AU2007222885B2 - A bracket assembly for supporting a rotatable gutter system - Google Patents

Description

WO 2007/101299 PCT/AU2007/000275 A BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORTING A ROTATABLE GUTTER SYSTEM The present invention relates to a bracket or support assembly for gutters that enables rotatable or pivotable movement of gutters to facilitate cleaning and maintenance of the gutter. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Homes and other buildings are typically constructed having some form of gutter system that serves to collect rainwater or other liquid from the roof and direct that water away from the house. A gutter generally comprises a longitudinal, rigid structure having a channel extending the length of the gutter. Typical styles of gutters that are available in Australia include D-gutters, fascia gutters, halfround gutters and O.G. gutters, which each serve the same purpose but are 10 each contoured slightly differently. Generally, a first longitudinal side of the gutter is directly mounted to a fascia or other like structure immediately underneath the edge of a roof, and the opposed side generally terminates into a rounded edge. When water enters the channel, it is typically directed away from the gutter through one or more downpipes at its ends. It is well known that gutter systems must be cleaned and maintained at constant intervals 15 in order to avoid certain problems that may arise including gutter leakage, gutter damage and general clogging of the gutter channel and downpipe with foreign debris. For example, when build-up of foreign matter, such as leaves, occurs within a gutter channel or downpipe, the transport of water away from the gutter is restricted resulting in water build-up. Eventually, this build-up of water may lead to potentially larger problems such as water entering the attic, 20 seepage of the water through the walls near the cornices, or damage to objects adjacent the gutter. Also, if the gutters are 'wet' for a long time, this increases the susceptibility to corrosion of the gutter. There have been a number of attempts to overcome these problems including using gutter guards and other protective screening devices. These types of devices may succeed to a certain 25 extent in preventing large debris from entering a gutter channel, however, they fail to prevent particulate matter from entering the channel so even when using gutter guards and similar devices, one must still clean the gutter channel at regular intervals. Homeowners often talk of the difficulty in accessing the channel of a gutter for cleaning or for general maintenance. In conventional gutter systems, one is forced to either climb a ladder 30 or mount the roof itself in order to clean the gutter channel and downpipes. This is not only 2 difficult, but may also be dangerous and often results in the homeowner having to pay a specialist to complete the task on their behalf. There exist some prior art gutter systems which include means to pivot the gutter for easier access thereto, however, there are a number of problems associated with these apparatus. 5 Most existing pivotable systems involve the use of quite complex mechanisms for actuating pivot of the gutter. Those skilled in the art would know that the more parts involved in a gutter system, the more expensive the system is to manufacture and the more difficult the system is to operate. This also ultimately results in greater cost to the consumer. Further, complex componentry of a gutter system is much more susceptible to damage due to rain and 10 wind as opposed to systems having simple mechanical parts and a smaller number of parts. A further problem with existing pivotable gutters is that being bulky they are not visually pleasing. In addition, with the cross-sectional shapes of gutters being quite varied there is to the best knowledge of the author no system that can accommodate most if not all gutter types. It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the 15 aforementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a gutter bracket including: an anchor affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, the anchor having associated therewith a rotatable locking arm; 20 a gutter support rotatably associated with the anchor, the gutter support including a lip which projects in a forwards direction relative to said rear vertical structure, said rotatable locking arm including a correspondingly shaped portion adapted to engage the forwardly projecting lip to thereby prevent downward rotation of the gutter support and maintain the gutter in an operational position in which an interior region thereof faces upwardly, the locking arm being upwardly 25 rotatable to a position in which said lip becomes disengaged thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to a second position in which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible, said gutter support being configured to freely rotate to its second position unless maintained in said first operational position by way of engagement between said locking arm and said lip.

