Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CLADDING APPARATUS AND METHODS
This invention relates to cladding apparatus and methods. More
particularly, this invention has application in roofing and thus roofing
apparatus,
its method of implementation and to a roofing structure formed thereby are,
for
illustrative purposes described hereinafter with reference to this
application.
However, the apparatus, methods and structures formed by embodiments of the
present invention may readily find application in wall cladding, lining and
other
structural applications.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cladding
method including the steps of:
installing spaced, substantially horizontal battens on a structure to be
clad;
installing a cladding member having a body portion having an inner and
an outer surface and extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge between
opposed side edges, and a batten engagement portion disposed on said inner
surface toward said leading edge and adapted to retain said body portion
against leading and outward movement relative to a leading batten engaged
thereby; and a batten stop portion associated with said inner surface toward
the
trailing edge thereof and adapted to bear on a leading face an adjacent
trailing
batten, the batten engagement portion and body portion adjacent said leading
edge being mutually configured to retain the trailing edge portion of an
adjacent
cladding member to said leading batten; and
progressively installing further said cladding members to clad said
structure.
The structure may comprise an internal or external wall, a roof or a
ceiling.
In a further aspect, this invention resides in a cladding member including:
a body portion having an inner and an outer surface and extending from
a leading edge to a trailing edge between opposed side edges;
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a batten engagement portion disposed on said inner surface toward said
leading edge and adapted to retain said body portion against leading and
outward movement relative to a leading batten engaged thereby; and
a batten stop portion associated with said inner surface toward the
trailing edge thereof and adapted to bear on a leading face an adjacent
trailing
batten, the batten engagement portion and body portion adjacent said leading
edge being mutually configured to retain the trailing edge portion of an
adjacent
cladding member to said leading batten.
The cladding member may be in the form of a roof tile or sheet, board-
like cladding member or other conventional element such as a shingle. The
cladding member may be provided in the form of a continuous roll or strip. The
body may be of any suitable shape such as generally planar, corrugated or
otherwise profiled. The profiling may be of a form that permits stacking of
the
roofing elements for transport. Where the cladding member is formed in
discrete elements, side edges of the cladding member may be mutually
configured to permit overlap between adjacent elements across the pitch of the
roof or width of the wall.
The cladding members may be adapted in a roofing application to be laid
from gutter to apex, or in a wall cladding application from the lower portion
of
the wall to the upper portion, whereby the batten engagement means may be
hooked under the batten to entrap the trailing edge portion of the next lower
element therebetween. The cladding element may have substantially planar
side portions to facilitate lateral overlapping. The first cladding element
may
comprise a modified cladding element configured to engage its leading batten
snugly without a packing piece to replace the trailing edge of an adjacent
body
portion, or may be supplemented with a packing piece, or a thicker batten
employed.
The cladding element may be formed of any suitable material such as
metal, timber, or a moldable or extrudable material such as a plastics
material.
The plastics material may be suitable for prolonged outdoor use. Thus, the
plastics material may include ultra-violet stabilisers and other chemicals
which
are used to provide plastics material with properties suitable for such
prolonged
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outdoor use. Advantageously, the plastic is selected from stabilized recycled
plastic, and extruded or moulded plastic material, and may be used as formed
or coated.
The batten engagement portion and batten abutment means may take
any suitable form permitting their cooperation as above. Where the batten
engagement means and batten abutment means extend substantially across
the underside of the cladding member body portion, the batten engagement
means may be interrupted to allow the installation of the element about the
battens between the wall studs or roof truss elements.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the batten engagement
portion and the batten are each configured to provide for mutual
interengagement. For example, there may be provided a batten which has a
recess formed on the intended trailing edge thereof, and wherein the batten
engaging means includes a projection in the leading direction that is adapted
in
use the engage the recess. In a further embodiment of the invention both the
leading and trailing edge portions of the cladding member are configured with
such batten engagement means, and in this case there may be provided a
batten that possesses both leading and trailing recesses.
The recess or recesses may be configured to allow the projection to be
urged therein with elastic deformation whereby the projection is retained
therein
by frictional engagement or by virtue of the respective forms being adapted to
clip together by elastic recovery. For example, the recess may comprise an
elongate slot into which an elongate projection may be forced against the
resilient bias of the material of the batten about the slot. The inner end of
the
slot may be provided with an enlarged cross section into which a
correspondingly formed edge of the elongate projection may clip. In a yet
further embodiment of the present invention, the elongate projection and the
elongate recess may be mutually configured whereby the cladding member may
be slid laterally into engagement with the batten member.
The batten members and cladding members may be provided with a
close tolerance fit in clipping embodiments and selective lesser tolerances in
sliding-fit embodiments. Further, tolerances may be adjusted to provide for
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environmental effects such as thermal expansion. For example, the batten and
cladding member may be configured whereby the engagement is relieved at the
trailing edge of the leading cladding member of a pair of adjacent cladding
members to provide for both thermal expansion and any angular displacement
on fitting.
