Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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KEDER RAIL ATTACHMENT FOR A FABRIC/PANEL BUILDING
Technical Field
This invention pertains generally to buildings, and more particularly to
enclosures
including flexible fabric surfacing. A fastening structure for the flexible
fabric surfacing is
preferably formed from an extrusion having a fabric receiving channel. A
fabric edged with a
fastener may be inserted within the channel. The fastener is larger than the
channel opening, to
retain the fabric and fastener within the channel.
Background Art
In the construction of buildings, fabric may be used as a covering or barrier
layer that
may at least in part defme a roof or sides of the building. This offers a
lightweight alternative to
other construction materials, can be moved readily in temporary structures,
and allows more
permanent structures to be expanded easily. For the purposes of the present
disclosure, fabric
materials will be understood to include woven and non-woven fabrics, films,
and similar sheets.
These materials may be fabricated from a single homogenous material, or from
various
laminates, including those of like or diverse compositions. Different fabrics
may be used in part
of or forming an entire building to regulate air, light, and moisture flow
through the space.
Fabric with a thicker, tubular edge typically called keder is often used in
these situations, and
the edges need to be secured to the structure in some way. These can be
secured using keder
rails.
A number of United States patents, the teachings and contents which are
incorporated
herein by reference, are exemplary of these keder structures: 1,991,358 by
Bessy, entitled
"Awning fixture"; 2,102,902 by Lenke, entitled "Skylight construction";
2,189,567 by Miller,
entitled "Awning strip"; 2,247,846 by Penman, entitled "Hanging means for
awnings and the
like"; 2,287,667 by Brown, entitled "Awning fastener"; 2,950,727 by Dunn,
entitled "Support
for flexible awning covers"; 5,823,704 by Koch et al, entitled "Holding device
for the anchorage
of single- or multilayer webs to a stationary structural member"; 6,564,513 by
Henbid et al,
entitled "Extrusion design and fabric installation method for weather tight
seal"; 7,127,851 by
Morris, entitled "Building component"; 8,051,868 by Whitlow, entitled "Tent
rafter end cap and
tent incorporating same"; 8,056,602 by Green, entitled "Screen cover retainer
strip assembly";
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2003/0163966 by Reynolds et al, entitled "Method and apparatus for cladding
elongated
structural members"; and 2004/0168383 by Reynolds et al, entitled "Method and
apparatus for
cladding elongated structural members ".
Many existing keder rails such as those listed herein above need to be
attached into the
structure's frame using a screw. While these aforementioned patents illustrate
a variety of
screws, a particularly popular screw currently in the trade is a TEK screw,
explicitly illustrated
in the aforementioned patent to Morris. Common TEK screws drill their own hole
as they are
being turned, and then they tap threads to couple the keder rail to the
purlin, beam, frame or the
like. As is known, TEK screws are relatively simple to install, only requiring
a standard power
drill. However, TEK screws can also easily strip a hole and are easily
misaligned, particularly
if they need removed and re-installed, making them more difficult to install
and adjust than is
desired. In addition, they are only capable of supporting a relatively limited
load, in turn limiting
the applications available for keder buildings. The hole formed by the TEK
screw may form a
weak point in the supporting structure, potentially leading to stress
fractures or other adverse and
weakening effects. Finally, the presence of any type of screw also means a
hole exists that may
initially or ultimately enable the intrusion of water and other potentially
corrosive compositions
into the building structure. The water or other corrosive agents can
undesirably damage the
building or the contents of the building. The present invention attempts to
provide a more
versatile keder rail attachment that preserves the moisture barrier where so
desired.
Other patents illustrate bolting keder rails to structural members such as
purlins, beams
and the like. Exemplary US patents and published applications, the teachings
and contents
which are incorporated herein by reference, include: 3,173,224 by Aagaard,
entitled "Roof
structure"; 3,930,344 by Gahler, entitled "Plastic covered building
structures"; 3,982,361 by
Deutsch et al, entitled "Modified structure for lining generally curved
surfaces"; 4,137,687 by
Sprung, entitled "Stressed membrane space enclosure"; 6,158,181 by Musgrave et
al, entitled
"Roofing structures"; and 2010/0037544 by Musgrave et al, entitled "Covering
apparatus".
Once again, these structures undesirably require holes for the bolts to pass
through, creating
conduits for damaging flow and weaker structure adjacent to the hole.
