WO2012168456A1

WO2012168456A1 - A method of fastening a wall or roofing panel

Info

Publication number: WO2012168456A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/060936
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Steven JACKSON
Original assignee: Jackson Patrick Steven
Priority date: 2011-06-10
Filing date: 2012-06-08
Publication date: 2012-12-13
Also published as: GB2494372A; GB201109764D0; GB2494372B

Abstract

The invention provides a method of securing an external cladding panel to a building support member using a fastener, wherein the fastener comprises a tubular body (1) having a shaft (2) disposed therein, the shaft (2) having a compression member (4) mounted or formed on a distal end thereof and having at a proximal end thereof a rotatable member (7) which, when rotated, serves to draw the compression member (4) in a rearwards direction, the fastener having at least one deformable member (3b-3c-3d) which surrounds the shaft (2) and is disposed axially between the compression member (4) and the tubular body (1), and wherein the fastener is provided with engagement means for engaging the building support member; which method comprises: (a) identifying a fastening hole in the external cladding panel or, where there is no fastening hole, forming such a hole; (b) inserting the fastener into the hole from an internal side of the external cladding panel so that the compression member on the shaft and the deformable member protrude through the hole and beyond the external cladding panel and so that the engagement means of the fastener engages the building support member; (c) from a location on the internal side of the external cladding panel, rotating the rotatable member thereby to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction to compress and deform the deformable member so that it expands radially outwardly on an external side of the external cladding panel to a width greater than the hole thereby to secure the external cladding panel to the building support member. Also provided are fasteners for use in the method.

Description

A METHOD OF FASTENING A WALL OR ROOFING PANEL

This invention relates to a method of fastening a wall or roofing panel to a wall or roof support member and to a fastener for use in the method.

Background of the Invention One common method of constructing building structures such as roofs and walls involves building a supporting framework from wood, concrete or metal and then fastening roofing panels or wall panels formed from materials such as corrugated metal sheet, fibre-reinforced cement, glass or polycarbonate sheet to the support framework. This method is often used to construct non-residential buildings such as industrial buildings, warehouses, garages and retail buildings, as well as domestic building structures such as conservatories.

The construction of roofs in this way is potentially hazardous in that the roofing panels are generally fixed to the supporting framework from a position on top of the roof. For example, one method commonly used for fastening roofing panels to an underlying roof support member such as a wooden purlin involves using a cap and screw fitting to screw down through a hole in the roofing panel into the purlin. This method requires the person carrying out the work to be above the level of the roof.

In another method, where the purlins are of metal, a hooked bolt is hooked around the bottom of a purlin, the threaded end of the bolt is pushed through a hole in the roofing panel and the threaded end is secured by means of a back nut and cap. In this case also, the attachment of the nut and cap are carried out from above the roof.

For large roof structures such as factory roofs, scaffolding may be constructed within a building and below the roof to enable maintenance or construction work to be carried out on the roof structure in a safe manner. Safety may be further enhanced by the use of safety netting secured beneath the roof. However, although much of the work on a roof may be carried out from the relative safety of the scaffolding beneath the roof, current methods of fixing roof panels means that the fixing of the roofing panels to the purlins of the roof support structure will generally have to be carried out from above the roof. The use of external scaffolding may help to some extent but access to the top of a roof from scaffolding may be limited and gaps in the scaffolding boards or planks will therefore need to be left to give access to the roof. Furthermore, if only one or two roofing panels need to be replaced, the need to erect scaffolding in order to do this would be generally seen as somewhat excessive.

In most cases, therefore, there is little option but for the roofing worker to work on top of the roof.

It is of course possible to work on a roof by placing planks or other supporting boards on the roof to take a person's weight but there is always a potential risk of the planks or roof board slipping or of a person losing balance and falling from them through the roof or sliding off of the roof.

Furthermore, in adverse weather conditions and in particular in icy or frosty conditions, it would generally be considered to be too dangerous to work on a roof. Therefore, in such conditions, the work on the roof could be considerably delayed and substantial time lost.

It will be appreciated from the above that the process of constructing a roof or repairing existing roofs could be made much safer if the fastening of the roofing panels to the roof support structure could be carried out from beneath the roof.

