Supporting A Load On A Roof

Abstract

The invention provides a system for installing a rail and closure assembly on a metal roof. The rail and closure assembly includes a supporting rail and closure structure adapted to be supported by adjacent rib elevations of the roof, and an overlying load adapted to be supported by the rail and closure structure. The rail and closure structure diverts water around the rail and closure assembly. The entire heights of the side rails, including the rail bottoms, are above the closest portions of the panel flats. At least one panel of each of the side rails faces the respective rib along the full length of the respective side rail. The rail and closure assembly also includes a lower closure. Opposing ends of the lower closure extend upwardly and interface with the ribs. The lower closure further comprises a lower flange which interfaces with a respective panel flat.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A load system for installing a load on a metal panel roof, such metal panel roof comprising elongate metal roof panels, each having a length and a width, such roof panels defining elevated roof panel ribs, panel flats being disposed between such roof panel ribs, said load system comprising:
 (a) a rail and closure structure comprising
 (i) a first side rail, having first and second ends, a first length between the first and second ends, a first top, and a first bottom, a first downwardly-facing surface of said first side rail being mounted directly to a first upwardly-facing surface of a first such rib along an entirety of the first length of said first side rail, and 
 (ii) a second side rail, having third and fourth ends, a second length between the third and fourth ends, a second top, and a second bottom, a second downwardly-facing surface of said second side rail being mounted directly to a second upwardly-facing surface of a second such rib along an entirety of the second length of said second side rail, 
   
       the bottom of at least one of said first and second side rails, at a given point along the length of the respective said side rail, being spaced above an elevation of a portion of the respective panel flat which most closely underlies the respective said side rail at such point along the length of the respective said side rail; and
 (b) a load adapted to be supported by said rail and closure structure. 
 
     
     
         22 . A load system as in  claim 21  wherein a portion of only a single such roof panel rib is cut away, leaving first and second cut rib edges, respectively up slope and down slope on such roof, and an empty space between the up-slope and down-slope cut rib edges, at least one of the cut rib edges being spaced from the respective said side rail. 
     
     
         23 . A load system as in  claim 22  wherein said load comprises first and second adjacent skylights supported end to end over a single aperture in the roof. 
     
     
         24 . A load system as in  claim 22  wherein said cut away portion of the respective roof panel rib is made at only one of the respective roof panel ribs to which said side rails are directly mounted. 
     
     
         25 . A load system as in  claim 21  wherein said system comprises first and second adjacent skylights supported end to end over a single aperture in the roof. 
     
     
         26 . A load system as in  claim 21  wherein said first and second side rails overlie said ones of such roof panel ribs along full lengths of said first and second rails. 
     
     
         27 . A load system as in  claim 21  wherein the downwardly-facing surfaces of said first and second side rails are fastened directly to the upwardly-facing surfaces of such first and second ribs by screws or rivets spaced from each other along the lengths of said first and second side rails. 
     
     
         28 . A load system as in  claim 21 , installed on a roof and overlying a roof penetration. 
     
     
         29 . A load system as in  claim 21  wherein said load extends upwardly above the tops of said first and second side rails. 
     
     
         30 . A load system for installing a load on a metal panel roof, such metal panel roof comprising elongate metal roof panels, each having a length and a width, such roof panels defining elevated roof panel ribs, panel flats being disposed between such roof panel ribs, said load system comprising:
 (a) a rail and closure structure suitable for being supported by ones of the elevated roof panel ribs, said rail and closure structure comprising a first side rail, for mounting directly to a first such rib wherein a first bottom panel of said first side rail faces a panel of such first rib, along a full length of said first side rail, and a second side rail, for mounting directly to a second such rib, wherein a second bottom panel of said second side rail faces a panel of such second rib, along a full length of said second side rail; and   (b) a load adapted to be supported on said rail and closure structure.   
     
     
         31 . A load system as in  claim 30  wherein, when said load system is installed on such roof, a portion of a such rib is cut away, leaving first and second cut rib edges, and a space between the cut rib edges, one of the cut rib edges being spaced from a respective said rail. 
     
     
         32 . A load system as in  claim 31  wherein only one of the respective roof panel ribs, to which said rails are mounted, is cut away to define such space between the cut rib edges. 
     
     
         33 . A load system as in  claim 30  wherein said load system, when installed on such roof, comprises first and second adjacent skylights supported end to end over a single aperture in such roof. 
     
     
         34 . A load system as in  claim 30  wherein, when said load system is installed on such roof, said rail and closure structure overlies adjacent ones of the roof panel ribs along the full lengths of said first and second rails. 
     
     
         35 . A load system as in  claim 30 , installed on a roof, said load overlying a hole in the roof. 
     
     
         36 . A load system for installing a load on a metal panel roof, such metal panel roof comprising elongate metal roof panels, each having a length and a width, such roof panels having upstanding rib elevations, defining elevated roof panel ribs, at opposing sides of the respective roof panels, panel flats being disposed between such roof panel rib elevations, said load system comprising:
 (a) a rail and closure structure comprising
 (i) a first side rail, having first and second ends, a first upstanding web, a first mounting flange at a top of said first upstanding web, and a first lower shoulder extending from a first bottom of said first upstanding web, said first lower shoulder being mounted to a first such rib, and 
 (ii) a second side rail, having third and fourth ends, a second upstanding web, a second mounting flange at a top of said second upstanding web, and a second lower shoulder extending from a second bottom of said second upstanding web, said second lower shoulder being mounted to a second such rib, 
   
       roof panel profiles being defined by cross-sections extending across the widths of such roof panels, further comprising
 (c) a lower closure structure having opposing upwardly-extending ends thereof, configured to interface with the metal roof panel profiles at the ribs to which said side rails are mounted, and a lower flange configured to interface with an intervening panel flat between such ribs, said lower closure further having an upstanding panel, extending upwardly from said lower flange and extending between such first and second ribs, thereby to prevent flow of water from an up-slope side of said lower closure structure to a down-slope side of said lower closure structure. 
 
     
     
         37 . A load system for installing a load on a metal panel roof, such metal panel roof comprising a plurality of elongate metal roof panels, each having a length and a width, such roof panels defining elevated roof panel ribs, panel flats being disposed between such roof panel ribs, said load system comprising:
 (a) a rail and closure structure comprising
 (i) a first side rail having first and second ends, a first length between the first and second ends, a first top, and a first bottom, said first side rail being mounted to a first such rib along an entirety of the first length of said first side rail, 
 (ii) a second side rail, having third and fourth ends, a second length between the third and fourth ends, a second top, and a second bottom, said second side rail being mounted to a second such rib along an entirety of the second length of said second side rail, 
   
       at a given point along the length of each said side rail, an entirety of a height of the respective said side rail, from the bottom of said side rail to the top of said side rail, being spaced above an elevation of a portion of the respective panel flat which most closely underlies the respective said side rail at such point along the length of the respective said side rail; and
 (b) a load supported by said rail and closure structure. 
 
     
     
         38 . A load system as in  claim 37 , further comprising an upper diverter extending between the first and third ends of said first and second side rails, and a lower closure extending between the second and fourth ends of said first and second side rails. 
     
     
         39 . A load system as in  claim 37  wherein said load extends upwardly above the first and second tops of said first and second side rails.