GB2234998A

GB2234998A - Modular roof panels

Info

Publication number: GB2234998A
Application number: GB9017770A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cyril Whitehurst; Martin Goss; David Eirwyn Griffiths; John Norman Edwards
Original assignee: PRESCO INT
Current assignee: PRESCO INT
Priority date: 1989-08-15
Filing date: 1990-08-14
Publication date: 1991-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2010-08-14
Also published as: GB2234998B; GB8918591D0; GB9017770D0

Abstract

A roof for a portable building is formed from a number of separate self-supporting panels of a sandwich construction. The panels have metal inner and outer metal skin (1, 3) and a filling layer (2) between them. The inner and outer skins (1, 3) of neighbouring panels are separately bonded together. The outer layers can be joined by a roll-jointing generation to roll together two flanges (8, 9) projecting from the edges of the outer skins (3). The inner skins of adjacent panels are provided with interengaging male and female portions (4, 5) which are joined by adhesive. Ribs (7) may be formed in the outer skin to make the roof stiff and self-supporting. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE BUILDINGS This invention relates to portable buildings such as are widely used on construction sites. They are generally made in a range of lengths and widths to the same basic design comprising a rectangular structure built up on a base frame.

Such buildings are subjected to rough treatment on site and in transport from site to site and therefore have to be of rugged construction and durable, yet light in weight. A particular problem in these buildings, indeed as in permanent buildings, is the weatherproof qualities of the roof.

Various proposals have been made in the past for particular forms of roof structure for such buildings.

For example in British Patent specification No. 2 173 229A there is disclosed a roof comprising panels of sandwich construction, comprising an external skin of sheet metal, an internal skin and a thermally insulating filling between them. The panels are supported on transverse roof joists, and the external skin is of profiled section, extending as a single sheet over the full length of the roof structure. The sheet is bonded to the filling and the filling is bonded to the internal skin. Adjacent panels, each extending the full length of the roof, are sealed together by overlapping edge corrugations of the profile of the external skin.

In another proposal of the same patentee in British Patent specification No, 2 196 661A similar sandwich-construction panels with inner and outer sheet coated sheet steel skins, the outer one being corrugated, extend between side beams and incorporate internal transverse reinforcing members intermediate the ends of the panel.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a further improvement in roof construction for portable buildings which is rigid yet light and is easy to match to different sizes of buildings as well as facilitating the formation of strong and weatherproof joints with the walls.

According to the invention we provide a roof structure for a portable building comprising at least two separate elongated rectangular panels, each panel comprising a sheet metal inner skin, a sheet metal outer skin and a thermally insulating filling between them, the panels being placed with their longer edges adjacent one another with each panel extending from one side of the building to the other and the number of panels assembled side by side being sufficient to form the required length of roof, the edge of the inner skin of each panel being bonded to the adjacent edge of the inner skin of an adjacent panel and the edge of the outer skin of each panel being separately bonded to the adjacent edge of the outer skin of the adjacent panel.

Preferably the edges of the adjacent metal sheets are joined by the use of an epoxy resin or similar adhesive. The two edges of the outer sheet terminate in upwardly extending flanges so that when adjacent panels are brought together these abutting flanges can be roll-formed into a weatherproof seam with the adhesive in the seam.

For a rectangular portable building the modular panels can be made in lengths equal to the widths of the buildings and they are assembled together side by side in appropriate numbers to build up a roof of the required length.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of one end of a roof panel; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the panel; Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse section to a much larger scale; Figure 5 is a portion of a longitudinal section showing an edge to a larger scale; Figures 6, 7 and 8 show successive stages in the joining together of two panels; Figure 9 shows the connection between an end of a panel and the side wall of the building; and Figures 10 and 11 show the joints between the longer side edges of the end panels of a roof and the respective end walls of the building.

The roof panel illustrated comprises a sandwich made up of an inner or ceiling layer 1 formed of polyester-coated sheet steel 0.5mm thick, a filling 2 of rigid expanded FRA/SDN polystyrene, and an outer layer 3 of aluminium-zinc-coated sheet steel, again 0.5mm thick. The three layers are bonded together after the shaping of the edges of steel sheets. This bonding is done under factory conditions and so a high-strength bond is ensured.

It will be observed that the ceiling layer 1 has a projecting slightly joggled male flange 4 at one of its longer edges and a co-operating female formation 5 along its opposite edge (see Fig 4). Its two shorter edges are turned up to lie against the edge of the polystyrene, as shown at 6 in Figure 5.

