GB1574826A - Concrete tiles - Google Patents

Description

(54) CONCRETE TILES (71) We, ANCHOR BUILDING PRO DUCTS LIMITED, a British company of Broomhills Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to concrete roofing tiles and more particularly to concrete ridge tiles.

Concrete ridge tiles are known, having flat ends which, when the tiles are laid in end to end relationship along a ridge of a roof, each form with a flat end of an adjacent tile a butt joint. At opposite sides respectively, the ridge tile terminates in flat under edges which when the tile is laid on the roof ridge overlap the tiles of the uppermost row of roof tiles on the sloping roof parts which meet at the ridge of the roof. Such ridge tiles are held in position on the roof ridge by bedding them in concrete which also fills the butt joints therebetween.

However, a disadvantage of such a method of holding the ridge tiles in position, is that cracking of the bedding and jointing concrete due, for example to settling of the roof timbers can result in water penetration beneath the tiles. Moreover, to guard against the possibility of such ridge tiles laid on a hip ridge slipping off the roof, hip irons are usually necessary.

Ridge tiles are also known which are lap-jointed together and held on the roof by bedding them in concrete, in which case opposite ends of the tiles are provided respectively with an under-lap and an overlap, the over-lap of each tile extending over the under-lap at the end of an adjacent tile.

These tiles tend to suffer from the same disadvantages as the butt-jointed ridge tiles.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method of holding ridge tiles in position on the ridge of a roof which does not need to involve the use of concrete and which positively secures the ridge tiles to the roof ridge.

To this end and from one aspect, the invention consists in a concrete ridge tile having an apex and two wings extending from opposite sides respectively of the apex, characterized in that the tile has an integral projection of concrete in the region of the apex and depending from that surface of the tile which is the undersurface in use, said projection having an aperture therethrough for receiving an elongate member which can be secured to roof timbers.

When such ridge tiles are placed one after another in end to end relationship on a roof ridge, the elongate member can be passed through each apertured projection in turn and secured in any suitable manner to the roof timbers. Thus, there is no need to embed the ridge tiles in concrete to hold them on the roof ridge.

The elongate member is conveniently a wire but may be of any suitable form, for example a flexible rod, rope or cord.

Preferably, the tile according to the invention is made by a pressing operation.

The opposite ends of the tile may be formed to provide butt or lap joints with adjacent ridge tiles, but preferably comprise means for interlocking with adjacent ridge tiles placed in end to end relationship therewith. When a plurality of such ridge tiles are placed in end to end relationship on the ridge of a roof the tile ends interlock with adjacent tiles thereby preventing the ridge tiles from being moved away from each other in a direction lengthwise of the ridge without raising the end of one tile.

By means of the interlocking ends, which conveniently form an overlock and an underlock respectively, the need for jointing concrete between the tile ends is eliminated.

Any water penetrating into the interlocks is channelled away onto the roofing tiles on the sloping surfaces of the roof and cannot, under normal circumstances, penetrate beneath the tiles.

Since it is not possible to manufacture ridge tiles with interlocking ends by modern extrusion processes, because the interlocks would project in opposite directions and generally at right angles with respect to the extruded ribbon of cementitious material from which the tiles are made such tiles are made by a pressing operation.

From another aspect, the invention consists in a method of manufacturing any of the ridge tiles defined above by pressing.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of a ridge tile made in accordance with the invention and having parts removed to reduce the length of the tile for ease of illustration, Figure 2 is a part-sectional end elevation looking in the direction of the arrow B and taken along the line A-A of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an end elevation looking in the direction of the arrow C and part section on D-D of Figure 1 and also shows how such ridge tiles can be stacked.

A ridge tile generally indicated at 1 and made of concrete is of generally curved configuraton and comprises two wings la and 1b meeting at which is termed the apex ic of the tile. The ridge tile 1 can be laid along on top and hip ridges of roofs of the kind having two sloping portions which join at a ridge. The tile 1 has an upper surface 2 and an under surface 3 and depressions or recesses as indicated at 4 in Figure 2 to reduce the thickness and therefore the weight of the tile.