3 Preferably the locking arm extends forwardly to a point beyond the gutter for easy access to said locking arm, such that when the locking arm is rotated upwardly by a predetermined angle from its engaged position, the lip is no longer held inside said correspondingly shaped portion, and the gutter support is released. 5 In preference said rotatable locking arm includes a plurality of adjoining arms being adjustable relative to one another in order to accommodate gutters of different cross sectional dimension. In preference said plurality of arms includes a first arm having associated therewith said lip engaging portion, a second arm which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the 10 first arm and lockable thereto, a third arm which is vertically moveable with respect to the second arm and lockable thereto, and a fourth arm which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the third arm and lockable thereto. Preferably said fourth arm is shaped to extend over an upper forwardmost edge of the gutter, 15 In preference said lip is adapted to fit snugly inside said correspondingly shaped portion of the locking arm when the two components are engaged. Preferably said locking arm and said support member are arranged such that when the gutter support is moved from the second position back to the first operational position, the gutter support by way of contact with the locking arm rotates the locking arm upwardly to a position in 20 which the locking arm automatically engages the lip and thereby locks the gutter in said first operational position. Preferably said gutter support includes a generally vertical component having upper and lower portions, said lip being disposed at said upper portion said lower portion being rotatably connected to said anchor. 25 In preference said gutter support further includes a generally horizontal component adapted to extend beneath the gutter being supported, the gutter being fixed to the vertical component. In a further form of the invention there is proposed a gutter bracket including: a vertical anchor component affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, said vertical anchor 3a component including upper and lower portions; a gutter support including a vertical component having upper and lower portions, whereby the lower portion of the gutter support vertical component is rotatably associated with the lower portion of the anchor, said gutter support being moveable between a first operational position in 5 which an interior region of a supported gutter faces upwardly and a second position in which the gutter is positioned to facilitate easy access to the interior region, the gutter support being configured to rotate forwardly away from the vertical structure surface unless it is locked in said first operational position; a forwardly projecting lip associated with the upper portion of the gutter support vertical 10 component; and a locking arm rotatably associated with the upper portion of the vertical anchor component, said locking arm including a portion that is correspondingly shaped with said forwardly projecting lip and adapted to engage said lip to thereby prevent downward rotation of the gutter support and thereby maintain the gutter in an operational position in which an interior thereof faces 15 upwardly, the locking arm being upwardly rotatable to a position in which said lip becomes disengaged thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to a second position in which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible. Preferably the locking arm extends forwardly to a point beyond the gutter for easy access to said locking arm, such that when the locking arm is rotated upwardly by a predetermined 20 angle from its engaged position, the lip is no longer held inside said correspondingly shaped portion, and the gutter support is released. In preference said rotatable locking arm includes a plurality of adjoining arms being adjustable relative to one another in order to accommodate gutters of different cross sectional dimension. 25 In preference said plurality of arms includes a first arm having associated therewith said lip engaging portion, a second arm which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the first arm and lockable thereto, a third arm which is vertically moveable with respect to the second arm and lockable thereto, and a fourth arm which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the third arm and lockable thereto. 30 Preferably said fourth arm is shaped to extend over an upper forwardmost edge of the gutter.

3b Preferably said lip is adapted to fit snugly inside said correspondingly shaped portion of the locking arm when the two components are engaged. In preference said locking arm and said support member are arranged such that when the gutter support is moved from the second position back to the first operational position, the gutter 5 support by way of contact with the locking arm rotates the locking arm upwardly to a position in which the locking arm automatically engages the lip and thereby locks the gutter in said first operational position. In a still further form of the invention there is proposed a gutter bracket including: an anchor affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, the anchor having associated therewith a 10 first locking means; a gutter support rotatably associated with the anchor, the gutter support including a second locking means engageable by said first locking means to thereby maintain the gutter support in an operational position in which an interior region of a supported gutter faces upwardly, the first locking means being moveable to a position in which said locking means becomes disengaged, 15 thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to said second position in which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible, said gutter support being configured to freely rotate to its second position unless maintained in the first operational position by way of engagement between said first and second locking means; and wherein the locking arm extends generally forwardly and extends to a point beyond the gutter for 20 easy access to said locking arm, such that when the locking arm is rotated upwardly by a predetermined angle from its engaged position, the lip is no longer held inside said correspondingly shaped portion, and the gutter support is released, said locking arm being adjustable so as to accommodate gutters of different cross sectional shape. In a yet further form of the invention there is proposed a gutter system of the type 25 adapted to be associated with a longitudinal roof edge, said gutter system including a longitudinal gutter supported by a plurality of spaced apart gutter brackets as defined above.

