GB2039822A - Thatched Roofing Panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A roofing panel is formed from a substrate 12 made of synthetic material to which is anchored one end of each of a multitude of reeds 9, each of which projects in the same general direction with a small angle of inclination to the substrate 12. The reeds 9 lie close to each other and in overlapping relationship and there is a sufficiently large number of reeds 9 on the substrate 12 to simulate a thatch covering. The substrate 12 may be made of PVC, APP or bitumen and the reeds 9 may be either natural reeds or synthetic in which case extruded PVC is preferred. The panel is provided with an undercut at one side 13C and an extension at the other side 13D so that latterly adjoining panels 10, 11 overlap to provide a continuous simulated thatch covering. The top edge of the panel 13A is free of overhanging reeds whereas the bottom edge 13B is provided with overhanging reeds so that when the panels are arranged in a tiered formulation there is also continuity of the simulated thatch covering. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Roofing Slab This invention relates to roofing slabs or tiles, hereinafter referred to as panels.

For centuries, one method and material used for roofing buildings has been that of thatching with dried reeds or stalks from natural vegetation or cereals. The choice of such materials largely depended on the geographical availability of a suitable natural material and the skills of rural labour to attach these materials in a manner which rendered the building windproof and waterproof and gave this protection over a reasonable period.

Materials, now regarded as traditional, have in the main replaced thatching as a roofing material, examples being slates, concrete tiles, wooden tiles, corrugated or shaped metals, asbestos, various plastics, and bitumen felts.

However, thatched roofs have an aesthetic appeal, especially on shops or houses in settings which have old-world charm, and provide a particular decorative effect which is of advertising and/or tourist value, so that a market for thatching still exists today. However, the skill of achieving such effects is becoming scarce and extremely expensive and the availability of natural materials for thatching is very limited. These factors combined with other drawbacks of natural thatch have resulted in the demand not being met. Some of the other drawbacks are: a) The high risk of fire since natural thatching is not fireproofed; and b) The relatively short life of natural thatch caused by rot, mould, growth, infiltration of birds, vermin and insects.

An object of the present invention is to provide roofing panels simulating thatching and which can be easily manufactured, and can be quickly attached to a roof.

According to the present invention there is provided a roofing panel comprising a substrate made of synthetic material to which is anchored one end of each of a multitude of reeds, each reed projecting from the substrate in the same general direction with a small angle of inclination to the substrate, laterally-adjoining reeds lying closely adjacent one another with their projectingportions in overlapping relationship with the projection portions of others of said reeds, there being a sufficient number of reeds in said multitude to provide a simulated-thatch covering over a substantial area of the substrate.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a roofing panel comprising the steps of forming a layer of synthetic resinous material in liquid form, immersing one end of each of a multitude of reeds in said layer, inclining each reed at a small angle to the layer arranging that each reed projects in the same general direction, lies closely adjacent the laterally-adjoining reeds and projects into overlapping relationship with others of said reeds there being a sufficient number of reeds to provide a simulated-thatch covering over a substantial area of said layer, and curing said layer to form a substrate with the reeds anchored therein.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 illustrates two adjoining panels; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a panel.

In Fig. 1 there are adjoining panels 10, 11 the panels being substantially identical to each other.

Thus each panel comprises a base or substrate 12 made of synthetic resinous material in which there is anchored one end of each of a very large number of reeds 9. The substrate 12 has a substantially rectangular periphery with top side 1 3A, bottom side 1313 and two lateral sides 1 3C, 1 3D and each reed is orientated in the same general direction namely with its anchored end towards the top side 1 3A and its projecting portion extending towards the bottom side 1 3B.

Additionally each reed is inclined at a small angle of the order of 10 degrees to the substrate. The reeds 9 are closely packed so that laterallyadjoining reeds are closely adjacent one another and the projecting portions of the reeds are in overlapping relationship with others of the reeds 9. Thus, the projecting portions of those reeds which are anchored along the top side 1 3A overlap the projecting portions of reeds which are anchored slightly nearer the bottom side 1 3B and so on. The reeds which were anchored along the bottom side 1 3B are overlapped by reeds which are anchored slightly nearer the top side 1 3A.

As can be seen from panel 11 there is a zone 14 of the substrate 12 extending along lateral side 1 3D which is devoid of reeds whereas the reeds extend along the other lateral side 1 3C and this permits panels 10,11 to be arranged, as in Fig. 1, with the substrates 12 overlapping along zone 14 thereby providing lateral continuity of the simulated-thatch covering provided by the reeds.

It will also be evident that the reeds anchored along the bottom side 1313 project beyond that side whereas at the top side 1 3A the anchoring of the reeds is close to side 1 3A. This permits two panels to be placed one above the other on a roof, i.e. in a tiered arrangement with the reeds along the bottom side of one panel overlapping the reeds along the top side of the adjoining panel and this also provides continuity of the simulatedthatch covering.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of one panel parallel to the top side 1 3A and illustrates a preferred form of substrate cross-section. Thus along zone 14 the substrate thickness is reduced from above whereas along the opposite side ( 1 3C) the substrate thickness is reduced from below. When the panels are positioned as in Fig.

1 the two reduced thicknesses are in overlapping relationship to provide laterally-uniform substrate thickness.

