1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip for mounting sliding and in particular to a clip that provides improved holding engagement between a siding panel and a trim strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The current popular building materials for cladding both commercial and domestic buildings includes siding panels made of metal, such as aluminum, and plastics, such as vinyl. These panels are preformed with profiles simulating at least two rows of clapboard with each panel having top and bottom edges profiled for iterlocking with adjacent panels. The panels also have surfaces which may be textured and coated with an almost permanent color finish. The panels are usually started on the building with a starter strip or bracket, such as the one shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,501, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The top edge of the panel is secured to the building by inserting it into a trim strip which is an elongated preformed member of the same material as the siding panels and which defines a groove recieving the edge of the panel.
This type of mounting preserves the integrity of the panel, but is not sufficiently secure for all mounting situations. The normal method of improving the security of the mounting is to emboss the edge of the panel with a plurality of spaced apart crimps. These crimps can then be used to grip into the groove of the trim strip to hold the panel in place. An example of this can be found in U.S. Patent No. 3,757,483. While this provides an initial improvement in securing the panel, it is not a permanent fix in that the materials of the panel can relax of flow with time tending to resume their original shape. Thus an initially tight grip between a panel and the trim may, with time, become sufficiently loose that the panel could be removed by certain weather conditions. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,941,216 and 3,512,222 discloses clips that can be used for joining panels together. However, these clips do not serve to hold the edge of a panel in a trim strip.
It would seem that a viable alternative would be to simply nail the top of the panel into the trim strip by driving nails through both the trim and panel. This would undoubtedly secure the members together, but it would also void manufactures warantees on the panels by adversely disrupting their surface finishes.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds