SUSPENSION OF A GUTTER

Abstract: The roof gutter (13) of a building having a slooping roof is suspended by brackets (14; 18) in such a way that a rapid adaptation of the position of the gutter to the thickness of the roof boarding (1, 2, 3) and to the pitch of the roof is permitted, and that leackage water arriving under the tiles, can flow directly into the gutter. Therefore the position and/or length of the brackets (14; 18) is adjustable, and the gutter (13) has such a position under the protuding roof edge that water leakages arriving under the tiles can flow into the gutter.

Description: The invention relates to a building having a slooping roof with tiles and a gutter being suspended by brackets which are fastened to the top surface of the roof under the tiles. Such a building is known from FR-A-1 234 077. In case of a roof having a boarding it is usual to fasten the brackets for the suspension of the gutter under the roof boarding to a deepened wall plate disposed on an outside wall. One shortcoming of this arrangement is that in order to replace the complete gutter it is necessary to damage and possibly replace the roof boarding. In addition, because of the high cost of energy there is a tendency to make the indulation layer in the roof boarding increasingly thicker, so that the gutter must be made increasingly wider in order that it will always be able to receive water flowing off the roof. Such wide gutters are expensive, while the suspension brackets must be made relatively heavy. It is not unknown for the gutter to be fastened to a batten mounted on the laths. A fastening of this kind makes it impossible for a person to stand in the gutter, while in addition water leakages arriving under the tiles cannot flow directly into the gutter. The roof of the building according to said French publication has a gutter suspended by brackets fastened on the roof spars, however, water leakages arriving under the tiles cannot flow into the gutter as the gutter has a position entirely in front of the spars. Further for each roof pitch brackets of different length and/or shape must be used to be able to get the gutter bottom substantially horizontal. The invention seeks to obviate the shortcomings of known roof gutter suspension constructions and to provide a building of which the gutter is easily replaceable while water leakages always flow into the gutter. For this purpose the position and/or length of the brackets is adjustable, and the gutter has such a position under the protruding roof edge that water leakages arriving under the tiles can flow into the gutter. By adjusting the length position of the brackets the gutter bottom can be set in a substantially horizontal position also if pitches of roofs are different. The invention is particularly relevant for a building whose roof comprises a boarding with battens and tile laths and the outwardly projecting end edge of the boarding being protected by a protective plate. The adjustable brackets permit rapid adaptation of the position of the gutter not only to the pitch of the roof but also to the thickness of the roof boarding. It will be preferable for the connection between the brackets and the bottom tile batten to be adjustable. For this purpose each of the brackets can be passed through the bottom tile batten, while an adjusting block supported against the bottom tile batten is screwed onto the threaded end portion of the bracket which passes through the tile batten. An other possible arrangement is for each of the brackets to pass through the bottom tile batten and for the end portion of the bracket which passes through the tile batten to be provided with toothing adapted to co-operate interlockingly with the edges of the through holes in the bottom tile batten. In both cases it is very advantageous for the curved top edge of the inner wall of the gutter to rest hingedly on the curved bottom edge of the protective plate. The brackets may further consist of two portions which are adjustably connected so that the length of the brackets may be varied. The provision of a gutter which can easily be replaced and which can be installed in existing structures, and which can also receive water leakages penetrating under the tiles, is also attained if the suspension means consist of brackets supporting the gutter on the lower side, while in the upstanding portion of the brackets, which extends towards the fastening on the roof boarding, a pivot point is provided, and in the case of a cast construction the gutter can be fitted and the brickwork erected later on. It is not impossible for an ordinary wooden batten to be used as the bottom tile batten. Since this batten may serve other purposes apart from acting as a tile batten, for example for fastening the suspension brackets for the gutter, it is preferable for this bottom tile batten to be in the form of a sectional beam of metal or plastics material. It is known to prevent the entry of birds into the space between the tiles and the roof boarding with the aid of a flexible comb, generally called a "screen". A comb of this kind may be integral with, or clipped by a snap-on section, to a sectional member disposed over the beam serving as bottom tile batten, a ridge being provided on this sectional member to support the bottom tile without the latter coming into contact with the point where the comb merges into the sectional member. The ridge prevents the tiles from acting on the point where the teeth of the comb are fastened, so that fatigue fracture is avoided. The invention will now be explained more fully with reference to the drawings, in which three embodiments are illustrated more or less schematically. Figure 1 is a cross-section of a part of a roof boarding resting on a wall plate, together with a gutter fastened in accordance with a first method of fastening. Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the roof boarding without the tiles, in which the gutter is attached by a second method of fastening. Figure 3 is a cross-section through a part of a roof boarding resting on a wall plate, together with a gutter attached by a third method of fastening. The roofs of the buildings shown in the drawings are provided with roof boarding consisting of a roof board 1, an insulating layer 2, and a number of spaced laths 3 on which wooden tile battens 4 are fastened. At its bottom edge this roof boarding rests on a wall plate 5, which is disposed on an outside wall 6, usually a cavity wall. As is usual, the tile battens 4 serve to hold up the roof tiles 7, of which a projecting part 7a is always supported on a tile batten 4. The bottom tile batten is in the form of a sectional member 8 which is of metal or plastics material and has the shape of the Greek letter delta with a widened top. A protective plate 9 for the end edge of the roof board is fastened to this sectional member 8. In the case of figure 1, a bracket 10 fastened to the roof boarding is used for securing the beam 8. Figures 1 and 3 show that the bottom edge of the protective plate 9 is curved cylindrically at 11, and that on this curved portion a cylindrically curved part 12 of the top edge of the inner wall of the gutter 13 rests. Immediately before the curved portion 11 the protective plate 9 is provided with openings 9' for the passage of leakage water to the gutter. In the embodiment shown in figures 2 and 3 the gutter 13 is fastened to the sectional member 8 by a bend. In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2 use is made of overhang brackets 14 for the suspension of the gutter, the top edge of the outer wall of the gutter being fastened to these brackets. The brackets 14 extend through openings in the sectional beam 8. In the embodiment shown in figure 1 the end of the bracket passing through the beam 8 is provided with a screwthread, and an adjusting block 15 resting against a member 16 joined to the sectional member 8 is screwed onto that end. It will be clear that by screwing the adjusting blocks 15 further or less far onto the brackets 14 it will be possible to vary the position of the gutter 13 and to bring the bottom of the gutter into a horizontal position. The embodiment shown in figure 2 differs from that shown in figure 1 in that the brackets are provided with toothing 17 which for the purpose of fastening the brackets can co-operate with an approximately T-shaped opening in the sectional beam 8. In the embodiment shown in figure 3 the overhang brackets are replaced by brackets 18 which support the gutter 13 at its lower side and which are hinged at 19 to a fastening part 18a of the brackets. This part is fastened on the laths 3. Spacers 20 ensure in the embodiments shown in figures 1 and 3 that a certain clearance is maintained between the gutter and the wall 6, while openings 21 in the protective plate 9 ensure that leakage water will be discharged into the gutter 13. The embodiments illustrated have in common the feature that the suspension means for the gutter consist of brackets which are fastened to the surface of the roof boarding in such a manner that leakage water penetrating under the tiles can flow into the gutter. The gutter is easy to replace and can without difficulty be installed after the roof boarding has been placed in position. The roof boarding is well protected at its end edge. Since the suspension brackets are not fastened on the wall plate 5, thicker roof boarding does not necessarily means that the gutter must be made wider in order always to be able to receive the water flowing off. Moreover, the gutter can be fastened so securely that it is possible to stand and walk in it safely. In the embodiments shown it can be seen that a sectional member 22, to which a flexible comb 23 is fastened, is clipped over the beam 8. A ridge 24, on which the bottom tiles rest, is provided on the sectional member 22. The comb 23 serves as a bird screen and prevents birds from penetrating between the roof boarding and the tiles. If the ridge 24 were not provided, the frequently slipping tiles would too often impose a load on the bending points of the teeth, so that the teeth would soon suffer fatigue fracture. Various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. In particular the brackets could have been made of two portions which are adjustably connected to each other so that the length of the brackets could be varied. In that case the brackets could have a fixed connecting point with the beam or other place on top of the roof and the adjusting blocks 15 or toothing 17 could be cancelled. For instance one of the bracket portions has an oblong slot and the other has a hole, a connecting screw or bolt being inserted through the slot and the hole.

