Patent Application
20210214960
None.
The present disclosure relates to a non-penetrating anchor and associated guying system for temporary structures on flat roofs whereby the common practice of using heavy objects as ballast is improved by non-penetrating anchors used to secure guy wires/ropes attached to the structure.
Military, Emergency and Commercial agencies use transportable masts to set up tactical/temporary line of sight communications, due to the increased line of sight range and reduced signal path obstructions obtained by elevating their radio antennas above ground level. These temporary communications users often have opportunities to obtain the line of sight range and unobstructed signal path they need simply by setting up their equipment on flat roofs, especially in an urban or suburban scenario. In these situations, a simple antenna support tripod may be used, thus avoiding the inconvenience and time associated with deploying a transportable mast.
Under windy conditions, it is generally necessary to secure and stabilize such temporary support structures to prevent equipment damage and to provide adequate antenna or sensor pointing accuracy for assured service reliability. Typical military specifications for tactical communications equipment call for reliable operation at a wind speed of 60 mph, with a survival wind speed of 80 mph (equivalent to category 1 hurricane conditions).
Communications crews frequently use sandbags to stabilize tripods as a “field expedient” measure, placing three or four bags on each foot. Twelve filled sandbags weigh about 600 pounds, requiring significant effort in a roof top scenario since all equipment needs to be transported up to roof level. In addition, sandbags are time consuming to fill. Unfortunately, sandbags placed on tripod feet are mechanically inefficient, are unable to prevent sway and twist of the antenna payload under windy conditions, and, unless used in much larger quantities, do not prevent tripod tip-over in the strong wind speeds frequently specified for military equipment.
Guy wires or guy ropes are commonly used to secure and stabilize antenna support structures because they offer a lightweight, effective solution. For temporary roof-mounted communications tripods, guy ropes may be attached directly to the payload support structure at the top of the tripod. This geometry is far more efficient than using ballast at the foot of the structure, since guy rope loads act at the point of maximum mechanical advantage. Of course, guy ropes require secure anchoring opposite the antenna support structure. This requirement has been a challenge to modern systems, and contemporary solutions have significant limitations. For example, contemporary solutions for anchoring guy ropes are, at best, either destructive to the structure, or highly inefficient in requiring heavy loads on the structure's roof that provide both an anchoring option and sufficient weight to stabilize the antenna support structure throughout the range of conditions.
Non-penetrating roof anchors are commercially available from a wide range of suppliers. These anchors are specifically intended for fall prevention and/or fall arrest for those engaged in activities requiring access to roofs. They are not designed or intended for anchoring guy wires or guy ropes, nor are they suited to such applications. Some of these anchors, working on the principle of counter-weight to prevent or mitigate personnel accidents, are heavy (typical assembled weight around 700 pounds), bulky, and time-consuming to assemble. They are expensive—often more than $3,000. Compounding the problem, a minimum of three such anchors would be necessary to provide three-dimensional stability of an antenna support tripod subjected to strong winds.
Other temporary, non-penetrating anchors are specifically designed for use on a sloping roof, and rely for secure operation on their ability to grip securely onto the roof eaves. Clearly, these anchors are unsuited to flat roofs or parapets, where there are no projecting eaves on which to grip.
Temporary non-penetrating parapet anchors are also widely available. These types of anchors are used to support equipment and personnel, such as window cleaners, suspended outside buildings below roof level. Many of these systems are limited to supporting loads below the roof, and are not designed to support structures protruding upward from the rooftop, particularly where high wind is an issue. And while some types of parapet anchors are suitable for use with guy ropes and guy wires, they cannot be used on roofs where there is no parapet. As a result, parapet anchors cannot confidently be relied upon for use with military, emergency or other temporary communications systems where conditions at the deployment site are unknown beforehand.
What is now needed is a cost-effective, lightweight, robust, rapidly deployable non-penetrating anchor designed for use with a heavily loaded guy wire or guy rope on a flat roof, whether a parapet is present or not. Such an anchor would fulfill the need to support and stabilize temporary communications and similar equipment on a flat roof under the very strong wind conditions required by the military and others for worldwide use.
Described herein are embodiments of an L-shaped bracket anchor which fits over the outer edge of a flat roof or parapet, and which is used in combination with an easily adjustable guy wire or guy rope leading to the top of a support structure, such as a mast, tripod, or other vertical structure extending upward. The support structure may be, for example, a temporary antenna, portable communications array, tower, among other possible structures. Embodiments of the bracket may include provisions to attach ballast to counter-balance guy rope forces. Some embodiments of the L-shaped bracket may be approximately crescent shaped to provide a high strength to weight ratio, while conferring other significant benefits. Embodiments of the bracket may feature high friction surfaces and/or provision to rapidly attach counterweights.
