WO2012019227A1

WO2012019227A1 - Snap fitting building components

Info

Publication number: WO2012019227A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001015
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Richardson
Original assignee: MELBOURNE TIMBER MANUFACTURING PTY Ltd
Current assignee: MELBOURNE TIMBER MANUFACTURING PTY Ltd
Priority date: 2010-08-11
Filing date: 2011-08-11
Publication date: 2012-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2013-02-11
Also published as: AU2017200347A1; AU2019201162A1; AU2011288970A1

Abstract

A linear spacing rail for use in fixing decking boards to joists and weather boards to studs, has a series of projections which engage the sides of the boards in order to space them accurately and snap fit them to the joists or studs. A method of constructing a deck and the side of a building are described.

Description

TITLE: SNAP FITTING BUILDING COMPONENTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention concerns devices and methods for nail-less construction of decking, siding and similar building operations where flat components are fastened to side by side supports. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional method which utilises screws, nails or clips is time consuming and therefore expensive. Any bowed boards must be clamped or levered to remove the curvature further slowing the job. Our method speeds construction by modifying the supports through the addition of a spacing rail and ensuring that the flat components are straight and fit into a prepared grid.

US 5,150,377 shows metal strips laid on the top of joists. The strips are laid end to end and provide transverse ribs to detennine the spacing of overlying extruded boards. Legs extending from the underside of the boards are a force fit between pairs of transverse ribs in the top face of the strip. Such a system is suited to aluminium clips and plastic boards.

US 6,490,838 describes deck members made of concrete composite material shaped into a board. Sheet metal clips are fastened to the tops of underlying joists and board members are slid along the top face of the joists until a groove in the side of the board approaches parallel to the board previously laid. As the board close together they imprison the clip which holds the boards in the installed position. An orderly array results.

US 7,409,803 B2 shows a T-shaped individual fastener each with a projecting staple for driving into the top face of a joist at intervals to enable the head of the T to engage a groove in the side of a board. Each board is slid across the joists to engage a row of fasteners lying in contact with board which has already been laid. Thus the spacing must be continually checked by the deck installer to ensure the boards look parallel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first method aspect provides a method of making a linear construction support with a pair of faces and a pair of edges, one of which is a support edge, applying to a face of the support, a rail with projections which extend above the support edge and both spaces and anchors flat components which are snap fitted to the support edge. The support may be a joist for decking or a stud for siding.

The device aspect of the invention provides a linear spacing rail for use in building construction having an elongate body for attachment to the edge of the support element and a series of like projections extending from a common edge at equal intervals, each projection being capable of cooperating with the next adjacent projection to engage the edges of a cladding or decking component in a snap fit.

The spacing rail may be cut from sheet material or moulded. Preferably the strip is made from a suitable polymer which is rendered weather resistant by appropriate fillers. Galvanised steel is avoided because of its tendency to react with the preservative used to treat softwood.

The projections may be substantially T-shaped in section with rounded ends in order to assist the snap fit. Likewise the edges of the component to be fixed to the rail may have a groove in both edges of complementary profile so that the rail exerts a retaining force on the components once they have been snap fitted.

The intervals between the projections corresponds therefore to the width of the components to be retained. This will commonly be a decking board or a cladding strip used as siding on a wall. The purpose of the rail is therefore to act firstly as a template which ensures an accurate grid of parts is made possible during construction and secondly as a retainer of parts in their allotted positions. The retention need not be irreversible. Thus a damaged board can be easily replaced by unsnapping it.

Projections may be equal in thickness to the rail.

At least some of the projections of a strip may each have a lug extending from the same face of the projection for contacting the joist in order to position the strip correctly on the joist.

The projections may instead extend from the rail itself with consequent modification of the projections.

If building regulations require that the parts be fastened together this extra step can be taken, for example following up with nail gun application. The immediate advantages to the user however are that the geometry of the job does not require checking as it proceeds and the user does not need to hold a tool in order to attach the component to the rail. Hand or foot pressure suffices to snap the component into place.

The second method aspect provides a method of constructing a deck comprising the steps of arranging joists or bearers in a parallel array, each joist having a rail as described above so the rails lie in a common plane, connecting the rails with a common board lying transversely across the array thereby mutually aligning the rails, fixing the joists to the bearers and snap fitting boards to the rails. Those skilled in the construction art will appreciate that the supports can be curved so that laminated beams can take curved rails and the method will produce concave or convex structures if required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a fragment of a deck showing decking boards retained by the strip.

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 minus the boards. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the strip.

Figure 4 is an end section of a decking board with moulded edges to receive the strip. Figure 5 is a plan of a deck in the course of construction.

Figure 6 is a side view of a building stud supporting the strip and multiple horizontal cladding panels.

Figure 7 is the same as Figure 2 but the lugs make a joist rebate.

