Patent ID: 6421974
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: E04F

Abstract:
A clad structure including;a) a plurality of elongate supports arranged one above another, each of said elongate supports having; (i) a web which is secured to the structure, (ii) vertically spaced-apart flanges arranged along horizontal edges of the elongate support so as to project away from the structure, said flanges of each elongate support including; an upper flange (3) having a downwardly extending lip (4), and a lower flange (5) having a tile retention protrusion (12) on an upper surface, an edge of the lower flange being turned upwards on a side nearer the web so as to have a hook-shaped profile (6) defining an open-topped channel (8); b) the lip (4) of the upper flange of one elongate support being received in the open-topped channel (8) provided by the lower flange of the next adjacent upper elongated support, so that the upper and lower flanges are interconnected and define an open-bottomed groove (42); c) and a plurality of tiles, each tile having; (i) a flange (24) projecting upwardly from an upper edge of the tile, which flange is spaced from a front surface of the tile, and (ii) a rib (26) on a rear surface of the tile, the rib being disposed in a lower region of the tile, said upwardly projecting flange of the tile being received in said open-bottomed groove (42) and the rib being retained behind the protrusion (12); and d) the plurality of tiles being secured to the plurality of elongate supports in rows with rows with tiles in rows above a lowest row being spaced from tiles in a row immediately below.