Metal roofing structure

• US 4,878,331 A
• Filed: 07/28/1987
• Issued: 11/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Metal, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Janet R. Taylor
• Inventors: Taylor, Duane F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murtagh, John E.
• Application Number:
  US07/079,242
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 52/478, 52/521, 52/520, 52/536, 52/537, 52/519, 52/531
• US Class Current: 52/519
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 2003/3615 Separate fastening elements fixed to the roof structure and consisting of parts permitting relative movement to each other, e.g. for thermal expansion
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 3/363 with snap action E04D3/366 takes precedence

Abstract

A roofing structure includes a series of overlapping, interlocking panels, each of which has a small ridge and a large ridge at opposing edges of the panel. The large ridge of each panel overlaps a small ridge on an adjoining panel, but the ridges are sized and spaced from one another to interrupt capillary movement of water between them. Each panel is fastened to a roof board using a noninvasive fastener which fits within a groove in the upper surface of each panel. The fastener can slide relative to the groove to allow expansion and contraction of the panel without buckling or breaking.

Claims

1. In a roofing panel interlockingly joinable with longitudinally adjacent panels of substantially identical type, each panel being a rigid sheet having an upper surface, a lower surface, first and second parallel longitudinal edges, a substantially planar primary panel portion between the edges, a large ridge which extends parallel to and between the first longitudinal edge and the primary panel portion and projects upwardly from the sheet, the ridge including an inclined ascending wall nearest the first longitudinal edge, a top wall substantially parallel to the primary panel portion, and an inclined descending wall, the large ridge defining a downwardly opening channel, and a small ridge which extends along and between the second longitudinal edge and the primary panel portion, projects upwardly from the sheet, and includes an inclined ascending wall nearest the second longitudinal edge, a top wall substantially parallel to the primary panel portion, and an inclined descending wall, the improvement wherein:

the small ridge is sized and configured to be received, without significant play and in a substantially self-aligning manner, within the channel defined by the large ridge of a longitudinally overlapping sheet;

the inclined ascending wall of the small ridge inclines at substantially the same angle as the inclined descending wall of the large ridge;

after installation, the top wall of the small ridge is sufficiently spaced below the top wall of an overlapping large ridge of a longitudinally adjacent panel to provide ventilation and to interrupt movement of water therebetween;

the upper surface of the inclined descending wall of the small ridge defines a horizontally opening channel which opens toward the primary panel portion;

the large ridge has a hook flange that extends, from the bottom of the ascending wall of the large ridge, generally horizontally into the channel defined by the large ridge;

the hook flange and horizontally opening channel are positioned, for the purpose of interlockingly joining a longitudinally adjacent panel, so that when the panels are joined the hook flange fits within the horizontally opening channel of the small ridge of the adjacent panel when the small ridge of the adjacent panel is received within the channel defined by the large ridge of the overlapping first panel and so that the hook flange is elevated above the upper surface of the adjacent panel;

the hook flange engages a portion of the wall which defines the horizontally opening channel of the adjacent panel while the inclined descending wall of the large ridge abuts the inclined ascending wall of the small ridge of the adjacent panel so that the joint between adjacent panels is formed only by interengagement of the panels, without separate fastening devices;

the hook flange and top walls are of sufficient lengths that, when the channel defined by the large ridge receives the small ridge of an adjacent longitudinally underlapping panel, the inclined ascending wall of the large ridge and the inclined descending wall of the small ridge are at least partially spaced apart so as to interrupt upward capillary movement of water and allow ventilation therebetween;

the inclined descending wall of the small ridge extends between the top wall of the small ridge and the horizontally opening channel in such a manner that the upper surface of that descending wall acts as a camming surface to guide the hook flange of an adjacent panel toward the horizontally opening channel during installation; and

an attachment panel portion extends horizontally outwardly between the bottom of the ascending wall of the small ridge and along and between that ascending wall and the second longitudinal edge, the attachment panel portion being the only means by which the panel is attached to underlying roof support boards, attachment being accomplished by fasteners which engage the attachment panel portion and thus are positioned to be concealed when the small ridge is received in the channel defined by the large ridge of an adjacent panel.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein each panel further comprises an upwardly opening channel, in the attachment panel portion, for receiving a fastening means which is inserted in the upwardly opening channel without piercing either the panel or any adjoining panel, the fastening means being substantially concealed beneath a second such panel that has been interlockingly joined longitudinally with the first panel by lapping the channel defined by the large ridge of the second panel over the small ridge of the first panel.

