Extruded aluminum building materials
Extruded aluminum building materials are provided for the construction of a house or building. The extruded aluminum building materials include a plurality of I-beams, C-shaped beams, angled beams and interlocking shingles. The plurality of C-shaped beams provide a horizontal frame structure to receive the plurality of I-beams, which form the internal vertical framework of the building. At least one angled roof beam is positioned on upper ends of the I-beams in order to form an angled support for an angled roof. The angled roof may be formed of interlocking shingles, which releasably engage one another to form a continuous shingled roof surface. The extruded aluminum building materials are prefabricated and may be easily transported to a construction site for the easy and efficient construction of a building.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/719,959, filed Sep. 26, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prefabricated extruded aluminum building materials for the construction of a building. Particularly, the extruded aluminum building materials include a plurality of I-beams, a plurality of C-shaped beams, and at least one angled roof beam for forming the internal framework of the building. More particularly, the extruded aluminum building materials include interlocking roof shingles for forming a continuous roof surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prefabricated aluminum building materials have been widely used in the construction of houses and buildings. Such materials, however, are often provided only in the form of structural panels, designed to lock together, or other modular components that must be used on their own, rather than being adaptable to general construction. It would be preferable to provide building materials, which may be adapted for use in general, construction, and used in combination with standardized building components, such as standard construction I-beams.
Additionally, building material kits are generally only directed to one aspect of construction, such as providing particular roof beams, or a particular type of wall panel. It would be preferable to provide a construction kit of all the structural materials one would need to construct the building, including the framework, the paneling and the roof tiles or shingles, allowing for the easy and efficient construction of the building.
Further, although roof tiles and shingles are common construction items, they are generally applied to a pre-constructed roof; i.e., first a roof must be constructed, then the shingles or tiles are mounted on the roof. It would be preferable to provide a roofing system having shingles or tiles, which are structurally strong enough to act as the roof themselves, requiring mounting on only a prefabricated and easily constructed framework. Thus, extruded aluminum building materials solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONPrefabricated extruded aluminum building materials are provided for the construction of a house or building. The extruded aluminum building materials include a plurality of I-beams, C-shaped beams, angled beams and interlocking roof shingles. The plurality of C-shaped beams provide a horizontal frame structure to receive the plurality of I-beams, which form the internal vertical framework of the building. The C-shaped beams each have a longitudinal channel formed therein for receiving the top and bottom ends of the I-beams when the I-beams are positioned vertically. Further, C-shaped beams may be positioned vertically at the corners of the framework in order to cover exposed channels in the I-beams used at the corners of the framework.
At least one angled roof beam is positioned on upper ends of the I-beams in order to form an angled support for an angled roof. The angled roof beam has a longitudinal channel formed therein for receiving the top ends of vertically positioned I-beams. The angled roof may be formed of interlocking shingles, which releasably engage one another to form a continuous shingled roof surface. An angled roof vertex beam may additionally be provided to horizontally support the vertex of the angled roof. When arranged together to form a continuous roof surface, the central contoured portions of each shingle are spaced apart from one another in order to form water drainage channels in the roof. The extruded aluminum building materials are prefabricated and may be easily transported to a construction site for the easy and efficient construction of a building.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides basic, prefabricated, extruded aluminum building materials 10 for the construction of an edifice, such as the small house or building 12 illustrated in
As shown in
Each C-shaped beam 18, as shown in the cross-sectional view of
As further shown in
When the top ends of I-beams 16 are received within channel 70, the ribs 26, 28 contact the top ends of the I-beams 16, thus securing the I-beams 16 between ribs 26, 28 and the sidewalls 22, 24 and maintaining the angled wall 30 in its angled position with respect to the horizontal. As described above with reference to C-shaped beams 18, 1-beams 16 are fixed within channel 70 through the use of any conventional construction fixtures, such as bolts, screws, rivets or the like.
