SUPPORT SPACER APPARATUS

Abstract: A support spacer apparatus relating to a paneling system for providing improved insulating qualities to pre-engineered buildings and the like in which stresses imparted to a supported structure are transferred through compressible insulation without diminishing the thermal character of the insulation, the support spacer apparatus (40) comprising a spacer member (44) having a plurality of fastener assemblies (42) connected thereto and extendable through the insulation (30); the fastener assemblies (42) attachable to an underlaying substrate (14) by the application of energy to the fastener assemblies (42) for supporting the spacer member (44) at a predetermined distance from the substrate (14) such that the insulation (30) is disposed substantially in its prepenetration state after attachment of the fastener assemblies (42) to the substrate (14).

Description: SUPPORT SPACER APPARATUS Background of the Invention 1 . Technical Field The present invention relates generally to the field of improving the heat transfer resistance of a paneling system in which insulation material is confined 5 between construction members, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a paneling system providing improved insulating qualities to pre-engineered buildings and the like. 2. Background Art 10 The pre-engineered building industry has developed into a multi-billion dollar segment of the building construction industry in the United States , and it haέ experienced an increasingly greater share of the con¬ struction industry budget throughout the world. The 15 established method of erecting the roof or wall of a pre-engineered building is to erect the primary st uc÷ tural members; attach the secondary structural members to the primary structural members? secure the apprqpri- - - ■ ■■ - ■ ■ -- ate . -bracing members; -„ roll blanket-r.typ.e- -across _ __- 20 the secondary structural, members-; di-spQse panel members . over the insulation; and connect the panel members and secondary structural rriembers together' ; by " fastener--. - that penetrate the insulation. The securement of a panel member to a secondary structural member is performed by . 25 a workman who stands ' on '•• top of the panel ..-member aiid : inserts fasteners throug the panel member to- attach it to the underlaying Secondary struc .ral - member . The insulation of a " ' pre-engineered building in the above described manner presents a major problem, in the 30 construction.- of such buildings. As the fasteners are -2- installed through the panel members, the underlayi " insulation is compressed between the panel members a the secondary structural members as the fasteners a ' * "" attached to the secondary structural members. _ This 5 * undesirable, as it reduces the thermal effectiveness the insulation. Furthermore, the purpose of the fastene is to secure the panel members and to transfer from t panel members, which is usually the exterior sheathing roofing members, to the secondary structural members. Th 10 transferred stress may be tension, shear or compressi stress. As to the latter, compressive stress is creat by downwardly directed live loads which are transferr through the insulation, which is generally a compressib but non-elastic material. As the panel members move rel 15 tive to the secondary structural members during the life the building, looseness occurs around the fasteners, a it is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a wat tight connection at the points where the fastene penetrate the panel members. 20 One solution that has been offered to the probl of compressed insulation is the provision of a mo elastic insulation board disposed between the insulati and the panel member. This insulation board is . locat --__-<__ "_ ' * • .- such that the fasteners are caused, to penetrate t 25 " insulation board before penetrating the insulation, ■ a as the fasteners are attached to the .underlayi secondary structural members, the insulation boa spreads the compressive load of the fasteners over larger area of the insulation and reduces tjie amount 30 compressive reduction of the thickness of. the . insul tion. While this is an improvement over the, previous described method, it still has a number , of shortcoming Among these is the fact that the insulation... is sti compressed under the insulation boards between , the ins 35 lation board and the insulation. The insulation boa is normally made of a soft material, and the .-compressi _ζυ _ O ■ 4 V/ N -3- force caused by inserting the ' fasteners may tend to crush the insulation block. This in turn results in a number of detrimental features. These include dimpling of the single skin panel members, ponding of water in these dimples around the fastener heads and resulting excessive corrosion at these points. Continued working of the roof because of expansion and contraction can cause continued compression of the insulation board at the fastener points, and this can result in roof leaks between the heads of the fasteners and the panel members. This occurs because the pressure between the fastener heads and the panel members is no longer maintained, and even the provision of washer members will not guarantee a water tight seal. Other problems with the use of the insulation boards include void spaces which are created between the panel members and -the insulation at the edges of the insulation boards; these void spaces are detrimental from a heat transfer standpoint, and the installation of panel members with the insulation boards has been a problem from ' an erection standpoint. The insulation boards are relatively expensive and are difficult to install. Wind, which is often encountered, frequently dislodges the insulation boards before the overlaying 5 panel members can be positioned, or the insulation • boards are dislodged by the panel members as the panel members are being positioned. The pre-engineered building industry has adopted ' the use of "diaphragm action" to resist wind loads on a building. Diaphragm action requires that force parallel * to the plane of the roof panel be transferred through the fastening system to the underlaying secondary struc¬ tural members. While the use of insulation boards has helped somewhat in regard to increasing the thermal 5 effectiveness of the insulation, it remains that the "diaphragm action on the panel members causes the stress _4_ to be transferred through the insulation, and th problem of maintaining water tight seals around th fasteners continues even with the use of such insulatio boards, as such insulation boards do not entirely pre 5 vent initial and continuing compression of the insula tion underlaying the panel members . The patent issued to Taylor, U.S. 3,394,516, taugh the use of a spacer between the panel members and th secondary structural members to prevent the panel mem 0 bers from being pulled so close to the secondary struc tural members as to crush or compress the insulation The Taylor spacer has a plurality of pointed legs tha served to penetrate the insulation, and sheet meta screws served to secure the panel members to the secon 5 dary structural members through the spacer. However while the Taylor spacer substantially reduced the amoun of compressive reduction of the insulation, the pointe legs of the Taylor spacer afforded a heat conductin bridge between the secondary structural members and th panel members. While the Taylor spacer does provide mechanism for transferring the stress between the pane members and the supporting secondary structural members the spacer legs of the Taylor