US3559360A

US3559360A - Skylight mounting assembly of extruded aluminum sections

Info

Publication number: US3559360A
Application number: US781446A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pierre Emmanuel E J Bogaert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-01-25
Filing date: 1968-12-05
Publication date: 1971-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-02
Also published as: LU55349A1

Abstract

A MOUNTING ASSEMBLY FOR A SKYLIGHT CONSISTS OF A FIXED RECTANGULAR FRAME AND AN IDENTICAL MOVABLE FRAME HINGED TO THE FIXED FRAME. EACH FRAME CONSISTS OF FOUR SECTIONS OF THE SAME EXTRUDED SHAPE CONNECTED BY ANGLE FASTENERS AT THE CORNERS IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO DEFLECT RAIN WATER AWAY FROM THE OPENING COVERED BY THE SKYLIGHT AND TO MINIMIZE AIR FLOW THROUGH THE CLOSED SKYLIGHT. THE EXTRUDED SHAPE HAS TWO C-CHANNEL PORTIONS WHOSE WEBS EXTEND IN PARALLEL PLANES, AND AT LEAST ONE PLATE PORTION OBLIQUELY INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE PLANES OF THE WEBS AND INTEGRALLY CONNECTING RESPECTIVE FLANGES OF THE CHANNEL PORTION.

Description

1971' P. E. E. J. BosAERf SKYLIGHT MOUNTING ASSEMBLY OF EXTRUDED ALUMINUM SECTIONS Filed Dec. 5. 1968 INVENTOR.

lfik HMANKL 6.3 BOGRW' United States Patent Int. 01. 1264a 13/035 U.S. Cl. 52-656 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting assembly for a skylight consists of a fixed rectangular frame and an identical movable frame hinged to the fixed frame. Each frame consists of four sections of the same extruded shape connected by angle fasteners at the corners in such a manner as to deflect rain water away from the opening covered by the skylight and to minimize air flow through the closed skylight. The extruded shape has two C-channel portions whose webs" extend in parallel planes, and at least one plate portion obliquely inclined relative to the planes of the webs and integrally connecting respective flanges of the channel portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to roofing, more particularly to a mounting assembly for a skylight, and to an extruded structural element from which the assembly can be constructed.

The skylights with which this invention is concerned cover upwardly directed openings in a roof, and it is common practice to provide the roof with a fixed frame I extending about the opening, and to provide the skylight with a frame which is hingedly or otherwise movably secured to the fixed frame in the closed condition of the skylight.

It is necessary to adapt the frames to the shape and size of the opening and of the skylight, and skylight frames had to be built specially heretofore for most buildings because skylights are not standardized.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a mounting assembly for a skylight including two frames which can be made up at the construction site from a single extruded aluminum shape by semi-skilled personnel using very simple hand tools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The skylight mounting assembly of the invention consists of sections of an extruded, elongated. structural element of uniform cross section held together bysimple fasteners. The element has two channel portions, each consisting of a web, a first flange, and a second flange. The webs of the two channel portions extend in respective parallels planes, and the flanges of each channel portion extend from the associated web toward the plane of the other web. A plate portion which is obliquely inclined relative to the planes of the webs integrally connects the first flanges of the channel portions. The second flanges are offset from the associated first flanges in a common direction.'A second plate portion may be provided to connect the second flanges.

A plurality of pairs of longitudinal sections of such an element are connected by two sets of fasteners to form two identical polygonal frames, the fasteners engaging respective longitudinally terminal portions of each section. The two frames are superimposed in the mounting assembly in such a manner that the second flanges of the upper frame are superimposed on the second flanges in the lower frame, while the first flange of each channel portion in each frame is spaced from the associated second flange in a direction away from the other frame. The webs of the upper and lower frames extend in parallel or coinciding planes for each side of the polygon.

Other features, additional objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will readily be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the apended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a skylight mounting assembly of the invention is fragmentary elevational section, portions of the skylight and of the supporting roof being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 2 shows a modified skylight mounting assembly in fragmentary elevational section; and

FIG. 3 illustrates one of the fastener elements used in the assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is seen a skylight mounting assembly 1 which connects a skylight 2 to a supporting roof 11. The mounting assembly consists of a fixed frame 3 which extends about an opening in the roof 11, and a movable frame 3' hinged to the fixed frame 3 in a conventional manner, not shown, and having the skylight 2 attached thereto.

Each of the

frames

3, 3 consists of longitudinal sections of the same extruded aluminum shape, the inherent- 1y uniform cross section of the extruded shape being seen in FIG. 1. It includes two approximately C-

shaped channel portions

4, 5 whose webs extend in parallel, spaced, vertical planes. The flanges extend from the webs toward the plane of the other web, and have inturned I'lIIlS.

Referring more specifically to the extruded section which forms a side of the fixed frame 3 seen in section in FIG. 1, the lower flanges of the

channel portions

4, 5 are integrally connected by a flat plate portion 6 obliquely inclined relative to the vertical planes of the channel webs. Ribs 8, 9 project upwardly from the upper flanges of the two channel portions, and another rib 13 extends downwardly from the plate portion 6. A fastening strip 3 obliquely downward in a direction horizontally away from the central opening in the superimposed frames, the channel portions in each frame section being vertically offset in such a manner that the channel portion near the frame opening is higher than the channel portion of the same section remote from the frame opening.

The rib 8 on each frame section cooperates with the rib 9 on the other frame section to obstruct a gap at the interface of the two frames, and thus to limit passage of air into and out of the building space covered by the roof 11. The rib 13 on the lower fixed frame 3 projects towards a supporting face of the roof 11 to limit passage of air between the roof and the lower frame, a sealing strip 14 being retained between the plate 6 portion of the lower frame 3 and the roof surface by the rib 13 and by the lower flange of the channel portion 4.

