Building sheet positioner

Abstract

A separator for insertion between building construction sheets for externally cladding buildings that has a handle part securable to an existing sheet and a spacer bar that overlies the edge of an existing sheet in order to project into the path of an incoming sheet and space it from the existing sheet. The handle and spacer bar are made of metal. Four separators are required for insertion at two adjacent edges of an incoming building sheet.

1 . A building sheet positioner comprising:
 a handle with a planar surface; and   a linear spacer projecting from the planar surface in order to overlie an edge of a sheet, and lying parallel to the planar surface, wherein the spacer:
 presents a surface to an incoming building sheet that is parallel to the sheet edge with which it is already in contact; and 
 lies closer to a handle end of the handle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the handle is linear and the spacer lies transversely to the handle, a portion of the handle between the handle end and the spacer acting as a retaining surface for the incoming next adjacent sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer lies at 90 degrees to the handle. 
     
     
         4 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the handle has at least one bore for reception of a fastener to attach the positioner to the underlying sheet. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the handle portion between the handle end and the spacer is inclined to the planar surface. 
     
     
         7 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is a rod of circular cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer has a bore for the reception of a fastener to attach the positioner to a support surface. 
     
     
         9 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is attached to the planar surface by welding. 
     
     
         10 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the planar surface extends from one end of the positioner to the spacer, the surface between the spacer and the opposite handle end of the handle being inclined to the planar surface. 
     
     
         11 . The building sheet positioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the positioner is made from a flat blank of sheet metal 1.5-2.0 mm thick. 
     
     
         12 . A method of fixing building sheets to a support surface such that each sheet is separated from an adjacent sheet by a uniform gap, the method comprising:
 fixing a first building sheet to the support surface;   applying a pair of sheet positioners, made according to the positioner defined in  claim 1 , to an edge of the fixed sheet to define a gap causing the sheet positioner to project into the gap;   placing a second sheet in contact with the support surface so that one edge of the second sheet contacts both sheet positioners to produce a parallel gap;   fixing the second sheet to the support surface; and   removing the pair of sheet positioners.   
     
     
         13 . Walls and ceilings covered by building sheets attached by the method as claimed in  claim 12 . 
     
     
         14 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 1 , wherein the surface between the spacer and the handle end of the positioner is inclined away from the outer surface of the mounted sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 1 , wherein the handle portion is inclined to the planar surface to facilitate the insertion of the incoming adjacent sheet behind the handle portion during installation. 
     
     
         16 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the spacer lies at 90 degrees to the handle. 
     
     
         17 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the handle has at least one bore for reception of a fastener to attach the positioner to the underlying sheet. 
     
     
         18 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the handle portion between the handle end and the spacer is inclined to the planar surface. 
     
     
         19 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the spacer is a rod of circular cross-section. 
     
     
         20 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the spacer has a bore for receiving a fastener to attach the positioner to a support surface. 
     
     
         21 . The building sheet positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the spacer is attached to the planar surface by welding.