spacer, being independen to the fasteners, could move to some degree relative t the secondary structural members, thus permitting som fretting of the fasteners with the panel members. Thi movement could eventually lead to a deterioration o both the water tightness of the fasteners and the ther mal arrier as the insulation next to the pointed leg is spread about. Also, depending upon the type of sea provided with the insulation, penetration of the insula tion by the Taylor spacer may in many instances prov difficult to effect without substantially compressin the insulation material while piercing the insulatio seal, such as when a vinyl seal is provided. Finally installation of the Taylor spacer required th placemen -5- of appropriately disposed holes in the secondary struc¬ tural members for receiving the screw members which served to secure the spacer. To a workman located above the spacer, with the secondary structural members hidden 5 from view by the insulation blanket, the only possible way to insert the screw members was to drill the holes from above the spacer and to insert the screw members in the holes while holding the spacer in the same location so as not to lose orientation with the newly drilled 10 holes. This is often difficult to achieve on a windswept roof. Disclosure of Invention The present invention provides a support spacer apparatus for supporting a structure at a predetermined 15 distance from a substrate, thus providing a system in which stresses imparted to the structure are transferred through compressible material without compromising the thermal characteristics of the compressible material, and in which the integrity of the structure is substantially 20 unaffected from such transfer of stress. The support spacer apparatus of the present inven¬ tion comprises a spacer member having a support surface and a plurality of fastener apertures; a plurality of fastener assemblies are provided, each such fastener 25 assembly comprising a fastener member having a first end and a second end, the fastener member extendable through one of the fastener apertures and the second end attach¬ able to the substrate by applying energy to the first end of the fastener member, with the dimension of the fas- 30 tener member being determined so that the first end is caused to exert a restraining force against the support surface of - the spacer member in an attached position of the spacer member with the substrate. Each fastener assembly also comprises a stay member which provides, in the assembled position, a countering force to the re straining force against the spacer member so that th support surface of the spacer member is spatially dis posed at the predetermined distance from the substrate. In one embodiment of the present invention, colum members having channelways passing therethrough serve t function as the stay members, and the fastener member extend through the channelways of the column members The fastener members are headed screw members havin self-drilling/self-tapping screw second ends which ar attachable to the substrate via rotary energy applied t the headed first ends of the fastener members . The fas tener members cooperate with the column members t penetrate compressible material while such material sub stantially retains its prepenetration characteristics. Accordingly, an object of the present invention i to provide an improved support spacer apparatus for sup porting a structure at a predetermined distance from substrate. Another object of the present invention is t provide an improved spacer apparatus that achieve the above stated object while being capable o penetrating a compressible material without substan tially compromising the thermal effectiveness of th compressible material. Another object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved support spacer apparatus that achieve the above stated objects while maintaining the integrit of the supported structural member. Another object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved support spacer member that achieve the above stated objects and which is capable o transferring stresses through compressible material without compromising the thermal effectiveness of th compressible material and while maintaining the integ rity of the supported structural member. Another object of the present invention is to pro¬ vide an improved support spacer apparatus that achieves the above stated objects and which offers manufacturing economy, ease of installation and long service life with a minimum of upkeep. Other objects, features and advantages of the pre¬ sent invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings and appended claims. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a semi-detailed, cutaway end view depiction of a pre-engineered building roof constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2A depicts a profile of compressed insula- tion as encountered in a normal prior art installation of a pre-engineered building roof. Figure 2B depicts a profile of a prior art modification to the installation of Figure 2A, the modification being the inclusion of an insulation board between the roof panel and the insula- tion. Figure 3 is a partial cutaway, perspective view of a support spacer apparatus of the present invention show¬ ing the relative positions of roof panel members to a secondary structural member of a pre-engineered building. Figure 4 is a top plan view of the support spacer apparatus of Figure 3 with the insulation removed to show the secondary structural member beneath the support spacer apparatus . Figure 5 is a side elevational, partial cutaway view of a fastener assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 6 is a side elevational, partial cutaway view of another fastener assembly constructed in accor¬ dance with the present invention. Figure 7 is a side elevational, partial cutawa view of yet another fastener assembly constructed i accordance with the present invention. Figure 8 is a side elevational, partial cutawa view of one other fastener assembly constructed i accordance with the present invention. Figure 9 is a side elevational, partial cutawa view of one other fastener assembly constructed i accordance with the present invention. Figure 10 is a semi-detailed, cutaway end vie depiction of the construction features of a pre engineered building incorporating the present inventio and showing an improved insulation system. Figure 11 is a semi-detailed, partial cutaway ele vational view showing an alternative insulation syste to that depicted in Figure 10. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Referring to the drawings in general, and in par ticular to Figure 1, shown therein and designated by th numeral 10 is a portion of the roof of a pre-engineere building constructed in accordance with establishe methods of erection and as modified by using the suppor spacer apparatus of the present invention. The pre engineered building roof 10 comprises, in part, plurality of primary structural members 12, a pluralit of secondary structural members 14, and a plurality o corrugated roof panel members 16. The primary struc tural members 12 comprise the vertically extendin column members 18 and the generally horizontall extending rafter members 20 supported by the column mem bers 18 and interconnecting via conventional bolts (no shown) to form an apex center 22. The secondary struc tural members 14, sometimes referred to as purlins, ar longitudinal members that have oppositely extendin flanges 24 and 26, which impart a somewhat Z-shaped pro¬ file to the purlins. The roof panel members 16 are fastened indirectly, in the manner described herein- below, to the secondary structural members 14 which extend substantially the length of the pre-engineered building roof 10 and which are connected to the rafter members 20 via conventional connectors (not shown) . Eave struts 28 are supported along the edge of the building by connecting the eave struts 28 to outwardly extending support members 29 which are connected via conventional connectors (not shown) to the vertical column members 18. Other details of the pre-engineered building depicted in Figure 1 are either not described or omitted from the drawings in order to simplify the present disclosure. The established method for insulating a pre- engineered building roof, such as the roof 10 in Figure 1, is to place rolls of insulated material 30 over the purlins 14 so that the insulation is supported by the flanges 24. The roof panel members 16 are then positioned directly on top of the insulation 30 and bolted to the flanges 24 in the manner shown in Figure 2A. In Figure 2A, a typical prior art connection of the roof panel members 16 to the purlins 14 is shown in which a screw member 32 is extended from the top through the panel member 16 and threadingly engages a predrilled hole in the flange 24 of the underlaying purlin 14. As the screw member 32 is tightened, the panel member is deformed, and as depicted in Figure 2A, a dimple depression 33 results around the headed end of the screw member 32. This securement of the panel member 16 to the purlin 14 results in the constriction of the insula¬ tion 30, as shown at 34, reducing the thickness of the insulation and creating a "thermal short circuit" through the roof panel member 16. That is, excessive -gJ EA OMPI ™ - heat loss occurs through this and the many other pri art joints similarly constructed, and as a result, large amount of heat energy is lost through the ro even though it has been insulated. This is evident, way of illustration, when the roof of a pre-engineer building is covered by snow: the first points at whi melting occurs coincide with the connecting joints whe the screw members 32 attach the roof to the purlin This problem is then exacerbated by the melted snow th forms pockets of water in the dimpled depressions about the heads of the screw members 32, resulting excessive leaks, corrosion and other undesirab problems with the building. All of this is the resu of fastening the panel members 16 to the purlins 14 extending the screw members 32 through and compressi the insulation 30; the insulation 30 is normally co pressible mineral or chopped glass fiber insulati (such as Fiberglass), and is reduced to less than percent of its original thickness as it is constrict between the purlin 14 and the panel member 16, and sin the effectiveness of the insulation is proportional the thickness of the insulation, the resistance to he transfer at the points of constriction 34 is substa tially eliminated. As noted above, one prior art solution to th heat loss is the provision of an insulation board such as depicted in Figure 2B, in which like numera designate those elements which are identical to tho depicted in Figure 2A. The insulation board 36 is di posed above the flange 24 between the insulation 30 a the roof panel member 16 so that the screw member 3 passes through the insulation board 36, through the ins lation 30, and attaches to the flange 24. The insul tion board 36 serves to spread the compressive force the fastened roof panel member 16 at the screw membe 32 over a greater area of the insulation 30, and al¬ though the insulation 30 is constricted at 34A in the same manner as shown in Figure 2A, the combined thick¬ ness of the insulation board 36 and the compressed insu- lation at the connecting joints is greater; that is, the effective thickness of the insulation at the constric¬ tion 34A in Figure 2B is greater than the effective thickness of the insulation at the constriction 34A in Figure IB. While the arrangement in Figure 2B is an improve¬ ment of that shown in Figure 2A, there are a number of shortcomings in using the insulation boards such as that depicted by the insulation board 36. The insulation 30 is still compressed and there are voids 38 between the insulation board 36, the roof panel member 16 and the insulation 30, the result of which is even greater deterioration of the insulating quality at the con¬ necting joints. In practice, the insulation board 36 is normally made of a relatively soft material, and the compressive force caused by the screw member 32A usually tends to crush the insulation board, resulting in increased dimpling of the panel member 16, and ponding of water in the exaggerated dimple depressions 33A brings about even greater corrosion at these points . Continued working of the roof because of expansion and contraction can cause continued crushing of the insula¬ tion boards at the connecting joints, leading to even worsened leaking conditions as the pressure between the heads of the screw members 32A and the panel members 16 is no longer maintained, and even elastomeric washers, if provided, do not insure that water tight seals will be maintained during the life of the roof. These problems, for all practical considerations, are eliminated by the application of the present inven- tion which permits the secure support of a structure at a predetermined distance above a supporting substrate where a compressible material is disposed between th structure and the substrate, the integrity of th compressible material being substantially maintaine following securement of the structure to the substrate For the case at hand, the supported structure is one o more roof panels, and the supporting substrate will b provided by a plurality of purlins as discussed above The present invention teaches a support spacer apparatu which serves as an insulation bridge between the roo panel members 16 and the underlaying purlins 14. Returning to Figure 1, it will be noted that th roof panels 16 are supported by a plurality of suppor spacer apparatus 40 which are secured to the flanges 2 of the purlins 14. That is, in Figure 1, the roo panels 16 are not attached directly to the underlayin purlins as required by established prior art practic and as depicted in both Figure 2A and Figure 2B Rather, the roof panel members 16 shown in Figure 1 ar attached to the plural support spacer apparatus 40 Each of the support spacer apparatus 40 is attached t its respective purlin 14 via fasteners that exten through the insulation material 30 in a manner made mor clear by reference to Figure 3. Shown in Figure 3 is an enlarged portion of purlin 14 with a portion of insulation material 30 show supported on the upper flange 24 thereof. A portion o a support spacer apparatus 40 is shown, along with por tions of overlapping roof panel members 16 depicte above the support spacer apparatus 40, which is fastene to the flange 24 of the purlin 14 by a fastener assembl 42. The insulation 30 and the support spacer apparatu 40 is shown partially removed at 43 so as to show th fastener assembly 42 more fully in this view. The support spacer apparatus 40 comprises a channe shaped spacer member 44 having an upper first suppor O - y V/IF surface 46 and a lower, oppositely disposed second sup¬ port surface 48. The spacer member 44 has a plurality of fastener apertures 50 commuincating through it from the first support surface 46 to the second support sur- face 48, the fastener apertures 50 being best shown in Figure 4. The fastener assemblies 42 extend through the fastener apertures 50 to attach to the underlaying substrate or purlin 14 in the manner described more fully hereinbelow. While the locations of the fastener apertures 50 may assume a variety of layout patterns, the offset pattern shown in Figure 4 is believed to be beneficial in providing stable securement of the support spacer apparatus 40 to the purlin 14; that is, by staggering the locations of the fastener apertures 50 from side-to-side along the length of the spacer member 44, the support spacer apparatus 40, once attached to the purlin 14 via the fastener assemblies 42, will have greater stability to an imposed load, channelway 76 sufficiently to receive the drill bit end 92 in a friction fit therewith, permitting the distal second end 88 to partially protrude from the end of the channelway 76. This arrangement provides for the reten¬ tion of the fastener member 82 in an assembled position with the tube column 70 in a ready profile for penetra- tion of the insulation material 36 and for securement to the purlin 14. If desired, the column member 70 can be provided with internal pressure points to assist in retaining the fastener member 82 in the assembled position, such as is provided by the crimped portion 96 in the column member 70. Once the body portion 86 is positioned in the assembled position depicted in Figure 5, the column member 70 is crimped at some convenient position clear of the threaded portion 94. Of course, other methods of securing the fastener member 82 within the column member 70 may be practiced, with the object thereof being the O PI securement of the fastener assembly 42 to the beam the spacer member 44 so that the fastener assembly maintained in the depicted assembled position unt attached to a purlin or other underlaying structur member. Figure 6 shows an alternative fastener assembly 1 which is very similar to the fastener assembly 42 sho in Figure 5, the fastener assembly 100 shown in attached position with a purlin in Figure 6. T numeral designations in Figure 6 having a suffix " indicate similar or identical components to tho described for the fastener assembly 42. That is, t fastener assembly 100 comprises a column member 7 having a first end 72A, a second end 74A, and a cha nelway 76A. The fastener assembly 100 is sho assembled to a modified support spacer apparatus 4 which has a plurality of fastener apertures 50A, each which is identical to the fastener aperture 50A shown Figure 6 and each of which has a peripheral ridge 1 extending from the second support surface 48A. The t 104 of the first end 72A is flared and dimensioned receive the ridge 102 therewithin, and the column memb 70A is secured to the spacer member 44A in any co venient manner, such as by welding or by a friction f of the ridge 102 and the flared tip 104. The fastener assembly 100 also comprises an elo gated fastener member 82A which is identical to the pr viously described fastener member 82 and need not described further herein. As noted, the fasten assembly 100 is shown in its attached position, meani that the fastener assembly 100 has been actuated interconnect the support spacer apparatus 40A and t purlin 14 in the manner shown in Figure 6. That is, t fastener member 82A is shown after it has drilled a ho by forcefully rotating its first or headed end 84A wi an appropriately sized wrench while the drill bit e 92A is engaged with the flange 24 of the purlin 14. Once the drill bit end 92A has drilled through the flange 24, the continued rotation of the first end 84A causes the threaded portion 94A to engage the newly drilled hole, and further rotation of the fastener member 82A is performed until the distal, second end 74A of the column member 70A is brought into contact with the flange 24. At this point, the first or headed end 84A of the fastener member 82A and the washer 90A (if provided) have been brought into pressing engagement with the top or first support surface 46A " of the support spacer apparatus 40A. This result is effected by deter¬ mining the dimensional proportions of the fastener assembly 100 such that the threaded portion 94A of the fastener member 82A retains threading engagement with the flange 24 when the second end 74A of the column member 70A comes into pressing engagement with the flange 24. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of the fastener assembly 100 are established such that the distance 106 between the top surface of the flange 24 and the second support surface 48A of the support spacer apparatus 40A, once the fastener member 82A is ade¬ quately tightened to the flange 24, is approximately equal to, or somewhat greater than, the thickness of the insulation blanket 30. Of course, it will be recognized that the dimensional proportions of the fastener assem¬ blies 40, 100 may be altered as desired to accommodate the insulation being installed. Industrial Applicability The insulation of the pre-engineered building roof 10 utilizing the present invention will now be described beginning at the point in time during the construction of the building that the purlins 14 have been positioned and attached to the rafter members 20. Typically, the insulation blanket will be rolled over the purlins s that one or more widths of the blanket extend con tinuously from one side of the building to the othe side of the building, with each of the widths of insula tiόn passing over the apex of the building. Once i place, each of the widths of insulation blanket is cu to required length and weighted at each of its ends s as to ■ tautly stretch each width of insulation over th rows of purlins. The installing workman, prior to th present invention, would then place roofing panels ove the insulation and fasten the panels directly to th purlins in the manner described with reference to Figur 2A. However, in the practice of the present invention the installing workman, following placement of the insu lation blanket 30 over the purlins 14, would then plac a row of interconnected support spacer apparatuses 4 along each purlin in the following manner. The installation of the roof 10 utilizing the pre sent invention will be described with reference to th support spacer apparatus 40 which has been describe with reference to Figures 3 through 5, and it will b understood that the description will apply as well t the support spacer apparatus 40A of Figure 6. Each sup port spacer apparatus 40 will be pre-assembled prior t use with the roof 10; that is, each of the fastene apertures 50 of the support spacer apparatuses will hav a fastener assembly 42 associated therewith in th assembled position as depicted in Figure 5. The firs support spacer apparatus 40 to be placed at the edge o the purlin 14 will be generally aligned with the longi tudinal axis of the purlin to which it is to be attache and positioned with " the drill bit ends 92 of all of it fastener assemblies 42 resting upon the top layer of th insulation 30, the top layer of the insulation 30 being in most cases, a moisture impregnable vapor barrie which is normally a vinyl film reinforced with some typ of fiber. By pressing the support spacer apparatus 40 toward the underlaying purlin 14, the drill bit ends 92 will easily penetrate the insulation and its vapor bar¬ rier, causing minimal disturbance to either the insula- tion or its vapor barrier. As the fastener assemblies 42 are pushed through the insulation 30, the drill bit ends 92 will come to rest on the flange 24 of the purlin 14. The alignment of the longitudinal axis of the ini- tially placed support spacer apparatus 40 can be achieved visually, or the proper alignment can be deter¬ mined by the use