Summary of the Invention The present invention sets out to provide a method of fastening wall or roofing panels to a wall or roof support structure where the work is carried out from an internal side of the wall or roof support structure (e.g. beneath the roof). The invention also sets out to provide fasteners that can be used to fasten a wall or roofing panel to wall or roof support structure where the fastening is carried out from an internal side of the structure (e.g. beneath the roof).

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a method of securing an external cladding panel to a building support member using a fastener, wherein the fastener comprises a tubular body having a shaft disposed therein, the shaft having a compression member mounted or formed on a distal end thereof and having at a proximal end thereof a rotatable member which, when rotated, serves to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction, the fastener having at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body, and wherein the fastener is provided with engagement means for engaging the building support member; which method comprises:

(a) identifying a fastening hole in the external cladding panel or, where there is no fastening hole, forming such a hole;

(b) inserting the fastener into the hole from an internal side of the external cladding panel so that the compression member on the shaft and the deformable member protrude through the hole and beyond the external cladding panel and so that the engagement means of the fastener engages the building support member;

(c) from a location on the internal side of the external cladding panel, rotating the rotatable member thereby to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction to compress and deform the deformable member so that it expands radially outwardly on an external side of the external cladding panel to a width greater than the hole thereby to secure the external cladding panel to the building support member.

The term "external cladding panel" as used herein refers to panels such as roofing panels and wall panels which are secured to a support structure of a building to form a wall or roof. In one embodiment, the external cladding panel is a roofing panel.

In another embodiment, the external cladding panel is a wall panel.

The support structure of the building is typically a framework, to an exterior surface of which is attached the external cladding panel. The support structure may be, for example, a roof support structure comprising one or more roof support members. References herein to "internal" refer to the interior of a building structure to which the exterior cladding panel is attached. In the context of a roofing panel, the term "internal" refers to a location beneath the roof.

In one preferred embodiment, the invention provides a method of securing a roofing panel to a roof support member using a fastener, wherein the fastener comprises a tubular body having a shaft disposed therein, the shaft having a compression member mounted or formed on a distal end thereof and having at a proximal end thereof a rotatable member which, when rotated, serves to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction, the fastener having at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body, and wherein the fastener is provided with engagement means for engaging the roof support member;

which method comprises:

(a) identifying a fastening hole in the roofing panel or, where there is no fastening hole, forming such a hole;

(b) inserting the fastener into the hole from an underside of the roofing panel so that the compression member on the shaft and the deformable member protrude through the hole and above the roofing panel and so that the engagement means of the fastener engages the roof support member;

(c) from a location beneath the roofing panel, rotating the rotatable member thereby to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction to compress and deform the deformable member so that it expands radially outwardly above the roofing panel to a width greater than the hole thereby to secure the roofing panel to the roof support member.

The fastener has at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed rearwardly of the compression element and forwardly of the tubular body. When the rotatable member is rotated, the compression member is drawn in a rearwards direction so that it compresses and deforms the deformable member such that it expands radially outwardly of (e.g. above) the external cladding panel (e.g. roofing panel) to a width greater than the hole thereby to secure the external cladding panel/roofing panel to the building support member/roof support member. In this way, the fastener can be used to secure the external cladding panel/roof panel to the building support member/roof support member from the interior of the building (e.g. the underside of the roof).

The deformable member may be formed integrally with the tubular body or it may be formed as one or more separate elements. In one embodiment, there is more than one deformable member. For example, there may be two or three deformable members. In use, at least one deformable member will protrude through the hole in the external cladding panel/roofing panel so that it can be compressed and deformed so that it spreads outwardly to the required diameter to hold the external cladding panel/roofing panel in place.

However, one of the deformable members may be positioned within the hole so that, when compressed, it spreads radially and forms a seal between the shaft and the hole. Thus, in this embodiment, a first and optionally a second deformable member protrude beyond the hole and are deformed so that they provide an enlarged head which is wider than the hole and therefore holds the panel in place, and another deformable member is located in the hole and is deformed so that it spreads to provide a seal.

