Abstract:
A protective device for a plumbing vent stack having a weatherproofing cover that is formed substantially of a lead material and is permanently secured over the plumbing vent stack to completely cover the exposed surface of the lead jack flashing so as to prevent access thereto by squirrels and other undesirable animals and/or invasive water. A separate wire screen covers the base or flange of the lead jack to prevent damage to the base of the lead jack flashing. Suitable for use in repairing a damaged lead jack flashing without replacement of the lead jack or removal and replacement of existing surrounding roofing shingles, the protective device is also installed on new construction as a preventative device. Regardless of whether the device is installed on new construction or to repair damaged lead jack flashing, the device is easily and quickly installed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the protection and repair of the flashing of plumbing vents and, more particularly, to structure that protects a plumbing vent and/or enables the repair of a plumbing vent, particularly so-called “lead jack flashing.” 
         [0002]    Lead jack flashing is commonly used to cover plumbing vents in residential and commercial construction, the plumbing vent stack (usually comprised of galvanized pipe or PVC tubing) extending up through the plywood or roof decking and the lead jack being fitted over the vent stack with the shingles overlapping the flashing around the vent. After the lead is fitted over the vent stack and secured to the roofing deck, the tubular portion, having a length substantially longer than that of the protruding vent stack, is manually hammered and forced over the distal end of the vent stack and down into the vent stack to effect a weatherproof seal against wind and rain entering the building around the vent stack. Lead jacks are so well known and commonly used that they are available from several manufacturers, including Construction Metals, Inc. (Fontana, Calif.), F.J. Moore Manufacturing Co. (Cannon Falls, Minn.), Nuclead Co., Inc./Sharp Manufacturing, Inc. (West Bridgewater, Mass.), and Mayco Industries, Inc. (Birmingham, Ala.). 
         [0003]    Unfortunately, lead jacks are a favorite target of squirrels, which gnaw on the lead to wear down their teeth. Other animals may also attack the lead jacks, but squirrels are particularly persistent and so destructive that sooner or later (sometimes so soon as one day) the weatherproofing integrity is substantially compromised. Of course if the lead flashing is chewed sufficiently to form a hole, rainwater, insects, and other animals can access the building at the vent. Nests and dead animals trapped in the vent also cause serious problems. 
         [0004]    It is of course desirable to prevent and/or minimize this damage, and on information and belief, products are available that are intended to address this need. For instance, copper and galvanized plumbing vents are available (for instance, from the above-identified F.J. Moore Manufacturing Co.) and the patent literature includes various vent pipe covers, sleeves, shields, and caps as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,006, 5,694,724, 5,245,804, 4,955,167, 4,484,424, 4,442,643, 4,399,743, 4,372,585, 4,206,692, 4,115,961, 3,797,181, 3,363,538, 1,010,100, 510,884, and 506,930. Although several of these known devices may well function for their intended purposes, for various reasons relating to cost, difficulty of installation, lack of durability, inability to be retrofit to existing (damaged) plumbing vents, and for many other reasons, none of these prior art devices is in widespread use. Accordingly, there remains a long-felt, but unfulfilled need for a protective structure for a plumbing or other roof vent that is inexpensive to manufacture, that is easy and quick to install, that effectively protects against damage by to pests such as squirrels, that is sturdy enough that it is not damaged by plumbers, roofers, and other individuals working on a roof, and that is durable enough to provide long-term protection against entry by rainwater and so-called “critters” (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,006), including insects, snakes, birds, and rodents. 
         [0005]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective device for a roof vent that can be removed and/or replaced quickly and easily in the event of damage or in the event of a drain clog or in situations in which a plumber must access the plumbing vent with a clean-out apparatus. 
         [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that completely covers the lead jack flashing to prevent access to the jack for chewing, teeth sharpening, and damaging the waterproofing qualities of the jack by squirrels. 
         [0007]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective device for damaged lead jack flashing that does not require replacement of the lead jack or removal and replacement of existing surrounding roofing shingles. 
         [0008]    Yet another object is to provide a repair device for a lead jack flashing having a weatherproofing cover that prevents access to the lead jack and that includes an end piece having a screen or mesh material of sufficient size to allow free upward escape of sewer gas but which is sufficiently small in size to prevent rodents, insects, and other animals from entering the vent stack. 
