GB2392173A

GB2392173A - Conservatory fastener

Info

Publication number: GB2392173A
Application number: GB0219333A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Smith
Original assignee: HW FABRICATION Ltd
Current assignee: HW FABRICATION Ltd
Priority date: 2002-08-20
Filing date: 2002-08-20
Publication date: 2004-02-25
Also published as: GB0219333D0

Abstract

A conservatory fastener arrangement includes at least one fastening member 36 and a portion 44 arranged to be received within and slidable along a channel 26. The fastening member 36 is arranged to extend from the channel 26. In a first aspect the arrangement includes at least two fastening members 36 spaced from and connected to each other. The fastening members may be parallel bolts 36 embedded in a low friction material coating the portion 44 received within the channel 26. The portion 44 may be arranged within the channel 26 to allow relative pivotal movement of the portion within the channel 26 about the elongate axis of the channel 26. In a second aspect the portion 44 arranged to be received within the channel 26 comprises a channel cooperating surface 42 having a coefficient of friction lower than that of the at least one fastening member 36. Also provided are a conservatory fastener when mounted in a channel 26 of a conservatory member and a method of attaching and locating a conservatory fastener arrangement.

Description

1 23921 73

CONSERVATORY FASTENER

The present invention relates to conservatory fasteners, a conservatory fastener when mounted in a channel of the 5 conservatory member and a method of attaching and locating a conservatory fastener.

In prior conservatories, outwardly extending spars are secured to a main spar by two bolts being slid along 10 channels formed in the main spar. The threaded portion of the bolts extend up beyond the channel, through the outwardly extending spars, with nuts fastening the outwardly extending spar to the main spar. The bolts though tend to jam in the main spar as they are being slid 15 along. Furthermore, each bolt has to be separately aligned with the openings in each outwardly extending spar. Consequently accurately locating the bolts is a time consuming task.

20 It is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome at least some of the above or other disadvantages. According to one aspect of the present invention, a 25 conservatory fastener arrangement includes at least two fastening members spaced from each other and connected to each other, the arrangement being arranged to be received within and being slidable along a channel having an opening from which, in use, the fastening members are 30 arranged to extend.

The fastening members may be substantially parallel to each other.

The fastening members may be threaded members. The fastening members may each be provided by a separate threaded member such as a bolt.

The arrangement may include a low friction material arranged to, in use, engage with the channel. The low friction material may comprise plastics material, such as nylon. The low friction material may be of less friction 10 resistance than the fastening members.

The arrangement may include at least two different materials. One material may be moulded about another such as by injection moulding.

The arrangement may include at least one portion arranged to engage with a channel whereby relative pivotal movement of the engagement within the channel about the elongate axis of the channel is able to occur. The or each portion 20 may comprise an arcuate surface.

The arrangement may include at least one portion arranged, in use, to cooperate with a channel to inhibit relative pivotal movement of the arrangement about the elongate 25 axis of the channel.

At least one of the pivotal enabling or pivotal inhibiting portions may be located in the region of the base or, alternatively or additionally one or more sides of each 30 fastening arrangement.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a conservatory fastener arrangement comprises at least one

fastening member of a material having a first coefficient of friction and a channel cooperating surface arranged, in use, to be received within and to be slid along a channel of a conservatory member with the fastening member S projecting from the channel, the channel cooperating surface being made of a different material from the fastening member and having a second coefficient of friction less than the first coefficient of friction.

10 The channel cooperating surface may be moulded on the fastening member.

The channel cooperating surface may comprise plastics material such as nylon.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a conservatory fastener arrangement comprises at least one fastening member and a head, the head being arranged, in use, to be received in, and slid along a channel of a 20 conservatory member with the fastening member projecting from the channel, the head having a lower coefficient of friction than the channel.

The head may comprise a plastics material such as nylon 25 arranged to slide along the channel.

The present invention also includes a conservatory fastener as herein referred to when mounted in a channel of a conservatory member with the fastening members 30 projecting from the channel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of attaching and locating a conservatory fastener

q arrangement as herein referred to a conservatory member comprises inserting the arrangement into a channel of the member and sliding the arrangement along the channel to the desired location with the fastening member extending 5 from the channel.

The method may comprise locating at least two fastening members in position by holding one member only and sliding that member along the channel with the other member being 10 constrained to move with the one member.

The present invention includes any combination of the herein referred to features or limitations.

15 The present invention can be carried into practice in various ways but one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 20 Figure 1 is a crosssectional view of an eaves beam assembly; Figures 2 and 3 are a plan and a side view of a bolt arrangement 10 used in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a ridge spar 12 having bolt arrangements 10 mounted thereon; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wall plate 14 30 having the bolt arrangement TO mounted thereon.

As shown in Figure 1, an eaves beam 16 is mounted on a window frame 18. The eaves beam 16 and support 18 are

largely coextensive with both comprising elongate extrusions. The eaves beam 16 includes downwardly extending flanges 20 that locate the eaves beam in position on the support 18 by extending downwardly a short S distance over side walls 22 of the support 18.

The eaves beam 16 is a box section with the top wall 24 including an elongate channel 26. The channel 26 includes a flat base 28 at a slight angle to the horizontal, with 10 arcuate sides 30 extending upwardly from the base defining a slot 32 at the top of the channel. A series of bolt arrangements 10 are located along the length of the channel 26. A series of spaced eaves beam spars 34, only one of which is shown, extend down and over the eaves beam 15 16 with the end region of the spars being supported on the top of the arcuate sides 30 of the channel.

Two bolts 36 extend up through openings 38 in lower side extrusions 40 of the spar (shown in Figure 4 for a 20 standard spar rather than an eaves beam spar). Nuts (not shown) are then screwed down on the bolts to secure the eaves beam in place.

