Patent Publication Number: US-11377862-B1

Title: Valley roof bracket

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Non-applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a roof bracket and more specifically to a roof bracket having a valley. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Anyone involved in the roofing business will tell you what a strenuous business it is. A typical day involves carrying heavy loads, enduring high temperatures, and scorching sun, climbing steep roofs all the while working at dangerous elevations above ground. Anything that improves safety, reduces work, or allows for a better job is welcome. To this regard, roofers commonly use roof jacks, consisting of wood planks suspended in straps that are nailed into the sheathing. 
     These jacks provide the roofer with a more level and stable platform to work from as well as reduce the risk of falling. While certainly useful on conventional sections of inclined roofs, they cannot be used in valleys where sections of sloped roof come together at a perpendicular angle. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which roofers can be provided a temporary stable and level surface at roof valleys to increase safety. The development of the valley roof bracket fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides for valley roof jack has an upper horizontal surface, a lower horizontal surface which is disposed below the upper horizontal surface, a horizontal support which is attached below the upper horizontal surface and the lower horizontal surface by a pivoting fastener and a locking fastener, an inward support and an outward support which supports the horizontal support, and a hanging ring which is disposed at a junction between the inward support and the outward support and is secured by one of the fasteners. The pivoting fastener and the locking fastener join the horizontal support to the inward support and the inward support to the outward support. 
     The upper horizontal surface and the lower horizontal surface may be adapted to be kneeled upon directly by a user. The upper horizontal surface and the lower horizontal surface may be used as a support for a board. The upper horizontal surface and the lower horizontal surface may be pivoted along the pivoting fastener, while the locking fastener may ride in a pivot track for both the upper horizontal surface and the lower horizontal surface. The locking fastener passes through a pair of pivot tracks before connecting to the horizontal support. An upper end of the outward support includes an adjustable fastening pin that may be positioned in an adjustable height slot that accommodates a roof having a plurality of different pitches. The pivoting fastener and the adjustable fastening pin may join the horizontal support, the inward support, and the outward support to produce triangular support. 
     An outward edge of the horizontal support may have a stop flange to hold one or more jack boards. The horizontal support, the inward support, and the outward support may include a plurality of angular reinforcements for increased strength. The hanging ring may be used to hang the valley roof jack when not being used such as in storage. The inward support may rest against the valley while the hanging ring remains accessible for other fastening purposes. 
     The hanging ring may be used to hang one or more tools, supplies or other items when the valley roof jack is being utilized on a roof. The valley roof jack may be secured to a roof surface by a nailing surface secured to the upper horizontal surface by a hinge. The nailing surface may include a plurality of first keyed holes to allow for easy securing to a roof surface via one or more fasteners. The nailing surface may be connected on opposite sides of the upper horizontal surface and the lower horizontal surface respectively. The valley roof jack may be positioned between two roof surfaces that join together at a valley. 
