System for mounting building panels allowing bi-axial freedom of movement

• US 5,743,063 A
• Filed: 05/02/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NON Compact Incorporated
• Original Assignee: NON Compact Incorporated
• Inventors: Boozer, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Wynn E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLO, LAURA ANTOINETTE
• Application Number:
  US08/641,973
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 52/508, 52/512, 52/521, 52/537, 52/550, 52/551, 52/506.05, 52/506.06, 52/408, 52/409, 52/410, 52/478, 52/573.1, 52/712, 52/713, 52/749.12 , 52/745.05, 248/298.1
• US Class Current: 52/713
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 7/00 Roofs; Roof construction with regard to insulation structures for roofs as well as for floors E04B5/00; ceilings E04B9/00; greenhouses A01G9/14; large containers having floating covers B65D88/34; roof trusses, truss-like structures, joists E04C3/02; roof coverings E04D
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 3/3608 for double roof covering or overroofing

Abstract

The invention provides a number of embodiments of slidable brackets adapted for mounting building panels, especially roof members mounted to structural members in a manner to permit limited uni-axial or bi-axial movement. A preferred embodiment has a channel shaped base member and a channel shaped slider member. The base member is adapted to be secured to an existing roof or to a building frame component. The slider member is formed to slidingly straddle and slide on the base member. For uni-axial motion, the slider member has a single pair of longitudinal slots formed in each of its sides through which a bolt or the like passes and which also passes through a mating bolt hole in the side of the base member. For bi-axial motion, a pair of slots is formed in an attached beam whose axis extends in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the longitudinal slots in the slider member.

Claims

1. A method for allowing limited movement of a framing member to which a building panel is rigidly connected when said building panel changes dimensionally due thermal changes therein, comprising the steps of:

(a) supplying a first device having a pair of clamps engaged on each side member a U-shaped saddle slider and arranged for allowing limited movement of said framing member with said connected building panel in a selected direction relative to a stationary building component;

(b) fastening a first one of said pair of clamps to said stationary building component;

(c) fastening a second one of said pair of clamps to said stationary building component;

(d) fastening said framing member to said saddle slider in a manner to allow said framing member with said connected building panel to move a limited amount in said selected direction relative to said stationary building component; and

(e) forming said framing member with a slot positioned for loosely receiving a fastener and assembling said fastener to said saddle slider so as to allow movement of said framing member with said connected building panel in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said selected direction.

2. A method for allowing limited movement of a framing member to which a building panel is rigidly connected when said building panel changes dimensionally due to thermal changes therein, comprising the steps of:

(a) supplying a first device having a pair of clamps engaged on each side member of a U-shaped saddle slider and arranged for allowing limited movement of said framing member with said connected building panel in a selected direction relative to a stationary building component;

(b) fastening a first one of said pair of clamps to said stationary building component;

(c) fastening a second one of said pair of clamps to said stationary building component;

(d) fastening said framing member to said saddle slider in a manner to allow said framing member with said connected building panel to move a limited amount in said selected direction relative to said stationary building component;

(e) supplying a second device having a second pair of clamps and a slidingly engaged saddle slider; and

(f) assembling said second device by fastening said second pair of clamps to said first device so that said second device resides in perpendicular relation to said first device and between said first device and said framing member so as to permit bi-axial movement of said assembled framing member and said building panel relative to said stationary building component.

3. A bearing bracket for permitting limited movement of a substantially planar building panel attached to a framing member in a plane substantially parallel to a substantially planar supporting substrate on which said bracket is mounted, said bearing bracket comprising:

(a) a first member having a substantially planar first portion adapted to fixedly assemble to said supporting substrate;

(b) a second member having a substantially planar surface and a pair of spaced apart, mirror image legs each being adapted for slidingly engaging said first member;

(c) a framing member formed with a slot substantially parallel to a long dimension thereof; and

(d) a fastener slidingly passing through said slot in said framing member to fixedly engage said substantially planar surface of said second member so that said framing member and its attached building panel are supported on said bearing bracket and are able to move a limited distance in a plane substantially parallel to said supporting substrate.

4. The bearing bracket of claim 3, wherein said first member comprises a substantially planar second portion which resides between said first portion and said supporting substrate and extends beneath a respective said leg of said second member so as to provide a bearing plate therefor.

5. The bearing bracket as described in claim 3, further comprising a breakable connective link mounted between said first member and said second member of said bearing bracket for temporarily preventing relative movement therebetween.

6. The bearing bracket as described in claim 5, wherein said breakable connective link is mounted so as to position said second member relative to said first member substantially at the mid-point of said limited distance through which said building panel is able to move.

7. A bearing bracket for allowing limited movement of a framing member to which a building panel is rigidly connected when said building panel changes dimensionally due to thermal changes therein, comprising:

(a) a first device having a first pair of clamps slidingly engaged with a first U-shaped saddle slider for allowing limited movement of said first saddle slider relative to a supporting substrate in a first selected direction, said first pair of clamps being fastened to a supporting substrate;

(b) a second device having a second pair of clamps slidingly engaged with a second U-shaped saddle slider for allowing limited movement of said second saddle slider in a second selected direction, said second pair of clamps being fastened to said first saddle slider so that said second selected direction is substantially perpendicular to said first selected direction; and

(c) wherein said framing member is fastened to said second saddle slider so as to permit bi-lateral movement of said assembled framing member and said building panel relative to said supporting substrate.