Other techniques are used to fasten keder rails. Exemplary US patents and
published
applications, the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by
reference, include:
3,875,623 by Johnston, entitled "Fabric joints", which describes an unanchored
bridging joint;
4,878,322 by Ikeda et al, entitled "Insulating plastic film structures and
method", which describes
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a strap anchor about a support tube; and 5,784,842 by Wackerbauer, entitled
"Roof arrangement
comprising tarpaulins and a plurality of lattice girders", which describes a
lattice girder having
keder channels formed therein.
While somewhat less relevant hereto, the teachings and content of US patent
4,321,780
by Hooper et al, entitled "Snap cap for architectural wall panel", are
additionally incorporated
herein by reference.
In the prior art keder structures, tension in the fabric is generally created
by inserting the
keder into a keder rail that is already attached to a component of the
structure's frame and then
moving the component and rail together until the proper amount of tension is
achieved. This
limits the techniques available for attaching the structural components
together, since they must
be both adjustable in position and must be installed with the fabric in place.
In one alternative,
the teachings and content which are incorporated herein by reference, US
patent 5,333,425 by
Nickerson et al, entitled "Tension membrane structure wrinkle elimination",
describes a multi-
component structure that engages within a slot formed in the top of a support
beam and allows
the fabric t be tensioned after coupling to the support beam. Unfortunately,
this Nickerson et al
structure requires a plurality of extrusions where the prior art only required
one, rendering the
fabrication of the rail significantly more expensive. Additionally, a
plurality of fasteners must
be slid into position within the keder rail, requiring much additional time
and thereby increasing
the cost of installation. Nevertheless, the Nickerson et al invention offers
much advantage over
many of the prior art keder rails.
In addition to the foregoing patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged
Dictionary,
Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety
for the definitions
of words and terms used herein.
Disclosure of Invention
In contrast to the prior art, the present invention provides an improvement
that allows the
structure's frame to remain in place while the keder rail is moved, while
avoiding the need for
additional fabrication or installation expense, and while avoiding the need
for undesirable holes
in the rail or supporting structure.
In a first manifestation, the invention is, in combination, a keder rail,
support beam and
keder rail attachment. The keder rail comprises a base; two longitudinally
open bodies each
having one open slit extending in the longitudinal direction; and a
longitudinally extensive slot
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between said two longitudinally open bodies. The keder rail attachment
comprises a fastener
affixed laterally through said keder rail base; and couplers extending between
said fastener and
said support beam.
In a second manifestation, the invention is a method of tensioning keder
fabric upon an
installed structural beam. According to the method, a first end of the keder
fabric is anchored
to a first structural support. At least two distal points along a keder rail
are clamped to the
installed structural beam. The keder fabric is engaged with the keder rail. A
tensioning member
is anchored to the installed structural beam. The tensioning member is coupled
to the keder rail.
A tension is generated between the tensioning member and keder rail, and
responsive to
generating this tension, the keder fabric is tensioned. Subsequent to
generating the tension, the
keder rail is secured to the structural beam.
In a third manifestation, the invention is a tensioning tool operative with a
support I-beam
for tensioning a keder rail having keder fabric engaged therewith and thereby
tensioning the
keder fabric. The tensioning tool has a flaccid strap terminating at a first
end in a hook operative
to engage the keder rail. A winch has a portion of the flaccid strap wrapped
thereabout. A right
angle brace bar has two orthogonal surfaces joined together, with a first
orthogonal surface
supporting the winch and operatively resting underneath a cross member of the
I-beam, and a
second of the two orthogonal surfaces operatively engaging a vertical of the
support I-beam. The
junction of the two orthogonal surfaces is adjacent to a junction between the
I-beam cross
member and I-beam vertical. An anchor tongue extends from the second
orthogonal surface and
is operative to removably couple to the I-beam vertical.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present
invention
can be understood and appreciated by reference to the following detailed
description of the
invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment keder rail attachment designed in
accord with
the teachings of the present invention from a front elevational and partial
section view.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the preferred embodiment rail attachment of Figure 1
as it may
be attached to a support beam from a front elevational and partial section
view to illustrate
different attachment positions in greater detail.
FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment barrier construction using the
preferred
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embodiment keder rail attachment of Figure 1, as used in an exemplary
construction of an
insulated building from a front elevational and partial section view.
FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred embodiment keder rail clamp in combination with
the
preferred embodiment rail attachment of Figure 1 from a front elevational and
partial section
view.
