US3473274A - Siding assembly - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1969 ongs SIDING ASSEMBLY Filed July 19, 1967 FIG. 3

. INVENTOR. DAvlD A. GODES ATTORNEY 3,473,274 SIDING ASSEMBLY David Godes, Lorain, Ohio, assignor to Diamond Shamrock Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed .Iuiy 19, 1967, Ser. No. 654,449 Int. Cl. Etl lg 23/00; E0441 1/00; E041) /00 US. Cl. 52127 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a siding assembly, and more particularly to a siding assembly especially adapted to use plastic material or any other material which expands substantially when heated. The siding assembly includes starter strips which are positioned at the bottom of the wood panelling and a plurality of panel sections, the first of which snaps into the starter strip and the remainder of which snap, seriatim, into each other. Each of the panels is provided with fastener slots and automatic gauging ridges to limit the depth to which the fasteners are driven. The engagement of the panels with the starter strip and each other is characterized by a positive locking action, produced by overlapping ratchet teeth and by a floating hook with a positive holding action. The engagement of the ratchet teeth provides a support for the panels prior to nailing, and the floating hook arrangement, as well as the nail slot arrangement, permits the removal of a damaged panel intermediate a wall without removal of any other panels. Further, the loose fitting engagement of the nails provided by the gauging arrangement and the nailing slots extending longitudinally of the panels permit expansion and contraction of the panels. Still further, the starter strip is provided with an aligning and gauging ridge on the rear side thereof to produce a predetermined overlap of the floor joist base plates and to eliminate cutting of the panels.

Brief description of the invention Briefly, this invention relates to a siding assembly especially designed for plastic siding in which ample provision is made for the expansion and contraction of the siding. Each panel has longitudinal nail slots adjacent its top edge and a pair of longitudinally extending gauging ridges, one on each side of the nail slots. These ridges limit the depth to which a fastener is driven to thereby prevent the fastener head from being driven in snug fitting relationship against the panel.

On the opposite or lower edge of the panel, a I shaped hook is provided which terminates in a ratchet-like tooth, as viewed in section, which snaps into a longitudinal recess in the next lower panel or, in the instance of the bottom or first panel, into the starter strip. This recess is defined by an outwardly projecting flange which also ends in a ratchet-like tooth, as viewed in section. Because the downwardly projecting portion of this flange is longer than the upwardly projecting portion of the J-shaped hook, and because the cross-section of the recess is much wider than the tooth, the locking engagement between these two members is said to define a floating lock in that it permits substantial bidirectional vertical movements between adjacent panels and between the first panel and the starter strip. This floating hook arrangement permits a damaged panel in the middle of the wall to be replaced without removing or damaging any other panels.

Preferably, the starter strip and the panels are formed of relatively rigid plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride containing no softener which has a hardness in excess of 100 as measured on the D scale of the Short Durometer. For lengths of this material of 12 feet 6 inches, a temperature of 100 F. produces an expansion of the order of aired States Patent 0 3,473,274 Patented Oct. 21, 1969 three-eighths inches. Siding assemblies, according to this invention, may expand three-eighths inch in either longitudinal direction. The starter strips do not expand substantially because they are covered by the siding panels, and, further, because they are ventillated due to their position. Still further, the floating lock and elongated fastener slots, previously described, permit movement of each piece relative to each other and permit adjustment for window sills and other siding obstructions.

These and various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the drawing.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, of a starter strip and a pair of panel members;

FIGURE 2 is a view in section, to an enlarged scale, of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of a portion of a panel member;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in section to an enlarged scale of the portion circled in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective of a starter strip according to this invention.

Detailed description of the invention Referring now to the drawing, one exemplary embodiment of siding assembly is shown in a fragmentary view in elevation and a view in section in FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively, the later being to an enlarged scale relative to FIGURE 1. The assembly includes a starter strip 10 and a plurality of panels, such as panels 12 and 14, all mounted on a wall 15 by suitable fasteners, such as by nails 16.

The starter strip 10 is shown in perspective in FIGURE 5 and in section in FIGURE 2, and includes a plurality of longitudinally extending fastener slots 20 to receive the fasteners 16. On the rear or wall side of the starter strip 10 is a longitudinally extending gauging ridge 22 for the purpose of gauging the position of the starter strip 10 vertically relative to existing siding in a manner which will be subsequently described.