The eaves beam spar 34 may be able to extend at any angle 25 of between 5 and 30 , for example, to the horizontal.

Accordingly, the bolt arrangements 10 are able to pivot in the channel 26 by arcuate surfaces 42 sliding against the arcuate inner surface of the sides 30 of the channel.

30 The bolt arrangement 10 is shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3. The arrangement includes two bolts 36 each having a traditional head 44 constrained to be at a short distance from each other by the lower regions including

the heads 44 on the adjacent portions of the threaded portions being encased within a nylon moulding 46. The moulding 46 defines the arcuate surfaces 42 and a connecting portion 48 that extends between the two bolts 5 and which maintains their spacing. The moulding may be injection moulding.

In use, the bolt arrangements are located in the end of the channel 26 and slid along to the defined position by lO holding one projecting bolt of each arrangement, for instance. As the bolts 36 are at the desired spacing to enter the holes 38 in the spar there is only a need to align one bolt with the other automatically being at the required location. The arrangements are easy to slide as 15 the nylon offers little friction. Furthermore, the arrangements are easy to pivot in the channels for the same reason.

In the arrangement 10 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the base 20 50 of the nylon is arranged to be clear of the base 28 of the channel 26 (at least between the limit positions of pivotal movement). However, in situations where no pivotal movement is desired, the base 50 can be arranged to slide along the base 28 of the channel 26 flush with 25 the base to prevent any relative pivotal movement.

The inner side 52 of the eaves beam includes outwardly extending barbed flanges 54A and 54B. A side eaves beam cover 56 includes two spaced channels 58 which can be 30 pressed over the flanges 54A or 54B to locate the cover at one of two possible heights in dependence upon the angle of the eaves beam spar 34.

A gutter 60 is secured to the eaves beam in a well known manner. Figure 4 shows the ridge spar 12 having spars 62 extending 5 downwardly and outwardly from each side at spaced intervals. The extruded spar 12 includes elongate channels 26 extending along each lower side of the spar.

Bolt assemblies are slid along these channels to fasten the spars 62 in position. Glazing panels 64 are supported 10 between the spars 62 with the upper end regions of those panels 64 being located between lower flanges 66 and upper flanges 68 that extend downwardly and outwardly from a central flange 67 of the ridge spar in a well known manner. A ridge capping 72 having a cresting 74 secured thereto and a lower capping 76 are mounted on the ridge spar in a well known manner.

20 In Figure 5, the wall plate 14 has spaced spars 78 extending outwardly and downwardly from it each at an angle of 15 . The spars 78 are secured, as described before, by bolt assemblies 10 being located in a channel 26 of the wall plate. A glazing panel 64 is supported on 25 the spars 78 and extends into a slot defined by downwardly and outwardly extending flanges 80 and 88 of the wall plate. The reader's attention is directed to all papers and 30 documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and

which are open to public inspection with this

specification, and the contents of all such papers and

documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification

5 (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including

any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated 15 otherwise Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the 20 foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any

accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any 25 method or process so disclosed.

Claims

- CLAIMS

1. A conservatory fastener arrangement including at least two fastening members spaced from each other and connected 5 to each other, the arrangement being arranged to be received within and being slidable along a channel having an opening from which, in use, the fastening members are arranged to extend.

10 2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 in which the

fastening members are substantially parallel to each other. 3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the 15 fastening members are threaded members.

9. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 3 in which the fastening members are each provided by a separate threaded member. 5. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 in which the threaded member is a bolt.

6. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim 25 including a low friction material arranged to, in use, engage with the channel.

7. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 6 in which the low friction material comprises plastics material.

8. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 in which the low friction material has less friction resistance than the fastening members.

9. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim including at least two different materials.

5 10. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 9 in which one material is moulded about another.

11. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim including at least one portion arranged to engage with a 10 channel whereby relative pivotal movement of the engagement within the channel about the elongate axis of the channel is able to occur.

12. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 11 in which the or 15 each portion comprises an arcuate surface.

13. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim including at least one portion arranged, in use, to cooperate with a channel to inhibit relative pivotal 20 movement of the arrangement about the elongate axis of the channel. 14. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 13 in which at least one of the pivotal enabling or pivotal 25 inhibiting portions is located in the region of the base of each fastening member.

15. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 11 to 14 in which at least one of the pivotal enabling or pivotal 30 inhibiting portions is located in the region of one or more sides of each fastening arrangement.

16. A conservatory fastener arrangement comprising at least one fastening member of a material having a first coefficient of friction and a channel cooperating surface arranged, in use, to be received within and to be stood 5 along a channel of the conservatory member with the fastening member projecting from the channel, the channel cooperating surface being made of a different material from the fastening member and having a second coefficient of friction less than the first coefficient of friction.

17. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 16 in which the channel cooperating surface is moulded on the fastening member. 18. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 16 or 17 in which the channel cooperating surface comprises plastics material. 19. A conservatory fastener arrangement comprising at 20 least one fastening member and a head, the head being arranged, in use, to be received in, and slid along a channel of the conservatory member with a fastening member projecting from the channel, the head having a lower coefficient of friction than the channel.

20. A conservatory fastener arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings.

30 21. A conservatory fastener as claimed in any preceding claim when mounted in a channel of the conservatory member with the fastening members projecting from the channel.

22. A method of attaching and locating a conservatory fastener arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim comprising inserting the arrangement into a channel of the member and sliding the arrangement along the channel to 5 the desired location with the fastening member extending from the channel.

23. A method as claimed in Claim 22 comprising locating at least two fastening members in position by holding one 10 member only and sliding that member along the channel with the other member being constrained to move with the one member. 24. A method of attaching and locating a conservatory 15 fastener arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings.