Abstract:
An eave closure for tile roofing has a nailing flange with a surface extending along a full length of the closure, and a riser portion contiguous with the nailing flange at substantially a right angle to the surface of the nailing flange, the riser portion shaped on an upper edge to conform to the shape of the underside of adjacent installed tiles. The riser portion has molded reinforcing grooves adding vertical strength to the eave closure to provide adequate strength to combat permanent deformation in use. In some cases weep passages are also provided, and the weep passages may have at least one change in direction to foil wind-driven rain. In some embodiments a second enclosure is provided to be installed with the first, to hide the reinforcing grooves. In another embodiment an injection-molded closure is provided with angled reinforcements.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the field of roofing construction and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for closing the ends of an installed row of roofing tiles along the eave area. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the field of roofing construction, one of the most popular and sought-after coverings is tile. A tile roof is a roofing system comprising a plurality of individual tiles made of fired clay, or more recently a composite material, constructed, shaped, and arranged on a roof to lie side by side in overlapping fashion so as to completely cover a roof. A Spanish or Mission-style tiled roof is arguably the most recognized and admired by consumers. 
     One of the most evasive problems facing a tiled roof, because of the means of overlapping tiles, is wind-driven rain. Wind-driven rain may travel nearly horizontally, and in more severe instances, diagonally upward and against a tiled roof causing moisture to be forced up underneath tiles, and water may thus enter a structure through gaps and openings presented by the roofing tiles, causing water damage. There has been much experimental work done to develop methods and materials in an effort to reduce the threat of wind-driven rain. 
     An area on a tiled roof that is sometimes vulnerable to such damage is the end-row of tiles installed along the eaves at the edge of a roof. This is the area on a roof where a first row of tiles is installed. Typically, interlocking tiles are nailed to a cross-member, termed a bat in the art, that runs horizontally back from the edge of the roof. Because the tiles are nailed to the bat instead of directly to the underlayment (typically plywood), the undersurface of the row of tiles at the edge is suspended approximately one-half of an inch or so above the surface of the underlayment. This fact presents an opening and other problems, and the curvature of the tiles presents further openings to the outside environment. 
     There are obvious problems with this type of installation that require extra means for correction. For example, the shape or profile of the tiles along with the above-surface position of the entire tile row provides for an open space underneath the tiles. More obviously, the hollow area under each tile is large enough for birds, insects, and other small animals to enter and perhaps nest in. The space under the interlocking portion between two adjacent tiles is large enough for insects to invade. Moreover, if these areas are left open, wind-driven rain may enter. 
     One of the more common prior art systems designed to combat the above problems uses an L-shaped closure made of sheet metal. Such a closure is manufactured in approximately 10-foot lengths. One leg of the L-shape is a nailing flange for nailing into the underlayment. The shape of the risers is intended to conform with the serpentine profile of the row of tiles leaving approximately one-half inch of riser to cover the gap at the interlocking portion in-between adjacent tiles. This design prevents nesting animals and most insects from entering through the covered areas, as long as the closure remains undamaged. Sealant materials may be applied to the edges of the riser and underside of the tiles in a further attempt to close gap areas in order to further reduce the chance of water invasion and insect invasion. 
     One problem with the prior art method and closure described above is that the sheet metal is malleable and not reinforced. If someone walks on the edge of a tiled roof, putting weight on the tiles, such as to make a repair, or to replace a broken tile, the sheet metal will crumple under the force of the weight, because the unsupported tiles give under the weight. After the weight is removed from the area, the tiles will spring back into position but the sheet-metal riser will not. This results in gaps between the crumpled area of the metal and the underside of the tile allowing insects and rain to again enter. 
     Other problems also exist. For example, after applying a sheet-metal closure, there will be small gaps remaining wherever the riser portion of the closure does not fully conform with the serpentine profile of the tile row. This problem is partially due to the linear dimensional error which rises additively from tile to tile over a long horizontal distance such as the edge of a roof. Often pieces of the riser must be cut and trimmed to get a good linear match of profiles. Furthermore, if the small remaining gaps are sealed, the roof cannot breathe properly which may cause moisture to form underneath contributing to wood rot. 
     What is clearly needed is a method and apparatus for closing the open areas along an eave row of tiles, such that the closure is resilient so it springs back if deformed. Such a closure apparatus would protect the roof underlayment from animals, insects, and rain by providing an optionally sealed closure having suitable venting means to allow the roof to breathe and moisture to weep out. Such a method and apparatus could be manufactured inexpensively in lengths that are more amenable to installation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an eave closure for tile roofing is provided, comprising a nailing flange having a surface extending along a full length of the closure; and a riser portion contiguous with the nailing flange at substantially a right angle to the surface of the nailing flange, the riser portion shaped on an upper edge to conform to the shape of the underside of adjacent installed tiles. The riser portion has molded reinforcing grooves adding vertical strength to the eave closure. 
