Fascia installation apparatus

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6527265
  • Patent Number
    6,527,265
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, February 19, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 4, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Rachuba; M.
    • Shanley; Daniel
    Agents
    • Baker; Rod D.
    • Peacock, Myers & Adams, P.C.
Abstract
A portable apparatus for supporting and maintaining fascia in proper position during installation upon the exterior of a building, such as a residential dwelling. A forked member is temporarily attached to the eave of the building. A cross member is connected to the forked member. The vertical position of the cross member, relative to the forked member, is adjustable and temporarily fixable. A support member, upon which the fascia rests and is supported, is connectable to the cross member. The horizontal position of the support member, relative to the cross member, is adjustable and temporarily fixable. By selectively adjusting the horizontal position of the support member, and by selectively adjusting the vertical position of the cross member to which the support member is connected, the position of the support member, and thus the fascia, is precisely adjustable in two dimensions. The apparatus thus permits the fascia to be held in proper place while the user permanently installs the fascia to the building.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)




The present invention relates to building construction apparatus, particularly tools and devices for installing fascia upon commercial or residential buildings, and specifically relates to an apparatus for temporarily holding finish fascia in place upon subfascia during permanent installation.




2. Background Art




Previously issued patents that serve as background in the field of the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,189 to Fleck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,059 to Silver, U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,306 to Wilson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,429 to Casteel, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,455 to Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,682 to Gibbs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,517 to Vossler, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,960 to Roy. However, previous attempts have been directed principally to the installation of subfascia rather than finish fascia, and have done little or nothing to enable the user to adjust the tool to accommodate fascia of differing heights or thicknesses.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION)




The present invention relates to an apparatus for temporarily, but securely, holding fascia, especially finish fascia, in proper position upon a structure while the user effectuates the permanent fixture of the fascia in place. Once the fascia is permanently installed, the apparatus may then be released for re-use at a different location.




Thus, there is provided a portable apparatus for supporting and maintaining fascia in proper position during installation upon the exterior of a building, such as a residential dwelling. A forked eave member is temporarily attached to the eave of the building. A cross member is connected to the forked eave member. The vertical position of the cross member, relative to the eave member, is adjustable and temporarily fixable. A support member, upon which the fascia rests and is supported, is connectable to the cross member. The horizontal position of the support member, relative to the cross member, is adjustable and temporarily fixable. By selectively adjusting the horizontal position of the support member, and by selectively adjusting the vertical position of the cross member to which the support member is connected, the position of the support member, and thus the fascia, is precisely adjustable along two axes (vertical and horizontal). The apparatus thus permits the fascia to be held temporarily in proper place while the user permanently installs the fascia to the building.




The apparatus includes three principal parts, and several minor elements A vertical inverted forked eave member is temporarily secured to the underside of the eave, as by screwing the base of the eave member to the outer eave board or to the soffit. A horizontal cross member is attached to the at least one, preferably two legs of the inverted eave member, by inserting removable keeper pins through aligned holes in the horizontal cross member and the one or two legs of the inverted eave member. Various pairs of holes are alignable, so that the vertical position of the horizontal cross member is adjustable in relation to the vertical eave member. A third vertical support member is attachable to the horizontal cross member, also by using keeper pins insertable into aligned holes in the cross member and the vertical support member. Various pairs of holes are alignable, so that the horizontal position of the support member is adjustable in relation to both the horizontal cross member and the inverted forked member.




According to the invention, there is provided a portable apparatus for installing fascia upon a building having a roof and an eave, the eave having a subfascia, the apparatus comprising a forked member removably attachable to the eave, the member having two downwardly extending legs; a cross member connectable to the legs of the forked member, the cross member adjustably movable vertically in relation to the forked member; a vertical support member connectable to the cross member and slidably adjustable horizontally in relation to the cross member, the support member comprising surfaces for receiving and supporting the fascia in an installation position; means for selectively temporarily fixing the vertical position of the cross member in relation to the forked member; and means for selectively temporarily fixing the horizontal position of the support member in relation to the cross member. In the preferred embodiment, the forked member comprises a base defining therein a slotted hole for receiving an attachment screw.




