ROOF AND WALL CONSTRUCTION

The present invention relates to cladding of building structures, particularly roofs and walls, using roll-formed metal cladding sheets.

In particular, the present invention relates to roll forming roofing and walling sheets that have been pre-cut to final shape during the manufacturing process, and optionally pre-marked before cutting, and packing the sheets produced by the roll-former such that they are stacked in the order that a roofer requires the sheets to construct a roof. The present invention is particularly, although by no means exclusively, relevant to situations where many individual sheets may be non-rectangular in shape , such as for roofs having hips and valleys .

The present invention was made during the course of further research and development work in relation to the inventions that are described and claimed in Australian patent 2004201410 (hereinafter referred to as "the Australian patent") and Australian patent application 2006202113 (hereinafter referred to as "the Australian application") , both in the name of the applicant.

The disclosures in the Australian patent and the Australian application are incorporated herein by cross- reference .

The references herein to the Australian patent and the Australian application are not to be taken as indications that the inventions described and claimed in the Australian patent and application are part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elesewhere. In addition, any and all comments herein on the prior art are not to be taken to be part of the common general knowledge

in Australia or elesewhere .

The Australian patent describes an invention of a method of producing a plurality of roll-formed cladding sheets that have pre-cut or pre-marked ends .

The invention of the Australian patent includes a method of producing a plurality of roll-formed cladding sheets for building a structure, such as a roof, which includes the steps of:

(a) inputting data relating to a design of the structure, such as a hip, gable or other type of roof of a building, into a computer program that translates the design data into a series of cutting operations of a cutting assembly for cutting strip having a roll-formed profile into a plurality of separate cladding sheets that have the correct size and shape to be placed directly onto an underlying frame and assembled together to form the structure;

(b) roll forming the strip; and

(c) cutting the roll-formed strip with the cutting assembly in accordance with the cutting operations and forming the plurality of separate cladding sheets .

In addition, the invention of the Australian patent includes a method of marking a roll-formed strip to define at least part of the perimeters of a plurality of cladding sheets for building a structure, such as a roof. The method also includes cutting the roll-formed strip on the marked perimeters to form the plurality of separate cladding sheets .

The method of the Australian patent makes it possible to reduce the total installed cost of roof and

wall claddings. The method includes (a) the use of computer programs, particularly CAD systems, which improve the quoting and ordering of cladding sheets, (b) steps to mark or cut steel strip into sheets of required final shapes as part of a manufacturing process, and (c) steps that produce sheets in an optimal sequence so that the sheets can be stacked easily in a suitable order for use by a roofer to facilitate installation on site .

The method of the Australian patent includes both the marking and cutting of sheets to its final shape during the manufacturing process . Both of these options offer advantages over methods that have been used for installing roof and wall cladding in the past.

The Australian patent application relates to an invention that was made by the applicant during the course of further research and development work in the field of the invention described and claimed in the Australian patent .

The research and development work considered a range of issues , such as computer programs that are available for scheduling roll forming of sheets . These programs include the Applicad Roof Wizard program developed by Applicad Australia.

The Applicad Roof Wizard program and other programs known to the applicant schedule the roll forming of roof cladding sheets on a roll former in an order that aims to reduce wastage. However, the programs do not necessarily schedule roll forming in an order that is easy for a roll former operator or a roofer to deal with the roll formed sheets. Specifically, the programs do not produce roll formed sheets in an order that can be packed in the reverse order required by a roofer . As a consequence, either the roll former operator has to

shuffle the sheets at the end of a roll former line into packs , thus slowing and complicating the process and taking up more floor space, or the roll former operator simply packs the sheets in the order produced and the roofer has the time-consuming task of sorting sheets on site. At the moment, both the roll former operator and the roofer are dealing with an unnecessary level of complexity .

The invention of the Australian application is based on the realisation that there is a better way of scheduling the roll forming of roofing sheets than is possible with current programs such as the Applicad Roof Wizard program. The invention is also based on the realisation that the invention is not confined to roofing sheets and also extends to walling sheets .

The Australian patent application describes a set of rules about roll forming that allows a roll former operator to produce and thereafter pack pre-cut or pre- marked roll-formed sheets after roll forming in the order produced by the roll former without shuffling the sheets . The rules were developed by the applicant. The rules simplify and speed up the process and make it possible to produce and pack sheets in the order that the roofer (or person constructing a wall) might want to use them, thereby speeding up the roofing (or wall construction) process and saving space on site.

The Australian application applies the rules to a roll forming schedule produced by a program, such as the Applicad Roof Wizard program, and produces a modified roll forming schedule that roll forms sheets in an order that minimises or eliminates the need for sorting after roll forming and results in sheets packed in a logical order for the person cladding the structure, such as a roofer.

The Australian application describes that, generally, the logical order includes placing the starting sheets for each roofing plane on top of the relevant packs .

The rules described in the Australian application include the following rules (hereinafter referred to as ^M the rules") .

1. Look for pairs of structural planes on a roof or other structure that have similar properties, eg similar pitches and similar numbers and lengths of hips in the case of roof structures .

2. Match any sheets on these planes that require angle cutting, to minimise wastage.

3. Use pairs of planes that have opposing laying directions . If only one such plane has a critical laying direction based on a viewing direction or prevailing winds, for example, use the opposite laying direction on the other plane in the pair .

4. In the case of roof structures, where a plane runs from a hip to a valley, and the sheets are a generally rhomboidal shape, it is usually not necessary to pair it up with another plane, as it can be produced and packed with little wastage.

5. In the case of roof structures, where a section of a hip roof runs into another (larger) plane of similar pitch, it is normally possible to merge the smaller hip with the plane that it meets to gain greater efficiencies in manufacture .

6. In the case of roof structures, where a gable runs into another roofing plane, the two sides of the gabled roof

— O "" section can be produced efficiently if they have opposite laying directions. Where a smaller gable section runs into a larger pitched roof to form valleys, it may be possible to merge the valley detail on the smaller gable roof planes with the valley detail on the larger pitched roof for greater efficiencies . Typically this will mean swapping sheets from one side of the gabled roof to the other .

7. Number all sheets produced, normally by branding in some form, and normally on an underlap, to indicate structural plane number and sheets position on the plane.

8. Sheets are ideally packed in the order that they are produced and close to how they will be used on site and to allow individual packs to be located in convenient spots on site .

9. The above sequencing mentioned in item 8 minimises the need to sort packs and lay sheets temporarily on bare ground, thus reducing the possibility of damage.

10. Sheets are produced and packed in an order that minimises damage from cut edges , as most pairs of sheets are similar in overall dimensions to the pairs of sheets above and below.

11. Ends of packs have mainly square cuts, with angle cuts generally contained in the middle of packs for safety.

12. Sheets are sequenced in production and packing such that they are in the logical order in packs that a person cladding a structure wants to use them. In the case of roof cladding, on most planes there are one or two preferred sheets that the roofer will want to start with, then roofing proceeds from those sheets .

13. When sheets are paired up with sheets from another plane, to minimise wastage, it is possible to turn these two sheets end-for-end in roll forming where the profile is not totally symmetrical , depending upon which side of the roll former produces the underlap. This will not affect wastage or practical use on site. For example, if sheet 1 from roofing plane 1 is a perfect match for sheet 7 from plane 2, they can be paired up by producing 1-1 then 2-7, or 2-7 followed by 1-1, this means turning the pair of sheets end for end but simply changes which side of the sheets the underlap is on.

The Australian application offers benefits in safety and efficiency both in a manufacturing site and on a construction site.

The Australian application further expands upon the method for optimal sheet sequencing during the course of manufacturing and stacking (packing) sheets that is described and claimed in the Australian patent. The

Australian application is based on the previously documented methods of the Australian patent but offers alternative techniques that are useful in some circumstances, without sacrificing previous efficiency gains or compromising safety.

The Australian application describes both the marking and cutting of sheets to final shapes during manufacture of the sheets . Both of these options offer advantages over methods that have been used for installing roof and wall cladding in the past.

The principles of optimal sequencing and stacking of sheets described in the Australian application are relevant for use with either the marking or cutting processes . The example in the Australian application is applicable for use with either the marking or cutting

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processes . The example shows how sheets from two roofing planes can be packed and transported together, giving reasonably balanced and safe packs for transportation . By following the rules, a roofer is then able to make efficient use of the material on site .

The present invention builds upon the invention described and claimed in the Australian application.

The present invention is mainly applicable to sheets that have been cut to final shapes during manufacture. It can offer advantages in both a manufacturing site and a construction site for roofing that is cut to final shapes during manufacture.

In this context, it is relevant to note that in order to facilitate efficient roof installation, all parts of the process from quotation through to final installation must be efficient. This requires processes that minimise labour time, reduce complexity, minimise material wastage and save space both in the factory and on site. This is well described in the Australian patent and the Australian application.

In the context of roof cladding, the present invention makes it possible to efficiently manufacture roofing sheets such that material wastage is minimised, while producing the sheets in an order that allows them to be efficiently handled after production and packed in an order that greatly simplifies installation on site.