The deformable members may be made of the same material or several deformable members of differing properties may be provided. For example, one deformable member may be formed from a material such as a soft metal (e.g. lead or a relatively soft alloy) which is essentially non-resilient whereas another deformable member may be formed from a material of greater resilience such as a rubber which can be used to provide a seal. Where one or more deformable members are formed integrally with the tubular body, the tubular body may comprise a main body portion which is substantially non-deformable and one or more deformable portions which constitute the deformable members. The deformable portions may be rendered deformable by virtue of lines of weakness or holes or regions of reduced wall thickness that enable the portion in question to crumple under the application of pressure from the compression member.

Where the tubular body and deformable members are separate, i.e. non-integrally formed, the tubular member is preferably substantially non-deformable (i.e. under the conditions of use). The compression member is attached to a distal end of the shaft. The compression member may be simply a flange extending radially outwardly from the shaft which exerts only an axial compressive force to the deformable member. Alternatively, the compression member may be shaped to exert both an axial compression force and a radial compression force. For example, the compression member may taper in a rearwards direction so that, when it is drawn in a rearwards direction, it exerts both an axial compressive force and a radially compressive force to the deformable member. In one embodiment, the compression member may have a part conical form with the larger end of the part conical form extending forwardly. The fastener may be formed so that it can be inserted through a hole drilled in a purlin or other roof supporting member and then through the hole in the roofing panel. This type of arrangement is typically used when purlin is formed from wood. In this embodiment, the fastener is provided with an enlarged head (e.g. a flange) at its proximal end which limits the extent to which the fastener can be inserted into the hole in the purlin. The enlarged head (e.g. flange) thus functions as the engagement means for engaging the roof support member.

Where the roof support member (e.g. purlin) is not of a type which can easily be drilled to form a hole to receive the fastener (e.g. where the purlin is formed of metal), the fastener may be provided with a hook as the engagement means for engaging the roof support member. The hook may be formed integrally or may be provided as a separate element which connects to the fastener. For example, in one embodiment, a hook formation may be present on a bracket which is adapted to be clamped to the tubular body of the fastener. The shaft within the tubular body may be a single integrally formed element, such as a bolt, or it may be formed in one or more parts that are connected together.

In one embodiment, the shaft is a bolt which is threaded on at least a distal end thereof. A nut (for example a back nut or a conical nut) threaded on to the end of the bolt may serve as the compression member. In another embodiment, the shaft comprises a pair of connected shaft portions, one of the shaft portions having an external thread which engages an internal thread on the other shaft portion. In one form of this embodiment, the shaft comprises a proximal shaft portion having an internal thread which engages an external thread on a distal shaft portion. In another form of this embodiment, the shaft comprises a proximal shaft portion having an external thread which engages an internal thread on a distal shaft portion.

The proximal shaft portion may have an enlarged end or head (e.g. a flange extending in a radial outwards direction) which prevents the shaft from being drawn forwardly into the tubular body. The proximal shaft portion may be provided with means for assisting its rotation. For example, a slot or shaped recess (e.g. cross shaped or hexagonal recess) may be provided for engagement by a tool such as a screw driver or Allen key.

Alternatively or additionally, the proximal shaft portion may be provided with one or more (e.g. two) wing-like protrusions that enable the proximal shaft portion to be rotated by hand without the assistance of a tool. The distal shaft portion may have an enlarged end or head (e.g. a flange extending in a radial outwards direction) which serves as the compression member.

The terms "proximal" and "distal" in the present context refer to the relative orientations of elements of the fastener when the fastener is in use. A distal element is an element which is further away from the user than a proximal element. Thus, the distal end of the shaft is the end of the shaft which in use protrudes through the roofing panel.

The terms "forwardly" and "rearwardly" (or "rearwards") in the in the present context refer to the relative directions of movement of elements of the fastener when the fastener is in use. Thus "forwardly" refers to movement in a direction from the underside of a roof towards the upper or outer surface of a roof whereas "rearwardly" (or "rearwards") refers to movement in the reverse direction.

In one embodiment, the tubular body comprises a pair of body portions arranged for relative rotational movement therebetween. One or both of the abutting edges of the body portions may be profiled so as to provide a camming surface such that relative rotational movement of the two body portions is translated into relative axial movement thereby moving the body portions apart. The camming surface may, for example, be a part helical surface.