In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cross member comprises a pair of extending hooked arms, each arm defining an interior vertical channel for receiving, in slidable engagement, a corresponding one of the legs, wherein the slidable engagement of the legs in the vertical channels prevents horizontal movement of the cross member in relation to the forked member. Further, the vertical support member preferably defines an opening for receiving, in slidable horizontal inserted engagement, the cross member, wherein the slidable engagement of the cross member into the opening prevents vertical movement of the support member in relation to the cross member. The preferred means for selectively temporarily fixing the vertical position of the cross member in relation to the forked member comprises at least one vertical adjustment hole defined in each of two opposing sides of the cross member; a plurality of adjustment holes defined in the legs of the forked member, the holes selectively alignable with the vertical adjustment holes in the sides of the cross member; and a pair of keeper pins removably insertable in selectively aligned pairs of the adjustment holes. Similarly, the preferred means for selectively temporarily fixing the horizontal position of the support member in relation to the cross member comprises: a plurality of horizontal adjustment holes defined in each of two opposing sides of the cross member; at least one adjustment hole defined in each of two opposing sides of the support member, the holes selectively alignable with the horizontal adjustment holes in the sides of the cross member; and a pair of keeper pins removably insertable in selectively aligned pairs of the adjustment holes.




A primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensively manufactured apparatus for use in building construction, to temporarily hold finish fascia in place upon subfascia during installation.




A primary advantage of the present invention is that it permits horizontal as well as vertical adjustment, thereby permitting the use of the apparatus with fascia of different thicknesses.




Another advantage of the invention is that the apparatus of the invention is easily manipulated and used, and may be used by a single person in operation to hang lengthy sections of fascia.




Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, illustrate several embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. In the drawings:





FIG. 1A

is a top view of the vertical support member according one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention;





FIG. 1B

is a top view of the horizontal cross member according to one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention;





FIG. 1C

is a top view of the forked eave member according one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention;





FIG. 1D

is a bottom view of the forked eave member shown in

FIG. 1C

;





FIG. 2A

is a right side view of the vertical support member shown in

FIG. 1A

;





FIG. 2B

is a right side view of the horizontal cross member shown in

FIG. 1B

;





FIG. 2C

is a right side view of the forked eave member shown in

FIG. 1C

;





FIG. 3A

shows a pair of keeper pins useable to adjustably conjoin the forked eave member and the horizontal cross member:





FIG. 3B

shows a keeper pin useable to adjustably conjoin the horizontal cross member and the vertical support member;





FIG. 4A

is a rear elevation view of the vertical support member shown in

FIG. 1A

;





FIG. 4B

is a rear elevation view of the horizontal cross member shown in

FIG. 1B

;





FIG. 4C

is a rear elevation view of the forked member shown in

FIG. 1C

, with a screw useable for temporarily securing the forked member in place upon the building;





FIG. 5

is a right side view of the apparatus of the invention in use to hold temporarily a section of finish fascia (shown in cross section) in place upon a length of subfascia (shown in cross section);





FIG. 6

is a rear elevation of the apparatus as seen in

FIG. 5

;





FIG. 7

is an alternative right side view of the apparatus of the invention, showing the apparatus adjusted to accommodate a section of finish fascia of much different thickness and height from that depicted in

FIG. 5

;





FIG. 8

is a rear elevation view of the apparatus of the invention as seen in

FIG. 7

;





FIG. 9

is a right side view, showing the apparatus of the invention in use, and depicting the positional relationship of the apparatus in relation to the various elements of the building upon which the apparatus is in use; and





FIG. 10

is an enlarged view of a portion of

FIG. 9

, depicting the apparatus of the invention in use.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION)




The present invention has to do with the building construction trade. The invention will find use in the construction of all types of building construction, including industrial and commercial, but is most readily applicable in residential building construction. After a building has been framed, and the roof decking installed, it is necessary to cover the fundamental structural components of the building with finish elements to protect the structure from the elements and to beautify its appearance.




