US2981383A - Interlocking i-beam for roof and side wall structure - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1961 H. s. DUNN 2,981,333

INTERLOCKING I-BEAM FOR ROOF AND SIDE WALL STRUCTURE Filed May 23, 1960 2 SheetsSheet l IN V EN TOR.

HAROLD 5. Dunn, BY

9% \A. ATTORNEY April 25, 1961 H. s. DUNN 2,931,383

INTERLOCKING I-BEAM FOR ROOF AND SIDE WALL STRUCTURE Filed May 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 25% Fisk.

r at INVENTOR. HAROLD 5. DUNN,

BY h g z nh. 1

Arromvev United States Patent INTERLOCKING I-BEAM FOR ROOF AND SIDE WALL STRUCTURE Harold S. Dunn, 163 Fiesta Way, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Filed May 23, 1960, Ser. No. 31,114

4 Claims. (Cl. 189 -36) This invention relates to an interlocking I-beam and 'connecting purlins for roof and vertical wall structures.

The invention contemplates a novel type of I-beam structure that is extruded from suitable metal, such as aluminum and with the I-beam having a relatively wide head having depending preferably box-like ribs, a connecting vertical web and a base and with connecting purlins for interlocking engagement with the flanges of the head portion to prevent lateral flexing or bending under abnormal wind conditions and with brackets that are engaged beneath the purlins and secured to the web of the I-beam and with the brackets having a resting engagement upon the lower base of the I-beam whereby to securely anchor the purlins in interlocking engagement with the I-beam against displacement.

Present current practice for relatively large screened-. in areas has been to employ a split beam construction in roofs for purposes of prefabrication. A half-beam will be perhaps six and one-half inches deep by one inch wide and is essentially a shallow one inch deep or wide channel on edge in erection as a beam. Two of these open sided channels, fitted together in erection make a hollow beam six and one-half inches by two inches.

The two half-sections are bolted together at about twelve iinch intervals, both bottom and top throughout their .length. With respect to the connecting or bracing purlins, these have been previously installed in two ways: (1) by installing interior brackets screwed to the sides of the beams to be spaced that is, held together and apart, and then a hollow tube two inches by one inch or a channel of the same size is slid over these brackets and the purlin is then secured by screws to this bracket; and :(2) by screws through the sides of the half-beams into the screw slots provided in the interiors of the special two inch by one inch extruded purlins. Both of these purlin constructions are weak in that the pull-apart strength is entirely dependent on the grip of the screws being pulled against in a straight line. In the construction of this application, the split beams have been eliminated as they are inherently weak due to the hollow interior. They buckle sideways easily and creek and groan in the wind.

In the present invention, there has been provided a special form of extruded I-beam that may be employed to constitute roof rafters or columns in forming the side wall areas of an enclosed screened area. The purlins are of conventional construction and are notched transversely to have interlocking engagement beneath the depending flange members of the I-beam in a manner to prevent lateral shifting and with the purlins being additionally supported against movement from their interlocked position by bracket devices that have a relatively short leg to underlie the purlins and a relatively long leg that is screwed to the side of the web portion of the I-beam and with the long leg resting upon the base of the I-beam. The purlins and the depending flanges of the I-beam have been shaped to form spline grooves for the reception of insect screening that may constitute either 2,981,383 Patented Apr. 25,- 1961 the roof or the side walls of the enclosure, such spline connections for the insect screening being well known in the art. Also, the l-beams when employed as supporting columns for side wall structure is connected to the purlins and with the purlins being at an elevation to constitute a chair rail, the connections between the purlins and the I-beam being identical throughout the structure.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated the preferred forms of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating a pair of parallel adjacent roof forming rafters and the connecting purlins interlocked therewith,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary-top plan view of the device illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a composite perspective view illustrating the novel form of I-beam, the interlocking purlin and the supporting bracket for the purlin, and

Figure 4 is a section illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention. 7

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated an extruded l-beam section of aluminum or similar material. The I-beam, indicated as a whole by the numeral 5 includes a vertical web portion 6, a base 7 and a relatively wide head 8. The head at its marginal edges has been shaped to form downwardly extending substantially square flanges 9, that are grooved at 10 for the reception of a suitable insect screening and an attaching spline member, usually formed of vinyl. The screen as will be understood, is adapted to form both the roof enclosure and the side wall enclosures.

The several rafters formed by the I-beams 5 are rigidly connected together against lateral flexing, by extruded rectangular purlins 11. The purlins at their tops are provided with the usual spline grooves 12, constituting the fastening means for the several screen panels that constitute the roof and the side wall. The purlins 11 adjacent their free ends are slotted transversely at 13 and with the slots conforming in dimensions to the flanges 9 whereby the purlins have interlocking engagement with the flanges 9 with the upper surfaces of the purlins being in substantially flush arrangement with the free edges 9' of the flanges 9. The purlins extend between the I-beams 5 and after interlocking engagement are supported against disengagement by L-shaped brackets 14. The brackets 14 have a horizontal short leg portion 15 that underlies the bottoms of the purlins 11 to be secured thereto by threaded fastening devices 16. The long leg 17 of the brackets 14 extend downwardly to rest upon the base portion 7 of the I-beam 5. The brackets 14 are held in tight rigid engagement with the opposite sides of the web 6 by threaded fastening devices 18. The brackets 14 have a transverse width corresponding to the width of the purlins 11.

In the use of this form of the invention, the rafter forming I-beams 5 are installed in a predisposed parallel spaced apart relation to constitute the main supporting elements for the roof. With the I-beams 5' in position, the purlins 11 are then installed'by engaging their opposite ends into interlocking engagement with adjacent flanges 9 at which time, the brackets 14 are forced into sup porting engagement with the bottoms of the purlins and secured to the web portion'6 of the I-beams thus positively holding the purlins against downward movement or preventing lateral flexing under high wind pressures that might conceivably dislodge the purlins from their interlocked engagement with the I-beams. After the structure has been assembled, the various insect screen panels are installed by engaging the marginal edges of the panels into the spline grooves 10 and 12. Where the I-beams constitute the supporting columns for the roof structure, the purlins 11 are installed in a similar manner and extend from column to column in bracing interlocking engagement and also constitute a chair rail.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, substantially identical structure has been provided, including the I-beams S, the web portion 6, the base 7 and the head 8, having the flanges 9. The purlins, indicated at 11 are also slotted transversely at 13, to have interlocking engagement with the flanges 9 at assembly. The purlins at their lower edges have been additionally slotted transversely at 19 to receive short vertically arranged leg portions 20 of a modified form of bracket 21. The brackets 21 have the same short horizontal upper leg 22, carrying the legs 20 and the vertical elongated legs 23, that bear at their lower ends against the bottom 7 of the I-beam. The legs 22 are secured to the purlins by threaded fastening devices 24, while the legs 23 are securely clamped against the web 6 by threaded fastening devices 25. This form of bracket constitutes an additional interlocking means for the purlins 11 calculated to prevent any lateral motion of the purlins with respect to the beams and the purlins for interlocking engagement with both the head 8 and the brackets 21. The forming of the flanges 9 provide channels 26 that snugly receive the ends of the purlins 11 so that the purlins may engage with the flanges 9 and the channels 26 in a manner that prevents any disengagement of the purlins with respect to the I-beams and also provides means to prevent any lateral twisting or flexing of the purlins. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, the purlins are initially engaged with the flanges 9 to seat within the channels 26 and to snugly engage the flanges 9, The brackets 21 are then engaged in supporting relation to the purlins 11 by forcing the brackets 21 laterally to engage the short legs 20 into the slots 19 all being in snug and relatively tight engagement after which the brackets 21 are secured to the bottoms of the purlins and also secured to the opposite sides of the web 6.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there has been provided a very novel type of extremely rigid roof and wall forming structures calculated to resist wind stresses and to most efiectively hold the rafter forming Lbeams 5 against distortion and to form predetermined openings in a roof and wall structure that is subsequently covered by the insect screen panels. The device is simple in construction, is extremely strong, durable, easily installed and is most effective for providing a very rigid roof structure. The several parts are quickly and easily assembled, and the several elements may be formed in any economical manner.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An interlocking structural device for forming roof and sidewall supporting members to be covered by insect screen panels, comprising extruded I-beams that constitute roof rafters and also roof supporting columns that are disposed in spaced apart parallel relation, the I- beams having a relatively wide head portion, a base and a connecting web, the head portion along its marginal edges being downwardly flanged, the flanges being relatively thick transversely and with the flanges being provided with upwardly opening spline grooves to receive the marginal edges of insect screen panels, means for bracing the I-beams against lateral twisting that comprises extruded hollow purlins that extend between adjacent beams, the purlins being provided upon their upper edges with upwardly opening spline grooves to receive the edges of the screen panels, each of the purlins adjacent their opposite ends being transversely slotted across their tops and with the slots corresponding in width to the transverse thickness of the flanges, the purlins being interlocked with the flanges of adjacent beams through the medium of the engagement of the slots with the flanges, the spline grooves of the beams and the purlins being disposed at an identical elevation to receive the marginal edges of the panels and bracket means connected with the bottom of the purlins and with the web of the beams to prevent movement of the purlins downwardly from their interlocked engagement with the flanges.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the flanges of the beams are substantially square in crosssection and extend for the full length of the beams, the downward extension of the flanges forming downwardly opening channels with the head portion and the web, the said purlins having their free ends seated in the channels in assembled relation and to snugly engage the slots with the flanges.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the purlins are rectangular in cross-section, the said supporting brackets being of L-shape and having a relatively short leg portion that engages beneath the purlins and with a long leg that is fixedly connected to the web, the lower end of the long leg having a bearing engagement upon the base of the I-beam.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the purlins upon their bottoms are transversely slotted, the said brackets being of L-shape and having a relatively short upper leg portion and a longer leg portion that is connected to the web and with its lower end bearing upon the base, the upper leg portion at its free end having a right angle flange that is proportioned to engage the last named slots of the purlins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 563,530 Wilson July 7, 1896 1,231,564 Carlough et al July 3, 1917 1,662,766 Wait Mar. 13, 1928 2,097,580 Tarbell Nov. 2, 1937 2,211,384 Patterson Aug. 13, 1940 2,617,502 Kessler Nov. 11, 1952 2,897,889 Kessler Aug. 4, 1959

Images