FIG. 6 illustrates a preferred embodiment tensioning device in combination
with the
preferred embodiment rail attachment of Figure 1 from a front elevational and
partial section
view.
FIG. 7 illustrates the preferred embodiment tensioning device in combination
with the
preferred embodiment rail attachment of Figure 1 from a top view.
FIG. 8 illustrates a second alternative embodiment keder rail attachment
designed in
accord with the teachings of the present invention from a front elevational
and partial section
view, and with the keder rail secured by a holder in an offset position
relative to the support
beam ready for insertion of keder fabric.
FIG. 9 illustrates the second alternative embodiment keder rail attachment of
Figure 8
from a front elevational and partial section view, and with the keder fabric
and rail fully
installed.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
A preferred embodiment keder rail attachment 1 for a fabric or panel building
designed
in accord with the teachings of the present invention is illustrated in Figure
1. Preferred
embodiment keder rail attachment 1 has several primary components, including a
keder rail 10,
a support beam 30, a keder rail anchor 50, and a membrane 70.
A preferred embodiment keder rail 10 is comprised of a longitudinally
extensive box or
rectangular extrusion, referred to here as the base 12. Base 12 is preferably
hollow in order to
save material cost and reduce weight, but may be solid. Base 12 preferably has
two protrusions
14, 15 on the top of base 12 that form longitudinal cylinders with a circular
opening on each of
the front and back ends, and each cylinder having one open slit 18 extending
in the longitudinal
direction. These cylindrical protrusions 14, 15 are collectively referred to
herein below as the
keder track. A membrane 70 is formed from a fabric 72 with a keder bead 74
forming the edge.
Keder bead 74 is preferably inserted in the front or back circular openings of
the keder track and
slid in longitudinally with fabric 72 protruding through open slit 18, as can
be seen in Figure 1.
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When lateral pressure is applied to fabric 72,open slit 18 in the longitudinal
surface of the keder
track is too small to allow keder bead 74 to pull out. End caps may be placed
on the front and
back ends of the keder track after the keder bead 74 is inserted, if desired.
As described herein below, a keder rail clamp 90 may be used to attach keder
rail 10 to
a building's support beams 30 prior to keder bead 74 insertion. A tensioning
tool 110, also
described herein below, may be used to pull fabric 72 tight between keder
rails 10 after keder
bead 74 on each end of fabric 72 has been inserted. Tensioning tool 110 can
then be used to pull
one or both of keder rails 10 into position to be secured to support beam 30.
In the preferred
embodiment, the support beam is a known I-beam such as may be fabricated by
welding or
extrusion techniques, though as will become more apparent herein below and in
accord with the
teachings of the present invention, the support beam may assume other
geometries or shapes.
In alternative embodiments contemplated herein, the keder track may be formed
as
intrusions rather than cylindrical protrusions 14, 15, or may be positioned on
base 12 differently,
such as but not limited to being positioned on a lateral surface rather than
the top surface. The
number of tracks may also vary, as may be best suited for different uses.
As seen in Figures 1 - 3, keder rail flap hooks 20 protrude from cylindrical
protrusions
14, 15. After the keder membrane 70 and keder rails 10 are installed, adjacent
keder flaps 76
illustrated in Figure 4 are preferably affixed to keder rail flap hooks 20 by
inserting their ends
in an overlapping fashion into keder rail longitudinal slot 22 and sealably
retained therein by
insertion of elastomeric bead 78 therein. This provides a dual seal to better
isolate the building
interior from the elements. Keder flaps 76 may be adhered or secured to fabric
72 using any
suitable technique, may be loosely placed adjacent thereto, or may
alternatively be formed from
a single relatively more rigid formed or molded part such as taught by the
Reynolds published
applications or the Green patent incorporated by reference herein above.
One or more anchor bolts 52 preferably penetrate the lateral surfaces of the
rectangular
base 12, entering on one lateral surface and exiting through the other such as
illustrated in Figure
1. These anchor bolts-52 are preferably used to secure keder rail 10 to an
underlying structure
such as a support beam 30. While a bolt is preferred, other suitable fasteners
may be incorporated
as may be known in the fastener arts.