One of the fundamental structural components of a typical residential building is the subfascia. The subfascia is the rigid structural member, typically a two-by-four or two-by-six inch board, which runs parallel to the ground along the ends of the roof rafters that define the eave of the roof. The subfascia usually runs perpendicular to the rafters, and joins their ends together to lend structural strength to the roof. The subfascia, being a primarily structural component, is then covered with a finish fascia. The finish fascia is installed directly upon, and flush against, the subfascia to protect the subfascia from the weather and to beautify the structure. Finish fascia may be fashioned from treated wood, plastic or vinyl, aluminum, galvanized steel, or other materials finished to be aesthetically attractive and relatively weatherproof.




Commonly, finish fascia is attached to the subfascia using screws, nails or other fasteners, or glue. Regardless of the type of fasteners used, it is necessary to hold the finish fascia in proper place upon the subfascia while the fasteners are installed to permanently secure the finish fascia in place. The finish fascia must not only be maintained horizontal, but its vertical position with respect to the subfascia must be controlled. The task of temporarily holding the finish fascia in proper vertical position, as well as generally horizontal, is difficult to accomplish while simultaneously attempting to permanently secure the finish fascia to the subfascia. The task is particularly daunting in those instances, which are increasingly common, where a single person or perhaps two persons—rather than a team of three or four workers—is installing the finish fascia.




The present invention solves the problem by providing an apparatus that temporarily, yet reliably, holds the finish fascia in proper position upon the subfascia while the finish fascia is permanently secured to the building. While intended primarily for use in installing finish fascia, the present invention may find application in the task of installing subfascia as well.




The apparatus is comprised of three principal components, which may be crafted from aluminum, heavy duty plastic, metallic alloys, or other rigid and durable materials that may be machined, and pieces joined by welding, brazing, or epoxy or other advanced adhesives.





FIGS. 1A

,


1


B and


1


C are top views of the vertical support member


30


, the cross member


20


, and the eave member


10


respectively. The top view of the eave member


10


, shows the slotted hole


15


for the mounting screw


56


. The bottom view of the eave member


10


seen in

FIG. 1D

shows the countersink


17


for the screw head.

FIGS. 2A

,


2


B, and


2


C are side views of the support member


30


, cross member


20


, and forked eave member


10


, respectively.

FIGS. 3A and 3B

illustrate keeper pins useable with the invention to adjust the position of the finish fascia vertically and honzontally,

FIGS. 4A

,


4


B, and


4


C show the vertical support member


30


, cross member


20


and the forked Cave member


10


from the “back,” that is, as they would appear when the user is facing the structure (as viewed in

FIG. 6

, or from the left in FIG.


5


).




Vertical support member


30


is depicted in

FIGS. 1A

,


2


A, and


4


A. Support member


30


is a rigid integrated piece featuring a U-shaped body having a bottom


32


, and parallel sides


34


,


35


; the sides


34


,


35


are connected to support plate


36


. As seen in the figures, the sides


34


,


35


are perpendicular to the support bottom


32


, and the support plate


36


is in a plane perpendicular to the bottom


32


, so that the sides


34


,


35


, support bottom


32


and support plate


36


are all mutually orthogonal. The inside vertical surface of the support plate


36


defines a fascia face


33


. The sides


34


,


35


serve as stand-offs to hold the support plate


36


above and apart from the support bottom


32


, with the bottom edge of the plate


36


substantially parallel to the bottom


32


. The support sides


34


,


35


, the support bottom


32


and the bottom edge


37


of the support plate


36


collectively define a vertical support assembly opening


38


, as best seen in FIG.


4


A. Each of the two sides


34


,


35


is penetrated by at least a pair of attachment holes


39


that are used to temporarily and adjustably connect the vertical support member


30


to the cross member


20


. Referring to

FIGS. 1A and 2A

, it is seen that the upper inside edges of the sides


34


,


35


of the support member define step ledges


55


.




Cross member


20


is a single, specially shaped component illustrated in

FIGS. 1B

,


2


B, and


4


B. Cross member


20


is an integral rigid piece, having a planar top


22


from which a pair of hooked arms


23


,


24


extend, as seen in FIG.


1


B. The top


20


has an interior edge


25


that is specially scalloped as seen in FIG.


