Abstract:
Siding installation apparatuses and methods for engaging a first siding piece and supporting a second siding piece are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a support member having a support surface to support the second siding piece, an engagement member projecting from the support member, and a securing assembly coupled to the support member to releasably restrict the support member from moving relative to the first siding piece. The engagement member is configured to engage the bottom portion of the first siding piece by contacting the back surface. It is emphasized that this Abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/474,685 entitled SIDING INSTALLATION APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR INSTALLING SIDING PIECES ON WALLS filed on May 30, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to siding installation apparatuses and methods for installing siding pieces on walls of houses and other structures. More particularly, the invention is directed toward siding installation apparatuses that engage a first siding piece which is attached to a wall and support a second siding piece for attachment to the wall. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The exterior surfaces of houses and other structures are often protected by exterior siding products made from wood, vinyl, aluminum, bricks, stucco, fiber-cement, and other materials. Wood and fiber-cement siding products, for example, include panels, planks, and shakes that are “hung” on plywood or composite walls. Although wood siding products are popular, wood siding has several drawbacks. For example, wood siding can become unsightly or even defective due to rotting, warping, or cracking. Wood siding products are also highly flammable and subject to insect damage. 
     Fiber-cement siding products offer several advantages over other types of siding materials. Fiber-cement siding is a composite material composed of cement, silica sand, cellulose, and binders. To form fiber-cement siding pieces, a liquid fiber-cement composite is rolled or pressed into the shape of the piece and then cured. Fiber-cement siding is advantageous because it is nonflammable, weatherproof, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Moreover, fiber-cement siding does not rot, warp, or crack. 
     One concern with fiber-cement siding pieces is that they are difficult for one person to install because the siding pieces are typically twelve feet long and heavy. Accordingly, installation generally requires one person to hold one end of a piece while another person holds and nails the other end of the piece. To address this concern, tools have been developed to support a siding piece during installation. These tools typically engage the top edge of an underlying piece that is attached to the wall and support the bottom edge of an overlying piece while an individual fastens the overlying piece to the wall. These tools, however, fail to properly align pieces of fiber-cement siding because the pieces are not perfectly straight. More specifically, the width (i.e., the distance between the top and bottom edges) can vary across a fiber-cement siding piece. Thus, portions of the top edge of an underlying piece may be higher on the wall due to a greater width in those portions of the piece. These tools, therefore, may not properly align fiber-cement siding pieces because the position of the overlying piece is based on the position of the top edge of the underlying piece. 
     Another concern with fiber-cement and other types of siding is that some installers do not properly overlap the overlying and underlying siding pieces. For example, some installers attach siding pieces to the wall with insufficient overlap in order to reduce the number of pieces needed to cover the wall. When siding pieces are installed with insufficient overlap using the blind nail method, the nails in the pieces may be visible. If the installer corrects this problem by nailing the pieces closer to the top edge, the nails can ruin the top edge and the back surface of the pieces may not lay against the front surface of the underlying pieces. Consequently, the overlying piece may rattle in high winds or when windows or doors in the structure are closed. Moreover, wind lift may cause the overlying piece to fail. Additionally, when the nails are too close to the upper edge of an overlying piece of fiber-cement siding, the piece may appear to be warping or buckling even though fiber-cement pieces do not warp or buckle because they are inert. Furthermore, water can pass between insufficiently overlapped siding pieces and damage the wall. Such improperly installed siding can void the warranty and be costly to repair. Therefore, there is a significant need to assist installers in properly attaching siding pieces to structures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic top plan view of an apparatus for installing siding materials on a wall of a structure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  taken generally along the line  2 — 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the apparatus engaging a first siding piece and supporting a second siding piece. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic front view of the apparatus and the first and second siding pieces of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an apparatus for installing siding pieces in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an apparatus for installing siding pieces in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A. Overview 
     The following disclosure describes several embodiments of siding installation apparatuses and methods for installing siding pieces on walls. The term “siding piece” is used throughout to include panels, planks, shakes, courses, and other siding materials. The term “fastener” is used throughout to include nails, screws, staples, adhesives, and any other fastening device or medium. Several embodiments of the invention are set forth in  FIGS. 1–6  and the following text to provide a thorough understanding of particular embodiments of the invention. A person skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may have additional embodiments or that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described in the following description. For example, even though many specific details of the invention are described below with reference to fiber-cement siding and fiber-cement materials, the present invention can be practiced using other types of siding, such as metal, vinyl, wood/plastic composites, and other composites of natural and synthetic materials. 
