Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a sheet moulding
and in particular a moulding t~at is used to assist in
fastening corrugated fibreglass shee-ting to supporting
objects.
BACKGROUND OF T~E INVENTION
Corrugated fibreglass sheeting is widely used
in the construction business in forming roofs, fences,
patio enclosures and the like. The corrugated design
gives the sheets strength. However, there has been a
continuing and largely unsatisfactorily solved problem
in fastening the corrugated sheeting to supporting
objects sush as joists, trusses, posts and the like.
The conventional, and only partially
satisfactory method, of fastening corrugated plastic
sheeting to its support object is to use cedar or other
suitable wood strip moulding, one longitudinal surface
of the moulding being corrugated to conform with the
corrugations of the plastic sheeting. The corrugated
surface of the cedar strip underlies and coincides with
the corrugated sheeting, the sheeting then being secured
to the support object by driving nails with rubber
~ashers under the heads, through the sheeting, through
the underlying cedar strip moulding and into the support
object.
Since the cedar is under storage for a length
of time it dries out and becomes very brittle. It is
then prone to splitting when the large diameter nails
are driven through the moulding and the fibreglass.
Once the nails are driven through the fibreglass and the
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moulding, and the moulding splits, there is no way to
replace the split moulding except by removing the
overlying fibreglass sheet. Further, the fibreglass
sheet is usually ruined when the securing nails are
pulled out. As a consequence, any split moulding is not
manually replaced.
This construction system, however, presents a
number of problems. Drilling holes in the moulding to
accomodate the nails and reduce splitting may be done
but this is expensive. The cedar moulding also shrinks
and warps with time. Furthermore, cedar strip moulding
is not consistent in size. The dimensions of the
corrugations in the moulding are customarily cut with
planing knives which become dull with use. When the
planar knives get dull they must be sharpened. Sharp-
ening the knives necessarily alters their dimensions and
hence the dimensions of the corrugations cut in the
moulding. Inconsistent corrugation dimensions do not
provide a good, uniform and load-bearing fit with the
fibreglass sheeting corrugations which, because moulds
are used, tend to be relatively uniform. The non-
consistent dimensions or the corrugations in the
moulding, can be out of size by as little as one-half
one thousandth of an inch, and yet this slight dis-
crepancy can provide serious construction problems
because, over the length of a normal roof or fence, the
corrugations in the moulding become increasingly out of
step with the corrugations of the sheeting. Thus, in an
effort to achieve good fits, many pieces of moulding,
~hich normally come in eight foot lengths, must be
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discarded. Only those pieces of moulding which have
con~orming dimensions can be used. Discarding certain
moulding sections, and selecting others, is wasteful,
expensive and is time conswning for the men constructing
and fitting the wall or fence.
A further problem with cedar moulding is that
the ends are often split, broken off, or generally
unsuitable for use, thereby contributing to rejection
rates. Moreover, the ends of cedar moulding are
customarily cut at random and the ends of adjoining
moulding pieces must be manually matched at the job
site, which is time consuming. Sawing the ends of cedar
noulding to square them, as is done in the trade, also
presents a problem because the cut made by the saw has a
certain width and thus two pieces with sawn ends may fit
too closely together such that the distance between the
peaks of the adjacent corrugations does not match
corresponding distances between the peaks of other
corrugations.
Finally, with cedar corrugated moulding, the
wood hollowed out to make the corrugations is usually
discarded as sawdust, which is wasteful. This is an
increasingly serious problem as wood becomes scarce and
increases in price over the years.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have inv~nted a specific construction of
corrugated reinforcing moulding strip that is not
subject to the problems and shortcomings described
above. The strip is formed from a suitable plastic
3C material by injection moulding. 'Fhe strips are
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relatively short in length, are hollowed out to reduce
plastic content, and thus cost, have corrugations that
are dimensionally accurate within small tolerances, can
be hooked together in series to make up long lengths of
moulding, and have holes formed in the moulding to
receive the securing nails, and thereby minimizes
splitting.
The moulding sections are normally formed in
13 in. lengths ~two abutting sections measure 26 ins.,
which is the customary width of fibreglass sheeting) and
have a pair of pin projections formed in one end and
matching pin receiving holes in the opposite end. Thus
a number of sections can be connected end to end in
series by fitting the pin projections at the end of one
section into the holes at the end o thP adjoining
section. The pins and corresponding holes are
dimensioned to fit together tightly enough that a number
of sections can be linked together to form eight or ten
foot strips which are light and can be carried in
bundles by a workman up onto the roof of a building, or
to wherever the construction site is located.
Notwithstanding the snug fit between pins and holes, the
sections can still be readily disconnected by h~nd.
~ t least two holes for accomodating the
moulding securing nails are formed in each moulded
section. Splitting of the moulding is therefore
virtually eliminated. Furthermore, the pre-moulded
sections do not shrink or warp with time and when
connected together in series provide a long,
dimensionally stable moulding that snugly fits with the
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corrugation in a corrugated fibreglass sheet. ~le
moulding securing nail receiving holes are formed in the
sections at a location off-set from the bottom point of
the valley of the corrugations. This facilitates
hammering the securing nails, which are of small
diameter, through the moulding into the underlying
support, for example, a joist. If the holes were
located at the bottom point of the valley, there would
be substantial danger that the hammer would strike the
moulding on each side of the valley before the nails
were driven completely into place thereby damaging the
moulding. Having the nails off-set substantially
Ieduces this danger.