Some embodiments of a non-penetrating roof bracket anchor include a first arm having a first distal end with a first connection hole configured for connection to a guy, and a first proximal end terminating at an internal bend; and a second arm having a second distal end and a second proximal end terminating at the internal bend opposite the first arm. The internal bend may be configured to abut an outer edge of one of a roof and a parapet, such that the first arm extends horizontally inward from the outer edge, and the second arm extends vertically downward from the outer edge. The first arm may connect to a guy, such as a rope or tether, and used to provide stability to a structure on the roof connected to the guy. Multiple non-penetrating roof bracket anchors may be combined to stabilize and secure the structure. For example, a non-penetrating roof bracket may be positioned along each edge of the rooftop.
In some embodiments, the first arm may have a first tab bent in a direction opposite of the internal bend and including the first connection hole. In some embodiments, the non-penetrating roof bracket anchor may have an arcuate profile, forming a crescent shaped anchor. The profile may resemble an archery bow under tension, for example. In some embodiments, the first arm and the second arm curve outward from the internal bend, and the internal bend curves inward. Any embodiments may include a high friction coating on an interior of at least one of the first arm and the second arm, such as the interior surface area that may or is likely to contact part of the rooftop wall or upper surface. In some embodiments, the second arm distal end may have a second tab having a second connection hole configured for connection to a ballast. The first arm and the second arm may be flat in some embodiments. The arms may be disposed of at an angle of between 85 degrees and 90 degrees relative to each other, joined at the internal bend. It should be appreciated that the lengths of the arms and the internal bend, the width of the arms and the bend, as well as the relative angles and curvature, may be determined for a particular embodiment by the person having an ordinary level of skill.
Some embodiments may take the form of a rooftop anchoring system. The system may comprise a plurality of non-penetrating roof bracket anchors. In some embodiments, non-penetrating roof bracket anchors may be the same. In other embodiments, there may be variations in the non-penetrating roof bracket anchors. Some embodiments may include one guy for each non-penetrating roof bracket anchor. Depending on the embodiment, there may be at least 3 non-penetrating roof bracket anchors. There may be 1 non-penetrating roof bracket anchor for each wall of the building or rooftop. For example, there may be 3, 4, 5, or more non-penetrating roof bracket anchors.
Some embodiments may take the form of a method of securing a structure on a rooftop. The structure may be connected to one end of a guy, and there may be, for example, one for each wall of the rooftop. The other end of the guy may be attached to a non-penetrating roof bracket anchor as described herein. In some embodiments, one or more non-penetrating roof anchors may have a lower arm connected to a ballast over the edge of the roof to provide additional stability.
These and other embodiments should be appreciated from this disclosure, the accompanying drawings, and the claims appended hereto. It should be appreciated that other embodiments may be practiced without departing from the present approach.
The following description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the present approach. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present approach.
As used herein, the phrase “rooftop anchoring system” means a combination of components that, when properly assembled, anchor a rooftop-mounted structure on the roof. A rooftop anchoring system according to the present approach will include a plurality of “non-penetrating roof anchor brackets,” described herein, configured to abut a roof edge or parapet edge and provide an outward force to stabilize and support a rooftop-mounted structure through one or more tethers, such as a guy. The phrase “rooftop-mounted structure” broadly refers to structures that are placed (or intended to be placed) on a rooftop, and protrude upwards from the rooftop. To counter wind effects, a rooftop-mounted structure normally requires an anchoring system to keep the structure in the desired position and supported while on the roof, and often is designed to be a temporary structure. Non-limiting examples of rooftop-mounted structures include vertical antenna arrays, communications equipment, radar and other sensor equipment, tripods that support a payload, and vertical masts that support a payload. A “guy” includes a guy wire, guy line, and a guy rope, and is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a structure. Other terms are used as they would be understood by those having an ordinary level of skill in the art, in view of this disclosure and the accompanying drawings and claims.
Some embodiments of the present approach may take the form of a non-penetrating bracket that may be used in a roof anchoring system for a rooftop-mounted structure. An inverted L-shaped bracket anchor may be placed over the edge of a flat roof or parapet such that its internal bend abuts the roof edge or parapet edge, with one arm of the bracket horizontal, pointing inwards away from the roof edge, the other arm vertical, pointing downwards. Four such brackets, disposed orthogonally on the four roof edges of a square or rectangular building, may be used to anchor guy ropes attached to the top of a rooftop-mounted structure, such as a tripod. Ideally, the tripod should be located at the geometric center of the building roof to equalize guy rope angles on opposite sides. Of course, it should be understood that the present approach may be used to support a non-centered rooftop-mounted structure.
