Method for assembling an awning

Method for assembling an awning, including method for tensioning awning material about an awning frame. The awning material is secured to the top rear of the frame and stretched over the bottom front and each bottom side of the frame. Pieces of spline are thereafter placed atop the material and pressed into slots defined by frame members on the bottom front and bottom sides of the frame. Keeper members are thereafter inserted into the slots in abutting engagement with the spline and are secured to the inner frame members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a method for assembling an awning, 
including a method for tensioning the material from which the awning is 
constructed. 
Awnings have grown in popularity in recent years. A conventional awning 
typically includes a welded frame having canvas, nylon, or vinyl material 
stretched thereover. One end of the awning material is sewn about a piece 
of spline and inserted into awning head-rail secured to the frame. In one 
type of awning, the opposite end of the material is secured to the frame 
by rope or line which extends through eyelets in the material and about 
the frame. The frame is thereafter secured to a building facade or other 
structure in a conventional manner. 
One type of awning which has grown in popularity is the back lit awning. In 
this type of awning, vinyl-coated nylon material is stretched over a 
skeletal frame and a light source is placed within the frame behind the 
material, thereby illuminating the awning. Angle members secured to the 
frame may be utilized to support a piece of clear or shaded plastic or 
light diffuser material on the bottom of the awning. It is extremely 
important in a back lit awning that the vinyl-coated nylon material be as 
taut as possible about the skeletal frame, thereby providing an 
aesthetically pleasing awning structure which is properly illuminated. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for assembling an 
awning, including a method for tensioning or tightening the awning 
material stretched over the awning frame. An awning assembled in 
accordance with the present invention is also disclosed. 
The method of the present invention comprises the steps of assembling a 
skeletal frame and securing the awning material thereto. When the frame is 
assembled, a pair of frame members on the bottom front and each bottom 
side of the frame define a slot or groove between each pair of frame 
members. The awning material is secured to the top rear of the frame by 
sewing one end of the material about a spline and inserting the spline and 
respective end of the awning material into a slot in a C-shaped head-rail 
member secured to the top rear of the frame. 
Once the first end of the awning material is secured to the top rear of the 
frame, the remainder of the awning material is spread over the frame and 
secured to the bottom front and each bottom side of the frame. The awning 
material is stretched over the bottom front and each bottom side of the 
frame and a plurality of pieces of spline are thereafter placed atop the 
material and pressed into the slots between the frame members on the 
bottom front and bottom sides of the frame. A plurality of angled keeper 
members are thereafter inserted into the slots in abutting engagement with 
the spline and are secured to the inner frame members on the bottom front 
and bottom sides of the frame. The assembled awning may thereafter be 
secured to a building facade or other structure in a conventional manner. 
It is to be understood that when the spline is inserted into the slots 
between the pair of frame members on the bottom front and bottom sides of 
the frame, the awning material will be initially stretched or tightened 
about the awning frame. The awning material will thereafter be tightened 
to a further degree when the keeper members are inserted into the slots 
against the spline. A final tightening of the awning material occurs when 
the keeper members are secured to the inner frame members. The present 
invention thus provides a method for assembling an awning, including a 
method of tensioning the awning material about the awning frame, which is 
both convenient and economical to utilize, and which provides an 
aesthetically appealing awning structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
An awning assembled in accordance with the present invention is illustrated 
in FIG. 1, with portions of the awning material cut away for purposes of 
clarity. The awning comprises a skeletal frame 12 having material 14 
secured thereto. The frame 12 has a bottom front 12a, a bottom right side 
12b, a bottom left side 12c, a top rear 12d, and a bottom rear 12e. When 
the awning material 14 is secured about the frame 12, material 14 defines 
a front wall 14a, right side wall 14b, left side wall 14c, and top wall 
14d. Awning material 14 is preferably canvas or vinyl-coated nylon. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the frame 12 is preferably constructed 
of a plurality of frame members, including a center truss 16 and a right 
angle member 18 along the top rear 12d, which are preferably welded 
together in a conventional manner. Further, bottom front 12a, bottom right 
side 12b, and bottom left side 12c are each provided with a pair of 
substantially parallel frame members which are secured together by weld 
plates 20. Bottom front 12a is provided with an outer tubular member 22 
and an inner tubular member 26 defining a slot or groove 24 therebetween. 
