Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a cladding element which it
suitable or use in cladding the roof or walls of a
building. The cladding element has been developed as a
roofing element, and is hereinafter described in such
context, but it is to be understood that tile element may also
be used log cladding the walls ox a building structure.
The cladding element would normally be formed as a
pressed sheet metal element but, depending upon the use and
intended location of its usage, the element may be mounded
from a plastics material or be cast or otherwise mounded in
metal. A plurality of the elements would normally be affixed
to structural support members in overlapped relationship and
thereby cover an area substantially greater than the surface
area of a single element.
The invention also relates to a roof structure when clad
with a number of the cladding elements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional rooting systems employ various cladding
elements, including terra-cotta tiles, concrete tiles,
pressed or roll-formed metal panel, timber tile elements
(shingles), glassfibre reinforced plastic material panels and
various composite material panels. In addition to the dead
weight which is applied to the structural members of a roof
by these cladding elements, a roofing system can be subjected
to further dead loads (imposed, for example, by snow), to
wind loading and to other dynamic loadings imposed by, for
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example, seismic disturbance. These various type of load
cause stressefi to be induced in the ~tLuctural members and/or
in the cladding elements, and the elements may then break
flee prom the structural members. In order to alleviate this
problem, supplementary load bearing support members in the
form of roofing battens and/or timber panels are customarily
affixed to the skeletal structural members of a roof, and the
cladding elements are affixed to the battens.
The cladding element of the present invention has been
developed to provide an intrinsic, omnidirectional load
bearing capability so that it might be affixed directly to
roof rafters, trusses and/or stringers and, thus, so as to
avoid the cost of providing and fixing the conventional
roofing battens. The cladding element may also avoid the
need for some of the customary roof frame bracing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly defined, the cladding element in accordance with
the preset invention comprises a panel portion having
opposed side edges and opposed top and bottom edges extending
I in a lateral direction between the side edges. An inverted
channel-shaped ridge extends along the top edge of the panel
portion and it formed integrally with the panel portion. The
ridge includes an inner wall which forms an upwardly
projecting extension of the panel portion. A plurality of
ribs are formed in the panel portion and extend from the
inner wall of the ridge in a direction toward the bottom edge
of the panel portion. A series of recesses are formed in the
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inner wall ox the ridge, with each recess being in alignment
with one of the rib and defining a cavity into which the
associated rib extends. Also, a downwardly projecting lip is
formed at and extends along the bottom edge of the panel
portion.
The cladding element it intended in use to span and be
secured to at least two structural members of a building.
The ridge portion then performs a bracing function somewhat
analogous to the conventional roofing battens, and the panel
portion, whilst providing a load beating structure, functions
to provide the weather sealing features which are exhibited
by other types of roof cladding.
The cladding element it preferably formed from sheet
material, and most preferably is pressed from sheet metal.
Each element preferably includes at least three ribs and
most preferably has about twelve ribs.
Adjacent (side-by-side) elements are affixed in
overlapping relationship, with one rib of one element being
nested below a rib of an adjacent (overlapping) element.
Similarly, longitudinally arrayed elements are arranged in
overlapping relationship, with the lip at the bottom edge of
one element extending over the ridge of a lower element.
The invention will more fully understood from the
following description of a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the description being given with reference to the
accompanying drawings
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single cladding
element,
Figure 2 shows a sectional elevation view of the cladding
element as viewed in the direction of section plane 2-2 in
Figure 1,
Figure 3 shows a further sectional elevation view of the
cladding element as viewed in the direction of section plane
I in Figure I
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of two (partial)
cladding elements which-are interconnected in side-by-side
overlapping relationship,
Figure 5 shows a side elevation view of two (upper and
lower) cladding elements mounted to a roof rafter, the
elements being connected in end-to-end overlapping
relationship,
Figure 6 shows a plan view of a number of cladding
element mounted to a portion of a roof structure.
Figures PA and 7B respectively show partial and elevation
views of alternative arrangements for capping the upper
margin of cladding elements at the ridge of a roof,
Figure 8 shows a partial end elevation view of an
arrangement for capping a side margin of a cladding element
at the hip of a roof, and
Figure 9 shows a partial end elevation view of an
arrangement for weather sealing a valley in a roof structure.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, the
cladding element 10 complies a rectangular panel portion 11
having side edges 12, a top edge 13 and a bottom edge I An
inverted channel-shaped ridge 15 extends along the top edge
of the panel portion 11 and is formed integrally therewith.
The complete cladding element is pressed from sheet metal
and, whilst shown in Figure 1 as having only three ribs 16
and two gullets 17, the element would normally be sized to
include approximately twelve ribs and eleven gullets. The
element may be made in various size, to suit the Lifter
spacing required by different building codes, but it might
typically be 1.8 metros long, between the side edges 12, and
I meres deep between the top and bottom edges 13 and I of
the panel portion.
The ribs 16 have a width which is approximately equal to
two-thirds ox the spacing between the jibs.
