US2577582A - Roof construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4, 1951 M T ETAL 2,577,582

ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 4, 1947 I I VTORS ANDRE HAHN/7'7 BY HERBERT L.B/RZ//7,J

,4 TTORNE) Patented Dec. 4, 1951 ROOF CONSTRUCTION Andrew B. Hammitt and Herbert L. Birum. J r., Trenton, N. J.

Application February 4, 1947, Serial No. 726,262

2 Claims. (Cl. 108-1) with their ends overlapping and supported by the' I structural framework of a building.

Roof construction of this type frequently embody relatively long sheets of material, such as sheets of corrugated cement asbestos composition 8, 10, or 12 feet in length. Sheets of this type are economical to handle and apply but they require support between the end of the sheets taprevent sagging, vibration or injury to the sheets under a heavy load of snow or me high wind. The necessary support for the sheets is usually provided by constructing the framework forthe roof with purlins spaced onl 3 /2 to say 5 feet'apart. However, in many constructions it is unnecessary and too expensive to locate the purlins so close together whereas existing constructions to which sheet material is to be applied often have the purlins spaced 8 or 10 feet apart.

In accordance with our invention means are provided for supporting sheet material at points between the purlins so as to prevent sagging or vibration of the sheets even when the sheets are relatively long and the p-urlins are spaced far apart. These advantages are preferably attained by providing bridging members or tie rods which extend from one purlin to another and by "employing supporting members which extend between the bridging members and sheet material near the center of the sheets to produce a structure somewhat in the nature of a truss.

One of the objects of our invention is to strengthen roof constructions embodying relatively long sheets of material.

Another object of our invention is to reduce the cost of constructing roofs of the type wherein sheet material is supported adjacent its ends by the structural framework of a building.

A particular object of our invention is to provide a novel type of roof construction embodying elements which cooperate with purlins and sheet material to afford a support for the centers of the sheets of material.

These and other objects and features of our invention will appear from the following description thereof in which reference is made to the figures of the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a sectional view through a roof embodying a typical embodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a detail ofv the construction shown in Fig. 1;

' of Fig. 4.

2 s i Fig. 4 is aperspective of aportion of a roof embodying alternativeforms of our invention;

and 1 Fig-:5 is a sectional view taken onv the line 5-5 In that form of our invention illustrated-in Figs. 1. to 3, the framework of the roof embodies purlins 2 and 4 which may bespaced apart any suitable distance, say ll)v feet. Sheets of roofing material which are, say. 11 feet in length, are applied to the purlins 2 and 4 and are arranged with their ends overlapping. and supported by the purlins. Thus, the sheet 6, which is represented as being asheet of corrugatedncement asbestos material. is supported with itslower end 8 overlapping the upper end ill of the sheet 42 and supported by the purlins 2. The upper end M of the sheet 5 is supported by the purlin 4 and is overlapped by the lower end It ofthe sheet l8. I v

The sheets 5, l2 and 18 may be secured to the purlins 2 and 4 by any suitable .means, but as shown, the fastening means employed are of the type shown and described in our copending ap-- plication Serial No. 667,682, filed Mayo. 1946, now abandoned. These fastening means are in the form of L-shaped bolts 20 which extend through openings in the overlapping portions of the sheets and have inner laterally projecting end portions 22 provided with hook-shaped extremities 24 which embrace the lower flanges 2B of. the purlinsn The outer ends of. the fastening means are provided with nuts 28 and washers 30 for securing the sheets .in place. Sealing means 32 extend over the nuts 28 and the outer ends of the fastening means to protect them, from the weather. a v I Inorder to aiford support forthe. sheet 5 between the purlins 2 and 4, a bridging member 34 is placed so that itextends from one purlin to the other and a supporting member 36 is posi tioned between the purlins in position to engage the bridging member and the sheet 6 so as to cooperate therewith to form a truss-like assembly.

The bridging member 34 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is formed on one end with a hook-shaped extremity 38 which extends over the upper flange 48 of the purlin 4 and embraces the edge ofthe flange. The bridging member is inclined downward from the flange 4|] of purlin 4 to a point below the center of the sheet 6 where the supporting member 36 is located. The bridging member then is inclined upward and passes across the upper face ofv the flange 40 of the purlin? and is provided with a threaded end 42 which projects beyond the upper face of the flange. A U-shaped clip 44 is applied over the threaded end of the bridging member and embraces the edge of the flange 40 on purlin 2. A nut 46 engaging the threads on the end 42 of the bridging member serves to secure the clip to the purlin and thereby secures the bridging member in place.