WO 2007/101299 PCT/AU2007/000275 4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: 5 Figure 1 illustrates in an exploded perspective view the individual components of the rotatable gutter support assembly; Figure 2 is the assembly when supporting the gutter in its operational position; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view as in Figure 3 but when the locking mechanism is 10 unlocking the assembly; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the assembly when the gutter is in the cleaning or rotated position; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating how the assembly is moved to its operational position from the cleaning position; 15 Figure 7 illustrated the use of the assembly on a different gutter type; Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of a different embodiment of the support part of the assembly; Figure 9 illustrates a rear perspective view of a bracket assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 20 Figure 10 illustrates front perspective view of the bracket assembly of Figure 9. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope 25 of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.

WO 2007/101299 PCT/AU2007/000275 5 The present invention relates to a rotatable gutter support assembly that can rotate the gutter from an operational position where the gutter is used to collect and divert water from a roof, to a cleaning or rotated position in which the gutter is sufficiently rotated downwardly so that its inside may be accessed from ground level. The cleaning position then enables one to 5 clean the gutter by using a suitable brush or even simply by hosing with water. However the present invention also relates to a gutter system using the above assembly. As illustrated in the Figures the assembly 10, according to a first embodiment, includes a gutter support 12 that rotatably engages anchor 14, and a locking mechanism 16 that also rotatably engages anchor 14. The gutter support, that we may call a bracket (not intended to be 10 limited to a right angled one but to any useful shape) includes a base 18 extending outwardly from a rear upright wall 20 and flap 22 extending downwardly partially along the wall to enable the rear face 24 of gutter 26 to slide between the wall 20 and flap 24 and be fixed there by a suitable anchor such as rivet 28. The anchor 14 is adapted to be fixed typically to a fascia 30 of a roof 31 using standard 15 screws 32 passing through apertures 34 in the anchor 14. The anchor is typically of an inverted U-shape including two legs 36a and 36b joined across their top by cross-member 38. The bottom of each leg 36a and 36b is rounded upwardly to define semi-circular channels 40a and 40b. These channels are used to rotatably support gutter support 12 as now described. The gutter support rear wall 20 is of a width that is less than the separation of the legs 36a 20 and 36b. This allows the rear wall 20 to nestle within the anchor 14 so that the rear wall 24 of the gutter 26 sits nicely across the anchor 14 and wall 20 of the support 12. At or near the corner of the support 12 two arms 42a and 42b extend laterally outwards beyond the width of the base 18 or the wall 20 and are adapted to engage the respective channel 40a and 40b. The reader should now appreciate that this allows the support 12 to rotate downwardly with respect to the 25 anchor 14. Since the gutter 26 is affixed to the support 12 this also causes the gutter to rotate downwardly. To ensure that there is sufficient clearance for the installation and operation of the support and gutter, the section of the base 44 adjacent arms 42a and 42b dips downwardly so that the arms 42a and 42b are no higher than the upper surface of the base 18.