1


B. The interior edge


25


and hooked arms


23


,


24


surround and define on three sides a cross member well or opening. Extending down from side edges of the top


22


of the cross member


20


are a pair of identical cross member sides


27


,


28


, one seen in FIG.


2


B. One end of each side is rounded in the manner seen in FIG.


2


B. Each side


27


,


28


is penetrated by two groups of arrayed adjustment holes


44


,


45


also as seen (twelve shown) in FIG.


2


B. The holes


44


are horizontal adjustment holes for providing horizontal selectivity of the positioning of the finish fascia


60


, while holes


45


are vertical adjustment holes. The sides


27


,


28


also are hooked, with inwardly extending flanges


46


,


46


′ as seen in

FIGS. 1B and 4B

.




The third main component is eave member


10


, depicted in

FIGS. 1C

,


1


D,


2


C, and


4


C. Eave member


10


has a generally planar base


11


from the edges of which rigidly extend at least one and preferably two parallel legs


12


,


13


. A slotted hole


15


completely penetrates the base


11


between the legs


12


,


13


, slightly offset from the base's center as seen in

FIGS. 1C and 1D

. The base


11


is disposed at the top of the forked member


10


when the apparatus is in use; the legs


12


,


13


extend downwardly as seen in FIG.


4


C. As seen in

FIG. 1D

, the slotted portion of the slotted hole


15


has a countersink


17


on the undersurface of the base


11


to receive the head of a screw flush with the base, as described further herein. As illustrated in

FIG. 2C

, each of the legs


12


,


13


is completely penetrated by a plurality of about eighteen (more or less) forked member adjustment holes


18


, arrayed in inclined rows of, for example, three holes per row It is noted that the forked adjustment holes


18


on each leg


12


or


13


are pitched in patterns corresponding to the pattern and number of vertical adjustment holes


45


in the cross member


20


. Accordingly, the three vertical adjustment holes


45


in each side


27


or


28


of the cross member may be aligned with any selected row of three forked adjustment holes


18


in a leg of the forked member


10


.




Similarly, the horizontal adjustment holes


44


in each side of the cross member


20


are arrayed in pairs that are alignable with the pairs of holes on each side


34


and


35


of the support member


30


. Thus, when the support member


30


is temporarily connected to the cross member


20


as further described herein, the horizontal position of the support member


30




5


relative to the cross member


20


is selectively adjustable by aligning a particular selected pair of horizontal adjustment holes


44


in a side of the cross member with the pair of holes


39


in a corresponding side of the support member


30


.




Assembly and installation of the apparatus of the invention is explained with collective reference to

FIGS. 5-12

. In

FIG. 5

, the apparatus is seen assembled, adjusted and fastened to the sub fascia. Adjusted by the pin-and-hole combination, the apparatus supports finish fascia


60


of a certain thickness and at a pre-selected point below the bottom edge of the sub fascia


50


.

FIG. 6

shows the apparatus supporting the finish fascia


60


below the bottom edge of the sub fascia


50


. In

FIG. 7

, the apparatus is assembled, adjusted and fastened to the sub fascia


50


. Adjusted by the pin-and-hole combination, the apparatus supports finish fascia


60


of another thickness, and at a different level below the bottom edge of the sub fascia


50


, from the depiction of FIG.


6


.

FIG. 8

similarly shows the apparatus supporting the finish fascia


60


below the bottom edge of the sub fascia


50


.




In

FIG. 9

, the apparatus is used to allow finish fascia


60


to extend past the top of the roof deck


53


when the finish fascia


60


is used to support roof tile


62


, and also to allow the finish fascia


60


to extend below the bottom of the soffit


52


.

FIG. 9

is an approximately to-scale drawing of building structure framing, with the apparatus supporting finish fascia


60


where the finish fascia extends past the roof deck


53


at the top edge of the sub fascia


50


to support roof tile


62


, and also extends past the soffit


52


at the bottom edge of the sub fascia


50


.

FIG. 10

is an enlarged view of the apparatus as depicted in FIG.


9


.




