Method for installing a roof fastener
OwnerStuart H. Lemkeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of installing a roofing fastener including a screw and a stress plate into a multilayered roofing structure involves bonding the outer surface of the screw to the inner surface of the plate. Such a bond may be formed by spin welding as the screw is installed in the roofing structure. The fastener is thereby installed and bonded in the same operation. A fastener assembly useful in the foregoing method includes a screw and plate having welding surfaces made of a thermoplastic resin.
Claims33
A method of installing a roofing structure on a roof, said method employing a roofing fastener including a plate and a screw having a threaded body and an enlarged diameter flanged head, said screw being received through a stepped hole in said plate, comprising:
- rotating said screw to effect engagement with said roof so that said plate is tightened down against said roofing structure, and said threaded body passes through said roofing structure and engages said roof;
- by frictional interaction of said screw and plate during a final segment of said rotating step, spin-welding a surface of said screw with a surface of said plate to secure said screw and said plate against said roofing structure;
- and
- abruptly stopping rotation of said screw, whereupon said flanged head of said screw engages said step of said hole.
A method of fastening a roofing membrane to an underlying roof, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a fastener through an aperture in a stress reliever;
- rotating at least a portion of said fastener to cause said fastener to penetrate the roofing membrane, engage said roof, and bias said stress reliever against said membrane;
- and
- bonding a surface of said fastener to a surface of said stress reliever by bringing said fastener surface into frictional contact with said stress reliever surface during said rotating step to generate sufficient heat to cause at least one of said fastener and stress reliever surfaces to at least partially melt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.