ROOF CLAMP

• US 20120304556A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/173.1
• 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; and

(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.

2. The roof clamp of claim 1, further comprising 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.

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

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

5. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein the saddle defines a saddle bore and the wedge defines a wedge bore through the saddle and the wedge are axially aligned when the wedge is engaged with at least one camming surface on the saddle.

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

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

8. 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.

9. The roof clamp of claim 1, further comprising a solar panel affixed to the saddle via the single shaft.

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

11. The roof clamp of claim 1, wherein when the roof clamp is assembled, a 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.

12. 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;

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

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

13. The roof clamp of claim 12, further comprising 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.

14. The roof clamp of claim 13, wherein the retainer is a spring.

15. The roof clamp of claim 12, wherein the sidewalls each include a roof seam-access slot with a roof seam-abutment surface on an opposite side of the access slot from the camming surfaces.

16. The roof clamp of claim 12, wherein the securing member is an elongated shaft which is prevented from rotation relative to the wedge.

17. The roof clamp of claim 12, wherein the wedge includes at least one surface that mates with the camming surface and the wedge laterally extends outboard past the sidewalls, further comprising a spring contacting against the wedge and the saddle.

18. The roof clamp of claim 12, wherein the securing member is a bolt that is at least partially-threaded at a distal end and has longitudinally parallel splines adjacent a proximal end, further comprising a nut pulling the proximal end of the bolt and the wedge toward the top wall of the saddle.

19. The roof clamp of claim 12, further comprising a solar panel module affixed to the saddle via the securing member.

20. The roof clamp of claim 12, further comprising a snow guard affixed to the saddle via the securing member.

21. 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 the upper surface to the lower surface in a spaced-apart manner; and

(iv) a camming surface defined by an intersection of the solid sidewalls and the bottom;

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

(c) a roof seam-engaging wedge; and

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

22. The roof clamp of claim 21, wherein the two sidewalls are free from any bores.

23. The roof clamp of claim 21, wherein the clip is located between an interior of the upper surface of the bifurcated clamp body and a top surface of the wedge.

24. The roof clamp of claim 23, wherein the clip non-threadedly engages the securing member.

25. The roof clamp of claim 21, wherein the bifurcated clamp body bore and the wedge are axially aligned when the wedge is engaged with the camming surface.

26. The roof clamp of claim 21, wherein the securing member is a non-threaded shaft that defines at least one of an annular groove or a non-annular groove.

27. The roof clamp of claim 21, further comprising a solar panel affixed to the bifurcated clamp body.

28. The roof clamp of claim 21, further comprising a snow guard affixed to the bifurcated clamp body.

29. The roof clamp of claim 21, wherein when the roof clamp is assembled a region of the securing member 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.

30. A method of securing a roof clamp to a roof, the method comprising:

(a) actuating a resilient member to place a roof clamp, including a wedge and a saddle, into a first condition;

(b) placing the roof clamp over a seam of a roof when in the first condition; and

(c) trapping the seam between the wedge and the saddle by placing the resilient member in a second condition where the wedge is moved along a camming surface defined by the saddle;

one of the conditions being unclamped and the other being clamped.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the resilient member comprises a spring.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the resilient member is a leaf spring.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein when the wedge is retracted to trap the seam between the wedge and the saddle, a portion of the securing member extends beyond a top of the saddle.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the securing member comprises a bolt having a distal end defining a head and a proximal end.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising securing the head to the wedge such that when the wedge is retracted to trap the seam, the proximal end of the bolt extends beyond a top of the saddle to provide an attachment point for the component.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the first position is the unclamped position where the wedge is biased away from the saddle, and the second position is the clamped condition where the wedge is biased toward the saddle when the resilient member is released.