         [0009]    It is another object to provide a protective cover for a roof vent that prevents rain water from entering the plumbing vent and therefore entering the waste water system, reducing the need for waste water treatment at municipal waste water treatment facilities. 
         [0010]    Other objects, and the many advantages of the present invention, will be made clear to those skilled in the art in the following description of the preferred embodiment(s) of the invention and the drawings appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the embodiment(s) of the present invention that are described herein are only examples of specific embodiment(s), set out for the purpose of describing the making and using of the present invention, and that the embodiment(s) shown and/or described herein are not the only embodiment(s) of a protective vent structure and method that can be constructed and/or performed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    These objects are met by providing a protective device for a roof vent comprising a substantially cylindrical sleeve, a cap secured to one end of the sleeve for closing the sleeve, and a screen secured between the cap and the sleeve. The protective device also comprises a base having an opening therethrough, the diameter of the opening being smaller than the diameter of the sleeve, and an upturned lip around the opening in the base, the upturned lip being received within the end of the sleeve opposite the cap. 
         [0012]    In another aspect, these objects are met by providing a method of repairing damaged lead jack flashing comprising the steps of installing a base around the lead jack flashing, the base having an opening therethrough for receiving the lead jack flashing, sliding a cylindrical sleeve down over the lead jack flashing and into contact with the base; and sealing the annulus between the cylindrical sleeve and the lead jack flashing proximate the base. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of a protective structure for a roof vent that is constructed in accordance with the present invention and the manner in which it is assembled to the roof vent (the lead jack flashing of the roof vent is shown in  FIG. 1  as being undamaged for purposes of clarity and to illustrate the installation of the protective structure of the present invention on, for instance, new construction, but those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure will recognize that the protective structure of the present invention is also used to advantage for repair of damaged lead roof jack flashing). 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the protective structure of  FIG. 1  in place over a roof vent of a type that is commonly used as a plumbing vent in residential construction. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a protective mesh or screen “hat” that is installed over lead jack flashing of the type shown in  FIG. 1  as a protective device (rather than as a repair device). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment shown. This description is instead provided so that this disclosure is full and complete, and for the purpose of fully conveying the true scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0018]    Referring to the figures, a preferred embodiment of the protective device of the present invention is indicated generally at reference numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . Protective device  10  is comprised of a generally cylindrically-shaped, elongate sleeve  12  and a star cap  14  that covers the open end of sleeve  12  and provides the necessary venting of the vent stack  18 . In a preferred embodiment, the sleeve  12  and cap  14  are constructed of a material that is hard enough to protect the lead jack flashing, for instance, steel, and particularly, galvanized or powder-coated steel. Sleeve  12  is long enough to fit completely over the lead jack flashing  16  of a plumbing vent stack  18  that extends through the roof decking  20  of a building (as will be apparent from the figures, the building is of a type commonly utilized in residential construction, but the invention is not limited in use only to residential construction). As best shown in  FIG. 2 , lead jack flashing  16  is formed as a single piece with an integral flat base, or flashing,  22  and stack  24  as known in the art, and is shown in both  FIGS. 1 and 2  as undamaged but as set out above, the protective device  10  is also used to advantage for repair of damaged lead jack flashing. 
