DEVICE FOR CLEARING DEBRIS FROM GUTTERS

Abstract: A device for clearing accumulated debris from eave-level rainwater gutters on buildings, comprising a travelling member (3) adapted to be positioned on or in the gutter with sufficient clearance below the overhanging edge of the roof cover for placement, operation and subsequent removal of said member, a substantially rigid longitudinal handle (7) for moving said member to and fro longitudinally of the gutter, for manipulation by a person working below the gutter, for example at ground level or on a balcony intermediate the ground level and the gutter being cleared. Optionally the handle is extensible and contractible, for example telescopically, to allow for clearing gutters at different heights. The device also includes means associated with the travelling member for dislodging any debris and forwarding it to the downpipe for disposal. The dislodging means comprises a water conduit (2) terminating in a directional nozzle (4) mounted on the travelling member, and means for supplying water to said conduit at high pressure to produce a jet effective to dislodge the debris; optionally the dislodging means is complemented by a sweeping block mounted on the travelling member to occupy a cross-sectional region of the gutter upstream of the jet for sweeping the dislodged debris in one direction of travel of the travelling member; optional a powered pump (5) is used to produce water at high pressure and optionally a closed circuit television unit is used to monitor progress in clearance.

Description: DEVICE FOR CLEARING DEBRIS FROM GUTTERS This invention relates to a device for clearing accumulated debris from eave-level rainwater gutters on buildings. Such debris commonly comprises windblown dust, sand, soil particles and vegetable matter, the last being chiefly leaves, all of which land on the roof and gravitate or are washed by rain into the gutter, where they settle and, in time, become compacted. Light rainfall is generally ineffective to sweep such debris as far as the downpipe, and heavy showers are often equally ineffective after compaction has become established. Gutter clearing is thus conventionally a job for a manual worker using a clearing tool and a ladder somewhat precariously placed, since it leans against the gutter which may have become partly loosened from its supporting brackets, or may be made from flexible PVC and thus inclined to shift, rotate or bend inwardly under the variable forces arising from the person's movements on the ladder. It is an object of the invention to provide a gutter-clearing device the operation of which is free from the above-recited disadvantages, which is effective and easy to operate, and which can be manufactured at a modest cost. The invention accordingly provides a device for clearing accumulated debris from eave- level rainwater gutters on buildings, which device comprises: a travelling member adapted to be positioned on or in the gutter with sufficient clearance below the overhanging edge of the roof cover for placement, operation and subsequent removal of said member, means for moving said member to and fro longitudinally of the gutter, and means associated with the travelling member for dislodging the debris and forwarding it to the downpipe for disposal. The means for moving the travelling member to and fro comprises a substantially rigid longitudinal handle, for manipulation by a person working below the gutter, for example at ground level or on a balcony intermediate the ground level and the gutter being cleared. The handle may be extensible and contractable, for example telescopically, to allow for clearing gutters at different heights. In a first embodiment of the invention the dislodging means comprises a water conduit terminating in a directed nozzle mounted on the travelling member, and means for supplying water to said conduit at high pressure to produce a jet effective to dislodge the debris. Said dislodging means may be complemented by a sweeping block mounted on the travelling member to occupy a cross-sectional region of the gutter upstream of the jet for sweeping the dislodged debris in one direction of travel of the travelling member. A powered pump may be used to produce water at high pressure. A closed circuit television unit may be used to monitor progress in clearance. In a second embodiment the dislodging means comprises a brush, preferably a wire brush, which may be rotary and powered, as by a rotary power transmission cable from a motor disposed at ground level or at the human operator's level. The brush is mounted on the travelling member to sweep the inner surface of the gutter by its rotation, and to share in the to-and-fro motion of the travelling member while doing so. In a variant of the second embodiment, the motor may be a lightweight model mounted directly on the travelling member for driving the brush with minimal transmission, and requiring only an electrical supply cable from the mains for its operation. In a third embodiment the travelling member and the debris dislodging means are amalgamated and comprise firstly a rigid blade which slidingly fits the internal cross- section of the gutter, and secondly an elongate handle having one end attachable to the blade for introducing said blade into the gutter, the other end being suitable for grasping to maintain the blade in the gutter in a gutter clearing orientation thereof, and to move said blade to and fro in that approximate orientation. The attachment between blade and handle may be pivotal, with an optional catch or latch to render said attachment rigid (e.g. after introduction of the blade into a gutter). The orientation of the blade to the gutter axis in use is approximately perpendicular for preference; a slight deviation (up to 20 degrees) from the perpendicular may be beneficial, in that it imparts a certain shearing action to the blade in motion making it easier to dislodge compacted debris. Whatever the selected angle, the contour of the blade is preferably such as to fill that internal transverse section of the gutter which is defined in use by the plane of the blade, with of course the aforementioned sliding fit. In a fourth embodiment the travelling member comprises an