As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, anchor bolt 52 will also preferably
penetrate two
securing angles 58, 60 that run perpendicular to anchor bolt 52 and from
anchor bolt 52 down
to below the top surface of support beam 30. These securing angles 58, 60 then
form 90 degree
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angles to run along the underside of support beam 30. Securing angles 58, 60
are preferably on
opposite lateral sides of support beam 30 so that they can grip support beam
30 when forces are
applied from any direction. As a result, keder fabric 72 may be attached to a
top surface, side
surface, or even an angled surface of support beam 30 in any orientation, such
as but not limited
to the longitudinal side running parallel or perpendicular to the ground.
Securing angles 58, 60
will hold keder rail 10 to beam 30 prior to anchor bolt 52 being tightened,
which again means
keder rail 10 will stay coupled to support beam 30, regardless of beam 30
orientation with
respect to gravity. This means that there is an opportunity for adjustment of
keder rail 10 relative
to support beam 30, until keder rail 10 is firmly anchored by fully tightening
anchor bolt 52.
Such adjustment was not heretofore possible with TEK screws.
As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, if keder rail 10 is not the same width as
support beam
30, spacer blocks 54, 56 with holes for anchor bolt 52 may be placed on either
side of keder rail
10, to fill the gap between keder rail 10 and securing angles 58, 60. When
keder rail 10 is
positioned at the edge of a support beam 30, as illustrated in Figure 2,
fabric 72 from cylindrical
protrusion 14 may travel vertically down or at some direction offset between
vertical and
horizontal while fabric 72 from the opposite cylindrical protrusion 15 may
travel outwards in a
horizontal plane. This allows keder fabric 72 to form a corner on a structure
without requiring
any special equipment. Preferably, the anchor bolt heads would be located on
the side with fabric
72 traveling in a vertical plane in order to minimize tears in the fabric 72.
A rounded anchor bolt
head as illustrated will further reduce fabric strain. Even though a 90-degree
angle is shown here
between the two fabrics 72, the fabric 72 may travel in any direction as is
supported by the
structure's design and the location of open slits 18 in keder rail 10.
In the position illustrated in Figure 3, spacer blocks 54, 56 may be placed on
each side
of keder rail 10, centering keder rail 10 on support beam 30. The keder fabric
72 would
preferably travel in lateral directions, but could also travel in an upward or
downward angle, as
is allowed by the width of support beam 30 and anchor bolts 52.
While spacer blocks 54, 56 are described here, the invention is not limited to
such an
implement. Alternatively, other devices may be used. For exemplary purposes,
but not solely
limiting the invention thereto, a "U"-shaped device may be used that connects
to the bolt,
projects laterally to the edge of the support beam 30, curves around and under
the support beam
30, and then continues a short way before terminating. Other suitable
apparatus known in the
hardware arts may also be used.
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Figure 4 illustrates an alternative keder rail attachment 2 in accord with the
present
invention with two opposed keder rails 10, 11. Keder rail 11 will be
understood to include
features and adjunct components similar to or identical to those of keder rail
10 already
discussed herein above. The keder rails 10, 11 are secured to the interior and
exterior surfaces
of a building support beam 30 and fabric 72 is installed on both the interior
and exterior surfaces
using keder rails 10, 11 on opposed surfaces of support beams 30. Additional
insulation 80 may
optionally be installed between the spaced layers of keder fabric 72. In this
embodiment, the
interior and exterior layers of keder fabric 72 isolate insulation 80 from
both the building interior
and exterior. Keder flaps 76 and elastomeric beads 78 help ensure this
isolation.
As illustrated in Figure 5, a preferred embodiment keder rail clamp 90
consists of a body
92 defining a horizontal region with a hole 94 for anchor bolt 52 insertion, a
90 degree angle to
form a vertical surface adjacent to the edge of support beam 30, and another
90 degree angle in
the opposite direction to wrap underneath the support beam 30 edge. The latter
edge preferably
contains a clamp bolt 98 to secure keder rail clamp 90 to support beam 30.
Instead of the prior
art method of attaching keder rail 10 to the building's frame while on the
ground, in accord with
the teachings of the present invention keder rail 10 is preferably affixed to
a building's already
constructed support frame using keder rail clamps 90 of Figure 5. This is
easily accomplished
by screwing anchor bolts 52 into threaded openings or nuts 96. Keder rail 10
is positioned on
the edge of support beam 30, rather in the center, to shorten the distance
between the illustrated
keder rail 10 and the previous adjacent keder rail 10. This allows keder beads
74 to be inserted
into cylindrical protrusions 14, 15 of keder rail 10 without any tension in
fabric 72. Next, the
keder fabric 72 will need to be tensioned.
