IES61472B2 - Connector for use in a pre-fabricated structure - Google Patents

Description

CONNECTOR FOR USE IN A PRE-FABRICATED STRUCTURE This invention relates to connector for use in a pre-fabricated structure such as a roof, and to .3 pre-fabricated roof using such connector.

According to the present invention there is provided a connector for use in a pre-fabricated structure for joining first and second elongate channel members of which one end of the second member meets one edge of the first member, the connector including a tongue for extending under the one edge of the first, member and a body portion for insertion into the end of the second member.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a ridge assembly of a pre-fabricated roof using connectors according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a cross-section of the ridge assembly of figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the ridge assembly of figure 2, Figure 4 is a perspective exploded view of one of the connectors with an associated bridging member, Figure 5 is a cross-section of part of the ridge assembly where a bridging member meets the ridge member, '61472 - 2 Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of connector according to the invention, and Figure 7 is a cross-section through the connector of figure 6.

Referring first to figure 1, a pre-fabricated roof comprises a plurality of glazing panels 10 arranged on either side of a ridge 11. On each side of the ridge the panels 10 are arranged edge to edge in substantially co-planar relationship, and are inclined upwardly towards the ridge. Thus, in the arrangement shown in figure 1, there are three glazing panels on each side of the ridge (the panels hidden in figure 1 are symmetrical with those which can be seen), so that there are three pairs of panels upwardly inclined towards one another at the ridge.

An elongate channel-shaped ridge member 12 of substantially constant cross-section bridges the adjacent edges of each pair of glazing panels (see also figure 2), and carries in a central slot 14 on its top surface a plurality of crest sections 13 which form a continuous decorative crest along the length of the ridge member 12. A finial 15, to be described, completes the decorative aspect of the ridge 11.

A plurality of elongate channel-shaped bridging members 16, to be described later, extend downwardly and outwardly from the ridge member 12, and each covers the gap between an adjacent pair of the co-planar glazing panels 10.

Referring now more particularly to figures 2 and 3, the roof includes a ridge frame member in ths form of a wooden beam 17 which is overlapped on its opposite longitudinal edges by the respective edges of pairs of the glazing panels , shown here as triple glazing panels. The panels 10 are - 3 held firmly in place on the beam 17 by the elongate ridge member 12 which bridges across the gap between the adjacent edges of the panels 10 on the opposite side thereof to the beam 17.

The ridge member 12, which is made for example from extruded aluminium, has a cross-section which is generally in the form of a shallow arch or inverted V-shape. St is secured to the beam 17 by a series of screws 25 disposed spaced apart along the length of the ridge member 12, the screws extending through respective apertures in the ridge member 12 and passing to the beam 17, into which they are screwed, via the gap between the adjacent edges of the panels 10. Thus the edges of the panels 10 are clamped between the beam 17 and the ridge member 12..

The ridge member 12 has on its under surface a respective pair of slots 18 and 19 extending along each [lateral edge. A respective elongate resilient gasket 20 or 21 of substantially constant cross section has a rib which is accommodated in one of the slots 18 or 19 so that the gaskets extend along opposite longitudinal edges of the ridge member 12 to serve as weather seals which seals against the upper surface of the respective glazing panel 10. it will be understood then two slots 18 and 19 are provided to provide a choice of gasket types to use, gaskets of the type 20 being accommodated in the slot 18 and gaskets of the type 21 being accommodated in the slot 19. Therefore, although figure 2 shows one of each of the two different types of gasket 20 and 21 in use on the ridge member 12e this is for illustration only and in practice both gaskets would be of the same type, either type 20 or type 21. Gaskets 24 are also provided in recesses formed along the opposite edges of the beam 17, as shown. -4The top surface of the ridge member 12 has a central slot 14 with a restricted opening, in particular the slot is of shallow inverted T-shaped cross section. The bottom edge or base 13’ of each crest section 13, which is located in th© slot 5 14, has an inverted T-shaped cross section complementary to that of the slot 14. Thus the crest sections 13 have to be slid into the slot 14 from one end of the ridge member 12. The crest sections 13 abut end to end along the slot 14 as seen in figure 3 to form a continuous decorative crest. However, to 10 avoid daylight being seen through the abutting ends of the crest sections 13, these ends have complementary steps as shown at 26 in figure 3. The base of the slot 14 has a channel 27 to accommodate the heads of the screws 25, thereby ensuring that the latter do not interfere with the crest 15 sections 13 as they are slid along the slot 14 into their desired positions.