On the opposite side of the starter stri 10, a downwardly projecting portion 24 is provided which terminates in a ratchet-like tooth portion 25 projecting inwardly toward the body of the starter strip 10. The downwardly projecting portion 24 has suflicient resilience to permit movement of the hook or ratchet-like tooth portion 25 transversely relative to the body of the starter strip 10.

When the siding assembly is to be installed, a horizontal line is snapped onto the house one inch above the bottom of the low point of the existing siding or other wood member. This siding is designated 15 in FIGURE 2, and the one inch line is designated 28 in FIGURES 1 and 2. When the upper edge of the starter strip 10 is placed against the line 28, the gauging stri 22 extends just beneath the panelling, as best seen in FIGURE 2. By mounting the starter strip 10 this way, the starter strip covers the junction of the existing panelling and the masonry foundation, which junction is usually unsightly. Also, the starter strip will be level instead of following the usual undulations of the existing siding.

Each of the panels, such as 12 and 14, are identical in cross-section, and, accordingly, only one need be described in detail. Panel 12, as seen in FIGURE 3, includes a main body portion 29 having a ridge 30 extending longitudinally of its top edge. Immediately beneath the ridge 30 are a series of fastener slots, such as the slot 32, which preferably extend longitudinally of the panel 12 a dis tance of the order of one inch. When the panels, such as 12 and 14, are mounted on a siding, the nails 16 are preferably centered relative to the longitudinal dimension of each slot 32 thereby permitting equal movement of the panel in either longitudinal direction. Beneath the slot 32 is a second ridge 34, preferably identical in its transverse dimension relative to the ridge 30. These ridges are preferably rounded in cross-section and serve to limit the arc of travel of a hammer 35, shown in phantom, in FIGURE 4. Thus, the ridges 30, 34 serve to limit the hammer travel and, therefore, the penetration of fastener 16 is thereby assured a clearance space 36 between the head of nail 16 and the panel 12, i.e. the portion of panel 12 between the ridges 30, 34. Immediately beneath the ridge 34 is an outwardly and downwardly projecting inverted J-shaped portion comprising a first flange portion 37 and a second flange portion 37 which terminates in a ratchet-like tooth portion 38. Portions 37 and 38 are preferably identical in cross-section to the downwardly projecting portions 24 and the tooth-like projections 25, respectively. Panel 14 includes a portion which hooks into the inverted J-shaped projection 38 in a manner similar to the hooking engagement between the panel 12 and the starter strip, as will be described in detail.

The lower portion of the panel 12 includes an inwardly projecting inclined flange portion 40 which extends inwardly relative to the main body portion 29 of the panel 12 and is integrally formed with an upwardly projecting flange portion 42 such that the portions 40 and 42 define, with the body portion 29, a substantially J-shaped hook, as seen in cross-section. This hook terminates in an inwardly projecting ratchet-like tooth 44. Because the inwardly projecting ratchet-like tooth 44 has a width greater than the distance between the end of the inwardly projecting hook portion 25 and the body of the starting strip 10, it is necessary to snap the hook-like portion 44 beneath the ratchet-like tooth 25 of the starter strip 10. This ratchet-like engagement is best seen in FIGURE 2.

After the hook-like portion 44 is snapped upwardly past the hook or tooth-like portion 25 of the starter strip 10, the engagement of these teeth is suflicient to support the panel 12 until the workman inserts fasteners 16 into slots 32 and drives them into the panelling 15. Preferably, when this is done, the workman moves the panel 12 slightly in a vertical direction so that the engagement of the panel 12 with the starting strip is a floating hooktype arrangement in which the ratchet-like teeth do not engage each other but can move freely in either vertical direction relative to each other. Particularly, however, the tooth-like portion 44 of the panel 12 can move upwardly or downwardly relative to the tooth 25, as indicated by the bi-directional arrow 45 in FIGURE 4.

The simplest way to produce this engagement is to insert the hook-shaped portion 44 at one end of the panel 12 beneath the hook-shaped portion 25 and raise the panel 12 slowly, beginning on one end and proceeding towards the other end. In this fashion, the hook-shaped portion 44 acts as a wedge to move the ratchet-like tooth 25 away from the starting strip 10. After the nails 16 are driven to a position shown in FIGURE 4 in which a clearance 36 remains, both edges of the panel 12 are free to move longitudinally relative to the strip 12 and, thus, the strip can freely expand and contract Without binding. As previously mentioned, nail slots 32 are preferably of the order of one inch long. When the nails 16 are driven in the center of the slot, relative to the longitudinal dimension, the strip can move one-half inch in either direction. Thus, the panel, which may be preferably formed in convenient lengths of at least twelve feet, is free to expand to the limit of its ability, which is of the order of threeeighths inch for a length of twelve feet when subjected to a change in temperature of the order of 100 F.

