Abstract:
Disclosed is a batten riser assembly that is used to install battens for tile roofs. The batten riser assembly can be used to prolong the life of tile roofs since it is made of waterproof materials. The batten riser assembly uses flexible strips that can be easily folded in a compact package and can be installed in a quick and easy manner. The batten riser assembly can be used in conjunction with a marker tape to speed installation. The batten riser assembly is designed to prevent the damming of water that penetrates the tile roof. The batten riser assembly provides a simple and easy way for installers to comply with building codes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 12/037,819, entitled “Batten Riser System,” filed Feb. 26, 2008, by Timothy R. Estes, et al., which application is a divisional application of Ser. No. 11/265,976, entitled “Batten Riser Assembly,” filed Nov. 2, 2005, by Timothy R. Estes, et al., which application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/072,810 entitled “Batten Riser System,” filed Mar. 4, 2005, by Lars J. Walberg and Timothy R. Estes, which application was based upon Ser. No. 60/550,958 entitled “Batten Riser System,” filed Mar. 5, 2004, by Kurt Walberg and Lars Walberg, and application Ser. No. 60/683,544, entitled “Batten Riser System,” filed May 20, 2005, by Timothy R. Estes and Lars J. Walberg. The entire contents of the above mentioned applications are hereby specifically incorporated herein by reference for all they disclose and teach. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Tile roofs provide an effective form of roofing that is long lasting, if installed properly, fire resistant and can have an aesthetic appearance. Tiles can be made of various different materials including fiberglass, cement, clay and other materials, all of which are generically referred to herein as “tiles”. For some time, tiles have been installed over plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) roof decking which is covered by an underlayment and regularly spaced battens, which are fastened through the underlayment to the roof deck. The tiles are then hung from and fastened to the roof battens. If precipitation penetrates the tile, the battens have a potential to dam water resulting in leakage of water through the penetrations of the underlayment as a result of fastening the battens to the roof deck and potential rotting of the battens that are placed in horizontal orientation, the dam water. This substantially threatens the lifespan of the roof. 
         [0003]    As a solution to these problems, roofers adopted a lath and batten system, i.e., a counter-batten system in which vertically oriented battens are nailed to a felt covered roof with spacings of anywhere from 16 to 24 inches and horizontally oriented battens are nailed to the vertically oriented battens at spacings that satisfy the overlap dimensions of the tiles. These types of counter-batten systems allow water that seeps through the tiles to flow along the felt and not be dammed by horizontally oriented battens that are nailed directly to the roof. In other words, this type of counter-batten system allowed the free flow of water that penetrates the tiles along the underlayment without being substantially impeded. In addition, the counter-batten systems create an airspace that provides insulating qualities and mediates the transmission of heat to and from the roof tile. As such, the heat transferred between the roof and the rest of the structure is mediated. In climates where snow can accumulate on the roof surface, this effect reduces the severity of the freeze/thaw cycles that occur on a roof, which can result in damming of water. 
         [0004]    However, installation of these types of systems is labor intensive and time consuming. In addition, the spacing of the vertically oriented battens is normally controlled by local building codes. In order to reduce the amount of material used, installers typically install the vertical battens at the maximum width allowed by the building code. This requires careful measuring to ensure that the spacing of the vertically oriented battens does not exceed the maximum spacing allowed by code. If these measurements are not carefully made, the spacing of the vertically oriented battens can exceed the maximum spacing allowed which can, in some instances, result in the building inspector requiring that the roof be removed and reinstalled in accordance with code. Shims can be used to also reduce material costs. However, the same problems are involved with the installation of shims at distances that do not exceed code requirements. 
         [0005]    In addition, wooden battens and shims are susceptible to rot in the moist environment of the roof system. As a result, the entire roof system must be replaced periodically because the counter-batten system tends to rot as a result of the naturally moist environment under the tiles. The vertically oriented battens in a counter-batten system and the shims in a shim system are both directly nailed to the felt on the roof and have constant contact with water that flows along the felt. As a result, the vertically oriented battens, in a counter-batten system, and the shims, in a shim system, do not have an extended life cycle. 
