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US 5,664,374 AGranted
Snow guard with reinforced snow-stop and gusseted brace
OwnerVicki Parker Leeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An economical three-component snow guard comprising (1) a laminar strap, (2) a snow-stop and (3) a gusseted brace is reinforced and its rigidity and compressive strength greatly improved. At the same time, the resistance to damage due to re-freezing of melted snow, and internal weathering of the brace, is essentially eliminated. The disdavantages of a structurally similar prior art snow guard are unexpectedly avoided by providing particularly improved structural features. The novel snow guard, formed as a unitary structure of foldable sheet metal less than 2 mm thick, can withstand not only the forces exerted by an accumulated snow pack, but also the compressive force of a person's weight exerted in either the down-roof or vertical directions.
Claims17
A snow guard comprising,
- a longitudinal laminar strap having an up-roof end and a down-roof end, a snow-stop fixedly secured to the upper surface of said strap, and a unitary brace fixedly secured to said snow-stop and said strap, each structural component formed from foldable sheet metal;
- said strap fixedly secured at its up-roof end to a roof member, said strap having its down-roof end terminating in a generally triangular shape having angulated edges symmetrically oppositely disposed about said strap's longitudinal axis;
- said snow-stop comprising (i) a generally planar upstanding barrier having an arcuate profile, an up-roof surface and a down-roof surface, said barrier having a peripheral flange means projecting orthogonally from the periphery of said barrier for a distance sufficient to protect said down-roof surface against impingement by rain;
- and (ii) a barrier-base in overlying contact with said down-roof end's upper surface and fixedly secured thereto, said barrier-base projecting laterally up-roof, at a right angle with said barrier;
- and,
- said unitary brace comprising a downwardly tapered main body comprising a gusset having a chosen outer surface area and lateral flanges, each lateral flange projecting from a side of said gusset, angularly relative to said longitudinal axis, in opposed directions, said lateral flanges lying in contact with said strap and tightly secured by said angulated edges which are folded over said lateral flanges, said main body having a large opening defined by a cross-section m a vertical plane of abutment where the up-roof portion of said gusset abuts said barrier as it rests on said laminar strap, said large opening having an arcuate periphery which so closely conforms to said barrier's down-roof surface as to leave no gap between said arcuate periphery and said barrier's down-roof surface;
- whereby said barrier's periphery is reinforced by said peripheral flange means, enhancing rigidity and strength of said brace and snow-stop, and, entry of melting snow and falling rain in the meeting plane between said barrier's down-roof surface is prevented.
4 more elements
In a snow guard comprising structural components formed of a foldable sheet metal,
- a longitudinal laminar strap having an up-roof end and a down-roof end, adapted to be fixedly secured by its up-roof end to a roof member, and having said strap's down-roof end terminating in a generally triangular shape having angulated edges symmetrically disposed about said strap's longitudinal axis;
- an upstanding snow-stop fixedly secured upon said down-roof end and projecting upward therefrom, said snow-stop comprising (i) a generally planar semi-circular upstanding barrier of chosen radius having an up-roof surface and a down-roof surface, and (ii) a barrier-base in overlying contact with said strap's upper surface, and projecting up-roof at a right angle with said semi-circular barrier;
- and,
- a unitary brace comprising a downwardly tapered main body comprising a gusset having vertically projecting flange portions symmetrically disposed about a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis, and laterally projecting flanges projecting angularly in opposed directions symmetrically about said vertical plane each said vertically projecting flange portion fastened to said barrier, the improvement comprising,
- said barrier having a peripheral flange means proJecting orthogonally from the periphery of said barrier for a distance sufficient to protect said down-roof surface against impingement by rain;
- each said vertically projecting flange portion having an arcuate periphery extending along an arc circumscribed around all arcuate flange portions, said arc having a radius matching that of said periphery of said barrier, said arcuate flange portions being secured in contact with said barrier's down-roof surface along substantially said barrier's entire periphery, without leaving a space therebetween;
- said barrier having a peripheral flange means along a major portion of said barrier's periphery, said flange means extending orthogonally over said barrier's down-roof surface and over said arcuate flange portions;
- whereby said barrier's periphery is reinforced by said peripheral flange means and said arcuate flanges fastened to said barrier's down-roof surface and entry of melting snow and falling rain in the meeting plane between said barrier's down-roof surface is prevented.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.