GB2115449A - Spring clip fasteners - Google Patents

Abstract

The fastener (e.g. for ceiling or wall insulation boards 12) comprises two portions connecting to form a generally L-shaped body, one of said portions having two legs (2, 3) spaced from and lying generally parallel with one another, the legs connecting to the body at or adjacent the connection between said portions, and one of said legs having a series of barbs (4) along its length directed towards the other leg. In use the barbs (4) engage behind the lip (8) of a T-shaped support and portion (1) of the clip holds board (12) against the profile. Further barbs (5) bite into the board. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in spring clip fasteners This invention relates to spring clip fasteners and in particular relates to such fasteners for fabricated building structures e.g. securing in position insulation boards and the like.

The present invention comprises an L-shaped spring clip fastener having two legs in one limb spaced from and lying generally parallel with one another, one of the legs having a series of barbs alongs it length and directed towards the other leg.

The barbed leg may be the outer leg, and the two legs may conveniently have been produced from a single pressing one being displaced from the other. In particular, the barbed leg may be U-shaped, the barbs projecting outwardly from the opposed sides with the other leg having been formed from the central portion. This other leg may be plain.

The barbs may be formed in saw tooth fashion along the length of the leg the rake of the teeth being directed upwardly towards the other limb of the fastener. This other limb of the L-shaped fastener may itself have an inwardly directed barb on its extremity.

The whole fastener may be produced as a stamping from spring steel and subsequently pressed and bent into shape.

The fastener is designed for use in conjunction with an elongated facing member having an upstanding strip section with a pronounced lip along its extremity, the twin legs of the fastener being pressed astride this section whereupon the saw tooth barbs ride over the lip and are seated firmly underneath. In this position the, the fastener cannot be removed other than being slid along the length of the facing member.

The facing member may conveniently be a T-shaped rolled profile for retaining insulation boards for ceilings, partitions etc., the upstanding strip lying between adjacent boards. In this instance a series of fasteners would be pressed into the back of the board along its edge, namely, by the barbs on the 'plain' limb of the fastener, and the fasteners are then forced over the profiled facing member thus securing the insulation board/facing member in position. The series of barbs along the length of the fastener limb are of course provided to accommodate a variety of different thicknesses of board.

In this instance it is assumed that the board is in abutment with a profiled or plain surface panel, e.g. roof or wall cladding over a major area but this is not essential since the boards may instead be supported simply by the facing strip and the fasteners, with the fasteners being secured to roofing or walling. In this instance the fasteners would be designed to alternate -- left hand/right hand - in the line along which the facing strip is to be secured, the insulation board would be offered up to the fasteners so that the outstanding fastener limbs lie around the board edges and the facing strips would then be forced in over the barbs as before securing the boards in position.

Left hand/right hand fasteners in this instance are defined as ones in which the barbs are formed in the outer legs of the twin-legged limb, on the one hand, and are formed in the inner leg of this limb on the other hand, (i.e. the outer leg then being plain).

The T-shaped facing strips may conveniently be roll formed to accommodate plain strips between the folds for joining one section to another.

U-shaped or X-shaped sections may be used for corners.

in order that the invention may be fully understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) show perspective and side elevational views of the spring clip fastener according to this invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a T-shaped rolled profile facing strip; and Figure 3 shows a cut-away perspective view of a fabricated building structure, namely, insulation boards secured to the facing strip by a spring clip fastener.

Referring now to Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) the spring clip fastener is L-shaped in section having one limb 1 and its other limb constituted by two legs 2, 3, the leg 2 being U-shaped from which the centre portion has been pressed to define the plain inner leg 3. The outer leg 2 has a series of outwardly and inwardly directed saw tooth barbs 4 and similar barbs 5 are defined on the exposed corners of the limb 1.

Figure 2 shows a coated mild steel facing strip rolled into a T-shaped profile defining a broad face 6 and an upstanding strip 7 the extremity of which has been bent to define a lip 8 extending along its length. The folds 9, 10 are spaced slightly from the rear of the face 6 in order to accommodate steel strips which may be used for joining together adjacent sections.

Figure 3 shows the assembled building structure in which the bars 5 have been pressed into the rear surface of a soft insulating board 12 so that a number of these fasteners (only one of which is shown) lie alongside the edge of the board and the fasteners have been forced over the lip 8 of the facing, the two legs 2, 3 lying astride the strip 7, thus clamping the insulating board in the position defined by this facing piece. The next insulating board 13 is then placed in position against the inner exposed sides of the facing and a similar fastening procedure is effected along the far edge of this board.

With the arrangement shown the insulating boards may conveniently be in abutment with plain or profiled surface panels e.g. roofing or walling. Indeed, the insulating board may be bonded to a profiled or 'ridged' surface panel, the ridges extending parallel with the edge along which the fasteners are to be secured and spaced from this edge sufficiently to enable the fasteners to be secured by fingers.

Although this invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiment illustrated it is to be understood that various modifications may readily be made without departing from the scope of this invention. For example the leg 2 need not be U-shaped, it may alternatively be bifurcated i.e. comprise two separate sections; the barbs may also be differently contoured. The 'double' bend on the lip 8 is also not essential, the lip may equally well comprise a single folded section.

As mentioned above, the fasteners may alternatively be secured themselves to lathes or suchlike, e.g. by screws through the limbs 1, the insulating panels together with the facing strips then being offered up to these fasteners.

Claims (9)

1. A spring clip fastener comprising two portions connecting to form a generally L-shaped body, one of said portions having two legs spaced from and lying generally parallel with one another, the legs connecting to the body at or adjacent the connection between said portions, and one of said legs having a series of barbs alongs it length directed towards the other leg.

2. A fastener according to Claim 1 wherein the two legs are spaced apart generally in the direction of the plane containing the L-shape of the body.

3. A fastener according to Claim 2 wherein the legs are produced from a single pressing, one leg being displaced from the other.

4. A fastener according to Claim 3 wherein the barbed leg is "U" shaped and the other leg is displaced from within the U shape.

5. A fastener according to Claim 4 wherein the barbs are formed in saw tooth fashion along the length of the leg, the rake of the teeth being directed generally towards the connection between said portions.

6. A fastener according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the other of said portions is provided with a barb at or adjacent its free end, said barb being directed inwardly of the " L"

7. A fastener according to any one of the preceding claims fabricated from a single spring steel stamping, pressed and bent into shape.

8. A fastener according to any one of the preceding claims in conjunction with a structural facing member secured between the legs thereof.

9. A spring clip fastener substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.