         [0006]    In addition to the careful measurements that must be made when installing the vertically oriented batten systems, even more precise measurements must be made when installing the horizontal battens. After the proper spacing of horizontal battens is determined at each edge of the roof, a snap line must be used to mark the proper location of the horizontal battens, considering the allowable overlap of the tile. Few battens are straight enough and long enough to individually span the horizontal distance of the roof. Once the chalk snap lines have been placed on the roof, the horizontal battens can be installed. For example, a 14 inch spacing between horizontally oriented battens is typically a suitable spacing for most tiles. This process is a time consuming and labor intensive process that increases the expense of installation of tile roof systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An embodiment of the present invention may comprise a batten riser assembly for supporting battens on a roof deck comprising: at least one flexible strip that is collapsible and that has sufficient flexibility to allow said flexible strip to be folded; and a plurality of risers substantially evenly spaced and attached to said flexible strip, each riser of said plurality of risers constructed from a substantially waterproof material comprising: at least one flange that extends outwardly from said riser along a bottom portion of said riser adjacent said roof deck that provides an area that is sufficiently large to mechanically attach said flange to said roof deck; a raised body portion having a surface that supports said battens and that provides a gap between said battens and said roof deck. 
         [0008]    An embodiment of the present invention may further comprise a method of making a batten riser assembly for supporting battens on a roof surface comprising: making a plurality of risers from a substantially waterproof material, said risers having at least one flange portion on each riser of said plurality of risers for attaching said riser to a roof surface, said flange portion extending outwardly from said riser along a bottom portion of said riser that contacts said roof surface that provides an area that is sufficiently large to attach said flanges to said roof surface when said batten riser assembly is installed on said roof surface, said riser having a raised body portion having a surface that supports battens that are attached to said roof surface, so that a gap is formed between said battens and said roof surface when said batten riser assembly is installed on said roof surface; attaching at least one flexible, collapsible strip to said plurality of risers, said flexible, collapsible strip being substantially waterproof and straight when extended in a lengthwise direction for aligning said batten riser assembly on said roof surface, said flexible, collapsible strip being made from a material that has a lateral strength that is sufficient to substantially minimize stretching along the length of the strip so as to provide spacing of said plurality of risers by a predetermined distance and that has sufficient flexibility to allow said batten riser assembly to be folded into a compact package. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of one embodiment of a batten riser assembly. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a batten riser assembly of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a batten system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an end view of the batten system. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5A  is an isometric view of a system for installing the batten system of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5B  is a top view of an alternative marker tape. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a partially installed batten system on a roof structure. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a fully installed batten system on a roof structure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a close-up view of a batten system installed on a roof structure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of an installed batten system with roof tiles partially installed on the batten system. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a batten riser system. 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of an embodiment of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  illustrates another embodiment of a batten riser system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of a batten riser assembly  100 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the batten riser assembly includes a plastic riser  102  and flexible strips  104 ,  106  that are attached to the plastic riser  102 . The plastic riser  102  can be made of any type of plastic or rubberized material that is not susceptible to damage by water or any other type of waterproof material. Other types of materials can also be used such as galvanized metal or other rustproof treated metals, rubber-coated or plastic-coated materials, etc., all of which are referred to herein as a plastic riser. The plastic riser  102  also has sufficient strength to handle loads that are applied to the roof without substantially compressing. The plastic riser can be made from a single molded piece of plastic, such as an injection molded piece or an extruded piece. The plastic riser  102  can be made of plastic such as polycarbonate, PET, polypropylene, polyethylene, wood, wood fiber, rubber, treated wood, or coated material that is coated with a waterproof material. The plastic riser illustrated in  FIG. 1  has rounded flanges  108 ,  110  that are disposed at the lateral ends and a raised body portion  112  in the center portion of the plastic riser  102 . Again, the raised body portion  112  should have sufficient thickness and be made of a material that is capable of handling the loads of the roof system, including people walking on the roof system, without collapsing. The rounded flanges  108 ,  110  are used to fasten the plastic riser  102  directly to the felt-covered roof structure (not shown). The rounded flanges  108 ,  110  can be of any desired shape that is capable of shedding water. In other words, the rounded flanges  108 ,  110  are oriented in a substantially vertically inclined direction on the roof deck and are shaped so that water, that may penetrate between the roof tiles is not dammed and can easily flow around the rounded shaped flanges  108 ,  110 , i.e., do not collect water. Other shapes that may be suitable include a pointed shape, an oblong shape or any other desired shape. The rounded flanges  108 ,  110  can also be attached to the sides of the raised body portion  112 , so long as the shape of the flanges is not such that the flange could collect and dam water on the surface of the roof. The raised body portion  112  is open in the middle to allow any water that seeps into the raised body portion to flow out of the bottom of the riser  102  or through openings  118  and  120 , on the sides of the raised body portion. In that way, water does not collect within the raised body portion which may cause leaks. 
