AU742478B2 - Roof tile fastener - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: RODNEY GEORGE WADE RODNEY GEORGE WADE S. r r

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Address for Service: Invention Title: CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

ROOF TILE FASTENER Details of Associated Provisional Application: No. PP4774 filed 22 July 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to building construction accessories and in particular to roof tile fasteners for securing gutter mesh or similar sheet-like material to roof tiles. Since the invention is primarily concerned with securing gutter mesh, it will be described in that context however broader uses of the product should be borne in mind.

Gutter mesh is either a gauze-like product, a perforated sheeting, a woven wire mesh or like product which is fitted over the roof gutters of buildings in order to prevent leaves and other air borne debris and vermin which typically collects on roofs, from being 15 washed into the rainwater collecting gutters when it rains. In the case of tiled roofs, one method of S"installing the gutter mesh is to join one longitudinal edge of the mesh to the outer edge of the gutter, using clips or folding it about the edge, and either inserting I. 20 the other longitudinal edge of the mesh under the second to last row of tiles or connecting it to the edge of the second to last row using clips inserted between the rows of tiles. However, it is not always practical or easy to 0raise the second to last row of tiles to enable the mesh to be slid underneath. Furthermore, clips are not useful for certain types of roof profiles. Thus, when mesh is laid on top of roof tiles that have high ridges and low pans, the mesh tends to pucker up higher than the pans and provides a passageway for leaves and other debris to pass under the mesh, thereby substantially obviating the usefulness of the mesh.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved form of fastening means which enables the aforementioned problems of mesh fitted to such profiled tiles to be overcome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a fastener for securing gutter mesh to a tiled roof at the location where the bottom and second to bottom rows of roof tiles overlap, the tiles being characterised by ridges and pans and a longitudinal depending lip on the lower edge in the pan regions, said fastener comprising a substantially planar first portion which is adapted to extend across the pan and fold up the opposing sides of the ridges, and a contoured second portion extending from the first portion which is adapted to extend under the lip of the tile in the second row, said fastener being configured so that the second portion can be inserted under the lipped pan of the tile such .0.00: S 15 that the first portion projects and is sprung onto the upper surface of the pan of the bottom row of tiles, thereby enabling gutter mesh to be held between the fastener and the bottom tile.

0O 20 In this manner the gutter mesh is firmly held *0*0 ~against the bottom row of tiles of the roof, and debris and leaves cannot pass under the mesh as it washes from the second row of tiles over the bottom row. The leaves "and debris thus have free passage to be carried over the 000oo0 25 bottom row of tiles, out over the gutter and onto the ground whilst allowing the rainwater to flow through the mesh into the gutter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The fastener can be fabricated from any weather resisting material which is of relatively thin gauge to enable easy insertion and which preferably has a degree of resiliency to enable it to be sprung upwardly when the gutter mesh is to be securely fastened. The most preferred materials are sheet metal such as galvanized and/or powder coated sheet iron. The latter is preferred as it can be colour coordinated to match the colour of I the roof tiles. Sheet metal is also the product of choice in that it can readily be formed into the desired shape by a simple stamping operation. However, fasteners moulded from plastics materials, such as polypropylene, may be adequate for many applications.

Preferably the planar first portion of the fastener which extends across the roof tile pan has a substantially rectangular configuration and is of sufficient flexibility and resiliency that upon insertion, the ends of it bend upwardly onto the opposing curved sides of the tile ridges. Alternatively, the planar first portion can have winged ends which are precontoured to match the configurations of the sides of the ridges so that no bending or deformation of the fastener 15 is necessary.

S"The second portion of the fastener which is adapted to extend around the lip on the lower edge of the roof tile, preferably comprises three integrally formed rectangular sections which extend at obtuse angles to one-another and with respect to the planar first portion.

A terminal or end section is adapted to extend up the *o inner side of the lip on the roof tile. An intermediate section is adapted to extend under the lip edge and a connecting section is adapted to extend up the outer side of the tile lip and connect to the first portion.

