Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
6~005-307
3~Z~9~
APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING ROOFING MEMBRANE TO A STRUCTURE
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
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:~ Back round of the Invention
: . This invention relates to an apparatus for attaching
roofing membrane to a structure, and more particularly to
an apparatus that does not require puncturing of the
~: roofing membrane.
There are a wide variety of roofing systems used for
various types of buildings. For larger buildings with
generally flat roof surfaces or domed surfaces, flexible
::~ sheet material, for example, EPDM rubber membrane, is
becoming increasingly popular due to its many well known
~; advantages. This membrane-type roofing is attached to the
~ structure by basically four different systems. The first
: system is an adhered system wherein the entire qurface is
coated with suitable cement and the membrane is then
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stretched across the surface with separate layers of
membrane being overlapped and cemented to form a
watertight barrier. This system is very time consuming
and expensive due to the cost of cement and the labor in
applying the cement. In the partially adhered system
bonding takes place at only special plate areas and at the
overlap between the sheeting material. This system
suffers from many of the same deficiencies as the adhered
system. In a ballast system, membrane is laid on top of
the roof and a layer of small stones is placed across the
roof to hold the membrane to the roof. There are two
separate types of mechanically fastened systems. One
system incorporates battens which are arranged over the
overlapping portions of the sheeting material and then
secured to the roof with a layer of membrane being placed
over the battens and adhered to the batten and the
underlying membrane to form a watertight barrier. A
second type of mechanical fastening system incorporates
anchors which are spaced across the roof and the membrane
is then anchored at specific locations to the roof. Many
of these anchoring systems require penetration of the roof
membrane in the process of anchoring the membrane to the
structure. Thus, an additional sealing component must be
added increasing the time and expense necessary for
attaching the membrane to the roof. Some anchoring
systems have been adapted to eliminate the need for
penetrating the roofing membrane. However, these
anchoring systems are either complicated and require
hardware that must be manufactured at considerable expense
or can be easily damaged when workers are required to walk
across the roof.
Various methods and devices for attaching roofing
membrane to a structure are disclosed by the following
group of patent references. Each reference pertains in
~;~9~6~0
one way or another to attaching roofing membrane to a
surface though some references are believed to be more
relevant to the present invention than others. It is
believed by the applicant that the following references
are illustrative of the many anchoring systems currently
- available.
Patent No. Patentee
4,519,175 Resan
~,543,758 Lane
4,502,256 Hahn
4,520,606 Francovitch
4,455,804 Francovitch
1,609,328 Fed. Rep. of Germany
2,330,901 France
Resan discloses a lubricated roofing membrane fastener
which does not require that the roofing membrane be
penetrated in order to attach it to the structure.
However, Resan does not disclose the precise invention
claimed in this application and suffers from being easily
tripped over or having the cover 35 kicked off when
workers are required to cross the roof.
Lane discloses a rail and cap strip for securing
rubber roof membrane to a deck without fastener
penetrations. Lane appears to be a combination of a
batten system and anchor system. The only relevancy to
the present invention is that no penetration of the
membrane is required.
Hahn discloses an arrangement for securing a flexible
web to a walling means. The invention disclosed in Hahn
does not require penetration of the flexible web and that
is believed to be the extent of the relevancy to the
present invention. Hahn requires a substantial portion of
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the anchoring means to remain above the web material
allowing the anchor to be damaged or tripped over when
workers are required to walk across the roof.
Francovitch '606 discloses a roof membrane and
anchoring system using dual anchor plates. FIGS. 5-9
disclose anchoring mechanisms which do not require the
penetration of the roofing membrane. Also Francovitch
discloses a low profile anchoring system which, to a
certain extent, alleviates some of the problems inherent
with other anchoring systems.
Francovitch '804 discloses a membrane anchor. The
relevancy of '804 is believed to be limited to disclosure
of a plate in FIGS. 1-5 which has the same general outward
shape as the anchoring plate component of the present
invention.
The German patent discloses a wide variety of methods
and apparatus for attaching sheeting material to a
structure such as a tunnel. FIG. 9 illustrates a
three-part device which does not require penetration of
the sheeting material. However, it appears that the
device is inserted in a bore drilled into the surface and
therefore would require substantial time in placing the
device. Additionally, the device disclosed in FIG. 9 does
not incorporate the use of compression cuts in order to
ease the insertion of the cap within the anchor plate.