The present invention provides that sheets that are cut to final shapes during manufacture are handled efficiently after manufacturing such that the sheets for a roof or other structure are packed into separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane for subsequent installation on a roof (or a wall or other

structure) on a construction site .

The present invention is particularly, although not exclusively, applicable to roofs that are complex in shape, for example roofs that include hips and valleys comprising 6 or more separate roofing planes .

Using the method of the present invention, the sheets for each roofing plane can be packed as a separate pack after manufacture and thereafter transported to a construction site in the packs and subsequently used at the site. Furthermore, the sheets can be efficiently produced in such an order that they can be stacked in the correct order for use by a roofer without the need to significantly re-sort them within a manufacturing site after manufacture or on the job site. It can be easily appreciated that the method of the present invention simplifies both the manufacturing and installation operations .

In general terms , the present invention provides a method of producing a plurality of roll-formed cladding sheets for building a structure, such as a roof, that has a plurality of planes which includes the steps of:

(a) inputting data relating to a design of the structure into a computer program that translates the design data into designs of a plurality of separate cladding sheets that have the correct size and shape to be placed directly onto a support frame and assembled together to complete the cladding of the structure and produces a schedule for roll-forming strip and thereafter cutting roll formed strip into the sheets, with the schedule being determined in accordance with at least one of the above-described rules and an additional rule that provides that sheets that are cut to final shapes during manufacture are handled after manufacturing such that all

of -the sheets are packed into separate packs , i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane of the structure for subsequent installation on a construction site,

(c) roll forming the strip,

(d) cutting the roll formed strip with a cutting assembly in accordance with the schedule and forming the plurality of separate cladding sheets ; and

(e) packing the cladding sheets without the need for significant sorting so that all of the sheets are packed into separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane for subsequent installation on a construction site.

In more specific terms , the present invention provides a method of producing a plurality of roll-formed cladding sheets for building a structure, such as a roof, that has a plurality of planes which includes the steps of:

(a) inputting data relating to a design of the structure into a computer program, such as an Applicad Roof Wizard program, that translates the design data into designs of a plurality of separate cladding sheets that have the correct size and shape to be placed directly onto a support frame and assembled together to complete the cladding of the structure and produces a schedule for roll-forming strip and thereafter cutting roll formed strip into the sheets ;

(b) modifying the schedule produced in step (a) in accordance with at least one of the above-described rules and an additional rule that provides that sheets that are cut to final shapes during manufacture are handled after manufacturing such that all of the sheets

are packed into separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane of the structure for subsequent installation on a construction site,

(c) roll forming the strip,

(d) cutting the roll formed strip with a cutting assembly in accordance with the modified schedule and forming the plurality of separate cladding sheets ; and

(e) packing the cladding sheets without the need for significant sorting so that all of the sheets are packed into separate packs , i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane for subsequent installation on a construction site.

The present invention also provides a method of producing a plurality of roll-formed cladding sheets for building a structure, such as a roof, that has a plurality of planes which includes the steps of:

(a) inputting data relating to a design of the structure into a computer program that translates the design data into designs of a plurality of separate cladding sheets that have the correct size and shape to be placed directly onto a support frame and assembled together to complete the cladding of the structure and produces a schedule for roll-forming strip and thereafter cutting the roll-formed strip into the sheets;

(b) roll forming the strip,

(c) cutting the roll-formed strip with a cutting assembly in accordance with the schedule and forming the plurality of separate cladding sheets; and

(d) packing the cladding sheets without the

need for significant sorting so that all of the sheets are packed into separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane for subsequent installation on a construction site.

Preferably the computer program includes at least one of the above-described rules and an additional rule that provides that sheets that are cut to final shapes during manufacture are handled after manufacturing such that all of the sheets are packed into separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane of the structure for subsequent installation on a construction site.

Preferably the methods of the present invention include cutting the roll-formed strip while the strip is being processed on a roll-forming line.

In this situation, preferably the methods of the present invention include cutting the roll-formed strip transversely to the longitudinal direction of the strip.

Preferably the methods of the present invention include cutting the roll-formed strip into separate cladding sheets using a cutting assembly that is supported in relation to the roll-forming line to move in response to the programmed cutting operations .

The cutting assembly may be any suitable cutting assembly, such as a shear cutter, a plasma cutter, a laser cutter, or a water-jet cutter.

Preferably the methods of the present invention include controlling the operation of the cutting assembly in response to the operation of the roll-forming line.

Preferably the methods of the present invention

include marking or otherwise branding each cut or marked cladding sheet to identify the sheet so that it can be differentiated by the marked identification from the other cladding sheets that are required to build the structure.

By way of example, the cladding sheets may be marked with consecutive numbers .