A proximal end of the shaft may be anchored in a proximal one of the two body portions. Consequently, as the proximal body portion is rotated, the two body portions are forced apart and this results in the compression member on the distal end of the shaft being drawn in a rearwards direction so that it compresses and deforms the deformable member. In this embodiment, the proximal body portion functions as the rotatable member, the rotation of which gives rise to the compression of the deformable member. The proximal body portion may be provided with means for facilitating rotation. For example, the proximal body portion may be provided with wing-like protrusions that provide sufficient leverage to enable the proximal body portion to be rotated using finger pressure.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention provides a method by which a roof structure can be constructed without the need to work on top of the roof. Once the support structure is in place, the roofing panels can be laid in place and then fastened to the roof support structure from the underside of the roof.

In addition to providing a method of securing a roofing panel to a roof support structure, the invention also relates to novel fasteners per se. Thus, in a further aspect, the invention provides a fastener for securing an external cladding panel (e.g. roofing panel) to a building support member (e.g. roof support member) according to the method as hereinbefore defined; the fastener comprising:

a tubular body;

a shaft disposed within the tubular body and extending from one end of the tubular body to the other, the shaft comprising a pair of connected shaft portions, one of the shaft portions having an external thread which engages an internal thread on the other shaft portion;

a compression element mounted or formed on a distal end of the shaft; at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body; and

engagement means for engaging the roof support member;

wherein the fastener is configured so that in use it can be positioned such the distal end of the shaft, the compression member and at least one deformable member protrude through the hole in the external cladding panel (e.g. roofing panel) and the engagement means engages the building support member (e.g. roof support member);

whereby rotation of the shaft portion at the proximal end of the shaft serves to draw the compression element in a rearwards direction so that the deformable member is compressed and deformed and expands radially outwardly to a width larger than the hole in the external cladding panel (e.g. roofing panel). In a preferred embodiment, the compression member is integrally formed with the distal end of the shaft. For example, the compression member may be a flange extending radially outwardly from the distal end of the shaft.

In one embodiment, a distal one of the shaft portions is externally threaded and a proximal one of the shaft portions is internally threaded.

In another embodiment, a proximal one of the shaft portions is externally threaded and a distal one of the shaft portions is internally threaded.

Rotation of the proximal shaft portion (e.g. in a clockwise direction) leads to the two shaft portions being screwed together and hence provides the rearwards axial movement necessary for compression of the deformable member.

In the above embodiment, relative rotation of connected portions of the shaft is converted into relative movement along the axis of the fastener. However, in another embodiment of the invention, the tubular body is formed in two axially abutting body portions, with the body portions being configured such that relative rotational movement of the two body portions is converted into axial movement which provides the necessary compressive force of the compression member on the deformable member.

Accordingly, in another aspect, the invention provides a fastener for securing an external cladding panel (e.g. roofing panel) to a building support member (e.g. roof support member) according to a method as hereinbefore defined; the fastener comprising:

a tubular body comprising separate proximal and distal body portions having abutting edges, at least one of which is shaped to form a camming surface; a shaft disposed within the tubular body and extending from one end of the tubular body to the other;

engagement means for engaging the building support member (e.g. roof support member);

whereby rotation of the proximal body portion relative to the distal body initiates a camming action between the abutting edges of the body portions so that they are urged apart in an axial direction, and whereby relative axial movement of the proximal and distal body portions serves to draw the compression element in a rearwards direction so that the deformable member is compressed and deformed and expands radially outwardly to a width larger than the hole in the external cladding panel (e.g. roofing panel).

In this embodiment, camming surface may, for example, be a part helical surface.

A proximal end of the shaft may be anchored in a proximal one of the two body portions. Consequently, as the proximal body portion is rotated, the two body portions are forced apart and this results in the compression member on the distal end of the shaft being drawn in a rearwards direction so that it compresses and deforms the deformable member. In this embodiment, the proximal body portion functions as the rotatable member, the rotation of which gives rise to the compression of the deformable member.

The proximal body portion may be provided with means for facilitating rotation. For example, the proximal body portion may be provided with wing-like protrusions that provide sufficient leverage to enable the proximal body portion to be rotated using finger pressure.

The distal body portion may be provided with an abutment surface for abutting against a surface of the roof support member. The abutment surface serves as the engagement means for engaging the roof support member. The abutment surface may be provided by a flange extending around the periphery (e.g. circumference) of the distal body portion.

