Abstract:
An Interlocking Continuous Roof Assembly and Method for Wind Resistant Roofing is presented, whereby continuous double lock seams are used exclusively to join panels together. This roof manufacturing methodology results in a roof that possesses improved resistance to wind and water during storm conditions and thereby decreases the chances of the roof being damaged or destroyed by severe weather.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/676,657, filed Feb. 20, 2007; now pending. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to the methods of construction for residential and business building roofs with any pitch, single or split, flat or steep, with a continuous interlocking wind resistant metal membrane. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Roofing projects where the building design includes a change in the pitch of the roof, a “slope break,” present special difficulties for many roofing materials. This is especially true for long-panel metal roofing systems, where such a change in slope will usually require cutting the pan at the slope break, or require the use of two separate roof panels with a flashing at the slope break. 
   Many different flashing techniques and sealants have been employed by metal roofing installers over time to deal with such a change in roofing angles, with varying degrees of success. 
   The state-of-the-art flashing techniques often fail in extreme weather conditions when water blown by high winds penetrates flashing details at the ridge cap, valley, fascia, and slope break, because the flashing is not continuous and interlocking. In particular, flashing techniques at slope breaks that rely on sealants to prevent water penetration will fail over time as sealants are weathered and age. 
   The present invention involves a field-proven technique that will allow the installation of roofing panels and ridge caps onto a roof with a split pitch in a single, continuous length without the need to cut the roofing panel. Roofing panels and ridge caps are installed from ridge to eaves with continuous double-lock standing seams without cuts or seams, thereby creating leak-proof conditions. The continuous nature of the double lock seams is crucial, because joints along the seam would permit water or wind to work on the seam and eventually split it open. 
   The typical roof in a high wind weather condition is degraded and eventually destroyed because one or more roofing panels and or the ridge cap are lifted off of the structure. When this happens, the entire roof is quickly peeled off of the building and the rest of the building is exposed to the weather. By eliminating the entry of water and wind under the edges of the roof panels and ridge cap, the roof will survive heavy hurricane force winds. 
   The purpose of this invention is to provide a standard American-style roof with eaves, pitched or flat, straight pitch or split pitch, or plantation style, resistance to winds of extreme force by forming a metal membrane of continuous interlocking flashing. With roofing panels, the present invention will confer resistance to all winds, not depending on thru fasteners or flashing with caulk. 
   All details of roof split pitch, valley, ridge cap, fascia are unique and new to the roofing industry because roofers have not been equipped to produce continuous panels and all other flashings in one piece, including ridge caps, valleys, soffit flashings, fascia cap, on site. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide an Interlocking Continuous Roof Assembly and Method for Wind Resistant Roofing. An objective of the present invention is to provide a methodology for assembling sheet metal roofs in such a manner as to minimize or eliminate leakage and susceptibility of the roof to wind damage. 
   A further objective of this invention is to make the methodology easy and cost-efficient to use. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to allow the methodology to be implemented with hand tools or power tools with hand tool finishing. 
   A further objective of the present invention is to permit all steps of roof manufacture using this methodology to be performed on the roofing job site. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a typical pitched roof; 
       FIG. 2  is a roof panel detail; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the ridge detail; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of a wrapped fascia and soffit; 
       FIGS. 5A ,  5 B,  5 C are cross-sectional views of a roof valley; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of a roof rake; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of a wall-to-soffit flashing detail; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-section view of an alternate roof rake; 
       FIG. 9  is a plantation style roof installed using the present invention; 
       FIG. 10  is a flow chart depicting the initial steps involved in the roofing method of the present invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a flowchart depicting the method steps for installation of the valley section; 
       FIG. 12  is a flowchart depicting the method steps for installation of the soffit and rake sections; 
       FIG. 13  is the optional step of modifying the field pans for installation on a plantation roof; and 
       FIG. 14  depicts the method steps to complete the ridge assembly installation. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide an Interlocking Continuous Roof Assembly and Method for Wind Resistant Roofing. 
   As a preliminary matter, the term “building substrate,” as used herein, is intended to refer to the surface that the roof of the present invention is being attached to. The roof portion of the building substrate is generally the outer structural surface of the building roof, but not that part that relates to the weather-proofing of the building. Most times, the building&#39;s roof substrate is Oriented Strandboard or the like attached to the building&#39;s roof rafters. 