The skylight 2 is attached to the upper, movable frame 3' in a conventional manner, not illustrated in detail, and the lower frame 3 is attached to the roof 11 by a clamp 12 which engages the strip 10.

It will be understood that the

frames

3, 3 are rectangular, each side of the rectangle being as shown in FIG. 1. The sections of an extruded aluminum element which constitute respective sides of each frame are miter-cut to an angle of 45 at their ends so that they may be fastened to each other by tubular angles 7 of aluminum of which one is shown in FIG. 7. Two angles 7 are provided at each corner of each frame, their legs engaging corresponding channel portions 4, of two angularly joined frame sides, as is known in itself. The angles may be fastened in the joined channel portions by friction only or by set screws, rivets, or plain pins, as is equally known in the construction of aluminum windows and doors.

The extruded sections which constitute the frames 3, 3' are very rigid because of their cross sectional configuration. They can be cut to the desired size in a miter box by means of a simple saw, and the cut pieces can be used practically without scrap loss because the sections are employed in superimposed pairs whose ends are cut at opposite oblique angles.

The two frames of the mounting assembly of the invention engage each other quite tightly without gaskets or other resilient sealing elements. The single structural elements from which all sides of a frame and both frames for an assembly may be cut, readily lend themselves to anodizing so as to minimize maintenance problems. A roofer needs to carry with him only one or more lengths of the extruded aluminum shape and a set of identical fasteners to construct any rectangular skylight mounting assembly of the invention on the building site.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to a skylight mounted on

rectangular frames

3, 3, the frames may have three or five sides or more, and only the non-illustrated miter box and the fastening angles 7 need to be modified to permit the assembling of extrudate sections into any desired polygonal shape, regular or otherwise.

The plate portions 6, which slope obliquely in a direction outward of the skylight opening and downward at an angle of 35 -40 relative to a horizontal plane, deflect rain Water away from the roof opening while the gap between the plate portion 6 of the fixed frame 3 and the roof 11 permits the discharge of condensate from the skylight 2 through the sealing strip 14 if the latter is made of open-celled polyurethane foam or like material.

The mounting assembly partly shown in FIG. 2 differs from that described with reference to FIG. 1 by two parallel, obliquely inclined plate portions 6', 6 which connect respective flanges of channel portions 4', 5' closely similar to the

corresponding elements

4, 5 illustrated in FIG. 1. Whereas the hollow fixed frame 3 illustrated in FIG. 1 is upwardly open, and the cooperating hollow movable frame 3 is downwardly open, both frames of the assembly shown in FIG. 2 consist of closed tubular sections.

What is claimed is:

1. An extruded, elongated, unitary structural element of uniform cross section comprising:

(a) two channel portions,

(1) each channel portion having a web, a first flange, and a second flange,

(2) the webs of said channel portions respectively extending in two parallel, spaced planes, and the flanges of each channel portion extending from the associated web toward the plane of the other web;

(b) a plate portion obliquely inclined to said planes and connecting the first flanges of said channel portions,

(3) the second flanges being offset from the associated first flanges in a common direction, and

(4) one of said channel portions being offset in said common direction from the other channel portion;

(c) an inturned rim on each flange directed toward the corresponding rim on the associated other flange; and

(d) a fastening strip projection from said other channel portion substantially in the plane of the associated web in a direction away from said one channel portion.

2. An element as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rib projecting from each second flange away from the associated first flange.

3. An element as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rib projecting from said plate portion in a direction away from said second flanges.

4. An extruded, elongated, unitary structural element of uniform cross section comprising:

(a) two channel portions,

(1) each channel portion having a web, a first flange, and a second flange,

(c) another plate portion substantially parallel to said obliquely inclined plate portion and connecting said second flanges of said two channel portions.

5. An element as set forth in claim 4, further comprising an inturned rim on each flange directed toward the corresponding rim on the associated other flange.

6. An element as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a rib projecting from each second flange away from the associated first flange.

7. An element as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a rib projecting from said plate portion in a direction away from said second flanges.

8. A mounting assembly for a skylight comprising in combination:

(a) a plurality of pairs of longitudinal sections of an extruded, elongated, unitary structural element of uniform cross section including two channel portions, each channel portion having a web, a first flange, and a second flange, the webs of said channel portions respectively extending in two parallel, spaced planes, and the flanges of each channel portion extending from the associated web toward the plane of the other web, and a plate portion obliquely inclined to said planes and connecting the first flanges of said channel portions, the second flanges being offset from the associated first flanges in a common direction;

(b) first fastening means fastening longitudinally terminal portions of respective first members of said pairs to each other to form a first polygonal frame; and

(c) second fastening means fastening longitudinally terminal portions of respective second members of 5 said pairs to each other to form a second polygonal frame substantially identical with said first frame,

(1) said frames being superimposed on each other in such a manner that the second flanges of the second member of each pair are superimposed on the second flanges of the first member of the pair, the first flanges of each member being spaced from the associated second flanges in a direction away from the other member of the pair, and the planes of the Webs in the first member being substantially parallel to the planes of the webs in the second member.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein the planes of the webs of each first member of a pair substantially coincide with the respective planes of the webs in the associated second member.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 8, said frames defining respective openings therein, the channel portions UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,399,500 9/1968 Shapiro 52200X FOREIGN PATENTS 655,359 1/1965 Belgium 52200 512,065 11/1930 Germany 52738 ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.