For the purposes of this description, the cladding
element may be considered as having a base plane which
contains the lower surface or wall of the gullets 17. Side
projections 18 and an outward projection 19 of the ridge
channel 15 also lie in the same base plane.
The ribs 16 are formed with side walls 20 which project
upwardly from the base plane (i.e., from the lower wall of
the gullets 17) and the top surface of each rib is disposed
approximately parallel to the gully wall 17. Thus, the
panel portion 11 has a generally corrugated configuration and
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the underside of the panel has a shape which complements the
top surface which is shown in inure 1. The ribs and Gaul
16 and 17, whilst shown to have flat surfaces, may be formed
to provide the panel with a more curvaceous (undulating)
configuration.
The bottom edge 14 of the panel portion 11 is formed with
a downwardly projecting lip 21. The lip 21 extends for the
full width of the element and scallops inwardly at the
terminal end of each of the ribs 16. Also, as is best teen
from Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the lip 21 it inclined
to lie parallel to an inner wall 22 of the ridge channel 15.
The inner wall 22 of the ridge channel projects upwardly
at an obtuse angle to the bate plane or gullets 17 of the
panel, and the inner wall then joins the top Hall 23 of the
ridge which lies parallel to the base plane 17. The ouzel
wall 24 of the ridge channel joins the top wall 23 to the
outwardly projecting flange 19, and the outer wall 24 is
disposed at 90 to the base plane 17 of the panel.
Upwardly extending recesses 25 are formed in the inner
wall 22 of the ridge channel. the respective recesses being
in alignment with the ribs 16. Complementary, but smaller,
projections 26 are formed in the outer wall of the ridge
channel opposite each of the recesses 25.
with the cladding element formed as above described and
allowing for the inherent resilience of the pressed metal
structure, two such elements may be mounted side-by side in
overlapping relationship as shown in Figure 4. Thus, the
ugh hand rib 16 of one element it positioned to overlie the
left hand rib 16 of an adjacent element, and the two elements
are interconnected by driving a self-taeping screw 27 through
the lapped lips 21 of both elements. Also, as indicated in
Figure 5, screws 28 or other suitable fastening devices (such
as clips) are employed Jo connect the outwardly projecting
flange 19 of each channel element to each rafter 29 which it
spanned by the cladding elements.
As is also shown in Figure 5, adjacent (upper and lower)
cladding elements are overlapped in the longitudinal
direction of the rafters 29. Thus, the lip Al of an upper
element is positioned to overlie the ridge 15 of a lower
element, and a self-~apping screw 30 is driven through the
two elements.
With the combined fastening effect provided by screws 27,
By and 30, the cladding elements 10 are positively connected
to one another and to the rafters 29.
Figure 6 of the drawings shows an oblique plan view of a
portion of a roof structure including rafters 29 and a facial
board 31) and, in particular, the Figure shows a complete
cladding element 10, and two partial such elements, spanning
three rafters 29.
When laying the cladding elements, the first row is
positioned above the facial board 31 and the cladding elements
10 of such row are secured to the facial board by fasteners
32. Thereafter, successive rows of the cladding elements are
overlapped in the manner shown in Figure 5 until the ridge of
the roof is reached.
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If the full depth of a cladding element 10 can be
accommodated in the row nearest the ridge of the roof, the
final row of the cladding elements is secured in the manner
indicated in Figure PA. That is, the projecting flange 19 of
each element it secured to the rafters 29 adjacent the ridge
board 33 by fasteners 28. Then, a pressed metal ridge cap 34
is fitted over the ridge board and secured to the upper edges
of the cladding elements.
However, if the distance remaining between the second
last row of cladding elements and the ridge board 33 is
insufficient to accommodate the full depth of a cladding
element, the arrangement shown in Figure 7B it employed In
this case, a batten 35 is secured to the raters 29 and is
positioned to span the rafters in the longitudinal direction
of the Lodge board 33. Then, each cladding element in the
final row of such elements it cut to an appropriate size and
~urned-up along its new) upper marginal edge 36 to form a
weather barrier. The cap 34 is then fitted over the ridge.
A similar arrangement, as shown in Figure 8, is adopted
when cutting a cladding element 10 to locate adjacent a hip
board 37 of a roof structure and, in this case, a batten in
the form of a hip board stringer aye is secured Jo hip
creeper rafters 38. When cut to size, the (new) side edge of
the cladding element is turned up Jo provide a weather
barrier 39, and a hip cap 40 is fitted.
When witting the cladding elements into a valley in a
roof structure, as indicated in Figure 9, the side edges of
the cladding elements are cut as required and a valley
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channel 41 is positioned between the (new) marginal edges of
the cladding elements. The channel is located above the
valley rafter 42 and it affixed to stringers 43 which are let
into the associated valley creeper rafter 29. Also, a strip
44 of an expandable plastics material is laid along the
stringers I to bay access to the underside of the cladding
elements from the valley channel 41.
US
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