Devices for supporting and transporting sheet materials

1. A clamping system suitable for installation to a sheet material for use in supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the clamping system comprising:

first and second spaced apart and separate elongate supports engageable with the sheet material for supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the first elongate support configured to move relative to the second elongate support to thereby adjust a spacing between the first and second elongate supports for use in positioning the first and second elongate supports along a length of the sheet material;

fasteners located along the first and second elongate supports for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material along the length of the sheet material;

threaded fixtures connected to the second elongate support, wherein the threaded fixtures are disposed between at least part of the first elongate support and at least part of the second elongate support, and wherein the fasteners include threaded fasteners for mating reception within the threaded fixtures for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material;

wherein the first elongate support is generally S-shaped; and

wherein the second elongate support includes openings located along a length of the second elongate support for receiving the fasteners, the fasteners extending through said openings when releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material, and the threaded fixtures connected to the second elongate support at said openings.

2. The clamping system of claim 1 wherein the fasteners are configured to engage the first elongate support and apply a pushing force to the first elongate support to thereby move the first elongate support toward the second elongate support.

3. The clamping system of claim 1 wherein the first and second elongate supports define a channel for receiving an edge portion of the sheet material into the channel when supporting the sheet material.

4. The clamping system of claim 3 wherein the first and second elongate supports each include an engagement member for engaging the sheet material, and a back member connected to the engagement member, each back member being oriented generally perpendicularly to each corresponding engagement member.

5. The clamping system of claim 4 wherein the engagement member of the first elongate support, the back member of the first elongate support, and the engagement member of the second elongate support generally define said channel.

6. The clamping system of claim 4 wherein the first and second elongate supports each include a fastener member operable with the fasteners for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material, each fastener member being oriented generally perpendicularly to each corresponding back member;

wherein the engagement member, the back member, and the fastener member of the first elongate support define the generally S-shape of the first elongate support.

7. The clamping system of claim 1 comprising at least three fasteners for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material.

8. The clamping system of claim 1 further comprising:

third and fourth spaced apart and separate elongate supports engageable with the sheet material for supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the first elongate support configured to move relative to the second elongate support to thereby adjust a spacing between the first and second elongate supports for use in positioning the first and second elongate supports along a length of the sheet material;

fasteners located along the first and second elongate supports for releasably coupling the third and fourth elongate supports to the sheet material along the length of the sheet material;

wherein the first and second elongate supports are engageable with the sheet material at a first edge portion of the sheet material, and the third and fourth elongate supports are engageable with the sheet material at a second edge portion of the sheet material.

9. A low-profile clamping system suitable for installation to a sheet material for use in supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the clamping system comprising:

a first support having an engagement member and a second opposing support having an engagement member, the engagement members configured to receive an edge portion of the sheet material between the engagement members when the first and second supports are positioned for supporting at least part of the sheet material;

threaded fasteners for releasably coupling the first and second supports to the edge portion of the sheet material;

threaded fixtures disposed between at least part of the first elongate support and at least part of the second elongate support for mating reception with the threaded fasteners for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material;

wherein the engagement member of the first support is contained generally within a first plane and the engagement member of the second support is contained generally within a second plane; wherein the first plane is oriented generally parallel to the second plane; wherein the first and second planes are oriented generally perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the fasteners; wherein the first and second supports are disposed generally between said first and second planes; and wherein the fasteners are disposed generally between said first and second planes.

10. The clamping system of claim 9 wherein the first and second supports each include a fastener member operable with the fasteners for releasably coupling the first and second supports to the edge portion of the sheet material, each fastener member being oriented generally parallel to the engagement member of the corresponding support.

11. The clamping system of claim 10 wherein the fastener member of the second support includes an opening, the fasteners configured to extend through said opening and engage the fastener member of the first support and thereby move the first support toward the second support.

12. The clamping system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the engagement members includes a stackable surface for receiving at least part of an engagement member of another clamping system into generally face-to-face engagement with said stackable surface for accommodating close-together placement of two or more sheet materials to which the clamping systems are installed.