3. A roofing panel interlockingly joinable with longitudinally adjacent panels of substantially identical type, each panel comprising:

a rigid sheet having opposing parallel longitudinal edges, an upper surface, a lower surface, and small and large ridges projecting upwardly from the upper surface, a small ridge adjacent and parallel to one longitudinal edge, and a large ridge extending along and including the opposing longitudinal edge;

the small ridge having an inclined ascending wall adjacent the respective longitudinal edge, an inclined descending wall, a top flat wall between the ascending and descending walls, an inwardly directing wall which extends inwardly from the inclined descending wall, and a downwardly extending wall extending from the inwardly directed wall, the inwardly directed and downwardly extending wall of the ridge forming, in cooperation with the upper surface of the sheet, a horizontally opening channel in the small ridge;

the large ridge having an ascending wall nearest the respective longitudinal edge and inclined at substantially the same angle as the inclined descending wall of the small ridge, a top flat wall higher than the top flat wall of the small ridge to interrupt movement of water between the respective small and large ridges of longitudinally interlocked panels, an inclined ascending wall which inclines at a greater slope than the inclined descending wall of the small ridge, and an inwardly directed hook flange to be received simultaneously against the inwardly directed and downwardly extending walls of the horizontally opening channel in the small ridge of a longitudinally adjacent interlocked panel when the small ridge of the adjacent panel is nested within the channel defined by the large ridge; and

an upwardly opening channel extending parallel to the small ridge in the upper surface of the panel between the inclined ascending wall of the small ridge and the nearest longitudinal edge.

4. In a roof panel assembly having a plurality of substantially identical sheets each having upper and lower surfaces and first and second parallel longitudinal edges, the first longitudinal edge of each sheet overlapping the second longitudinal edge of the adjacent sheet in an interlocking manner, the improvement wherein:

where sheets overlap, the lower surface of the overlapping sheet defining a downwardly opening channel extending along and including the first longitudinal edge, and the underlying sheet having a ridge projecting upwardly from its upward surface parallel to the second longitudinal edge of the underlying sheet, the ridge nesting within the channel without significant play and in a substantially self-aligning manner;

the ridge includes an inclined ascending wall nearest the second longitudinal edge of the underlying sheet, a top wall substantially parallel to the sheet, and an inclined descending wall;

the downwardly opening channel includes an inclined ascending wall nearest the first longitudinal edge of the overlapping sheet, a top wall substantially parallel to the sheet, and an inclined descending wall;

the inclined descending wall of the downwardly opening channel inclines at substantially the same angle as the inclined ascending wall of the ridge and resting on the ascending wall of the ridge;

the inclined ascending wall of the channel has a greater slope than the inclined descending wall of the ridge such that, when the ridge is nested within the channel, the inclined descending wall of the ridge and the inclined ascending wall of the channel become progressively more spaced apart from the bottom upwardly, thereby allowing ventilation and interrupting movement of water between the ridge and channel;

the top wall of the ridge is spaced below the top wall of the channel sufficiently for ventilation and to prevent movement of water therebetween;

the inclined descending wall of the ridge defines a horizontally opening channel;

the edge of the inclined ascending wall of the channel is formed into an inwardly directed continuous hook flange fitting within the horizontally opening channel of the ridge when the ridge is received within an overlapping channel, such that the hook flange is kept elevated above the surface of the adjacent sheet.

5. The improvement of claim 4 further comprising attachment means for fastening the panels to a substrate without requiring perforations in any panel, the attachment means allowing each fastened panel to slide relative to one another and relative to the attachment means during expansion and contraction of the panel.

6. The improvement of claim 5 further comprising an upwardly opening channel defined in the upper surface of each panel.

7. The improvement of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of fasteners each comprised of a plate attachable to the substrate and having a lip means that fits in the channel, thereby allowing the channel to move relative to the lip means of the fastener during expansion and contraction of the panel.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein the upwardly opening channel extends adjacent and parallel to the inclined ascending wall of the ridge, between the inclined ascending wall of the ridge and the adjacent longitudinal edge of the sheet.

9. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the hook flange on the overlapping sheet fits within the horizontally opening channel on the underlying sheet and is sufficiently wide to hold the inclined ascending wall of the channel a distance away from the inclined descending wall of the ridge.