Patent Publication Number: US-7581355-B2

Title: Gutter level device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present disclosure relates to a gutter leveling system and method, and, more particularly, to a device for leveling a gutter against a pitched fascia board. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Channeling of rain water away from a building is a well known practice in the building art. Gutters systems are commonly added to buildings, such as houses, for channeling purposes. Gutters are troughs that channel water from an eave of a building, i.e., the horizontal lower edge of a roof, to a downspout. The downspout is essentially a drainpipe that drains water from the gutter. The gutter is a critical component of a building, because the gutter militates against moisture damage by channeling water off the roof and away from the foundation. 
   Traditionally, the gutter has been attached by nailing the gutter directly to the building. Building contractors often use a spike and ferrule system in which a narrow, tubular ferrule is placed between a front and a rear face of the gutter. The ferrule disposes the front face at a uniform distance in relation to the rear face. A spike or long nail is then punched through the outside of the front face of the gutter, through the ferrule and the back face of the gutter, and into a fascia board of the building. Gutter hangers, such as spacer plates having pre-punched nail holes, and the like are also known in the art for attaching gutters to buildings. 
   The fascia board in a variety of building designs, particularly in older designs, may have a pitch associated therewith. A gutter attached to the pitched fascia board, without additional support, tends to free float on the fascia board. When rainwater and other materials are captured and pool in the gutter, the front face of the gutter may then tilt towards the ground. The weight of the pooled material in the gutter also creates a moment at the point of insertion of the nail, resulting in a force pulling the gutter away from the fascia board. Further, the pulling of the gutter away from the fascia allows water to run and collect behind the gutter. The water, in combination with periods of adverse weather, high winds, and the like, may undesirably affect the integrity of the fascia and pull the gutter further away from the fascia. Water running behind the fascia may also pool at the base of the building and undesirably affect foundation integrity. 
   It is known in the art to employ gutter straps, for example, secured to the gutter and nailed to the roof, to militate against a free floating of the gutter on the pitched fascia board. Gutter clips that fit between the gutter and the wall of a building to support the gutter are also known. For example, in U.S. Pub. App. No. 2006/0053696, a gutter clip having removable segments which permit the gutter clip to be modified for placement against buildings incorporating both straight and slanted fascia is described. Gutter clips of the art typically have first and second portions of different dimensions that clip to a gutter wall. However, the known gutter clips result in undesirable stresses and may result in cracking and a shorter useful lifespan of the gutter. Known gutter clips may also lack flexibility in placing a pitch on the gutter itself due to the aforementioned limitations in the clip dimensions. 
   There is a continuing need for a gutter clip that levels the gutter against a pitched fascia board and which is readily adapted for various fascia angles. Desirably, the gutter clip also facilitates the implementation of a gutter pitch and leverages the inherent strengths of the gutter design in militating against a tilting of the gutter and a pulling away of the gutter from the fascia board. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In concordance with the instant disclosure, a gutter clip that levels the gutter against a pitched fascia board, is readily adapted for various fascia angles, facilitates the implementation of a gutter pitch, and leverages the inherent strengths of the gutter design in militating against a tilting of the gutter and a pulling away of the gutter from the fascia board, is surprisingly discovered. 
   In one embodiment, a gutter level device for leveling a gutter against a pitched fascia board includes a clip adapted for attachment to a rear wall of the gutter. The gutter level device also includes a selectively formable arm coupled to a first end of the clip and adapted to bend to a first desired angle. The first desired angle substantially matches the pitch of the fascia board and allows the gutter level device to maintain the gutter in a substantially upright, level position when used. 
   In another embodiment, the gutter level device includes the clip adapted for attachment to the rear wall of the gutter, the clip having a first end and a second end. The clip includes a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion disposed adjacent one another. The first and second vertical portions have substantially the same length and are adapted to sandwich the rear wall of the gutter therebetween. The first and second vertical portions also militate against a degradation of the gutter with weathering. The gutter level device further includes the selectively formable arm integrally formed with the clip at the first end thereof. The selectively formable arm is adapted to bend to the first desired angle and substantially match the pitch of the fascia board. The arm maintains the gutter in the substantially upright position. The selectively formable arm also has a plurality of pitch lines indicating where the arm should be bent to match the pitch of the fascia board. 