Claims: 1. Building having a sloping roof with tiles and a gutter being suspended by brackets which are fastened to the top surface of the roof under the tiles, characterized in that the position and/or length of the brackets (14; 18) is adjustable, and that the gutter (13) has such a position under the protuding roof edge that water leakages arriving under the tiles can flow into the gutter. 2. Building according to claim 1, wherein the roof comprises a boarding with battens and tile laths and the outwardly projecting end edge of the boarding is protected by a protective plate, characterized in that the curved top edge (12) of the inner wall of the cutter (13) rests hingedly on the curved bottom edge (11) of the protective plate (9). 3. Building according according to claim 2, characterized in that the openings (9', 21) for the discharge of leakage water to the gutter are provided in the protective plate not far from the curved bottom edge. 4. Building according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the brackets consist of two portions which are adjustably connected to each other so that the length of the brackets may be varied. 5. Building according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the connection between the brackets (14) and the lower tile lath (8) is adjustable. 6. Building according to claim 5, characterized in that each of the brackets extends through the bottom tile batten and that an adjustable block (15) supported against the bottom tile batten (8) is screwed onto the threaded end portion which passes through the tile batten. 7. Building according to claim 5, characterized in that each of the brackets passes through the bottom tile batten (8) and that the end portion of the bracket which passes through the tile batten is provided with toothing (17) adapted to co-operate interlockingly with the edges of the through holes in the bottom tile batten. 8. Building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the brackets (18) support the gutter on its lower side while a hinge point (19) is provided in the upstanding portion of the brackets which extends towards the fastening part on the roof boarding. 9. Building according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in, that the bottom tile batten (8) is in the form of a sectional beam of metal or plastics material. 10. Building according to claim 9, characterized in, that a sectional member (22) is disposed over the beam (8) serving as bottom tile batten and is provided with a flexible comb (23) serving as bird screen to prevent the penetration of birds into the spaces between the roof tiles and the roof boarding, and that on said sectional member (22) a ridge (24) is provided on which a bottom tile can rest without coming into contact with the point where the comb (23) merges into the sectional member (22).

Inventors: BRUEREN, HERMAN FRANCISCUS PETRUS
Applicants: REDLAND BREDERO BV
Application year: 1986
Main classification: E04D13
IPC codes: E04D13