         [0023]    Of course, the flanges  108 ,  110  can be attached to the felt-covered roof deck in any desired fashion including nails, staples, screws, glue, contact cement, pressure-sensitive adhesive or any other desired way of attaching the riser. The raised body portion  112  could also be constructed so that there is no opening at the bottom of the raised body portion  112 , and openings  109 , that are formed in the walls of the raised body portion  112 , would allow water to flow from the cavity created by the raised body portion  112 . This alternative structure may provide additional rigidity and stability for the raised body portion  112 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  also illustrates flexible strips  104 ,  106 . Flexible strips  104 ,  106  are attached to the rounded flanges  110 ,  108 , respectively. The flexible strips  104 ,  106  can be attached by any desired means including ultrasonic welding, heat welding, various glues or adhesives, staples, screws, nails, etc. The flexible strips  104 ,  106  can be made of any type of plastic material or webbing and can also include fiber reinforced plastic such as fiberglass reinforced or carbon fiber reinforced plastic materials. In this case, the fiber reinforcement ensures that the flexible strips  104 ,  106  are sufficiently strong and do not stretch. In addition, the flexible strips  104 ,  106  are made of a material that is cut along a straight line so that the edge of the flexible strips  104 ,  106  can be used to align the batten riser assembly  100  along the roof during installation. Use of the flexible strips  104 ,  106  to align the batten riser assembly  100  eliminates the step of measuring and aligning the batten riser assembly  100  using chalk snap lines and other time consuming methods of marking the roof to properly align and install the batten riser assembly  100 . This is explained in more detail below with respect to  FIG. 5 . The staples  114 ,  116  are placed through the raised flange  108 ,  110 , respectively, to hold the batten riser assembly  100  in a properly aligned location on the roof surface. Of course, any desired way of attaching the plastic riser  102  to the roof can be used including nails, screws, adhesives, etc. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a batten riser assembly  200 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , plastic riser  202  and plastic riser  204  are connected by flexible strips  206 ,  208 . The flexible strips  206 ,  208  form a straight line between the plastic risers  202 ,  204  and continue in that fashion to additional plastic risers that are spaced evenly at a predetermined distance that is in accordance with building code. For example, the plastic risers may be spaced at a distance of 12 inches which meets known code requirements. Since the flexible strips  206 ,  208  are cut along a straight line and form a straight line when extended along the roof surface, the flexible strips can be used to properly align the batten riser assembly  200  in the proper location on the roof without relying on the tedious process of marking the roof for proper placement of the batten riser assembly  200 . 
         [0026]    As also illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the plastic riser  202  has a rounded flange  210  and rounded flange  214  that rest against the waterproofing layer of the roof, which is usually a felt layer. A raised body portion  218  of the plastic riser  202  creates a space between the surface of the covered roof and the batten, which is secured to the top of the raised body portion  218 . Similarly, plastic riser  204  has rounded flanges  212 ,  214  that rest against the felt-covered roof surface. As set forth above, these flanges are shaped in a rounded configuration to allow water to flow around plastic riser  204  and not be trapped by the plastic risers. Since the flexible strips  206 ,  208  are disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation along the surface of the roof, the upper rounded portion of the rounded flanges  210 ,  212  deflect any water flowing along the surface of the roof, i.e., prevent damming of the water. 
