an upwardly inclined angle, and a valley being formed in the reverse situation.

According to the present invention there is provided a fixing arrangement for use in a roof assembly, comprising a bridging member for bridging across a gap between the adjacent edges of a pair of panel units, and a pair of gaskets mounted on opposite sides of the bridging member and each having a surface for engagement with the surface of a respective panel unit, each gasket being mountable on the respective side of the bridging member in either one of two orientations such that the panel-engaging surfaces of the gaskets may 761 20 be inclined inwardly and upwardly towards the bridging member for engagement: with panel units forming a hip, or inwardly and downwardly away from the bridging member for engagement with panel units forming a valley.

Preferably, each gasket comprises an elongate resilient generally wedged-shaped body of substantially constant cross-section having a panel-engaging surface adapted to sealingly engage a respective said panel unit of the roof assembly and an opposite surface adapted to sealingly engage said bridging member.

An advantage of the invention, as will be described, is that it permits a single design of bridging member to be used for both hip and valley formation.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by 15 way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a prefabricated roof assembly according to our co-pending Irish Patent Specification No. 2747/91; Figure IA is a cross-section of the bridging member of figure 1; 761 20 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of figure 1 showing the use of a fixing arrangement according to the embodiment of the invention where the glazing panels form a hip; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of figure 1 showing the use of a fixing arrangement according to the embodiment of the invention where the glazing panels form a valley, and Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section of one of the gaskets in figures 2 and 3.

In the figures the same or similar components are given the same reference numbers.

Referring to figure 1 of the drawings, a pre-fabricated roof assembly according to our co-pending Irish Provisional Patent Application No. 2747/91 includes a roof frame member in the form of a wooden rafter 10 which is overlapped on its opposite longitudinal edges 11 by the respective edges of a pair of triple glazing panels 13. The panels 13 are held firmly in place by an elongate capping or bridging member 14 which bridges across the gap 12 between the adjacent edges of the panel 13 on the opposite side thereof to the rafter 10.

The bridging member 14 is made for example from extruded aluminium, and has a cross-section which is generally in the form of a shallow arch or inverted V-shape. A pair of elongate resilient gaskets 18 of substantially constant cross-section are mounted on opposite sides of the bridging member 14 to extend along opposite longitudinal edges of the member 14. Each '«9 761 20 gasket 18 is mounted on the bridging member 14 by means of a respective rib 17 which engages in a respective channel 20, and serves as a weather seal which seals against the upper surface of the respective glazing panel 13. Similar seals 19 are provided in recesses formed along the opposite edges 11 of the rafter 10.

The bridging member 14 is secured to the rafter 10 by a series of screws 15 disposed spaced apart along the length of the bridging member 14, the screws extending through respective apertures in the bridging member 14 and passing to the rafter 10, into which they are screwed, via the gap 12. Thus the edges of the panels 13 are clamped between the rafter 10 and the bridging member 14.

It is to be understood that figure 1 shows only a small part of the roof assembly. The full assembly will have a plurality of rafters with a plurality of glazing panels each spanning two rafters, and each rafter will support and have fixed thereto by their edges in the manner shown a pair of glazing panels.

A disadvantage with the structure shown in figure is that because the lower surfaces 21 (figure IA) of the outer portions of the bridging member 14, that is, the portions in which the channels 20 are formed and against which the seals 18 bear upwardly in use as shown in figure 1, are flat and substantially co-planar, the structure can only accommodate panel units which are also substantially co-planar.

This disadvantage is overcome as shown in figures and 3, wherein the gaskets 18 of figure 1 are replaced by generally wedge-shaped gaskets 22 each having a lower surface 23 for engagement with the upper surface of a respective panel unit 13. As will be seen by comparison of figures 2 and 3, each gasket 22 is mountable on the respective sides of the bridging member in either one or two orientations. When the gaskets 22 are mounted as shown in figure 2 their panel-engaging surfaces 23 are inclined inwardly and upwardly towards the bridging member 14 for engagement with panel units 13 forming a hip. However, when the gaskets 22 are turned round, i.e. rotated through 180° in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the panel of figure 2, their panel-engaging surfaces are inclined inwardly and downwardly away from the bridging member 14 for engagement with panel units 13 forming a valley (figure 3).

