An elongated, substantially V-shaped roof panel and a roof panel interlocking method using the V-shaped roof panel, having the inclined sides of the V-shaped roof panel provided with elongated stair-stepping reinforcement ribs for purposes of producing a more rigid and stronger roof panel. At the terminating ends of each of the inclined sides there is provided a complementary mechanical lock design that produces a roof panel lock when a first terminating end member, of a plurality of identical roof panels, is mated with an adjoining second terminating end member of a plurality of identical roof panels. Each terminating end mechanical lock design is comprised of various bends in material, shaped such that when adjoining ends of a plurality of identical roof panels are interlocked, the various bends of each lock design are in a closely coupled relationship. The shape of the various bends in each end lock design is attributed with achieving an increasingly tighter bond between roof panels with increasingly higher wind forces experienced. The shape of the various bends used to produce a better lock, coincidentally creates a mini-gutter at the lock which helps prevent water siphoning at the lock and solves a problem which heretofore has not been succesfully solved.

The present invention is a crimping machine capable of forming an improved building panel that includes notched inclined side walls. The crimping machine imparts a unique design of notched inclined side walls. The crimping machine incorporates two sets of male and female crimping roller, wherein each set of crimping rollers imparts a notch in one of the inclined side walls. The crimping machine also includes a gap adjustment mechanism for simultaneously adjusting the distance between both sets of male and female crimping rollers.

An apparatus for crimping the adjacent side edges of two panels includes a base with first and second crimping members. One of the crimping members is fixed to the base while the other is threaded on a screw member secured to the base. The screw member is rotated by a motor to drive the crimping members together. The apparatus is placed on adjacent panels of the type having preformed mating side edges. The side edge of one panel is in the form of an inverted channel in which the side edge of the other panel fits. The apparatus crimps the side edges so that a downturned leg of the channel is folded onto a portion of the other panel's side edge, thereby crimping the panels together so that a rotary seaming apparatus can be applied to provide a permanent watertight connection. The apparatus is provided with a non-abrasive material to prevent scratching or marring of the panel surfaces.

A seaming device for connecting building panels in a continuous along adjacent side edges of two building panels in the construction of a building or light structure which is particularly suited for seaming panels with both curved and straight portions. The seaming device includes a first frame having an electric motor and two horizontally opposed rollers and a second portion having an electric motor and two horizontally opposed rollers with the first and second portions being coupled together in a hinge-like manner.

A mobile metal building forming machine forms panels of predetermined length from a coil of flat metal and then the formed panels are continuously crimped on their side edges for strength and are selectively curved by crimping the bottom of the panel. The crimping and curvature are automatically controlled so that building panels with vertical walls and an arched roof may be formed. A moveable crimping roll is automatically portioned to control the curvature and the roll is chain driven so that it may be moved without affecting its rotational drive.