The French patent illustrates an anchoring mechanism
which uses a cap that is inserted into a hole in the
structure with the cap being compressible to be inserted
into the hole and then expandable to remain secured within
the hole. The French patent requires a large hole to be
drilled or bored in the existing structure, and apparently
in the roofing membrane, so that any failure of the
anchoring mechanism would almost invariably lead to leaks
in the roof of the structure.
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From the foregoing, it is clear that none of the
references cited specifically solves all of the problems
inherent in anchoring mechanisms for ro~fing systems.
Additionally~ none of the cited references either
incorporate or suggest the combination of all of the
elements of the present invention.
....
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Summar~ of the In~ention
The present invention provides an anchoring system
for securing a roof membrane to a structure, the anchoring system
comprising an anchoring plate formed to include a membrane-
receiving chamber, means for fastening the anchoring plate to the
structure, a cap configured to fit in the membrane-receiving
: chamber, the cap including an inner member positioned to trap a
roof membrane disposed in the membrane-receiving chamber between
the anchoring plate and the cap and an outer member, the inner
member being formed to include at least one compression cut
situated to lie in the membrane-receiving chamber of the anchor-
ing plate upon placement of the cap therein and arranged to permit
flexure of the inner member in a radially outward direction, the
cap being formed to include a central aperture extending through
the outer and inner members and having a plug-receiving opening
. in the outer member, and a plug including means positioned in the
central aperture for flexing the inner member in a radially out-
ward direction toward the anchoring plate to establish a locked
connection between the cap and the anchoring plate so that a roof
membrane is retained in the membrane-receiving chamber without
penetrating the roof membrane.
The invention also provides an anchoring system for
securing a roof membrane to a structure, the anchoring system
comprising an anchoring plate formed to include a chamber, means
for fastening the anchoring plate to the structure, a cap having
an inner end positioned in the chamber to engage a roof membrane
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inserted kherein and an outer end, the cap being formed to in-
clude a first interior wall defining a central aperture extending
in an axial direction through the inner and outer ends and having
a first diameter, a second interior wall defining an upwardly
opening cylindrical cavity having a second diameter greater than
the first diameter, and an axially outwardly facing annular lip
extending in a radial direction between the first and second
interior walls, and a plug including a body member configured to
fit in the central aperture and flange means situated in the up-
wardly opening cylindrical cavity for engaging the axially
outwardly facing annular lip to position the body member in close-
fitting engagement with the inner end of the cap to urge the inner
end of the cap in a radially outward direction toward the
anchoring plate so that a roof membrane disposed in the chamber is
trapped therebetween without penetrating the roof membrane.
The invent~ion further provides an anchoring system
for securing a roof membrane to a structure, the anchoring system
comprising an anchoring plate formed to include a cap-receiving
chamber, means for fastening the anchoring plate to the structure,
a cap including a first interior wall defining an outer aperture
having a first diameter, a second interior wall defining an inner
aperture having a second diameter less than the first diameter,
and a necked-down frustoconical wall defining a passageway lying
between the outer and inner apertures and cooperating to provide
a plug-receiving cavity in the cap, and a plug situated in the
plug-receiving chamber, the plug including means for urging the
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cap toward the anchoring plate to establish a locked connection
therebetween so that a roof membrane disposed in the cap-receiving
chamber between the cap and the anchoring plate is retained
securely therein without penetrating the roof membrane.
There may be at least one protrusion extending from
the bottom surface of the anchoring plate which will penetrate
insulation on the roof being covered to prevent the anchoring plate
rom rotating when it is attached to the roof by linear fastenérs.
The anchoring plate may have fastening holes the~ethrough to allow
affixation to the roof with linear fasteners. The fastening holes
may have wings and caps with tabs sized to fit within the wings
may be inserted in the fastening holes to prevent the linear
fasteners from backing out of the roof.
There are many possible variations of the insert,
one of which is a cap that has a disk-shaped top and a cylindrical
body with a circumferential protrusion at the bottom of the
cylindrical body. Compression cuts are located in the apparatus
to allow the apparatus to attain a first state and a second state.
