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(11) | EP 1 231 333 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Spacer device suitable for metal roofing |
| (57) A spacer device, particularly suitable for acting as a support for metal roofing,
comprising a base member (2) arranged to be anchored to a support (20) and having
a plurality of primary engagement means (9) spaced from one another along an adjustment
direction, a matching element (3) that is arranged to be adjustably secured to the
said base member (2), thereby adjustably extending from it in said adjustment direction
and to support a roof portion (21), said matching element (3) having a plurality of
secondary engagement means (11) spaced one from the other and designed to match with
said primary engagement means (9) along said adjustment direction, and a locking means
(4) arranged to engage with said primary and secondary engagement means (9, 11) to
lock the said matching element (3) in a desired extended position on said base element
(2). |
[0002] As is well-known, industrial and civil buildings often have flat concrete roofs onto which a metal roof has to be built.
[0003] Generally speaking, at the edges of such flat roofs there are water run-off channels and thus the metal cover or roofing must be able to take the rain water into such drainage channels. For this reason the metal cover must be spaced away from the flat concrete roof and must also slope relative to the flat roof to facilitate the run-off of water in the drainage channels.
[0004] Spacing of the metal roofing from the flat roof is obtained at present time using threaded shafts to permit suitable adjustments to the height.
[0007] It is also difficult to carry out equal adjustment of the threaded shafts due to the laboriousness of checking the height of each individual threaded shaft.
[0008] The main object of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problems by providing a height-adjustable device which avoids the use of threaded shaft-nut systems.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient and reliable height-adjustable device that can be manufactured at low production costs.
[0010] These and other objects, that will become better apparent below, are achieved by a spacer device, particularly suitable for metal roofing, characterised in that it comprises a base member arranged to be anchored to a support and having a plurality of primary engagement means spaced from one another along an adjustment direction, a matching element that is arranged to be adjustably secured to the said base member, thereby adjustably extending from it in said adjustment direction and to support a roof portion, said matching element having a plurality of secondary engagement means spaced one from the other and designed to match with said primary engagement means along said adjustment direction, and a locking means arranged to engage with said primary and secondary engagement means to lock the said matching element in a desired extended position on said base element.
[0012] Further aspects and advantages of the present invention can be better understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given merely by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a spacer device according to the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevation view of a matching element telescopically arranged in a base member;
FIGURE 3 illustrates a perspective view of a locking element;
FIGURE 4 is a front elevation view of a modification of the height-adjusting device according to the invention;
FIGURE 5 is a view from above of a matching element of Fig. 1;
FIGURE 6 is a view from above of a base member suitable to receive in it the matching element of Fig. 5;
FIGURE 7 is an elevation side view of a metal roof supported by a flat concrete roof by means of a plurality of spacer devices in accordance with the present invention;
FIGURE 8 is a top view of a base member according to another embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 9 is a partial elevation view of the base member of Fig. 8;
FIGURE 10 shows a partial side view of the base member of Fig. 8;
FIGURE 11 is a top view of a matching element arranged to cooperate with the base member of Figs. 8 to 10; and
FIGURE 12 is a partial side view of the matching element of Fig. 12.
[0013] In the drawings the like or similar components have been indicated by the same reference numerals.
[0014] With reference first to Figures 1 to 7, a spacer device according to the present invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 1, comprises a base member 2, a matching element 3 and a locking means 4.
[0015] More particularly, the base member 2 is comprised of a flat supporting base 5 formed with through holes 6a and 6b for being fastened by any suitable means, not shown in the drawings, to a support, e.g. a flat concrete roof 20 (Fig. 7), on which a metal roofing 21 is to be built.
[0016] The base member 2 comprises a tubular stem portion 7a being circular in cross-section, extending substantially perpendicular to the supporting base 5 and having a hollow portion 7b jutting radially out of the tubular stem portion 7a.
[0017] The jutting out portion 7b has two side and substantially parallel side walls 8a and 8b and advantageously a front wall 8c. More particularly, at the jutting out portion 7b there are provided primary matching means, e.g. through holes 9 extending through both the side walls 8a and 8b in a direction substantially perpendicular to the walls 8a and 8b.
[0018] The matching element 3 has an elongated rod-like body 3a designed to be slidably mounted in the tubular stem portion 7a of the base member 2, and a lateral projecting extension 3b arranged to be slidably mounted in the jutting out portion 7b of the base member. Preferably, the rod like body 3a has three longitudinal uniformly angularly displaced ribs 10b, 10c and 10d (Fig. 5), ribs 10b 10c having a rounded outer surface 10b', 10c', respectively, whereas rib 10d is rigid with the projecting extension 3b.
[0019] Moreover, the matching element 3 has, at its upper end designed to project outward from the base member 2, a top flat portion 10a.
[0020] Secondary matching means, e.g. uniformly spaced through holes 11 are provided on the lateral extension 3b of the matching member 3, the through holes 11 having the same pitch as that of the through holes 9 of the jutting out portion 7b.
[0021] Of course, the primary and the secondary matching means can alternatively comprise a sequence of teeth, slots or the like.
[0022] Should the height-adjusting device be made of metal, e.g. rolled steel sheet, it would be more expedient to obtain a base member 2 with a tubular stem portion 7a triangular or square in cross-section from which a jutting out portion 7b extends outwards and into which a sequence of holes or openings 9 is formed. The matching element 3 has a cross-section matching that of the base member 2.
[0023] The base member 2 and the matching element or member 3 can also be advantageously made of plastics moulded material.
