Strip for fastening and sealing sheets of construction material

An apparatus for sealingly joining two edge-abutted sheets of a construction material and for attaching the sheets to an underlying frame, the sheets having outwardly-facing surfaces and being oriented with the abutted edges positioned over an underlying frame member, and the abutted edges being rabbeted to form a channel along the junction of the sheets, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a compressible resilient pad member of foamed polyvinylchloride for being drawn into the channel, said pad extending in the longitudinal direction along the channel and having a transverse dimension for providing an interference fit with the sides of the channel when said pad is drawn into the channel;
• b. a resilient cap member of solid polyvinylchloride permanently adhered to said pad member, said cap member extending longitudinally along the channel, and said cap member having edges extending in the transverse direction past said pad member for contacting the outwardly-facing surfaces of the abutted sheets when said pad member is drawn into the channel, said cap member having an arcuate undeformed transverse shape for providing initial contact between said extended edges and the outwardly-facing surfaces when said pad member is partially drawn into the channel, and said extended edges being sufficiently flexible in both the transverse and longitudinal directions to sealingly conform to the outwardly-facing surfaces when said extended edges have contacted the outwardly-facing surfaces;
• c. a metal strip embedded in said pad member, said strip extending longitudinally along the channel, said strip being oriented to overlie the junction when said pad member is drawn into the channel;
• d. means for securing said strip to the frame member, said securing means including screw means positioned at discrete intervals in the longitudinal direction along said strip, both said cap member and said pad member being provided with holes exposing said metal strip at said discrete intervals, and said pad member being drawn into the channel upon the activation of said securing means, the rabbeted surfaces of the sheets being captured between the portion of said pad underlying said metal strip and the frame member;
• and
• e. means for sealing said holes after the activation of said securing means.

A structure for use in the building industry, the structure being attached to an underlying frame, the structure comprising:

• a. at least two sheets of a construction material laid edge-to-edge on the frame, said abutted edges being positioned over an underlying member of the frame, said sheets having outwardly-facing surfaces and said abutted edges being rabbeted to form a channel along the junction of said sheets;
• b. a compressible resilient pad member positioned in said channel, said pad member extending longitudinally along the channel, and said pad member having a transverse dimension providing an interference fit with the walls of said channel;
• c. a longitudinally extending resilient cap member permanently adhered to said pad member, said cap member having longitudinally and transversely flexible edges extending in the transverse direction past the pad member, said edges being deformed to sealingly conform to said outwardly-facing surfaces;
• d. a longitudinally extending metal strip embedded in said pad member, said strip overlying said junction;
• e. means securing said metal strip to said frame member, the rabbeted surfaces of said sheets being captured between said strip and said frame member, said pad being held in interference fit with the walls of said channel, and said flexible edges being maintained in deformed, sealingly conforming contact with said outwardly-facing surfaces by said securing means.