WO 2007/101299 PCT/AU2007/000275 6 Locking mechanism 16 allows the gutter to be releasably retained in the operational position shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. The locking mechanism consists of a rear and a front arm 46 and 48 respectively, adjustable with respect to each other the purpose of which shall be explained later. Rear arm includes at is outer end two extending projections 50a and 50b that 5 engage channels 52a and 52b defined by bends 54 in the legs of the anchor 14 at a location adjacent cross-member 38 and facia 30. This allows the support 18 to rotate with respect to the anchor 14 whilst being held in place. The rear arm 46 near its outer end includes a kink 56 that defined in part an inner abutment surface 58. A similarly shaped lip 60 in support 18 engages this surface 58. One 10 would appreciate that in its operational position the surface 58 is abutted by lip 60 preventing it from dis-engaging and locking the gutter support and thus the gutter from rotating. To unlock the gutter, the locking mechanism is pushed upwards rotating around its projections 50a and 50b and releasing the lip 60 from abutting surface 58. To enable the locking mechanism to be activated the front arm 46 includes a handle 62 15 that projects beyond the gutter, as best seen in Figure 3. Now one should appreciate the purpose of the adjustability between the rear and front arms. To be able to access the locking mechanism say from ground level one may use a pole to push up on the mechanism, as shown in Figure 4. However, some gutters may be of different widths. Thus the adjustability of the length of the arm although not essential, is certainly a preferred feature to enable the present assembly to be 20 used on gutters of various widths. Although many different types of adjustments may be possible, this embodiment illustrates an adjustment type where the rear arm includes a slit 64 engaged by screw 66 in the front arm 48. The handle 62 may also be a separate part of the locking mechanism enabling different profiles and lengths of handles to be attached to the front arm by use of a simple screw 68. 25 It is important to note that the actual shape of the locking mechanism is not critical provided that the shape acts to lock the support into position and enables it to be unlocked. An important consideration is to ensure that when in the cleaning or unlocked position, the locking mechanism arms do not abut against the rear wall of the support in a manner that may also lock it into position. This is important for typically the gutter will be rotated back into its operational 30 position by acting against the front wall 70 of the gutter in direction 72, the support then acting on the locking arms, as best illustrated in Figure 6.

WO 2007/101299 PCT/AU2007/000275 7 The present invention provides for a very effective but simple solution that allows gutters to be rotated to a cleaning position from ground level without complicated arrangements. It further allows the assembly to be used on different shaped gutters, such as gutter 74 in Figure 7, this feature not found in any other known gutter support assemblies. 5 It is important to note that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular configuration described above. Figure 8 illustrates such an alternative assembly 76 whereby the shape of the support 12 is more simplified in that it does not include flap 22 to envelop around the rear wall 24 of the gutter 26, but rather uses washers 78 to directly fix the gutter rear wall 24 to the rear wall 20 of the support 12. 10 Figures 9-10 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. This assembly 80 is similar to assembly 10 in many respects and so like numerals will be used to refer to like parts. As with the assembly shown in Figure 8, the support 12 of bracket assembly 80 does not include flap 22 but is intended to directly engage the gutter (not shown) using washers and rivets (which are not shown). The way in which the anchor 14 and support 12 engage is also slightly 15 different. The bottom of each leg is rounded upwards and inwards to form circular apertures 82a and 82b adapted to rotatably engage a cylindrical rod 84 associated with support 12 and thereby form a hinge-like connection. The cylindrical rod 84 is fixedly enclosed within a correspondingly shaped housing 86 formed integrally with base 18 of support 12. The housing 86 is of a width to fit between arms 36a and 36b, and a diameter approximately equal to the 20 circular apertures 82a and 82b. The cylindrical rod 84 replaces arms 42a and 42b of support 12 in assembly 10 to form a hinge-like connection between anchor 14 and support 12 without the need for the base 18 to dip downwardly adjacent the connection. A further difference is that the upright wall 20 of the support 12 is prevented from movement between the arms 36a and 36b of the anchor 14 by semicircular shoulders 88a and 25 88b extending inwardly from arms 36a and 36b respectively. This allows the anchor 14 to be mounted flush with the fascia 30 given that there is now space between the upright wall 20 and fascia 30 to allow for washers, rivets and the like which connect the gutter 26 to the upright wall 20. Finally, the locking mechanism 16 is also configured slightly differently. The rear arm 46 30 and front arm 48 serve the same purpose, however, in this preferred embodiment they include WO 2007/101299 PCT/AU2007/000275 8 right-angled panels. They are still connected using a slit 64 engaged by a screw as described above. The handle 62 of assembly 10 is replaced with two further L-shaped arms 90 and 92 whereby arm 90 and arm 48 are engaged using screw 94, and arm 92 and arm 90 are engaged using screw 96. Each of the slits associated with these connections have been numbered using 5 reference numeral 64 for the purpose of brevity. The skilled address would realise that each of the arms 46, 48, 90 and 92 are adjustable and fixable relative to adjacent arms to allow for any shape and size of gutter 26. The outermost arm 92 is adapted to be pushed up against the front of the gutter 26 and subsequently locked in place using screw 96 to act as a further support for the gutter 26. It is to be understood that each panel of the arms could be of different lengths to that 10 which is shown in the Figures. With the assemblies embodied herein being almost all located behind or within the gutter it is not seen from ground level thereby maintaining the aesthetic appeal of gutters as are now. The assembly could be finished in the same pattern or colour as the gutters. It is also to be noted that additional mechanisms that may mechanically lock and unlock the assembly may also be 15 installed. Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to 20 the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. In any claims that follow and in the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", i.e. the features specified may be associated with further 25 features in various embodiments of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. A gutter bracket including: an anchor affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, the anchor having associated therewith a rotatable locking arm; 5 a gutter support rotatably associated with the anchor, the gutter support including a lip which projects in a forwards direction relative to said rear vertical structure, said rotatable locking arm including a correspondingly shaped portion adapted to engage the forwardly projecting lip to thereby prevent downward rotation of the gutter support and maintain the gutter in an operational position in which an interior region thereof faces 10 upwardly, the locking arm being upwardly rotatable to a position in which said lip becomes disengaged thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to a second position in which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible, said gutter support being configured to freely rotate to its second position unless maintained in said first operational position by way of engagement between said locking arm and said lip. 15