In the region of the apex ic and depending from the under surface 3 of the tile, in a central position with respect to opposite flat side portions 5 and the opposite ends 10 of the tile, is a projection 6 of concrete, hereinafter referred to as a security lug. The security lug 6 is integral with the main body of the tile constituted by the two wings la and 1b and has an aperture 7 therethrough for receiving an elongate member such as a wire for securing the tile to the ridge timbers of a roof. The under surface 3 merges into flat under edge portions 9 of the tile via curved portions 8 which, when the ridge tile is mounted on the roof ridge engage with the roofing tiles (for example flat or contoured roofing tiles) of the upper row of roofing tiles on the sloped portions of the roof. Also, as will be apparent from Figure 3 the tile 1 is so shaped that other such tiles can be stacked one upon the other without damage to the security lugs 6 since the curved portions 8 engage the upper surface 2 of the tile immediately beneath with a minimum clearance, for example 3.5mm.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, the ends 10 of the tile are interlocking, the interlock at the left hand end as illustrated of the tile being in the form of overlock 11 and the interlock at the opposite right hand end as illustrated of the tile being formed as an underlock 12. The over and underlocks 11 and 12 are complementary in shape and each comprises a ridge or projecting portion 13, 14 having an undercut outer side and an inner side sloping into a recessed portion 15, 16, and a sloped portion 17, 18 which joins the recessed portion 15, 16 with the under surface 3 and upper surface 2 respectively of the tile 1. Each sloped portion 17, 18 and undercut outer side is inclined at an angle of about 20 degrees with respect to a vertical line passing through the junction line of the portion 17, 18 with the recessed portion 15, 16. At opposite sides of the wings la and lb, each recessed portion 15, 16, terminates in a respective lip portion 19 (only one shown) for a purpose to be described and which join the respective under edge portions 9 of the tile.

When a plurality of such tiles 1 are mounted on a ridge of a roof, in end to end relation, the projection 13 of the overlock 11 engages in the recess 16 of the underlock 12 of an adjacent tile and the recess 15 of the overlock 11 is engaged by the projection 14 of the underlock 12 of the adjacent tile. By means of the interlocking projections and recesses, the ridge tiles cannot be moved away from each other in the direction lengthwise of the ridge without raising the end of one tile and therefore, in effect, the ridge tiles are combined into a unitary structure, thereby avoiding the need of jointing concrete between the interlocking ends 10. Furthermore, the interlocking ends provide a channel so that any water penetrating into the interlocking joints is channelled away down the recessed portions, over the lip portions and onto the roofing tiles on the sloping portions of the roof without penetrating beneath the tiles.

The tiles 1 are secured to the ridge timbers of the roof, conveniently by means of a wire which is passed through each aperture 7 of the security lugs 6, in turn as the tiles are being laid and the wire is secured to the roof ridge timbers at opposite ends of each tile, for example by winding the wire around a nail or stapling, thereby further contributing to the unitary structure of the ridge. The curved portions 8 engage entirely with the upper surfaces of the flat roofing tiles of the top row of tiles on the sloping portions of the roof and in the case of contoured roofing tiles a small preformed concrete fillet may be inserted in the gaps between the curved portions 8 and the troughs of the contoured tiles and the under edge portions 9 can be bedded in concrete in the usual known way.

Thus, it will be appreciated that with the ridge tile described, no concrete is used for holding or jointing purposes, thereby reducing the cost of materials and the time in tiling the roof and therefore the expense.

Moreover, since the ridge tiles 1 are positively secured to the roof, all the tiles of the roof are, in effect, secured to the roof.

The ridge tile 1 is preferably made by a pressing operation in a pressing machine which, comprises upper and lower dies which are shaped to provide the tile illustrated. The lower die which is responsible for forming the under surface of the tile, has a plurality of small apertures therein for a purpose to be described and a central depression for forming the security lug 6. In use of the pressing machine, a mesh sheath, for example of plastics material, is placed over the surface of the lower die to prevent a charge of wet concrete (cementitious mixture of sand and cement) delivered to the upper surface of the lower die from passing through the apertures therein. The lower die bearing the charge of wet concrete is then passed beneath the upper die which is pressed against the lower die to form the tile, the water in the cementitious mixture being forced by the pressure exerted on the lower die out through the apertures therein.

During the pressure forming of the tile 1 a pin carried by a lever is moved into and out of the now concrete filled depression in the lower die to form the aperture 7. The upper die is then moved away from the lower die, is lifted off the lower die by the vacuum head and a pallett having an upper surface which corresponds to the shape of the under surface of the tile is placed beneath the vacuum head to receive the newly formed tile, whereafter the pallett bearing the tile is moved out of the pressing machine for subsequent curing. Alternatively, the aperture 7 could be formed by the use of a suitable removable core.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the interlocks 11 and 12 may be shaped in a variety of ways different to that illustrated, for example the projections 13, 14 each constituted by a strip-like member inclined at an angle to the flat recesses 15, 16 may be curved. Furthermore, the recessed portions 15, 16 may be curved in the direction of the length of the tile instead of flat.

The invention is also applicable to socalled mono-ridge tiles which are of partcircular angled shape and which are used to cover the junction between a sloped portion of a roof and a wall. In such mono-tiles one wing, for example the left hand wing as illustrated of the tile extends downwardly from the location where the security lug 6 joins the under surface of the tile to form a generally vertical wing.

