Clamp for securing snow-stop means to metal plates for roofing and the like

Abstract

 Clamp for securing snow-stop means to metal plates of roofing, comprising a first clamping jaw (10) with a larger base (10a) and a smaller base (10b) and a second clamping jaw (20) with a base (20a), said bases extending in a longitudinal direction (X-X), said first clamping jaw (10) having recesses (11) extending towards the inside of said first clamping jaw and aligned with each other and situated opposite each other in a vertical direction (Z-Z) perpendicular to the direction of said bases (10a,10b); said recesses (11) have a respective side (11a, 11b) corresponding to the associated base (10a,10b), which is open outwards, and inner side (11c) with a semicircular shape, and the first clamping jaw (10) and the second clamping jaw (20) have at least two respective openings (13,23) in symmetrically opposite positions relative to the respective seat (11,21) of the larger base (10a,20a) and suitable for receiving a bolt (24a) which can be joined to a nut (24b) for clamping together the two clamping jaws (10,20).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a clamp for securing snow-stop devices to metal plates of roofing and the like.

[0002] It is known, in the technical sector relating to the roofing of buildings, to construct roofs using sheet-metal plates which are arranged on top of the wooden beams of the roof to which they are fixed by means of positioning brackets and then seamed together longitudinally in order to perform fastening in the transverse direction from the roof ridge to the free edge or roof gutter.

[0003] During fixing of the metal plates, the latter are also seamed together in the direction perpendicular to the slope of the roof pitch order to ensure the their stability.

[0004] It is also known that in applications in mountains areas it is always required to use snow-stop means which prevent avalanching of the snow which has accumulated on the roof.

[0005] A clamp according to the preamble of Claim 1 is known from DE 9103193 U1.

[0006] The technical problem which is posed, therefore, is that of providing a clamp for securing snow-stop means to metal plates for roofing and the like, which is able: to allow rapid and reliable fixing to the seaming lines of the metal plates; fasten different types of snow-stop means without having to vary the form of the clamp; allow an improved relative movement caused by expansion of the metal plates following variations in temperature.

[0007] In connection with this problem it is also required that the clamp should be easy and inexpensive to produce and assemble, have a low weight and small dimensions, but have optimum mechanical strength properties.

[0008] These results are achieved according to the present invention by a clamp for securing snow-stop means to metal plates of roofing and the like according to the characteristic features of Claim 1.

[0009] Further details may be obtained from the following description of a non-limiting example of embodiment of the subject of the present invention provided with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1a, 1b:

show a front view and side view, respectively, of the first clamping jaw of a clamp according to the present invention;

Figure 2:

show a perspective view of a second clamping jaw of the clamp according to Fig. 1;

Figs. 3a,3b:

shows a front view and side view, respectively, of an auxiliary element of the clamp according to Fig. 1;

Figure 4:

shows a front view of a clamp according to the present invention mounted on the metal plate of a roof;

Figure 5:

shows a schematic cross-section along the plane indicated by V-V in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6a,6b:

show a perspective front and rear view of a clamp applied to a roof and associated with a snow-stop device in the form of a grille;

Figure 7:

show a perspective front view of a clamp applied to a roof and associated with a snow-stop device in the form of tubes;

Figure 8:

shows a schematic cross-section along the plane indicated by VIII-VIII in Fig. 7;

[0010] As shown in Figs. 1a and 1b and assuming solely for the sake of simplification of the description and without any limitation of meaning a set of three reference axes, defined independently of the orientation of the figures, with a longitudinal direction X-X, transverse direction Y-Y and vertical direction Z-Z, perpendicular to the two other directions, a securing clamp according to the present invention comprises:

• a first clamping jaw 10 with a substantially trapezoidal, preferably isosceles form, having a larger base 10a extending in the longitudinal direction X-X and smaller base 10b opposite to the larger base; during use the larger base will be arranged at the bottom in contact with the metal covering plate 1 of the roof, while the smaller base will be arranged so as to be free in a relative upper position.

[0011] As shown, the first clamping jaw 10 has a convex bottom part suitable for joining together with cylindrical seaming surfaces and provided with ribs 14 extending in the vertical direction Z-Z and designed to increase the mechanical strength of the jaw, thereby allowing its overall thickness to be reduced so as to allow easier machining with a reduction in the amount of material required and therefore in the overall weight, this also allowing savings in the final costs.

[0012] Along both the bases, i.e. larger base 10a and smaller base 10b, the first clamping jaw 10 has recesses 11 extending towards the inside and aligned with each other and situated opposite each other in the vertical direction Z-Z; said recesses 11 have a respective side 11a, 11b corresponding to the associated base 10a,10b, which is open outwards, and inner side 11c with a semicircular shape.

[0013] The first clamping jaw 10 also has a pair of through-holes 12 respectively arranged in the vicinity of the longitudinal edges of the smaller base 10b and on opposite, preferably symmetrical, sides relative to the corresponding seat 11.

[0014] In symmetrically opposite positions relative to the seat 11 of the larger base 10a, the first clamping jaw 10 has two openings 13 which are suitable for receiving a bolt 24a which can be joined to a nut 24b for fixing a second clamping jaw 20 to the first clamping jaw 10.

[0015] The second clamping jaw 20 is in turn provided with a seat 21 which is open along the side 20a, situated at the bottom during use; said seat 21 has a semicircular inner side 21c with a radius corresponding to the radius of the inner side 11c of the seat 11 of the smaller base 10b of the first clamping jaw 10; the second clamping jaw 20 is also provided with two holes 23 which are arranged symmetrically relative to said seat 21 and which, in the working condition, are designed to be arranged coaxially with the openings 13 in the first clamping jaw 10 of the clamp so as to allow the respective bolt 24 to pass through.