In another aspect, the invention provides a fastener for securing an external cladding panel to a building support member; the fastener comprising a tubular body having a shaft disposed therein, the shaft having a compression member mounted or formed on a distal end thereof and having at a proximal end thereof a rotatable member which, when rotated, serves to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction, the fastener having at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body, the deformable member being deformable in use by rearwards movement of the compression member so as to form an abutment surface for engaging an external surface of the external cladding panel; the fastener being provided with engagement means for engaging the building support member; wherein the engagement means comprises a clamping collar which is slidably mounted on the tubular body and which is capable of being tightened so that it grips and is held immovably against the tubular body at any one of a plurality of desired locations on the tubular body.

In one embodiment, the clamping collar provides an abutment surface which abuts against the inner/lower surface of the building support member when the fastener is located in a hole through a purlin.

In another embodiment, the clamping collar is provided with a hook formation for engaging a purlin.

The clamping collar serves to vary the effective length of a fastener and enables a single fastener to be used with purlins of a range of different thicknesses. Thus, an oversized fastener which is otherwise too long for an particular thickness can still be used by the simple expedient of placing a clamping collar around the tubular and then sliding the clamping collar along the tubular body until an abutment surface or hook formation on the collar is in the correct location for engaging the purlin. The clamping collar is then tightly clamped in place.

The clamping collar may advantageously take the form of a block or plate having a hole through which the fastener is inserted. A clamping means (e.g. a clamping screw or nut and bolt arrangement) is provided to enable the clamping collar to be fixed immovably to the tubular body of the fastener.

In each of the foregoing aspects and embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that references to an external cladding panel refer to either a roofing panel or a wall panel. In one general embodiment, the external cladding panel is a roofing panel and the building support member is a roof support member such as a purlin. Also, although the novel fasteners per se are described as being for securing an external cladding panel to a building support member and are primarily intended for this purpose, it will be appreciated that they may have other uses. For example, they may be used to secure other types of wall panels, ceiling panels or other fixtures and fittings to building support members or other support structures inside and outside a building.

Further aspects and embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the description of the specific embodiments set out below.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a partially sectioned side elevation of a fastener according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Figures 1A to 1 C are partial views of the fastener of Figure 1 show schematically the progressive crumpling of the deformable member in the fastener of Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a partially sectioned side elevation of a fastener according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 is a partially sectioned side elevation of a fastener according to a third embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 shows the fastener of Figure 1 secured to a roof panel and purlin.

Figure 5 is a side view of a clamping collar in the form of a sliding bracket for attaching the fastener of Figure 1 to a purlin as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a clamping collar in the form of a plate that can be used to vary the effective length of a fastener.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the fastener of Figure 2 secured to a roof panel through a hole in a purlin. Figure 8 is a side sectional view of a fastener according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the fastener of Figure 8. Figure 10 is an end view of the fastener of Figures 8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a side view of the outer tubular body of the fastener of Figures 8 to 10.

Figure 12 is a side view of a fastener according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. Figure 13 is a view of part of a roof structure showing a roof panel secured to a purlin or rafter using the fasteners of Figures 8 to 12.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will now be illustrated but not limited by reference to the particular embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings Figures 1 to 13. Figure 1 shows a fastener according to a first embodiment of the invention. The fastener comprises a tubular body 1 and two separate annular deformable members, namely a lower deformable member 3a, and an upper deformable member 3b-3c-3d. The tubular body is formed from a generally rigid material such as metal tubing or a stiff plastics material, whereas the two annular deformable members are formed from a deformable material which may be, for example, a softer metal or a softer plastics material. In the embodiment of Figure 1 , the upper deformable member is divided into two regions 3b and 3c by a line of weakness 3d.

Disposed inside the tubular body is a shaft 2 having at one end (the proximal end) a flanged rotatable element in the form of a screw head 7. At its other end (the distal end) the shaft 2 protrudes beyond the body portion 1 and annular deformable members 3a and 3b-3d-3c. The end of the shaft is threaded and a back nut 4 is mounted on the threaded end. The back nut may be, for example of square of hexagonal form and may be seated in a correspondingly shaped recess in a tubular element 3 so that it is held captive against rotation. A protective cap 5 fits over the nut 4.

