Patent Grant
9200456
The present invention in general relates to an apparatus for installing and securing panels to a frame and in particular to a joiner plate or clip designed to address framing that is not planar, and for securing thin, brittle, and fragile panels that are prone to fracture during installation.
Frame construction is a quick and efficient method of constructing inner and outer walls in structures. Frames generally are formed with vertical members called studs that are joined to upper and lower horizontal members.
Traditionally, studs were made of wood, usually 2′×4″ or 2″×6″ dimensional lumber. In North America, studs are typically placed 16 inches from each other's center, but sometimes also at 12 inch or 24 inch intervals. Steel studs are gaining popularity, especially for non load-bearing walls. Typically, panels, siding or other types of wall materials and sheeting are secured to the frame via screws, nails, or other specialty fasteners to the studs. However, non-planar framing may result in stress cracks and uneven or bowed surfaces in the joined panels, siding or other wall materials.
Fiber cement (FC) siding most often includes overlapping horizontal boards, imitating wooden siding, clapboard and imitation shingles, or large panels simulating tongue and groove or board and batten applications. Fiber cement siding is also manufactured in a sheet form and is used not only as cladding but is also commonly used as a soffit/eave lining and as a tile underlay on decks and in bathrooms. Fiber cement siding is not only used as an exterior siding, it can also be utilized as a substitute for timber fascias and bargeboards, especially in high fire risk or prone areas.
Siding or cladding materials, due to the material cost or manufacturing methods, are often thin and typically brittle or fragile. The thin nature of siding and cladding materials results in the siding materials conforming to the planar conditions of the framing. This can result in building stress into the applied panel. In addition to fiber cement, thin panels may be formed from laminated and composite wood materials, and panels formed from polymer resins. Siding materials can also be formed from steel, aluminum and ultra violet light resistant polyvinyl chloride. Despite the fragile nature of the aforementioned siding materials, attachment studs with widths that typically range from between 1¼-inch to 2-inches provide a very small ‘target’ to match and align the butt ends of the panels formed from the siding materials. With thicker, less brittle panels, such as cedar siding, a nail or screw can be installed at an angle into the stud, minimizing the problems created by the narrow stud; however, this cannot be done consistently with thinner and brittle panels. When securing to steel studs, the screw cannot be installed at an angle. The screw must be installed perpendicular to the stud to effectively penetrate the steel stud. A screw installed at an angle will not cut or pierce the steel to penetrate the section of steel. Also, if a stud is out of alignment or the panel has been mis-cut, there is insufficient bearing for the two panels to be secured to a single stud. The problem is compounded by the thin nature of the panel and the need for the head of the fastener to be flush with the surface of the panel, which requires the use of a countersunk head screw, typically with ‘burrs’ or ‘wings’ under the head to bore into the relatively hard and brittle panel to sink the head flush with the panel surface. The boring weakens the panel at a critical point since the butt edge attachment is very close to the edge.
The problems associated with the thin and brittle nature of certain panels are compounded when attached to a series of studs in a frame that are not planer. When a stud is not planer to panel, there is additional stress as two adjoining panel members are forced into alignment, which creates stress at both panel edges of the adjoined panels. Furthermore, even if a stud is planer to the outer face, the face of the stud can be damaged creating a point of attachment that is out of plane. By loading the end of the panel and drawing the panel out of plane, the panel will, over time, likely crack due to the loads created by pushing or pulling the panel to the misaligned stud. If the butt end of the panel is supported by the stud by only a fraction of an inch (a common occurrence) the nail or screw must be installed at an angle, creating further stress on the panel and resulting in cracking. Where wood studs are used, fasteners may be installed at angles to compensate for misalignment. However, for studs that are steel or made of composite materials, fasteners must enter perpendicular to the point of attachment to allow the fastener to drill or penetrate the substrate material.
Finally, to accommodate for material expansion, panel manufacturers often require gapping of the panels of approximately ⅛-inch or moderate contact of the edges. The expansion gap between panels further reduces the area on a panel for attachment to a stud, which creates greater problems achieving an adequate surface for attachment. For a perfect ‘marriage’ of the butt ends, the panel ends must be cut perfectly at a ninety degree angle in the field, which is not always achieved creating a gap between the two panel edges, again reducing the target area of attachment. The reduced area available for attachment requires screw head sizes that must be smaller to minimize the area of ‘boring’ into the panel surface to set the screw flush. Since the screw must be a minimum distance offset from the panel edge, the size of the screw head must remain small. Typical screw head sizes are 0.330 to 0.400-inches.
