US3690085A

US3690085A - Roofing and siding sheets and the like

Info

Publication number: US3690085A
Application number: US89165A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Cookson
Original assignee: Cookson Sheet Metal Developments Ltd
Current assignee: Cookson Sheet Metal Developments Ltd
Priority date: 1970-11-13
Filing date: 1970-11-13
Publication date: 1972-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-12

Abstract

A roofing sheet having wide-based ribs, a lateral male rib having means for interlocking with an overlying lateral female rib of a neighboring sheet, the male rib having a fixing channel for securing the rib to a structural member. There are also described clips to act as concealed fixings for intermediate wide-based ribs, the clips having means to engage an internal pocket or pockets in the rib.

Description

nited States Patent Cookson 1 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] ROOFING AND SIDING SHEETS AND 3,524,292 8/1970 Bottom ..52/536 THE LIKE G P [72] Inventor: William Cookson, Fareham, En- FORE! N ATENTS OR APPLICATIONS gland 910,! 10 9/1962 Great Britain .52/520 [73] AssigneeZ Cookson Sheet Metal Developments 984,l36 2/l965 Great Britain ..'..52/520 Limited Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh [22] Ffled: 1970 AttorneyAbraham Engel and Howard J. .Churchill [21] Appl. No.: 89,165

57 AB TRACT Related US. Application Data 1 S A roofing sheet having wide-based ribs, a lateral male [62] 3 2 5 52 2 2 1969 rib having means for interlocking with an overlying a lateral female rib of a neighboring sheet, the male rib [52] US. Cl ..52/531 having a fixing channel for Securing the rib to a [51] Int. Cl. ..E04d 1/06 tural member- There are a described clips to act as 5 Field f Search 52 519 520 521 529 531 concealed fixings for intermediate wide-based ribs, the 52/536-538, 545, 543, 478 clips having means to engage an internal pocket or pockets in the rib. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l l 9 1 O l-lale ..52/531 7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP 1 2 I972 SHEET 2 BF 4 PATENTEDSEPJZIQYZ 3.690.085 SHEET u (If 4 noormo AND SIDING SHEETS AND THE LIKE This application is divided on application Ser. No. 800,835, filed Feb. 17, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,606,720.

This invention relates to roofing and siding sheets and the like and assemblies thereof. It relates especially to sheets which may be secured to structural members by concealed fastening means.

Difficulties have been experienced in designing satisfactory means of securing ribbed sheets of light gauge material to structural members without perforating the sheets. This has particularly applied to sheets having the ribs which may be described as wide-based, that is to say, having side walls which make angles below about 45 with the plane of the sheet because these shapes are unable to accept and retain spring action locking means to securely fasten the ribs to the structural members. Various forms of spring action fastening means have been proposed to secure the overlapping ribs of adjacent sheets along their length and also to secure ribs to structural members. Such fastening means have often led to failure of the fixings through wind suction loading because the wind can lift the sheets sufficiently to spring off the fastening means, the sheets as a consequence being sucked off the build- It is an object-of this invention to provide-improved means for securing together overlying ribs of adjacent roofing or siding sheets and to provide means for positi vely securing the ribs together. It is another object to provide the underlying, male, rib with a fixing channel by means of which the male rib may be secured to a structural member.

A further object is to provide assemblies of roofing and siding sheets and the like.

The term roofing and siding sheet (or roofing or siding sheet) includes roofing, siding and other cladding sheets and panels.

According to this invention there is provided a roofing or siding sheet of sheet material having at opposite edges an upstanding hollow male rib and an upstanding hollow female rib, the male rib having at its outer edge a free downwardly and outwardly directed lip and at its inner edge an external outwardly and downwardly directed pocket formed by a double reverse fold in the material, and between said pocket and said lip a channel having a base to abut against and be fixed to a structural member, the female rib having at its outer edge a hook with a free inwardly and upwardly directed hook end and at its inner edge an internal upwardly and inwardly directed pocket formed by a double reverse fold in the material, whereby when the said female rib is placed over and pressed towards the said male rib of an identical neighboring sheet, the said lip of the male rib is capable of locking by a snap-action into the said pocket of the female rib and the said hook end of the female rib is capable of locking by a snap-action into the said pocket of the male rib, thereby securing the two ribs to each other.