The vertical inverted forked member


10


is temporarily secured to the underside of the eave, for example by screwing with screw


56


the base


11


of the forked eave member


10


to the subfascia


50


or to the soffit


52


(as seen in

FIGS. 4C

,


6


). The base


11


of the forked member


10


is temporarily attached to the structure, and the legs


12


,


13


hang downward. The horizontal cross member


20


is slipped around the legs of the forked member


10


, with the sides


27


,


28


in sliding contact generally against the outside faces of the legs


12


,


13


of the eave member


10


. The cross member


20


is situated approximately horizontally, and the vertical adjustment holes


45


on each side of the cross member are aligned with the holes


18


in a selected row of holes in each of the legs


12


and


13


of the forked eave member


10


.




Typically, the cross member


20


is positioned by slipping it upward along the downwardly extending legs


12


,


13


of the forked member


10


. The legs


12


,


13


of the forked member


10


have sliding contact with the inside surfaces of the hooked arms


23


,


24


of the cross member


20


. The widths of the interior vertical channels


19


,


19


′ defined in the inside surfaces of the arms


23


,


24


correspond generally to the widths of the legs


12


,


13


, so that the flanges


46


,


46


′ ride in sliding contact with the inside edges


14


,


14


′ of the legs


12


,


13


(e.g., FIG.


5


). Thus, it is seen that the legs


12


,


13


engage into the vertical channels


19


,


19


′ to prevent horizontal movement of the cross member


20


in relation to the forked member


10


; relative to the forked member


10


, the cross member


20


is capable of sliding vertical movement only.




The horizontal cross member


20


is temporarily attached to the two legs


12


,


13


of the inverted forked member


10


by inserting removable keeper pins


42


,


42


′ (

FIG. 3A

) through the aligned holes


45


,


18


in the horizontal cross member


20


and the legs


12


and


13


of the inverted forked member


10


. Because any one of the rows (six rows shown) of holes


18


in the legs


12


and


13


are alignable with the row of vertical adjustment holes


45


in each side of the cross member


20


, the vertical position of the horizontal cross member


20


is selectively adjustable in relation to the vertical forked member


10


.




The vertical support member


30


is then attachable to the horizontal cross member


20


, also by using one or two keeper pins, such as keeper pin


43


(FIG.


3


B), insertable into aligned holes


44


and


39


in the cross member


20


and the vertical support member


30


, respectively.




Various pairs of horizontal adjustment holes


44


are alignable with the holes


39


in the support member


30


, so that the horizontal position of the support member


30


is adjustable in relation to the horizontal cross member


20


, which in turn is connected to the inverted forked member


10


.




Continued collective reference is made to

FIGS. 5-12

. The vertical forked member


10


has the slotted hole


15


in its base, as best seen in FIGS. IC and ID. As suggested by

FIG. 4C

, a screw


56


is used to temporarily mount the vertical forked member


10


to the underside of the rafter, subfascia


50


or soffit


52


. The screw


56


is driven nearly all the way in, but then the head of the screw


56


is insertable through the slotted hole


15


seen in FIGS. IC and ID. The forked member


10


is moved into the proper position, as seen in

FIGS. 5

,


6


,


9


and


10


, with the mounting screw


56


in the narrower slot portion of hole


15


. The mounting screw


56


is tightened until its head presses into the countersink


17


seen in FIG.


1


D.




Horizontal cross member


20


is then adjustably connectable to the forked member


10


using the pair of keeper pins


42


,


42


′ seen in FIG.


3


A. Notably, the vertical position of the horizontal cross member


20


is selectively adjustable by using any two pairs of aligned adjustment holes


45


and


18


in the opposing sides of the horizontal cross member


20


and in the legs


12


and


13


of the forked member


10


respectively. As seen best in

FIG. 2C

, the each leg


12


,


13


of the forked member


10


has a series of parallel rows of adjustment holes


18


therein, providing for attachment of the horizontal cross member


20


at differing heights upon the forked member


10


. The lines of holes


18


are arranged in slanted or oblique arrays (in the figures, arrays of three holes per line) to enhance the security of the releasable connection between the cross member


20


and the forked member


10


while the apparatus is in use. As seen in

FIG. 2B

, each side


27


,


28


of the cross member


20


has a slanted array of three vertical adjustment holes


45


that are alignable with any one of the rows of adjustment holes


18


in the forked member


10


. By selectively aligning the vertical adjustment holes


45


with corresponding holes


18


, and then inserting one or more keeper pins


42


,


42


′ in the aligned holes, the vertical position of the cross member


20


, in relation to the forked member


10


and thus with respect to the subfascia


50


, can be adjusted and temporarily fixed by the user. The keeper pins


42


,


42


′ are removable by twisting and manual extraction to break the apparatus down for relocation and re-use. A variety of keeper pins may be used, including breakable, disposable plastic pins, cotter pins, or reusable pins with compressible detents or ridges; suitable keeper pins are commercially available or customized pins are within the knowledge of one or ordinary skill in the art.




The vertical support member


30


is then engaged with the cross member


20


by sliding the cross member, axially, through the opening


38


in the support member


30


. The sliding engagement is provided by slipping the support member


30


around the cross member


20


extending horizontally outward from the subfascia


50


. The vertical outside faces of the sides


27


,


28


of the cross member


20


preferably are in flush sliding contact with the inside faces of the sides


34


,


35


of the support member


30


, while the top


22


of the cross member is in smooth sliding contact with the bottom edge


37


of the support plate


36


. Similarly, the bottom edges of the sides


27


,


28


of the cross member


20


ride smoothly upon the top surface of the support bottom


32


. Thus, the maximum outside dimensions of the cross member


20


(i.e. the height and width as seen in

FIG. 4B

) correspond very closely to the height and width dimensions of the opening


38


in the vertical support member


30


, thereby providing a close, fitted, sliding insertion of the cross member


20


into the opening


38


to associate the components


20


,


30


together in operative engagement. Notably, the vertical support member


30


is capable of horizontal movement only in relation to the cross member


20


; the sliding insertion of the cross member


20


into the opening


38


of the support member


30


permits such sliding horizontal shifting, while preventing the support member from moving up and down relative to the cross member


20


(and thus the subfascia


50


).




Referring, for example, to

FIGS. 5 and 7

, it is seen that the support member


30


is slipped into position with the support plate


36


extending upward, and with the fascia face


33


adjacent to and in confronting relation with the subfascia


50


. The fascia face


33


of the support member


30


is the vertical element that presses against and supports the finish fascia


60


in proper vertical position for attachment to the subfascia


50


.




The vertical support member


30


is connectable to the horizontal cross member


20


by means of the long keeper pin


43


shown in FIG.


3


B. The pair (or more) of adjustment holes


39


on each side


34


and


35


of the vertical support member


30


as seen in

FIG. 2A

for instance, are selectively alignable with the horizontal adjustment holes


44


seen in FIG.


2


B. Thus, at least one hole


44


on each side of the horizontal cross member


20


is alignable with a corresponding hole


39


on each side of the vertical support member


30


, and the four such holes are linearly aligned to permit the single keeper pin


43


to be inserted there through to permit the releasable connection of the support member


30


to the cross member


20


. By selectively aligning the horizontal adjustment holes


44


with corresponding holes


39


, and then inserting one or more to keeper pins


43


in the aligned holes, the horizontal position of the support member


30


, in relation to the forked member


10


and thus with respect to the subfascia


50


, can be adjusted and temporarily fixed by the user. Notably, there are a series of paired holes


44


arrayed along each side


27


,


28


of the horizontal cross member


20


, so that the horizontal position of the vertical support member


30


is selectively adjustable to accommodate finish fascia of different thicknesses.




The finish fascia board


60


is then oriented vertically, and its bottom edge rested upon the step ledges


55


defined by the inside top edges of the sides


34


,


35


of the support member


30


. The outside finished face of the finish fascia board


60


is rested against the fascia face


33


of the support plate


36


.




