GB1603111A - Method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure and a supporting arrangement therefore - Google Patents

Description

(54) A METHOD OF COVERING THE EXPOSED FACE OF A STEEL LINTEL SPANNING AN OPENING IN A BUILDING STRUCTURE, AND A SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT THEREFOR (71) I, FREDERICK RICHARD JONES, a British citizen, of The Big House, Whittington, Oswestry, Shro shire, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure, with a covering section, and a supporting arrangement for supporting said covering section.

There is a growing use of steel lintels in building techniques, to bridge door and window apertures and support upper courses of masonry. At least where a cavity wall is concerned, a load bearing flange of the lintel is exposed beneath the upper courses of the inner wall and at the top of the door or window aperture. Finishing this flange creates problems especially because of the risk of "cold bridging" due to the thermal conductivity of the steel.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure comprising securing a first support means to part of the building structure, said first support means having a part thereof extending beneath the lintel, securing a second support means to an edge region of the lintel, and trapping a cover section between said first and second support means and the exposed underneath surface of the lintel.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a supporting arrangement for supporting a cover section over an exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure, comprising first support means secured to the building structure, the first support means extending underneath the lintel, and a second support means secured to an edge region of the lintel, the cover section being trapped between support surfaces on said first and second support means and the underneath surface of the lintel.

In one embodiment of the present invention said covering section is a section of commonly used thermal insulation board.

However, the covering section may be made of any suitable material.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the drawings accompanying the provision specification, in which: Figure I is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a cavity wall in the vicinity of a window frame constructed utilising the present invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of a first support for use in the present invention; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of a second support suitable for use in the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a cavity wall comprises an outer wall 10 of bricks or the like and an inner wall 12 of thermally insulating building blocks. Reference numeral 14 indicates a window frame and the window aperture is spanned by a steel lintel comprising first and second flanges 16,18 which are generally co-planar and are located at the top of said structure. Flange 16 is effectively located between the outer wall 10 and the window frame 14, and only a small portion of the said flange 16 is exposed, whereas effectively the whole of the flange 18 is exposed on the interior of the building, prior to surface finishing.

Over the area of the walls, the blocks 12 may be finished with plaster 20, or with plaster board and a surface skimming and similar material. However these materials are unsuitable for direct application to the steel lintel and in any event fixing them to the lintel is difficult.

In accordance with the present invention first and second support means are secured in a position so as to clamp insulation board 40, as described later, over the exposed areas of the flanges 16,18.

The first support means is a generally U-shaped member comprising parallel flanges 22,24, joined by a bridge piece including a bead 26. The complete first support member is shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and it will be seen that the surface area over substantially the whole of the support, except possibly the bead is formed with a series of keying projections and/or depressions and/or apertures.

The second support means (see Figure 3) is in the form of a member comprising a first flange 30 and a second parallel flange 32, these two flanges being separated by a web 34. Flange 30 is slotted at 36 so that it can be nailed to the window frame 14 and flange 32 is provided with the projections, recesses or apertures in generally similar manner to the surfaces of the first support member.

The assembly method is to insert the second support member before the lintel is positioned, and cut insulation board, generally as indicated by the reference numeral 40, of appropriate size to cover the exposed faces of the flanges 16,18 and so as to rest upon the flange 32 of the second support member. The first support member is then located in the illustrated position to trap the insulation board and hold it in place. The first support member may be made with flanges which converge towards their free ends, so that it has to be sprung slightly before it can be fitted in place, and the inherent resilience of the material used for the support member may be such as to ensure firm clamping.

The bead 26 provides a reinforcement for the corner when the wall is subsequently externally finished, for example, by a layer of plaster 42 and the skimming coat 44.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to use with the form of steel lintel shown in the drawings.

Further it is not necessary that single first and second support members span the full length of the opening. Further, the first and second support means can alternatively be formed from a plurality of short, separate members.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure comprising securing a first support means to part of the building structure, said first support means having a part thereof extending beneath the lintel, securing a second support means to an edge region of the lintel, and trapping a cover section between first and second support means and the exposed underneath surface of the lintel.

