Patent Publication Number: US-2021180331-A1

Title: Hidden fastener to secure loose vinyl siding

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application number 62/795,762, filed 23-Jan.-2019, and U.S. NON-provisional application number 16/750,476, filed 23-Jan.-2020 as a continuation thereof, the contents of both are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to construction technology and, more particularly, to a hidden fastener to secure loose siding on commercial and residential construction. 
     Vinyl and aluminum siding often unlock because of poor installation, low quality, time, gravity, and/or weather conditions. Caulk and nails can be aesthetically displeasing and messy, and may restrict movement of the siding, potentially causing the siding to buckle. Shrink strips can be used, but do not fasten to the siding when installed, essentially floating between the two locking mechanisms. This leaves the siding more vulnerable to unlocking. Moreover, shrink strip typically must be custom made to extend the lock, this requiring special materials and some mechanical skills, and thus an additional expense. As a result, all of the above-mentioned methods require special tools or materials. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a hidden fastener to secure loose siding on commercial and residential construction. The hidden siding fastener embodied in the present invention is dimensioned and adapted to be manufactured and installed to fit the gap between the two loose or separated locking mechanisms of two interlocking pieces of siding. The hidden siding fastener extends downward the top locking slot of the lower piece of siding, giving the bottom lock of the upper piece of siding more area to attach to. The hidden siding fastener is secured to the siding yet allows the siding to expand and contract. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a siding fastener not visible when facilitating a locked engagement between two adjacent siding panels includes the following: a front plate extending between an upper end and a lower end; the front plate having a rearward surface and an opposing forward surface; the upper end turns radially until transitioning into a nail hem hook portion extending diagonally downward away from the upper end and adjacent the rearward surface; a threading bend depends from the nail hem hook in an orientation generally parallel with the front plate; lower end turns diagonally downward and rearward, at a pressure point, until transitioning radially upward, and further rearward, to form or define a lower fold; the lower fold radially turns generally  180 -degrees at a fold point toward the lower end; and a lock engagement hook extends upwardly and rearward from the distal end of the lower fold. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a locked engagement an upper siding panel and a lower siding panel with a siding fastener not visible when facilitating the locked engagement includes the following: providing the above-mentioned siding fastener; providing the upper siding panel having a nail hem, nail hem hole and siding lock slot spaced apart, respectively, from an upper edge; attaching providing the lower siding panel having a siding lock hook extending from a lower edge; sliding the threading bend through the nail hem hole; nesting the lock engagement hook in the siding lock slot; bending a top portion of the front plate over the nail hem; and associating the siding lock hook with the lock engagement hook in the locked engagement. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown installed on a nail hem  32 ; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown installed on the nail hem  32 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the insertion of a nail hem hook  14  through a nail hem hole  34 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the first step of installation; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the second step of installation; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the third step of installation; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the fourth step of installation; 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown installed on nail hem  32  and securing a siding lock hook  38 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the siding lock hook  38  of the upper piece of siding  30  staying secured even after slipping out of the siding lock slot  36  because of the extension characteristic of the lower fold  21  and the locking engagement of the lock engagement hook  22 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in an alternative first installation step; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in an alternative second installation step; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in an alternative third installation step; 
         FIG. 15  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in the alternative first installation step; and 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in the alternative third installation step. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a hidden siding fastener that provides an upper nail hem hook and a lower pressure point, fold point and lock engagement hook extending therefrom. The nail hem hook is threaded through the back side of a lower piece of siding panel so that the lock engagement hook can nest into a siding lock slot of the same siding panel. Thereby, an upper piece of siding panel and specifically its siding lock hook can operatively associate with the lock engagement hook and fold point in a locked engagement, while the pressure point urges a more secure locked engagement between the two pieces of siding panel. 
     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of directional terms such as upper, upward, downward, lower, rearward, forward and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward (or upper) direction being toward the top of the corresponding figures, the downward (or lower) direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figures, while rearward is the direction the nail hem hook and lower fold extend in the corresponding figures. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 15 , the present invention may include a hidden siding fastener  10 . The hidden siding fastener  10  may be, but is not limited to, .020 aluminum sheet metal, various metallic and plasticized materials, or the like. Using a small gauge aluminum may be necessary for ease of installation when bending the hidden siding fastener  10  over a top edge of a nail hem of a lower piece of siding  30 , and to prevent rusting. 
     The sheet metal may be cut into strips approximately ¾-inch ×6 inches. A series of various bends are made to form the hidden siding fastener  10 . This could be accomplished by using a hand tool, forming the metal strip around a mold, or a combination of hand tools, molds, and automated equipment. 
     The hidden siding fastener  10  may provide a front plate  12  extending between an upper end  15  and an opposing lower end. The front plate  12  has a front surface  121  and an opposing rear surface  122 . 
     The upper end  15  turns radially until transitioning into a nail hem hook portion  14  that extends diagonally downward away from the upper end  15  and adjacent the rear surface  122  (i.e., rearward). The nail hem hook portion  14  then bends further downward, generally parallel with the front plate  12 , as the nail hem hook portion  14  transitions to a threading bend  16  which terminating at a distal end. 
