Patent Publication Number: US-7591115-B2

Title: Roof tile support arrangement

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/366,930, filed 14 Feb. 2003 now abandoned, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a tile support arrangement and, in particular, to a tile support arrangement for supporting flat plate tiles on an inclined roof or against the outer walls of a building. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     There is a need for an inexpensive, easy to erect, light weight, and reliable tile support arrangement for buildings. 
     Inclined roofs of, say, domestic buildings commonly incorporate heavy, shaped, baked clay tiles supported on successive rows of timber battens that extend between rafters of the roof. The use of such tiles together with the timber battens exerts considerable weight on the rafters, which must be of a sufficient strength (and size) to sustain the weight over a long term. The use of timber battens and rafters of sufficient load bearing size also places a drain on timber resources. 
     Known tile support arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,961 to Gibbs, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,596 to Waddington, as well as in Japanese Patent No. 2,248,563 to Sasaki. 
     However, whilst the aforementioned arrangements use non-timber battens or batten-like structures, they are somewhat complex to assemble and their many large and small component parts make them costly to manufacture and difficult to repair. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a tile support arrangement for supporting flat plate tiles on an inclined roof or against the outer walls of a building that overcomes, or at least substantially ameliorates, the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a tile support arrangement for inclined roofs that does not employ timber battens and requires rafters of lighter weight than are presently used for clay tile roofs. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a tile support arrangement for the outer walls of a building that can be used to provide an aesthetically appealing, tiled wall appearance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, there is provided a tile support arrangement comprising interlocking panels adapted to support thereon a plurality of tiles, battens which support thereon the interlocking panels, and means for securing the battens to load bearing frame members of an inclined roof or a wall of a building. Each batten includes an upright portion which supports the interlocking panels in spaced relationship to the frame members, and wherein the means for securing the battens to the load bearing frame members comprise a plurality of elongated beams having first longitudinal axes. The beams are secured in end to end relationship upon each load bearing frame member and define a second longitudinal axis. The relationship between the beam and the frame member is such that there is alignment of the first and second longitudinal axes, wherein for each load bearing frame member, a lower portion of a batten is sandwiched between facing surfaces of opposing ends of adjacent elongated beams and is secured to at least one of the opposing ends. The first and second axes, as defined herein, are aligned in a plane and positioned in parallel relation. (See  FIG. 2 , for example) 
     Preferably, each interlocking panel is so supported on the battens that it has a first edge adapted to be located, in use, above a second edge in opposed relationship to the first edge. The first edge defining an upwardly hooked portion and the second edge defining a downwardly hooked portion, wherein an upper one of the panels in the arrangement is interlocked to a lower one of the panels by mutual engagement of the upper panel downwardly hooked portion with the lower panel upwardly hooked portion. 
     It is preferred that each batten is an upright planar panel that is adapted to extend from a first secured location against at least one of the opposing ends of adjacent elongated beams secured upon a first load bearing frame member to a second secured location against at least one of the opposing ends of adjacent elongated beams. The first beam is secured upon a first load bearing frame member and the second beam is secured upon a second load bearing frame member that is spaced apart from the first load bearing frame member. 
     In a preferred form, the upright planar panel has an upper portion that is secured to the upwardly hooked portion of an interlocking panel. 
     The lower portion of the upright planar panel is preferably secured by a screw to an end surface of a lower one of adjacent elongated beams, and the upper portion of the upright planar panel is preferably secured by a spot weld to the upwardly hooked portion of an interlocking panel. 
     The tile support arrangement also includes clips adapted to fix the tiles on the interlocking panels. 