Finally, instead of being of curved configuration, the ridge tile may be of any other suitable shape, for example of angled configuration where the wings are generally flat and either of the curved or angled tiles may have integral legs depending from the under edge portions 9.

The tiles described are suitable for laying on roof ridges over a wide range of roof pitches.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A concrete ridge tile having an apex and two wings extending from opposite sides respectively of the apex, characterized in that the tile has an integral projection of concrete in the region of the apex and depending from that surface of the tile which is the undersurface in use, said projection having an aperture therethrough for receiving an elongate member which can be secured to roof timbers.

2. A tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apertured projection is centrally disposed with respect to the opposite ends of the tile.

3. A tile as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and made by a pressing operation.

4. A tile as claimed in claim 3, and of which the opposite ends comprise interlocking means.

5. A tile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the interlocking means includes an overlock having on the undersurface at one end of the tile, a depending transverse ridge leading into a recess and an underlock having on the opposite surface at the other end of the tile an upstanding transverse ridge which is complementary to said recess and leads into another recess which is complementary to said depending ridge.

6. A method of making a concrete ridge tile as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, which comprises pressing a charge of cementious mixture between two dies.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, which further comprises forming said aperture in said projection during the pressing operation.

8. A concrete ridge tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of making a concrete ridge tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompnying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. edge portions 9 can be bedded in concrete in the usual known way. Thus, it will be appreciated that with the ridge tile described, no concrete is used for holding or jointing purposes, thereby reducing the cost of materials and the time in tiling the roof and therefore the expense. Moreover, since the ridge tiles 1 are positively secured to the roof, all the tiles of the roof are, in effect, secured to the roof. The ridge tile 1 is preferably made by a pressing operation in a pressing machine which, comprises upper and lower dies which are shaped to provide the tile illustrated. The lower die which is responsible for forming the under surface of the tile, has a plurality of small apertures therein for a purpose to be described and a central depression for forming the security lug 6. In use of the pressing machine, a mesh sheath, for example of plastics material, is placed over the surface of the lower die to prevent a charge of wet concrete (cementitious mixture of sand and cement) delivered to the upper surface of the lower die from passing through the apertures therein. The lower die bearing the charge of wet concrete is then passed beneath the upper die which is pressed against the lower die to form the tile, the water in the cementitious mixture being forced by the pressure exerted on the lower die out through the apertures therein. During the pressure forming of the tile 1 a pin carried by a lever is moved into and out of the now concrete filled depression in the lower die to form the aperture 7. The upper die is then moved away from the lower die, is lifted off the lower die by the vacuum head and a pallett having an upper surface which corresponds to the shape of the under surface of the tile is placed beneath the vacuum head to receive the newly formed tile, whereafter the pallett bearing the tile is moved out of the pressing machine for subsequent curing. Alternatively, the aperture 7 could be formed by the use of a suitable removable core. Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the interlocks 11 and 12 may be shaped in a variety of ways different to that illustrated, for example the projections 13, 14 each constituted by a strip-like member inclined at an angle to the flat recesses 15, 16 may be curved. Furthermore, the recessed portions 15, 16 may be curved in the direction of the length of the tile instead of flat. The invention is also applicable to socalled mono-ridge tiles which are of partcircular angled shape and which are used to cover the junction between a sloped portion of a roof and a wall. In such mono-tiles one wing, for example the left hand wing as illustrated of the tile extends downwardly from the location where the security lug 6 joins the under surface of the tile to form a generally vertical wing. Finally, instead of being of curved configuration, the ridge tile may be of any other suitable shape, for example of angled configuration where the wings are generally flat and either of the curved or angled tiles may have integral legs depending from the under edge portions 9. The tiles described are suitable for laying on roof ridges over a wide range of roof pitches. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A concrete ridge tile having an apex and two wings extending from opposite sides respectively of the apex, characterized in that the tile has an integral projection of concrete in the region of the apex and depending from that surface of the tile which is the undersurface in use, said projection having an aperture therethrough for receiving an elongate member which can be secured to roof timbers.

2. A tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apertured projection is centrally disposed with respect to the opposite ends of the tile.

3. A tile as claimed in claim 1 or 2, and made by a pressing operation.

4. A tile as claimed in claim 3, and of which the opposite ends comprise interlocking means.

5. A tile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the interlocking means includes an overlock having on the undersurface at one end of the tile, a depending transverse ridge leading into a recess and an underlock having on the opposite surface at the other end of the tile an upstanding transverse ridge which is complementary to said recess and leads into another recess which is complementary to said depending ridge.

6. A method of making a concrete ridge tile as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, which comprises pressing a charge of cementious mixture between two dies.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, which further comprises forming said aperture in said projection during the pressing operation.

8. A concrete ridge tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of making a concrete ridge tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompnying drawings.