Roof clamp

• US 8,756,870 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A Raymond Et Compagnie
• Original Assignee: A Raymond Et Compagnie
• Inventors: Teller, William, Kilgore, Dorian J., Pipp, Walter B., Evangelista, Elio G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): HIJAZ, OMAR F
• Application Number:
  US13/220,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 52 24- 26, 521/733, 526/98
• US Class Current: 52/24
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/10 Snow traps ; Removing snow from roofs; Snow melters
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/016 Filling or spacing means; Elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/30 using elongate rigid mounting elements extending substantially along the supporting surface, e.g. for covering buildings with solar heat collectors extending in directions away from the supporting surface F24S25/10; peripheral frames for modules F24S25/20
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/615 for fixing to protruding parts of buildings, e.g. to corrugations or to standing seams
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking

Abstract

Roof clamps and methods of securing roof clamps are provided. The roof clamps include a saddle, a wedge, and a securing member. The securing member facilitates engaging a seam of a roof with the clamp and removably fixing the roof clamp to the seam through the camming action of the wedge against a region of the saddle. The securing member also serves as the connection point for an auxiliary item, such as a solar panel or a snow guard. The placement of the securing member allows the roof clamp to be secured from, and the auxiliary item to be attached at, a top surface of the saddle.

Claims

1. A roof clamp for attaching a component to a

roof seam of a building, the roof clamp comprising:

(a) a saddle;

(b) a roof seam-engaging wedge;

(c) a substantially vertically accessible slot adapted to engage a roof seam, the slot being at least partially defined between a surface of the saddle and the wedge;

(d) a single shaft operable to move the wedge into a roof seam-engaging position and being adapted to allow securement of the component to the roof seam, the single shaft being elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the substantially vertically accessible slot and the single shaft also being adapted to secure the component to the saddle; and

(e) a retainer disposed between an interior surface of the saddle and the wedge to hold the wedge to the saddle at least prior to roof seam engagement.

2. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the retainer is a spring.

3. The roof clamp of claim 1, further comprising sidewalls each including the roof seam-access slot with a roof seam-abutment surface on an opposite side of the access slot from a camming surface formed on the sidewalls.

4. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the saddle defines a saddle bore and the wedge includes a wedge bore, the wedge is engaged with at least one camming surface on the saddle, and a spring pushes the saddle away from a top wall of the saddle.

5. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the single shaft is a bolt that is at least partially-threaded.

6. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the single shaft is a longitudinally elongated shaft with a laterally enlarged head contacting the wedge which is prevented from rotation by the wedge.

7. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the single shaft is a non-threaded shaft that includes a peripheral groove between a head and a distal end, the head being adjacent the wedge.

8. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the component includes an elongated rail affixed to the saddle via the single shaft.

9. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a snow guard affixed to the saddle via the single shaft.

10. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein when the roof clamp is assembled, a threaded region of the single shaft extends beyond a top wall of the saddle to secure the roof clamp to the seam and to also secure the component to the roof clamp, and the component is further attached to at least a second roof clamp.

11. A roof clamp comprising:

(a) a saddle comprising a top wall including a saddle bore, spaced apart sidewalls projecting from the top wall, and camming surfaces located at the sidewalls, the sidewalls being made from a sheet of material, the saddle including roof seam-access slots aligned through the sidewalls and a substantially inverted U-shape end view substantially perpendicular to a plane through the slots;

(b) a roof seam-engaging wedge riding along the camming surfaces in at least one operating condition;

(c) a securing member located through the saddle bore and moving the wedge between a roof seam-engaging position and an open position; and

(d) a retainer disposed between an interior surface of the saddle and the wedge to hold the wedge to the saddle at least prior to roof seam engagement.

12. The roof clamp of claim 11, wherein the retainer is a spring.

13. The roof clamp of claim 11, wherein the sidewalls each include the roof seam-access slot with a roof seam-abutment surface on an opposite side of the access slot from the camming surfaces, the sidewalls and the top wall of the saddle defining the substantially inverted U-shape end view.

14. The roof clamp of claim 11, wherein the securing member is an elongated shaft which is prevented from rotation relative to the wedge.

15. The roof clamp of claim 11, wherein the wedge includes at least one surface that mates with the camming surfaces and the wedge laterally extends outboard past the sidewalls, further comprising a spring contacting against the wedge and the saddle.

16. The roof clamp of claim 11, wherein the securing member is a bolt that is at least partially-threaded at a distal end extending above the top wall of the saddle and the bolt also has a laterally enlarged section adjacent a proximal end which contacts the wedge, further comprising a nut pulling the proximal end of the bolt and the wedge toward the top wall of the saddle.