     Each clip has a first end adapted to be located, in use, above a second end in opposed relationship to the first end. Both the first and second ends define separate upwardly hooked portions, wherein the upwardly hooked portion at the first end is adapted to engage within the downwardly hooked portion of an interlocking panel that supports a tile, and the upwardly hooked portion at the second end is adapted to engage around a lower edge of the tile. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of a tile support arrangement, including a batten, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in use on an inclined roof nearest a gutter of the roof; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view, partially in cross-section, of a portion of the tile support arrangement of  FIG. 1  shown supporting tiles on an inclined roof; 
         FIG. 3  is a right side perspective view from above, of a portion of the tile support arrangement of  FIGS. 1  or  2 , in use on an inclined roof nearest a ridge of the roof; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion of the tile support arrangement of  FIG. 1 , specifically showing a starter batten which supports a panel nearest the gutter of the roof; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the starter batten shown in  FIG. 4  secured to an end surface of an elongated beam which is secured to a load bearing timber rafter; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a portion of a tile support arrangement according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in use against an outer wall of a building; 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the tile support arrangement of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a clip, configured and adapted for use with the tile support arrangements of the present invention, shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 ,  6  and  7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a batten, configured and adapted for use with the tile support arrangements shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 ,  6  and  7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The tile support arrangement  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4  is supported on load bearing timber rafters (only rafter  12  shown) of an inclined roof. As in conventional inclined roofs, there is a fascia board  14  at the lower end of the inclined roof, which is secured to the rafters, and a gutter  16  is secured along the fascia board  14 . 
     A plurality of elongated timber beams  15  are arranged in end to end relationship thereupon and are secured, for example, by nails to each rafter  12 . The longitudinal axes of the beams  15  are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the rafter  12 . 
     Supported against the beams  15  is a plurality of spaced apart battens  18  which, as in conventional inclined roofs, extend perpendicularly a distance from one rafter  12  to another. A lower portion of each batten  18  is sandwiched between facing surfaces of opposing ends  17  of adjacent elongated beams  15 , and is secured to at least one of the opposing ends  17  by fasteners such as screws  20 , for example. Each batten  18  (except for the starter batten  18   a  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) is of identical shape and size for a given application, and is, in this embodiment, constructed of a planar panel or sheet of galvanised iron (see  FIG. 9 ), but may be constructed of any light weight, resilient and load bearing material. 
     In use, a first plurality of beams  15  is connected to a plurality of spaced apart rafters  12  of an inclined roof. Each beam  15  is aligned in parallel with the axis defined by each rafter  12 . Each batten  18 ,  18   a  is positioned upright and extends from a first secured location against an end surface  17  of a lower one of adjacent elongated beams  15  secured upon a first load bearing timber rafter  12  to a second secured location against an end surface  17  of a lower one of adjacent elongated beams  15  secured upon a second load bearing timber rafter  12  that is spaced apart from the first load bearing timber rafter  12 . The lower portion of each batten  18  is preferably formed that it allows for the passage of the screws  20 , such as by having preformed screw holes  21  (see  FIG. 9 ) formed in the lower portion at positions corresponding to, in use, a desired securing location on the end surface  17  of a beam  15 . A securing location chosen near the top of the end surface  17  of the beams  15  will allow the height at which the support panels  30 , and hence the tiles  32 , are supported from the rafters  12  to be optimised. Securing the battens  18  near the bottom of the end surface  17  of the beams  15  will reduce the height at which the support panels  30  and tiles  32  are supported from the rafters  12 . It is believed that the higher the support panels  30  and tiles  32  are supported from the rafters  12 , the wider the allowable span (distance) between rafters  12  may be without compromising the usefulness or strength of the tile support arrangement  10 . 
     The starter batten  18   a  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) has an upright portion  24  integrally connected to a transversely extending portion  26  projecting, in use, in one downward direction only from the top of the upright portion  24 . 
     Supported on the battens  18  are interlocking panels  30  adapted to support thereon a plurality of tiles  32 . Each panel  30  is of identical shape and size and is, in this embodiment, constructed of a single bent sheet of galvanised iron but may be constructed of any resilient, light weight and load bearing material, including an extrudable plastic material. Each panel  30  has opposed, but not identical, first and second edges along its length. 
     The first edge of the panel  30 , which is adapted to be located, in use, above the second edge, defines an upwardly hooked portion  34  formed by an upward and back bending of a first edge region of the panel  30 . The second edge of the panel  30  defines a downwardly hooked portion  36  formed by a downward and back bending of a second edge region of the panel  30 . The upward and back bending and the downward and back bending of the opposed edge regions of each panel  30  may be the result of conventional metal forming apparatus that can bend sheet metal into a desired shape in a continuous process. 