The deformable region 3b-3d-3c is designed to crumple under the application of an axial compressive force and this is illustrated schematically in Figures 1A to 1C. Figure 1 A shows the deformable regions 3a and 3b-3d-3c prior to axial

compression. Figures 1 B and 1 C illustrates the progressive crumpling of the member 3b-3d-3c about the line of weakness 3d extending around the mid point of the member. In Figure 1C, the deformable member has been deformed to such an extent that its shape resembles a washer.

A modified version of the fastener of Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the shaft 102 has a conical nut 104 mounted on the threaded end thereof.

In each of the above embodiments, the back nut or conical nut may be lined with a "Nylon" (polyamide) material so as to form a lock nut.

A further embodiment is illustrated in Figure 3. In this embodiment, the main tubular body portion 201 has a hooked end 208 for hooking under roof support members such as purlins. As with the embodiment of Figure 1 , the shaft 202 passes through a tubular body and two annular deformable members 203a and 203b-c-d. As with the embodiment of Figure 1, the upper deformable member is divided into two regions 203b and 203c by a line of weakness 203d. In a similar manner to the fastener of Figure 2, the threaded distal end of the shaft 202 carries a conical nut 204. The distal end of the assembly is covered by a push fit cap 205.

The fasteners shown in Figures 1 to 3 are relatively long and hence are typically used to fasten corrugated or shaped sheet or panels to a roof or other building support structure. In use, the fasteners will generally be located in holes in the "peaks" of the corrugations rather than the troughs.

The manner in which the fasteners of the invention are used in illustrated in Figure 4. In Figure 4, the fastener of Figure 1 is used to secure a corrugated roofing panel RP to a purlin MP. In this embodiment the purlin is formed from a metal material, although it could be formed from wood or concrete. In order to avoid the need to drill a hole through the purlin, a clamping collar or bracket HB is used in order to enable the fastener to be secured against the purlin.

In a first step, a hole is drilled in the roofing panel RP from beneath the roof. This step may be omitted if the roofing panel already has a fastening hole. The bracket HB shown in Figure 5 is slid on to the tubular body of the fastener and the fastener and the combination of fastener and bracket are manoeuvred so that the threaded end of the fastener and at least one of the annular deformable members 3 protrude through the hole in the roofing panel and the hooked end HO of the bracket HB hooks around the bottom of the purlin MP. A clamping screw HS on the bracket HB is then tightened so that the bracket is clamped firmly to the tubular body of the fastener. Once the hooked end of the bracket has been clamped firmly in place, the screw head 7 is turned thereby rotating the shaft 2 in a clockwise direction. Rotation of the shaft has the effect of drawing the nut 4 in a rearwards direction so that it compresses and deforms the two upper annular deformable members 3 forcing them to spread outwards to form a washer-like structure (see Figure 1C) which is wider than the hole in the roofing panel RP and therefore holds the roofing panel RP in place. Further tightening compresses the lowermost deformable member so that it spreads and blocks the hole thereby providing a seal. The threaded end of the shaft, nut and the washer-like structure are protected from the elements by the cap 105.

An advantage of the use of a combination of the fastener of Figure 1 and the hooked bracket HB of Figure 5 as shown in Figure 4 is that it can be used with purlins of different depths. The fastener of Figure 3 may be used in a similar manner, with the hook formation 208 hooking over the bottom of the purlin, but is suitable for use in conjunction with purlins of only a single depth.

Figure 7 illustrates the use of the fastener of Figure 2 for fixing an inclined roofing panel RP2 to a purlin WP1 which, in this embodiment, is formed of wood.

As a first step, a hole is drilled up though the purlin and out through the roofing panel RP2 from beneath the roof structure. The fastener is then pushed up through the hole so that the threaded end of the shaft, the upper part of the annular deformable member and the cap protrude through the hole while the flange at the lower end of the fastener abuts against the bottom surface of the purlin around the hole. The screw head 107 is then turned clockwise so that it draws the conical nut 104 rearwardly to compress the annular deformable member 103. The annular deformable member103 is deformed and spreads outwardly to form a flange that holds the roofing panel RP2 in place. After the fastener has been fitted, a decorative push fit cap 109 may be fitted over the screw head 107.