Figure 8 is the same as Figure 3 and shows a lug. DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings, sheets of high density polyethylene 1800mm long are laser cut to form rails one of which, namely rail 2, is shown in Figure 1. The sheets are 4mm thick. The rail sits on a continuous rebate 4 machined in the face of treated softwood joist 6 shown in Figure 2. Nails 8 inserted at 200mm intervals fasten the rail 2 to the joist. T-shaped projections 10 project from the top edge of the rail 2. These project at intervals corresponding to the width of the decking board 12 to be secured to the joist. Figure 3 is approximately to scale and shows projection 10 with a neck 14, 6mm long and a head 16, 12mm wide and 10mm deep with rounded sides 18. The rail body is 34mm deep.

Figure 4 shows a finger jointed decking board 12 made of side by side cypress sticks 20. The top 22 face of the board is 85mm wide while the bottom face 24 is 83mm wide. Both edges 26 are moulded to re-produce the profile of the neck and head of the projection 20. When the board of Figure 4 is laid between two side by side projections as shown in Figure 1 corner 28 abuts the neck of one projection and the lower face of the board 12 rests on the side of the head of the next projection so that the board 12 is inclined at a few degrees from horizontal. Downward pressure by the foot on the top face of the board snaps the board into the gap between the two projections 20 and the heads engage the moulded profiles in the edges of the board leaving a 2mm gap between adjacent boards to allow for swelling across the width of the board in wet weather.

In Figure 5 the bearers 30 and joists are laid out on a grid at conventional centres with the proviso that the endmost projection 20 of each joist contacts the wall 32. A datum board 12 is snapped into the first pair of projections of each joist thereby linking them. The assembly is checked for squareness and the joists are then nailed to the bearers.

The boards are then snapped in one by one across the length of the joists. Dabs of exterior glue are placed on the top face of the joist to prevent subsequent unauthorised board removal. As the boards are manufactured from finger jointed stock they are straighter than sawn boards which may include a fraction not suitable for presenting to joists with rails as described above.

Once the deck is constructed it is much easier to add fasteners if required, for example from a nail gun.

In Figure 5 the rail is seated in a rebate along one face of a pine stud 40 being part of the wall of a dwelling. The wall is clad with moulded boards 42, the edges 44 of which are moulded to engage the projections 10 of the rail 2 in a snap fit. Once snap fitted the board can be nailed conventionally into the stud if preferred.

In a variant shown in Figures 7 and 8, the rail is an injection moulding in HD polyethylene, 540 x 32 x 6mm. The projections are at 90mm centres and stand 12mm above the top edge of the rail. The lugs 46 extend 9mm from the face of each projection. The installer sits the rail on the joist and drives nails into the pre-made bores 48. The rails are laid end to end along the length of the joist.

The rails may be supplied together with boards to do the job, the grooves in the board sides being profiled to take the rail projections. In some jobs the joists may be supplied with the rails already fastened to the joists. We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be:

1. Eliminates the need for nails or screws which fasten the building components to the building or deck supports. Fasteners are limited to those needed to attach the rails to the supports.

2. Decking and siding becomes faster to lay and apply.

3. The life of the timber in the deck is considerably extended because the number of holes made by fasteners are vastly reduced.

4. Health and safety of the user is safeguarded.

It is to be understood that the word "comprising" as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word "comprising" does not exclude the addition of other elements.

It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

A method of making a linear construction support with a pair of faces and a pair of edges, one of which is a support edge, fixing to a face of the support, a rail with projections which extend above the support edge and which both spaces and anchors flat components which are snap fitted to the support edge.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 , wherein the support is a joist for decking or a stud for siding.

3. A method of constructing a deck comprising the steps of arranging joists or bearers in parallel array, each joist having a rail fixed thereto so the rails lie in a common plane, the rails having multiple projections which extend an equal distance above the rails, connecting the rails with a common board lying transversely across the array, thereby mutually aligning the rails, fixing the j oists to bearers and snap fitting boards to the rails.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the joists are curved and the rails are flexible in order to curve.

5. A linear spacing rail for use in building construction aspect of the invention provides a linear spacing rail for use in building construction having an elongate body for attachment to the edge of the support element and a series of like projections extending from a common edge at equal intervals, each projection being capable of cooperating with the next adjacent projection to engage the edges of a cladding or decking component in a snap fit.

6. A linear spacing rail as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the projections are substantially T-shaped in section with rounded ends in order to assist the snap fit.

7. A linear spacing rail as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, wherein the rail has 6-12 projections.

8. A linear spacing rail as claimed in any one of Claims 5-7, wherein the projections are equal in width to the rail width.

9. A linear spacing rail as claimed in any one of Claims 5-8, wherein at least some of the projections have a lug extending from the face thereof for overlying contact with the joist.

10. A linear spacing rail as claimed in any one of Claims 5-9, wherein the rail is a moulding with fixing holes along its length for admitting fasteners.