Abstract:
A two-piece clamping unit for attaching to a roof seam whereby a top piece contacts one side of the seam and a base piece contacts the opposite side thereof and the top and bottom pieces are threadingly secured.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Snow guard devices used to prevent the falling of snow from roofs are usually attached to the upward extending roof seams. The snow-stopping metal or plastic plates are generally affixed to the seams prior to snow season and are removed there from at the end of the season. 
   The snow guards are usually attached to the roof seams by brackets which employ threaded screws and the like which could possible damage the seams upon extended usage. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,772 entitled “Mounting Device for Building Surfaces” describes attachment of such brackets to the roof seams by means of blunt-nosed screws which contact opposite sides of the seams. 
   Since some time is involved in fastening and removing the screws from a multitude of such brackets, it would be advantageous to fasten the snow guard device to the roof seams with a single fastener that is accessible from the top of the bracket, per se and which does come into contact with the seams. 
   Accordingly, one purpose of the instant invention is to provide a snow guard clamping unit that employs a fastener that attaches the unit to the roof seams without contacting the seams and which is accessible from top of the unit. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A two-piece clamping unit for attaching to a roof seam includes a top piece configured for contacting one side of the seam and a base piece configured for contacting the opposite side thereof. An extended machine screw fastener threadingly engages the top piece and the base piece for capturing the seam there between and fixedly holding the clamping unit to the seam. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the self-attaching snow-guard clamping unit of the invention prior to attaching to an upstanding roof seam; and 
       FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the top piece and the base piece of the snow-guard clamping unit attached to the roof seam in accordance with the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  depict the snow guard clamping unit  10 , hereafter “clamping unit”, according to the invention prior to attaching to an upstanding roof seam, depicted at  23  in phantom. 
   A shaped top piece  11  is arranged approximate one side of the seam while the shaped base  12  is arranged approximate an opposite side thereof. The top piece  11  is formed from a single piece of weather-resistant metal, such as an aluminum alloy, to define a C-shaped rear part  9 , a front part  14  and a planar top  20  extending there between. 
   The rear part  9  of top piece  11  defines a planar slot  17 A terminating at a bottom wall  17 B, the function of which will be described below in greater detail. The front part  14  includes a front wall  14 A and a slanting inner wall  14 B, which cooperates with slanting front  15  of the base  12 , when the top piece  11  is attached to the base  12 . 
   The base  12  further defines an L-shaped rear part  18  which includes a top wall  18 A, a bottom wall  18 B, and a planar top part  16  extending between the L-shaped rear part  18  and the slanting front  15 . 
   Prior to attaching the top part  11  to the base  12 , the base is first moved in the indicated direction until the bottom wall  18 B abuts one side  23 A of the roof seam  23 . The top part  11  is moved in the indicated direction such that the slanting inner wall  14 B contacts the slanting front  15  of the base  12  and is guided thereon until the bottom wall  17 B abuts another side  23 B of the seam  23 , opposite side  23 A thereof. 
   The retainer screw  13  is then inserted within clearance hole  21  in the top  20  of the top part  11  and within the threaded opening  22  formed within top  16  and extending within the base  12 . The retainer screw  13  is then rotated in the indicted direction to firmly fasten the top part  11  to the base  12 . Attachment of the snow guard unit (not shown) to the assembled clamping unit  10  is obtained via the threaded opening  24  formed in the top  20  of the top part  11  as shown in the assembly of the clamping unit  10  to the seam  23  depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
   A simple arrangement for attaching a snow guard to a roof seam via a snow guard clamping unit, whereby the top part of the clamping unit is connected to the base of the clamping unit by means of a retainer screw that is accessible from the top of the clamping unit has herein been disclosed. The snow guard clamping unit captures the roof seam without engaging the seam with the retainer screw.