Roofing structural system having dove tail joint roof decking and insulation fastening systems incorporated therein

Abstract

A new and improved fastening system which is adapted for fastening a roof decking structure to an underlying truss-shaped roofing substructure, as well as for fastening roofing insulation slab members to the roof decking structure, comprises a plurality of dove tail fastening joint structures comprising, for example, a plurality of male tenon and female mortise members integrally formed or defined upon the underlying truss-shaped roofing substructure, a plurality of male tenon and female mortise members integrally formed or defined upon the roof decking structure, and a plurality of male tenon and female mortise members integrally formed or defined upon the insulation slab members. The dove tail fastening joint assemblies therefore permit the roof decking structure to be fixedly secured upon the underlying roof decking substructure, and to permit the insulation slab members to be fixedly secured upon the roof decking structure, by simply sliding the structures with respect to each other so as to form the dove tail joint assemblies.

1 . A system for fastening a roof decking member onto an underlying roofing substructure, comprising: 
 a roofing substructure;    a roof decking member;    first male fastening members, and first female fastening members, formed upon said roofing substructure; and    second female fastening members, and second male fastening members, formed upon said roof decking member for respectively cooperating in a fastening manner with respect to said first male fastening members, and said first female fastening members, formed upon said roofing substructure so as to fixedly secure said roof decking member onto said roofing substructure.    
   
   
       2 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said roof decking member onto said roofing substructure; and    said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said roof decking member onto said roofing substructure.    
   
   
       3 . The system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, as well as said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, have substantially trapezoidal geometrical configurations.    
   
   
       4 . The system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail tenon joint members; and    said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail mortise joint members,    whereby said male tenon and female mortise dove tail joint members together form a dove tail fastening joint.    
   
   
       5 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members;    said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure comprise spaces defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members of said roofing substructure;    said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented downwardly projecting groove members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said spaces defined between said adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members of said roofing substructure; and    said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented upwardly projecting ridge members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, upwardly projecting joist members of said roofing substructure.    
   
   
       6 . A system for fastening an insulation slab onto an underlying roof decking member, comprising: 
 an insulation slab;    a roof decking member;    first male fastening members, and first female fastening members, formed upon said insulation slab; and    second female fastening members, and second male fastening members, formed upon said roof decking member for respectively cooperating in a fastening manner with respect to said first male fastening members, and said first female fastening members, formed upon said insulation slab so as to fixedly secure said insulation slab onto said roof decking member.    
   
   
       7 . The system as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said insulation slab onto said roof decking member; and    said first female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said insulation slab onto said roof decking member.    
   
   
       8 . The system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, as well as said first female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, have substantially trapezoidal geometrical configurations.    
   
   
       9 . The system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail tenon joint members; and    said first female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail mortise joint members,    whereby said male tenon and female mortise dove tail joint members together form a dove tail fastening joint.    
   
   
       10 . The system as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, downwardly projecting ridge members;    said first female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab comprise upwardly extending spaces defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, downwardly projecting ridge members of said insulation slab;    said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented upwardly projecting ridge members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said spaces defined between said adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented downwardly projecting ridge members of said insulation slab; and    said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented upwardly projecting groove members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, downwardly projecting ridge members of said insulation slab.    
   
   
       11 . The system as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said roof decking member comprises a planar member; and    said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking planar member comprise substantially hollow ridge structures.    
   
   
       12 . The system as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said roof decking member comprises a planar member; and    said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking planar member comprise solid ridge structures.    
   
   
       13 . A system for fastening a roof decking member onto an underlying roofing substructure, and for fastening an insulation slab onto the roof decking member, comprising: 
 a roofing substructure;    a roof decking member;    an insulation slab;    first male fastening members, and first female fastening members, formed upon said roofing substructure;    second female fastening members, and second male fastening members, formed upon said roof decking member for respectively cooperating in a fastening manner with respect to said first male fastening members, and said first female fastening members, formed upon said roofing substructure so as to fixedly secure said roof decking member onto said roofing substructure; and    third female fastening members, and third male fastening members, formed upon said insulation slab for respectively cooperating in a fastening manner with respect to said second male fastening members, and said second female fastening members, formed upon said roof decking member so as to fixedly secure said insulation slab onto said roof decking member.    
   
   
       14 . The system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said roof decking member onto said roofing substructure; and    said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said roof decking member onto said roofing substructure.    
   
   
       15 . The system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said third male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said insulation slab onto said roof decking member; and    said third female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member have similar geometrical configurations and size dimensions so as to cooperate in said fastening manner so as to fixedly secure said insulation slab onto said roof decking member.    
   
   
       16 . The system as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, as well as said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, have substantially trapezoidal geometrical configurations.    
   
   
       17 . The system as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said third male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, as well as said third female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member, have substantially trapezoidal geometrical configurations.    
   
   
       18 . The system as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail tenon joint members; and    said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail mortise joint members,    whereby said first and second male tenon, and said first and second female mortise, dove tail joint members together form a dove tail fastening joint.    
   
   
       19 . The system as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said third male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail tenon joint members; and    said third female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab, and said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise dove tail mortise joint members,    whereby said second and third male tenon, and said second and third female mortise, dove tail joint members together form a dove tail fastening joint.    
   
   
       20 . The system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said first male fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members;    said first female fastening members formed upon said roofing substructure comprise spaces defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members of said roofing substructure;    said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented downwardly projecting groove members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said spaces defined between said adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members of said roofing substructure; and    said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented upwardly projecting ridge members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said plurality of transversely spaced, upwardly projecting joist members of said roofing substructure.    
   
   
       21 . The system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said third male fastening members formed upon said insulation slab comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, downwardly projecting ridge members;    said third female fastening members formed upon said insulation slab comprise upwardly extending spaces defined between adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, downwardly projecting ridge members of said insulation slab;    said second male fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented upwardly projecting ridge members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said spaces defined between said adjacent pairs of said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented downwardly projecting ridge members of said insulation slab; and    said second female fastening members formed upon said roof decking member comprise a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, upwardly projecting groove members for interfacing in an interdigitated manner with said plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally oriented, downwardly projecting ridge members of said insulation slab.