         [0019]    Protective device  10  may optionally also include a hardware cloth base  26  that is either secured to sleeve  12 , for instance, by tack welds at the upturned lip  28  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the opening  30  through the hardware cloth and having a diameter sized to fit over the outside diameter (O.D.) of the stack  24  of lead jack flashing  16 . Alternatively, the hardware cloth base  26  is assembled to sleeve  12  on-site, for instance, when damaged lead jack flashing is being repaired, by pressing the opening  30  in base  26  over the O.D. of the stack  24  of lead jack flashing  16  as a result of the opening  30  being slightly undersized so that the wire comprising hardware cloth base  26  is bent upwardly at the inside margin of opening  30  to form a lip  28  when the base  26  is pressed down over the lead jack flashing  16  against the top surface of the existing shingles  32  ( FIG. 2 ). A bead of caulk or epoxy sealant in which the wire at the inside margin of opening  30  lands when the base  26  is pressed all the way down over the stack  24  and onto the shingles  32  may be provided around the O.D. of the stack  24  of lead jack flashing  16 , but is not shown in the figures because that bead is not necessary to the function of device  10 . 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the protective device  10  is assembled to the lead jack flashing  16  by sliding the sleeve  12  over the O.D. of the lead jack  16 . A snug fit of the inside diameter (I.D.) of sleeve  12  over the O.D. of lead jack  16  is not required and, because the stack  24  of the lead jack  16  is often deformed (note the “wrinkles” in the walls of stack  24  near the base  22  of lead jack  16  shown in the figures) during installation and/or by the effects of weathering and/or attack by the animals that the protective device  10  of the present invention is intended to frustrate, it is preferred that the I.D. of sleeve  12  be larger than the O.D. of the stack  24  of lead jack  16 , leaving a space, or annulus,  34  therebetweeen. The annulus  34  is also important to the sliding of the sleeve  12  of device  10  over the stack  24  because the top margin  36  of stack  24  is usually misshapen, and sometimes even grossly distorted and/or partially gnawn away, as a result of squirrel attack. The distortion of the top margin  36  of stack  24  is often substantial enough that it may be necessary to re-shape stack  24  at its top margin  36  with a few taps with a hammer before the sleeve  12  of device  10  can be fitted over stack  24 , and the presence of the annulus  34  between the O.D. of stack  24  and the I.D. of sleeve  12  reduces the need for careful re-shaping of the top margin  36  of stack  24 . Note also that, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the larger diameter I.D. of sleeve  12  causes some or all the wire comprising the upturned lip  28  of hardware cloth base  26  to be captured within the I.D. of sleeve  12  when the bottom edge of sleeve  12  rests on the hardware cloth base  26 . 
         [0021]    A caulk, elastomeric, or sealant bead  38  is applied to the O.D. of the stack  24  of lead jack flashing  16  near the base  22  of the flashing  16 . The bead  38  is smeared or squeezed by contact between the O.D. of stack  24  and the I.D. of sleeve  12  when the bottom of sleeve  12  rests on the hardware cloth base  26 . In an optimal installation, because the wire of the upturned lip  28  of the opening  30  in the hardware cloth base  26  is caught in the caulk/sealant bead  38 , the bead  38  the wire reinforces this barrier against entry into annulus  34 . Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure will recognize that a polymeric gasket could be substituted for the bead  38  and/or that a rubber or polymeric bumper could be fitted to the bottom edge of the sleeve  12  of protective device  10 ; either alternative provides the intended function. It will also be noted that the bottom of sleeve  12  is angled to facilitate installation of the protective device  10  on a roof slope. In a preferred embodiment, the angle is based on a 6/12 pitch, but an exact fit is not required at the bottom of the flashing such that this exact angle is likewise not required. 
         [0022]    As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the open end of the sleeve  12  of protective device  10  is covered by the star cap  14  to prevent entry of rain into the plumbing vent stack  18 . A screen or mesh  40  is attached to sleeve  12  under vent cap  14  to prevent entry of insects and other small animals into the sleeve  12 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a protective mesh or screen “hat,” preferably formed from hardware cloth, is indicated generally at reference numeral  50 . Protective hat  50  is intended for installation over lead jack flashing before the lead is attacked by squirrels, for instance, at the time of construction of the building or installation of a new roofing system, and by virtue of its quick installation, is advantageous for protecting against squirrel damage. Like the protective device  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the protective hat  50  is comprised of sleeve  52  that fits over the lead jack flashing (the latter not being shown in  FIG. 3 ); hat  50  also includes a base  54  similar in construction to the hardware cloth base  16  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  that functions in the same manner. The hardware cloth comprising the sleeve  52  of protective hat  50  is open along one side, indicated at reference numeral  56 , to accommodate various roof pitches. The top of the sleeve  52  is open as at reference numeral  58  and when the protective hat  50  is dropped over the lead jack flashing, the installer bends the wire downwardly over the top of and into the lead jack flashing to provide both protection of the top of the flashing stack from squirrel attack and to serve as a barrier against entry by birds and other small animals. 
         [0024]    While the invention has been described with respect to certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, although the star cap  14  of the protective device of the present invention has been described herein and shown in the figures as being of a particular configuration, those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this disclosure will recognize that the cap may be formed in a variety of shapes so long as it serves the function of closing off the end of sleeve  12  (and as set out above, the cap  12  also holds the mesh  40  in place). Other such modifications will likewise be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this preferred embodiment.