Patent Application
20120000146
The present disclosure relates, generally, to connectors usable to secure a purlin or similar horizontally extending member of a sloped roof to an upright member of the sloped roof, at a selected angle, such as when building a new structure or retrofitting a structure having a preexisting flat roof with an angled roof having a desired slope.
The roof of a structure protects the interior from inclement weather and exposure to the elements, while providing the exterior of the structure with a pleasing aesthetic appearance. Sloped, pitched, and/or angled roofs normally possess superior water drainage capabilities and improved longevity when compared to flat roofs, and are generally considered to be more aesthetically pleasing. However, a sloped roof is typically more time consuming and significantly more costly to install than a flat roof. These expenditures are further exacerbated when constructing a roof from more costly and/or durable materials, that are more difficult to manipulate, such as when utilizing a metal roofing system. As a result, many existing structures have been constructed with flat roofs to reduce the time and expense of construction. This is especially true of structures in which a buyer or lessee does not intend a long-term occupation, where longevity of a roof would not be a primary concern. Inclement weather and the passage of time have necessitated repair and/or replacement of many existing roofs, and as such, it is often desirable to retrofit an existing structure with a sloped roof.
Typically, to install a sloped roof, a base runner or similar, generally flat base surface is provided, upon which upright columns can be secured, spaced apart in rows. At the top of each row of columns, one or more purlins are secured, each purlin generally including a horizontally extending “C” shaped or “Z” shaped channel atop which the body of a sloped roof can be affixed. Attachment of purlins to the columns is normally performed by securing a first portion of an angle iron, purlin clip, or similar angled connector to the column, and a second portion of the connector to the purlin, with the orientation of the connector determining the angular relationship between the column and purlin.
Each purlin must be secured to the columns across which it extends at an angle corresponding to the desired slope of the roof. Thus, each connector must be individually secured to a respective column at an angle that enables proper orientation of the purlin relative to the column. Conventionally, a taut wire, string, or similar type of guide is extended from the intended apex of the roof toward an intended edge of the roof, at an angle corresponding to the desired slope, to provide a reference usable to facilitate engagement of each connector and purlin to its respective column. However, installation of each connector and purlin to each column must be individually measured to ensure accuracy. This is a time consuming process, and due to the numerous manual measurements involved, the process is also prone to cumulative inaccuracies.
A need exists for connectors and methods that enable rapid, efficient installation of purlins, and reduce or eliminate the numerous individual manual measurements required for proper installation.
A need also exists for connectors and methods that enable reliable and accurate installation of purlins relative to columns to facilitate installation of a roof having a desired slope.
Embodiments of the present invention meet these needs.
In the detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the listed Figures.
Before explaining selected embodiments of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein and that the present invention can be practiced or carried out in various ways.
Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure include a connector for securing a horizontally extending member of a sloped roof, such as a purlin, at a selected angle relative to an upright member of the sloped roof. While it should be understood that the described connectors and methods are usable to secure any type of body or member to a second body or member at a selected angle, specific embodiments described herein are usable to install a sloped roof, such as when retrofitting an existing structure having a flat roof.
The connector can include a first portion adapted for secure engagement with a column or similar upright member, and a second portion disposed at an angle relative to the first portion, adapted for engagement with a purlin or similar horizontally extending member. An angular measurement section extends from the first portion and is integral therewith, the angular measurement section having a plurality of visible features, such as markings and/or notches thereon, each of the visible features corresponding to a selected angular relationship between the upright member and horizontally extending member.
In use, the connector can be placed against a portion of a column or similar upright member, such that a visible marking, notch, or similar feature of the angular measurement section, representative of a desired slope of a roof, is aligned with the column. The first portion of the connector can then be secured to the column, such as through use of fasteners that penetrate the body of the connector and/or preexisting orifices therein, one or more clips, clamps, clasps, adhesives, or other external fasteners, or any other means of attachment known in the art. Due to the angular relationship between the connector and the column, determined using the angular measurement section, a purlin or similar horizontally extending member secured to the second portion of the connector will be angularly offset from the upright member by a desired angle, such that a roof installed over the purlin will have a slope corresponding to the desired angle.
Use of a connector in such a manner thereby eliminates a need for separate measuring implements, and use of line and/or wire guides or similar tools, while providing an efficient, accurate, and reliable method for ensuring a proper angular relationship between upright and horizontally extending members that does not require a time consuming and potentially inaccurate series of individual measurements for each engagement.