     In some embodiments eave closure is further characterized in that the nailing flange has weep passages formed along a width of the flange, such that air may circulate between inside and outside an installed closure. These weep passages may each follow a center line, and there may be at least one change in direction of the center line across the width of the nailing flange. The material is preferably a weather-resistance polymer material. Still further, in some preferred embodiments the length of a single closure is equal or less than four feet, providing for compensating for errors in center-to-center distances between adjacent installed tiles. 
     In another aspect of the invention methods for practicing the invention using the apparatus taught are also provided. 
     In yet another embodiment an eave closure for tile roofing is provided, comprising a first flange having a surface extending along a length of the closure; a first riser portion contiguous with the nailing flange at an angle to the surface of the nailing flange, the riser portion shaped on an upper edge to conform to the shape of the underside of adjacent installed tiles, the first riser portion having molded reinforcing grooves adding vertical strength to the eave closure; a second riser portion congruent with and adjacent to the first riser portion, the second riser portion having a smooth surface devoid of reinforcing grooves; and a second flange extending from the second riser portion in a direction opposite the direction of the first flange. 
     In still another embodiment an eave closure for tile roofing is provided, comprising a flange having a surface extending along a length of the closure; a riser portion contiguous with the nailing flange at an angle to the surface of the nailing flange, the riser portion shaped on an upper edge to conform to the shape of the underside of adjacent installed tiles; and angled reinforcements joining the flange and riser portions. 
     In the embodiments taught, for the first time an eave closure is provided in the art that will support the weight of workmen on the roof, and solve the problem of bent and damaged closures, while still allowing adequate ventilation and weep. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a broken elevation-view of an eave roof section with tiles installed as is known in the art. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective and broken view of a section of a sheet-metal eave closure according to prior art. 
     FIG. 3A is a perspective and broken view of a section of molded eave-closure reinforced according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3B is a cross section of the closure of FIG. 3A taken along section line  3 B— 3 B of FIG.  3 A. 
     FIG. 4 is an overhead view of one portion of the eave closure of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective and broken view of a section of a closure cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the closure cover of FIG. 5 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of an eave closure reinforced according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a broken overhead view of one portion of the eave closure of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a broken side view of a section of roof edge. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As described in the background section, the overhang portion of a tiled roof (eave) is subject to invasion by wind driven rain, birds, small mammals, and insects if left unclosed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an eave closure that keeps the aforementioned elements from entering the eave section of a tiled roof where they may do damage. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an eave closure that is flexible and strong such that it will re-assume it&#39;s original form if deformed, and that will be strong enough to resist deformation in the first place. The method and apparatus of the present invention is described in enabling detail in the various embodiments below. 
     FIG. 1 is a broken elevation-view of a roof section  9  with edge tiles  17  installed as is known in the art. Roof section  9  is shown without an eave closure in this embodiment in order to better illustrate the elements that would be blocked from view by such a closure. 
     Roof section  9  comprises an eave board  21 , a sheet of plywood underlayment  13 , a bat board  11 , and tiles  17 . Eave board  21  supports the overhang of roof-section  9  including the weight of tiles  17 . Some common components to the construction of an eave overhang such as overhang support beams and perhaps a rain gutter are not shown in this embodiment for the purpose of simplifying description, however, they may be assumed to be present. 
     Plywood  13 , usually provided in the form of panels, is laid horizontally in sheets along the general slope of a roof such that it overhangs eave board  21  by a predetermined amount depending on, among other things, the slope of the roof. Plywood  13  is nailed to wooden support beams (not shown) that are joisted together to form the rigid support for accepting a tile roof. 
     Bats  11  (wooden strips) are strategically located in horizontal rows and nailed to plywood  13 . Bats  11  are designed to support a row of tiles  17 . In this example, only the end bat (closest to the overhang) is visible. Tiles  17  are illustrated as nailed to bat  11  with roofing nails  18 . In this way, tiles  17  are rigidly held in place as is known in the art. Tiles  17 , when properly installed, interlock with each other to form a contiguous row of adjacent tiles exhibiting the familiar serpentine profile of arcuate sections bordered by valley sections as illustrated by element numbers  16  (arcuate sections) and element number  15  (valleys). 
