AU2003221154B2 - Locking Gutter Screen - Google Patents

Description

From: Julian To: WI T WI B GUT 2003221154P Respo Date: 3/10/2008 rme: 1:45:26 PM Page 5 of 1 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:- Locking Gutter Screen The invention is described in the following statement: COMS ID No: ARCS-208481 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:50 Date 2008-10-03 From: Julian To: Wl T WI B GUT 2003221154P Respo Date: 3/10/2008 Tie: 1:45:26 PM Page 6 of 00 02 cl

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'S Locking Gutter Screen 0 The present invention relates to screens of the type which are used to overlay gutters in order to prevent entry of leaves, pine needles, bark and other debris and in particular to a mesh type screen having a rib C extending from the underside thereof parallel to the gutter adapted to tc) ooverlie the outermost edge of the gutter and hence assist in mechanically Cl locking the outboard edge of the mesh to the gutter.

For a number of years thermoplastic meshes have been used to overlie gutters in order to prevent the ingress of debris into the gutter and hence blockage of associated plumbing as well as a creation of fire hazards and acceleration of rust and corrosion.

Typically these meshes are secured at the their upper extremity by sandwiching of the upper edge of the mesh between two rows of tiles in such a manner that the upper row of tiles rest on the mesh. The lower and outboard edge of the mesh is typically secured to the outermost lip of the gutter by mechanical means such as hook and loop fastening or adhesive tape or more commonly one of these methods in conjunction with screwing a reinforced edge of the mesh to the outside of the gutter with the screw passing through a small metal angle in order to assist in clamping the lowermost edge of the mesh to the gutter lip; the mesh being sandwiched between the metal angle and the gutter lip.

COMS ID No: ARCS-208481 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:50 Date 2008-10-03 From: Julian To: WI T WI B GUT 2003221154P Respo Date: 3/1012008 Time: 1:45:26 PM Page 7 of 00 o

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MC) Unfortunately due to expansion and contraction of guttering and roofing 0 as well as expansion and contraction of the mesh itself is has been found that the lower edge of the mesh often pulls away from the outer lip of the guttering particularly where it is relying upon fixation by screws at specific points where the thermoplastic mesh or reinforced thermoplastic Omesh edge may tear due to excessive loading at that point. Additionally Ci the inclusion of such devices as a hook and loop fastenings in conjunction with screwing and clamping is extremely labour-intensive.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a mesh for affixation to gutters which provides a convenient, secure and reliable gutter to mesh join or at least provides the market with an alternative.

According to the present invention there is provided a gutter screen and clamping system comprising a thermoplastic mesh of the type adapted to be affixed over guttering to prevent ingress of debris to a gutter system characterised in that the outermost edge of the mesh is provided with a longitudinal interference rib adapted to lie parallel to the guttering and extending downwardly adjacent the outboard edge of the external lip of the gutter; the downward extension of the interference rib being between and 5 mm below any part of the underside of the mesh that lies within mm of the interference rib; the clamping system comprising one or more clamping angles adapted to be fixed to the outboard edge of the COMS ID No: ARCS-208481 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:50 Date 2008-10-03 From: Julian To: WI T WI B GUT 2003221154P Respo Date: 3/1012008 Time: 1:45:26 PM Page 8 of 00 4 0 04 cl

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o guttering over the outermost edge of the mesh and associated interference 0 rib by fixing means passing into the outboard edge of the guttering through the mesh in such a manner that the clamping angle captivates the longitudinal interference rib of the mesh in a void defined by the internally facing surfaces of the clamping angle and the outboard edge of C the guttering.

en Cl One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 as a part sectional view through a mesh in accordance with the present invention and; Figure 2 is a section through a gutter and roof edge showing the method of fixation of a mesh in accordance with the present invention to a gutter.

According to the embodiment of figure 1 there is disclosed a mesh comprised of a first array of parallel thermoplastic strands 1 and a second array of parallel thermoplastic strands 2 formed integrally therewith and sitting at right angles thereto in such a manner as to define a mesh having rectangular or square apertures (not shown) therein.

Typically the first array of strands 1 may sit slightly below the second array of strands 2 so as to depend from the underside of the mesh to a small extent of the order of 1.5 mm. It will be noted however the in accordance with the present invention there is additionally provided a rib COMS ID No: ARCS-208481 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:50 Date 2008-10-03 From: Julian To: Wl T WI B GUT 2003221154P Respo Date: 3/1012008 Time: 1:45:26 PM Page 9 of

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O. 3 depending from the underside of the mesh to a greater extent than 0 strands 1 and been being adjacent the outer edge 4 of the mesh. This rib 3 0 extends below the underside of array 2 by 3mm.

It will be appreciated by reference now to Figure 2 that such a mesh may C be clamped to the lip 6 of a gutter by the placement of metal angles 5 at Odiscreet intervals along the gutter lip 6 and screwing of the angles Ci through the mesh and onto the gutter lip. Furthermore if one of the screws through one of the clamps should tear through the mesh then a significant proportion of the edge of the mesh will not become dislodged from the gutter due to the fact that the metal angle 5 ensures that downwardly depending rib 3 attached continuously to the edge of the mesh remains outboard of the gutter lip 6 and hence the mesh in place above the gutter.

In order that the mesh may be moulded continuously and in recognition of the fact that it is often necessary to cut the mesh on site in order to accommodate differing sized roof tiles and gutters it may be desirable that downwardly depending rib 3 not be formed as one single rib at the outer extremity of the mesh but rather that multiple parallel downwardly depending ribs 3 are provided throughout the mesh. It is important that the mesh be flexible in order that it may be bent to conform to the shape of roof tiles and consequently downwardly depending ribs 3 would need to be separated by a significant difference of say 40 mm and intermediate COMS ID No: ARCS-208481 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:50 Date 2008-10-03 From: Julian To: WI T Wl B GUT 2003221154P Respo Date: Wl 0/2008 'ime: 1:45:26 PMI Page 10 of 00 o 6 0 0 parallel strands such as are depicted in Figure 1 as array 1 would need to 0 be interspersed therebetween. The intermediate strands of course define the size of the holes in the surface of the mesh through which water but not debris must pass. If however it is the case that the intermediate parallel strands (not shown) which are interspersed between multiple (C downwardly depending ribs 3 are not spaced at least five millimetres Sfrom the downwardly depending ribs 3 such that the gutter lip 6 would Cl rest on the intermediate ribs then downwardly depending ribs 3 must extend at least 1.5mm below be the underside of the intermediate ribs in order to provide for at least a 1.5 mm interference thereby preventing the edge of the screen being pulled between the clamping angle 5 and the gutter lip 6 in the event of screw failure. The range of interference would normally be between 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm and preferably in the range of 2-3mm.

COMS ID No: ARCS-208481 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:50 Date 2008-10-03