In the first state, the outside diameter of the cylindrical body
is slightly less than the inside diameter of the lip in the axial
opening of the anchoring plate. In the second state, the greatest
diametrical dimension of the cylindrical body and the circum-
ferential protrusion is slightly less than the inside diameter of
the lip in the axial opening in the
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anchoring plate. When the cap is inserted into the
anchoring plate, the apparatus conforms to the first
state. One variation of the present invention
incorporates a cavity which extends through the
cylindrical body and the disk to form a ring type cap
which is inserted into the anchoring plate and then a plug
having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of
the cylindrical opening is inserted into the ring cap,
thereby locking the cylindrical body in the first state.
Further embodiments of the invention include a base
plate as described above and an insert capable of
attaining two states. In the first state, the greatest
radial dimension of the insert is slightly less than the
inside diameter of the axial opening but slightly greater
than the inside diameter of the lip in the axial opening.
In the second state, the greatest radial dimension of the
insert is slightly less than the inside diameter of the
lip in the axial opening, thereby allowing insertion of
the insert into the axial opening. After the roofing
membrane is stretched across the roof and a portion of the
membrane is inserted in the axial opening of the base
plate, the insert, in the second state, is inserted in the
axial opening and expanded to the first state in which it
i~ locked to secure the roofing membrane to the
structure. Among the various designs of the insert are:
an O-ring and a plug that, when inserted in the O-ring,
expands the O-ring to the first state and locks it
therein; a disk of rubber or like material sandwiched
between two inflexible disk-shaped plates so that when the
plates are compressed toward each other the rubber
material expands from the second state to the first state;
and a C-ring or snap-ring that is compressible from the
first state to the second state b~ an appropriate force
and which returns to the first state when the force is no
~298~
longer applied.
One object of the present invention is to provide a
low profile system for attaching roofing membranes to
structures~
A second object of the present invention is to provide
a system for attaching roofing membrane to an existing
structure which does not require penetration of the
membrane.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide a low cost and economical system for attaching
roofing membrane to an existing structure.
Yet another object of the present invention is to
provide a system for attaching roofing membrane to an
existing structure which does not require extensive
modification to the existing structure.
~ elated objects and advantages of the present
invention will be apparent from the following description.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
:;
FIG. l is a cross-.sectional view of an anchoring plate
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the anchoring plate of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a first cap in accordance with
the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the cap of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sec-tional view along lines 5-5 of
FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a top view of a second cap in accordance
with the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a plug to be used
with the cap of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cap of FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the system
described in the present invention during insertion of the
cap into the anchoring plate.
; FIG. lO is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of
the present invention when the roofing membrane is
completely anchored to the structure.
FIG. 11 is a blown-up view of a portion of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a top view of an additional embodiment of
an anchoring plate in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view along line 13-13 of
FIG. 12 and also includes a cross-sectional view of an
additional cap and plug arrangement.
FIG. 14'is a partial bottom view of the anchoring
; plate of FIG. 12.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a separate
embodiment of an anchoring plate in accordance with the
~ present invention.
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FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of
an insert in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a top view of an embodiment of an insert in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of an insert in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the FIG. 18
insert with the insert in a first state.
FIG. 20 is a top view of an insert in accordance with
the present invention.
Descri tion oE the Preferred Embodiment
P
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference will now be made to
the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific
language will be used to descr;be the same. It will
nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope
of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and
further modifications in the illustrated device, and such
further applications of the principles of the invention as
illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally
occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention
relates.
Referring to FI&S. 1, 2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 ~ 15, there
are illustrated various views of various embodiments of an
anchoring plate 20, 20A & 20B (hereinafter referred to
collectively as 20 unless otherwise specified) for
attachment to a structure 22 (FIGS. 9 and 10) such as the
roof of a large building. Anchoring plate 20 is a disk 24
with a bottom surface 26 which may be hollowed out, as in
anchoring plate 20A (FIG. 14), or which may be
substantially planar as in 20 or 20B, and a top surface 28
which may be radiused as in anchoring plates 20 ~ 20A. As
can be seen from the drawings, when the top surface is
convexly radiused there is a substantially thicker center
portion with the anchoring plate 20 being thinner near the
peripheral edge 30. Extending circumferentially around
the peripheral edge is a thin planar ring 32 which extends
between the peripheral edge 30 and peripheral edge of the
radiused top surface 28. There is an axial opening 34 at
the center of anchoring plate 20 which is cylindrical.
For purposes of convenience in describing the invention,
axial opening 34 is defined as that part of the opening at
the center of disk 24 wi~h the greatest inside diameter.