When a crescent shaped anchor is properly placed over the edge of the roof or parapet, such that the arms are symmetrical with regard to the edge, the attachment tabs 401 assume an attitude of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal. It should be appreciated that the attitude may not be precisely 45 degrees, and may be, for example, 42 degrees, 43 degrees, 44 degrees, or within the range of 42 degrees to 45 degrees, all to the horizontal.
Compared to the L-shaped anchor bracket, the curvilinear shape of the crescent shaped bracket provides significantly better deformation resistance under heavy load, while grip at higher guy rope angles and tensions is also improved. The curve of the bend and the arms provides a change of angle of the extremities of the bracket equivalent to the 90 degree change more obviously present in the L-bracket. In practice, an angle of slightly less than 90 degrees between the flat surfaces, and preferably between about 85 degrees and less than 90 degrees, as discussed above, leads to a bracket which inherently grips the building structure, an important convenience to the operator. The curved internal angle portion of the crescent shaped bracket may be designed to follow the are of a circle having a radius sufficient to provide clearance for typical architectural trim used on many flat roofed buildings. For example, common corner trim may extend from the outer corner by about 3 inches to about 4 inches, but may vary depending on the building style, building use, location or region, and other factors. The person having an ordinary level of skill in the art can select a curved internal angle portion adequate for an intended clearance range, without departing from the present approach.
The embodiment of
In operation, once a guy rope has been attached to a bracket of the present approach, the vertical arm of the bracket applies pressure to the side of the of the building away from the corner, which might otherwise easily crumble under high pressure resulting from a tight 90 degree bend and high wind loading. Also, when the large radius is under pressure in contact with the wall, as the guy force increases (due to increasing wind speed), the pressure increases and the shallow curve of the bracket arm becomes shallower, thus spreading the force out over a larger area of the wall. This is a significantly better chain of events than those that occur with the simple L-bracket, which acts differently as loads increase. With the L-bracket, the initial force is spread out over the entire area of the vertical arm, but, as force increases, the arm bends outwards in an arc, both reducing the contact area, and moving it further and further up the wall towards the corner, until the bracket starts to slip and is no longer effective, or until the wall starts to crumble.
In some embodiments, internal surfaces of the bracket may include a high friction coating to increase friction.
Under high wind conditions, vibration of the guy rope may tend to cause slippage of the bracket. This undesirable effect is mitigated or eliminated when high modulus (low stretch) guy rope is used. An example of a suitable guy rope is the Quickie Rope Tie Down assembly, from Quickie Tie-Down Enterprises, which has a safe working load of 500 pounds, adequate for most applications of the bracket, is convenient to use, and utilizes a ⅜″ low-stretch rope which has proven, under test, to resist bracket slippage under strong wind conditions.
Some embodiments of the present approach may take the form of a non-penetrating rooftop anchor system having a plurality of brackets and guy ropes.
The tripod stabilization effectiveness of the embodiment shown in
It should be appreciated that embodiments of the present approach offer greatly improved holding power for rooftop-mounted structures, with significantly less weight and greater flexibility than contemporary solutions.
The terminology used in the description of embodiments of the present approach is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description and the appended claims, the singular forms “a.” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The present approach encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description.
It will be understood that although the terms “first.” “second.” “third.” “a),” “b).” and “c),” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements of the present approach, and the claims should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element of the present approach from another. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed an element aspect, and similarly, a third without departing from the teachings of the present approach. Thus, the terms “first,” “second,” “third.” “a),” “b),” and “c),” etc. are not intended to necessarily convey a sequence or other hierarchy to the associated elements but are used for identification purposes only. The sequence of operations (or steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the present application and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of a conflict in terminology, the present specification is controlling.
Also, as used herein, “and/or” refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, as well as the lack of combinations when interpreted in the alternative (“or”).
Unless the context indicates otherwise, it is specifically intended that the various features of the present approach described herein can be used in any combination. Moreover, the present approach also contemplates that in some embodiments, any feature or combination of features described with respect to demonstrative embodiments can be excluded or omitted.
As used herein, the transitional phrase “consisting essentially of” (and grammatical variants) is to be interpreted as encompassing the recited materials or steps “and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s)” of the claim. Thus, the term “consisting essentially of” as used herein should not be interpreted as equivalent to “comprising.”
The term “about,” as used herein when referring to a measurable value, such as, for example, an amount or concentration and the like, is meant to encompass variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, ±0.5%, or even ±0.1% of the specified amount. A range provided herein for a measurable value may include any other range and/or individual value therein.
Having thus described certain embodiments of the present approach, it is to be understood that the scope of the appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as hereinafter claimed
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/958,953, filed Jan. 9, 2020, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62958953 | Jan 2020 | US |