Thus, there exists a need for a joiner plate or clip that assists in installing and securing panels to a frame and is designed to address framing that is not planar, and for securing fragile panels that can be fractured during installation.
A joiner clip for securing panels to a substrate is provided that includes a planar sheet of material that has a bottom portion terminating in outer edges. A pair of legs extends downward from the outer edges and terminating in a retaining shelf clip adapted to support a bottom edge of an inserted panel. Mounting holes form countersunk indents in the planar sheet that offsets the joiner clip from the substrate. A construction unit is also provided has such a joiner clip secured to a vertical stud substrate. At least inserted panel is supported in the retaining shelf clip of a first leg of the clip. A joint is readily formed between two inserted panels. Fasteners through an inserted panel secure the same to the clip and substrate. An additional siding strip is readily secured to the substrate below the pair of legs.
The present invention has utility as a joiner clip to form a construction unit that assists in installing and securing panels to a frame and is designed to address framing that is not planar, as well address issues related to securing fragile panels that can be fractured during installation. As used herein, the terms “joiner plate” and “joiner clip” are used synonymously. Embodiments of the inventive joiner plate or clip increase speed in panel or siding installation by minimizing re-cutting due to variations in studs and provides for a bearing surface to receive sealant beads to enhance bonding of the cladding panels and to direct waterflow at the panel joints to the outer face of the cladding. In certain embodiments, an extended lip at the bottom of the joiner plate eliminates the need for a flashing membrane or flat metal plate behind a panel edge joint to direct any incidental water that enters the joint to a building exterior. Embodiments of the inventive joiner plate may be used for substrates such as wood, metal, alloy, and steel studs.
It is to be understood that in instances where a range of values are provided that the range is intended to encompass not only the end point values of the range but also intermediate values of the range as explicitly being included within the range and varying by the last significant figure of the range. By way of example, a recited range of from 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.
Embodiments of the on-stud attachment joiner plate or clip provide for even support of panels with a broad attachment base. Embodiments of the on stud attachment joiner plate or clip are an improvement over existing off-stud joiners that slip on a panel below and only provide approximate 2 to 2½-inch bearing surface for attachment of a panel. The broad attachment base allows for a reduction in the number of joiner plates or hangers for a given length of panel, thereby requiring less labor and installation time. The broad attachment base provided by embodiments of the inventive joiner, in contrast to the thinner attachment surface of a traditional stud, allows for an increased screw head size (versus traditional sizes in the range of 0.330 to 0.400-inches). A pancake head screw with a head diameter of 0.450 to 0.700-inch can be used without the requirement to bore the panel surface to create a flush installation. The larger screw head creates greater holding power (rupture over the panel) and a greater wind load resistance with a single fastener. The reduction in the number of screw fasteners contributes to less potential damage to the panel, and saves time and labor with less fastening. The joint between the joiner plate and panel is fully supported to eliminate stress and cracking at the panel connection point, while also providing adequate securement to meet any wind load requirements.
The inventive joiner plate acting as an attachment or bearing plate for panels can be attached to a stud with one or two screws, depending on the size of the panels and the wind load requirements for the project. From an aesthetic point of view, the larger area of attachment also allows the installer to create an even pattern of joiner plate attachments instead of forcing fasteners in at the corners that are not pleasing.
Furthermore, the broad attachment area of the inventive joiner plate allows for screws or other fasteners to always be installed perpendicular to the joiner plate steel. The screw will enter the joiner plate without skidding, and will create maximum holding power while not stressing the panel. Attachment at extreme edges of the panel that weakens the panel with traditional studs is eliminated with the inventive joiner.
The joiner plate provides a bottom-supported connection with tabs for panels that aligns the panel both horizontally and vertically. The panel is properly aligned, vertically, by the support tabs at the bottom of the joiner plate and a ‘drip lip’ alignment tab that rests on the top of the panel below. The drip lip aligns the panel and acts as a drip over the panel below. The drip lip also secures the top of the panel providing additional wind resistance. The tabs perfectly align the panels and assist to hold the panel in place prior to attachment of the panel to the plate. The somewhat flexible tabs will, once the screw penetrates the steel of the plate, draw the panel to the plate and the joiner plate to the panel. This assists in reducing stress when a stud is out of alignment and creates a larger bearing surface at the back of the panel to create greater support.
The flat face of the joiner plate creates an excellent surface to mate the two panel edges. The outer edges and surfaces of the joined panels will always be in plane, eliminating shadow lines, voids, and out of plane edges. The joining plate can be formed in various sizes to address any size lap panel with any predetermined overlap. The joining plate can also be used in flat panel siding to create a bearing surface at the transition of four separate panel corners. Embodiments of the joining plate can also be modified at panel siding to accommodate reveals and gapped panels. The joining plate can be pre-colored to match pre-painted siding, or can be formed from paint grip or bonderized metal that will easily take paint. The gauge or thickness of joiner plate can be reduced by adding stiffening ribs running perpendicular with the studs.
Embodiments of the joiner plate can adjust to accommodate minor planar stud deviations in the frame support with ‘control drive’ fins formed on the back of the planar portion of the joiner plate, which allow an installer to set the depth of the on-stud attachment joiner plate to maintain a planar condition at the finished side of the attached panels or siding. The back fins at point of attachment to the stud allow for a controlled drive. The joining plate can be offset to compensate for a stud that is out of plane. This coupled with the flexible control drive fins of the plate provide substantial compensation for a stud out of plane. The correction of minor stud deviations reduces load protection and therefore stress on attached panels such as cement panels. The joiner plate does not need to be perfectly aligned on the stud, since the large bearing surface creates room for adjustment. Attachment of the joiner plate is low enough to avoid interference with the upper panel. Furthermore, embodiments of the joiner plate are thin enough to ‘move’ to create a snug connection with panels including fiber cement, yet strong enough to transfer the load through the fastener to the steel or wood stud, thereby creating an immediate correction. The use of pancake head screws to secure embodiments of the joiner plate improves attachment with a larger bearing surface since the screws can be placed lower on the joiner plate and away from edges of the plate. The pre-alignment options of embodiments of the joiner plate speed installation of the attached panels or siding.
Embodiments of the inventive joiner plate may also have provisions for joint flashing, providing weather proofing of the joint. In an embodiment, the joiner plate or clip acts as waterproofing flashing at joints of panels formed from a fabric flashing or a flat metal plate. In some embodiments, sealant channels create additional weather proofing and additional securement at the panel or siding attachment interface when the sealant is also an adhesive. The sealant channels can be arranged to be at the points of attachment, which will seal the fastener opening. The sealant channels in the joiner plate create a sealing line, keeping any water that enters the butt joint of a secured panel from traveling to a lower panel top edge or to a weather resistive barrier. Sealant may be pre-applied as a sealant strip with release paper to protect the bonding surface to speed installation. The back of the joining plate can be thermally broken to minimize thermal transfer through the plate. The sealant may also be used as an adhesive to eliminate nails or screws. Since the cladding or siding has been locked into the tabs providing alignment or support the cladding or siding can be adhered to the joiner plate creating a larger, more effective form of attachment without point loading.
Embodiments of the joiner plates or clips may also be installed at each stud, providing support for the cladding or siding from below and again at the top, securing the top edge with the drip lip. No fasteners are required through the cladding or siding at any point. The cladding or siding is secured by support of the tabs below, compression of the flashing tab and the sealant applied in the sealant channels as a sealant bead.
With reference to the attached figures, an inventive joiner plate or clip is depicted generally at 10 in
Continuing with
An inventive fiber cement (FC) fiber cement joiner plate or clip is depicted generally at 60 in
As shown in
Continuing with
Any patents or publications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof.
This application claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. 61/670,863 filed Jul. 12, 2012; and of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. 61/758,976 filed Jan. 31, 2013; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140013696 A1 | Jan 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61670863 | Jul 2012 | US | |
| 61758976 | Jan 2013 | US |