of an aligning tool (not shown). This aligning tool is placed so as to abut with the end of a purlin, and it should provide an aligning tang protru- sion, similar to the protruding tang 56 of the support spacer apparatus 40 shown in Figure 4, which will be receivable within the channel portion of the second end 54 of the support spacer apparatus initially being positioned on the underlaying purlin 14. Of course, instead of an aligning tool being used to achieve the alignment of the initially positioned support spacer apparatus 40, an aligning tang protrusion can as well be provided by attaching or forming a guide member at one or both ends of each purlin 14, with the guide member having a protruding tang or the like, which serves to guide the placement of the initially positioned support spacer apparatus . Whether the alignment of the first placed support spacer apparatus on each purlin is visually determined or is determined by reference to an aligning tang protrusion, it is anticipated that the longitudinal alignment of the initial support spacer apparatus 40 will be achieved somewhat simultaneously with pushing the fastener assemblies 42 through the insulation 30. Once the drill bit ends 92 are resting on the flange 24 of the underlaying purlin 14, the longitudinal alignment having been determined, the installer can effect attach ment to the flange 24 by applying rotational energy t the fastener members 82 via an appropriate tool i rotating engagement with the headed first end 84 of eac of the fastener assemblies 42. After the initial support spacer apparatus has bee attached to a particular purlin 14, the second suppor spacer apparatus 40 can be easily positioned by placin the channel of its second end 54 over the protrudin tang 56 of the first end 52 of the already positione support spacer apparatus 40. Once this interlockin step is accomplished, the fastener assemblies 42 of th second support spacer apparatus 40 are positioned t extend through the insulation 30 in the manner describe for the first placed support spacer apparatus 40. Wit this completed, the fastener assemblies 42 of the secon support spacer apparatus 40 can be tightened to securel attach it to the flange 24. Once attached to the flang 24, the second support spacer apparatus is ready t receive the next support spacer apparatus to be place in line therewith. These steps are repeated until a ro of aligned support spacer apparatuses 40 extend the com bined distance of the widths of the insulation 30. I this way, the alignment of the first placed suppor spacer apparatus 40 serves to guide the placement of th succeeding support spacer apparatuses 40 along th length of the purlin 14. In like manner, a row of sup port spacer apparatuses 40 is provided for each of th purlins. Once the support spacer apparatuses 40 are i place, it is a simple matter to position the roof pane member 16 onto the first support surfaces 46 of th installed and aligned support spacer apparatuses 40, an the roof panel members 16 can be attached to the suppor spacer apparatuses 40 via conventional screw members In fact, it has been found that the installation of th panel members 16 is made much easier with the use of the support spacer apparatuses 40 constructed in accordance with the present invention. For one thing, the rows of axially aligned support spacer apparatuses 40 attached along the purlins serve as a solid insulation bridge and provides a solid footing for the panel members. Further, these aligned support spacer apparatuses pro¬ vide the installer with a visual guide to aid in the placement of screw members through the panel members 16, providing him confidence that each screw member used to fasten the roof panel member 16 will be anchored to under¬ laying solid structural members, which in this case, will be the underlaying support spacer apparatuses 40. As the fastener assemblies 42 are caused to pene- trate the insulation 30, the pre-penetration integrity of the insulation is substantially maintained since the fastener assemblies 42 cause minimal disturbance to the insulation material. Rotational energy applied to the headed ends 84 of the fastener members 82 serve to vibrate the loose insulation fibers, causing the insula¬ tion to "fill out", and since the elongated fastener assemblies 42 are relatively small in relation to the supported areas of the support spacer apparatuses 40, the insulation is substantially unchanged from its pre- penetration characteristics. Alternative Fastener Assemblies In addition to the above described fastener assemblies 40 and 100, several alternative fastener assemblies will now be described with reference to Figures 7 through 9. Since each of these fastener assemblies will be utilized with support spacer appara¬ tuses identical or similar to the support spacer apparatus 40 described above, it will be sufficient for the purpose of this disclosure to provide some examples OMPI _ ■Λf y , WIFO of the types of fastener assemblies that, when used i combination with appropriately shaped spacer members will achieve the objects of the present invention Further, the alternative embodiments of the fastene assemblies of Figures 7-9 are not meant to be limiting except in the general scope of normally recognize structural equivalency, to the scope of the presen invention. In Figure 7, a support spacer apparatus 40B i shown which has a plurality of fastener apertures 50B only one of which is shown in the partial view. fastener assembly 110 is provided, the fastener assembl 110 comprising a column member 70B having a first en 72B, a second end 74B, and a channelway 763 extendin from the first end 72B to the distal second end 74B The fastener assembly 110 also comprises an elongate fastener member 112 which is generally in the form of a enlarged nail, with the fastener member 112 having headed first end 114, a body portion 116 and a pointe second end 118. The first end 114 generally has a nai head configuration and may be provided with a washe (not shown). The second end 118 serves as a penetratin end for penetrating both the insulation 30 and th flanges 24 of the purlins 14, and the body portion 11 has a ridged portion 120 disposed in near proximity t the tapered or pointed end 118. As depicted in Figure 7, the fastener member 112 i disposed with its body portion 116 extending through th fastener aperture 50B and the channelway 76B. Th tapered second end of the tube column 70B partiall closes the channelway 76B sufficiently to receive th tapered second end 118 in a friction fit therewith permitting the distal second end 118 to partiall protrude from the end of the channelway 76B. Thi arrangement provides for the retention of the fastene member 112 in an assembled position with the tube colum OM / I 70B in a ready profile for penetration of the insulation material 30 and for securement to the purlin 14. In order to secure the column member 70B in the position depicted in Figure 7 (that is, in its pre- penetration position), the tube column 70B can be attached to the second support surface 48B of the sup¬ port spacer apparatus 40B, or alternatively, the fastener aperture 50B can be dimensioned to receive the body portion 116 of the fastener member 112 in a fric- tion fit to retain the fastener member 112 in the posi¬ tion depicted, in which case there will be no need for attaching the tube column 70B to the spacer member 44B. Additionally, the tube column 70B can be provided with internal pressure points to assist in retaining the fastener member 112 in its assembled position. The fastener member 112 may be driven into the flange 24 of a