     One aspect of the invention is directed to siding installation apparatuses for engaging a first siding piece and supporting a second siding piece. The first siding piece has a bottom portion and a back surface. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a support member having a support surface to support the second siding piece, an engagement member projecting from the support member, and a securing assembly coupled to the support member to releasably restrict the support member from moving relative to the first siding piece. The engagement member is configured to engage the bottom portion of the first siding piece by contacting the back surface of the first siding piece. In one aspect of this embodiment, the support member includes a first portion and a second portion coupled to the first portion. The first portion has an adjustment axis and the second portion is selectively movable relative to the first portion along the adjustment axis. The support member can be configured to support the second siding piece so that a bottom surface of the second siding piece is spaced apart from a bottom surface of the first siding piece by a desired distance. 
     In another aspect of this embodiment, the securing assembly includes a cam pivotably coupled to the support member and a contact element proximate to the cam. The cam is selectively pivotable in a first direction to force the contact element against a front surface of the first siding piece to restrict movement of the support member relative to the first siding piece. The contact element can have a first surface with a first coefficient of friction and a second surface with a second coefficient of friction different than the first coefficient of friction. In other aspects of this embodiment, the securing assembly includes a contact element configured to contact the front surface of the first siding piece and a driving member configured to urge the contact element toward the first siding piece. 
     Another aspect of the invention is directed toward methods for installing siding pieces on a wall. In one embodiment, the method includes engaging a bottom portion of a first siding piece with an engagement member of a siding installation apparatus without engaging a top surface of the first siding piece and releasably restricting movement of a support member of the siding installation apparatus relative to the first siding piece. The first siding piece is attached to the wall, and the support member is attached to the engagement member. The method further includes supporting a portion of a second siding piece with the support member of the siding installation apparatus. 
     In another embodiment, the method includes positioning an engagement member of a siding installation apparatus between a back surface of a first siding piece and a wall and contacting a front surface of the first siding piece to selectively restrict movement of the support member relative to the first siding piece. The first siding piece is attached to the wall. The method further includes supporting a portion of a second siding piece with the support member so that a bottom surface of the second siding piece is spaced apart from a bottom surface of the first siding piece by a desired distance. 
     B. Siding Installation Apparatus 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic top plan view of an apparatus  100  for installing siding materials on a wall of a structure, such as an exterior wall of a house or other building. The apparatus  100  includes a support member  102  having a first portion  110  and a second portion  120  movably coupled to the first portion  110 . The first portion  110  includes a base plate  112  with an aperture  113  and two side walls  114  projecting from the base plate  112 . In this embodiment, the base plate  112  and the side walls  114  form a channel  119 . The first portion  110  also has a longitudinal axis A 1  extending generally parallel to the side walls  114 . The side walls  114  can include a plurality of apertures  131  spaced sequentially along the longitudinal axis A 1 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the apparatus  100  of  FIG. 1  taken generally along the line  2 — 2 . The second portion  120  of the support member  102  is received in the channel  119  of the first portion  110  and is selectively movable along the longitudinal axis A 1  ( FIG. 1 ). The second portion  120  includes a first end  124 , a second end  125  opposite the first end  124 , a top wall  121 , a bottom wall  122  opposite the top wall  121 , and two side walls  123  coupled to the top and bottom walls  121  and  122 . The first end  124  can include a first support surface  128   a  generally transverse to the top wall  121  and a second support surface  128   b  generally perpendicular to the first support surface  128   a . The first and second support surfaces  128   a–b  are configured to jointly support a bottom portion of a siding piece, as described in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 3 . Accordingly, the first and second portions  110  and  120  can be made of aluminum or another suitable material to support the siding piece. In the illustrated embodiment, the side walls  123  include a plurality of apertures  130  aligned sequentially along the longitudinal axis A 1  ( FIG. 1 ) of the first portion  110 . 