         [0027]    Since the flexible strips  206 ,  208  are straight when laid out on a roof deck, the flexible strips can be used to properly align the batten riser assembly  200  in the proper position on the roof. For example, the location of the batten riser assemblies on the roof can be easily measured and marked along each of the side edges of the roof. One of the flexible strips, such as flexible strip  206 , can be aligned with the markings along each of the side edges of the roof and the batten riser assembly  200  can then be easily and quickly attached to the roof surface. In this manner, additional measuring and placement of counter battens is eliminated which greatly speeds the installation of the roof system. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the batten system  300  that is installed on a roof deck  302 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a batten  304  secured tightly against the raised body portion  312  of plastic riser  308  and the raised body portion  316  of plastic riser  310  with screw  320  and screw  322 , respectively. Of course, any desired type of fastener can be used including nails, bolts, staples, etc. in accordance with local building codes. The fasteners  320 ,  322  which can comprise screws, nails, staples, etc., penetrate the batten  304  and proceed through the opening in the raised body portions  312 ,  316  of the plastic risers  308 ,  310 , respectively. In this fashion, the fasteners  320 ,  322  do not penetrate any portion of plastic risers  308 ,  310 , respectively. Alternative embodiments may have a solid base in the plastic risers  308 ,  310  which would be penetrated by the fasteners  320 ,  322  to further secure the plastic risers  308 ,  310  in position. As also shown in  FIG. 3 , the flexible strap  306  is attached to rounded flange  314  of plastic riser  308  and rounded flange  318  of plastic riser  310 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is an end view of batten system  400  and batten system  424 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , a batten  402  is secured to a plastic riser  404  with screw  422 . Fastener  422  penetrates the batten  402 , the hollow portion of the raised body portion  406  of the plastic riser  404  and the roof deck  412 . Flexible straps  418 ,  420  connect the plastic riser  404  to additional plastic risers that are aligned in a substantially horizontal direction along the roof surface. Staples  410 ,  416  penetrate the rounded flanges  408 ,  414 , respectively, and the roof deck  412  to hold the plastic riser  404  in place. A similar batten system  424  is aligned in a substantially horizontal direction on the roof surface, as shown in  FIG. 4 , and spaced from the batten system  400  by a distance  426  which falls within the range of acceptable overlap of the particular tile that is to be used with the batten systems. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5A  is an isometric view of a roof deck illustrating the manner in which batten riser systems can be installed. As mentioned above, the vertically-oriented spacing along the roof surface of the individual batten system, such as the spacing between batten riser assembly  502  and batten riser assembly  504 , is dependent upon the size of the tile that is being installed. Various sizes of tiles have different ranges of acceptable overlap. Typically, batten system  502  and batten system  504  are spaced apart by a maximum of 14 inches. Installation can be done using standard techniques of measuring and placing markings on the roof surface. The flexible strips can then be lined up with the markings for installation. An alternative method is illustrated in  FIG. 5A  using marker tapes  506 ,  508 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 5A , marker tape  506  and marker tape  508  each have a series of markings  510 ,  512 , respectively. The markings  510 ,  512  are placed at the maximum spacing (minimum overlap) of the particular type of tile that is being used. Typically, marker tapes will have markings that are spaced apart by 14 inches, which corresponds to the typical spacing for mounting tiles and provides the typical overlap. The marker tape  506  and marker tape  508  are used to align batten riser assemblies for easy installation. This is done by aligning one of the markings on the marker tape, such as marking  514  at the bottom edge of the roof deck  516  or at a location near the bottom of the roof deck. The marker tape  506  is then rotated along the surface of the roof until a marking, such as marking  518 , is aligned with the peak of the roof or at a location that is a selected distance from the peak of the roof. A similar process is performed with marker tape  508 . The flexible strip, such as flexible strip  520  of the batten riser assembly  504 , is then aligned with the markings on the tape and attached to the roof deck  516 . Since the flexible strips form a straight line, flexible strips can be aligned with the markings on marker tape  506  and marker tape  508  and have a spacing that is less than the maximum spacing allowed between the batten riser assemblies. Additionally, since the markings  510  and markings  512  are equally placed on the marker tape  506  and marker tape  508 , respectively, the marker tapes  506 ,  508  are rotated the same amount to align the markings with the peak of the roof deck  516  or some other location. Hence, when the batten riser assemblies are aligned with the markings  510 ,  512 , the batten riser assemblies are square with the roof deck  516 , i.e., the batten riser assemblies are aligned in a substantially horizontally-oriented configuration. Also, the roof does not have to be measured and marked since the flexible strip is used to align the batten riser assembly with the markings on the marker tape. 