Referring back to
Further, as shown in
For a roof 14 having a central vertex, such as roof 14 of
Roof 14 may be formed of interlocking extruded aluminum shingles, such as those illustrated in
In the alternative embodiment shown in
The interlocking shingles 44, 58 releasably engage one another to form a continuous roof surface 14. The interlocking nature of shingles 44, 58 allows the user to easily selectively alter the size and shape of the roof 14, dependent upon the needs and desires of the user. Further, it should be noted that the interlocking shingles 44, 58 are formed from extruded aluminum, which provides the shingles 44, 58 with enough structural strength and stability to act as a roof themselves. In conventional construction, roofing tiles or shingles are applied to a pre-constructed roof, formed of lumber or similar materials. Interlocking shingles 44, 58, however, are strong and stable enough to form the roof itself, and may be mounted directly to the internal aluminum framework.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A kit of extruded aluminum building materials, comprising:
- a plurality of I-beams made from extruded aluminum, each of the I-beams having a top end and a bottom end when said I-beam is positioned vertically, each of the I-beams defining a pair of first channels, the pair of first channels extending longitudinally;
- a plurality of C-shaped beams made from extruded aluminum, each of the C-shaped beams having a lower wall and a pair of sidewalls projecting upwardly therefrom to define a second channel, the second channel extending longitudinally and being dimensioned to receive a top or bottom end of at least one of the I-beams; and
- at least one angled roof beam made from extruded aluminum having a pair of sidewalls and an angled upper wall, the angled upper wall being angled with respect to the pair of sidewalls, a third channel being formed in the at least one angled roof beam, the third channel being defined by the pair of sidewalls and the angled upper wall, the third channel extending longitudinally, a projecting rib being formed on each of the sidewalls and projecting from each of the sidewalls into the third channel;
- wherein an internal support frame of an edifice is formed from the plurality of I-beams, the plurality of C-shaped beams, and the at least one angled roof beam, the C-shaped beams receiving the I-beams to secure the I-beams in a vertical position, at least one of the C-shaped beams covering an exposed first channel of one of the I-beams positioned on a corner of the internal support frame, the at least one angled roof beam being positioned on an upper edge of the internal support frame, the at least one angled roof beam receiving a plurality of the top ends of the I-beams, the pair of ribs engaging the top ends, the angled upper wall forming an angled support for an angled roof of the edifice.
2. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of roofing shingles made from extruded aluminum, each of the roofing shingles having a central portion formed between opposed proximal and distal end portions, each of the proximal end portions having a receiving member formed thereon, each of the distal end portions having an engaging member formed thereon, whereby an engaging member of a first one of the roofing shingles is releasably received by a receiving member of a second one of the roofing shingles, the first and second roofing shingles being positioned adjacent and contiguous with respect to one another, the roofing shingles being attachable to said angled roof beam.
3. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 2, wherein the proximal portion of each said roofing shingle includes a proximal horizontal member and a vertical wall, the receiving member being mounted to the vertical wall.
4. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 3, wherein the distal portion of each said roofing shingle includes a distal horizontal member.
5. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 4, wherein the central portion of each said roofing shingle is angled with respect to the distal and proximal horizontal members.
6. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 5, wherein the vertical wall of the proximal portion projects upwardly from the proximal horizontal member, a proximal edge of the central portion being joined to an upper edge of the vertical wall.
7. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 2, wherein the distal portion of each said roofing shingle includes a distal horizontal member and a vertical wall, the engaging member being mounted to an upper end of the vertical wall.
8. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 7, wherein the central portion of each said roofing shingle has a substantially arcuate cross-sectional contour.
9. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 8, wherein the central portion, the distal horizontal member and the vertical wall of each said roofing shingle define a drainage channel.
10. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least wall panel adapted for attachment to the internal support frame.
11. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 1, further comprising a vertex roof beam having a lower horizontal support, a central vertical support and an inverted V-shaped support member, the inverted V-shaped support member being adapted for supporting a vertex of the angled roof.
12. A kit of extruded aluminum building materials, comprising a plurality of roofing shingles made from extruded aluminum, each of the roofing shingles having a central portion formed between opposed proximal and distal end portions, each of the proximal end portions having a receiving member formed thereon, each of the distal end portions having an engaging member formed thereon, whereby an engaging member of a first one of the roofing shingles is releasably received by a receiving member of a second one of the roofing shingles, the first and second roofing shingles being positioned adjacent and contiguous with respect to one another.
13. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 12, wherein the proximal portion of each said roofing shingle includes a proximal horizontal member and a vertical wall, the receiving member being mounted to the vertical wall.
14. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 13, wherein the distal portion of each said roofing shingle includes a distal horizontal member.
15. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 14, wherein the central portion of each said roofing shingle is angled with respect to the distal and proximal horizontal members.
16. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 15, wherein the vertical wall of the proximal portion projects upwardly from the proximal horizontal member, a proximal edge of the central portion being joined to an upper edge of the vertical wall.
17. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 12, wherein the distal portion of each said roofing shingle includes a distal horizontal member and a vertical wall, the engaging member being mounted to an upper end of the vertical wall.
18. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 17, wherein the central portion of each said roofing shingle has a substantially arcuate cross-sectional contour.
19. The kit of extruded aluminum building materials as recited in claim 18, wherein the central portion, the distal horizontal member and the vertical wall of each said roofing shingle define a drainage channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 26, 2006
Publication Date: Mar 29, 2007
Inventor: Gene McClintock (Redlands, CA)
Application Number: 11/526,576
International Classification: E04C 3/30 (20060101);