AU774218B2 - Roof tile fixing batten system - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Roof tile fixing batten system .oo o* oo The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: Freehills Carter Smith Beadle Melboume\003868585 Printed 1 August2001 (12:27) page 2 Freehills Carter Smith Beadle Melboume\00388585 Printed 1 August 2001 (12:27) page 2 04/05 '04 TUTE 16:02 FAXL 61 3 9288 1567 FREEHILLS CARTER SMITH B PATENT OFFICE 00oo6 -2- ROOF TILE FIXING BATTEN SYSTEM This invention relates to roofing construction and, in particular, to roof tile battens and a system for fixing tiles to a roof structure.

Background of Invention Roof construction involving the use of a plurality of individual tiling elements as the roof cladding material on an inclined roof, is an ancient construction technique dating from the first use of wooden tiles through to the development of fired earthenware and concrete tiles. Whilst many alternative roof cladding materials are 10 available including unitary extrusions and large shset materials, the use -of a plurality of individual concrete or terra cotta tiles remains an attractive and popular construction technique for roofing buildings and dwellings.

The application of tiles to a roof involves the construction of a roof frame i* incorporating a series of wooden battens spaced one tile length apart onto which the 15 tiles are placed in a systematic array to form an integral cladding for the roof. The shape of tiles has been developed to assist in the secure location of tiles onto the supporting battens where the underside of current tiles incorporates a stepped protuberance which can sit on top of and over a batten to prevent the tile sliding off an inclined roof. Furthermore, tiles also incorporate provision for fastening to the roof frame by nailing or wire ties onto the supporting wooden battens. As an alternative to wooden battens, metallic battens have been developed which rely on conventional methods of securing tiles by the use of rudimentary clips and/or wires.

Notwithstanding all the above features, the currently available tiles and batten method of construction remains a primitive and labour intensive operation often resulting in substandard work where installation of tiles is compromised by failure to nail or wire tie down sufficient tiles to form a secure roof cladding.

Melbourne\004477320 Printed 4 May 2004 (14:52) COMS ID No: SMBI-00733111 Received by IP Australia: Time 16:03 Date 2004-05-04 10/05 '04 MON 10:27 FAX 61 3 9288 1567 FREEHILLS CARTER SMITH B ~004 004479767V1 3 A simplified system of roof battens including easy to use clips would greatly enhance the ease and quality of roof construction..

In my Australian Patent Application No. 88345/98, the contents of which are incorporated herein by cross reference, I describe roof batten systems which ameliorate the above described disadvantages and provide effective batten systems.

Object and Statement of Invention It is the object of the present invention to provide a modification of the systems described and claimed in Australian Patent Application No. 88345/98.

.10 The invention provides a roof batten system including an elongate batten having sides joined by a top, said top and one side being configured or adapted to locate the "nib" of a first roof tile to be anchored, at least one of said sides having means for engaging a clip said clip having means for engaging the first roof tile .such that it is held in engagement with the top of the batten, and said clip having means for engaging a second roof tile such that it bears down on the first roof tile to secure the tiles to the roof batten.

0* The batten may be constructed of pressed or extruded steel or aluminium while the clip may be constructed of wire such as galvanised wire.

In a preferred form, the batten includes a first substantially upright side wall 20 having a foot portion on which the batten rests, a top e:tending sideways from the first sidewall, and a second upright sidewall extending from the top, said second side wall having a side ways extension from which a third upright side wall extends terminating in a further foot.

The extension serves to extend the width of the batten to provide a more stable support base.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of a roof batten system embodying the invention; and COMS ID No: SMBI-00741384 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:29 Date 2004-05-10 -4- Figure 2 is a perspective view of a batten embodying the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiment The batten system embodying the invention includes a roof batten member 1 and a tile clip 2 cooperating as illustrated to secure roof tiles 3 and 4 to the batten 1.

The batten 1 includes a first foot member 5, a first upright side wall 6, a relatively narrow top 7, a second upright side wall 8, a lateral extension 9, a third upright sidewall 10 and a second foot member 11. The sidewalls 6 and 8 have rows of holes 12 and 13 adapted to receive a portion of the clip 2 as illustrated. The top 7 and the second sidewall 8 are configured to be engaged by the nib 14 of tile 3 as illustrated.

The clip 2 has a first elongate portion 16 which can have kinks 17 which serve to control the insertion of the portion 16 of the clip into selected ones of the holes 12 and 13. The portion 16 is joined to a lateral portion 18 which turns to a shorter second straight portion 19 substantially parallel to the first. If desired, one or more additional kinks 17a may be formed in portion 19 to act as capillaries. The portion 19 has a lateral portion 20 parallel to the portion 18 which in turn extends to a third straight portion 21 substantially parallel to the first and second portions. It will be seen that the portion 21 serves to hold the lower end of tile 4 down while portion 19 serves to •hold the upper end of tile 3 down in engagement with the batten top 7, thereby firnmly 20 anchoring both tiles. The lower end of tile 3 is engaged by a further clip 2 of similar configuration which in turn engages a further batten similar to batten 1.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may be readily effected by persons skilled in the art, it is to be understood that the invention eooeo *is not limited to the particular embodiment described, by way of example, hereinabove.

Melbourne\003868742 Printed 1 August 2001 (12:42)