[0016] Below the openings 13 the first clamping jaw 10 of the clamp also has a respective boss 15 projecting inwards in the transverse direction Y-Y perpendicular to the plane of the clamping jaw and designed to keep the said clamping jaw spaced from the riveted flange 1a of the metal plate 1 and facilitate the movements thereof due to heat expansion.

[0017] In a similar manner and as shown in Fig. 5, the second clamping jaw 20 has a convex form and respective bosses 25 projecting inwards in the transverse direction Y-Y so as to improve the static arrangement of the system once tightening has been completed.

[0018] Figs. 3a,3b show an auxiliary element 30 of the clamp 10, in the form of a spring piece having the form of an "overturned U", each wall 30a of which has a respective semicircular seat 31 which is open along the respective free edge 30b.

[0019] In the vicinity of its free edge 30b and in the opposite, preferably symmetrical, position relative to the seat 31, each wall 30a of the spring piece 30 has a tooth 33 projecting towards the inside of the U and designed to be inserted inside the respective corresponding hole 12 close to the smaller base 10b of the first clamping jaw 10 of the clamp.

[0020] With this configuration and as shown in Figs. 4 to 8, the clamp according to the invention may be applied to the riveted joining flange 1a of the metal plates 1 projecting in the vertical direction Z-Z, by joining together the first clamping jaw 10 and the second clamping jaw 20 on opposites sides of the riveted flange 1a and tightening together the first clamping jaw 10 and the second clamping jaw 20 by means of the bolts 24a and the respective nut 24b.

[0021] Once the clamp has been fixed to the metal plate 1, 1a the clamp is ready to receive and fix the snow-stop means which may consist of a grille 40 (Figs. 6a, 6b) or tubular elements 50 (Figs. 7, 8). In the first case of a grille 40, which has a rigid reticular structure consisting of longitudinal members 41 and transverse members 42, in order to fix it further auxiliary parts are not required since, for retention purposes, it is merely required to insert the transverse longitudinal member 41 inside the bottom seat 11 of the clamp.

[0022] In the case, instead, of snow-stop elements in the form of tubes 50 which are not fastened together and separate, fixing is performed by inserting a first tubular element into the bottom seat 11, as with the grille 40, and then inserting a second tubular element 50 into the seat 11 of the smaller upper base 10b, which seat, being open upwards, requires mounting of the overturned-U spring piece 30 in order to fix the tubular element 50; fixing is ensured by the engagement of the teeth 33 inside the respective holes 12 of the first clamping jaw. It is therefore clear how the clamp according to the invention allows fast fitting and fixing thereof as well as stable, secure and fast retaining of snow-stop means, also of varying forms, without having to provide specialized brackets for each type of snow-stop devices.

[0023] It is also envisaged that many variants in particular of the form of the first clamping jaw 10, second clamping jaw 20 and the spring piece 30 may be implemented in a manner equivalent to that of the embodiments described above.

[0024] Although described in connection with certain constructional forms and certain preferred examples of embodiment of the invention, it is understood that the scope of protection of the present patent is defined solely by the following claims.

Claims

1. Clamp for securing snow-stop means to metal plates of roofing, comprising a first clamping jaw (10) with a larger base (10a) and a smaller base (10b) and a second clamping jaw (20) with a base (20a), said bases extending in a longitudinal direction (X-X), wherein said first clamping jaw (10) has recesses (11) extending towards the inside of said first clamping jaw and aligned with each other and situated opposite each other in a vertical direction (Z-Z) perpendicular to the direction of said bases (10a,10b); said recesses (11) having a respective inner side (11c) with a semicircular shape, and wherein the first clamping jaw (10) and the second clamping jaw (20) have at least two respective openings (13,23) in symmetrically opposite positions relative to the respective seat (11,21) of the larger base (10a,20a) and suitable for receiving a bolt (24a) which can be joined to a nut (24b) for clamping together the two clamping jaws (10,20), characterized in that said recesses (11) have a respective side (11a, 11b), corresponding to the associated base (10a,10b), which is open outwards.

2. Clamp according to Claim 1, characterized in that said first clamping jaw (10) has a substantially trapezoidal form with a convex bottom part.

3. Clamp according to Claim 2, characterized in that said convex part of the first clamping jaw has ribs (14) extending in the vertical direction (Z-Z).

4. Clamp according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first clamping jaw (10) of the clamp also has a respective boss (15) projecting inwards in the transverse direction (Y-Y) perpendicular to the plane of the clamping jaw.

5. Clamp according to Claim 1, characterized in that the first clamping jaw (10) has a pair of through-holes (12) respectively arranged in the vicinity of the longitudinal edge of the smaller base (10b) and on opposite sides of the corresponding seat (11).

6. Clamp according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second clamping jaw (20) has a convex form.

7. Clamp according to Claim 1, characterized in that the second clamping jaw (20) has bosses (25) projecting inwards in the transverse direction Y-Y.

8. Clamp according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary spring element (30) in the form of an inverted "U", each wall (30a) of which has a respective semicircular seat (31) which is open along the respective free edge (30b).

9. Clamp according to Claim 8, characterized in that each wall (30a) of said spring element (30) has a tooth (33) projecting towards the inside of the "U" and arranged in the vicinity of its free edge (30b) and in an opposite position relative to the seat (31) and suitable for insertion inside the respective and corresponding hole (12) close to the smaller base (10b) of the first clamping jaw (10).

Drawing