elongate guide rail adapted to rest on the gutter longitudinally thereof, a blade mounted on the guide rail for to and fro movement therealong, and means for forcibly moving the blade (to loosen and sweep the debris) which comprises means for moving said blade along said guide, said means being hereinafter called the blade driver. The blade driver, for preference, comprises a traction cable or chain secured to the blade, extending through respective guides mounted at either end of the elongate guide rail, extending thereafter along the handle and terminating at each of its ends in a respective grip accessible to an operator, whereby a pull on either grip transports the blade toward the associated end of the guide rail. In all embodiments except the first aforesaid embodiment (with high pressure jet operation), the dislodging and forwarding means (e.g. the brush or the blade) is provided for preference with a conduit for water at low pressure; a small stream of water thus provided facilitates forwarding the dislodged debris to the downpipe. In those embodiments which comprise a single blade, the low pressure water conduit may have two outlet orifices, disposed one on either face of the blade (because dislodged debris may need to be forwarded in one direction or the other, according to the location of the downpipe in use). In those embodiments comprising a blade, a parallel pair of similar blades is a useful arrangement, in which a stream of water, if used, may be arranged to flow out from between the blades. Moreover a brush or the sweeping device may be replaceably secured (e.g. by clips) to the blade or one of the two blades, to improve the cleaning efficiency. The invention will be appreciated in greater detail from the following description of certain particular and preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig 1 is a schematic illustration of a gutter clearing device according to the first embodiment described above, in use on a single-storey building; Fig 2 is a detail taken from Figure 1 and shown in perspective on a larger scale; Fig 3 is a schematic side elevation of a gutter clearing device according to the third embodiment described above, shown partly in section; Figs 5-8 show possible designs of the gutter clearing device of said third embodiment, including the aforementioned design of Figure 3; Fig 9 is a schematic front elevation of a gutter clearing device according to the fourth embodiment described above, shown mainly in section; Fig 10 is a schematic side elevation of a two-bladed embodiment otherwise similar to that of Fig 3; Fig 11 is a perspective view of a detail taken from Fig 10 with a brush added; Fig 12 shows the upper part of a variant of the embodiment of Fig 10; and Fig 13 is a perspective view of the debris dislodging element in a further two-bladed embodiment. Referring now to the drawings, beginning with Figs 1 & 2, a gutter clearing device comprises a hollow length-adjustable handle 1, a water conduit 2, a travelling member 3, a directed nozzle 4 and a motorised water pump 5. The conduit 2 is a high-pressure hose secured by clips to the handle 1 , and communicates with the nozzle 4 through a swan-neck extension 6 of the handle 1. The handle 1 is in two sections which telescope together for length adjustment and have a screw clasp 7 for locking them into a selected overall length. The travelling member 3 is adapted to rest on or fit into a gutter 8 of a building 9 with freedom for sliding displacement therealong. The underside (in use) of the travelling member 3 bears a block 10 of resilient material (e.g. foam polystyrene) shaped to fit the interior of the gutter 8 for clearing the same by a sweeping action during movement of the member 3 (toward the left in the figures) under impulsion by the handle 1. A miniature video camera 11 is mounted on the member 3 and has a co-operating closed circuit miniature monitor 12 mounted on the handle 1. The camera is focused on the area where the water jet, in use, impacts on the gutter floor. The operator can use this arrangement to follow progress in clearing the gutter, and indicate when the whole assembly on the travelling member 3 may usefully be advanced. The pump 5 can serve to supply water at a suitably high pressure to the conduit 2 and the nozzle 4. A perforated receptacle 13 placed at the bottom of a downpipe 14 is proposed for entrapment of debris arriving down the downpipe 14 to prevent its reaching and perhaps blocking the drain. The receptacle 13, in use, is removed, emptied and replaced at suitable intervals. In Figs 3 and 4 the third embodiment is shown, wherein a gutter clearing device comprises a flexible water conduit 20, a handle 21 , a swan-neck rigid pipe 22 mounted on the handle 21 in communication with the conduit 20, which may be a flexible garden hose, and a clearing blade 23 rigidly secured to the pipe 22 across the end orifice thereof, creating lesser orifices 24, 25 one on either side of the blade 23. The conduit 20 is accommodated within the handle 21, and connected to the pipe 22 by a coupling 27 mounted at the top of the handle 21. In use of the device, the conduit 20 is connected to a water supply at mains pressure, and provides a stream of water on either side of the blade 23, to assist in loosening and conveying debris from a gutter 26 in the direction of a downpipe (not shown). The blade 23, it will be appreciated, may have a profile other than semicircular, to fit gutters of other cross-sections, of which several are commonly found in use. Figs 5 - 8 show variants 30, 31, 32 on the shape of the swan-neck pipe of Fig 3, devised to deal with the introduction of the blade 23 of that figure into a gutter 26 and the control and deployment of said blade, in the presence of various arrangements of roof cover and mountings of gutter. The flexible water conduit used is not shown in these figures. In Fig 9 is shown a clearing device comprising, as in the latter embodiment, a conduit or hose 41 clipped to the exterior of a tubular and preferably length-adjustable handle 42 by clips 55, a pair of splayed arms 43, 44, a guide rail 45 fixedly mounted on said arms, a carriage 46 slidably mounted on said guide rail 45 for travel therealong, and a blade 47 carried