GB2145754A

GB2145754A - Gutter assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2145754A
Application number: GB08323414A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert William Parker
Original assignee: Key Terrain Ltd
Current assignee: Polypipe Terrain Ltd
Priority date: 1983-09-01
Filing date: 1983-09-01
Publication date: 1985-04-03
Also published as: GB2145754B; LU85517A1; FI843404A0; AU3259384A; DK413884D0; DK413884A; AU564270B2; NO843478L; FI843404A7; NZ209381A; ZW14984A1; GB8323414D0; ZA846831B; FR2551483A1; SE8404309D0; SE8404309L; IE842202L; SE448176B; FR2551483B1; DE3431564A1

Abstract

A length of guttering 3 is supported by a lower arm 7 and an upper arm 10. The free end of the arm 10 has a downturned portion 20 which engages the upper edge of the outer side of the guttering such that the guttering can be supported in position by the arms 7 and 10 in an unfixed condition. The downturned portion 20 has a snap-fitting arrangement with the upper edge of the outer side of the guttering 3 such that the upper edge can be snap-fitted from said unfixed condition to a fixed condition. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to gutter assemblies This invention relates to gutter assemblies of the kind in which one or more lengths of trough-shaped guttering are supported in a series of gutter support brackets spaced along the guttering from each other and secured for example to a fascia board beneath the eaves of a building.

The object of the invention is to provide a gutter assembly in which a length of guttering can be supported in the gutter support brackets substantially in its final position but in an unfixed condition and can then be simply manipulated into its fixed position so enabling accurate locating of the gutter supporting brackets prior to final fixing of the guttering.

According to the present invention a gutter assembly has a first supporting arm which supports a length of guttering from below and extends down one side and part-way across the width of the guttering from said one side, and a second supporting arm which extends over and across the width of the guttering from the same side as the first arm, the free end of the second arm having a downturned portion which engages the outer surface of the guttering at the upper edge of the other side of the guttering such that the guttering is supported in position by said first and second arms in an unfixed condition, said downturned portion having a snap-fitting arrangement with the upper edge of the outer side of the guttering such that said upper edge can be snap-fitted from said fixed position to a fixed position.

One gutter assembly in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a gutter support bracket of the assembly, a cross-sectional view of a length of guttering supported in the bracket, and Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the length of guttering in a position prior to its final fixing in the gutter support bracket.

Referring now to the drawings, a gutter support bracket 1 is shown attached to a fascia board 2 beneath the eaves of a building and supporting a length of guttering 3. The gutter support bracket 1 is moulded in one piece from plastics material and the length of guttering 3 is extruded from plastics material so that both have a degree of inherent resilience.

The guttering 3 is symmetrical in crosssection about its central vertical plane so that it can be laid in the support bracket 1 with either of its upper edges adjacent the fascia board 2. The side of the guttering 3 slope outwardly from the base with a gentle curve.

Adjacent its upper edges the guttering 3 is stepped outwardly and so provides downwardly facing shoulders 4 underlying the upper edges.

The gutter support bracket 1 is formed with a mounting plate 5 through which screws 6 extend to secure the bracket 1 to the fascia board 2. The gutter support bracket 1 is also formed with a first gutter supporting arm 7 which supports the guttering 3 from below and connects with the mounting plate 5 through a web 8, and a second supporting arm 10 which extends from the upper end of the mounting plate 5 across the top of the guttering 3 and clips to the upper edge of the outer side of the guttering.

The supporting arm 7 is shaped to extend down the adjacent side of the guttering 3 and part way (for example about one third the way) across the base of the guttering. Three rounded protuberances 11 extend across the width of the arm 7, i.e. in the lengthwise direction of the guttering 3 so that the guttering makes substantially line contact with the arm 7 at these protuberances 11.

The supporting arm 10 is substantially of 'I' cross-section, with the connecting web 1 2 of the 'I' gradually decreasing in height so that the two cross-limbs 1 3 and 14 of the 'I' come together at the outer free end of the arm 10.

In its extension from the mounting plate 5, the arm 10 has a substantially horizontal portion 15, followed by a downwardly inclined portion 1 6 and then a gradually upwardly inclining portion 1 7 up to the free end of the arm 10. The lower cross limb 14 of the arm 10 over the inclined portion 1 6 defines a recess 1 8 with the upper end of the supporting arm 7 in which recess the adjacent, i.e.

the inner, upper edge of the guttering locates and becomes effectively trapped as shown in Fig. 1.

As its free end the arm 10 has a downturned portion 20 terminating in a hook 21 which defines a flat upwardly facing shoulder 22. Adjacent the free end of the arm 10, its lower cross limb 14 has a web-like projection 23 extending downwardly from its mid-width, the shape of the projection being triangular as seen in the drawings. The side 24 of the projection defines with the downturned portion 20 of the arm 10 a recess 25 (Fig. 2) for locating the outer upper edge of the guttering as shown in Fig. 1.