The supporting member 36 located adjacent the center of the bridging member, maybe welded or otherwise secured thereto, but as shown in Fig. 2 an eye 48 is formed on the lower end of the supporting member so that it may be slipped over the end bridging member and moved into place. The upper portion of the supporting member is provided with a strap or other contact member 50 which is formed to engage the inner surface of the sheet 6 adjacent the center of the sheet. The contact member is corrugated to conform to the contour of the inner surface of the sheet 6 when the sheet itself is corrugated as shown. The contact member also extends a substantial distance transversely of the sheet to afford an extended area of support adjacent the center of the sheet. Arms 52 are connected to the contact member 50 adjacent the opposite ends thereof and are connected to the eye 48 which surrounds the bridging member. The length of the arms 52 are preferably such that the contact member 50 will normally be positioned slightly above a plane including the upper flanges 40 of the purlins 2 and 4 and so that when the nut 46 is drawn up forcibly the sheet material will be caused to assume the position indicated by the dotted line 54. The supporting member therefore tends to hold the center of the sheet above the plane of the flanges 40' so that when the fastening means 20 are applied to secure the ends of the sheet in place, the sheet 6 will' tend to bow upward at the center and the bridging member will tend to bow downward to produce a truss-like assembly. The center of the sheet 6 is thus supported and the sheet and assembly are strengthened so that they will withstand a heavy load without sagging, vibraion or danger of breaking or injuring the sheet. In applying the constructions described, the supporting member 34 is first applied to the bridging member and the threaded end 42 of the bridging member is then inserted beneath the upper end In of the sheet I 2 and over the upper flange 40 of the purlin 2. The end 42 is positioned in one of the corrugations near the center of the sheet where it will not interfere with the application of the fastening means 20 employed in securing the sheets 6 and I2 to the purlin 2. The opposite hook-shaped end 38 of the bridging member 34 is then placed over the upper flange 40 of the purlin 4 and the bridging member is moved into position to cause the end 38 to em brace the edge of the flange 40. The sheet 6 is then placed in positioned with its lower end 8 overlapping the upper end ID of the sheet I2 and with its upper end l4 overlying the purlin 4. The contact member 50 of the supporting member is also positioned to engage the inner face of the sheet 6. The fastening means 2t] are then applied to the sheets 6 and I2 and to purlin 2 to hold the sheets in place. Thereafter clip 44 and nut 46 are applied to the threaded end 42 of the bridging member and are drawn up so as to force the clip into retaining engagement with the flange 40 of the purlin 2. The nut 46 is preferably drawn up sufficiently toplace the bridging member under tension to force the supporting member 36 upward against the sheet 6 so that it will tend to raise the upper end l4 of sheet a slight distance above the upper flange 40 of purlin 4. When sheet [8 is subsequently applied so as to overlap the upper end H of sheet 6 it will press the sheet 6 down against the contact member 50. Moreover, when the fastening means 20 are secured to purlin 4 to hold the upper end [4 of sheet 6 and the lower end I6 of sheet 18 in place the central portion of the sheet 6 will be firmly held against contact member 50 so that the supporting member 34 and the bridging member 36 cooperate with the sheet 6 and purlins '2 and 4 to produce a strong truss-like assembly which strengthens the sheet and affords support therefor between the purlins 2 and 4.

Those forms of our invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are designed for use in constructions wherein tie rods 60 extend between the purlins 62 and 64. The tie rods may be those initially employed in erecting the structural framework or they may be additional tie rods added for the purposes of the present invention. These tie rods serve as bridging members of the assembly and .are used in combination with supporting members 66 and 68 for supporting the central portions of the sheets 10.

The supporting member 66 is in the form of a T-shaped construction provided with a contact plate 72 which engages the inner surface of the sheet 10. The lower end of the T-shaped construction is provided with a saddle 14 which bears against the tie rod 60 to hold the supporting member in place. The supporting member 68 is provided at its lower end with a saddle 14 for engaging the tie rod 60 but has diverging arms 16 which extend upward from saddle 14 to the opposite ends of the contact member 18. In this construction a bolt extends through the sheet 10 and contact member 18 and serves to provide a positive connection between the sheet and supporting member.

While we have shown and described several different embodiments of our invention it will be apparent that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of elements without departing from the teachings of our invention. In view thereof, it should be understood that the forms of our invention specifically referred to above and shown in the drawings are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a roof construction embodying corrugated sheet material arranged with the ends of the sheets overlapping and supported by purlins, means for supporting said sheet material between said purlins comprising a bridging member having its opposite ends resting upon the surfaces of said purlins engaged by the sheet material and within a corrugation thereof, one end of said bridging member having a laterally extending part for engaging a purlin and the other end of said bridging member being threaded and having means thereon for securing said opposite end to another purlin, said bridging member having a portion thereof between said purlins spaced from the lower surface of said sheet material, a rigid supporting member extending from said portion of the bridging member to said sheet material and cooperating therewith to hold the bridging member and sheet material in predetermined spaced relation, and fastening means extending through the overlapping portions of said sheets and into retaining engagement with said purlins, said supporting member being of greater length than the distance between said portion of the bridging member and a plane including the surfaces of said purlins engaged by the sheet material whereby the supporting member tends to 'thrust the sheet material upward adjacent the center thereof.

2. A roof construction of the character defined in claim 1 wherein that portion of the supporting member engaging the sheet material presents a corrugated surface conforming to the corrugations of the sheet material and extending in a direction transverse to the bracing member and on opposite sides thereof, and having elements extending from opposite ends of said portion to the bracing member.

ANDREW B. HAMMITI'. HERBERT L. BIRUM, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images