[0024] Specifically when a spacer device 1 according to the invention is used for supporting a metal roof, the matching member 3 has, at its top end coming out of the base member 2, anchoring means arranged to removably secure, e.g. by means of a socket head screw 12, a clamping strap 13.
[0025] The way that a height-adjusting device 1 according to the present invention works is as follows.
[0026] The base member 2 is fastened, e.g. by two wall-plugs, that extend through a hole 6a or 6b, to a support such as into a flat concrete roof 20 onto which a metal roofing 21 has to be constructed.
[0027] The matching element 3 is inserted into the tubular stem portion 7a and the hollow portion 7 of the base member 2 and, once positioned at the desired height with respect thereto, is locked in position by the inserting a locking device, e.g. a pin or plug 4 (Fig. 3), simultaneously into a pair of holes 9 formed in the jutting hollow portion 7b and a hole or holes 11 provided in the parallelepiped projecting extension 3b.
[0028] The embodiment of the spacer device 1 shown in Figs. 8 to 12 comprises a base member 2 having a tubular stem portion 7a ovoid in cross-section, whereas its matching element 3 has an elongated rod-like body 3a, as previously described, designed to be slidably mounted in the tubular stem portion 7a of the base member 2, and a lateral projecting extension 3b arranged to be slidably mounted in the jutting out portion 7b of the base member 2. The jutting out portion 7b extends outwardly from the base member 2 in substantial alignement with the through holes 6a and 6b.
[0029] The resolution of a spacer device according to the invention depends on the difference in pitch between the primary matching holes 9 and the secondary matching holes 11.
[0030] By providing, for example, six holes at a distance of 10 mm apart as the primary matching means and as a secondary matching means five holes 12 mm apart a resolution of two mm is obtained. As a matter of fact, it is possible, even if the holes are apart from each other, respectively, 12 mm and 15 mm, to raise the top end of the spacer device protruding from the base element and to which the removable clamping strap 13, by 2 mm at a time.
[0031] It will be appreciated that a spacer device according to the invention is an application of the nonius or vernier scale used in various measuring instruments such as callipers.
[0032] Thus, a spacer device 1 is based on the fact that by dividing a fixed element by a given interval of length or angle, in a first number n of sectors and dividing the same interval on a movable element that can be caused to slide relative to the fixed element into a number (n-1) of sectors, an instrument resolution is obtained equal to the pitch difference between the second and the first sectors.
[0033] The above described spacer device is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.
1. A spacer device, particularly suitable for acting as a support for metal roofing,
characterised in that it comprises a base member (2) arranged to be anchored to a support (20) and having
a plurality of primary engagement means (9) spaced from one another along an adjustment
direction, a matching element (3) that is arranged to be adjustably secured to the
said base member (2), thereby adjustably extending from it in said adjustment direction
and to support a roof portion (21), said matching element (3) having a plurality of
secondary engagement means (11) spaced one from the other and designed to match with
said primary engagement means (9) along said adjustment direction, and a locking means
(4) arranged to engage with said primary and secondary engagement means (9, 11) to
lock the said matching element (3) in a desired extended position on said base element
(2).
2. A spacer device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the said matching element (3) telescopically mounted with respect to said base member
(2).
3. A spacer device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said plurality of primary matching means (9) are spaced apart from each other by
a determined pitch.
4. A spacer device as claimed in any previous claim, characterised in that said secondary matching means (11) are spaced apart from each other by a different
distance from the said determined pitch.
5. A spacer device as claimed in any previous claim, characterised in that the first and last of the said plurality of primary matching means (9) are spaced
apart by a first interval is equal in length to the distance between the first and
the last of the said plurality of the secondary matching means (11).
6. A spacer device as claimed in any previous claim, characterised in that said plurality of primary matching means comprise a plurality of primary engaging
openings (9).
7. A spacer device as claimed in any previous claim 1 to 5, characterised in that said plurality of primary matching means comprise a plurality of primary slots or
teeth.
8. A spacer device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said plurality of secondary matching means (11) comprise a plurality of secondary
openings.
9. A spacer device according to any preceding claim 1 to 7, characterised by the fact that said plurality of secondary matching means (11) comprise a plurality
of secondary slots or teeth.
10. A spacer device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said adjustment direction extends substantially perpendicular and said support (20).
11. A spacer device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that said base member (2) comprises a tubular stem portion (7a).
12. A spacer device according to claim 11, characterized in that the said tubular stem portion (7a) comprises hollow portion (7b) jutting radially
out of said tubular stem portion (7a).
13. A spacer device according to any previous claim, characterised in that said base member (2) comprises a supporting base portion (5).
14. A spacer device according to any previous claim, characterised in that said supporting base (5) comprises at least one fastening through hole (6a, 6b).
15. A spacer device according to any of the above claim 11 to 14, characterised in that said matching element (3) comprises an elongated rod-like body (3a) designed to be
slidably mounted in said tubular stem portion (7a) of said base member (2), and a
lateral projecting extension (3b) arranged to be slidably mounted in said jutting
out portion (7b) of said base member (2).
16. A spacer device as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the said rod-like body (3a) has three longitudinal angularly displaced ribs (10b,
10c and 10d) each having a rounded outer surface (10b', 10c').
17. A spacer device as claimed in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the said matching element (3) comprises a clamping means (13) securable to its end
projecting out from the said base member (2).
18. A spacer as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that it comprises securing means (12) for fixing said clamping means (13) to said matching
element (3).
19. A spacer device according to any previous claim, characterised in that said base member (2) and/or said matching element (3) are made of plastics material.
20. A spacer device according to any preceding claim 1 to 18, characterised in that said base member (2) and/or said matching element (3) are made of metal sheet.