In this specification and claims the term upstanding as applied to a rib of a sheet indicates that the rib, in comparison with surrounding areas of the sheet, stands away from the surface or structure to which the sheet is applied in use. The terms inner and outer as applied to the rib edges refer to the edges of the rib respectively further from and nearer to the lateral edge of the sheet. The terms inwardly and outwardly refer to the directions respectively towards and away from the volume enclosed by the rib. The terms internal and external applied to pockets of the rib are descriptive respectively of a pocket having its walls formed by the face of the sheet which bounds the volume enclosed by the rib and a pocket formed by the other face of the sheet from that which bounds the volume enclosed by the rib. The terms upwardly and downwardly" refer to the directions respectively away from and towards the surface or structure to which the sheet is applied in use.

There is also provided an assembly comprising a number of like sheets as above set out locked together by interengagement of the respective male and female ribs.

There is further provided a roofing or siding sheet having male and female ribs as above set out having a rib intermediate the rib edges with at lest one pocket adapted to be secured by a fastening clip. The intermediate rib may have two side wallswith a pocket provided at the base of both walls. Fastening clips as subsequently described may be assembled in the ribs of a roofing or siding sheet as above described in the factory without the clips interfering with the nesting together of the sheets for transport purposes. Subsequently camming means of the clips may be operated, e.g. the fixing plates as above mentioned are bent downwardly from the sheets on the roof of a building and secured to purlins. In this manner, roofing or siding sheets with assembled clips obviate the transport costs incurred when transporting clips as a separate item and they also save assembly time on the site.

Various forms of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

I FIG. 1 is a part perspective view of a roofing sheet assembly; f

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the male and female ribs of a sheet before assembly;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the male and female rib after assembly;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a form of rib clip and fastening strap;

FIG. 5 is a part perspective view of the fastening strap secured to a sheet and purlin with the rib clip in the non-operative position;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the rib and rib clip before assembly;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the rib and clip after assembly;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged part end view of the rotatable device shown in FIG. 5 after assembly;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another form of rib clip;

FIG. 10 is a part perspective view of a rib of a sheet with assembled rib clip;

FIG. 11 is a view, broken for clarity, of the rib and clip shown in FIG. 10 fixed to a wood purlin; and

FIG. 12 is a view, broken for clarity, of the rib shown in FIG. 11 fixed to a steel purlin.

In FIG. 1 a roofing sheet 10 is made from sheet metal, plastics, or other suitable material. It comprises a male rib 12 at one lateral edge of the sheet, a female rib 14 at the opposite lateral edge of the sheet and an intermediate rib 16, all being wide-based ribs as above defined and being separated by planar areas of the sheet. Male rib 12 includes a fixing channel 18. A neighboring sheet is shown with its male rib 12 which is similar to rib l2 interlocked with female rib 14 of sheet 10. Screws or nails through fixing channels 18 secure the ribs 12 and 12' to wood purlin 22, see also FIG. 2.

Details of' the assembly of the intermediate rib 16 with a purlin clip are shown in FIGS. 7, l1 and 12 subsequently described.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 male rib 12' comprises slanting walls 24 and 32, an inner wall 26, a base wall 28 coplanar with the planar areas of the sheet, and an outer wall 30, slanting wall 32 being in the form of an outwardly and downwardly directed flange 32 with a stiffening head 34.