     The embodiment of the apparatus  100  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  further includes a fastener  132  received in an aperture  131  ( FIG. 1 ) of the first portion  110  and an aperture  130  of the second portion  120  to restrict movement between the first and second portions  110  and  120  of the support member  102 . The fastener  132  can be a bolt, pin, or other suitable device. The fastener  132  can be removed from the apparatus  100  to move the second portion  120  relative to the first portion  110  to provide a desired distance between the bottom surfaces of the overlying and underlying siding pieces, as described in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 3 . In other embodiments, the first portion  110 , the second portion  120 , and/or the fastener  132  can have a different configuration. For example, the first portion  110  and second portion  120  can be universally adjustable with one of the portions having a slot to receive the fastener  132 . Alternatively, the first and second portions  110  and  120  can have mating teeth. 
     The apparatus  100  of the illustrated embodiment further includes an engagement member  190  attached to the first portion  110  of the support member  102  to engage an underlying siding piece. The engagement member  190  includes a first portion  192  configured to be juxtaposed to a bottom surface of the underlying siding piece and a second portion  194  configured to contact a back surface of the underlying siding piece. The second portion  194  includes a first end  196  coupled to the first portion  192  and a second end  198  opposite the first end  196 . The second end  198  of the second portion  194  can include a tip to allow the second end  198  to slide easily between siding pieces. The tip can have a sharp edge or a rounded edge to fit between the siding pieces. The engagement member  190  can be made of steel or another suitable material with the strength to engage the underlying siding pieces. The engagement member  190  also allows the apparatus  100  to hang from an installer&#39;s tool belt. 
     In one aspect of this embodiment, the second portion  194  is oriented at an angle α relative to the first portion  110  of the support member  102  so that the siding piece supported by the first support surface  128   a  does not fall between the apparatus  100  and the attached underlying siding piece. More specifically, the distance between the base plate  112  and the first end  196  can be greater than the distance between the base plate  112  and the second end  198 . In other embodiments, the distance between the first end  196  and the base plate  112  can be less than or equal to the distance between the second end  198  and the base plate  112 . 
     The apparatus  100  further includes a securing assembly  140  to selectively restrict movement between the first portion  110  of the support member  102  and the engaged siding piece. In this embodiment, the securing assembly  140  includes a cam  142  pivotably coupled to the first portion  110 , a lever  148  coupled to the cam  142 , and a contact element  160 . The cam  142  has a surface  143  and can be a cylindrical member attached by a fastener  146  to the first portion  110  in an eccentric arrangement. In other embodiments, the cam can have a non-cylindrical shape and be attached to the first portion  110  to provide a driving force generally normal to a plane defined by the base plate  112 . The contact element  160  is positioned over the aperture  113  in the base plate  112  and includes a first end portion  162  attached to the base plate  112  and a second end portion  164  opposite the first end portion  162 . The contact element  160  also includes a first surface  166  configured to contact the surface  143  of the cam  142  and a second surface  168  configured to contact the front surface of the engaged siding piece. At least the second surface  168  of the contact element  160  can be made of a compressible material. An advantage of the compressible material is that it allows the contact element  160  to compensate for variations in siding thickness and surface texture. Moreover, the compressible material will not mark or otherwise damage the siding when the contact element  160  engages the siding. 
     In one aspect of this embodiment, the first surface  166  of the contact element  160  has a first coefficient of friction and the second surface  168  has a second coefficient of friction greater than the first coefficient of friction. For example, the first surface  166  can be made of a nylon material and the second surface  168  can be made of a rubber material. Alternatively, the contact element  160  can be made of Teflon® coated rubber, Kevlar®, enclosed foam, and/or other suitable materials. Accordingly, the low friction first surface  166  allows the cam  142  to pivot easily while the high friction second surface  168  contacts a front surface of the engaged siding piece to prevent the piece from moving relative to the first portion  110 , as described in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 3 . In other embodiments, such as those described below with reference to  FIG. 6 , the securing assembly  140  can have a different configuration. For example, the contact element  160  can be attached to the cam  142  or the surfaces of the contact element  160  can have the same coefficient of friction. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the apparatus  100  engaging a first siding piece  10  and supporting a second siding piece  20 . The first siding piece  10  is attached to a wall  30  with a plurality of fasteners  19  (only one shown). To engage the first siding piece  10 , the second portion  194  of the engagement member  190  slides behind the first siding piece  10 . More specifically, the second portion  194  slides upwardly along the back surface  15  of the first siding piece  10  until the first portion  192  of the engagement member  190  contacts a bottom surface  12  of the first siding piece  10 . Accordingly, a bottom portion  18  of the first siding piece  10  is received between the engagement member  190  and the base plate  112 . 
