Automotive hail protection and shade canopy

Abstract

A drive under new automotive hail protection roof hip-and-valley cable-tension type canopy is formed by a rectangular grid pattern of rigid post assemblies joined at their upper ends by longitudinally, transversely and diagonally extending cables forming a coextensive fabric roof support.

I claim:  
     
       1. An automotive parking lot hip-and-valley roof-type hail protection structure, comprising: 
       a first plurality of upright post assemblies arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows for defining a rectangular boundary of a parking lot;  
       a second plurality of upright posts interposed in aligned spaced relation between said longitudinal and transverse rows,  
       each post of said first and second plurality of posts having a portion of its depending end embedded in the surface of the earth;  
       a plurality of parallel longitudinal cables tautly extending between and connected with the upper limit of the posts in said longitudinal post rows for defining roof-type ridge and eave cables;  
       a plurality of transverse cables tautly extending between and connected with the upper limit of the posts in said transverse rows;  
       a plurality of other cables tautly extending between diagonally opposite posts and post assemblies;  
       a plurality of structure cover support cables tautly extending transversely of the structure between said eave cables in parallel spaced-apart relation between said transverse cables on the transverse rows of posts;  
       structure cover means including elongated juxtaposed fabric strips, transversely equal with the spacing between said structure cover support cables, secured together by parallel rows of stitching in longitudinal fabric edge overlapping relation juxtaposition to form a longitudinally coextensive fabric loop between each two adjacent strips surrounding the respective said cover support cable, and in overlying relation with respect to said ridge cables;  
       said fabric strips having aligned transverse end portion loops; and,  
       a fabric eave cable in each said fabric strip end portion loop and connected with respective corner and eave post assemblies.  
     
     
       2. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 1  in which each said post assembly includes: 
       a cable support tubular post;  
       a brace post interposed between said cable support post, adjacent the latter, and an adjacent post of the respective longitudinal and transverse row of posts;  
       brace means rigidly interposed between said cable support post and said brace post; and,  
       cable fastening means on the upper end portion of said cable support posts.  
     
     
       3. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 2  in which the cable fastening means comprises: 
       a plate overlying and projecting beyond the perimeter of said support post,  
       said plate having a plurality of apertures in its marginal edge portion.  
     
     
       4. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 3  in which: 
       the top end portion of the ridge cable support posts having an inverted V-shape with the apex of the V-shapes longitudinally aligned and having a transverse aperture for receiving intermediate portions of said roof ridge cable; and,  
       inverted V-shaped panel means interposed between the V-shapes of the several ridge cable support posts and fabric cover means.  
     
     
       5. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 4  in which the angle between the sides of the inverted V-shapes is not greater than 90°. 
     
     
       6. An automobile parking lot drive under hip-and-valley hail protection roof structure, comprising: 
       a plurality of upright post means arranged by rows in a rectangular grid pattern for forming boundary rows and at least one roof ridge post row interposed between roof eave post rows;  
       each post of said plurality of posts having a portion of a depending end embedded in the surface of the earth;  
       cable connecting means on an upper end portion of each post of said plurality of post means;  
       a first plurality of structure cables longitudinally extending between and respectively connected with said post means in the ridge post row and the eave post rows of the rectangular grid pattern;  
       a second plurality of structure cables diagonally extending between and connected respectively with diagonal rows of posts in the rectangular grid pattern;  
       roof means including elongated juxtaposed strips of material overlying said first and said second plurality of structure cables and secured at respective end portions to said eave cables in overlying relation with respect to said roof ridge post means and said first and said second plurality of structure cables; and,  
       a roof material supporting cable secured at its respective ends with the respective eave structure cable and surrounded by the juncture of adjacent roof material strips.  
     
     
       7. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 6  in which the roof means includes: 
       resilient fabric material having the edges of said juxtaposed strips doubled back upon themselves in interlocked relation with a respective adjacent fabric strip;  
       longitudinal rows of spaced-apart stitching securing the strips together and forming a coextensive fabric loop between adjacent rows of said stitching,  
       said roof material retaining cable disposed in each said fabric loop.  
     
     
       8. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 7  in which each said post means in said boundry rows includes: 
       a cable supporting post having a predetermined length; and,  
       a shorter brace post rigidly secured in spaced parallel relation to the first named post.  
     
     
       9. The automotive hail protection structure according to  claim 8  in which the cable connecting means includes: 
       a marginally apertured plate centrally overlying each post means in each post row of said grid pattern excluding said roof ridge post row,  
       each said post in said roof ridge row having an inverted V-shaped upper end portion with the apexes of the V-shapes longitudinally aligned in the roof ridge row for supporting said structure cables extending between the roof eave post rows,  
       the V-shapes being line drilled for receiving said roof ridge structure cable.  
     