Figure 6 illustrates a preferred embodiment tensioning tool 110 that may be
used to pull
fabric 72 tight between keder rails 10 after the keder bead 74 on each end of
fabric 72 has been
inserted. Tensioning tool 110 will preferably be used to pull keder rail 10
into position to be
secured to support beam 30, and will in this same process tension fabric 72.
Preferred
embodiment tensioning tool 110 consists of a winch 120 secured through a bolt
121 to a right
angle brace bar 130 having an optional strengthening spanner bar 132 that
forms a 45 degree
angle across right angle brace bar 130, and an anchor tongue 134. Tensioning
tool 110 may be
made of any suitably strong material to withstand the forces necessary while
remaining narrow
in design. Steel is an exemplary material.
As seen in Figures 5 and 6, support beams 30 preferably have small slots 34
pre-cut in
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beam vertical 32, for exemplary purposes at two foot intervals, to allow
anchor tongue 134 of
tensioning tool 110 to be inserted through. Only one slot 34 is needed per
tensioning tool 110.
The tensioning tool dimensions are preferably designed to fit the distance
from slot 34 to the
edge of support beam 30 without extra space so that when tension is applied,
both the horizontal
and the vertical surfaces of support beam 30 reinforce tensioning tool 110 in
order to prevent
undue stress on tensioning tool 110. While a slot 34 is preferred owing to the
simplicity of
machining in standard beams, it will be understood herein that other methods
of coupling
tensioning tool 110 to support beams 30 are contemplated herein, and may, for
exemplary
purposes, include the provision of a pocket on vertical 32 into which anchor
tongue 134 may be
received. Other suitable methods of removable coupling as are known in the
fastener arts are
contemplated herein.
As seen in Figure 6, a hook 129 and strap 128 are preferably secured to keder
rail 10 in
keder rail longitudinal slot 22 between cylindrical protrusions 14, 15. Strap
128 is fed around
winch 120. A person will rotate winch handle 126 which turns ratchet 122,
causing anti-
reversing pawl 124 to click over ratchet 122 teeth. This wraps strap 128 about
ratchet 122,
shortening the distance between winch 120 and keder rail 10. As the winch
turns and shortens
strap 128, tensioning tool 110 is lifted, pivoting around the anchor in the
support beam slot. Once
brace bar 130 is flush with the support beam 30, further tightening of winch
120 applies lateral
tension to keder rail 10 to displace keder rail 10. Hook 129 is preferably
made of metal, such
as aluminum or steel, but can be made of any suitable material that is strong
enough to handle
strong forces without bending or breaking. The strap 128 may for exemplary
purposes be
fabricated from a strong fabric, such as the kind used for seat belts and
commercially available
ratchet straps.
Preferably, two tensioning tools 110 are used in two consecutive slots 34
simultaneously,
and tensioning begins on one lateral end of keder rail 10. Figure 7
illustrates this process. When
the keder rail 10 is in position, it is secured as illustrated in Figures 2, 3
and 7 by affixing keder
rail anchor bolt 52 and securing angles 58, 60. Slots 34 and anchor bolt holes
may not line up
because the distance between anchor bolt holes depends on structural design
specifications such
as wind load.
Once keder rail anchor bolt 52 and securing angles 58, 60 are installed and
tightened, the
most lateral tensioning tool 110 is preferably released and moved to the slot
that is medially
concurrent to the other tensioning tool 110. The tensioning tools 110 are
again adjusted until
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keder rail 10 is in the desired position. Again, an anchor bolt 52 is
installed in the anchor bolt
hole between the two tensioning tools 110, and the most lateral tensioning
tool 110 is released
and is inserted into the slot that is medially concurrent to the more medial
tensioning tool 110.
This process is repeated until the entire keder rail 10 has been tensioned and
clamped. The
clamps 90 of Figure 5 may be replaced with the securing angles 58, 60 and
spacer blocks 54, 56
illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, or with any other securing methods obvious to
one familiar with
the field.
FIG. 8 illustrates a second alternative embodiment keder rail attachment, with
keder rail
secured by a holder in an offset position relative to the support beam ready
for insertion of keder
fabric. This second embodiment is distinguished from the preferred embodiment
by the
hundreds digit, as a two hundred rather than lacking a hundreds digit. Various
components
within each embodiment are designated by the ones and tens digits. However,
many of the
components are alike or similar between these two embodiments, so numbering of
the ones and
tens digits have been maintained wherever possible, such that identical, like
or similar functions
may more readily be identified between the embodiments. If not otherwise
expressed, those
skilled in the art will readily recognize the similarities and understand that
in many cases like
numbered ones and tens digit components may be substituted from one embodiment
to another
in accord with the present teachings, except where such substitution would
otherwise destroy
operation of the embodiment. Consequently, those skilled in the art will
readily determine the
function and operation of many of the components illustrated herein without
unnecessary
additional description.
Second alternative embodiment keder rail attachment 200 incorporates a region
for
coupling to the keder fabric 70 which is similar or identical to that of
preferred embodiment
keder rail attachment 1, incorporating keder rail 210 having cylindrical
protrusions 214, 215; an
open slit 218; keder rail flap hooks 220; and a keder rail longitudinal slot
222; all of like
geometry and function to those found in keder rail attachment 1. However, base
212 differs
slightly from base 12, including a pair of keder rail anchor feet 224, which
will be discussed in
greater detail herein below.
In the preferred embodiment keder rail attachment 1, the keder rail 10 is
clamped in place
prior to fastening with keder rail anchor 50. However, arranging and securing
the clamp while
not damaging the keder rail can be undesirably difficult. In order to
facilitate installation of
keder rail 10, in second alternative embodiment keder rail attachment 200, a
holder 261 secures
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keder rail 210 to support beam 230 prior to and during installation of
membrane 70.
An anchor bolt 252 may for exemplary purpose fasten support beam engagement
262 to
support beam 230, though any suitable fastener known from the myriad of
fasteners available
in the hardware arts will be considered to be incorporated herein. Support
beam engagement 262
is a generally planar member, similar to a strap, that may for exemplary
purposes fabricated from
relatively thick and strong sheet steel. Nevertheless, the particular material
or geometry of
support beam engagement 262 is not critical to the present invention.
Keder rail engagement 264 is distal to anchor bolt 252, and defines the foot
of generally
"L" shaped holder 261. Keder rail engagement 264 will preferably fit within
the space between
open slit 218 and anchor foot 224, and is in this embodiment fastened to keder
rail 210 using one
or more TEK screws 265. Rising from the plane of support beam engagement 262
to a level on
base 212 above keder rail anchor foot 224 is transitional member 263, securely
coupling support
beam engagement 262 to base 212. The particular order of installation of
holder 261 to support
beam 230 and keder rail 210 is not critical, and so either TEK screws 265 or
anchor bolts 252
may be installed first, or these may even be alternately installed.
As may be apparent from Figure 8, Keder rail 210 is in an offset position
relative to the
support beam 230. This allows ready insertion of keder fabric 272 by insertion
of keder bead
274 into cylindrical protrusion 214. Once membrane 270 is installed, then
keder rail 210 may
be pulled into alignment with the center of beam 230, such as illustrated for
exemplary purposes
in Figure 9.
The particular technique and equipment used to pull keder rail 210 into place
is not
critical, but may for exemplary purposes comprise a suitable tool such as the
ones illustrated in
Figures 5 - 7. This would, of course, require that at least one holder 261 be
removed from keder
rail 210 and support beam 230. For example, where only two holders 261 are
employed near
distal longitudinal ends of keder rail 210, a first one of these two holders
261 may be removed
after securing a puller between support beam 230 and keder rail 210. This
would simply involve
the removal of anchor bolt 252 and TEK screw 265. When keder rail 210 has then
been pulled
into alignment with the center of support beam 230, in the position generally
illustrated in Figure
9, a pair of anchor bolts 252 may be placed as shown in Figure 9. Noteworthy
here is that, if so
desired, the anchor bolt 252 used in Figure 8 may be removed and then replaced
in the same hole
through support beam 230, thus not requiring a second hole.
While not essential, the pair of anchor bolts 252 illustrated in Figure 9 will
most
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preferably be provided with bevel or hillside washers 258 that are sloped to
firmly engage with
the gently sloped anchor feet 224. Without a matched slope between the bevel
washers 258 and
anchor feet 224, there will be a much smaller point of contact, which can lead
to more extreme
force distribution and thereby the increased likelihood of damage either
during installation or
use. Nevertheless, and as also visible in Figure 9, the placement of anchor
bolts 252 is adjacent
to and optionally abutting with the most lateral extension points of anchor
feet 224, and on
laterally opposite sides thereof, thereby further ensuring no lateral shifting
of keder rail 210
relative to support beam 230.
