Tile roof structure for supporting a heavy load without damage to the tile

• US 5,746,029 A
• Filed: 11/21/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ullman, Stanley A.
• Original Assignee: Ullman, Stanley A.
• Inventors: Ullman, Stanley A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLO, LAURA ANTOINETTE
• Application Number:
  US08/752,568
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 52/27, 52/553, 52/703, 52/704, 52/706, 52/707, 52/710, 52/715, 52/745.17, 248/237, 403/384, 403/386, 403/388, 403/389
• US Class Current: 52/27
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/12 Devices or arrangements allowing walking on the roof or in the gutter
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/00 Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/71 Rod side to plate or side
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7123 Traversed by connector

Abstract

An apparatus for supporting a heavy load above a tile roof without causing damage to tile members, comprising: an elongated base member adapted to lie upon the surface of the roof underneath a tile member; a lag bolt for securing the the base member to a rafter in the roof; a slidable carriage having a threaded hole therethrough, the carriage slidably engaging the base member; a threaded elongated shaft capable of being inserted through a hole in the tile member and into threaded engagement with the carriage so that the end of the shaft may be caused to engage the base member and thereby fixedly secure the shaft; and a means associated with the shaft for attaching a heavy load.

Claims

1. A method of retrofitting a tile-covered roof structure that includes a plurality of rafters arranged generally in parallel at an angle inclined to the horizontal and a wooden roof plate supported upon the rafters, for supporting a heavy load but without damage to tile members, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a tile member that has a portion thereof elevated above the roof plate, and removing the tile member;

forming an opening in the removed tile member;

selecting a generally Z-shaped metal structure having a lower end portion adapted to extend downward through the roof plate, a mid-portion adapted to rest horizontally upon the roof plate, and an upper end portion adapted to pass vertically upward through the opening in the selected tile member;

positioning the metal structure such that the mid-portion thereof extends horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the rafters and the lower end portion of the metal structure is secured to the roof plate;

placing a slidable carriage upon the horizontal mid-portion of the metal structure;

selecting a threaded shaft to act as the upper end portion of the metal structure;

replacing the removed tile member;

inserting the threaded shaft through the opening in the now replaced tile member and thence downward to engage the carriage;

adjusting the horizontal position of the carriage so as to adjust the horizontal distance between the threaded shaft and the lower end portion of the metal structure; and

providing means on the upper end portion of the metal structure for securing the heavy load such that the metal structure is supported by the roof structure, but not by the replaced tile member.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes the further step of placing sealing means around the upper end portion of the metal structure where the metal structure passes through the opening in the tile member.

3. The method of claim 1 which includes drilling a hole through the roof plate into a selected rafter, selecting a threaded lag bolt to act as the lower end portion of the metal structure, and inserting the lag bolt through the mid-portion of the metal structure and thence downward through the hole in the roof plate and into the selected rafter.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 futher comprising two nuts which contact one another on the shaft so as to provide a means for rotating the elongated shaft and which provide the means to couple the satellite dish supporting structure to the elongated shaft.

4. A tile-covered roof structure for supporting a heavy load without damage to the tile members, comprising:

a plurality of rafters arranged generally in parallel and inclined at an angle to the horizontal;

a roof plate supported upon the rafters;

a tile member having a portion thereof normally elevated above the roof plate;

a generally Z-shaped metal structure having a lower end that extends downward through the roof plate into one of the rafters,

the Z-shaped structure having a mid-portion that extends horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the rafters and rests upon the roof plate;

the Z-shaped structure having an upper end portion that passes vertically upward through an opening in the elevated portion of the tile member; and

securing means on the upper end portion of the metal structure for securing the heavy load such that the heavy load is supported by the roof plate and the rafter, but not by the tile member;

the mid-portion of the metal structure having a channel-shaped member, the channel-shaped member having a bottom wall with a hole therethrough, the hole being offset from the longitudinal center of the bottom wall;

the lower end of the metal structure being comprised of a lag bolt which extends through the hole in the bottom wall of the channel-shaped member;

a carriage slidably supported upon the channel-shaped member for adjusting the lateral position of the carriage with respect to the rafters; and

the upper end portion of the metal structure includes a threaded bolt having a lower end for securing the carriage relative to the channel-shaped member.

5. The roof structure of claim 4 that also includes sealing means surrounding the upper end portion of the metal structure that passes through the opening in the tile member.

6. A roof structure as in claim 4 wherein a pair of nuts are received on the upper extremity of the threaded bolt of the upper end portion, the pair of nuts being capable of engaging one another on the threaded bolt so as to provide a means for rotatably driving the bolt downward upon the mid-portion of the metal structure.

7. A metal structure for placement upon a tile-covered roof underneath a particular tile member so as to support a heavy load above the tile member but without damage to the tile member, comprising:

a generally Z-shaped frame having a mid-portion adapted to extend horizontally upon the roof, a lower end portion adapted to extend downward through the roof into a supporting rafter, and an upper end portion adapted to pass vertically upward through an opening in the tile member;

the mid-portion of the frame having means for securing the lower end portion thereto, and also having separate means for securing the upper end portion thereto, at least one of the securing means being adjustable lengthwise of the mid-portion of the frame so as to vary the horizontal distance between the lower end portion and the upper end portion;

the lower end portion of the frame having means for securing within a rafter against vertical movement either up or down;

the upper end portion of the frame having means on an upper extremity for supporting the load against vertical movement either up or down; and

the securing means for the upper end portion of the frame being slidably adjustable relative to the mid-portion of the frame.

8. A metal structure as in claim 7 wherein the mid-portion of the frame is a channel-shaped member having lateral edges with outwardly extending flanges.

