Abstract:
An improved gutter-cover system has a clip which includes movable jaws and a locking lever for locking a given clip in place on a variety of gutter types.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/453,952 filed Mar. 13, 2003. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     This invention relates to improved clips for spacing a gutter cover from the outer edge of the gutter to maintain a desired small space between the gutter cover and the outer wall of the gutter.  
       PRIOR ART  
       [0003]     More specifically, this invention relates to an improvement of the type of clip illustrated in  FIG. 7  of U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,791. In that patent, a gutter cover has a curled edge that is spaced by a clip from the outer wall of the gutter so that surface tension causes water to follow the curl and cascade into the gutter.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY  
       [0004]     Clips of the type illustrated in  FIG. 7  of the &#39;791 patent tend to become twisted and/or dislodged so that the spacing between the gutter cover&#39;s curl and the outer wall of the gutter becomes disrupted and water does not flow into the gutter as desired.  
         [0005]     It is an object of this invention to provide an improved clip that does not tend to become dislodged thereby maintaining the desired spacing between the gutter cover&#39;s curl and the outer wall of the gutter.  
         [0006]     It is another object of this invention to provide a gutter-cover clip for gutters that do not have inwardly turned lips such as those illustrated in  FIG. 7  of the &#39;791 patent.  
         [0007]     It is another object of the invention to provide such a gutter-cover clip that does not require screws or the like to hold it in place.  
         [0008]     The clip of the invention spaces the outer wall of the gutter from the gutter cover&#39;s curl and includes, as a portion thereof, an improved means for affixing the clip to the gutter. In this respect, the affixing member is removably affixable so that the location and placement of the clip may be changed if desired. Moreover, the affixing member is adapted to accommodate gutter walls having a variety of shapes and thicknesses. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side schematic side view of a prior-art clip affixed to a typical gutter as typically mounted to facia under a house roof.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a clip for mounting on a vertical face of a gutter that does not have a more-conventional, inwardly turned lip to which a gutter-cover clip would otherwise attach.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the clip of  FIG. 2  taken along the lines  3 - 3  thereof.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the clip of  FIGS. 2 and 3  mounted on a gutter&#39;s vertical face.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a schematic, pictorial view of a clip which includes screwless locking levers of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a  FIG. 5 -type clip in an unlocked position.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  corresponds to  FIG. 6 , but illustrates a clip of the invention having a locking lever in a locked position.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a fragmentary portion of the  FIG. 7  clip, but includes an additional recess in one of the jaws of a locking lever.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is a side view of a  FIG. 5 -type clip illustrating certain significant parameters thereof.  
         [0018]      FIG. 10  is a schematic, pictorial view of an alternative embodiment of the  FIG. 5  clip.  
         [0019]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 10  illustrating a critical ratio of certain portions of the structure of  FIGS. 10 and 11 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 12  is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the clip of  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a typical fascia or cornice  10  under typical house roofing  12  covered by one or more courses of shingles  14  and  16 . A gutter cover  18  is one of the types shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,791 having a curled portion  20  at the outer end thereof.  
         [0022]     A typical gutter  22  has a vertical back wall  24  thereof which abuts the fascia  10 . A front wall  26  has a generally horizontal portion  28  at the upper end ending, if desired, in an inwardly turned lip  30 .  
         [0023]     A clip  34 A spaces the gutter cover  18  from the Lip  30  of the gutter  22  to maintain a relatively critical curl-to-gutter distance D1 in  FIG. 2  of between about ⅛ inch (3.2 mm) and {fraction (5/16)} inch (8 mm) but preferably about {fraction (5/32)} inch (4 mm). This spacing permits water resulting from even a downpour to follow the curl  20  of the gutter cover so that the water from the roof cascades into the gutter. The clip  34 A includes an apertured horizontal tab  44  for use with a self-taping screw  50  to affix the clip  34 A to the inwardly turned lip  30 . In this respect, it has been known in the art to use such a horizontal tab to affix gutter clips to horizontal gutter portions such as  28  in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0024]     The  FIG. 1  clip  34 A has an outwardly extending lower portion  37  located under the inwardly turned lip  30  to maintain the spacing between the curl  20  and the inwardly turned Lip  30  as determined by the curl-to-gutter distance D1.  