2. A gutter bracket including: an anchor affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, the anchor having associated therewith a rotatable locking arm; a gutter support rotatably associated with the anchor, the gutter support including a lip which projects in a forwards direction relative to said rear vertical structure, said 20 rotatable locking arm including a correspondingly shaped portion adapted to engage the forwardly projecting lip to thereby prevent downward rotation of the gutter support and maintain the gutter in an operational position in which an interior region thereof faces upwardly, the locking arm being upwardly rotatable to a position in which said lip becomes disengaged thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to a second position in 25 which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible, said gutter support being configured to freely rotate to its second position unless maintained in said first operational position by way of engagement between said locking arm and said lip.

3. A gutter bracket as in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said rotatable locking arm includes a plurality of adjoining arms being adjustable relative to one another in order to 30 accommodate gutters of different cross sectional dimension. 10

4. A gutter bracket as in claim 3 wherein said plurality of arms includes a first arm having associated therewith said lip engaging portion, a second arm which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the first arm and lockable thereto, a third arm which is vertically moveable with respect to the second arm and lockable thereto, and a fourth arm 5 which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the third arm and lockable thereto.

5. A gutter bracket as in claim 4 wherein said fourth arm is shaped to extend over an upper forwardmost edge of the gutter.

6. A gutter bracket as in any one of the above claims wherein said lip is adapted to fit 10 snugly inside said correspondingly shaped portion of the locking arm when the two components are engaged.

7. A gutter bracket as in any one of the above claims wherein said locking arm and said support member are arranged such that when the gutter support is moved from the second position back to the first operational position, the gutter support by way of contact with 15 the locking arm rotates the locking arm upwardly to a position in which the locking arm automatically engages the lip and thereby locks the gutter in said first operational position.

8. A gutter bracket as in any one of the above claims wherein said gutter support includes a generally vertical component having upper and lower portions, said lip being disposed at 20 said upper portion said lower portion being rotatably connected to said anchor.