Bottom right side 12b is provided with an outer tubular member 28 and an 
inner tubular member 32 defining a slot or groove 30 therebetween. Bottom 
left side 12c is provided with an outer tubular member 34 and an inner 
tubular member 38 defining a slot or groove 36 therebetween. Frame member 
26 is preferably welded to frame members 32 and 38. Frame members 32 and 
38 are preferably welded to the bottom rear 12e of frame 12. 
As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, a C-shaped awning head-rail 40 having 
a groove 42 therein is attached to angle 18 by a plurality of sheet metal 
screws 44. As further illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, an end of material 
14 is wrapped around a nylon spline rod 46 with the referenced end of 
material 14 sewn so as to form a passage 48 within which to receive spline 
46. The referenced end of material 14 sewn about spline 46 is thereafter 
secured to the top rear 12d of frame 12 by sliding spline 46 (with 
material 14 secured thereabout) into groove 42. Once the referenced end of 
material 14 is secured to frame 12, as described hereinabove, the 
remainder of material 14 is thereafter spread over frame 12, as 
illustrated in FIG. 1. It is to be understood, however, that material 14 
will preferably be precut and preshaped prior to being secured to 
head-rail 40 and spread over frame 12. 
The method for securing the respective remaining ends of material 14 to 
bottom front 12a and bottom sides 12b and 12c is illustrated in FIG. 2, 
FIG. 3, and FIG. 5-FIG. 8. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the material 14 is 
stretched over bottom front 12a, bottom side 12b, and bottom side 12c, and 
the respective grooves 24, 30, and 36. Pieces of spline, such as nylon 
spline 50, are thereafter placed over material 14 at spaced intervals 
along the length of bottom front 12a and inserted into groove 24, as 
illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, thereby urging material 14 into groove 
24 and tightening material 14 along top wall 14d and front wall 14a. 
Pieces of nylon spline 50 are also placed over material 14 at spaced 
intervals along the length of bottom side 12b and inserted into groove 30, 
as illustrated in FIG. 5, thereby urging material 14 into groove 30 and 
tightening material 14 along top wall 14d and side wall 14b. Pieces of 
nylon spline 50 are also placed over material 14 at spaced positions along 
the length of bottom side 12c and inserted into groove 36, as illustrated 
in FIG. 5, thereby urging material 14 into groove 36 and tightening 
material 14 along top wall 14d and side wall 14c. In the preferred 
embodiment, spline pieces 50 are initially inserted to a depth of 
approximately one fourth (1/4) the depth of the respective grooves 24, 30, 
and 36, as illustrated in FIG. 6, thereby providing a first or initial 
tensioning of material 14. Further, the insertion of spline pieces 50 
preferably begins in approximately the center of bottom front 12a and 
proceeds in each direction therefrom toward the rear of bottom sides 12b 
and 12c, as illustrated in FIG. 5. 
Once the spline pieces 50 are inserted into grooves 24, 30, and 36, right 
angle keeper members 52 are inserted therein, as illustrated in FIG. 7 and 
FIG. 8, thereby urging spline pieces 50 and material 14 to a depth of 
approximately three fourths (3/4) the depth of the respective grooves 24, 
30, and 36, and providing a second or further tensioning of material 14. 
That is, an angled keeper member 52 is inserted into groove 24 against 
each piece of spline 50 within groove 24, as illustrated in FIG. 7 and 
FIG. 8, thereby further tightening material 14 across top 14d and front 
14a. An angled keeper member 52 is also inserted into groove 30 against 
each piece of spline 50 within groove 30, as illustrated in FIG. 7, 
thereby further tightening material 14 across top 14d and side wall 14b. 
Finally, an angled keeper member 52 is inserted into groove 36 against 
each piece of spline 50 within groove 36, as illustrated in FIG. 7, 
thereby further tightening material 14 across top 14d and side wall 14c. 