2. A supporting arrangement for supporting a cover section over an exposed face of a steel lintel - spanning an opening in a building structure, comprising first support means secured to the building structure, the first support means extending underneath the lintel, and a second support means secured to an edge region of the lintel, the cover section being trapped between support surfaces on said first and second support means and the underneath surface of the lintel.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, in which said first and second support means are formed, respectively, by first and second support members.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3 in which the first support member is substantially U-shaped in transverse crosssection, one flange of the support member resting on the edge region of the lintel and the other flange constituting the support surface for the cover section.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, including an outwardly directed bead at the junction of said other flange and the bridge piece interconnecting the flanges.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which the flanges converge towards their free ends.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, in which the first support member is formed with keying projections, depressions or apertures in its surfaces.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, in which the second support member comprises first and second offset parallel flanges connected by a web.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8, in which one of the flanges of the second support member is provided with apertures and the other flange is provided with keying projections, depressions or apertures in its surface.

10. An arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, in which the cover section is an insulation board.

11. A method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the lintel is difficult. In accordance with the present invention first and second support means are secured in a position so as to clamp insulation board 40, as described later, over the exposed areas of the flanges 16,18. The first support means is a generally U-shaped member comprising parallel flanges 22,24, joined by a bridge piece including a bead 26. The complete first support member is shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and it will be seen that the surface area over substantially the whole of the support, except possibly the bead is formed with a series of keying projections and/or depressions and/or apertures. The second support means (see Figure 3) is in the form of a member comprising a first flange 30 and a second parallel flange 32, these two flanges being separated by a web 34. Flange 30 is slotted at 36 so that it can be nailed to the window frame 14 and flange 32 is provided with the projections, recesses or apertures in generally similar manner to the surfaces of the first support member. The assembly method is to insert the second support member before the lintel is positioned, and cut insulation board, generally as indicated by the reference numeral 40, of appropriate size to cover the exposed faces of the flanges 16,18 and so as to rest upon the flange 32 of the second support member. The first support member is then located in the illustrated position to trap the insulation board and hold it in place. The first support member may be made with flanges which converge towards their free ends, so that it has to be sprung slightly before it can be fitted in place, and the inherent resilience of the material used for the support member may be such as to ensure firm clamping. The bead 26 provides a reinforcement for the corner when the wall is subsequently externally finished, for example, by a layer of plaster 42 and the skimming coat 44. It will be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to use with the form of steel lintel shown in the drawings. Further it is not necessary that single first and second support members span the full length of the opening. Further, the first and second support means can alternatively be formed from a plurality of short, separate members. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure comprising securing a first support means to part of the building structure, said first support means having a part thereof extending beneath the lintel, securing a second support means to an edge region of the lintel, and trapping a cover section between first and second support means and the exposed underneath surface of the lintel.

2. A supporting arrangement for supporting a cover section over an exposed face of a steel lintel - spanning an opening in a building structure, comprising first support means secured to the building structure, the first support means extending underneath the lintel, and a second support means secured to an edge region of the lintel, the cover section being trapped between support surfaces on said first and second support means and the underneath surface of the lintel.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, in which said first and second support means are formed, respectively, by first and second support members.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3 in which the first support member is substantially U-shaped in transverse crosssection, one flange of the support member resting on the edge region of the lintel and the other flange constituting the support surface for the cover section.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, including an outwardly directed bead at the junction of said other flange and the bridge piece interconnecting the flanges.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which the flanges converge towards their free ends.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, in which the first support member is formed with keying projections, depressions or apertures in its surfaces.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, in which the second support member comprises first and second offset parallel flanges connected by a web.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8, in which one of the flanges of the second support member is provided with apertures and the other flange is provided with keying projections, depressions or apertures in its surface.

10. An arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, in which the cover section is an insulation board.

11. A method of covering the exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification.

12. A supporting arrangement for sup

porting a cover section beneath an exposed face of a steel lintel spanning an opening in a building structure, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings accompanying the provisional specification.