Walls

26, 28 and 30 provide the fixing channel 18. The free edge of the flange 32 forms a lip 33. At the base the inner of slanting wall 24 is formed an internal pocket, which affords outwardly a bead 38, and an external downwardly and outwardly directed pocket 40. Bead 38 and pocket 40 provide engagement means. Female rib 14 comprises an inner slanting wall 42, a top wall 44 and a semi-resilient outer wall 46, having a lip 48 in the form of an inwardly turning hook providing an inwardly and upwardly directed hook end 50. At the base of slanting wall 42 is provided an internal upwardly and inwardly directed pocket 52.

Intermediate rib 16 in FIGS. 1, 6, 7 and 10 comprises, as indicated in FIG. 1, two slanting walls 54 and 56 and a top wall 58. In the base of slanting walls 54 and 56 are provided

identical pockets

60, 62.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 a rib clip 64 is made of sheet metal or other suitable material; this type of concealed fixing clip is suitable for fixing the roofing and siding sheets to structural members or to flat surfaces where there is no access to the fixings behind the sheets. Clip 64 comprises a base wall 66 and an overlapping semi-resilient wall 68 inclined at an angle to the base wall (FIG. 4 shows the walls widely angled for clarity). Base wall 66 has provided on one end a hemmed nailing flange 70 and combined locking and camming means 72 comprising a strip bent upwardly from the base wall and comprising a vertical wall 74, a slanting portion 76, a top wall 78 and a springy free wall 80 which has a free edge or lip 82 (see FIGS. 4 and 8). Semi-resilient wall 68 has provided on one end seating means 84, comprising a reversibly bent wall 86, and a slanting wall 88. Provided on wall 88 is a downwardly directed flange 90 which provides a first hinge part 92 to bear downwardly on to the surface of wall 68 and to assist in the rotation of first latching means 94 subsequently described. Wall 68 immediately behind flange 90 has a three-sided slot 96 and an upturned flange 98 which provides a second hinge part 100 (See cut away portion in FIG. 4). At each end of flange 98 are provided hinge portions 89.

Immediately in front of flange 90 is provided a threesided slot 102 which is formed in a position to pass over the camming and locking means 72 and which provides the material for the first latching means 94. Latching means 94 which are formed integrally with the wall 68 comprise as seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 walls 104 and 106 and a latching flange 108. Slot 102 has an edge 103 which provides means for engagement by the lip 82 of locking means 72.

Second latching means in the form of a latching ledge 110 is provided in wall 68 comprising as indicated in FIG. 7 a vertical wall 112, and a top wall 114 formed out ofa three-sided slot 1 16.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 an extension portion of wall 68 provides a locating and fixing strap 118 on the end of which is provided locating means 120 comprising a slanting wall 122 of double metal thickness, base wall 124 and slanting wall 126 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5). Semi-resilient wall 68 with its extension portion is preferably secured to base wall by an eyelet device 128 or by riveting or spot welding. Eyelet device 128 also provides a fixing hole 130 for a nail or screw,

similar holes

132 and 134 being provided in nailing flange 70 and base wall 124 respectively and providing means for securing the clip 64 to a structural member.

To assemble the roofing sheets 10 and 10' to purlin 22 as shown in FIG. 1 the fixing'channel of the male ,rib 12 of the sheet 10 (or, in another example, the fixing channel of a part sheet) is first screwed or nailed to the purlin. The procedure for securing the rib clip is omitted at this stage for clarity. Female rib 14 is next downwardly pressed towards male rib 12' (see FIG. 2) until hook end of female rib 14 latches over bead 38 and into external pocket 40. At the same time pocket 52 of female rib 14 rides down over flange 32 of latching means 36 and the lip 33 springs into pocket 52 as shown in FIG. 3. In this manner the female and male ribs are securely locked together and cannot part through wind suction loading on the surface of the sheet.