When fitting the length of guttering 3 into the bracket 1, the guttering is angled so that its upper inner edge lies at the mouth of the recess 18, and then with a generally rotational movement this upper inner edge is pushed into the recess 1 8. At this time the outer upper edge of the guttering lies outside the downturned portion 20 of the arm 1 0.

The guttering 3 is then fixed downwardly so that its outer upper edge passes beneath the downturned portion 20 and it then springs back so that the guttering 3 is then in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the outer upper edge at the mouth of the recess 25, which is not large enough to allow the outer upper edge to pass through it freely. The outer side of the guttering 3 is then forced upwardly and due to the inherent flexibility of the bracket 1, this causes an outward deflection of the downturned portion 20 to open the mouth of the recess 25 and allow passage of the outer upper edge of the guttering into the recess 25. It is to be noted that the side 24 of the projection 23 is inclined to act as a ramp along which the outer upper edge rides so that the deflection of the portion 20 is gradual.As soon as the shoulder 4 has passed the hook 21 the portion 20 snaps back into its normal position so that its shoulder 22 engages beneath the shoulder 4 to trap the outer upper edge of the guttering 3 in the recess 25 as shown in Fig. 1. Thus the arm 10 supports the outer side of the guttering pendant fashion.

When the guttering 3 is positioned in the support bracket 1 in the position of Fig. 2 it is under some stress and is therefore quite stable in its position. Therefore, in fitting a guttering system lengths of guttering can be advantageously supported in a series of the brackets 1 in the position of Fig. 2 and when it has been ascertained that the system has been correctly fitted, the outer upper edges of the lengths of guttering 3 can be snapped into the recesses 25 of the brackets 1 as a final fixing.

In order to remove the length of guttering 3 from the bracket 1, the outer upper edge is deflected inwardly causing the shoulder 4 to be removed from the shoulder 2. The outer side can then be pulled out of the recess 25.

Thereafter the inner side of the guttering can be angled out of the recess 18.

Claims

1. A gutter assembly having a first supporting arm which supports a length of guttering from below and extends down one side and part-way across the width of the guttering from said one side, and a second supporting arm which extends over and across the width of the guttering from the same side as the first arm, the free end of the second arm having a downturned portion which engages the outer surface of the guttering at the upper edge of the other side of the guttering such that the guttering can be supported in position by said first and second arms in an unfixed condition, said downturned portion having a snap-fitting arrangement with the upper edge of the other side of the guttering such that said upper edge can be snap-fitted from said unfixed condition to a fixed position.

2. A gutter assembly according to Claim 1, wherein a part of said second supporting arm extends downwardly alongside an upper part of the first arm and defines therebetween a recess in which the upper edge of said one side of the guttering is received and located.

3. A gutter assembly according to Claim 2, wherein said downwardly-extending part of the second arm and said upper part of the first arm are arranged to engage respectively the inner and outer surfaces of the upper edge of said one side of the guttering.

4. A gutter assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said downturned portion of the second arm defines with an adjacent part of the second arm a recess whose mouth engages the upper edge of the other side of the guttering in said unfixed condition.

5. A gutter assembly according to Claim 4, wherein said downturned portion of the second arm is resiliently displaceable outwardly with respect to said adjacent part of the second arm to permit opening of said recess mouth so as to allow the upper edge of said other side of the guttering to enter therethrough into said recess from said unfixed condition and thereafter to be snap-fitted on the downturned portion in said fixed position.

6. A gutter assembly according to Claim 5, wherein said downturned portion and said upper edge of the other side of the guttering have respective shouldered surfaces arranged to co-operate in a snap-fit manner with the shoulder of the upper edge of the guttering in said fixed position to trap that upper edge in said recess and support the said other side of the guttering.

7. A gutter assembly according to Claim 6 and Claim 3, wherein the upper edge of the said other side of the guttering is stepped outwardly to provide the said shoulder for cooperating with the shoulder of the downturned portion, and wherein the guttering is symmetrical about a central vertical plane with the upper edge of the said one side of the guttering which is received and located in the recess between said downwardly extending part of the second arm and said upper part of the first arm being similarly outwardly stepped.

8. A gutter assembly according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein said part of the second arm adjacent the downturned portion has a surface which engages the inner surface of the said upper edge of the other side of the guttering during entry of that said upper edge into the respective said recess to urge said upper edge against the downturned portion, ad which is inclined such that movement of said upper edge along said surface causes said downturned portion to be dispiaced outwardly gradually.

9. A gutter assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second arms comprise a unitary moulding.

10. A gutter assembly according to Claim 9, wherein said moulding further includes an upstanding plate adjacent said first arm adapted to be mounted on a support, and a web which extends between said mounting plate and said first arm.

11. A gutter assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.