Referring particularly to

FIG. 9

, the inventive apparatus is used to install finish fascia board


60


of varying widths and thicknesses at vertical and non-vertical angles at the eaves and gable ends of building roofs having rafters


63


. Installation is accomplished while the apparatus is temporarily fastened to the sub fascia


50


from the bottom, either with or without the soffit


52


installed. The apparatus adjusts vertically to allow the bottom of the finish fascia board


60


to be positioned below the bottom of the soffit


52


at the bottom edge of the sub fascia


50


, and also to allow the top of the finish fascia board


60


to be positioned past the roof deck


53


(when necessary, as in the application of support for roof tile


62


) at the top edge of the sub fascia


50


. The tool adjusts horizontally, depending upon which pair of holes


44


are employed, to allow for different thicknesses of finish fascia board


60


.




The apparatus is readied for use by sliding the cross member


20


into the forked member


10


and inserting a pin


42


,


42


′ into each side, into aligned holes


45


,


18


in the two components


10


,


20


, and by then sliding the vertical support member


30


onto cross member


20


horizontally and inserting the pin


43


through both sides


28


,


34


and


27


,


35


into any holes


44


,


39


aligned in the two components


30


,


20


.




The apparatus adjusts vertically in one-eighth inch increments to allow for differing widths of finish fascia and horizontally in one-quarter inch increments to allow for differing thicknesses of finish fascia. The apparatus adjusts easily for any predetermined size and/or placement of the finish fascia. To adjust the apparatus vertically, the user determines the measurement, in relation of the top of the finish fascia, to the top of the roof deck and/or the measurement, in relation of the bottom of the finish fascia, to the bottom of the soffit. The user then correlates the measurement to the apparatus, and uses the pin-and-hole combination to achieve the selected desired adjustment. To adjust the apparatus horizontally, the user adds one-eighth to one-quarter inch to the finish fascia thickness, and then adjusts the pin-and-hole combination to achieve the selected adjustment. The apparatus should not be adjusted with the finish fascia supported on the apparatus; rather, the finish fascia should be removed, the necessary adjustments made, the finish fascia replaced upon the apparatus, and the installation then performed.




To fasten the apparatus to the bottom of the sub fascia


50


, the user marks a point about three-quarters of an inch from the outside vertical edge of the sub fascia, approximately center of where the finish fascia


60


is to be installed. The user then inserts a one and five-eighths inch dual torque flat head, yellow dichromate, coarse thread, decking screw


56


vertically halfway into the bottom of the sub fascia


50


at the marked point. The slotted hole


15


of the forked member


10


is placed up over the screw head, the apparatus is shifted sideways until the countersink


17


is directly above the screw head, and the screw


56


is tightened until the forked member


10


is snug against the sub fascia


50


with the head of the screw squarely in the countersink


17


. The apparatus should be secured tight enough that it will not move while installing the finish fascia


60


; however, the screw


56


should not be over-tightened, because the screw may fail.




To remove the apparatus from the bottom of the sub fascia


50


, the screw


56


is loosened, the apparatus back-shifted sideways, the screw head is passed through the hole


15


to allow the apparatus to be lowered. The screw


56


is then tightened to draw its head flush to the surface, or the screw is removed and discarded.




In operation, therefore, the forked member is temporarily screwed to the bottom of the eave in a vertical downward position. The horizontal cross member is pinned to the forked member, using pairs of holes that permit the horizontal cross member to be at the proper vertical elevation to support the fascia in the proper position upon the vertical face of the eave. The bottom edge of the fascia may then be rested upon the cross member for support. The vertical support member then is pinned to the cross member in a position adjusted so that the support member clamps the fascia against the eave. While the apparatus thus supports the fascia, the user's hands are free to then permanently secure the fascia to the eave. When this is accomplished, the apparatus is dissembled by removing the keeper pins and detaching the forked member from the eave.




It will be noted and understood that since the apparatus is attachable to the bottom of the subfascia, regardless of the angular disposition of the subfascia, the apparatus finds beneficial use upon a non-vertical subfascia; the invention is adaptable for use to install fascia upon non-vertical surfaces. Further, it is apparent to one of skill in the art that the apparatus is useable to install fascia on the gable ends, as well, of conventional architectures.




Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference.