     
       10. An automotive vehicle drive under protective roof structure, comprising: 
       
         a plurality of upright posts arranged by rows in a rectangular grid pattern for forming boundary rows and at least one roof ridge post row interposed between eave post rows;  
       
       
         each post of said plurality of posts having a portion of a depending end embedded in the surface of the earth;  
       
       
         cable connecting means on an upper end portion of each post of said plurality of posts;  
       
       
         a plurality of structure cables longitudinally extending between and respectively connected with said posts in the ridge post row and the eave post rows of the rectangular grid pattern;  
       
       
         roof means including elongated juxtaposed strips of material overlying said structure cables and secured at respective end portions adjacent to the structure cables extending between the posts of said eave post rows, said strips being in overlying relation with respect to the structure cable extending between the posts in said ridge post row; and  
       
       
         a roof material supporting cable secured at its respective ends with the structure cable extending between the posts of said eave post rows and surrounded by the juncture of adjacent roof material strips. 
       
     
     
       11. An automotive vehicle drive under roof structure, comprising: 
       
         a plurality of upright posts arranged to form a generally rectangular pattern and including two pairs of corner posts defining substantially parallel eave post rows at opposite ends of the rectangular pattern, said posts further including ridge posts defining a ridge post row located between and generally parallel to the eave post rows;  
       
       
         each post having a portion embedded in the surface of the earth and each ridge post having a greater height than the corner posts;  
       
       
         a pair of eave cables extending tautly between said corner posts along the respective eave post rows at upper end portions of the posts;  
       
       
         a ridge cable extending tautly between upper end portions of said ridge posts;  
       
       
         a plurality of fabric support cables extending tautly between said eave cables and said ridge cable; and  
       
       
         a plurality of elongated juxtaposed strips of flexible fabric material extending along said fabric support cables and connected side to side to form a continuous roof structure extending between said eave post rows and over said ridge cable, said strips connected at opposite ends thereof adjacent to said eave cables and connected to adjacent strips at junctures surrounding said fabric support cables. 
       
     
     
       12. The roof structure according to  claim 11 , including a plurality of end supporting cables for each eave connected to extend generally along but separately from said eave cables, the opposite ends of said fabric strips being connected with said end supporting cables. 
     
     
       13. An automotive vehicle hip- and - valley protective roof structure, comprising:    
       
         a plurality of upright posts arranged in a generally rectangular grid pattern and including eave posts forming eave post rows at opposite ends of the rectangular grid pattern and valley posts forming at least one valley post row between the eave post rows, said posts including ridge posts forming ridge post rows between the valley post row and the respective eave post rows;  
       
       
         each post having a portion embedded in the earth and each ridge post having a greater height than the eave and valley posts;  
       
       
         a pair of eave cables extending tautly between the eave posts in the respective eave post rows;  
       
       
         a valley cable extending tautly between the valley posts;  
       
       
         a pair of ridge cables extending tautly between the ridge posts in the respective ridge post rows;  
       
       
         a plurality of fabric support cables extending tautly from each eave cable over the adjacent ridge cable to the valley cable; and  
       
       
         a plurality of elongated juxtaposed strips of flexible fabric material extending along and connected to said fabric support cables and having ends connected adjacent to said eave and valley cables, said strips cooperating to form a substantially continuous fabric cover over said rectangular grid pattern and being connected to adjacent strips at junctures surrounding said fabric support cables. 
       
     
     
       14. An automotive vehicle protective roof structure, comprising: 
       
         four corner post assemblies each including an upright primary corner post anchored to the ground and a pair of upright brace posts embedded in the ground;  
       
       
         a substantially horizontal connection arm extending between each brace post and said primary corner post and another substantially horizontal connection arm extending between said brace posts, said arms being adjacent to upper end portions of said brace posts;  
       
       
         a plurality of additional posts anchored to the ground and arranged to form a rectangular grid pattern with said corner post assemblies;  
       
       
         a plurality of cables extending tautly between said posts; and  
       
       
         a fabric roof supported by and connected to said cables, said roof including elongated juxtaposed strips of flexible fabric material each connected to an adjacent strip at a juncture surrounding one of said cables. 
       
     
     
       15. The roof structure according to  claim 14 , wherein said additional posts include perimeter post assemblies arranged along the perimeter of said grid structure and each including: 
       
         an upright primary perimeter post anchored to the ground;  
       
       
         an upright perimeter brace post anchored to the ground; and  
       
       
         a substantially horizontal connection arm extending between said primary perimeter post and said perimeter brace post.