Board fastener with underside ventilation

Abstract

A board fastener/ventilator device has a top bracket and a bottom bracket that are secured to a sheathing surface and that mount a board, such as a shingle or siding board, at a distance above the sheathing. A board fastener/ventilator device secures one end of the board and another board fastener/ventilator device supports the opposite end of the board so as to maintain an air space between the board and the sheathing layer. The separation between the sheathing layer and the board is maintained by an angled riser that has vents to allow air to pass through the angled riser between the different layers of boards that are mounted on a roof or wall, so as to minimize the accumulation of moisture on the sheathing or board in order to minimize deterioration of those surfaces.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A board mounting mechanism, comprising: 
 a bottom base having an attachment surface and a top surface, wherein the top surface is opposite the attachment surface;    a bottom engagement support having a top surface, a bottom surface and an angled riser, wherein the angled riser extends from the bottom surface at a finite angle and engages the top surface of the bottom base so as to maintain the bottom engagement support substantially parallel to and above the bottom base;    a top base having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface is opposite the bottom surface; and    a top engagement support having a top surface, a bottom surface and an angled riser, wherein the angled riser extends from the bottom surface of the top engagement support at a finite angle and engages the top surface of the top base so as to maintain the top engagement support substantially parallel to and above the top base;    wherein the top riser and the bottom riser comprise openings to allow air flow below the bottom surface of the bottom engagement support.    
     
     
         2 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the top engagement support and the bottom engagement support has at least one board engagement member attached thereto.  
     
     
         3 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the top engagement support comprises at least one support ridge.  
     
     
         4 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising a layer of material affixed to the bottom of the bottom base.  
     
     
         5 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fastener engagement member for engaging a fastener, wherein the at least one fastener engagement members depend from at least one of the bottom base and the top base.  
     
     
         6 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the top base and the top engagement support can be cut to a desired length and are longer than a board that is held between the top engagement support and the bottom engagement support.  
     
     
         7 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom base and the bottom engagement support are longer than a board that is held between the top engagement support and the bottom engagement support.  
     
     
         8 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 7 , wherein the bottom base and the bottom engagement support can be cut to a desired length.  
     
     
         9 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom engagement support and the top engagement support form a board engagement cavity for accepting a board.  
     
     
         10 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 9 , wherein the board is one of a roofing shingle, a panel, and a siding board.  
     
     
         11 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 9 , wherein the board engagement cavity is deeper than the length of the board that is accepted therein.  
     
     
         12 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one fastener for securing the top base and the bottom base to a surface facing the attachment surface of the bottom base, so that a board is secured between the bottom surface of the top engagement support and the top surface of the bottom engagement support.  
     
     
         13 . The board mounting mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a member that depends from the top base.  
     
     
         14 . A mounting clamp for a shingle or board comprising: 
 a lower Z-shaped member with a bottom base adapted to fasten to an sheathing surface thereunder, and a bottom engagement support forming a bottom support; and    an upper Z-shaped member with a top base adapted to sit on top of the bottom base, and a top engagement support providing an upper support positioned so as to form a clamp with the bottom support of the lower Z-shaped member for clamping a first end of a shingle;    wherein one or more openings are formed in a middle portion of the lower Z-shaped member and a middle portion of the upper Z-shaped member so that when the clamp is formed around the first end of the shingle, air can pass through the openings in an area between the shingle and the sheathing surface.    
     
     
         15 . The mounting clamp of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the bottom engagement support and the top engagement support has at least one board engagement member attached thereto.  
     
     
         16 . The mounting clamp of  claim 14 , wherein the top engagement support has a top surface that comprises at least one support ridge on a surface opposite the shingle.  
     
     
         17 . The mechanism of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one fastener engagement member for engaging a fastener, wherein the at least one fastener engagement members depend from at least one of the bottom base and the top base.  
     
     
         18 . The mounting clamp of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one fastener for securing the top base and the bottom base to the sheathing surface, so that the shingle is secured between the bottom engagement support and the top engagement support.  
     
     
         19 . The mounting clamp of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a member that depends from the bottom base.  
     
     
         20 . A mounting clamp for shingle comprising: 
 a lower member with a bottom base adapted to fasten to an sheathing surface thereunder, a bottom engagement support upon which a first end of a shingle rests, and an angled riser connecting the bottom engagement support and the bottom base and maintaining the bottom engagement support and bottom base in a substantially parallel relationship;    an upper member, formed to sit atop the lower member, the upper member having a top base adapted to sit on top of the bottom base, and the upper member having a top engagement support positioned so as to form a clamp with the bottom engagement support of the lower member for holding the first end of the shingle, and the upper member having an angled riser connecting the top engagement support and the top base and maintaining the top engagement support and bottom base in a substantially parallel relationship; and    one or more openings formed in the angled risers of the upper member and the lower member so that when a clamp is formed around the first end of the shingle, air can pass through the openings in an area between the shingle and the sheathing surface.    
     
     
         21 . The mounting clamp of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the top engagement surface and the bottom engagement surface has at least one board engagement member attached thereto.  
     
     
         22 . The mounting clamp of  claim 20 , wherein the top engagement surface has a top surface that comprises at least one support ridge.  
     
     
         23 . The mounting clamp of  claim 20 , further comprising at least one fastener engagement member for engaging a fastener, wherein the at least one fastener engagement members depend from at least one of the bottom base and the top base.  
     
     
         24 . The mounting clamp of  claim 20 , further comprising at least one fastener for securing the bottom base and the top base to a sheathing surface, so that the shingle is secured between the top engagement surface and the bottom engagement surface.  
     
     
         25 . The mounting clamp of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a member that depends from the top base.