Suitably, the terminal and intermediate sections will be of similar shapes and configurations whereas the connecting section will be wider to facilitate insertion and to enable the correct amount of pressure to be applied by way of the first portion, to which it is integrally connected, to the gutter mesh and bottom tile surface.

Suitably, the length of the second portion is less than the length of the planar first portion as the planar first portion is preferably adapted to extend beyond the pan width, as previously mentioned.

The fastener not only provides an effective means for securing gutter mesh to roof tiles but also has the added advantage in that it enables the gutter mesh to be easily removed should it be necessary to clean, disinfect or paint the gutter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a fastener according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a top perspective view of a portion S•of a tiled roof showing gutter mesh secured by the fastener shown in Figure i, and "•Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the roof depicted in Figure 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in each of which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring to all of the drawings simultaneously, the fastener is manufactured from powder coated sheet metal by stamping and comprises a planar first portion 10 and a contoured second portion indicated generally at 11. The end regions 12, 13 of the planar first portion are sufficiently resiliently flexible that they can bend upwardly in the directions indicated by the heavy arrows in Figure i, about the dotted lines so as to conform with the sides of the ridges of the tile (see Figure when placed in situ. This ensures a tight contact between the fastener and the roof tile.

The second portion 11 of the fastener comprises three sections a terminal section 14, an intermediate section 15, and a connecting section 16. These sections are of planar shapes so as to enable insertion and retention around the bottom lip 17 of a second row of tiles 18 as shown particularly clearly in Figure 3. It can also be observed from this Figure that the first planar portion springs down onto the gutter mesh to retain it in situ.

The fastener is particularly suitable where the pan 19 of the tile is low and the ridges 20 are high, by enabling the gutter mesh 21 to be pressed down firmly against the bottom row of tiles 22 as can be seen particularly well in Figure 3, thereby preventing leaves and other debris from passing under the mesh by way of 15 channeling in the gutter mesh which would otherwise go occur.

The outer edge 23 of the mesh can be retained *on the gutter edge by deforming it about the upper rolled edge 24 of the gutter or by other known means such as by the use of clips.

By using such fasteners it will be readily appreciated that the gutter mesh can not only effectively be installed but it can also be readily removed by simply pulling it downwardly and outwardly from the fasteners.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variation may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (7)

1. A fastener for securing gutter mesh to a tiled roof comprising a plurality of rows of overlapping tiles each of which is characterised by a pan and ridges with a longitudinal lip depending from the lowermost edge of the pan, said fastener comprising a substantially planar first portion which is adapted to extend across the pan and fold up the opposing sides of the ridges, and an angular second portion extending from the first portion which is adapted to extend under the lip of a tile in the second row of tiles, said fastener being configured so that when the second portion extends under the lip, the first portion projects and is sprung onto the upper i• o surface of the pan of the bottom row of tiles, thereby S 15 enabling gutter mesh to be held between the fastener and the bottom tile. be C. C 0 C C°O

2. A fastener as claimed in claim i, which has a degree of resiliency to enable it to be sprung upwardly .20 when the gutter mesh is to be positioned for fastening in C. Q .situ. C 0

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the planar first portion of the fastener has a eer substantially rectangular configuration.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the terminal ends of the first planar portion are curved to conform with the contours of the sides of the tile ridges. A fastener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second portion of the fastener comprises three integrally formed rectangular sections which extend at obtuse angles to one another and with respect to the planar first portion. A fastener as claimed in claim 5, wherein the three rectangular sections of the second portion of the fastener comprise a terminal section which is adapted, in use, to extend up the inner side of the tile lip, an intermediate section which is adapted, in use, to extend under the tile lip, and a connecting section which is adapted, in use, to extend up the opposing side of the tile lip and connect to the first portion.

7. A fastener as claimed in claim 6, wherein the terminal and intermediate sections are of similar shape and configuration, and the connecting section is of a relatively wider shape and configuration.

8. A fastener as claimed in claim 6, wherein the S 15 length of the second portion is less than the length of the first portion.

9. A fastener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is fabricated from sheet metal. A fastener for securing gutter mesh to a tiled oo roof substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 0 DATED this 9 th day of July 1999 RODNEY GEORGE WADE By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.