by the carriage 46. The hose 41 communicates with the two faces of the blade 47 for supplying water down both said faces in use. The guide rail 45 is adapted to rest on a gutter into which the blade 47 then fits. Respective traction chains 50, 51 attached at the ends of the carriage 46 extend to respective grips 52, 53, passing on the way through guide means provided in or on or by the splayed arms 43, 44, including tubular guides 54 which ease said chains around the respective corners created by the intersection of the guide rail 45 and the respective splayed arms 43, 44. In use, manual traction on one or other of the handles 52, 53 is effective to slide the carriage 46 and the blade 47 from any position along the guide rail 45 to any other position therealong as far as one end thereof. In use, such sweeping movements of the blade 47, repeated if necessary, serve to dislodge and sweep debris from within the gutter towards a downpipe. Meanwhile a respective current of water at mains pressure flows down each side of the blade 47 on the same lines and for the purpose indicated in the description with reference to Fig 3. Closed-circuit video operation may be incorporated in the device of Fig 9 in a similar manner to that described with reference to Fig 2, to monitor progress in clearance. Referring to Fig 10, a device generally similar to that of Fig 3 comprises a handle 61, a low-pressure water hose 62 fastened by clips 63 to the handle 61 and joined by a coupling 64 to the upper arc of a swan-neck member 65, the lower part 66 of which is a solid rod. The swan-neck member 65 extends to a horizontal length sandwiched between two blades 67 designed for clearing a flat-bottomed gutter. The horizontal length has its free end stopped and bears along its bottom aspect a number of perforations adapted to deliver streams of water to the gutter in the direction shown by the associated arrows. Fig 11 shows the sweeping member from Fig 10, including one of a number of 2 or 3 cm lengths 68 of an approximately S-section extrusion (of e.g. aluminium) which is adapted to clip beneath the lower edge of one of the blades 67 while deploying a brush 69 of stiff bristles or wire to improve the clearing action. These brush lengths 68 can thus be exchanged and replaced when worn. Fig 12 shows a device generally similar to that of Fig 10 (the hose has been omitted from the drawing for simplicity) showing an entry profile of the swan-neck member 76 in solid outline, and an active or sweeping profile in broken outline. The entry profile facilitates insertion of the sweeping member 70 into a gutter more or less longitudinally of the gutter, and the sweeping profile places the sweeping member 70 squarely athwart the gutter for clearing use. The two profiles are interchangeable by rotation of the handle about its axis. Fig 13 illustrates a double-bladed sweeping member 80 designed for a gutter of semicircular cross-section. The swan-neck member 86 in this case executes an S-bend to enter the sweeping member 80 and assume a curved shape adapted for being sandwiched (e.g. by welding) between the blades. As in all the double-bladed variants described, its lower aspect is perforated to provide streams of water in directions indicated by the associated arrows. The invention is not limited by or to the details of the specific embodiments described, many of which details can be widely varied without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A device for clearing accumulated debris from eave-level rainwater gutters on buildings, which device comprises a travelling member adapted to be positioned on or in the gutter with sufficient clearance below the overhanging edge of the roof cover for placement, operation and subsequent removal of said member, means for moving said member to and fro longitudinally of the gutter, and means associated with the travelling member for dislodging the debris and forwarding it to the downpipe for disposal. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the travelling member to and fro comprise a substantially rigid longitudinal handle, for manipulation by a person working below the gutter, for example at ground level or on a balcony intermediate the ground level and the gutter being cleared. 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the handle is extensible and contractable, for example telescopically, to allow for clearing gutters at different heights. 4. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein the dislodging means comprises a water conduit terminating in a directional nozzle mounted on the travelling member, and means for supplying water to said conduit at high pressure to produce a jet effective to dislodge the debris. 5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said dislodging means is complemented by a sweeping block mounted on the travelling member to occupy a cross-sectional region of the gutter upstream of the jet for sweeping the dislodged debris in one direction of travel of the travelling member. 6. A device as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein a powered pump is used to produce water at high pressure. 7. A device according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein a closed circuit television unit is used to monitor progress in clearance. 8. A device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein the dislodging means comprises a brush, optionally a wire brush, which is rotary and powered, as by a rotary power transmission cable from a motor disposed at ground level or at the human operator's level. 9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the brush is mounted on the travelling member to sweep the inner surface of the gutter by its rotation, and to share in the to-and- fro motion of the travelling member while doing so. 10. A device as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the motor is a lightweight model mounted directly on the travelling member for driving the brush with minimal transmission, and requiring only an electrical supply cable from the mains for its operation.

Inventors: MANNING NOEL C, MANNING, NOEL, C.
Applicants: MANNING NOEL C, MANNING, NOEL, C.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: E04D13
IPC codes: E04D13