Claims
  • 1. A portable apparatus for installing fascia upon a building having a roof and an eave, the eave having a subfascia, said apparatus comprising:a forked member removably attachable to the eave, said member having two downwardly extending legs; a cross member connectable to said legs of said forked member, said cross member adjustably movable vertically in relation to said forked member; a vertical support member connectable to said cross member and slidably adjustable horizontally in relation to said cross member, said support member comprising surfaces for receiving and supporting the fascia in an installation position; means for selectively temporarily fixing the vertical position of said cross member in relation to said forked member; and means for selectively temporarily fixing the horizontal position of said support member in relation to said cross member.
  • 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said forked member comprises a base defining therein a slotted hole for receiving an attachment screw.
  • 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cross member comprises a pair of extending hooked arms, each arm defining an interior vertical channel for receiving, in slidable engagement, a corresponding one of said legs, wherein the slidable engagement of said legs in said vertical channels prevents horizontal movement of said cross member in relation to said forked member.
  • 4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said vertical support member defines an opening for receiving, in slidable horizontal inserted engagement, said cross member, wherein the slidable engagement of said cross member into said opening prevents vertical movement of said support member in relation to said cross member.
  • 5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for selectively temporarily fixing the vertical position of said cross member in relation to said forked member comprises:at least one vertical adjustment hole defined in each of two opposing sides of said cross member; a plurality of adjustment holes defined in said legs of said forked member, said holes selectively alignable with said vertical adjustment holes in said sides of said cross member; and a pair of keeper pins removably insertable in selectively aligned pairs of said adjustment holes.
  • 6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for selectively temporarily fixing the horizontal position of said support member in relation to said cross member comprises:a plurality of horizontal adjustment holes defined in each of two opposing sides of said cross member; at least one adjustment hole defined in each of two opposing sides of said support member, said holes selectively alignable with said horizontal adjustment holes in said sides of said cross member, and a pair of keeper pins removably insertable in selectively aligned pairs of said adjustment holes.
  • 7. A portable apparatus for installing fascia upon a building having a roof and an eave, the eave having a subfascia, said apparatus comprising:an eave member removably attachable to the eave, said eave member having at least one downwardly extending leg; a cross member connectable to said at least one leg of said eave member, said cross member adjustably movable vertically in relation to said eave member; a vertical support member connectable to said cross member and slidably adjustable horizontally in relation to said cross member, said support member comprising surfaces for receiving and supporting the fascia in an installation position; means for selectively temporarily fixing the vertical position of said cross member in relation to said eave member; and means for selectively temporarily fixing the horizontal position of said support member in relation to said cross member.
  • 8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said eave member comprises a base defining therein a slotted hole for receiving a means for temporarily mounting said eave member to the eave.
  • 9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said cross member comprises a pair of extending hooked arms each arm defining an interior vertical channel for receiving, in slidable engagement, a corresponding one of said legs, wherein the slidable engagement of said legs in said vertical channels prevents horizontal movement of said cross member in relation to said eave member.
  • 10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said vertical support member defines an opening for receiving, in slidable horizontal inserted engagement, said cross member, wherein the slidable engagement of said cross member into said opening prevents vertical movement of said support member in relation to said cross member.
  • 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means for selectively temporarily fixing the vertical position of said cross member in relation to said eave member comprises:at least one vertical adjustment hole defined in each of two opposing sides of said cross member; a plurality of adjustment holes defined in said at least one leg of said eave member, said holes selectively alignable with said vertical adjustment holes in said sides of said cross member, and a pair of keeper pins removably insertable in selectively aligned pairs of said adjustment holes.
  • 12. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said means for selectively temporarily fixing the horizontal position of said support member in relation to said cross member comprises:a plurality of horizontal adjustment holes defined in each of two opposing sides of said cross member, at least one adjustment hole defined in each of two opposing sides of said support member, said holes selectively alignable with said horizontal adjustment holes in said sides of said cross member; and a pair of keeper pins removably insertable in selectively aligned pairs of said adjustment holes.
  • 13. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said means for temporarily mounting comprises a screw.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/270,080 entitled Fascia Installation Apparatus, filed on Feb. 20, 2001, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
4165869 Williams Aug 1979 A
4836517 Vossier Jun 1989 A
5192059 Silver Mar 1993 A
5228667 Bridgegum Jul 1993 A
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/270080 Feb 2001 US