     Tiles  17  are nailed to bat  11  as described above. As a result of this, tiles  17  do not sit flush against plywood  13 , rather, there is a void  20  left underneath tiles  17 . Void  20  is formed by the gap existing beneath tiles  17  as a result of their nailed positions to bat  11 . A part of void  20  illustrated as element number  19  represents the natural hollow formed by the shape of tiles  17 . Hollow areas  19  would exist even if the tiles were seated flush against plywood  13 . The open area described as void  20  including hollows  19  extends the entire horizontal length of a row of tiles  17  and backward (up the pitch) to the first bat  11 . If left uncovered, as in this example, void  20  is certainly large enough for small animals to enter and nest. Insects and other elements such as rain may enter as well. 
     In typical prior art, the area described by void  20  including hollows  19  is sometimes closed with a sheet-metal eave closure of the form of an elongated L-shaped strip that is designed to cover the minor gap  20  and the larger hollows  19  by virtue of it&#39;s cut shape. Such a prior art eave closure is detailed below. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective and broken view of a section of a sheet-metal eave closure  23  according to prior art. Eave closure  23  is an elongated sheet-metal strip used to fill or cover void areas such as void  20  including hollows  19  of FIG.  1 . Eave closure  23  is formed as an L-shaped strip having a riser portion  26  and a nailing flange  25 . Riser portion  26  is cut to a shape that conforms to the serpentine profile of a row of installed tiles such as tiles  17  (FIG.  1 ). For example, riser  26  has arcuate sections  27  separated by valley sections  29 . The profile presented by eave closure  23  preferably matches the profile created by a row of installed tiles such as tiles  17 . 
     Eave closure  23  is adapted to be nailed to plywood such as plywood  13  of FIG. 1 by driving the nails through nailing flange  25 . When in position, riser  26  fits just underneath tiles  17  blocking void  20  including hollows  19  from foreign invasion from animals and the like. 
     One problem with eave closure  23  is that it is available from the manufacturer in limited dimensional lengths such as in 10-foot strips. Often tiles will vary somewhat in width depending on the tolerance applied during manufacture. Therefore, when a row of tiles is installed and in-place such as tiles  17  (FIG.  1 ), the serpentine profile of void  20  will also vary dimensionally, center-to-center, along the entire length of the row. This produces the probability that the profile of riser portion  26  of closure  23  will not exactly match the tile profile in every case. Often the closure strips ( 23 ) must be cut and risers  26  must be trimmed to obtain a satisfactory profile match over the length of a roof section such as section  9 . 
     Another problem is that eave closure  23  is made of sheet metal that is malleable and not reinforced. The properties of tin or sheet metal are that once deformed or crumpled, it cannot regain its original shape without substantial manual reshaping. For example, if a force of weight is applied to the surface of a row of tiles, such as by a worker walking on them or the like, then an installed eave closure such as closure  23  will buckle and become deformed under the weight and natural give of the tiles. When the weight is removed, the tiles will spring back into position while the eave closure will not. As a result, the areas deformed by buckling may leave small openings where insects and in some case small animals may again enter the roof. A fact that the larger hollow portion ( 19 ) of void  20  may now be partially blocked may be more appealing to nest builders such as small birds, bees, or wasps. 
     Still another consideration is that an eave closure such as closure  23 , undamaged, has no means for allowing the roof area to breath. If a closure such as closure  23  is installed without deforming wherein the area described by void  20  including hollows  19  of FIG. 1 is substantially covered, then moisture may condense on the inside (void area) causing water damage leading to eventual wood rot. This moisture cannot weep. 
     To solve these problems, the inventor provides a molded eave closure that is resilient and strong such that it will support heavy loads, and, if somewhat deformed, will regain it&#39;s shape naturally. Detailed disclosure of such an eave closure is provided below. 
     FIG. 3A is a perspective and broken view of a section of molded eave-closure  31  re-enforced according to an embodiment of the present invention. Eave closure  31  is provided as an elongated L-shaped strip adapted to cover or fill the aforementioned void area defined above. Closure  31  is manufactured from a durable, weather-resistant polymer material, such as polypropylene, that has sufficient properties of resilience and strength, and is resistant to heat damage. 
     Closure  31  has a flange portion  39  adapted as a nailing surface for securing to plywood such as plywood  13  of FIG.  1 . Closure  31  also has a riser portion  36  that conforms to the serpentine profile of a row of tiles such as tiles  17  (FIG.  1 ). For example, arcuate sections  33  are separated on each side by valley sections  35  creating the required profile. 