         [0032]      FIG. 5B  is an alternative embodiment of a marker tape  520 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , major marks  522  are spaced equally along the length of the marker tape  520 . For example, 17 inch tiles of the major marks  522  may be spaced 14 inches along the length of the tape to insure a 3 inch overlap of the tile. Illustrated in  FIG. 5A , it may be desirable to have the top batten riser assembly  502  spaced down from the ridge of the roof. In that regard, upper mark  524  is placed on the marker tape  520  to provide a spacing between the roof ridge and the location of the batten riser assembly  502  which is placed on a major mark  522 . For example, upper mark  524  may be placed 1.5 inches above the major mark  522 . Similarly, the lowest batten on the roof deck  516  of  FIG. 5A  may be placed a predetermined distance from the edge of the roof deck  516 . Lower mark  526  provides the proper spacing between the major mark  522  and the edge of the roof deck which is aligned with the lower mark  526 . For example, lower mark  526  may be spaced from the major marks  522  by three inches to provide a three inch spacing between the edge of the roof deck  516  ( FIG. 5A ) and the batten riser assembly. Placement of the lowest batten riser assembly at three inches above the roof edge provides the proper amount of overlap and spacing of the tile along the edge of the roof deck  516  ( FIG. 5A ). 
         [0033]    In operation, the marker tape  520  of  FIG. 5B  is used as follows. Marker tape  520  is placed on the roof deck  516  and a lower mark  526  is aligned with the lower edge of the roof deck  516 . The tape is then laid out across the roof deck and rotated until an upper mark  524  is aligned with the ridge of the roof. Another marker tape is laid out on the roof deck in the same manner and spaced apart from the first marker tape. The flexible strips of the batten riser assembly  502  are then aligned with the major marks  522  and attached to the roof with the proper spacing and placement on the roof. This procedure eliminates the steps of measuring and marking the proper location of the upper and lower batten riser assemblies. 