         [0025]     The clip  34 B ( FIG. 2 ) also has an upper jaw  38  and a lower jaw  40  on either side of a throat  42 , which is shaped to accommodate the curl  20  of the gutter cover  18 . In this embodiment an outwardly extending lower portion  37  of the  FIG. 1  embodiment is eliminated and a vertical stop portion  36  abuts the gutter [either the portion  30  in  FIG. 1  or a plain vertical wall  54  ( FIG. 4 )] at  39  to maintain the spacing D1 between the curl  20  and the gutter. In this respect, the stop-to-throat distance from point  39  on stop  36  to the throat  42  is essentially the same as the curl-to-gutter distance D1. A generally vertical tab  56  in  FIG. 2  has an aperture  58  therein to accommodate a fastener such as a self-tapping screw  60  in  FIG. 4  for affixing the clip  34 B to a gutter  52  made out of a material such as vinyl and having a simple vertical front wall  54 . In that embodiment, the vertical stop portion  36  and the vertical tab  56  abut the vertically oriented front wall  54  of the gutter  52  and the stop-to-throat distance is D1 as shown.  
         [0026]     The thickness (D in  FIG. 3 ) of the clips  34 A,  34 B,  34 C,  34 D and  34 E of the drawings is between about 0.09 inches (about 2.3 mm) and 0.250 inches (about 6.4 mm). The preferred thickness is about 0.10 inch (about {fraction (7/64)} inch—2.5 mm). The thickness D, however, is not as significant in the structures of  FIGS. 1-4  as in the screwless-clamp embodiments about to be described.  
         [0027]     The materials from which the  FIG. 1-4  embodiments are fabricated range from plastic to metals such as aluminum, steel, or the like.  
         [0028]     The clips  34 C and  34 D of the  FIG. 5-11  embodiments are suited for use with both the conventional gutter having an inwardly turned lip portion  30  as shown in  FIG. 1  and the vertical wall portion  54  of the typically vinyl gutter of the  FIG. 4  embodiment—or either one. These later clips are best made out of materials such as aluminum or steel that will bend to a set position.  
         [0029]     The clip  34 C ( FIG. 5 ) includes additional jaws  68  and  70  and a throat  72  for accommodating the inwardly turned lip portion  30  of a conventional gutter such as  22  in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Additionally, a bending slot  74  is cut into the upper portion of the clip  34 C to form a locking lever  76 , hinged at  77  between the jaw  68  and the bending slot  74 .  
         [0030]     Upon insertion of the clip  34 C between the lip  30  and the gutter cover  18  as shown in  FIG. 7 , the locking lever  76  is bent downwardly about hinge  77  by a screwdriver or the like as shown in  FIG. 7  to lock the clip  34 C to the gutter so that the jaws  68  and  76  engage the lip  30 . In this respect, it will be noted that the bending slot  74  widens as the locking lever  76  is moved downwardly.  
         [0031]     If desired, the locking lever  76  can include a supplemental locking slot or indentation  80  for accommodating the blade of a screwdriver which can be used to move the locking lever  76  upwardly or downwardly into the locked position shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0032]     If desired, the jaw walls  82  and  84  in  FIG. 6  can include serrations  85  as shown to assist in holding the walls  82  and  84  against the lip  30 . The serrations are slanted so that the serration teeth bite into the horizontal portion  28  and the lip  30  to restrict outward movement of the gutter out of the throat  72  of the clip.  
         [0033]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the jaw wall  82  of the locking lever  76  can include a recessed unlocking portion  88  for accommodating an instrument such as a screwdriver blade. In this manner, the instrument can be inserted into the recess  88  (or slat  80 ) and rotated in a clockwise direction to move the jaw walls  82  and  84  away from each other if it is desired to remove or relocate the clip  34 C.  
         [0034]     If desired, the clip  34 C can either alternatively or additionally include a vertical slot having a throat  91  and walls  90  and  94  ( FIG. 6 ) in the lower portion of the clip  34 C to engage the vertical wall  54  of the gutter type illustrated in  FIG. 4 . This forms a second or alternative locking lever  92  hinged at  93  and having a wall  94  of the slot  90  movable into engagement with the vertical wall  54  by counterclockwise rotation of the second locking lever  92  such as by insertion of an instrument such as a screwdriver into a second or alternative bending slot  96  and then rotating the instrument in a counterclockwise direction. If desired, the walls  90  and  94  can include serrations corresponding to serrations  85  on the walls  82  and  84 .  