     The surface of riser portion  36  of closure  31  is reinforced with a plurality of vertically extending grooves  41  formed therein during molding. Grooves  41  are, in this example, contained within the surface of riser  36 , however they may run out to the edges of the surface in other embodiments. Grooves  41  may be located on either side of the surface of riser  36  or they may be located in combination on both sides. In this example, they are formed in the surface of riser  36  that faces away from nailing flange  39 . Grooves  41  are not confined to a vertical arrangement. Instead, they may be provided as lateral or angled reinforcement features. There are many possibilities. 
     The main function of grooves  41  is to reinforce riser  36  such that it resists crumpling or deformation due to added weight from the roof surface. The combination of material type (resilient polymer) and reinforcement grooves  41  provides maximum strength and resiliency to closure  31  allowing it to firstly resist being deformed or crumpled at all. However, if the weight applied to the roof over closure  31  is heavy enough to overcome the reinforcement provided by grooves  41 , then the resilient material will cause closure  31  to spring back to it&#39;s original position once the weight is removed. Grooves  41  of themselves provide an exponential increase in support strength for tiles  17  (FIG. 1) over prior art closures. 
     There may be more or fewer grooves  41  provided in riser  36  than are illustrated herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The inventor deems that four such grooves for each section  33  are sufficient for explanation of the present invention. 
     Closure  31  may be provided in a variety of lengths, however, in a preferred embodiment, lengths of approximately four feet are desired. The preferred length of approximately four feet allows profile matching to be achieved more accurately without requiring excessive trimming and the like. A shorter material length then described with respect to prior art also promotes easier material handling. 
     In addition to grooves  41 , the inventor provides a plurality of passages  37  formed on the undersurface of nailing flange  39  and adapted to allow a roof section to breathe. Passages  37  allow any internal moisture caught in a roof section such as section  9  to weep out, and for air to circulate, without providing an invasion passage for wind-driven rain. Passages  37  are not formed in a straight-line direction, but rather in a zigzag direction that is described further below. 
     FIG. 3B is a section view of closure  31  taken along section line  3 B— 3 B of FIG.  3 A. The element numbers are the same as in FIG. 3A for the various elements. The angle of flange  39  with risers  36  can vary considerably. In some embodiments this angle may be 90 degrees, which provides the best visual effect, and in others the angle may conform to the pitch of the roof line to provide for riser  36  to be vertical in installation, which provides the best support for a person walking on tiles along the eave line. In other embodiments the angle may be a compromise between these angles. 
     FIG. 4 is an overhead view of one arcuate section  33  of eave closure  31  of FIG. 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Arcuate section  33  exhibits an L shaped construction comprising nailing flange  39  and riser section  36 . Riser section  36  contains reinforcement grooves  41  as previously described. Flange  39  contains passages  37  that were introduced in FIG. 3 above. 
     Passages  37  are illustrated as being formed in a zigzag fashion across nailing flange  39 . The formation of passages  37  in a zigzag fashion achieves two basic purposes. One is that passages  37  allow any condensed moisture to weep out from the eave section while inhibiting wind-driven rain from making any substantial progress into the structure. Another reason is that insects venturing into passages  37  are not likely to continue past the first bend since the second leg of the zigzag pattern is not viewable from the riser portion  36 . 
     Passages  37  are directionally offset at an angle A. Angle A is, in this embodiment, approximately 30 degrees. In other embodiments, a different angle may be preferred. The offset is responsible for inhibiting small insects and wind driven rain from entering past the first bend. Each groove  37  has two directionally alternating bends; however, there may be more or fewer bends without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Passages  37 , like reinforcement grooves  41 , help too stabilize and strengthen closure  31  (FIG.  3 ). Although only one arcuate section of closure  31  is illustrated here, it may be assumed that closure  31  is manufactured in approximated four-foot sections or strips. In other embodiments, longer or shorter strips may be used. 
     The embodiments of the invention thus far described are sufficient for many applications. There are, however, a few applications wherein an additional feature is needed. The reinforcing grooves molded into a closure cover such as that of FIG. 3 as previously described, or reinforcement elements used in other embodiments of the present invention, may be visible to individuals when viewed from a position facing the edge of a roof where the closure is installed. The visual effect may be undesirable to some individuals. 
     To solve this problem the inventor provides a molded eave closure cover that, in an it embodiment of the present invention, avoids the visual effect by blocking the view of the grooves or other reinforcement elements used. In a preferred embodiment an eave closure cover is for use in conjunction with eave closure  31 . Detailed disclosure of such a closure cover is provided below. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective and broken view of a section of a closure cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. Closure cover  501  is provided as an elongated L-shaped strip adapted to provide a means of blocking the visual effect of a reinforced eave closure as previously described in FIG.  3 . In a preferred embodiment cover  501  is manufactured from a durable, weather-resistant polymer material, such as polypropylene, similar to that of molded eave closure  31 . Cover  501  may be provided in many lengths, however, in a preferred embodiment lengths of approximately four feet are desired, as is true for eave closure  31 . 