The reeds 9 may be either natural or synthetic, for example formed as extruded plastics tubes, preferably PVC, and are of random lengths in the range 2w inches to 6 inches, the tube internal diameter being in the range 1 mm to 8 mm, and are provided in a sufficiently large number within each panel that over a substantial area thereof, i.e. excluding zone 14, there is simulated a thatch covering.

In one example of the manufacture of a panel according to the present invention, the following steps are taken.

1. Prepare a mix of flameproof PVC plastisol. A typical formulation is as follows: PVC Paste Polymer 42% Di-iso-octyl Phthalate 30% Chlorinated Paraffin Wax e.g.

that sold under the Trade Mark "Cerechlor S45" 3% Stabiliser, e.g. calcium/zinc 1% Antimony Tri-oxide 3% Filler, e.g. calcium carbonate 21% 2. Prepare reeds either natural, or simulated from extruded plastic, preferably PVC, in lengths of 2T" to 6" long having an approximate inside diameter of from, say, 1 mm to 8 mm in readiness for insertion at stage 3A of 4 below.

3. As a moulding operation is used, the mould has an inside size and rectangular shape which ultimately determines the size of the panel, say 24"x 18". The mould may be made of metal and may have an undercut on one side and a flow out on the opposite side, so that one side of the panel has an overlap flange and the opposite side has an underlap flange.

4. To achieve the results illustrated in Fig. 1, the following procedure was adopted: 1 a. Prepare natural or synthetic reeds into bundles of 2+" to 6" Ions, which may be tied, if desired.

2a. Pour liquid PVC mix into the mould at the required thickness, w" to w", and weight. The weight may be 6 Ibs to 14 Ibs per square yard, dependent upon the specific gravity of the mix.

3a. Lay a row of bundles of reeds in the mould, the row extending transversely and at the in-use bottom side of the panel to be moulded, the bundles being inclined downwards towards the mould so that an end portion of each reed is immersed in the mix, the bundles being located so that the end of the reeds projects below the bottom side of the panel to be moulded.

3b. Repeat 3a with successive rows of reed bundles overlapping one another.

4a. Place the filled mould in a hot zone or an oven and cure/gell the plastics material for a specified time at the required temperature.

5a. Cool mould and strip the panel therefrom.

6a. Repeat the above cycle, to form further panels.

In use, the panels are laid on a roof abutting end-to-end and side-by-side and with the flanges on adjacent panels overlapping. The panels may be secured to the roof structure by noncorrosive pins and/or adhesive, e.g. PVC adhesive, and the overlapping side flanges of Fig. 2 may also be secured together and their joints sealed by adhesive.

The top and bottom sides of the panels may also have overlapping flanges, but said sides are preferably correspondingly chamfered, and the joint may be sealed by adhesive.

As a result of the invention, a roof simulating a thatched roof can be quickly and easily laid by unskilled labour, and avoids the disadvantages of natural thatching. Thus, the panels meet fire safety regulations, are rot-proof, inexpensive, and ready for fitment.

The thickness, weight and dimensions of the panels can be varied to suit different requirements.

In the specific example given above the substrate is formed from a synthetic material with a PVC base, initially in liquid form and thereafter heated until cured at elevated temperature so as to form a slab of substrate. In another example the substrate is formed by curing a synthetic material initially in liquid form at an elevated temperature and thereafter cooled to form the substrate slab. In this case the material may be either A.P.P. or a bitumen or similar hydrocarbonaceous material, all being resinous.

Claims (8)

Claims

1. A roofing panel comprising a substrate made of synthetic material to which is anchored one end of each of a multitude of reeds, each reed projecting from the substrate in the same general direction with a small angle of inclination to the substrate, laterally-adjoining reeds lying closely adjacent one another with their projectingportions in overlapping relationship with the projecting portions of others of said reeds, there being a sufficient number of reeds in said multitude to provide a simulated-thatch covering over a substantial area of the substrate.

2. A roofing panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral shape of the substrate is rectilineal, the reeds extend in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral sides of the substrate and a zone along one of said lateral sides is free of said reeds, whereby laterally adjacent panels may be arranged in partially overlapping fashion with lateral continuity of the simulated-thatch covering.

3. A roofing panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein each reed has its one end anchored towards the top side of the substrate and its projecting portion extending towards the bottom side of the substrate, and the simulated-thatch covering projects beyond said bottom side, whereby the panels may be arranged in tiers with reeds anchored to one panel in partially overlapping relationship with reeds anchored to the adjacent panel to provide continuity of the simulated thatch covering.

4. A roofing panel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the substrate is a cured flameproofed PVC plastics.

5. A roofing panel as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the reeds are tubes of plastics material simulating natural reeds.

6. A roofing panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A method of manufacturing a roofing panel comprising the steps of forming a layer of synthetic resinous material in liquid form, immersing one end of each of a multitude of reeds in said layer, inclining each reed at a small angle to the layer, arranging that each reed projects in the same general direction, lies closely adjacent the laterally-adjoining reeds and projects into overlapping relationship with others of said reeds there being a sufficient number of reeds to provide a simulated-thatch covering over a substantial area of said layer, and curing said layer to form a substrate with the reeds anchored therein.

8. A method of manufacturing a roofing panel substantially as hereinbefore described.