Valley closure for a roof construction

Claim 2

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected elongate valley covering panel members of trough shaped configuration, and opposite valley closing end members, said panel members each having a base, opposite upstanding side walls and laterally directed flanged wings on the upper edges of said side walls, said panel members being deformed at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the length thereof to define a plurality of regularly spaced sets of reinforcing and expansion joint means each comprising upstanding protruberant means in said panel members extending transversely across said laterally directed wings, down said side walls and at least partially across said base and spaced apart at adjacent edges thereof to define drain passages therebetween, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and at the same time to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material, sealant receiving channel means extending longitudinally along said flanged wings and in said upstanding protruberant means on said flanged wings, and fastener receiving apertures through said flanged wings in said sealant channels.

Claim 3

A valley closure as claimed in claim 1 and said panel members and valley closing end members being formed of synthetic plastic material.

Claim 4

A valley closure as claimed in claim 2 and said synthetic plastic material comprising an acrylic resin weathering surface layer and an underlying fiberglass reinforced backing layer.

Claim 5

A valley closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of each panel is straight and coextensive in width with the width of said panel, the other end of each panel being notched at the opposite marginal corners of said top wall portions to define a longitudinally directed trough shaped extension having a width less than that of said panel.

Claim 6

A valley closure as claimed in claim 4, and each said extension being offset relative to the remainder of each panel to facilitate overlapping of the said one end of next adjacent panel.

Claim 7

A valley closure as claimed in claim 4, and said valley closing end members having the same transverse trough shaped configuration as said panels and including a base, side walls, an end wall at one end and longitudinal and transverse marginal top walls, each end member having an extension at the other end the same as said extensions of said panel members and said extension of said end member and said marginal top walls of said end member having a sealant material recess therein.

Claim 8

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected elongate valley covering panel members of trough shaped configuration, and opposite valley closing end members, said panel members each having a base, opposite upstanding side walls and laterally outwardly directed flanged wings on the upper edges of said side walls, said flanged wings including a first horizontal flange portion extending outwardly from the upper edge of each side wall, a depending wall portion extending downwardly from each horizontal flange portion and having a vertical extent substantially less than the height of said side walls, and a second horizontal flange portion extending laterally outwardly from each depending wall portion, said panel members being deformed at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the length thereof to define a plurality of regularly spaced sets of reinforcing and expansion joint means each comprising upstanding protruberant means in said paneL members spaced apart at adjacent edges thereof to define drain passages therebetween, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and at the same time to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material, sealant receiving channel means in said first horizontal flange portion, and fastener receiving apertures in said sealant channel.

Claim 9

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected elongate valley covering panel members of trough shaped configuration, and opposite valley closing end members, said panel members each having a base, opposite upstanding side walls and laterally outwardly directed flanged wings on the upper edges of said side walls, said flanged wings including a first horizontal flange portion extending outwardly from the upper edge of each side wall, a depending wall portion extending downwardly from each horizontal flange portion and having a vertical extent substantially less than the height of said side walls, and a second horizontal flange portion extending laterally outwardly from each depending wall portion, said panel members being deformed at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the length thereof to define a plurality of regularly spaced sets of reinforcing and expansion joint means each comprising upstanding protruberant means in said paneL members spaced apart at adjacent edges thereof to define drain passages therebetween, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and at the same time to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material, sealant receiving channel means in said first horizontal flange portion, and fastener receiving apertures in said sealant channel.

Claim 10

In a valley closure as claimed in claim 7 and said end closure member having opposite ends including a trough shaped portion having at one end the same configuration as said panel member, an end wall structure extending across and closing the other end of said trough shaped portion of the closure member, a horizontal flange portion extending outwardly of said end wall structure and a depending portion extending downwardly from said horizontal portion.

Claim 11

In a valley closure as claimed in claim 7 and one end of said panel member being straight and extending the full width of the panel member, the other end of said panel member having notched out corners defining an extension of said trough shaped configuration extending beyond said base, side walls and first mentioned horizontal flange portions, the upper surface of said extension having a sealant material receiving recess extending transversely thereof and communicating at its opposite ends with said first mentioned and longitudinally extending recesses in said flanged wings.