     Cover  501  is provided with a flange  503  adapted as a surface for securing to roof underlayment such as plywood  13  of FIG.  1 . The method of securing cover  501  to roof underlayment may vary, but in this embodiment the securing is achieved by way of nailing flange  503  to the underlayment surface in a fashion similar to that of closure  31 . Cover  501  also has riser portions  504  that, as is true for eave closure  31 , conform to the serpentine profile of a row of tiles such as tiles  17  of FIG.  1 . In this embodiment cover  501  is installed against the front surface of previously installed eave closure  31 . Cover  501  eliminates any undesirable visual effects caused by reinforcement elements due to the conformity of shape and size between cover  501  and eave closure  31 . 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 5 an opening  502  is provided in riser portion  504  to coincide with each passage  37  of the closure  31 , allowing for unrestricted air circulation between inside and outside an installed closure  31  through passages  37  as described above. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of closure cover  501  of FIG.  5 . As is true for closure  31 , the thickness of material and length of cover  501  may vary. In a preferred embodiment the thickness will be sufficient to withstand excessive elements of wind, rain, erosion and wind-driven materials and the like. The angle of flange  503  with risers  504  may vary from embodiment to embodiment as described above for closure  31 . 
     In some embodiments the closures  31  and  501  may be molded together of a single piece of material, such that the two closures are joined, such as by a strip at the top of each riser. In other embodiments the molding may be done so one closure is produced as a clamshell design, wherein the two shapes  31  and  501  are joined all along the upper edge of the risers. In yet another embodiment the closures are molded separately and then joined by heat joining or by any of several other means of joining two polymer pieces, including joining by adhesives and separate joining clips and the like. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of an eave closure  701  in yet another embodiment of the present invention. Closure  701  provides an angled brace  702  providing added rigidity to the overall structure. The rear-facing position of brace  702  enables the ability to withstand added weight as is described above for reinforced closure  31 , but eliminates the need for also installing a cover such as cover  501  to hide any undesirable visual effect of reinforcement elements. The embodiment of FIG. 7 is not amenable to molding from a single sheet of material, as is typically done for other embodiments, but can be, for example, injection molded. 
     Another undesirable visual effect common in roof tile installations of the type described, is a portion of underlayment materials that protrudes from the bottom edge of the roof once the tiles are in place an fastened to the roof, and closures  31  are in place. Flange  503  of closure  501  and flange  703  of closure  701  solves this problem, providing added protection for that small protrusion of underlayment material that might not otherwise be covered. 
     FIG. 8 is an overhead view of closure  701  of FIG. 7, showing views of passages  704  and placement of braces  702 . The quantity, shape and placement of braces will vary in different embodiments, as will the height, length and thickness of material. The inside and outside dimensions as well as angle of the passages will also vary in various embodiments. 
     FIG. 9 is a broken side view of a roof section  901  depicting end-row tiles  902  installed along the eaves at the edge of a roof. As explained earlier, this is the area on a roof where a first row of tiles is installed. As shown in FIG. 9, edge tiles  902  are nailed to a bat  903 . As previously described this well-known manner of attachment results in a void area  905  between the suspended tile and the underlayment depicted by a plywood underlayment  906 . 
     The purpose of depicting the attachment method of FIG. 9 is to illustrate the possible effect of applying a heavy weight, which could be a worker walking along the edge of a roof while performing repairs. When such a weight is applied to the edge of a tile in a downward direction such as a weight  907  shown, breaking or cracking of the tile may result, in addition to other adverse effects previously described. Embodiments previously disclosed having attributes of reinforcement such as closure  31  of FIG.  3  and closure  501  of FIG. 5 provide a solution to the problem by having greater rigidity and resistance to warping. Simplified representations of closures  501  and  31  are shown in FIG. 9 as they might be installed. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan, given the disclosure herein, how closures  31  and  501  would appear if the angles of the risers and flanges were different, and how closure  701  would appear in FIG.  9 . 
     It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that the method and apparatus of the present invention may be practiced on any standard tile roof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will also be apparent to one with skill in the art that the eave closure and cover of the present invention may be modified in dimensional size and profile shape to fit any type of tile profile. It should further be apparent to one with skill in the art that grooves  41  and braces  702  may be provided in differing numbers, dimensional sizes, and so on. This is also true for passages  37  and  704 . 
     For these reasons the method and apparatus of the present invention should be afforded the broadest possible scope. The spirit and scope of the present invention should be limited only by the claims that follow.