17. The roof clamp of claim 11, further comprising an elongated rail affixed to the saddle via the securing member.

18. The roof clamp of claim 11, further comprising a snow guard affixed to the saddle via the securing member.

19. A roof clamp comprising:

(a) a bifurcated clamp body comprising;

(i) a surface having a bifurcated clamp body bore;

(ii) a surface defining a vertical slot;

(iii) two sidewalls spanning from an upper surface to a lower surface in a spaced-apart manner; and

(iv) a camming surface connected to each of the sidewalls;

(b) a spring within the bifurcated clamp body, the spring defining a spring bore;

(c) a roof seam-engaging wedge; and

(d) a bolt to align the bifurcated clamp body bore, the spring bore, and the roof seam-engaging wedge,

the bolt being adapted to both secure at least one of a rail or snow guard to the saddle, and cause the wedge to be secured to a roof seam.

20. The roof clamp of claim 19, wherein the two sidewalls are free from any bores, and a enlarged head of the bolt contacts the wedge.

21. The roof clamp of claim 19, further comprising a clip located between an interior of the upper surface of the bifurcated clamp body and a top surface of the wedge.

22. The roof clamp of claim 21, wherein the clip non-threadedly engages the bolt and retains the wedge to the clamp body at least prior to full installation.

23. The roof clamp of claim 19, wherein the bifurcated clamp body bore and the wedge are axially aligned when the wedge is engaged with the camming surface, and an elongated axis of the bolt is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the upper surface of the clamp body.

24. The roof clamp of claim 19, wherein the bolt includes a non-threaded shaft that defines at least one of an annular groove or a non-annular groove.

25. The roof clamp of claim 19, wherein the rail, which is elongated substantially parallel to the roof seam, is affixed to the bifurcated clamp body by only the bolt.

26. The roof clamp of claim 19, further comprising the snow guard affixed to the bifurcated clamp body.

27. The roof clamp of claim 19, wherein when the roof clamp is assembled, a region of the bolt extends through the bifurcated clamp body bore and beyond the bifurcated clamp body upper surface to thereby secure the roof clamp to the seam and to thereby secure a component to the roof clamp.

28. The roof clamp of claim 19, wherein the spring is a leaf spring with one portion contacting the wedge and another portion contacting the clamp body.

29. A roof clamp comprising:

(a) a sheet metal clamp body comprising a camming surface, a side wall having a slot, an upper wall having a bore, and a clamping surface;

(b) a wedge comprising a camming surface, a bore and a clamping surface, the camming surface of the wedge riding along the camming surface of the clamp body in at least one operating condition;

(c) an elongated member extending through the bore of the body upper wall and through the bore of the wedge;

(d) a resilient member attached to at least two of;

the clamp body, the wedge and the elongated member; and

(e) a standing roof seam located in the slot of the clamp body and being clamped between the clamping surfaces of the wedge and the clamp body by the installer pushing the elongated member relative to the clamp body to allow access of the standing roof seam into the slot and then the installer releasing the elongated member to allow the resilient member to move the wedge into a clamping position.

30. The roof clamp of claim 29, wherein the elongated member is a bolt having a head abutting the wedge and having an opposite threaded end protruding above the upper wall of the clamp body.

31. The roof clamp of claim 30, further comprising a nut and an auxiliary component having a hole through which the bolt extends, the nut removeably securing the auxiliary component to the clamp body and also removeably securing the wedge against the standing roof seam.

32. The roof clamp of claim 29, wherein the resilient member is a metallic leaf spring.

33. The roof clamp of claim 29, wherein the resilient member retains the elongated member and the wedge to the clamp body at least prior to installation on the standing roof seam.

34. The roof clamp of claim 29, further comprising an elongated rail attached to the clamp body.

35. A roof clamp comprising:

(a) a saddle comprising a camming surface, a wall including an opening therein, and a clamping surface;

(b) a wedge comprising a camming surface contacting against the camming surface of the saddle, the wedge being spaced apart from the clamping surface of the saddle;

(c) a resilient member biasing the wedge relative to the saddle; and

(d) an elongated member extending through the wall opening and including an externally accessible end;

the wedge, resilient member and elongated member all being preassembled to the saddle prior to roof-installation; and

pushing of the externally accessible end of the elongated member toward the wall of the saddle overcoming the biasing of the resilient member to open the wedge away from the clamping surface of the saddle.

36. The roof clamp of claim 35, wherein the elongated member is a bolt having an enlarged head contacting the wedge, and the resilient member is a spring.

37. The roof clamp of claim 35, wherein the resilient member connects the wedge to the saddle in the preassembled condition.

38. The roof clamp of claim 35, further comprising an auxiliary component coupled to the saddle via the elongated member and a fastener removeably attached to the elongated member external to the saddle, and the saddle being sheet metal of substantially uniform thickness which includes spaced apart side walls with an access slot disposed in each side wall adjacent the clamping surface of the saddle and an opposed surface of the wedge.