   In a further embodiment, a method for leveling the gutter against the pitched fascia board includes the steps of: providing the gutter having the rear wall; providing a building having the pitched fascia board; and providing the gutter level device. The method further includes the steps of: determining a pitch of the fascia board; bending the selectively formable arm to substantially match the pitch of the fascia board; attaching the gutter level device to the gutter by disposing the clip over the rear wall of the gutter; and installing the gutter on the building, the gutter level device disposed between the gutter and the pitched fascia board. 

   
     DRAWINGS 
     The above, as well as other advantages of the present disclosure, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, particularly when considered in the light of the drawings described hereafter. 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a gutter level device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the gutter level device shown in  FIG. 1  having a first desired angle to match a fascia board pitch; 
       FIG. 3  is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the gutter level device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  disposed between a fascia board and a gutter of a building; and 
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the gutter level device of  FIGS. 1 and 2  disposed between a fascia board and a gutter of a building, the gutter level device having a first desired angle and a second desired angle. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should also be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features. In respect of the methods disclosed, the steps presented are exemplary in nature, and thus, are not necessary or critical. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present disclosure includes a gutter level device  2  having a clip  4  and a selectively formable arm  6 . The clip  4  has a first end  8  and a second end  10 . The selectively formable arm  6  is coupled to the first end  8  of the clip  4 . The selectively formable arm  6  is adapted to bend to a first desired angle  7 . As a nonlimiting example, the clip  4  may be integrally formed with the arm  6 , such as by forming one of a sheet and a wire. 
   In one embodiment, the gutter level device  2  includes a first vertical portion  12  and a second vertical portion  14 . The first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14  are disposed adjacent one another. Each of the first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14  have substantially equal lengths. The gutter level device  2  may also include a substantially u-shaped portion  16  disposed at the second end  10  of the clip  4 . The u-shaped portion  16  may couple the first vertical portion  12  with the second vertical portion  14 . It should be appreciated that other shaped portions, for example, including one or more angles, may also be suitable for coupling the first vertical portion  12  with the second vertical portion  14  to form the clip  4 . 
   The selectively formable arm  6  of the present disclosure may include a plurality of pitch lines  18 . At least one of the pitch lines  18  may be marked with an indicia, such as a numeral indicating a desired pitch. The plurality of pitch lines  18  may be formed as desired, for example, with a durable ink application or other suitable marking techniques. The plurality of pitch lines  18  may include one or more scores in the arm  6 . It should be understood, however, that the scores  6  are for purpose of marking and are not formed in the arm to a depth where the arm  6  would break upon application of a bending force. 
   The plurality of pitch lines  18  are used to indicate a bending point of the arm  6  to match the first desired angle  7 . For example, as illustrated best in  FIG. 2 , the selectively formable arm  6  may have an end portion  20  that is bent upwardly at one of the pitch lines  18  and toward the second end  10  of the clip  4 . The first desired angle  7  of the arm  4  may thereby be achieved. 
   Materials and dimensions of the gutter level device  2  may be selected so that the arm  6  is formable upon application of a suitable bending force. The suitable bending force is generally greater than a force the arm  6  will experience in end use, but one which could be achieved under manual manipulation, for example, with a tool such as pliers. The gutter level device  2  thereby substantially retains the first desired angle  7  during the useful lifetime of the gutter level device  2 . As a nonlimiting example, the arm may be formed from at least one of a malleable metal, a malleable polymer, and a malleable composite material. In a particular embodiment, the gutter level device  2  is formed from aluminum or an alloy thereof. It should be understood that the material selected may have a coating to resist weathering of the gutter level device  2 . The coating may be a polymeric coating, for example. A suitable thickness of the material forming the gutter level device  2 , and particularly the arm  6 , may be selected as desired. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the gutter level device  2  of the present disclosure is illustrated attached to a gutter  200  and supporting the gutter  200  against a fascia board  202  of a building  204 . The fascia board  202  is generally disposed beneath an eave  206  of the building&#39;s roof  208 . In particular, the clip  4  of the gutter level device  2  is adapted to attach to a rear wall  210  of the gutter  200 . The selectively formable arm  6  of the gutter level device  2  is bent to the first desired angle  7  to substantially match a pitch of the fascia board  202 . The arm  6  is also bent to provide a set distance between the fascia board  202  and the gutter  200 . The gutter level device  2  thereby maintains the gutter  200  in a level and upright position, regardless of the pitch associated with the fascia board  202 . 