     After the apparatus  100  is properly positioned on the first siding piece  10 , the securing assembly  140  is actuated to restrict movement between the first portion  110  of the support member  102  and the first siding piece  10 . More specifically, the cam  142  of the securing assembly  140  is rotated in a direction S 1  from a first position (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) to a second position (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ). While moving from the first to the second position, the cam  142  contacts the first surface  166  of the contact element  160  and forces a portion of the contact element  160  through the aperture  113  of the base plate  112  in a direction T 1 . Accordingly, the second surface  168  of the contact element  160  contacts and exerts a force against a front surface  14  of the first siding piece  10  to restrict movement between the apparatus  100  and the first siding piece  10 . Thus, the securing assembly  140  can support the weight of the second siding piece  20 . 
     In one feature of the illustrated embodiment, the contact element  160  moves in a direction generally normal to the first siding piece  10  to exert a force against the siding piece  10 . An advantage of this feature is that it reduces or eliminates the scraping of the surface of the siding piece  10  that would occur if the contact element  160  moved along the surface. Moreover, it is easier to move the cam  142  from the first to the second position because the contact element  160  does not slide along the surface of the siding piece  10 . Sliding the contact element  160  along the surface of the first siding piece  10  requires a force sufficient to overcome the friction between the contact element  160  and the siding piece  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the cam  142  can remain in the second position until a force is exerted on the lever  148  to pivot the cam  142  back to the first position. The cam  142  can remain in the second position because a distance R 1  between the fastener  146  and a first location  143   a  on the surface  143  of the cam  142  can be less than a distance R 2  between the fastener  146  and a second location  143   b  on the surface  143  of the cam  142 . Accordingly, in this embodiment a force is required to pivot the cam  142  in a direction S 2  from the second position to the first position to release the securing assembly  140  and remove the apparatus  100  from the first siding piece  10 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic front view of a first apparatus  100   a , a second apparatus  100   b , first siding pieces  10   a–b , and the second siding piece  20 . Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , after the apparatuses  100   a–b  have securely engaged the first siding pieces  10   a–b , a first end portion  21  ( FIG. 4 ) of the second siding piece  20  can be placed on the first support surface  128   a  of the first apparatus  100   a  and a second end portion  22  ( FIG. 4 ) of the second siding piece  20  can be placed on the first support surface  128   a  of the second apparatus  100   b . Next, the installer attaches the second siding piece  20  to the wall  30  and then removes the apparatuses  100   a–b  from the first siding pieces  10   a–b . In other embodiments, an installer may use just one apparatus  100 . For example, the apparatus  100  can support the first end portion  21  of the second siding piece  20  while the installer supports and attaches the second end portion  22  to the wall  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the piece  20  is placed on the apparatus  100  before attaching the piece  20  so that a bottom surface  22  of the piece  20  contacts the first support surface  128   a  and a front surface  24  of the second siding piece  20  contacts the second support surface  128   b . The first and second portions  110  and  120  of the support member  102  are positioned to provide a desired distance D 1  between the bottom surface  12  of the first siding piece  10  and the bottom surface  22  of the second siding piece  20 . The desired distance D 1 is selected so that the second siding piece  20  overlaps the first siding piece  10  the proper distance. For example, in one embodiment, pieces of siding having a width of 8¼ inches can have a desired distance of approximately 7 inches between the bottom surfaces. In other embodiments, the pieces can be spaced differently. 
     An advantage of the apparatus of the illustrated embodiment is that it allows a single installer to individually install siding pieces on a structure. A second installer is no longer needed to support the other end of the siding piece. The apparatus, therefore, decreases the labor costs of installing siding. Another advantage of the apparatus is that it is easier to use than many prior art devices that engage the top surface of an underlying siding piece. These prior art devices are difficult to remove after the overlying siding piece has been attached to the wall because the devices are sandwiched between the two siding pieces. Typically, the prior art devices must be slid sideways along the top surface to the end of overlying piece of siding to be removed. In contrast, the apparatus of the illustrated embodiment can be slid downwardly and is therefore much easier to remove. Another advantage of the illustrated embodiment is the configuration of the engagement member. The angled configuration of the engagement member forces the support member against the underlying siding piece to prevent the overlying siding piece from falling off the support surface. 