While the leftmost anchor bolt 252 is illustrated with the bolt head down and
the
rightmost anchor bolt 252 is illustrated with the bolt head up, meaning the
two are inverted
relative to each other, the orientation of anchor bolts 252 is not critical to
the present invention,
and so the bolts may both be oriented in either direction as desired at the
time of installation.
Furthermore, the length of anchor bolts 252 is not critical, and may for
exemplary purposes be
shorter than that illustrated.
If additional strength within keder rail 210 is desired or required, then an
additional tube,
bar, extrusion or the like 213 may be inserted within base 212. Extrusion 213
is inserted
preferably after removal of all TEK screws 265, thereby ensuring that any
weakening from holes
made by TEK screws 265 are offset by the reinforcement provided by extrusion
213. By
providing optional ledges 211, extrusion 213 may be of standard rectangular
geometry and
dimension, thereby avoiding the need for additional tooling while creating the
option for two
different strengths of keder rail 210 within the same exterior profile.
Furthermore, these ledges
211 in combination with gently sloped anchor feet 224 provide extra material
resulting in
increased strength at a high stress point adjacent to bevel washer 258,
without adding
unnecessary and undesirable bulk. Nevertheless, and in an alternative
embodiment contemplated
herein, base 212 may omit ledges 211 and instead have a simple rectangular
interior opening
resembling that of preferred embodiment base 12.
In an alternative embodiment contemplated herein, anchor feet 224 are
laterally extended
farther from the generally rectangular portion of base 12, and holes are
provided through anchor
feet 224 through which anchor bolts 252 will pass. However, the addition of
this extra
machining to drill holes through the anchor feet 224, and the extra material
and extra bulk of the
extended anchor feet 224 undesirably adds expense without consequentially
improving
performance. Further, as anchor feet 224 thin, there is a point where the
material must still
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PCT/US2017/027509
terminate or be too fragile for regular handling.
While a keder rail 10, 210 is fabricated from a metal extrusion and the
fasteners will
typically comprise corrosion-resistant, plated, or coated metals, the
components illustrated herein
and alternatives or equivalents thereto may be manufactured from a variety of
materials,
including metals, resins and plastics, ceramics or cementitious materials, or
even combinations
or composites of the above. The specific material used may vary, though
special benefits are
attainable if several important factors are taken into consideration. First, a
preferred material
will offer corrosion resistance to avoid adverse weathering and aging due to
condensation and
other vagaries of weather. Furthermore, it is preferable that all materials
are sufficiently tough
and durable to not fracture, even when great forces are applied thereto.
Industrial Applicability
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention solve inadequacies of the prior
art by
providing an extrudable keder rail, a clamping anchor for the keder rail, and
a tensioning device
for use during the installation of the keder rail. The clamping anchor allows
the keder rail to be
securely attached to a standard beam without drilling holes or strapping about
the beam.
The present invention and the preferred and alternative embodiments have been
developed with a number of objectives in mind. While not all of these
objectives are found in
every embodiment, these objectives nevertheless provide a sense of the general
intent and the
many possible benefits that are available from embodiments of the present
invention.
A first object of the invention is to provide a fabric covering or barrier
layer that may at
least in part define a roof or sides of the building structure. A second
object of the invention is
to provide a lightweight alternative to other construction materials that can
be installed quickly,
moved readily when used for temporary structures, and that allows more
permanent structures
to be expanded easily. Another object of the present invention is to enable
the selection of
different fabrics that may be used in part of or forming an entire building to
regulate air, light,
and moisture flow through the space. A further object of the invention is to
maintain the
integrity of the barrier, by avoiding fastener holes. Yet another object of
the present invention
is to facilitate tensioning the fabric in place upon an assembled support
structure, rather than
upon the ground prior to installation of support beams.
While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred embodiment of the
invention,
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. . = ,
. WO 2017/180930 PCT/US2017/027509
no material limitations to the scope of the claimed invention are intended.
Further, features and
design alternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art
are considered to be
incorporated herein. For exemplary purposes only, and not solely limiting
thereto, the
cylindrical protrusions 14, 15 may comprise any suitable geometry, and so will
be understood
broadly to comprise longitudinally open bodies each having a longitudinally
extending open slit.
As may be apparent then, the scope of the invention is set forth and
particularly described in the
claims herein below.
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