         [0034]    The advantages of using the marker tapes and straight flexible strips are that no calculations have to be made as to the spacing between the batten riser assemblies and no chalk lines have to be snapped to mark the placement of the batten riser assemblies since the flexible strips are straight and provide the proper alignment of the risers without the necessity of marking the placement of the risers. These two advantages allow a roofer to quickly and easily install the batten riser assemblies in a fashion that substantially reduces the effort and time required for installation of the batten riser assemblies. Because the markings on the marker tapes are not greater than the maximum distance between batten riser assemblies (minimum overlap of tiles), rotation of the marker tape on the roof surface simply reduces the spacing between the batten riser assemblies. The use of this technique does not allow the batten riser assemblies to exceed the maximum spacing between the batten riser assemblies. 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of a roof system  600 . The roof system illustrated in  FIG. 6  shows a plurality of batten systems  602  that have been installed over a plurality of batten riser assemblies  604 .  FIG. 6  illustrates a plurality of batten riser assemblies  604  that do not yet have battens installed. As can be seen from  FIG. 6 , the batten riser assemblies are installed square with the roof and are parallel with one another. The square and parallel installation can be achieved in a simple and easy fashion using the marker tape as illustrated and described with respect to  FIG. 5 . The installation illustrated in  FIG. 6  can also be achieved by measuring and marking the roof system as described above. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the top batten riser is installed slightly below the roof peak to accommodate a series of peak shingles that overlap shingles on both sides of the roof. Hence, it may be desirable to have additional marks on the marker tape that are placed above the regular marks by a distance that allows for spacing between the peak and/or the edge of the roof and the placement of the top and bottom batten riser assemblies. In this fashion, the peak of the roof and/or the edge of the roof can be aligned with these additional marks so that the batten riser system  604  can be placed in a position that is spaced from the roof peak or lower roof edge. This distance is dependent upon the type of tile and the manner in which it is installed over the batten system. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of a roof system  700  that includes a series of fully installed batten systems  702 . Again, the batten systems are aligned in a square and parallel fashion in a substantially horizontal orientation for a properly aligned roof system. The roof system  700  illustrated in  FIG. 7  is ready for installation of tiles. 
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a close-up view of a roof system  800 . Batten system  802  and batten system  804  have battens  806 ,  808  that are installed over the batten riser systems  810 ,  812 , respectively. As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , the screws, such as fastener  814  and fastener  816 , which can comprise screws, nails, staples, etc., secure the battens  806 ,  808  to the batten riser systems  810 ,  812 , respectively. Batten riser system  818  is shown without a batten installed, illustrating the manner in which the batten riser system  810  is installed on the roof deck. 
         [0038]      FIG. 9  is a isometric view illustrating the manner in which tiles  902  are installed on the batten system  904 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the tiles  902  overlap by a distance that should not be less than a predetermined amount. The markings  510 ,  512  on the marker tape  506 ,  508 , respectively ( FIG. 5 ), ensure that the overlap illustrated in  FIG. 9  is not less than the predetermined amount of overlap required for a particular tile.  FIG. 9  also illustrates the felt  906  and plywood decking  908  of the roof system. 
         [0039]      FIG. 10  is an isometric view of another embodiment of a batten riser system  1000 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , there are series of supports  1002  that can be constructed of a waterproof type material, such as rubber, plastic or other materials. Flexible strip  1004  can be attached to the supports  1002  in any desired manner such as stapling, using staples  1006 , screwing, gluing, nailing, bolting, etc. The flexible strip  1004  was cut in a straight line so that the strip provides a straight edge for alignment with a marker tape, or measured points, on the roof surface. Flexible strip  1004  may be made of a web material as disclosed above. As also disclosed above, the flexible strip  1004  can comprise any type of material that is capable of holding supports  1002  in alignment and spaced by a predetermined distance. For example, rope, string, tape or other materials that are sufficiently strong and capable of holding and aligning supports  1002  can be used. 
         [0040]      FIG. 11  is a top view of an embodiment of  FIG. 10 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , the batten riser system  1000  is laid out in a substantially straight line using the flexible strip  1004  to hold the supports  1002  in substantially straight alignment and spaced by a predetermined amount since the flexible strip is substantially resistant to stretching. 
         [0041]      FIG. 12  is a top view of another embodiment of a batten riser system  1200 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , the supports  1202  are installed in a diagonal orientation with respect to the flexible strip  1204 . As such, the supports  1202  are pointed in a vertical orientation so that water does not collect on any of the surfaces of the supports  1202 . Similarly, the flexible strip  1204  can be made of any desired type of material such as the materials described with respect to flexible strip  1004 . 
         [0042]    The present invention therefore provides a unique batten riser system that can be used to prolong the life of tile roofs and substantially reduce the time of installation. The system can be used in conjunction with marker tape to further reduce the time of installation. The batten riser system provides a system for ensuring compliance with building codes for the installation of roof systems and is substantially less expensive than existing counter-batten systems. 
         [0043]    The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art.