In FIG. 5 is shown the method of securing an intermediate rib to a purlin. The end portion of a sheet 10' has the locating means 120 of fixing strap 118 (shown by dotted lines) inserted under fixing channel 18' of male rib 12' and the rib and strap are secured by a nail or screw 136 to the purlin. Similarly nails or

screws

138 and 140 secure the strap and base wall through

holes

132 and 130. The female rib 14 of the next sheet 10 is then clipped on to male rib 12 as previously explained. Intermediate rib 16 is thus positioned over rib clip 64 as shown in FIG. 6 with a portion 142 of the sheet seated on seating means 84 and wall 104 oflatching means 94 seated on slanting wall 76 of the combined camming and locking means 72. Intermediate rib 16 is next pressed downwardly on to rib clip 64 causing semiresilient wall 68 to approach base wall 66 and slanting wall 76 to bear on wall 104 to rotate latching means 94 about hinge portions 89 which bend until latching flange 108 latches into pocket 62 of rib 16. At the same time, semi-springy wall 80 of locking means 72 is sprung inwardly of locking means 72 as edge 103 of slot 96 bears against it until

walls

66 and 68 are closed together when lip 82 springs through the slot and locates over the surface of wall 68. In this manner (see FIGS. 7 and 8)

walls

66 and 68 are fastened together with locking means 72 holding securely latching means 94 in engagement with pocket 62 of the rib. The latching means are additionally secured by upturned flange 98 beneath the hinge part 92 of flange 90 (see FIG. 8).

The rib is simultaneously secured to the rib clip by flange 114 of latching ledge 110 which snaps over edge 146 of pocket 60 and into said pocket thereby engaging the edge 146.

Provision of the fixing strap 118 with its locating means 120 enables the rib clip 64 to be positioned correctly to receive the rib 16 before the sheet is brought into place. The length of the strap is such that the first and second latching means of the clip will be at the desired distance form the male rib 12 of the neighboring sheet (and hence the desired distance from the interengaging female rib 14) to locate correctly in the

pockets

62,60 of the intermediate rib 16. The correct positioning of a concealed fastening clip when there is no access or insufficient access to it when the sheet is being brought into place has proved a difficult problem to overcome but the clip as shown in FIG. 4 provides an answer to the difficulty.

In FIGS. 9, l0, l1 and 12 is shown another form of fixing clip 148 for securing sheet 10 to a purlin or other structural member. Clip 148 is made of sheet metal or other suitable material and it comprises a base wall 150 and two inclined semi-springy side walls 152. Base wall 150 has an extension comprising a wall with overlapping and folded down side portions 158 comprising a fixing plate 160. One end of the fixing plate 160 has a lip 162 and the other end has camming means 164 comprising a tongue 166, overlying the base wall 150. One end 168 of base wall 150 provides a hinge line 170 (shown dotted in FIG. 9). Fixing holes 172 and 174 are provided in the fixing plate 160. In the wall 150 are positioned two internal stiffening beads 176.

Rib clip 148 has its side walls 152 made at a slightly more open angle to each other and to the base wall 150 than the angle of the side walls of the intermediate rib 16 to each other and to the top wall of the rib so that when the rib clip 148 is inserted into the

pockets

60 and 62 at one end of rib 16 there is sufficient spring tension of the walls of the clip against the rib walls to prevent too easy sliding movement ofthe clip in the rib. Roofing sheet 10 may have a plurality of ribs in each of which are carried a number of rib clips at such positions that they may be secured to purlins on the roof. Sheets are packed together for transport in the usual manner as the inserted clips do not interfere with the nesting of the ribs together.

On the roof ofa building the sheets are assembled on the purlins as previously explained and fixing plate 160 of each rib clip 148 is bent downwardly at hinge line 170 by grasping and pulling down the lip 162. In the process the camming means 164 rotates upwardly and bears tightly on the underside of the top wall of the rib 16 so causing the side walls 152 to move down further into

pockets

60 and 62 of rib 16, thus becoming securely engaged and locked in the pockets. Thus rib clip 148 Cannot rattle in rib 16 when sheet 10 is subjected to wind loading. The locking between the clip and rib, however, is not made so tight as to prevent a limited amount of sliding of the clip in the rib when the rib is subjected to thermal movement.