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If axial opening 34 extended through the top surface with
no structure extending into the axial opening, it would
appear from the top view to be illustrated as dotted line
36 in FIGS. 2 & 12. However, axial opening 34 does not
extend through the top surface 28 as a lip 38 extends
radially into axial opening 34 from the radiused top
surface 28. Lip 38 extends into axial opening 34 around
the entire circumference of axial opening 34 as is best
illustrated in FIGS. 2 & 12. Lip 38 has a cyliT~drical
side surface ~0 and a ring-shaped bottom surface 42. A
bottom flange 44 may also extend radially into axial
opening 34 as in FIG. 1. Bottom flange 44 has a
ring-shaped top surface 46. Therefore, it should be
understood that bottom flange 44 extends radially into
axial opening 34 around the entire circumference of axial
opening 34. When a bottom flange 44 is incorporated into
the anchoring plate, a channel 48 is defined by
ring-shaped bottom surface 42 of lip 38, ring-shaped top
surface 46 of bottom flange 44 and radial axial opening
34O Extending through the lower surface 50 of axial
opening 34, there is an axial attachment hole 52 through
which an appropriate linear fastener 54 (FI&S. 9 and 10)
may be inserted to attach anchoring plate 20 to structure
22. It should be understood that the choice of linear
fastener 54 will depend upon the type of structure to
which the anchoring plate is to be attached. Among the
typical types of linear fasteners 54 are nails, screws,
and rivets, however, any appropriate linear fastener for
the type of structure 22 may be incorporatedO A plurality
of alternate attachment holes 56 are also provided.
Testing of the anchoring plate 20 illustrated in FIGS.
1-3 and 9-10 has revealed that in extreme conditions the
linear fastener 54 may back out of the structure slightly,
thereby allowing the anchoring plate 20 to rotate about
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linear fastener 54 if secured only through attachment hole
52. rrwO problems may arise from such a situation. First,
if the anchoring plate 20 rotates, additional stresses are
put on the sheeting material 58 received in opening 34.
These stresses may cause sheeting material 58 to tear,
destroying the watertight integrity of a roof attached to
a structure with this system. Second, if the linear
fastener backs out of the structure sufficiently, the head
of the linear fastener may penetrate the roofing membrane.
To prevent rotation of anchoring plate 20, a pair of
protrusions 65 may be incorporated into the underside of
the anchoring plate 20A as in FIG. 13. These protrusions
engage the structure 22 and penetrate into any insulation
covering the structure to prevent rotation of the
anchoring plate.
As is illustrated in FIGS. 12 & 13, attachment hole 52
and alternate attachment holes 5~ may have an inside
diameter 53 in that portion of the attachment hole closest
to the top surface which is large enough to accommodate
the head of a linear fastener and an inside diameter 55
closer to the bottom surface of the anchoring plate which
is smaller than the head of a linear fastener. A wing 57
which is cut into the body of the anchoring plate as
illustrated may extend radially from the portion of the
attachment hole with the greater inside diameter. An
anchor hole cap 59 with a cylindrical body 61 (sized to be
snugly received in greater inside diameter of the
attachment hole 52 or alternate attachment holes 56) and a
tab 63 ~sized to be received in wing 57) may be iDserted
into the anchoring plate to reduce the possibility that
the linear fastener 54 will back out of the structure and
penetrate a roofing membrane 58 layed over the anchoring
plate.
Referring to FIGS. 3-11 and 13, there is illustrated a
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cap 60 which is inserted into anchoring plate 20 to secure
the roofing membrane 58 (FIGS. 9 and 10) to anchoring
plate 20~ ~eferring more particularly to FIGS. 3-5, a cap
60 of a first embodiment is illustrated. Cap 60 consists
of a resilient plastic cylindrical body 62 having a top
end 64 and bottom end 660 Cylindrical body 62 has an
outer wall 68 and an inner wall 70. Cylindrical body 62
has a longitudinal axis 72 about which inner wall 70
defines a concentric downwardly opening cylindrical cavity
74. Attached to the bottom end 66 is a V-shaped
protrusion 76 which extends radially beyond the outer wall
68 around the entire circumference of cylindrical body
62. V-shaped protrusion 76 tapers inwardly from its top
75 to its bottom 77. A plurality of compression cuts 78
extend through the cylindrical body and the protrusion
76. Attached to the top end 64 of the cylindrical body 62
is a disk 80 which has an outside diameter 99 (FIG. 11)
greater than the greatest diametrical dimension 97 of
cylindrical body 62 and protrusion 76. This disk 80 may
be constructed with the radiused corners 82.