13. The clamping system of claim 9 , wherein the first support and/or the second support is generally S-shaped.

14. A clamping system suitable for installation to a sheet material for use in supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the clamping system comprising:

first and second elongate supports configured to be installed to an edge portion of the sheet material for supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the first and second elongate supports each having a length dimension that extends along the edge portion of the sheet material when the first and second elongate supports are installed thereto and a width dimension that extends transverse to the edge portion of the sheet material when the first and second elongate supports are installed thereto, the length dimension of each of the first and second elongate supports being greater than the width dimension of each of the first and second elongate supports;

at least two or more fasteners located along the length dimensions of the first and second elongate support members for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the edge portion of the sheet material along a length of the sheet material for supporting said at least part of the sheet material against bending;

wherein the first and second elongate supports each include an engagement member configured to engage the edge portion of the sheet material, and a back member connected to the engagement member, each back member being oriented generally perpendicularly to each corresponding engagement member;

wherein the engagement member of the first elongate support, the back member of the first elongate support, and the engagement member of the second elongate support define a channel extending along a length of the first and second elongate supports for receiving the edge portion of the sheet material into the channel when supporting the sheet material, the two or more fasteners disposed entirely outside of the channel; and

wherein the back member of the first elongate support includes a first side surface generally facing the channel and a second side surface generally facing away from the channel, and wherein the fastener is disposed adjacent the second side surface of the back member and entirely outside of the channel defined by the first and second elongate supports.

15. The clamping system of claim 14 , wherein the first elongate support and/or the second elongate support is generally S-shaped.

16. A clamping system suitable for installation to a sheet material for use in supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the clamping system comprising:

first and second spaced apart and separate elongate supports engageable with the sheet material for supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the first elongate support configured to move relative to the second elongate support to thereby adjust a spacing between the first and second elongate supports for use in positioning the first and second elongate supports along a length of the sheet material;

fasteners located along the first and second elongate supports for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material along the length of the sheet material;

wherein the first elongate support is generally S-shaped;

wherein the second elongate support includes openings located along a length of the second elongate support for receiving the fasteners, the fasteners extending through said openings when releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material; and

wherein the fasteners are configured to engage the first elongate support and apply a pushing force to the first elongate support to thereby move the first elongate support toward the second elongate support.

17. A clamping system suitable for installation to a sheet material for use in supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the clamping system comprising:

first and second spaced apart and separate elongate supports engageable with the sheet material for supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the first elongate support configured to move relative to the second elongate support to thereby adjust a spacing between the first and second elongate supports for use in positioning the first and second elongate supports along a length of the sheet material;

fasteners located along the first and second elongate supports for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material along the length of the sheet material;

wherein the second elongate support includes openings located along a length of the second elongate support for receiving the fasteners, the fasteners extending through said openings when releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material;

wherein the first and second elongate supports define a channel for receiving an edge portion of the sheet material into the channel when supporting the sheet material;

wherein the first and second elongate supports each include an engagement member for engaging the sheet material, a back member connected to the engagement member and oriented generally perpendicularly to the engagement member, and a fastener member oriented generally perpendicularly to the back member and operable with the fasteners for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material; and

wherein the engagement member, the back member, and the fastener member of the first elongate support define a generally S-shape of the first elongate support.

18. A clamping system suitable for installation to a sheet material for use in supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the clamping system comprising:

first and second spaced apart and separate elongate supports engageable with the sheet material for supporting at least part of the sheet material against bending, the first elongate support configured to move relative to the second elongate support to thereby adjust a spacing between the first and second elongate supports for use in positioning the first and second elongate supports along a length of the sheet material;

at least three fasteners located along the first and second elongate supports for releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material along the length of the sheet material;

wherein the first elongate support is generally S-shaped; and

wherein the second elongate support includes openings located along a length of the second elongate support for receiving the fasteners, the fasteners extending through said openings when releasably coupling the first and second elongate supports to the sheet material.