   The method implemented by the present invention is intended to make waterproof and windproof seams between roof panels  102  and the roof ridge cap  103 , as well as between the individual roof panels  102 . The preferred roof ridge cap  103  is comprised of a male  104  and a female lock  105  panel (see  FIG. 3 ). The present method is also used to assemble roofs from collections of roof panels  102  by means of producing double lock seams  115 .  FIG. 1  shows a typical metal roof  100  with a plurality of roof panels  102  connected with the double-lock roof panel seams  101  of the present invention, and a roof ridge cap  103  also created with the method of the present invention. Also shown is a typical dormer  106  roof with valleys  107 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a composite roof panel  102  with rake  108 .  FIG. 3  is a cross-section of the roof ridge assembly. The male lock panel  104  and female lock panel  105  are joined at the top of the roof ridge cap  103  by means of a folded-over double-lock seam  110  formed by folding the mating edge  120  of the female lock panel  105  over the mating edge  121  of the male lock panel  104  to form a single lock seam, and then folding the single lock seam one more time to make a double-lock seam  110 . 
   The length of the male lock panel  104  and female lock panel  105  is indeterminate, and can be of any reasonable length along the ridge of the building. The present invention method includes the step of manufacturing the roof ridge cap  103  on the building site to be as long as necessary to reach from one end of the building roof ridge to the other, comprised of two continuous pieces of metal, the male and female lock panels  104 ,  105 . The next step is to form a double lock seam  110  connecting the male and female lock panels  104 ,  105  by double folding the mating edges  120 ,  121  of the lock panels  104 ,  105 . 
   The width of the male and female lock panels  104 ,  105 , running from the mating edges  120 ,  121  of the lock panels  104 ,  105  to where they encounter the mating edges  130  of the roof panels  102 , is set by design. Since each roof ridge cap  103  (later referred to as a “ridge assembly”) is made from a matched pair of continuous lock panels ( 104 ,  105 ), the ridge cap  103  will be made in a single, continuous piece. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A-C, and  6 , the method of the present invention can be applied to all areas of the roof  100  where metal roof panels  102  encounter each other or building fascia  111 . A fascia clip  160  is first attached to the building substrate. A fascia clip seam  151  is formed between the fascia section  111  and the fascia clip  151 . A soffit seam  162  is formed where the fascia section  111  engages a soffit section (is applicable). The pan sections  102  are attached to the fascia section  111  with an eaves seam  161 . As should be apparent, all of the roof elements and sections are sealed together to provide a water-proof and supremely wind-resistant building roof. 
     FIG. 5A  depicts the unique structure related to roofing the valleys using the method of the present invention. A valley section  107  under the present design has two separate seams—one for first attaching the valley section  107  to the building substrate, and another for sealing the valley sections  107  to the intersecting pan sections. Field clips  163  are sealed to the pan sections  102  so that the field/pan sections are attached to the building substrate. Valley clips  164  are attached to the building substrate and then a valley seam  150  is formed between the clips  164  and the valley section  107 . 
   Once all of the pan sections are laid and seamed to the field clips  163 , they a valley field pan seam  154  are formed between the valley sections  107  and the pan sections  102  adjacent to the valley section  107 . 
     FIG. 5B  is a partial cross-section of the valley section  107 , just prior to the formation of the valley field pan seam  154 . The pan sections  102  are positioned so that the tongue  109  extends over the Z-bend in the valley section  107 . When properly aligned, as depicted in  FIG. 5C , the tongue  109  is bent under and into the valley Z-bend to form the seam  154 . This seam  154  is hammered flat once formed, and the field pan  102  is pulled away from the seam  154  in order to insure that the field pan  102  is tightly joined to the valley section  107 . 
   In  FIG. 6 , the detail of roof panel  102  and roof rake  112  is shown. Note that the seams joining roof panels  102  to each other and to the roof rake  112  are double lock seams  115 . 
   In  FIG. 8 , an alternate embodiment of the seaming between a roof panel  102  and the fascia  131  is shown, where the fascia  131  terminates before wrapping under the roof  140 . This fascia  131  arrangement is held down to the roof by means of a bracket  132  made of the same metal as the roof panels  102 , joined to the roof rake  131  by means of a double lock seam  143 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A-C, and  6 , the method of the present invention can be applied to all areas of the roof  100  where metal roof panels  102  encounter each other or building fascia  111 . A fascia clip  160  is first attached to the building substrate. A fascia clip seam  151  is formed between the fascia section  111  and the fascia clip  160 . A soffit seam  162  is formed where the fascia section  111  engages a soffit section (is applicable). The pan sections  102  are attached to the fascia section  111  with an eaves seam  161 . As should be apparent, all of the roof elements and sections are sealed together to provide a water-proof and supremely wind-resistant building roof. 