Fasteners of the type shown in Figures 1 to 4 may be provided in a range of different lengths so that they can be used with purlins of different thicknesses. However, there may be occasions when a purlin is of non-standard thickness or where a fastener of the correct length may not be available. In such a situation, a clamping collar in the form of the adjustment plate shown in Figure 6 may be used to reduce the effective length of an oversized fastener which is otherwise too long for the thickness of the purlin concerned. Thus, an oversized fastener is pushed through the hole CH in the adjustment plate CP and then through the holes in the purlin WP1 and roofing panel RP2. The adjustment plate CP is then pushed up the shaft of the fastener until the plate abuts against the underside of the purlin. The clamping bolt CS and nut CN are then tightened so that the adjustment plate is tightly fastened to the shaft of the fastener. The screw head of the fastener may then be rotated as described above to secure the roofing panel RP2 to the purlin WP1.

In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 7, a cap 5/105/205 is provided which protects the threaded end of the shaft and the nut from the elements and thereby reduces the likelihood of it rusting. However, the embodiments of Figures 8 to 13 are constructed differently and do not require protective caps.

As shown in Figures 8 to 11 , a fastener according to a fourth embodiment of the invention has a tubular body 301 formed from a relatively rigid material such as a metal or a rigid plastics material and a separate annular deformable member 303 formed from a deformable material such as a softer metal or a deformable plastics material.

Disposed within the tubular body is a shaft comprising a pair of connected shaft portions 309, 310, one of the shaft portions 309 having an external thread which engages an internal thread on the other shaft portion 310. The shaft portion 309 has a flange 311 on its distal end which, in use, functions as a compression element. The flange 311 may optionally be covered by a cap (not shown) which may, for example, be formed from an insulating material to reduce heat loss through the roof via the fasteners. The shaft portion 310 has at its proximal end thereof a flange 312 for engaging a roof support member. The flanged end 312 of the shaft portion has a slot or shaped recess (not shown) for receiving a screw driver head or an Allen key to enable the shaft portion to be rotated.

The manner in which the fastener of Figures 8 to 11 is used is shown in Figure 13 where there is illustrated a corrugated metal roofing panel RP3 secured to a wooden purlin WP2. As with the arrangement shown in Figure 7, a hole is drilled through the purlin and out through the roofing panel RP3 and the fastener is inserted through the hole so that the flanged end 311 of the shaft and the annular deformable member 303 protrude through the hole and above the level of the roofing panel RP3. The diameter of the flange 312 at the proximal end of the shaft portion 310 is larger than the diameter of the hole and therefore acts as a stop.

Once the fastener has been put in place, a screw driver, Allen key or similar tool is used to rotate the proximal shaft portion 310 so that it draws the other shaft portion 309 towards it. As the shaft portions 309 and 310 move together, the flange 311 on the distal end of the shaft portion 309 compresses the annular deformable member 03 so that it spreads outwardly to a diameter exceeding the diameter of the hole through the roofing panel RP3 and thereby holds the roofing panel RP3 in place.

A fastener according to a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 12. In this embodiment, the fastener comprises a tubular body formed from two body portions 401 and 402, the lower (proximal) of which (402) has a pair of wings 403 extending outwardly in opposing directions and the upper (distal) of which has an annular flange 404 extending around its circumference. Below the flange 404, the distal body portion is relatively rigid and non-deformable but, above the flange 404, the wall 401a of the body portion 401 is deformable under pressure. The deformable part 401a of the body portion 401 may be formed integrally, in which case the deformability may be created by means of rings of reduced wall thickness or other lies or regions of weakness that allow the wall to crumple under pressure. Alternatively, a separate deformable member may be provided in which case it may be formed from a material which is less rigid and more easily deformed than the wall of the tubular member 401 below the flange 404.

Extending through the centre of the tubular body is a shaft 405, the two ends of which each terminate with an enlarged or flanged head 406, 407. One or both of the enlarged or flanged heads 406 and 407 may be attached to the shaft by means of a thread so that, during assembly of the fastener, the shaft can be inserted through the tubular body with one of the enlarged heads removed. Once the shaft is in place, the removed enlarged head can be screwed on to hold the shaft in place. In this embodiment, the abutting edges 408 and 409 respectively of the body portions 401 and 402 are inclined so that the edge of one serves as a camming surface for the other.