         [0035]     Although quite asymmetrical, the clip  34 C is preferably constructed about a vertical axis  100  in  FIGS. 6 and 9 . That is, the left-most or deepest portion of the throat  42  in  FIGS. 6 and 9  is in vertical alignment with the right-most walls  90  of the slot  91 .  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIG. 9  the shortest distance D2 between point  106  on the wall  84  and the deepest penetration  104  of the slot  91  is the thickness of the hinge  93  for the locking lever  92 .  
         [0037]     D2 is preferably between about {fraction (1/16)} inch and {fraction (5/32)} inch and most preferably about {fraction (3/32)} inch. Similarly, the shortest distance D3 between the lower-most deepest corner  108  of the slot  74  and the wall  82  is the thickness of hinge  77  for the locking lever  76 . The hinge thickness D3 is preferably between about {fraction (1/16)} inch and {fraction (7/64)} inch but most preferably about {fraction (3/32)} inch. As the thickness D of the clip (as shown in  FIG. 3 , for example) increases, the thickness of the hinges D2 and D3 should decrease proportionately. The ratios of D2 to D and D3 to D, however, are preferably between about 0.25 and 1.2; and most preferably about 0.94.  
         [0038]     The shortest curl-to-gutter (stop-to-throat) distance D4 between the portion of the throat  42  adjacent the curled portion  20  of the gutter cover  18  and stop-corner  110  of slot  90  in  FIG. 9  should be between about ⅛ inch and {fraction (7/16)} inch, but most preferably about {fraction (5/16)} inch.  
         [0039]      FIGS. 10-12  illustrate a further embodiment of the invention which also includes locking levers  76  and  92  (and corresponding hinges  77 B and  93 B), but it is dimensioned differently to achieve a preferred locking action of the locking levers  76  and  92  against, respectively, the horizontal portion  28  and a lip  30  of a conventional gutter of  FIG. 1  or a vertically walled gutter  54  of  FIG. 4 . In that embodiment, the preferred thickness of the hinge  77 B (distance D5), corresponds to D3 in  FIG. 9 , but it is only about {fraction (3/32)} inch (0.09 inch or about 2.4 mm) and can be as little as about {fraction (1/16)} inch (0.06 inch or about 1.6 mm). The slot-to-throat distance D6 is the shortest distance between the throat  42  and the wall  114  of the slot  74  and is preferably about {fraction (15/128)} inch (0.11 inch—about 2.8 mm).  
         [0040]     The slot-to-throat distance D6 and hinge thickness D5 can vary from those that are preferred, but the ratio of D6 to D5 should be no less than about 1.1 and no more than about 2.0, but preferably about 1.5.  
         [0041]     The hinge thickness  93 B (distance D7 in  FIG. 11 ) is preferably about {fraction (11/128)} inch (about 0.087 inch or about 2.2 mm). The curl-to-gutter (stop-to-throat) distance D8 is preferably about {fraction (19/128)} inch (about 0.144 inch or 3.7 mm). Again, however, it is important that the ratio of D8/D7 be no less than about 1.1 and preferably about 1.5, but a D8/D7 ratio of about 2.0 is also acceptable.  
         [0042]     If desired, the upper corner of the locking lever  76  can be rounded as shown, for example, in  FIG. 11 .  
         [0043]     The  FIG. 12  embodiment is, in all respects, the same as  FIG. 11 , but it only includes the upper locking lever  74  for use with conventional gutters having horizontal portions  28  such as shown in  FIG. 1 ; and the ratios of the slot-to-curl distance (D6) to the hinge thickness (D5) remain the same. That is between about 1.1 and 2.0, but preferably about 1.5.  
         [0044]     While the invention has been specifically shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0045]     The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege are claimed are defined as follows:  
         [0046]     Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The preceding preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.  
         [0047]     In the foregoing and in the examples, all temperatures are set forth uncorrected in degrees Celsius and, all parts and percentages are by weight, unless otherwise indicated.  
         [0048]     The entire disclosure of all applications, patents and publications, cited herein and of corresponding U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/453,952, filed Mar. 13, 2003, are incorporated by reference herein.  
         [0049]     The preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and/or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples.  
         [0050]     From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.