It will be understood that figures 2 and 3 only show as much of the structure as is necessary to understand the principle. Clearly, the screw 15 will in each case be screwed into a roof rafter which will be appropriately angled on its upper surface fo accommodate the angle of the panel units 13 in each case.

Figures 2 and 3 also show a gasket seal between a bridging member and a glazing panel unit to seal a hip or valley joint. However, the gaskets 22 of figures 2 and 3 761 20 may also be used to seal a hip or valley joint between a glazing panel unit and a rafter of the roof assembly.

Referring to Figure 4, each gasket 22 comprises an elongated resilient body 30, made for example of EPDM 5 rubber, having a substantially constant cross-section, the body having a wedge shape defined by convergent surfaces, or surface portions, 23(a), 23(b) and 24(a), 24(b). The surface 23(a), 23(b) in use engages a panel unit 13 and is formed with a plurality of fingers 25 for sealing Ί 761 70 against the surfaces of the panel unit, the direction of the projecting fingers on the surface 23(a) is opposite to and outward from the projecting fingers on the surface 23(b). The positioning of the fingers gives a better seal between the panel unit and the gasket. The other surface 24(a), 24(b) is the surface which in use abuts or bears against the lower surface 21 of the bridging member 14, and is provided with a rib 17 for insertion in the channel 20. 0 The rib 17 is provided at the centre of the surface 24(a), 24(b), as seen in the cross-sectional view, so that whichever way round the gasket 22 is inserted in the channel 20, the gasket extends at least across the full width of the surface 21 and thus protects the panel unit 13 from damage against the bridging member 14 .

Preferably the surface 24(a), 24(b) is made slightly convex in cross-section, for example by providing a small angle of about 5° between each half as shown in figure 4, and the surface 23(a), 23(b) is made slightly concave in cross-section, for example also by providing a small angle of about 5° between each half.

This makes the gasket 22 better able to adapt to a greater range of hip and valley angles.

An. advantage of the arrangement shown in figures 2 to 3 is that it avoids the need for a range-of different aluminium bridging sections which would normally be required for hips and valleys of varying angles . 761 20

Claims (8)

CLAIMS:

1. A fixing arrangement for use in a roof assembly comprising a bridging member for bridging across a gap between the adjacent edges of a pair of panel units, and a pair of gaskets mounted on opposite sides of the bridging member and each having a surface for engagement with the surface of a respective panel unit, each gasket being mountable on th® respective side of the bridging member in either one of two orientations such that the panel-engaging surfaces of the gaskets may be inclined inwardly and upwardly towards the bridging member for engagement with panel units forming a hip, or inwardly and downwardly away from the bridging member for engagement with panel units forming a valley.

2. A fixing arrangment as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said gasket comprises an elongate resilient generally wedged-shaped body of substantially constant cross-section having a panelengaging surface adapted to sealingly engage a respective said panel unit of the roof assembly and an opposite surface adapted to- sealingly engage said bridging member..

3. A fixing arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the panel-engaging surface of each said gasket is further comprised of first and second surface portions, each having a plurality of projections extending therefrom.

4. A fixing arrangment as claimed in claim 3, wherein the projections of the first surface portion extend in a direction away from and opposite to the direction of the projections on the second surface portion. IS

5. A fixing arrangement as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the first surface portion is at an angle of 5° to the second surface portion forming a substantially concave surface.

6. A fixing arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the opposite surface of each said gasket sealingly engages the bridging member of the roof assembly by means of a respective projecting rib.

7. A fixing arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein th© opposite surface of each said gasket comprises third and fourth surface portions wherein the third surface portion lies at an angle of 5° to the fourth surface portion forming a substantially convex surface.

8. A fixing arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.