The fastener shown in Figure 12 may be used to connect together two roofing panels or may be used to secure a roofing panel to a relatively shallow roof support member or purlin. For example, if the purlin is formed as an I-beam, holes may be drilled in the upper arms of the "I" for receiving the fasteners. Alternatively, where the purlin is of partially open-sided box section or is of Z-section, the holes may be drilled in the upper part of the box section or Z-section.

In use, the fastener is inserted through aligned holes in two overlapping roof panel edges or through a purlin and a roof panel as shown in Figure 13. The fastener can be pushed in to the aligned holes up to the flange 404 which acts as a stop. The proximal body portion 402 may then be rotated using finger pressure, by virtue of the wings 403. Rotation of the proximal body portion 402 causes the surfaces 408 and 409 to cam along one another thereby forcing the two body portions apart. This has the effect of pulling the upper flanged head 407 rearwardly so that it compresses the deformable part 401a (or a separate deformable element if present) to deform and spread outwardly to a diameter greater than the hole through the roof panel RP3. The two overlapping edges of the roofing panels or the roofing panel and purlin are then firmly trapped between the flange 404 and the deformed part 401a of the body element 401.

In the event that a force greater than finger pressure is required to turn the winged lower body element, a gripping tool such as a wrench can be used to apply the necessary torque.

It will readily be apparent that numerous modifications and alterations could be made to the fasteners described above without departing from the principles underlying the invention and all such modifications and alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.

Claims

A method of securing an external cladding panel to a building support member using a fastener, wherein the fastener comprises a tubular body (1) having a shaft (2) disposed therein, the shaft having a compression member mounted or formed on a distal end thereof and having at a proximal end thereof a rotatable member which, when rotated, serves to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction, the fastener having at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body, and wherein the fastener is provided with engagement means for engaging the building support member;

which method comprises:

A method according to claim 1 wherein the external cladding panel is a roofing panel.

A method according to claim 1 wherein the external cladding panel is a wall panel.

A fastener for securing an external cladding panel to a building support member according to the method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3; the fastener comprising:

a tubular body; a shaft disposed within the tubular body and extending from one end of the tubular body to the other, the shaft comprising a pair of connected shaft portions, one of the shaft portions having an external thread which engages an internal thread on the other shaft portion;

a compression element mounted or formed on a distal end of the shaft;

at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body; and

engagement means for engaging the building support member; wherein the fastener is configured so that in use it can be positioned such the distal end of the shaft, the compression member and at least one deformable member protrude through the hole in the external cladding panel and the engagement means engages the building support member; whereby rotation of the shaft portion at the proximal end of the shaft serves to draw the compression element in a rearwards direction so that the deformable member is compressed and deformed and expands radially outwardly to a width larger than the hole in the external cladding panel.

A fastener for securing an external cladding panel to a building support

member according to the method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3; the fastener comprising:

a tubular body comprising separate proximal and distal body portions having abutting edges, at least one of which is shaped to form a camming surface;

a shaft disposed within the tubular body and extending from one end of the tubular body to the other;

a compression element mounted or formed on a distal end of the shaft;

engagement means for engaging the building support member; wherein the fastener is configured so that in use it can be positioned such the distal end of the shaft, the compression member and at least one deformable member protrude through the hole in the external cladding panel and the engagement means engages the building support member; whereby rotation of the proximal body portion relative to the distal body initiates a camming action between the abutting edges of the body portions so that they are urged apart in an axial direction, and whereby relative axial movement of the proximal and distal body portions serves to draw the compression element in a rearwards direction so that the deformable member is compressed and deformed and expands radially outwardly to a width larger than the hole in the external cladding panel.

A fastener for securing an external cladding panel to a building support

member; the fastener comprising a tubular body having a shaft disposed therein, the shaft having a compression member mounted or formed on a distal end thereof and having at a proximal end thereof a rotatable member which, when rotated, serves to draw the compression member in a rearwards direction, the fastener having at least one deformable member which surrounds the shaft and is disposed axially between the compression member and the tubular body, the deformable member being deformable in use by rearwards movement of the compression member so as to form an abutment surface for engaging an external surface of the external cladding panel; the fastener being provided with engagement means for engaging the building support member; wherein the engagement means comprises a clamping collar which is slidably mounted on the tubular body and which is capable of being tightened so that it grips and is held immovably against the tubular body at any one of a plurality of desired locations on the tubular body.