In. FIG. 11 rib clip 148 is shown secured by a nail 178 through hole 174 in fixing plate 160, to a wood purlin 180. The concealed fastening of the clip in the rib provides a leak proof connection with an unmarred outer surface of the rib, a particularly valuable feature when sheets are made from pre-painted materials. The pre-drilled hole 174 provides a much quicker fastening method than when holes have to be punched through the top of the rib as in conventional methods of fixing roofing sheets and damage which can arise from such processes is completely eliminated.

In FIG. 12, the fastening clip 148 locked in rib 16 is shown secured to a metal purlin 182. A standard hook bolt 184 has its hook 186 inserted into the hole 172 of rib clip 148 and its threaded end 188 is fitted with a nut 190 to secure an attachment clip 192 to purlin 180, thus holding the purlin and rib clip in secure contact.

In this manner the rib clip can be used either for bolting it to steel or nailing it to wood structures to provide a positive fixing of the roofing sheet to the building.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in many forms of sheets and panels, particularly in the building industry. I

What is claimed is:

1. A roofing or siding sheet of sheet material having at opposite edges an upstanding hollow male rib and an upstanding hollow female rib, the male rib having at its outer edge a free downwardly and outwardly directed lip and at its inner edge an external outwardly and downwardly directed pocket formed by a double reverse fold in the material, and between said pocket and said lip a channel having a base to abut against and be fixed to a structural member, the female rib having at its outer edge a hook with a free inwardly and upwardly directed hook end and at its inner edge an internal upwardly and inwardly directed pocket formed by a double reverse fold in the material, whereby when the said female rib is placed over and pressed towards the said male rib of an identical neighboring sheet, the said lip of the male rib is capable oflocking by a snap-action into the said pocket of the female rib and the said hook end of the female rib is capable oflocking by a snap-action into the said pocket of the male rib, thereby securing the two ribs to each other.

2. A sheet according to claim 1 wherein the male rib has at its outer side a downwardly and outwardly directed flange, the outer part of which forms the said lip, there being a stiffening bead in the flange adjacent the said lip.

3. A sheet according to claim 1 having at least one substantial planar area from which the said ribs are upstanding the female rib having flanks slanting relative to the said planar areas, the said hook and pocket of the female rib being at the base of the said flanks, the male rib having at its inner side a flank slanting relative to the said planar area, the said pocket of the male rib being at the base of that flank.

4. A sheet according to claim 3 wherein the said flanks of the female rib and the said flank of the male rib make angles less then 45 with the said planar area.

5. A sheet according to claim 3 wherein the said flanks of the female rib are joined by a top wall and the said channel of the male rib is between the said flank of the male rib and the said lip of the male rib, the said base of the channel being co-planar with the said planar area.

6. An assembly comprising a plurality of sheets in accordance with claim 1 locked together by interengagement of respective said male and female ribs.

7. A sheet according to claim 1 having an upstanding rib intermediate the said male and female ribs, having at least one internal pocket suitable for engagement by a fastening clip.

Claims

1. A roofing or siding sheet of sheet material having at opposite edges an upstanding hollow male rib and an upstanding hollow female rib, the male rib having at its outer edge a free downwardly and outwardly directed lip and at its inner edge an external outwardly and downwardly directed pocket formed by a double reverse fold in the material, and between said pocket and said lip a channel having a base to abut against and be fixed to a structural member, the female rib having at its outer edge a hook with a free inwardly and upwardly directed hook end and at its inner edge an internal upwardly and inwardly directed pocket formed by a double reverse fold in the material, whereby when the said female rib is placed over and pressed towards the said male rib of an identical neighboring sheet, the said lip of the male rib is capable of locking by a snap-action into the said pocket of the female rib and the said hook end of the female rib is capable of locking by a snap-action into the said pocket of the male rib, thereby securing the two ribs to each other.

4. A sheet according to claim 3 wherein the said flanks of the female rib and the said flank of the male rib make angles less then 45* with the said planar area.