purlin 14 by the application of striking force applied to the first end 114; however, it is anti¬ cipated that the fastener member 112 can be motivated into a driving engagement with an underlaying purlin by the application of air pressure exerted by a conventional air driver. Once the fastener member 112 is caused to penetrate an underlaying purlin, the first end 114 will be positioned in pressing engagement with the first sup- port surface 46B, the ridge portion 120 will come to rest in locked engagement with the hole provided by the penetration of the second end 118, and the ridge portion 120 will provide resistance to removal of the fastener member 112 from attaching engagement with the penetrated purlin. While the ridges of the ridge portion 120 are shown as circumferential ridges, it will be recognized that other ridge configurations can be utilized. Once the fastener member 112 is driven into the attached position with an underlaying purlin, the tube column 70B will assume the same position as that described above for the tube column 70A depicted in Figure 6. Another embodiment of a fastener assembly usable in the present invention and designated by the numeral 130 is shown in Figure 8 in an attached position with the spacer member 44C of the support spacer apparatus 40C and with the underlaying purlin 14. The fastener assembly 130 features integral column and fastener member com¬ ponents, as the fastener assembly 130 comprises a fas¬ tener member 132 having a first end 134, a body portion 136 and a second end 138. The first end 134 has a threaded portion 140 that extends through a fastener aperture (not shown) in the spacer member 44C, the diameter of the fastener aperture being large enough to pass the threaded portion 140 but too small to receive the body portion 136. While the body portion of the fastener assembly 130 may serve as the stay member (the column member) , a peripherally extensive shoulder por¬ tion 142 integrally formed with the body portion 136 may be provided to abut with the second support surface 48C of the spacer member 44C. The second end 138 of the fastener assembly 130 is shaped in the configuration of a drill bit end 144, and the body portion 136 has a threaded portion 146 adjacent to the drill bit end 144. The threaded portion 146 has a first threaded part 148 and a second threaded part 150, the pitch of the threads of the first threaded part 148 being markedly different than the pitch of the threads of the second threaded part 150. The cap nut 152 is provided and is threadingly receivable over the threaded portion 140. A washer 154 may be provided for placement on the threaded portion 140 between the cap nut 152 and the first support sur¬ face 46C of the spacer member 44C. The threaded bore of the cap nut 152 is dimensioned such that the extreme end of the threaded portion 140 will bottom out therein before the cap nut 152 is pressed into engagement with either the washer 154 or the first support surface 46C, O if the washer 154 is not provided. This arrangement assures that the fastener member 132 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis in the fastener aperture of the spacer member 44C when the fastener assembly 130 is assembled thereto. Figure 8 shows the roof panel member 16 supported by the support spacer apparatus 40C and attached thereto by a sheet metal screw member 156. Also, the second end 138 of the fastener member 132 is shown attached to the flange 24 of the purlin 14 in the attached position of the fastener assembly 130. The operation of the fastener assembly 130 of Figure 8 is very similar to the operation described above for the other fastener assemblies 42, 100 and 110 in that the fastener assembly 130 serves to support the spacer member 44C at a predetermined distance 106 from the flange 24. Once assembled to the spacer member 44C and positioned to extend through insulation (not shown in Figure 8), the drill bit end 144 is caused to drill a hole through the flange 24 by rotation of the fastener member 132 by the application of rotational energy to the cap nut 152. Of course, it will be recognized that the direction of all of the threads of the fastener assembly 130 must be coordinated such that tightening movement of the cap nut 152 on the threaded portion 140 will drive the other threads in a tightening direction toward the flange 24 and continued rotation of the fastener member 132 will cause the first threaded part 148 to engage the drilled hole. As the rotation con- tinues, the threaded part 148 will move through the hole, having threaded same, and the second threaded part 150 will be caused to engage the threaded hole. Since the threads are pitched differently on the threaded part 150, the threaded part 150 will be jammed in the hole drilled by the drill bit end 144 and threaded by the threaded part 148. At this point, cross threading will create a large resistance to further rotation, and rota tion of the cap nut 152 should be terminated. Th dimensional proportions of the fastener assembly 130 ar established such that the second support surface 48 will be spatially determined to be at the distance 10 above the flange 24 once all of the fastener assemblie 130 of the support spacer apparatus 40C are so secured Yet another embodiment of a fastener assembly fo use in the present invention and designated by th numeral 160 is shown in Figure 9 in an attached positio with the spacer member 44D and the purlin 14. Th fastener assembly 160 comprises an electrically conduc tive fastener member 162 which has a first end 164, body portion 166 and a tapered second end 168. Th first end 164 extends through the fastener aperture (no shown) of the spacer member 44D, and an insulator rin 170 is adhered to the first end 164, the insulator rin 170 being disposed to fill the fastener aperture whil having oversized external ridge portions 172 and 17 extending from the fastener aperture to configure th insulator ring 170 in the general shape of a grommet However, the insulator ring 170 is also adhered to th spacer member 44D both within the fastener aperture an at the first and second support surfaces 44D, 46D by th overlaping of the external ridge portions 172 and 174 The insulator ring 170, which may be an epoxy materia with suitable insulative qualities, serves to secure th fastener member 162 to the spacer member 44D, and i also serves as a stay member to exert upward forc against the second support surface 48D in the attache position of the fastener assembly 160. The operation of the fastener assembly 160 whe assembled to the spacer member 44D is as follows. Onc the support spacer apparatus 40D is positioned so as t extend the fastener assemblies 160 thereof through th insulation 30 (not shown in Figure 9) so that th • tapered second ends 168 contact the flange 24 of the underlaying purlin 14, each of the fastener assemblies 160 becomes an electrode and a weld bond 176 is formed between the second end 168 and the flange 24 by the application of electrical energy to the first end 164 which is extensive above the first support surface 46D. To accomplish the welding, a conventional welding apparatus can be utilized, and the fastener assemblies 160 of a support spacer apparatus 40D can be welded one at a time, or all at the same time by electrically interconnecting the extensive ends 164 of the fastener assemblies 160. It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of this disclo¬ sure, numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A support spacer apparatus supportable by substrate in a predetermined spatial relationshi thereto, the spacer apparatus comprising: a spacer member having a first support surface an an opposite second support surface, the space member having a plurality of fastener aper tures communicating therethrough; and fastener means for attaching the spacer member t the substrate, the fastener means charac terized as comprising: a plurality of column members extending fro the second support surface of the space member in an assembled position thereof each column member having a channelwa communicating with one of the fastene apertures and extending to the distal en of the column member; and a plurality of fastener members extendabl through the fastener apertures, eac fastener member extendable through th channelway of one of the column member and attachable to the substrate so tha the first support surface is disposed predetermined distance from the substrat in an attached position of the suppor spacer apparatus to the substrate. 