The outer layer 3 has upwardly projecting ribs 7 formed in it to give the panel a high degree of stiffness. In the example shown there are four such ribs spaced 200mm apart in a panel of approximately 1200 mm overall width. The panels may be made in three standard lengths, e.g. 2.4 metres, 3 metres and 3.6 metres for three different widths of building.

Although the panel is shown flat in Figure 2, in practice we prefer to produce it with sufficient convexity or bow, so that when in position it is still slightly convex, or at least not concave, under its own weight.

At each of its two longer edges the top layer 3 has an upturned flange. The flange 8 at one edge is slightly taller that the flange 9 at the other edge.

Its shorter edges are turned downwards, as shown at 10 in Figure 5, but these downward flanges are spaced 56mm away from the adjacent edge of the polystyrene filling. At one end of each shorter edge a tongue or flap 12 extends beyond the adjacent longer edge.

Although Figure 4 does not show it, the filling preferably extends into the ribs 7 to eliminate cavities which might otherwise result in condensation.

We turn now to Figures 6, 7 and 8. When two panels are placed side by side with their longer edges adjacent the flange 4 on the inner layer of the one panel enters the female groove 5 in the other. At the same time the upstanding flanges 8 and 9 of the outer layer come into mutual contact. A two-part epoxy resin adhesive is applied to the mating surface of the two inner layers before this occurs and then, after the panels have been brought together, the flanges 8 and 9 are rolled over in a roll-forming operation to form a secure weather-tight seal as well as a strong mechanical joint.

Using this technique, a complete roof of the required length can be built up under factory conditions to form a strong self-supporting unit for joining to the walls to complete a frameless box-like structure, that is both durable of rigid. Figures 9, 10 and 11 show how the joints to the walls are made.

In Figure 9 it will be seen how the upper edge of a side wall 13 of sandwich construction fits into the gap between the flanges 6 and 10 and these flanges are secured to the inner and outer skins of the wall by rivets along the lines indicated by the arrows. As both the roof and the wall are secured at separate regions of their extreme inner and outer surfaces the maximum of rigidity is achieved without the need for additional gussets or webs.

At one of the ends of the building, as shown in Figure 10, an L-section profile 14 is bonded into the female slot 5 and this profile is riveted to the inner face of the wall panel, whilst a Z section profile 15 has an upstanding flange 16 joined to the adjacent flange 9 in the manner described above with reference to Figures 6, 7 and 8, whilst its downwardly extending flange is riveted to the outer face of the wall panel. A similar Z-section profile 17 is used at the other end of the building in a similar way, but this time the inner face of the wall 13 is riveted directly to the male flange 4, which is bent up to a vertical position to allow this.

Claims

1. A roof structure for a portable building comprising at least two separate elongated rectangular panels, each panel comprising a sheet metal inner skin, a sheet metal outer skin and a thermally insulating filling between them, the panels being placed with their longer edges adjacent one another with each panel extending from one side of the building to the other and the number of panels assembled side by side being sufficient to form the required length of roof, the edge of the inner skin of each panel being bonded to the adjacent edge of the inner skin of an adjacent panel and the edge of the outer skin of each panel being separately bonded to the adjacent edge of the outer skin of the adjacent panel.

2. A roof structure according to claim 1 which is free of any joists or other supporting members extending across the roof other than the panels themselves.

3. A roof structure according to claim 1 or claim 2 ion which the adjacent edges of the skins are secured together by adhesive.

4. A roof structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the outer skin of each panel has profiled ribs in it, each extending parallel to the longer edges of the panel and transverse to the roof structure as a whole.

5. A roof structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the longer edges of the inner skins of adjacent panels are provided with interengaging male and female sections.

6. A roof structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in which flanges on the longer edges of the outer skins of adjacent panels initially extend perpendicular to the place of the panel and when the panels are placed together the flange on one panel is folded over the flange on the other.

7. A roof structure according to claim 6 in which the two flanges are further rolled over together.

8. A method of forming a roof structure according to claim 6 in which the panels are placed side by side with the flanges on their longer edges adjacent one another, a sealant is applied to the flanges, and then the flanges are folded over together.

9. A roof structure for a portable building, substantially as described with reference to the accompany drawings.

10. A method of forming a roof structure for a portable building, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.