     The lower end turns diagonally downward and rearward, at a pressure point  18 , until transitioning radially upward, and further rearward, to form a lower fold  21 . The lower fold  21  radially turns generally  180 -degrees at a fold point  20  toward the downward turn of the lower end. A lock engagement hook  22  extends upwardly and rearward from the distal end of the lower fold  21 . The shape of the lower fold  21  biases the lock engagement hook  22  and the front plate  12  a predetermined distance apart. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6 through 9 , residential and commercial building siding  30  terminates along an upper edge in a nail hem  32 . The nail hem  32  is spaced apart from a siding lock slot  36 , and between the siding lock slot  36  and nail hem  32  are a plurality of spaced apart nail hem holes  34 . Along a lower edge of the siding  30 , is a hook-shaped siding lock hook  38  is provided, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10-11 , for associating with the siding lock slot  36  in a locking engagement. 
     A method of using the present invention may include the following. The hidden siding fastener  10  disclosed above may be provided. The threading bend  16  may be inserted through the backside of the siding&#39;s nail hem hole  34  (with the lock engagement hook  22  facing the exterior of the siding  30 ) then push the lock engagement hook  22  past the bottom edge of the siding&#39;s lock slot  36 . The lock engagement hook  22  is then inserted into the siding lock slot  36 . Then the hidden siding fastener  10  is pulled up tight to the siding lock  36 . The top of the front plate  12  is the folded over the top of the vinyl siding&#39;s nail hem  32 . This prevents the hidden siding fastener  10  from moving and loosening. The bottom siding lock  38  of an upper piece of siding  38  is then fastened to the hidden siding fastener  10  as the siding lock hook  38  is slid between the siding  30  and the lock engagement hook  22  to form a locked engagement with the lock engagement hook  22  and the lower fold  21 , that effectively extends the siding lock slot  36 . 
     The lower fold  21  extends the purchase of the siding lock hook  38  preventing the upper piece of siding&#39;s lock from becoming loose or detached, as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . The pressure point  18  is dimensioned and adapted to push against the upper piece of siding&#39;s interior wall, wherein the pressure point operatively associates with an interior portion of the upper siding panel so as to urge said siding lock hook  38 , further securing the locked engagement of the siding lock hook  38  and the lock engagement hook  22  in the siding lock slot  36 . 
     The lock engagement hook  22  also pushes, by occupying a portion of the siding lock slot  36 , the siding lock hook  38  toward the exterior face of the lower piece of siding. This tightens the two locking mechanisms together, reducing the chances of loosening or unlocking. Also, the lower fold is disposed downward of the siding lock slot  36 , whereby the siding lock hook  38  can engage said lower fold  21  outside of the siding lock slot  36 , for instance where there is slippage between the lower siding panel and the upper siding panel. 
     Another way of describing how to install the present invention includes the following: a user could hold the hidden siding fastener  10  in front of them in a vertical position, with the flat forward portion of the front plate surface  12  facing them. The nail hem hook  14  should be upwardly oriented and extending away from the user, with the lock engagement hook  22  on the bottom. The user would place the nail hem hook  14  over the top of the siding&#39;s nail hem  32 , while keeping the bottom lock engagement hook  22  on the front of the siding panel  30 . As the user pulls down on the hidden siding fastener  10 , they thread the nail hem hook  14  (that is behind the siding&#39;s nail hem hole  34 ) through the backside of the siding&#39;s nail hem hole  34  so that the nail hem hook  14  is urged forward through the front side of the siding panel  30 . The user could continue to thread the nail hem hook  14  through the backside of the nail hem hole  34  and position the lock engagement hook  22  below the siding&#39;s lock slot  36  so that the lock engagement hook  22  will slide up into the siding&#39;s lock slot  36 . Then the user may urge the hidden siding fastener  10  up so the lock engagement hook  22  is fully inserted in the siding&#39;s lock slot  36 . Keeping the hidden siding fastener  10  pulled up snug, the user may fold the top portion of the front plate  12  180 degrees back over the top of the siding&#39;s nail hem  32 , folding it back behind the lower piece siding  30 . The hidden siding fastener  10  is now installed and a separate upper piece of siding  30  may be re-attached over the hidden siding fastener  10 . The hidden siding fastener  10  could be fastened with nails, screws, snaps, caulk, glue or create other pressure or catch points to secure it in place. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 12-16 , an alternative installation method is provided even though the hidden siding fastener  10  may be structurally identical to the devices shown  FIGS. 1- 11 . In short, in the alternative installation, the nail hem hook portion  14  is not be threaded through the nail hem hole  34  of the nail hem  32  of the piece of siding  30 . In the alternative installation first step, the lock engagement hook  22  may be push up into the siding&#39;s locking mechanism/siding lock slot  36 . Then the hidden siding fastener  10  is pulled up tight, nested in the siding lock  36 . Then in the alternative installation second step, the top of the front plate  12  of the hidden siding fastener  10  is folded over the top of the siding&#39;s nail hem  32 . At which time the alternative installation third step contemplates the top of the front plate  12  bending up to 180 degrees back over the top of the siding&#39;s nail hem  32 , folding it back behind the lower piece siding  30 , out of sight and preventing the hidden siding fastener  10  from moving and loosening. The bottom siding lock  38  of an upper piece of siding  38  is then fastened to the hidden siding fastener  10  as the siding lock hook  38  is slid between the siding  30  and the lock engagement hook  22  to form a locked engagement with the lock engagement hook  22  and the lower fold  21 , that effectively extends the siding lock slot  36 . 
     This method of alternative installation may be necessary on aluminum siding because the nail slots are not wide enough to receive the fastener through them. This method of alternative installation essentially allows the hidden siding fastener  10  to perform the same as the earlier disclosed installation method, without inserting the hidden siding fastener  10  through the nail hem hole  34 ; though, when the fastener is not installed through the nail slot there is potential for the fastener to shift and move because of the expansion and contraction of the siding. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.