9. A metal structure as in claim 8 wherein the means for securing the upper end portion of the frame to the mid-portion includes a carriage slidably supported upon the channel-shaped member, the carriage having downwardly extending fingers that grip the undersides of the flanges so as to support the load against upward vertical movement.

10. A metal structure as in claim 9 wherein the upper end portion of the metal structure also includes a threaded bolt whose lower end secures the carriage in an adjusted position relative to the channel-shaped member.

11. A metal structure as in claim 10 wherein the means on the upper extremity of the threaded bolt for supporting the load against vertical movement either up or down comprises a pair of nuts.

12. A metal structure as in claim 7 wherein the mid-portion of the frame has a hole therein for securing the lower end portion of the frame, and the means for securing the lower end portion within a rafter includes a lag bolt adapted to extend through the hole and into the rafter for securing the frame against vertical movement either up or down.

13. An apparatus for supporting a heavy load above a tile roof without damage to tile members, comprising:

an elongated base member adapted to lie upon the surface of the roof underneath a tile member and having upper and lower surfaces;

a lag bolt having a head end, and a threaded body;

a hole in the base member providing a first attachment means such that the threaded body of the lag bolt may be inserted therethrough for passing downward into the roof to secure the base member thereon;

a nut supported above the upper surface of the base member and firmly secured against vertical movement relative to the base member, the nut having a threaded hole therein providing a second attachment means;

an elongated shaft having a lower end which is threaded and adapted to be inserted downwardly through an opening in the tile member so as to then engage the threaded hole of the nut;

the elongated shaft being adapted for rotation to tighten the elongated shaft so that the lower end may extend through the nut and bite into the lower surface of the base member, thus firmly supporting the elongated shaft; and

the elongated shaft having an upper end adapted to protrude above the tile member so that the heavy load may be attached to the upper end of the elongated shaft.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13 which includes means for adjusting the horizontal separation of the two attachment means before tightening the elongated shaft.

15. Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the nut rests directly upon the upper surface of the base member, is fixedly attached thereto, and the hole in the base member is elongated for adjusting the position of the base member longitudinally relative to the lag bolt.

16. Apparatus as in claim 13 which further includes track means formed on the base member, and a carriage having interlocking track means;

and wherein the nut is formed as part of the carriage, the carriage is slidable lengthwise of the base member for adjusting the horizontal separation of the two attachment means, and the tightening of the elongated shaft fixes the horizontal separation of the two attachment means.

17. A method for installing an apparatus for supporting a heavy load above a tile covered roof:

a) selecting a elongated base member having a bottom wall;

b) securing the base member to a roof;

c) selecting a carriage having a threaded hole therethrough;

d) coupling the carriage to the base member so that the carriage is retained by the base member and unable to be plucked from the base member but is able to slide at least part of the length of the base member;

e) drilling a hole in a tile;

f) placing the tile on the roof so that the tile covers the roof, the base member, and the carriage;

g) positioning the carriage so that the threaded hole in the carriage is generally coaxially aligned with the hole in the tile;

h) inserting an elongated threaded shaft into threaded engagement with the hole in the carriage;

i) rotating the elongated shaft until the end of the shaft engages the bottom wall of the base member thereby securing the shaft from movement with respect to the base member.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

a) screwing a first threaded nut onto the shaft;

b) screwing a second threaded nut onto the shaft until it contacts the first threaded nut; and

c) turning the second threaded nut so as to rotate the shaft thereby securing the carriage from movement with respect to the base member.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

a) removing the second nut from the shaft;

b) positioning the first nut in a desired position on the shaft above the tile; and

c) coupling a heavy load to the shaft so that the structure is supported by the first nut and does not come in contact with the tile.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the base member is secured to the roof by screwing a lag bolt through a hole in the base member and into a rafter in the roof.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of rotating the shaft causes outwardly extending flanges on the base member to securely engage flanges on the carriage that pass underneath the flanges of the base member, thereby securing the carriage from movement with respect to the base member.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the base member is selected so that when the apparatus for supporting a heavy load comprises more than one base member, each of the base members may be secured to a rafter in the roof using a lag bolt.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of coupling the the carriage to the base member causes the carriage to be fixedly attached to the base member and unable to slide the length of the base member thereby providing a threaded attachment means fixedly coupled to the base member, and wherein the base member further comprises slots in the bottom wall so that the step of positioning the carriage must be performed by adjusting the base member with respect to the roof prior to the step of securing the base member to the roof, and wherein the threaded attachement means must be positioned so that after the tile has been secured to the roof, the hole in the tile will be precisely coaxially aligned with the threaded attachement means.

24. An apparatus for supporting a satellite dish above a tile roof without causing damage to tile members, comprising:

a) a tile member having a hole therethrough;

b) an elongated base member adapted to lie upon the surface of a roof underneath the tile member;

c) a lag bolt for securing the the base member to the roof;

d) a slidable carriage having a threaded hole therethrough, the carriage slidably engaging the base member and being capable of sliding at least part of the length of the base member so as to provide adjustment of the position of the carriage with respect to the hole in the tile member;

e) an elongated shaft capable of being inserted through the hole in the tile member;

f) the elongated shaft being capable of threadingly engaging the carriage so that rotation of the shaft causes the end of the shaft to bite into the surface of the base member so as to fixedly secure the shaft;

g) the elongated shaft having means for coupling to a satellite dish supporting structure;

h) a satellite dish having a supporting structure, the structure being coupled to the elongated shaft by the coupling means so that the dish and the structure are able to be supported away from the tile member to prevent damage to the tile member.