9. A gutter bracket as in claim 8 wherein said gutter support further includes a generally horizontal component adapted to extend beneath the gutter being supported, the gutter being fixed to the vertical component.

10. A gutter bracket including: 25 a vertical anchor component affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, said vertical anchor component including upper and lower portions; a gutter support including a vertical component having upper and lower portions, whereby the lower portion of the gutter support vertical component is rotatably associated with the lower portion of the anchor, said gutter support being moveable 30 between a first operational position in which an interior region of a supported gutter faces S1I upwardly and a second position in which the gutter is positioned to facilitate easy access to the interior region, the gutter support being configured to rotate forwardly away from the vertical structure surface unless it is locked in said first operational position; a forwardly projecting lip associated with the upper portion of the gutter support vertical 5 component; and a locking arm rotatably associated with the upper portion of the vertical anchor component, said locking arm including a portion that is correspondingly shaped with said forwardly projecting lip and adapted to engage said lip to thereby prevent downward rotation of the gutter support and thereby maintain the gutter in an operational position in 10 which an interior thereof faces upwardly, the locking arm being upwardly rotatable to a position in which said lip becomes disengaged thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to a second position in which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible.

11. A gutter bracket as in claim 10 wherein the locking arm extends forwardly to a point 15 beyond the gutter for easy access to said locking arm, such that when the locking arm is rotated upwardly by a predetermined angle from its engaged position, the lip is no longer held inside said correspondingly shaped portion, and the gutter support is released.

12, A gutter bracket as in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein said rotatable locking arm includes a plurality of adjoining arms being adjustable relative to one another in order to 20 accommodate gutters of different cross sectional dimension.

13. A gutter bracket as in claim 12 wherein said plurality of arms includes a first arm having associated therewith said lip engaging portion, a second arm which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the first arm and lockable thereto, a third arm which is vertically moveable with respect to the second arm and lockable thereto, and a fourth arm 25 which is moveable in a forwards direction with respect to the third arm and lockable thereto.

14. A gutter bracket as in claim 13 wherein said fourth arm is shaped to extend over an upper forwardmost edge of the gutter.

15. A gutter bracket as in any one of claims 10-14 wherein said lip is adapted to fit snugly 30 inside said correspondingly shaped portion of the locking arm when the two components are engaged. 12

16. A gutter bracket as in any one of claims 10-15 wherein said locking arm and said support member are arranged such that when the gutter support is moved from the second position back to the first operational position, the gutter support by way of contact with the locking arm rotates the locking arm upwardly to a position in which the locking arm 5 automatically engages the lip and thereby locks the gutter in said first operational position.

17. A gutter bracket including: an anchor affixable to a rear vertical structure surface, the anchor having associated therewith a first locking means; 10 a gutter support rotatably associated with the anchor, the gutter support including a second locking means engageable by said first locking means to thereby maintain the gutter support in an operational position in which an interior region of a supported gutter faces upwardly, the first locking means being moveable to a position in which said locking means becomes disengaged, thereby allowing said gutter support to rotate to said 15 second position in which the interior region of the supported gutter is more easily accessible, said gutter support being configured to freely rotate to its second position unless maintained in the first operational position by way of engagement between said first and second locking means; and wherein the locking arm extends generally forwardly and extends to a point beyond the 20 gutter for easy access to said locking arm, such that when the locking arm is rotated upwardly by a predetermined angle from its engaged position, the lip is no longer held inside said correspondingly shaped portion, and the gutter support is released, said locking arm being adjustable so as to accommodate gutters of different cross sectional shape. 25

18. A gutter system of the type adapted to be associated with a longitudinal roof edge, said gutter system including a longitudinal gutter supported by a plurality of spaced apart gutter brackets as defined in any one of claims 1-18.

19. A gutter bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1-8.

20. A gutter bracket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 9-10. 30