Claim 12

In a valley closure as claimed in claim 9 in which said panel member is formed of plastic material and including a weathering surface layer and a fiberglass reinforced backing layer, at least both said horizontal flange portions and said extension having greater thickness than the thickness of said base and side walls, and said extension having its upper surface offset below the upper surface of the adjacent panel base, side walls and horizontal flange portions to facilitate splicing between adjacent panels with the one end of an adjacent panel overlapping said extension.

Claim 13

In a valley closure as claimed in claim 10 in which said horizontal flange portions and extension have apertured metal reinforcing strap means embedded in said panel member with the apertures thereof coincident with the apertures in said flange portions and extension.

Claim 14

In a valley closure as claimed in claim 11 and said valley end closure means being of the same plastic material construction as said panel member and including a portion of trough shaped configuration having a base, opposite side walls, and an end wall closing one end of the trough shaped portion and protruding above said side walls, marginal wings extending laterally outwards of each side wall and each including a first horizontal flange portion, a depending portion extending downwardly therefrom and a second horizontal flange portion extending laterally outwardly of said depending portion, an end wing extending outwards of said end wall and including a horizontal flange portion and a depending portion extending downwardly thereof, said end closure means having at its other end an extension the same as the extension at the other end of said panel member, said extension of said end closure means, the first mentioned horizontal flange portions of said marginal wings and the horizontal flange portions of said end wing having a continuous sealant material recess therein, said horizontal flange portion of said end closure marginal wings and said extension of said end closure means having a series of fastener receiving apertures therethrough, apertured metal reinforcing strap means embedded in said end closure means with the apertures thereof coincident with said last mentioned series of fastener receiving apertures, roof truss purlin means underlying both said second mentioned horizontal flange portions of said lateral marginal wIngs of said member and of said end closure means, a series of roofing panels having end portions overlying both said marginal first mentioned horizontal flange portions of said lateral marginal wings of said panel member and of said end closure means, said roofing panels being at least between the protruberances that project upwardly from said first mentioned horizontal flanges of said lateral marginal wings of said panel member and the adjacent said upwardly protruding end wall of said end closure means and means securing the end closure means to the panel member, said roof panels to said panel member and end closure means and said end closure means and said panel member to said truss purlin means.

Claim 15

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected, synthetic plastic valley covering panel members, and opposite, synthetic plastic valley closing end members, said panel members and said end members each comprising an acrylic resin weathering surface layer and an underlying fiberglass reinforced backing layer, said panel members being elongated and deformed to define upstanding protruberances arranged in sets at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the panel members, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material.

Claim 16

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected, synthetic plastic valley covering panel members, and opposite, synthetic plastic valley closing end members, said panel members and said end members each comprising an acrylic resin weathering surface layer and an underlying fiberglass reinforced backing layer, said panel members being elongated and deformed to define upstanding protruberances arranged in sets at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the panel members, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material.

Claim 17

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected elongate valley covering panel members of trough shaped configuration, and opposite valley closing end members, said panel members each having a base, opposite upstanding side walls, laterally directed flanged wings on the upper edges of said side walls and one end of each panel notched at the opposite marginal corners of said flanged wings to define a longitudinally directed trough shaped extension having a width less than that of said panel, said panel members being deformed at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the length thereof to define a plurality of regularly spaced sets of reinforcing and expansion joint means each comprising upstanding protruberant means in said panel members spaced apart at adjacent edges thereof to define drain passages therebetween, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and at the same time to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material, and said flanged wings and said extension having a greater thickness than the thickness of said base and side walls.

Claim 18

A valley closure for a roof construction for covering the valley formed where two adjacent sloped roof buildings drain toward one another comprising interconnected elongate valley covering panel members of trough shaped configuration, and opposite valley closing end members, said panel members each having a base, opposite upstanding side walls, laterally directed flanged wings on the upper edges of said side walls and one end of each panel notched at the opposite marginal corners of said flanged wings to define a longitudinally directed trough shaped extension having a width less than that of said panel, said panel members being deformed at regularly longitudinally spaced locations along the length thereof to define a plurality of regularly spaced sets of reinforcing and expansion joint means each comprising upstanding protruberant means in said panel members spaced apart at adjacent edges thereof to define drain passages therebetween, said protruberances having such extent transversely of and longitudinally of the panel members as to enhance the structural strength thereof, and at the same time to constitute a series of effective expansion joints at such locations to relieve internal stresses in the panel material caused by thermal expansion and contraction of the panel material, and said flanged wings and said extension having a greater thickness than the thickness of said base and side walls.