   The gutter  200  includes a rear wall  210  and a bottom wall  212 . The rear wall  210  is “clipped” to the gutter level device  2 . As a nonlimiting example, the rear wall  210  may be disposed between the first vertical portion  12  and the second vertical portion  14 . The first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14  are adapted to sandwich the rear wall  210  and support the gutter  200 . 
   In a further embodiment, the lengths of the first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14  are substantially the same as a height  214  of the rear wall  210 . A skilled artisan should appreciate that the first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14 , having substantially the same length as the height  214  of the rear wall  210  supports the gutter  200  and militates against a degradation thereof in use. It is understood in the art that the bottom wall  212  of the gutter  200  is inherently the strongest portion of the gutter  200 . As the gutter  200  experiences adverse weathering, such as high winds and the like, and as rainwater and other materials are captured and pool in the gutter  200 , a moment may occur on the gutter  200 . The first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14  cause the resulting moment  200  to occur on the inherently stronger bottom wall  212  instead of along the rear wall  210 . A degradation of the rear wall  210  of the gutter  200 , for example, by cracking, is thereby militated against. 
   With reference to  FIG. 4 , the gutter level device  2  of the present disclosure may also be adapted to bend the formable arm  6  to a second desired angle  215 , for example, substantially adjacent the second vertical portion  214 . The second desired angle  215  may be used in conjunction with the first desired angle  7  to allow the gutter level device  2  to support the gutter  200  in a substantially upright and level position. As a nonlimiting example, the arm  6  with both the first desired angle  7  and the second desired angle  215  may substantially match the pitch of the pitched fascia board  202 . The second desired angle  215  is particularly advantageous when used with the pitched fascia board  202  having a length insufficient for the first desired angle  7  of the arm to come into contact therewith. The bending force suitable for bending the arm  6  to the first desired angle  7  may also be applied to bend the arm  6  and produce the desired second angle  215 . 
   The present disclosure also includes a method for leveling the gutter  200  against the pitched fascia board  202 . The method first includes the steps of providing the gutter  200  having the rear wall  210 , providing the building  204  having the pitched fascia board  202 ; and providing the gutter level device  2 . The pitch of the fascia board  202  is then determined, for example, by measuring or estimating the pitch according to methods known in the art. The arm  6  of the gutter level device  2  is then bent at the desired pitch line  18  and to the first desired angle  7 . The desirable angle  7  substantially matches the pitch of the fascia board  202 . The gutter level device  2  is then attached to the gutter  200 , for example, by disposing the clip  4  over the rear wall  210  of the gutter  200 . The gutter  200  is then installed on the building  204  according to known methods. The gutter level device  2  is disposed between the gutter  200  and the pitched fascia board  202 . 
   In a further embodiment, wherein the arm  6  has the end portion  20  and the plurality of pitch lines  18 , the step of bending the arm  6  includes bending the arm  6  at one of the pitch lines  18  indicated to match the pitch of the fascia board  202 . The arm  6  is bent until the end portion  20  of the arm  6  is substantially aligned with the second end  10  of the clip. As a nonlimiting example, the step of bending the arm  6  may be performed by manual manipulation. The arm  6  may be bent to the first desired angle  7  with a tool, such as channel-lock pliers, for example. One of ordinary skill in the art should understand that other suitable means for bending the arm  6  to the first desired angle  7  may be employed as desired. 
   The step of installing the gutter  200  may include placing the gutter  200  on a horizontal pitch along the fascia board  202 . The horizontal pitch may be employed so that rain water draining into the gutter  200  from the roof  208  will only flow in one direction such as toward a downspout (not shown) in fluid communication with the gutter  200 . It should be appreciated that more than one gutter level device  2  having the first and second vertical portions  12 ,  14 , particularly of substantially the same length, may each be disposed over the rear wall  210  of the gutter  200  to different extents. The horizontal pitch of the gutter  200  may thereby be facilitated with the gutter level device  2  of the present disclosure. It should also be appreciated that the ability of the gutter level device  2  to facilitate the horizontal pitch is particularly advantageous over gutter clips of the art that do not employ vertical portions having substantially the same length. 
   Advantageously, the gutter level device  2  may be used in conjunction with conventional gutter attaching devices, such as straps, brackets and hangers, for example, spike-and-ferrule hangers. It is surprisingly found that the gutter clip  2  militates against not only a pulling away of the gutter  200  from the fascia board  202  with extensive weathering, but also a cracking of the gutter  200  under the same conditions. The durability of the gutter  200  may thereby be improved with the employment of the gutter level device  2 . 
   While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure, which is further described in the following appended claims.