Referring to FIGS. 6-8, there is illustrated a second
embodiment of a cap 60 in accordance with the present
invention. This cap also has a resilient plastic
cylindrical body 62 with a top end 64 and a bottom end 66
as well as an outer wall 68, an inner wall 70 and a
longitudinal axis 72. However, this cap differs in that
downwardly opening cylindrical cavity is also an upwardly
opening cylindrical cavity 83 which is concentric about
longitudinal axis 72. Since the cavity extends through
what was the disk 80 in the first embodiment, in the
second embodiment, there is a ring 84 attached to the top
end 64 of the resilient cylindrical body 62.
Additionally, there is a plug 86 sized to fit within the
cylindrical cavity 83.
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FIG. 15 illustrates an additional embodiment of cap
60A. This embodiment is made of flexible rubber and is
basically the same design as the previously described
embodiment. Cap 60A differs from the previously described
embodiments in that the compression cuts do not extend
through protrusions 76, but onl~ through the cylindrical
body 62. Also protrusions 76A are rounded rather than
V-shaped as in the previous cap. These differences reduce
the likelihood of accidental puncture and make cap 60A the
preferred embodiment of the insert.
The plug ~6 has a taper 88 near the bottom 90 of the
side walls 87 to ease the insertion of the plug into the
cylindrical cavity 83. Additionally, in the bottom 90,
there is a recess 92 of sufficient size to accommodate the
head of the linear fastener 54. The plug 86 is of a
length sufficient to allow the top surface 91 to be flush
with the top surface 89 of ring 84 when the plug is
inserted into cap 60 as is best illustrated in FIG. 10.
FIGS. 16-20 illustrate alternative embodiments of an
insert to be placed within the anchoring plates 20, 20A
and 20B as previously described. Each of these
embodiments provides for locking a roofing membrane witbin
the anchoring plate through various methods. FIGS. 16 &
17 illustrate the use of a rubber 0-ring lOlA & B which
would be inserted into the axial opening in the anchoring
plate after a roofing membrane is inserted in the
opening. Upon insertion of rubber 0-ring 101, the 0-ring
is then expanded and locked in a position where it engages
lip 38 and thereby secures membrane within the anchoring
plate. Expansion of the O-ring is caused by a plug 102A
or plug 102B of appropriate design. With an O-ring like
that illustrated in lOlA where the interior surface of the
O-ring is smooth, a tapered plug such as 102A would be
inserted into the 0-ring to expand the O-ring. Plug 102A
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may have notches 103 for seating of the 0-ring lOlA
therein, thereby locking the O-ring in an expanded state.
~ ith O-ring lOlB, there are double ratchet teeth 104
and 105 inside the O-ring. Plug 102B has ratchet teeth
106 on its outside diameter. Plug 102B is inserted in
O-ring lOlB and is rotated slightly until tooth 106 on th
plug rides up tooth 104 on the O-ring and dops within the
notch separating tooth 104 from tooth 105. This slight
rotation of the plug expands the 0-ring and increases the
outside diameter of the 0-ring allowing it to be locked
within the axial opening in the anchoring plate. Slot 107
is placed in the plug to allow the plug to be rotated by a
straight blade screwdriver. A square, hex or Phillips
hole may be incorporated instead of slot 107. A
configuration of the inside of O-ring lOlB and the outside
configuraticn of plug 102B may be of various design so as
to provide for the expansion of 0-ring lOlB.
FIG. 18 illustrates a compression plug 110 which may
be inserted in axial opening of the anchoring plate.
Compression plug 110 consists of a block or disk 112 of
rubber or synthetic material sandwiched between two plates
114 constructed oE rigid material such as steel. Plates
114 are arranged relative to one another so that a
compression means 115, such as a nut and bolt, connect the
two plates 114. As compression means 115 is used to bring
plates 114 closer together, the block or disk 112 of
synthetic material is deformed so that the outside
dimension of plug 110 is increased. This increase in
outside dimension causes the plug 110 to be locked in the
axial opening of the anchoring plate, thereby securing the
roofing membrane to the anchoring plate. Plug 110 is
shown in a compressed state in FIG. 19.