Once the moulding has been secured in place on
the support structure, the overlying fibreglass sheeting
is put in place and fastened to the moulding and the
support structure by driving relatively large diameter
fibreglass sheet securing nails at periodic crests of
corrugations in the fibreglass sheeting.
The pre-moulded sections have the additional
advantage that they can be packed tightly together by
nesting the sections with one another for crating in
boxes of about two feet in length. With cedar strips,
boxes and crates of about eight feet in length are
necessary. On an equivalent basis, the sections, and a
strip constructed of a linked series of sections of the
invention are lighter in weight than the wooden
counterparts and may b~ shipped more economically.
Finally, the pre-moulded sections can be
manufactured in various colours so that they can be
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colour matched with the colour of the fibreglass
sheeting. Cedar moulding must be painted in order to
colour match with the colour of the fibreglass
sheeting.
The invention consists of a pre-fabricated
section suitable for use in supporting corrugated
sheeting comprising:
(a) a hollow, open-bottom, elongated body
section; the body section having a
corrugated top wall and two generally
planar side walls;
(b) one or more nail receiving openings
penetrating the interior of the corrugatd
top wall;
(c) a tongue located at and projecting from
one end of the body section, the tongue
having at least one pin projecting
from the surface of the tongue that
corresponds with the corrugated surface
of the body section; and
(d) at least one opening in the corrugated
surface corresponding in size and
respective location with the pin located
on the tongue at the opposite end,
located at the end of the body section
opposite the tongue.
The section of the invention wherein the end
o~ the body section having at least one opening for the
pin is open to receive within the body section, in end
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to end relation the tongue of a body section constructed
similar to that claimed in the invention.
The section of the invention wherein at least
two pins are located on the tongue at one end of the
body section and a corresponding number of pin receiving
holes are located in the corrugated surface at the end
of the body section opposite the two pinsO
The section of the invention wherein the nail
receiving openings are located in one or more of the
sloping surfaces of the corrugated top wall between the
apex and valley of the corrugations.
_RAWI~GS
In the drawings:
FIGURE 1 illustrates a perspective view of a
moulding section,
FIGURE 2 illustrates a side elevation view of
two moulding sections linked together;
FIGURE ~a illustrates a top elevation view of
two moulding sections linked together;
FIGU Æ ~b illustrates a bottom elevation view
of two moulded sections linked together
FIGURE 3 illustrates a perspective view of the
underside o~ a moulding section;
~IGURE 4, which is found on the first page of
the drawings, illustrates a side elevation view of a
portion of a moulding section, an underlying support
object and an overlying sheet secured to the support
object by nails and rubber washers; and
FIGURE 5, which is ~ound on the first page of
3~ the drawings, illustrates a side elevation view of two
moulding sections fitted together for packing and
shipping.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
With reference to FIGURE 1, which illustrates
a perspective view of an elongated moulding section 1,
the section 1 is formed by injection moulding with a
corrugated top surface 2, dimensioned to fit closely
with the corrugation dimensions of commercial corrugated
fibreglass sheet, generally planar sides 3, pre-formed
nail holes 4, a tongue 5 protruding from one end of the
section with a pair of laterally aligned upwardly
projecting pins G located on the top surface of the
tongue 5, and a corresponding pair of pin receiving
holes / located at the opposite end.
FIG~RES 2, 2a and 2b illustrate how two
sections 1 can be snugly and securely linked together in
end to end relation by means of pins 6 of one section
and pin receiving holes 7 of the next section. The end
of section 1 having the holes 7 is open so that it can
receive internally tongue 5 and pin pairs 6, pin pairs 6
fitting into the corresponding pair of holes 7 on the
end of adjoining section 1.
FIGURE 3 illustrates in bottom perspective
view the underside of section 1. The underside is
hollowed out to leave two relatively thin walls 3. The
end of the section 1 with the pair of pin recPiving
holes 7 is open while the tonguP 5 at the opposite end
is filled to support thP pair of pins 6.
FIGURE 4 illustrates in side elevation view
the manner in which a section 1 is used to support
corrugated sheet 8, in combination with support
object 9. Section 1 is first secured to the underlying
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load bearing support object 9 by means of securing
nails 10 at two locations determined by nail holes 4.
Sheet 8 is then fastened over the section 1 by fibre-
glass securing nail 11 which has a head underlying
sealing washer 12. Washer 12 provides a seal to prevent
water seeping between hole 4 and nail 11.
FIGURE 5 illustrates how two, or more,
sections 1 can be fitted snugly together for packing
into crates for shipping purposes. One section 1 is
inverted so that its corrugated surface fits against the
corresponding ~orrugated surface of another section 1.
Similar inverted pairs can be stacked up on top of one
another, and adjacent one another, for packing into
shipping cartons.
The foregoing is a description of only one
embodiment of this invention and it is understood that
the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto
but is to be evaluated according to the substance and
spirit of the invention and the claims which follow this
di~clos~re.
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