     FIG. 9  shows a typical plantation-style roof made with the present invention. The break in roof slope is accommodated by means of folding the continuous metal roof parts. 
     FIGS. 10-14  are presented in order to fully disclose the method of the present invention, as it compares to the prior art.  FIG. 10  is a flow chart depicting the initial steps involved in the roofing method  200  of the present invention. In the interest of clarity, structural elements identified within the context of the following method steps will be enclosed in parenthesis (e.g.  103 ), which indicates that the element referenced can be found in a previously-identified drawing figure. 
   As with any conventional metal sheet roofing method, the dimensions and characteristics of the roof must be obtained  202 . It should be understood that some of the dimensions can be obtained “on the fly,” during installation, since the various pieces are all intended to be manufactured at the job site. Each “branch” of the subsequent method steps will be initiated in an order that is determined by the roof installation. For example, some roof installations may mandate rake/fascia manufacture and installation prior to valley installation, and vice versa. Consequently, the “branches” of the method are to be presumed to be independently executed from each of the other branches. 
   The ridge manufacture “branch” begins with the manufacturing of fitted, paired, continuous ridge sections  204 . The ridge sections ( 104 ) and ( 105 ) are depicted above in  FIG. 3 . Ridge sections will be custom made to size for each ridge in the roof. 
   Once the ridge sections ( 104 ,  105 ) are manufactured (or as pairs are manufactured), fitted, continuous ridge assemblies ( 103 ) are created by forming a double-lock seam ( 110 ) between the two ridge sections ( 104 ,  105 ). The completed ridge assemblies ( 103 ) will be devoid of any breaks, patches, splices or other discontinuities, making them particularly weather- and wind-proof. Reference numeral D is to be followed upon completion of all of the remaining “branches” in the method  200 . 
   The method  200  further includes the manufacture of fitted, continuous valley sections  208 . Again, these can be pre-manufactured, or made on-the-fly. Following reference numeral A to  FIG. 11 , we can continue with this branch of the method  200 . 
     FIG. 11  is a flowchart depicting the method steps for installation of the valley section. The structural elements discussed within in the context of this method are depicted in  FIG. 5 , above. 
   First, valley clips are attached to the building substrate  214 . Next, valley sections are laid out and crimped to the valley clips at the valley clips seam  216 . As discussed above, the valley clip seam is separate from the seam that interconnects the pan sections to the valley section. 
   Preferably next, field clips are attached to the building substrate  218 . The field/pan sections ( 102 ) are laid out and crimped to the field clips  220 . Finally, the field/pan sections ( 102 ) are crimped to the valley section ( 107 ) to form the valley field pan seam. Reference numeral D is to be followed upon completion of all of the remaining “branches” in the method  200 . 
   The method  200  further includes the manufacture of fitted, continuous rake and fascia sections  210 . These can be pre-manufactured, or made on-the-fly. Following reference numeral B to  FIG. 12 , we can continue with this branch of the method  200 . 
     FIG. 12  is a flowchart depicting the method steps for installation of the soffit and rake sections. The structural elements are depicted above in  FIG. 4 . The rake ( 111 ) and soffit sections are attached to the building substrate  224 . Again, field clips are attached to the building substrate  226  and the field/pan sections ( 102 ) are laid out and crimped to the field clips  228 . Finally, the field sections ( 102 ) are crimped to the rake section ( 111 ) to form the rake seams and eave seams  230 . Reference numeral D is to be followed upon completion of all of the remaining “branches” in the method  200 . 
   Each of the pan sections are formed in fitted, continuous pieces  212 . Reference numerals C 1  and C 2  refer to the situation where a plantation roof meets the rest of the building roof structure.  FIG. 13  is the optional step of modifying the field pans for installation on a plantation roof. As shown above in  FIG. 9 , breaks are formed in field sections prior to their installation on the roof  232  so that, once installed, a valley will be created at the junction of the plantation roof with the conventional pitched roof. Reference numeral D is to be followed upon completion of all of the remaining “branches” in the method  200 . 
   Finally, once all branches of the method  200  are complete,  FIG. 14  depicts the method steps to complete the ridge assembly installation.  FIG. 3 , above, depicts the structure of the installed ridge area of the roof. The ridge assemblies are laid out in their respective locations  234 , and continuous ridge/pan seams are formed between the pan sections ( 102 ) and the ridge assemblies ( 103 ). 
   Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.