Patent ID: 7584579

Claim:
A system for attaching one or more rigid rectangular storm panels on a building to cover a building opening in said building during severe weather, the system comprising: (a) at least two interchangeable, substantially identical plastic attachment and retaining units, (b) each of said plastic attachment and retaining units fabricated of rigid, non-corrosive, non-rusting, non-oxidizing extruded plastic materials, said attachment and retaining units comprising a combination of one attachment element and one receiving and retaining element attached together, forming one said attachment and retaining unit, (c) said attachment element with attaching means for affixing said attachment unit to a substantially vertical building surface, (d) said receiving and retaining element being fabricated of hollow extruded plastic, open at both ends, with a predetermined cutout of a generally C shaped cross section, resulting in a storm panel passageway from end to end, said passageway sized to accept a plurality of storm panel materials selected from the group consisting of CDX plywood sheathing, corrugated plastic panels, honeycombed plastic panels, treated decking materials, OSB board panels, finished lumber boards, and fence pickets, said storm panel materials having a front panel surface, a back panel surface, a bottom panel surface and a top panel surface, (e) at least one of said attachment and retaining units mounted above said building opening in said building, the receiving and retaining element downwardly oriented adjacent to the top of said building opening in said building, (f) at least one of said attachment and retaining units mounted below said building opening, said receiving and retaining element upwardly oriented adjacent to the bottom of said building opening, parallel to and cooperating with the upper said attachment and retaining unit as a means for slidably accepting, supporting and captivating said storm panel materials in a substantially vertical orientation parallel to said building opening, (g) said C shaped cross section of said receiving and retaining element with said storm panel passageway provides adjacent sidewalls within said storm panel passageway, said sidewalls defining cavities between said front panel surface and said sidewall and said back panel surface and said sidewall, said cavities providing space to receive accumulated debris in said storm panel passageway during the sliding action of installing said storm panel materials, whereby said debris is contained in said cavities, (h) a means for removably securing said storm panel materials between the above mounted attachment and retaining unit and the below mounted attachment and retaining unit, whereby said system for attaching storm panels is capable of being installed in a time frame that is less than 2 days after a hurricane storm warning is issued.