The finial 15 is essentially a stop member for the otherwise open end of the ridge member 12. Thus it has a 20 horizontal projection (not shown) with substantially the same cross section as the slot 14 which is inserted into the slot after all the crest sections 13 have been slid in. lit serves as a decorative end piece to the ridge member 12.

The elongate bridging members 16, which are also of extruded aluminium with a substantially constant cross-section generally in the form of a shallow arch or inverted V-shape, are constructed and arranged essentially th® same as shown in figure 1 of our co-pending kish Patent 30 Application No 921438. Thus they bridge across the gap between adjacent side edges of the co-planar glazing panels 10 on each side of the ridge 11 and ciamp these side edges to underlying rafters by a series of screws in much the same way as the ridge member 12 clamps the upper edges of the 35 panels to the beam 17.

To provide a weatherproof join between the top end of each bridging member 16 where it meets the lateral edge of th© ridge member 12, a respective connector 30 according to the first embodiment of the invention is used. Each connector 30 is of injection moulded UV stabilised plastics material and comprises three sections, a flat tongue 31 which extends under the lateral edge of the ridge member 12 (figures 3 and 5), a body portion 32 which has a shallow generally trapezoidal cross section complementary to the internal shape of the bridging member 13 and which fits snugly inside the upper end of the latter (see figure 4), and a flange 33 perpendicular to the tongue 30.

The upper edge of the flange 33 has substantially the 15 same profile as the upper surface of the member 16 so that when the body portion is inserted in the member 16 the upper edge 33’ of the flange 33 is flush with the upper surface of the member 16. The flange 33 has lateral portions 34 which cover the open ends of channels 35 in the under surface of 20 the member 16, such channels 35 accommodating gaskets (not shown) which seal against the glazing panels 10 in a similar way to the gaskets 20 or 21.

Thus the body portion 32 inserted in the member 16 25 locates the connector in position, the tongue 31 which extends under the ridge member 12 covers the gap between the adjacent edges of the glazing panels 10 at the join to prevent the ingress of rainwater and draughts, and the flange 33 prevents the connector from slipping down into the 30 bridging member 16 and provides a neat finish to the join.

The gaskets 20 or 21 may be omitted at the places where the tongues 31 extend under the ridge member 12, as shown in figure 5, or they can continue across the tongues.

Figures 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of connector which may alternatively be used in the aforesaid roof - 6 construction. This embodiment differs from the first only in that a flap 40 is integrally joined to the upper edge of the flange 33, the flap extending over and parallel to the body portion 32 to define therewith a slot 41.. The slot 41 is substantially the same width as the thickness of the member 16, so that the upper end of the latter is snugly engaged in the slot when the body portion 32 is inserted in the member 32. This assists in preventing the upper end of the bridging member 16 from rising away from the glazing panels 10, and also hinders rainwater from entering between the flange 33 and the end of the member 16.

Although the foregoing has described the connectors 30 used to join the ends of the upwardly inclined bridging '15 members 18 to the edge of the ridge member 12, they can be used at any point in a pre-fabricated glazed structure where one elongated channel member meets another at an angle.

Claims (5)

1. „ A connector for use in a pre-fabricated structure for joining first and second elongate channel members of which 5 one end of the second member meets one edge of the first member, the connector including a tongue for extending under the one edge of the first member and a body portion for insertion into the end of the second member. 10

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body portion has a shallow trapezoidal cross-section.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector has a flange intermediate the tongue and body portion.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector has a flap joined thereto at the junction of the tongue and body portions, the flap extending over the body portion to define therewith a slot for engagement by the end of the 20 second member.

5. A connector as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described herein with reference to figures 4 or 6 of th® accompanying drawings.