The overlapping portions of respective cladding members may be
provided with further interengaging lugs and grooves. By this means, a yet
further means of engagement is provided, which also may contribute to the
weather proofing of the cladding by providing a labyrinth which resists the
ingress of wind-blown moisture.
The batten engaging means and batten abutment means may include
first and second complementary clipping formations to permit a number of the
roofing elements to be clipped together. The first clipping formation may be
positioned at the front end of the body on an underneath surface of the body.
The second clipping formation may be positioned at the rear end of the tile on
the underneath surface of the body.
The first clipping formation may have a downwardly projecting portion
which depends from the underneath surtace of the body at a positioned spaced
from the front end of the body. A lip may extend from the downwardly
projecting portion substantially at right angles to the downwardly projecting
portion so that a transverse profile of the front end of the body and a first
clipping formation defines a channel. An operatively upwardly extending
projection may be positioned on the lip.
The second clipping formation may be in the form of an elongate
retaining formation spaced from the rear end of the body.
The clipping formation may be positioned so that, in use, when a
preceding cladding member is operatively positioned with respect to a
subsequent cladding member, the downwardly extending portion and the lip of
the first clipping formation and the elongate retaining formation of the
second
clipping formation defining a partially enclosed volume have a substantially
rectangular profile.
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In use, the clipping formations may be clipped onto elongate structural
elements so that the elongate structural elements extend through the partially
enclosed volumes defined by a plurality of the cladding members to comprise a
cladding structure.
5 There may also be provided a roof capping that is complementary to the
cladding system of the present invention and comprising an elongate capping
body portion having opposed edge portions, each edge portion having batten
engagement means as hereinbefore described and adapted in use to overlay
and retain the trailing edge portions of respective cladding members located
uppermost on respective sides of the pitch of a roof.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a roofing
element which includes:
a body having opposed front and rear ends and opposed sides; and
a gutter member connected to and extending from the front end of the
body, the body and the gutter member being of a unitary, one-piece
construction.
The roofing member of the second aspect of the invention may
incorporate the first and second engaging means of the first aspect of the
invention.
The roofing members may be configured so that, when the sides overlap
as described with respect to the first aspect of the invention, adjacent
gutter
members also overlap so that a plurality of the roofing members can define an
elongate gutter.
The guttered roofing member of the second aspect may be particularly
configured to cooperate with elements of the first aspect. Accordingly, the
invention extends to a roofing structure which incorporates a plurality of the
roofing members of both the first and second aspects of the invention.
In a further aspect this invention resides in a roofing method comprising
the steps of:
providing a plurality of gutter elements which each include a roofing body
having an integral gutter portion at a leading portion of the body, the body
having batten engagement means defining a recess opening toward said
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leading portion and adapted to locate behind and under a roof batten and a
locking lug adapted to engage a leading face of said batten under resilient
bias
thereof
installing said plurality of gutter elements in laterally overlapping relation
along a first roofing batten by engagement of said batten engagement means
with said first roofing batten and extending to overlay a second roofing
batten;
providing a plurality of roofing bodies each having a leading edge, batten
engagement means defining a recess opening toward said leading edge and
adapted to locate behind and under said second roof batten and the trailing
edge of a said gutter element, and a locking lug formed on said batten
engagement means and adapted to engage a leading face of said second
batten under resilient bias thereof;
installing said plurality of roofing bodies in laterally overlapping relation
on said second roofing batten; and
continuing to install said roofing bodies on subsequent roofing battens in
like manner to complete a roofing surface.
In a further aspect the invention resides in a roofing member including:
a roofing body having a leading edge;
batten engagement means defining a recess opening toward said
leading edge and adapted to locate behind and under a roof batten and the
trailing edge of an adjacent roofing tile overlaying said batten; and
a locking lug formed on said batten engagement means and adapted to
engage a leading face of said batten under resilient bias thereof.
The roofing body may be provided with a locating means spaced from
the batten engagement means and adapted to located against a face of the
next adjacent batten up the pitch of the roof.
Particular embodiments of the present invention may take advantage of
the particular advantages of precise location to permit addition of further
features. For example, there may be provided a roofing member having a
passages formed therein to permit the circulation of a working fluid, the
adjacent
elements being mutually configured to permit a circuit of said fluid to be
formed
throughout the roof surface. By this means a thermal fluid may be circulated
to
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permit deicing of the roof, or alternatively the roof may be used as a heating
means for a fluid. The heat harvested may be put to purposes such as pool
heating, hot water preheating or the like.
The invention will be further described with reference to preferred
embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings and wherein;
FIG. 1 is a side view of a roof assembly in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a roofing member in accordance with the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is a part perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a guttered variant of the apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 4 in use.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cladding system in accordance with the
present invention in use;
FIG. 7 is a section through the system of FIG 6;
FIG. 8 is a detail end section of a roof capping suitable for use with the
system of FIG 6;
FIG. 9 is a detail side section of a cladding member suitable for use with
the system of FIG 6;
FIG. 10 is a detail end section of the cladding member of FIG 9;
FIG. 11 is a section through a batten suitable for use with the system of
FIG 6;
FIG. 12 is a section through a gutter-edge batten suitable for use with the
system of FIG 6;
FIGS. 13 to 16 are isometric views of the cladding member of FIG 9; and
FIG. 17 is a section view of an alternative cladding system in accordance
with the present invention in use.