The lower hook-shaped portion of panel 14 is identical in cross-section to that of panel 12 in that it includes an inwardly projecting portion 50, an upwardly projecting portion 52, and a ratchet-like tooth portion 53 which engages the downwardly projecting portion 37 and the ratchet-like tooth portion 38 of the panel 12, in a manner identical to the engagement between the lower hookedshaped portion of the panel 12 and the downwardly and inwardly projecting portions 24 and 25 of the starter strip 10. The panels, such as 12 and 14, may include suitable insulation, such as the insulation 55 and 56, respectively, which may conveniently extend downwardly into a position to engage the downwardly projecting portions 37 and 24 of the panel 12 and the strip 10, respectively, to further increase the transverse force which assures the locking engagement between the ratchet-like tooth. The panels, such as 12 and 14, may include suitable weep holes, such as the weep holes 60 shown in the inclined portions 40, 50 of the panels 12, 14. This permits the egress of moisture which collects between the panels and the siding 15.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the principles of the present invention may be utilized in various ways. numerous modifications and alterations being contemplated, substitution of parts and changes in construction being resorted to as desired, it being understood that the embodiment shown in the drawing is given merely for purposes of explanation and illustration without intending to limit the scope of the claims to the specific details disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a lapped siding comprising a plurality of lapped siding panels on a base siding, each panel having an elongated, one-piece body portion of substantially uniform cross-section having first and second edges and inner and outer surfaces and including:

a first ridge extending longitudinally on said outer surface adjacent said first edge,

a second ridge extending longitudinally on said outer surface, in parallel relationship with said first ridge, spaced apart therefrom toward said second edge,

a series of slots along said body portion between said ridges, each slot being elongated in a direction longitudinally of said body portion, there being through the elongated slots drive fastener means aflixing the panels to the base siding with the fastener means driven into said base so that the outermost protruding portion of same is substantially coplanar with the outer edges of said first and second ridges,

an outwardly directed first flange in parallel relation with said ridges, spaced apart from the second ridge toward said second edge, joined along the body portion outer surface,

a second flange joined to said first flange, projecting toward said second edge in convergent relation to the body portion, and terminating in a tooth projecting toward said body portion outer surface, the free edge of said tooth being in spacial relation to said body portion, said first and second flange with the tooth thereby defining a longitudinally directed locking slot,

an inwardly projecting edge flange adjacent to, and directed longitudinally along the second edge,

a substantially flat surface last flange joined to said edge flange, spaced inwardly from said body portion and directed toward said first edge in convergent relation to the body portion, said last flange terminating in a tooth projecting toward the body portion inner surface with the free edge of said tooth being in spacial relation to said body portion,

whereby said teeth provide a positive holding action for adjacent overlapping panels upon snapping engagement of said second tooth past said first tooth and into said locking slot, and the longitudinally directed locking slot and opposed, substantially parallel surfaces of said second flange and last flange permit substantial movement of adjacent overlapping panels, after locking, in direction both longitudinally along said body portion and in a plane substantially parallel to said inner and outer surfaces.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said panels each have an insulating body on the inner surface of the elongated body portion.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lapped siding includes a starter strip having first and second edges and a substantially fiat, elongated one-piece strip body portion of substantially uniform cross-section interconnecting said first and second edges and providing inner and outer surfaces, there being a series of slots along said strip body portion, adjacent said first edge, with each slot elongated in a direction longitudinally along the starter strip, said inner surface having a longitudinally extending gauging strip spaced apart from said slots toward said second edge, for positioning the starter strip at the terminal of said base siding, said outer surface having first and second fiange portions, and tooth means, defining a longitudinally directed locking slot as on the panels, so that the panel overlapping said starter strip, with respect to said strip, is provided with a positive holding action upon snapping engagement therewith as Well as substantial freedom of movement in direction 20 longitudinally along said strip and in a plane substantially parallel to the inner and outer surfaces of said strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 623,681 4/1899 Mooney 85-50 2,042,890 6/ 1936 Fulenwider 52-599 2,766,861 10/1956 Abramson 52-531 2,782,888 2/1957 Rodenbaugh 52-531 3,159,943 12/1964 Sugal 52-531 3,161,924 12/1964 Noecker 52-529 3,170,266 2/1965 Roberts 52-403 3,214,876 11/1965 Mattes 52-520 HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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