By way of further example, the cladding sheets may be marked with a plane number and a laying sequence number for the pack .

Preferably the roll-formed strip is a steel strip.

The roll-formed cladding sheets may be any suitable profile . For example , the cladding sheets may be corrugated sheets having successive crests and the troughs when viewed in transverse section and one underlap side edge and one overlap side edge. The cladding sheets may also include one or more ribs separated by pans and one underlap side edge and one overlap side edge .

Preferably the computer program is capable of generating quotations to supply cladding sheets to build a structure.

According to the present invention there is also provided an apparatus for producing a plurality of cladding sheets for building a structure, which apparatus includes :

(a) a roll-forming line for roll-forming a flat strip, for example wrapped in a coil, into a roll-formed profile;

(b) a cutting assembly for cutting the roll-

formed strip into a plurality of separate cladding sheets; and

(c) a control means for controlling the operation of the cutting assembly in response to a computer program that includes at least one of the above- described rules and an additional rule that provides that sheets that are cut to final shapes during manufacture are handled after manufacturing such that all of the sheets are packed into separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane for subsequent installation on a roof (or a wall) on a construction site, and cutting the roll-formed strip into a plurality of separate cladding sheets , the computer program providing designs of the cladding sheets that have a correct size and shape to be placed directly onto an underlying frame and thereafter assembled together to form the structure.

The cladding sheets may be any suitable profile .

For example, the cladding sheets may be corrugated sheets having successive crests and the troughs when viewed in transverse section and one underlap side edge and one overlap side edge . The cladding sheets may also include one or more ribs separated by pans and one underlap side edge and one overlap side edge .

Preferably the roll-forming line includes an uncoiler for a coil of strip and a series of roll-forming stands for successively roll-forming strip unwound from the uncoiler into a roll-formed profile .

As indicated above, the cutting assembly may be any suitable cutting assembly, such as a shear cutter, a plasma cutter, a laser cutter, or a water-jet cutter.

The cutting assembly may include two or more

cutters positioned in relation to the roll-forming line and selectively operable depending on the type of cuts required.

Preferably the cutting assembly includes a cutting head that is able to move in the direction of travel of the roll-formed strip being processed on the roll-forming line and/or transversely to the direction of travel .

Preferably the position of the cutting head is able to be controlled to move normal to the general plane of the roll-formed strip being processed on the roll- forming line to either maintain a constant gap between the strip and the cutting head or to vary that gap in a controlled manner, as required. For example, if using laser or plasma cutting, the distance between the cutting tool and the strip should be reasonably constant throughout the process, whereas when using a shear, the blades may need to move normal to the plane of the strip at the correct time to form the cut.

Preferably where required the cutting head is able to rotate to maintain a constant gap between the roll-formed strip being processed on the roll-forming line and the cutting head. Examples of this include laser or plasma cutting where it is desirable to maintain a constant gap between the cutting tool and any part of the profiled strip.

The present invention is described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings , of which :

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a typical roof of a house that has 6 roofing planes ; and

Figure 2 is a diagram of one embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention, the apparatus comprising a roll former having a cutting assembly.

An example of the method of the present invention applied to a roof with 6 roofing planes is shown in Figure 1.

An example of a suitable production sequence for a roll former having a cutting assembly for producing the sheets for forming the roof shown in Figure 1 is given below.

Production Sequence for Roll-Former with Cutting Assembly

1-1 & 2-10, 1-2 & 2-9, 1-3 & 2-8, 2-7, 2-6, 2-5, 2-4, 1-14 & 2-1, 1-13 & 2-2, 1-12 & 2-3, 1-11, 1-10, 1-9, 1-8, 1-7, 1-6, 1-5, 1-4, 3-1 & 6-6, 3-2 & 6-5, 3-3 & 6-4, 3-6 & 6-1, 3-5 & 6-2, 3-4 & 6-3, 4-1 & 4-7, 4-2 & 4-6, 4-3 & 4-5, 4- 4, 5-1 & 5-11, 5-2 & 5-10, 5-3 & 5-9, 5-8, 5-7, 5-6, 5-5, 5-4

The above sequence shows that pairs of roofing planes are produced together on the roll-former in approximately the reverse order to the order that they will be used by a roofer to construct the roof.

In addition, the pairs of sheets are sequenced and nested together during production on the roll-former and the cutting assembly in a particular order aimed at both minimising wastage and generating this correct order for the roofer. For example, the sequence is set up to schedule production together of pairs of sheets that require angle cuts, such as sheets 1-1 and 2-10, to minimise wastage . The production may be carried out with the series of square cuts made first on the roll former

and the required angle cuts mage later on the roll former or elsewhere. Hence, in the case of sheets 1-1 and 2-10, the square cuts are made first so that one cut sheet is formed and comprises the two sheets as parts of that sheet and the sheet is then angle cut too separate the sheet into the sheets 1-1 and 2-10.