Insertion of keeper members 52 likewise preferably begins in approximately 
the center of bottom front 12a and proceeds in each direction therefrom 
toward the rear of bottom sides 12b and 12c, as illustrated in FIG. 7. 
Once the keeper members 52 are inserted in grooves 24, 30, and 36, keeper 
members 52 are secured to inner frame members 26, 32, and 38, 
respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Securement of keeper 
members 52 to the respective inner frame members 26, 32, and 38, is 
preferably accomplished by drilling a passage 55 through material 14 and 
the respective frame members 26, 32, and 38 in alignment with the hole 54 
in each keeper member 52. A bolt 56 is thereafter inserted through each 
hole 54 and the drilled passage 55 in material 14 and frame members 26, 
32, and 38, with each bolt 56 thereafter secured to frame members 26, 32, 
and 38 by a nut 58, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Securement of 
keeper members 52 to the respective inner frame members 26, 32, and 38 
urges spline pieces 50 and material 14 to a greater depth within the 
respective grooves 24, 30, and 36 and provides a third or final tensioning 
of material 14, with the tightening of nuts 58 on bolts 56 providing a 
mechanical advantage in further tensioning material 14. That is, 
securement of keeper members 52 to inner frame member 26 further tightens 
material 14 across top 14d and front 14a. Securement of keeper members 52 
to inner frame member 32 further tightens material 14 across top 14d and 
side wall 14b. Securement of keeper members 52 to inner frame member 38 
further tightens material 14 across top 14d and side wall 14c. Finally, 
the securement of keeper members 52 preferably begins in approximately the 
center of bottom front 12a and proceeds in each direction therefrom toward 
the rear of bottom sides 12b and 12c. 
It is to be understood that the width of grooves 24, 30, and 36 is 
approximately three-sixteenths inch (3/16") and that the diameter of 
spline pieces 50 is approximately one-quarter inch (1/4"), thereby 
requiring the use of Vise Grips or another instrument to insert spline 
pieces 50 into grooves 24, 30, and 36. However, the tight interference fit 
of spline pieces 50 within grooves 24, 30, and 36 assures that the 
material 14 will be drawn taut upon insertion of spline pieces 50 and 
adequately secured to the bottom front 12a and bottom sides 12b and 12c of 
frame 12. In the preferred embodiment, tubing for frame 12 has a width of 
approximately one inch (1") and spline pieces 50 have a length of 
approximately four inches (4"). Further, keeper members 52 are preferably 
aluminum, preferably have a length of approximately three inches (3"), a 
depth of approximately one inch (1"), and are preferably spaced 
approximately eight inches (8") apart. Finally, it is to be understood 
that each step of tensioning material 14, as described hereinabove, will 
stretch material 14 to a further degree. For example, if material 14 has a 
length of approximately seven feet (7') from head-rail 40 to bottom front 
12a and a stretch coefficient of approximately one eighth inch (1/8") per 
foot, material 14 will ultimately be stretched approximately seven eights 
inch (7/8") upon completion of the awning assembly. 
It is to be understood that other types of spline or sturdy resilient 
matter, such as pieces of hard, solid rubber or soft wood, such as pine, 
may be readily substituted for nylon spline pieces 50. It is also to be 
understood that any material 14 overlapping the rear of frame 12 may 
simply be folded back or screwed to frame 12. It is also to be understood 
that once the material 14 is properly secured to frame 12, material 14 may 
be trimmed and the awning may be secured to a building facade or other 
structure in a conventional manner, such as by wood screws, bolts, or 
expansion screws. Finally, if the assembled awning is intended to be 
utilized as a back lit awning, a pair of angles 60 may be welded or 
otherwise appropriately connected to inner frame member 26 and the bottom 
rear 12e of frame 12 in a manner sufficient to support a piece of clear or 
shaded plastic or light diffuser material 62, as illustrated in FIG. 2. 
While the method for assembling an awning has been described in connection 
with the preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the invention 
to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to 
cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as may be 
included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the 
appended claims.