Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Wall – ceiling – floor – or roof designed for ventilation or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2001-05-22
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Wall, ceiling, floor, or roof designed for ventilation or...
C052S302100, C052S302600, C411S533000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233889
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to membrane plates, and, more particularly, to a membrane plate for attaching a membrane to a roof.
A roofing system generally includes a roof deck which is considered the structural supporting surface of a building extending between the surrounding exterior walls of the building.
The roof deck may be constructed from plywood, metal decking or concrete or any other suitable material. Depending upon the construction, the roof deck may extend over the surrounding exterior walls or the roof deck may stop short of the exterior walls thereby forming a parapet wall, i.e., a low retaining wall at the edge of the roof deck. If desired, the roofing system may also include an insulation barrier formed from any suitable material applied over the roof deck.
To make the roof deck and building weather resistant, a single-ply membrane roof is typically installed over the roof deck. The single ply membrane roof refers to a water impermeable single sheet of polymeric material such as ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) having an adhesive thereon. The membrane roof has heretofore been installed on the roof deck using a variety of different methods.
For example, the interior of the membrane roof may be held to the roof deck by the use of ballast and/or penetrating or non-penetrating fastener means as known in the art. An example of a penetrating fastener means for retaining the membrane roof installed to a roof deck is by utilizing membrane plates in the form of a plurality of small, circular metal plates having a hole in the center and a roofing screw or other suitable fastener. In order to anchor the membrane roof, the membrane plates are spaced apart in rows on the membrane roof and the fastener is driven through the hole in each plate, the membrane roof, any insulation material, and then into the roof deck. The metal plates are covered by overlapping roof membrane and joined together with an adhesive. Other stress plates used in the past include long, straight bars with holes in the bar. In the past, most adhesives have been painted on.
During the course of assembly of the components, air is trapped on top of the plate and prevented from escape by virtue of the aggressive tack of the adhesive. Once the adhesive contacts another material, it bonds securely. Repositioning by breaking the adhesive or lifting the upper membrane to allow air to escape is virtually impossible. The resulting air bubble is trapped. Over time (months or years), the expansion and contraction of the bubble will compromise the sealing ability of the seam.
It is well known for a stress plate to be formed in a circular shape. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,188 (Murphy) teaches a circular stress plate. The stress plate taught by Murphy has an outer circular rib and an inner circular rib as well as a plurality of hinged prongs. The hinged prongs are disposed at equal radial distances from the center of the stress plate and circumferentially spaced apart from each other at angles of ninety degrees.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,645 (Hubbard) teaches a method of applying a roof membrane assembly to a roof deck with overlapping membranes utilizing an adhesive and fasteners. No provision is made for release of air bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,050 (Thiis-Evensen) teaches a stress plate for cladding a roof on a support structure. The fastening process taught includes applying an insulation layer on the support structure and applying edge abutting webs of cladding material over the insulation layer. The insulation layer and the cladding layers are simultaneously mechanically anchored to the support structure using fasteners. The edges of the webs and the fasteners are sealed by welding strips. The fastener taught by Thiis-Evensen for fastening the layers to the support structure is rectangular in shape with gripping claws disposed at each end of the plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,763 (Ernst) teaches a fastening plate having circumferentially spaced apart projections disposed on the plate. The plates taught by Ernst can be round or square and are adapted to control the rate of axial penetration of an anchor in masonry structure.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a stress plate for a membrane roof which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stress plate for a membrane roof that is inexpensive.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a stress plate for a membrane roof that has improved durability over a wide range of climatic conditions, including rain.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stress plate for a membrane roof that has improved resistance to uplift forces by wind and other causes, over a long period of time.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stress plate for a membrane roof a stress plate for a membrane roof that is simple and economical.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stress plate for a membrane roof a stress plate for a membrane roof that provides means for removal of air bubbles adjacent membrane fasteners to provide longer life of the membrane roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of this invention are achieved by providing a membrane plate for attaching a lower membrane and an adjacent upper membrane overlapping the lower membrane to a roof where the membrane plate includes a plate body having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface adapted to seat against the upper membrane, the bottom surface adapted to seat against the lower membrane, the top surface and the bottom surface separated by at least one wall generally perpendicular to the top surface and the bottom surface, the plate body having a generally centrally located aperture to permit a fastening device to pass through for securing the membrane plate and the membrane to the roof. The membrane plate further includes holes in the plate body at least partially located in the generally perpendicular wall to permit air to flow between the top surface to bottom surface of the plate, whereby the holes permits a bubble of air created during the securing of the upper membrane to the lower membranes to the roof by an adhesive, to dissipate through the membrane plate and through the lower membrane via a hole in the lower membrane created by the fastening device.
A method of installing a membrane on a roof deck is also provided which includes the steps of laying a lower membrane on a roof deck, providing a plurality of ventilated membrane plates as described above for attaching the lower membrane to the roof deck along at least one edge, securing the lower membrane to the roof deck by driving a fastener through the aperture in each of the plurality of ventilated membrane plates, laying an adhesive in a continuous sheet over the lower membrane and adjacent the at least one edge, adhering an upper membrane on the roof, overlapping the lower membrane along the adhesive, and applying pressure to the upper membrane at a point adjacent each ventilated membrane plate to squeeze out a bubble of air formed between the lower membrane and the adhesive.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4282050 (1981-08-01), Thiis-Evensen
patent: 4543763 (1985-10-01), Ernst et al.
patent: 4641471 (1987-02-01), Young et al.
patent: 4747241 (1988-05-01), Whitman
patent: 4945699 (1990-08-01), Murphy
patent: 4987714 (1991-01-01), Lemke
patent: 5035028 (1991-07-01), Lemke
patent: 5069589 (1991-12-01), Lemke
patent: 5082412 (1992-01-01), Thomas
patent: 5204148 (1993-04-01), Alexander
patent: 6004645 (1999-12-01), Hubbard
Caesar Rivise Bernstein Cohen & Pokotilow Ltd.
Construction Fasteners, Inc.
Friedman Carl D.
Nguyen Chi
LandOfFree
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