In the figures 1 to 3 there is provided a roofing element indicated
generally as 10 which has been integrally moulded of thermoformable, recycled
plastics material. The roofing element 10 comprises a body portion 11, a
batten
engagement portion 12 and a batten back stop 13. The batten engagement
portion 12 is located in the region of the leading edge 14 of the body portion
11,
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which is defined as the down-slope edge of the roofing element. The batten
backstop 13 is a transverse rib located on the underside of the body portion
11
at a spacing from the batten engagement means 12 determined by the pitch or
spacing of the roofing battens 15.
The batten engagement portion 12 comprises a generally downward
depending web 16 adapted to bear on the up-slope face of the roofing batten
15, and a lower web 17 extending therefrom to lay adjacent the under surface
of
the batten 15 in use. The edge of the lower web 17 toward the leading edge 14
is provided with a locking lug 20 in the form of a ridge adapted to pass the
batten 15 against the resilient bias of the downward depending web 16 and the
lower web 17, to engage the leading face of the roof batten 15.
The clearance between the body portion 11 and the lower web 17 is such
that the space accommodates the trailing edge 21 of an adjacent roofing
element 10 to trap the trailing edge 21 between the underside of the body
portion 11 and the batten 15.
Further installed security is provided by the backstop 13 engaging the
upper leading edge of the adjacent batten 15.
In the embodiment of FIG. 4 and 5, the clearance between the body
portion 11 and the lower web 17 is just sufficient to accommodate the batten
15,
and the leading edge 14 is provided with an integrally formed gutter 22.
In the embodiment of Figs. 6-16 there is provided a cladding system
generally consisting of tile members 40, roof capping members 41, batten
members 42 and starter batten members 43.
The tile members 40 generally comprise a substantially planar body
portion 44 having a leading edge 45 and a trailing edge 46. Formed on the
underside of the substantially planar body portion 44 and in the region of the
leading edge 45 is a batten engagement portion 47 comprising an elongate web
50 extending out of the plane of the body portion 44 and having an elongate
projection 51 integrally formed and extending in the direction of the leading
edge 45. The projection 51 has at its outer extremity an enlarged portion 52.
Disposed between the leading edge 45 and the batten engagement
portion 47 are a pair of spaced, elongate lugs 53. The lugs 53 are
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complementary to corresponding spaced elongate grooves 54 located on the
upper surface of the body member 44 in the region of the trailing edge 46.
Also
in the region of the trailing edge 46 there is provided an elongate batten
stop lug
55.
The body portion 44 has side edges 56 which have integrally formed
thereon respective male 57 and female 58 labyrinth engagement portions
enabling respective laterally adjacent tile members 40 to interengage in
substantially weatherproof engagement.
The batten engagement portions 47 are relieved away from the male
labyrinth engagement portion 57 at 60 to enable the necessary overlap on
interengagement of the labyrinth engagement portions 57,58.
The roof capping members 41 comprise opposed engagement portions
61 which each include an elongate web 50, projection 51, enlarged portion 52
and elongate lugs 53 as per the corresponding structure of the tile members
40.
The lugs 53 of the roof capping members 41 are adapted to engage the
corresponding elongate grooves 54 of the uppermost tile members 40 in the
roof cladding structure. Side edges of the roof capping members 41 are
similarly provided with complementary male 57 and female labyrinth
engagement portions, analogous to those used in the tile members 40.
The opposed engagement portions 61 are interconnected by a ridge
portion 62. The ridge portions 62 are relieved by a plurality of tapered
grooves
63 which permit the roof capping members 41 to flex at the ridge portion 62 to
enable the roof capping members 41 to be used on roofs of a wide variety of
pitches.
The batten members 42 are provided with an elongate recess 64
adapted to receive the projection 51, the inner edge of 65 of the recess 64
being enlarged to accept the enlarged portion 52 of the projection 51. An
elongate V-groove 66 provides a nailing line to aid in fixing the batten to a
stud
wall or roof truss assembly.
The starter batten members 43 are substantially as per the batten
members 42 with the addition of a spacer lug 67.
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In the embodiment of Figure 17 it can be seen that batten members 70
are provided with both leading and trailing recesses of the kind labelled 64
in
the prior embodiment, the tile members 40 being correspondingly supplied with
batten engagement portions 47 with their attendant elongate webs 50 and
5 projections 51, at both the leading and trailing portions of the tile
members 40.
The batten members 42, starter batten members 43 and batten members
70 are all of slightly tapered form whereby in use a clearance 71 is produced
between the leading edge 46 and the elongate web 50 of the next adjacent tile
member 40.
10 It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way
of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications
and
variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are
deemed
to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set
forth.