     In order to interlock any two adjacent panels  30  down an inclined roof, the downwardly hooked portion  36  of an upper one of the panels  30  in the tile support arrangement  10  is engaged with the upwardly hooked portion  34  of an adjacent, lower one of the panels  30  in the tile support arrangement. 
     An upper portion of each batten  18  is secured, say, by a spot weld or a fastener  19  such as a threaded connector or rivet, to the upwardly hooked portion  34  of a lower one of the panels  30 . In this way, because each pair of adjacent panels  30  are interlocked by mutual engagement of their respective downwardly and upwardly hooked portions,  36 ,  34 , respectively, the upper portion of each batten  18  only needs to be secured to one of the panels, in the manner described above, in order to support the weight of each pair of interlocking adjacent panels above the rafters  12 . 
     The tiles  32  supported on the interlocking panels  30  are flat plate tiles of considerably lighter weight than the commonly used heavy, shaped, baked clay tiles. The tiles  32  do not interlock with each other, but are fixed in place on the panels  30  by clips  40 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 8 , which prevent them from sliding, under gravity, down the face of the panels  30 . Each clip  40  is of identical shape and size and is, in this embodiment, constructed of a single bent strip of galvanised iron, but may be constructed of any resilient, light weight and load bearing material, including an extrudable plastic material. Each clip  40  has opposed, but not identical, first and second ends. The first end of the clip  40  is adapted to be located, in use, above the second end, and both the first and second ends define separate upwardly hooked portions  42 ,  44  respectively. The upwardly hooked portion  42  at the first end is adapted to engage within the downwardly hooked portion  36  of an interlocking panel  30 , and the upwardly hooked portion  44  at the second end is adapted to engage around a lower edge  46  of the tile  32 . In this embodiment, two spaced apart clips  40  fix each tile  32  onto its corresponding surface portion of the panel  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the apex or ridge of the inclined roof is capped by an inverted V-shaped member  48  having a downwardly hooked portion at each of its opposed edges along its length. These opposed downwardly hooked portions engage with the upwardly hooked portions  34  of the respective panels  30  located on opposite sides of the inverted V-shaped member  48  on the inclined roof. The member  48  thus prevents rainwater ingress through the gap between the oppositely inclined, uppermost panels  30  of the tile support arrangement on the roof. 
     The tile support arrangement  50  shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  is supported on load bearing timber studs  52  of a building outer wall. There is a plate board  54 , upon which the studs  52  are supported, and the plate board  54  is secured to, in this embodiment, a brickwork foundation  56  supporting a concrete floor  58 . Features of the tile support arrangement  50  corresponding to those of the tile support arrangement  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 4  are hereinafter given corresponding reference numerals. 
     Secured, say, by fasteners such as nails, staples or threaded connectors, to each stud  52  are a plurality of elongated timber beams  15  arranged in end to end relationship thereupon. The longitudinal axes of the beams  15  are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the stud  52 . 
     Supported against the beams  15  are a plurality of spaced apart battens  18 . Each batten  18  extends perpendicularly a distance from one stud  52  to another, and a first (inner) portion thereof is sandwiched between facing surfaces of opposing ends  17  of adjacent elongated beams  15 , and is secured to the lowermost of the opposing ends  17 , say, by screws  20  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     In use, each batten  18  is so located on an outer wall that it is horizontal and extends from a first secured location against an end surface  17  of a beam  15  secured upon a first stud  52  to a second secured location against an end surface  17  of a beam  15  secured upon a second stud  52  that is spaced apart from the first stud  52 . The (first) inner portion of each batten  18  has preformed screw holes  21  therethrough for allowing the passage of fasteners such as screws into a desired securing location on the end surface  17  of a beam  15 . 
     Supported against the battens  18  are interlocking panels  30  adapted to support thereon a plurality of tiles  32 . The manner in which any two adjacent panels  30  are interlocked down an outer wall is identical to that for the inclined roof mentioned earlier. Also, the manner in which the tiles  32  are supported and fixed on the interlocking panels  30  is identical to that for the inclined roof mentioned earlier. 
     Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.