FIG. 20 illustrates yet another insert Eor use in
securing a roofing membrane to the anchoring plate. A
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simple C-ring or snap-ring 116 made of spring metal or
like ma~erial may be compressed from the first state to a
second state and inserted in axial opening in the
anchoring plate. When the compression force on the C-ring
or snap-ring 116 is released, the C-ring or snap-ring
returns to the first state and thereby locks the membrane
in the axial opening of the anchoring plate.
The interrelationship between the anchoring plate 20
and the cap 60 is best illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11.
As can be seen from FIG. 11, the outside diameter 93 of
cylindrical body 62 is slightly less than the inside
diameter 94 of cylindrical side surface of lip 38. The
distance 95 between the bottom oE the disk 80 or ring 84
to the top of the protrusion 76 is slightly greater than
the thickness 96 of the lip 38. The greatest dia~etrical
dimension 97 of the cylindrical body 62 and the protrusion
76 is slightly less than the inside diameter 98 of axial
opening 34. The outside diameter 99 of disk 80 or ring 84
is substantially greater than the inside diameter 94 of
cylindrical side surface 40 of lip 38. These measurements
are critical in order for the anchoring system to function
properly. The utility of the compression cut 78 is best
illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. Compression cut 78 is
designed to allow the cylindrical body 62 of cap 60 to
assume a first state illustrated in FIGS . 8, 4, 5, 10 and
11, wherein the sides 79 of the cut are parallel to one
another. Additionally, the cap 60 can assume a second
state best illustrated iD FIG. 9 wherein the sides 79 of
the cylindrical compression cut 78 converge toward bottom
end 66 of the resilient cylindrical body 62. In the
second state, the greatest diametrical dimension 97 of
cylindrical body 62 and protrusion 76 is diminished to be
slightly less than the inside diameter 94 of cylindrical
side surface 40 of lip 38. This allows for the cap 60 to
.
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be inserted into anchoring plate 20 after membrane 58 has
been extended across the anchoring plate 20 and inserted
into axial opening 34. Once the cap 60 is completely
inserted into axial opening 34, the cylindrical body 62
resumes its first state and the sides 79 of the
compression cut 78 are once again parallel (as illustrated
by the dotted lines in FIG. 10) and the protrusion 76 is
received in channel 48. At this time, if the second
embodiment or third embodiment of cap 60 is used, plug 86
may be inserted into cylindrical cavity 83 and thereby
lock cylindrical body 62 into the first state so that the
cap 60 cannot be inadvertently knocked out of the
anchoring plate 20. Plug 86 and cylindrical cavity 83 may
be designed so that plug 86 is driven into cylindrical
cavity 83 or so that either or both plug 86 and
cylindrical cavity 83 will have threads 100 which will
allow the plug 86 to be screwed into cylindrical cavi~y
83. These threads 100 are illustrated by the dotted lines
in FIGS. 7 and 8, while a smooth sided plug 86 and
cylindrical cavity 83 are illustrated in the remainder of
the drawings illustrating the second and third embodiments
of cap 60. As can be seen from FIGS. 9 and 10, the use of
compression cut 78 and of the particular design of both
the anchoring plate 20 and caps 60 allows the membrane 58
to be secured to the anchoring plate 20 which is secured
to the structure 22 without membrane 58 being penetrated
in any way so that the watertight integrity of membranP 58
is maintained.
FIG. 10 best illustrates that the anchoring system of
the present invention is very low profile and therefore
cannot be easily damaged by workers walking on the roof
after or during installation. Anchor plate 20, because of
radiused top surface 28, results in only slight and
gradual deviation of the roof surface. Cap 60 does not
~%915 6~(~
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protrude greatly beyond the roof membrane as only the thin
ring 84 or disk 80 of cap 60 is not received within axial
opening 34. Because so little of cap 60 protrudes above
roofing membrane 58, there is very little chance that a
blow sufficient to dislodge cap 60 could be administered
by the foot of a worker walking on the roof.
It is envisioned that cap 60 and anchoring plate 20
may be manufactured or molded from a wide variety of
materials. One material which is envisioned is a hard
plastic because it is sufficiently flexible to be
compressed, through the use of compression cuts 78, into
the second state, yet rigid enough that once cap 60 and
anchoring plate 20 are snapped together there will be
secure attachment of roofing membrane 58 to structure 22.
While the invention has been illustrated and described
in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the
same is to be considered as illustrative and not
restrictive in character, it being understood that only
the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and
that all changes and modifications that come within the
spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.
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