Referring now to
A second portion (14) of the connector is shown secured generally perpendicular to the first portion (12), the second portion (14) being adapted for engagement with a purlin or similar horizontally extending member, such that the connector (10) defines an angular relationship between the column secured to the first portion (12) and the purlin secured to the second portion (14). While
Two support members (18) are depicted along the point of engagement between the first portion (12) and second portion (14) to provide additional strength to the connector (10) for withstanding stresses and other forces applied by structures to which the connector (10) is secured. The support members (18) can include any manner of bend, curve, or depression within the body of the connector (10), or alternatively, the support members (18) can include a separate or integral member secured or formed at the intersection between the first and second portions (12, 14). A lip (16) is also shown disposed generally perpendicular to the first portion (12), opposite and parallel to the second portion (14), for providing additional strength to the body of the connector (10).
The angular measurement section (28) is depicted as a generally wedge-shaped member extending from and generally parallel to the first portion (12), having multiple visible markings (30) thereon. Each visible marking (30) corresponds to an angular relationship between an upright member secured to the first portion (12) and a horizontally extending member secured to the second portion (14), and/or to an angular relationship between a horizontally extending member and the Earth's surface (i.e. corresponding to a slope of a roof). For example,
It should be noted that while
While the depicted connector (10) can be formed from any generally rigid material, in an embodiment, each portion (12, 14, 16, 28) can be formed from wood, plastic, composite, steel, or other materials usable within a roofing system, which can include a metallic roofing system. The connector (10) can be formed as an integral member, such as through cutting and bending of a single sheet of metal or a similar material, or alternatively, one or more of the first portion (12), second portion (14), lip (16), and angular measurement section (28) can be separately formed and connected, such as by welding or other means. Additionally, while the specific shapes and dimensions of each portion of the connector (10) can vary, depending on the intended use and structural characteristics desired, in an embodiment, the first portion (12) can have a length of about 8 inches and a width of about 1.25 inches, the second portion (14) can have a length of about 3.75 inches and a width of about 2.5 inches, the lip (16) can have a length of about 8 inches and a width of about 0.25 inches, the gap (26) can have a height of about 0.25 inches, and the angular measurement section (28) can have a height of about 4 inches and a width of about 2.5 inches. The angular measurement section (28) can be sized to accommodate angles between the connector (10) and a column ranging from 0 degrees to 90 degrees.
In use, the first portion (12) can be placed against a column or other upright member, and a selected visible marking (30) of the angular measurement section (28) can be aligned with a portion of the column. In an embodiment, the notch (26) can be aligned with the upper edge of the column, the notch (26) being usable as a reference for vertical placement of the connector (10) relative to the column. The lower side (24) of the first portion (12) can then be secured to the column through use of one or more fasteners extending through selected orifices (20), or through other methods, as described previously. In an embodiment, the connector (10) can be secured to a column or other upright member in a manner that enables vertical movement of the connector (10) relative thereto, to select a desired height for the connector (10). A purlin or similar horizontally extending member can then be placed against the second portion (14) of the connector and attached thereto. Due to the angular relationship between the connector (10) and the column, established using the angular measurement section (28), the angular relationship between the column and purlin will enable installation of a roof thereon having a slope corresponding to the selected visible marking (30).
Referring now to
Each of
Referring now to
Each column (32) is shown having a connector (10) secured thereon at a selected angle, in the manner described previously. A purlin (34) or similar horizontally extending member is shown secured to each connector (10). Roof structures (42) are shown installed atop the purlins, each roof structure (42) extending from the base surface (40) at a selected angle (44), determined by the angular relationship between the columns (32) and purlins (34). The roof structures (42) can include any manner of unitary or severable metal panels, frames, or other materials, including wood or one or more composites, as known in the art. While embodiments of the connector and methods described herein are of particular use with metal roofing systems, it should be understood that the embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure can be used to secure any body or structure to another with a selected angular relationship therebetween.
Thus, while conventional roofing systems normally require each engagement of a purlin to a column to be individually measured, embodiments of the connectors and methods described herein enable efficient and accurate engagement between purlins and columns, resulting in rapid and reliable installation of metal roofs and other types of roofing systems.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described with emphasis, it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention might be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