2, The support spacer apparatus of claim wherein each of the column members is shaped fo penetration through a compressible material so that th characteristics of the compressible material ar substantially retained during the penetration of th column members therethrough. O r - 3. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 where¬ in the column members and the fastener members are shaped to cooperatively penetrate a compressible material so that the characteristics of the compressible material are substantially retained during the penetra¬ tion of the combined column members and fastener members therethrough. 4. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fastener means is shaped for penetration through a compressible material so that the charac¬ teristics of the compressible material are substantially retained during the penetration of the fastener means therethrough. 5. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein each fastener member is attachable to the substrate at a randomly selected location by the appli¬ cation of energy to one end of the fastener member to cause attachment of the other end of the fastener member to the substrate. 6. The support spacer apparatus of claim 5 wherein the energy applied to the end of the fastener members assists in penetrating and substantially retaining the prepenetration characteristics of the insulation. 7. The support spacer apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the column members is a tube column having a channelway extending from an attachment end thereof to a tapered distal end thereof. 8. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the column members is attached at an attachment end thereof to the spacer member and exten¬ sive from the second support surface. ~^ _E 0 OMPI ! _ WIFO 9. The support spacer apparatus of claim wherein each of the fastener members comprises a elongated member having a first end, a second end and body portion disposed therebetween, the second end an the body portion passable through a selected one of th fastener apertures and the channelway of a respectivel associated column member, the second end rigidly attach able to the substrate by application of energy delivere to the first end which is disposed adjacent to the firs support surface in an attached position thereof. 10. The support spacer apparatus of claim 6 where in each of the fastener members comprises an elongate member having a first end, a second end and a body por tion disposed therebetween, the second end and the bod portion passable through a selected one of the fastene apertures and the channelway of a respectively asso ciated column member, the second end rigidly attachabl to the substrate by application of energy delivered t the first end which is disposed adjacent to the firs support surface in an attached position thereof. 11. The support spacer apparatus of claim wherein each of the fastener members comprises a elongate member having a first end, a second end and body portion disposed therebetween, the second end an the body portion passble through a selected one of th fastener apertures and the channelway of a respectivel associated column member, the second end rigidly attach able to the substrate by application of energy delivere to the first end which is dispose ' d adjacent to the firs support surface in an attached position thereof. 12. The support spacer apparatus of claim wherein each of the fastener members comprises a elongated member having a first end, a second end and body portion disposed therebetween, the second end and the body portion passable through a selected one of the fastener apertures and the channelway of a respectively associated column member, the second end rigidly attach¬ able to the substrate by application of energy delivered to the first end which is disposed adjacent to the first support surface in an attached position thereof. 13. The support spacer apparatus of claim 5 where¬ in each of the fastener members comprises a screw member, the second end being a self-drilling/self- tapping screw. 14. The support spacer apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of the fastener members comprises a screw member, the second end being a self-drilling/self- tapping screw. 15. The support spacer apparatus of claim 9 where¬ in each of the fastener members comprises a screw member, the second end being a self-drilling/self-tapping screw and the first end having a bolthead configuration, the screw member being of a length determined to effect compressive force upon its respective tube column member when the screw member is disposed through one of the fastener apertures and caused to be attached to the substrate. 16. The support spacer apparatus of claim 9 where¬ in each of the fastener members comprises a screw member, the second end being configured as a drill bit, the body portion having screw threads disposed in near proximity to the end second end, and the first end having a bolthead configuration, the screw member being is disposed to extend through one of the fastener aper¬ tures and caused to be attached to the substrate. ■ - EA OMPI '- 17. The support spacer apparatus of claim 9 wher in each of the fastener members comprises a nail membe the second end tapered to a penetrating point and t first end substantially having a nailhead configuratio the nail member being of a length determined to restrai its respective tube column member when the nail memb is disposed to extend through one of fastener apertur and caused to be penetratingly attached to the substra by energy applied to the first end thereo 18. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the nail members is dimensioned to received in the channelway of its respective column me bers by a friction fit so that the tapered second e extends from the channelway in an assembled position i which the nail member is exposed to extend through o of the fastener apertures and through its respectiv tube column member so as to support the tube colu member in a ready position prior to the nail memb being caused to be penetratingly attached to th substrate. 19. The support spacer apparatus of claim 8 where in each of the fastener apertures is tubulated and eac of the column members is connected to the tubulation o its respective fastener aperture. 20. The support spacer apparatus of claim 9 where in each of the fastener apertures is tabulated and eac of the column members is connected to the tubulation o its respective fastener aperture. 21. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the fastener apertures is tubulated an each of the column members is connected to the tubulatio of its respective fastener aperture. JR O -. --, V/I 22. The support spacer apparatus of claim 16 wherein each of the fastener apertures is tabulated and each of the column members is connected to the tubula¬ tion of its respective fastener aperture. 23. The support spacer apparatus of claim 17 wherein each of the fastener apertures is tubulated and each of the column members is connected to the tubula¬ tion of its respective fastener aperture. 24. The support spacer apparatus of claim 18 wherein each of the fastener apertures is tubulated and each of the column members is connected to the tubula¬ tion of its respective fastener aperture. 25. The support spacer apparatus of claim 8 where¬ in each of the tube columns is weldingly attached to the second support surface so that its respective channelway is substantially axially aligned with the respective fastener aperture . 26. The support spacer apparatus of claim 9 where¬ in each of the tube columns is weldingly attached to the second support surface so that its respective channelway is substantially axially aligned with the respective fastener aperture. 27. The support spacer apparatus of claim 15 wherein each of the tube columns is weldingly attached to the second support surface so that its respective channelway is substantially axially aligned with the respective fastener aperture. 28. The support spacer apparatus of claim 16 wherein each of the tube columns is weldingly attached to the second support surface so that its respective channelway is substantially axially aligned with the respective fastener aperture. OMPI - -? IPO 29. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the tube columns is weldingly attache to the second support surface so that its respectiv channelway is substantially axially aligned with th respective fastener aperture. - 30. The support spacer apparatus of _ claim 1 wherein each of the tube columns is weldingly attache to the second support surface so that its respectiv channelway is substantially axially aligned with th respective fastener aperture. 31. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1 where in the spacer member is a channel member having a firs end and a second end, a portion of the first end bein shaped to be receivable by the second end of anothe panel support spacer apparatus disposed in end-to-en alignment with the spacer member. 32. The support spacer apparatus of claim 1, 2, 3 4, 8, 12, 23 or 29 further comprising at least one pane member, the panel member being supportable by the firs support surfaces of a plurality of the spacer members and attachment means for attaching the panel member t the spacer member. 33. A support spacer apparatus supportable by substrate in a predetermined spatial relationshi thereto, the spacer apparatus comprising: a spacer member having a first support surface an an opposite second support surface, the space member having a plurality of fastener aper tures communicating therethrough; and fastener means for attaching the spacer member t the substrate, the fastener means comprising: a plurality of column members connected to th spacer member and extensive from the second support surface; and a plurality of fastener members extendable through the fastener apertures and attachable to the substrate so that the column members are disposed between the spacer member and the substrate, the first support surface being thereby disposed a predetermined distance from the substrate, each fastener member attachable to the substrate at a randomly selected location by the application of energy to one end of the fastener member to cause attachment of the other end of the fastener member to the substrate . 34. The support spacer apparatus of claim 33 wherein the column members are shaped for penetration through a compressible material so that the charac¬ teristics of the compressible material are substantially retained during the penetration of the column members therethrough. 35. The support spacer apparatus of claim 34 wherein each of the column members is a tube column having a channelway extending from an attachment end thereof to a tapered distal end thereof, and wherein each fastener member is disposed to extend through the channelway of a respective tube column, each of the tube columns attached at its attachment end to the spacer member. 36. The support spacer apparatus of claim 35 wherein each of the fastener members comprises a screw member having a first end and a second end, and the first end having a bolthead configuration, the second end being a self-drilling/self-tapping screw, the screw OVlF member being of a length determined to effect compressive force upon its respective tube column member when the screw member is disposed through one of the fastener apertures and caused to be attached to the substrate. 37. The support spacer apparatus of claim 35 wherein each of the fastener members comprises a screw member having a first end, a second end and a body por¬ tion, the first end having a bolthead configuration, the second end being configured as a drill bit, and the body portion having screw threads disposed in near proximity to the second end, the screw member being of a length determined to effect compressive force upon its respec¬ tive tube column member when the screw member is dis¬ posed to extend through one of the fastener apertures and caused to be attached to the substrate. 38. The support spacer apparatus of claim 35 wherein each of the fastener members comprises a nail member having a first end and a second end, the first end substantially having a nailhead configuration, and the second end tapered to a penetrating point, the nail member being of a length determined to restrain its respective tube column member when the nail member is disposed to extend through one of the fastener apertures and caused to be penetratingly attached to the substrate by energy applied to the first end thereof. 39. The support spacer apparatus of claim 38 wherein each of the nail members is dimensioned to be received in the channelway of its respective tube column member by a friction fit so that the tube column member is supported by the nail member and extensive from the second support surface prior to the nail member being caused to be penetratingly attached to the substrate. 40. The support spacer apparatus of claim 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 or 39 wherein each of the fastener aper¬ tures is tubulated and each of the column members is connected to the tubulation of its respective fastener aperture . 41. The support spacer apparatus of claim 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 or 39 wherein each of the column members is weldingly attached to the second support surface so that its respective channelway is substantially axially aligned with the respective fastener aperture. 42. The support spacer apparatus of claim 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 or 39 wherein the spacer member is a channel member having a first end and a second end, a portion of the first end being shaped to be receivable by the second end of another support spacer apparatus disposed in end-to-end alignment with the spacer member. 43. The support spacer apparatus of claim 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 or 39 further comprising at least one panel member partially supportable by the first support surface of the spacer member, and attachment means for attaching the panel member to the spacer member.

Inventors: SIMPSON H
Applicants: ENCON PRODUCTS INC
Application year: 1980
Main classification: E04B1
IPC codes: E04C3, E04D3, E04D13, F16B5, F16B35