     The valley roof jack may be positioned in the valley and fastened to the roof surfaces using the nailing surface along with a plurality of first fasteners. The valley roof jack may be a support surface for one or two roof planks while supported with one or more conventional roof jacks. A standing seam roof connector which may have an attachment block with four attachment cams added to the valley roof jack when it is used on a standing seam roof. The attachment block may be removed when it is tapped in an opposite direction from a standing seam lock path and is lifted free. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the valley roof jack, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the valley roof jack, shown in a utilized state on a shingled roof, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the valley roof jack, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the standing seam roof connector as used with the valley roof jack on standing seam roofs, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the standing seam roof connector, as used with the valley roof jack, as seen along a Line I-I, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  valley roof jack 
               15  upper horizontal surface 
               20  lower horizontal surface 
               25  horizontal support 
               30  pivoting fastener 
               35  locking fastener 
               40  inward support 
               45  outward support 
               50  pivoting fastener 
               55  adjustable fastening pin 
               60  adjustable height slot 
               65  stop flange 
               70  hanging ring 
               75  nailing surface 
               80  hinge 
               85  first keyed hole 
               90  roof surface 
               95  valley 
               100  first fastener 
               105  pivot track 
               110  angular travel path “a” 
               115  roof plank 
               120  angular reinforcement 
               125  triangular support 
               130  standing seam roof connector 
               135  attachment block 
               140  attachment cam 
               145  second fastener 
               150  flange 
               155  mounting rod 
               160  knuckle joint 
               165  clip connector 
               170  second keyed hole 
               175  standing seam lock path “s” 
               180  locking travel path “t” 
           
         
       
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 5 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one (1) particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items. 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a side view of the valley roof jack  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The valley roof jack (herein also described as the “roof jack”)  10 , provides for an adjustable apparatus for use in valley areas  95  of roofs  90 . The roof jack  10  provides for an upper horizontal surface  15  and a lower horizontal surface  20 , which may be kneeled upon directly by the user, or used as a support for a board. Such a configuration will be described in greater detail herein below. The upper horizontal surface  15  and the lower horizontal surface  20  are attached to a horizontal support  25  by a pivoting fastener  30  and a locking fastener  35  (both of which are shown by partially dashed lines due to their hidden nature). In turn, the horizontal support  25  is supported by an inward support  40  and an outward support  45 . A set of two (2) pivoting fasteners  50  join the horizontal support  25  to the inward support  40  and the inward support  40  to the outward support  45 . The upper end of the outward support  45  is provided with an adjustable fastening pin  55  that is positioned in an adjustable height slot  60 . The adjustable height slot  60  accommodates roofs  90  of different pitches. The very outward edge of the horizontal support  25  is provided with a stop flange  65  to hold jack boards, should they be used. A hanging ring  70 , provided at the junction between the inward support  40  and the outward support  45  and is secured by one (1) of the pivoting fasteners  50 . The hanging ring  70  is used to hang the roof jack  10  when not being used such as in storage. The hanging ring  70  may also be used to hang tools, supplies or other items when the roof jack  10  is being utilized on a roof  90 . The roof jack  10  is secured to a roof surface by a nailing surface  75  secured to the upper horizontal surface  15  by a hinge  80 . The nailing surface  75 , envisioned to be approximately eight to ten inches (8-10 in.) long, and is provided with multiple first keyed holes  85  to allow for easy securing to roof surfaces  90  via fasteners such as nails or screws. 
     Referring next to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of the roof jack  10 , shown in a utilized state on a shingled roof  90 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The roof jack  10  is positioned between two (2) roof surfaces  90  that join together at a valley  95  in a typical fashion. The configuration of the roof surfaces  90  as shown in  FIG. 2  indicates a ninety-degree (90°) configuration. However, the present invention will accommodate other angles of connection. Additionally, the roof surface  90  indicates a composite shingle for purposes of illustration. However, other types of roof surfaces  90  such as metal roofs, membrane roofs, tile roofs, slate roofs, wood shingle roofs and the like may also benefit from the teachings of the present invention. As such, the use of the any particular configuration of valley  95 , slope of roof surfaces  90 , type of roof surfaces  90 , and the like, are not intended to be limiting factors of the present invention. 
     The roof jack  10  is positioned in the valley  95  and fastened to the roof surfaces  90  using the nailing surface  75  along with appropriate first fasteners  100  such as nails or screws. The upper horizontal surface  15  and the lower horizontal surface  20  are pivoted along the pivoting fastener  30 , while the locking fastener  35  rides in a pivot track  105  for both the upper horizontal surface  15  and the lower horizontal surface  20 . The locking fastener  35  is secured when an appropriate angular travel path “a”  110  has been obtained. The inward support  40  rests against the valley  95  while the hanging ring  70  remains accessible for other fastening purposes. As aforementioned described, the roof jack  10 , may be used as a work platform for the roofer by itself for working around the area of a valley  95 . It may also be used as a support surface for one (1) or two (2) roof planks  115  while the other end is supported with conventional roof jacks (not shown). The roof planks  115  are depicted via a dashed line for purposes of clarity and their optional nature). The roof planks  115  are prevented from accidental dislodgement by the stop flange  65 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an exploded view of the roof jack  10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The upper horizontal surface  15  and the lower horizontal surface  20  are joined together by the pivoting fastener  30  and the locking fastener  35 , with the locking fastener  35  passing through the two (2) pivot track  105  before connecting to the horizontal support  25 . The nailing surface  75  is connected on opposite sides of the upper horizontal surface  15  and the lower horizontal surface  20  respectively. The horizontal support  25 , the inward support  40  and the outward support  45  are provided with multiple angular reinforcements  120  to provide for increased strength. The exact quantity or method of angular reinforcements  120  is not intended to be a limiting factor of the present invention. The adjustable height slot  60  is also provided on the opposite side of the horizontal support  25 , although not shown due to illustrative limitations. The pivoting fastener  50  and the adjustable fastening pin  55  join the horizontal support  25 , the inward support  40  and the outward support  45  as aforementioned described to produce triangular support  125  that is physically strong and capable of supporting hundreds of pounds. The hanging ring  70  is secured to the exterior of the joint formed by the inward support  40  and the outward support  45  with one (1) of the pivoting fasteners  50 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 4 , a perspective view of the standing seam roof connector  130  as used with the jack  10  on roof surfaces  90  that are standing seam roofs, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The standing seam roof connector  130  is added to the roof jack  10  when it is used on a standing seam roof. The standing seam roof connector  130  consists of an attachment block  135  with four (4) attachment cams  140  on the underside. Note that only two (2) of the four (4) attachment cams  140  are shown due to illustrative limitations. Further detail on the attachment cams  140  will be provided herein below. 
     The attachment cams  140  are attached to the attachment block  135  by four (4) second fasteners  145  (of which only three (3) are shown due to illustrative limitations). A flange  150  is provided on top of the attachment block  135  which connects a mounting rod  155 . A knuckle joint  160  is located in the middle of the mounting rod  155  to allow for angular movement. The distal end of the mounting rod  155  is provided with a clip connector  165  for securement of the standing seam roof connector  130  to the roof jack  10 . A set of second keyed holes (similar is functionality and shape as the first keyed holes  85  (as shown in  FIG. 1 )) receive fasteners such as mounting pins. During use of the standing seam roof connector  130 , the user would attach the attachment block  135  to the standing seam of the roof and attach the clip connector  165  to the nailing surface  75  to hold the roof jack  10  in place without the necessity of installing first fasteners  100  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
     Referring finally to  FIG. 5 , a sectional view of the standing seam roof connector  130 , as used with the roof jack  10 , as seen along a Line I-I, as shown in  FIG. 4  is depicted. The four (4) attachment cams  140  are secured to the attachment block  135  by the second fasteners  145 . As the standing seam is inserted between the standing seam lock path “s”  175 , the attachment cams  140  lock the standing seam into place via friction fit. As more force or weight is added to the attachment block  135 , the more the pairs of the attachment cams  140  tighten along a locking travel path “t”  180 . When the attachment block  135  is to be removed, it is simply tapped with a hammer in the opposite direction depicted by the standing seam lock path “s”  175 , whereupon it is lifted free. 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the roof jack  10  would be constructed in general accordance with  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 . The user would procure the roof jack  10  from conventional procurement channels such as hardware stores, home improvement stores, mechanical supply houses, mail order and internet supply houses and the like. 
     During utilization of the roof jack  10 , the following procedure would be initiated: the angular travel path “a”  110  would be adjusted using the locking fastener  35  withing the pivot track  105  to match the adjacent roof surfaces  90 ; the adjustable fastening pin  55  would be adjusted in the adjustable height slot  60  to conform to the pitch of the valley  95 ; the nailing surface  75  is attached to the roof surfaces  90  with first fasteners  100  through the first keyed holes  85  in the case of shingle roofs. In the instance of standing seam roofs, the standing seam roof connector  130  will be used instead of fasteners  100  to connect to the nailing surface  75 . Once installed, the upper horizontal surface  15  and the lower horizontal surface  20  provide a stable surface or platform to work from. 
     After use of the roof jack  10 , it is removed by uninstalling the first fasteners  100  or by removing the standing seam roof connector  130 . The roof jack  10  may then be stored by hanging by the hanging ring  70 , until needed again. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.