     Another advantage is that the illustrated apparatus properly aligns siding pieces because the bottom surface of each overlying piece is spaced apart a consistent distance from the bottom surface of each underlying piece. Thus, the pieces are properly aligned even when the pieces have nonuniform widths (i.e., when the distance between the upper surface and the bottom surface varies across a piece). Prior art devices that engage the top surface of the underlying siding piece may improperly align pieces of siding if the siding has a nonuniform width. For example, if an underlying piece of siding has a greater width at a first end than a second end, a prior art device that engages the top surface of the underlying piece will place the portion of the overlying piece proximate to the first end higher on the wall. That portion of the overlying piece is placed higher on the wall because the prior art device positions the overlying piece based on the top surface of the underlying piece. Thus, with prior art devices the overlying piece may not be horizontal or properly aligned if the underlying piece has a nonuniform width. 
     C. Other Siding Installation Apparatuses 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an apparatus  200  for installing siding pieces in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The apparatus  200  is generally similar to the apparatus  100  described above with reference to  FIGS. 1–4 . For example, the apparatus  200  includes a support member  202 , a securing assembly  140  pivotably coupled to the support member  202 , and an engagement member  190  attached to the support member  202 . The support member  202  includes a base plate  212 , a top wall  221  opposite the base plate  212 , and side walls  214  coupled to the base plate  212  and the top wall  221 . The support member  202  also includes a first end portion  224  having a first support surface  228   a  oriented generally perpendicular to the base plate  212  and a second support surface  228   b  oriented generally perpendicular to the first support surface  228   a . The first support surface  228   a  and the first portion  192  of the engagement member  190  are spaced apart to provide a desired distance D 2  between the bottom surfaces of the siding pieces. The desired distance D 2  can be selected to provide the proper overlap between overlying and underlying siding pieces. 
     One feature of the apparatus  200  of the illustrated embodiment is that the desired distance D 2  between the bottom surfaces of the siding pieces cannot be changed. An advantage of this feature is that the desired distance is fixed, and accordingly, installers will be more likely to install siding pieces with the proper overlap. Properly overlapped pieces are less likely to rattle when in high winds or when windows or doors are closed, and they are less likely to have the appearance of warping and/or buckling. Moreover, the pieces are more likely to prevent water intrusion and the associated damage to the wall. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an apparatus  300  for installing siding pieces in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The apparatus  300  is generally similar to the apparatus  100  described above with reference to  FIGS. 1–4 . For example, the apparatus  300  includes an engagement member  190  and a support member  302  having a first portion  310  and a second portion  120  movably coupled to the first portion  310 . The first portion  310  includes a base plate  312  having an aperture  313 . The apparatus  300  further includes a securing assembly  340  to selectively restrict movement between the first portion  310  of the support member  302  and a siding piece. In the illustrated embodiment, the securing assembly  340  includes a contact element  342  configured to contact a front surface of the engaged siding piece, a support bracket  344  coupled to the first portion  310  of the support member  302 , a driving member  346  positioned to urge the contact element  342  toward the engaged siding piece, an elongated member  348  coupled to the contact element  342 , and a handle  350  coupled to the elongated member  348 . The securing assembly  340  accordingly exerts a force against the front surface of the siding piece. 
     In operation, an installer can exert a force in a direction T 2  on the handle  350  to cause the contact element  342  to move away from the engagement member  190  so that a siding piece can be received between the base plate  312  and the engagement member  190 . After the apparatus  300  engages the siding piece, the installer can release the handle  350  so that the driving member  346  forces the contact element  342  against the siding piece. In other embodiments, the apparatus can include a lock to selectively retain the driving member  346  and the contact element  342  in a retracted position so that the installer can engage the siding piece without holding the handle  350 . In additional embodiments, the apparatus can include other securing assemblies. For example, the securing assembly can include a screw mechanism or other suitable device to exert a force on the siding piece. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the support member and engagement member are shown as two separate components, but these elements of the apparatus can be portions of an integral or unitary piece of material. Accordingly, the invention is not limited, except as by the appended claims.