An exception to this methodology applies to planes of generally rhomboidal shape, such as planes 4 and 5 in Figure 1. Planes of this type can be produced on a roll-former having the cutting assembly in isolation with little waste, without the need to be nested with other planes. In the circumstances, it is proposed that rhomboidal planes be produced by initially sorting them into two piles and then recombining these piles into one roofing plane such that all material is in a suitable order for a roofer .

After roll forming and cutting in accordance with the above production sequence, with the individual sheets cut into final shapes by the cutting assembly, the pairs of sheets for two different roofing planes that have been produced sequentially are separated and packed with other sheets from their respective roofing planes in separate packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of one plane. The sheets may be separated manually or automatically at the end of the roll former or elsewhere in the manufacturing plant .

By generally only nesting two roofing planes together at any one time in the roll forming and cutting operation, the subsequent sorting of the resultant sheets into separate packs can be efficient, with only two packs open at any time at the end of the manufacturing process .

As identified in the Australian patent and the Australian application, individual sheets will have a

unique number and be allocated to a specific spot on the roof. These sheet numbers will normally be printed onto the sheet in an acceptable position, such as an underlap edge. The fact that each sheet has a unique identity makes it reasonably easy to automate the stacking process if required.

An example of how the individual planes might be stacked after manufacture, given the production sequence shown above, is set out below.

Stacking for Transportation in Suitable Order for Roofer

The set of rules to operate the roll-former and the cutting assembly and to subsequently sort and pack the sheets produced on the roll-former includes the above rules (i.e. the rules described in the Australian application) and an additional rule that provides that sheets that are cut to final shapes during manufacture are

able to be simply handled after manufacturing such that all of the sheets are packed into separate packs , i.e. each pack comprising sheets of a single plane for subsequent installation on a roof (or a wall) on a construction site without the need for significant sorting in the factory or on the job site.

With reference to Figure 2 , one embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a standard roll-forming line that has been modified to include marking and cutting assemblies for marking and cutting a roll-formed cladding sheet to any required shape for subsequent installation.

With reference to Figure 2, flat steel strip is unwound from a coil 5 and passed successively through a series of roll-formers 7 that progressively roll a required profile in the strip. By way of example, the profile may comprise a series of lengthwise extending flat pans separated by upstanding ribs with side edge formations to allow adjacent subsequently formed cladding sheets to be positioned in side by side overlapping relationship .

The roll-formed strip emerging from the last of the roll-formers is moved past a position sensor 17 for sensing the position of the strip, a marking assembly 9, a first cutting assembly 11 in the form of an exit shear, and a second cutting assembly 13. These assemblies 9, 11, 13 are selectively operable to cut the roll-formed strip to produce cladding sheets having required shapes .

The cladding sheets emerging from the second cutting assembly 13 are passed to a sheet handling station 15 and are sorted and packed as required. In particular, the cladding sheets are separated and packed with other sheets from their respective roofing planes in separate

packs, i.e. each pack comprising sheets of one plane

The above-described apparatus is controlled by a computer program that includes the above rules that:

(a) translate design data for a structure, such as a roof of a house, into a series of cutting operations of the cutting assemblies 11, 13 for cutting roll-formed strip to form the cladding sheets ; and

(b) in part controls the roll-forming line;

(c) in part controls the cutting assemblies 11, 13 and cuts the roll-formed strip to form cladding sheets having the required shapes.

The operation of the cutting assemblies 11, 13 is responsive to the requirements of the programmed series of cutting operations and the actual operation of the roll forming line at any given point in time, as monitored by the sensor 17.

Depending on the type of end profile required for a cladding sheet, one or both of the cutting assemblies 11, 13 may be operated. For example, in a number of situations it may only be necessary to square cut the ends of the roll-formed strip. In these situations operation of the exit shear 11 may only be required. In other situations it may be necessary to form angled straight cuts on the ends of the roll-formed strip. In these situations operation of the cutting assembly 13 may be appropriate .

In particular, the cutting assembly 13 may be a shear cutter that is operable to move along the length of the roll-former line with the roll-formed strip and form the angled cut during the course of such movement.

In other situations it may be necessary to form more complex cuts on the ends of the roll-formed strip. In such situations, operation of both cutting assemblies 11 , 13 may be appropriate to complete the cuts .

Alternatively, a cutting assembly capable of cutting complex shapes such as a plasma cutter or water jet cutter may be used at station 13.

Many modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .