Roof deck
AssigneeEpic Metals Corporation
InventorThomas G. Ryan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Decking with a panel of uniform thickness sheet metal has a repeating pattern of top flanges and bottom flanges connected by webs therebetween. At least one flange is made up of a plurality of folded-layer segments adjacent to each other in a stacked position to increase the thickness of the flange. Additionally a structural member extending along a longitudinal axis has a uniform thickness plate folded back onto itself about the longitudinal axis or an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis to increase the thickness and provide greater resistance to buckling in response to compressive forces. Such structural members not only provides certain structural advantages but also may provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Claims14
A decking comprising a unitary panel of uniform thickness sheet metal with a top surface and a bottom surface having a repeating pattern of top flanges and bottom flanges connected by webs therebetween wherein each of the top flanges and the bottom flanges each has a maximum energy potential and a width and the width of at least one of the top flanges is less than the width of at least one of the bottom flanges, the at least one of the bottom flanges connected to the at least one of the top flanges by a web, wherein the at least one of the top flanges is comprised of a plurality of folded-layer segments which are folded back onto itself to contact itself and adjacent to each other in a parallel stacked position, such that the maximum energy potential of the at least one of the top flanges comprised of a plurality of folded-layer segments is equal in magnitude to the maximum energy potential of the at least one of the bottom flanges without a plurality of folded-layer segments that is connected to the at least one of the top flanges by a web.
A structural member extending along a longitudinal axis comprising a uniform thickness plate with a top surface and a bottom surface, having a series of top flanges and a series of bottom flanges;
- wherein the series of top flanges includes flanges having a width and a maximum energy potential and the series of bottom flanges includes flanges having a width and a maximum energy potential, wherein at least one of the flanges being folded back to contact itself to make up multiple folds directed onto one another defining a switch-back configuration about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis to provide greater resistance to buckling in response to compressive forces, wherein each top flange has a first end and a second end and each bottom flange has a first end and a second end, the first end of one bottom flange is directly connected by a sidewall or web to the second end of one top flange and the second end of the bottom flange is directly connected by a sidewall or a web to the first end of a different top flange, wherein the width of the flanges of the bottom flange is greater than the width of the flanges of the top flange, and wherein the maximum energy potential of the at least one of the flanges being folded back to contact itself to make up multiple folds is equal in magnitude to the maximum energy potential of at least one of the flanges without multiple folds to which it is directly connected by a sidewall or a web.
A decking comprising a panel of uniform thickness sheet metal having a repeating pattern of top flanges and bottom flanges, the top flanges and bottom flanges each having a width and a maximum energy potential, the top flanges and bottom flanges connected by webs or sidewalls therebetween, wherein each top flange has a first end and a second end and each bottom flange has a first end and a second end, and the first end of one bottom flange is directly connected by a sidewall or a web to the second end of one top flange and the second end of the bottom flange is directly connected by a sidewall or a web to the first end of a different top flange, wherein at least one flange is comprised of multiple folds defining two separate spaced-apart switch-back configurations with a gap therebetween, the two separate spaced-apart switch-back configurations defining at least a three deep layer flange in a stacked position with an increased thickness and shorter width compared to at least one of the flanges to which it is directly connected by a sidewall or a web such that the maximum energy potential of the flange comprised of multiple folds is equal in magnitude to the maximum energy potential of the at least one of the flanges without multiple folds to which it is directly connected by a sidewall or a web, wherein the sheet metal is a single folded sheet with minimum discontinuities thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.