GB2077800A

GB2077800A - Rainwater gutter attachment bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2077800A
Application number: GB8035729A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Paragon Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: Paragon Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 1979-12-24
Filing date: 1980-11-06
Publication date: 1981-12-23
Also published as: GB2077800B

Abstract

A hanger bracket has recesses (12) for the reception of resilient sealing strips and pairs of abutment members (14) for overlying the opposite side edges of lengths of plastics guttering and retaining them in position. In order to facilitate the moulding of the bracket, the pairs of abutment members (14) are located each pair at one side only of an adjacent one of the recesses (12) for the sealing strips, that is to say adjacent the respective ends of the bracket. The bracket is used where two lengths of guttering about end-to-end. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rainwater gutter attachment bracket The invention relates to attachment brackets for rainwater gutters.

Synthetic plastics rainwater guttering and synthetic plastics hanger brackets therefor are now widely used because of their low cost in relation to the cost of similar guttering, because of their long useful life without the need for periodic weather protection by painting, and because they can be installed fairly easily.

Where it is necessary to employ two or more lengths of guttering joined end to end it is usual to position an attachment bracket at that point and to form a leak-proof seal between the exterior surface of each length of guttering and the interior surface of the bracket, such a seal being formed by a length of sealing strip housed within a groove moulded within the bracket. However, since the usual means for retaining the length of guttering within the brackets are constituted by inwardly extending abutment members formed integrally with the brackets and arranged to overlie the opposite side edges of the lengths of guttering this results in a rather complex moulding operation in the production of the brackets.The fact that the inwardly extending abutment members project over the opposite ends of the grooves in which the sealing strips are housed has meant that the moulding apparatus in which the brackets have been made have collapsible core parts to enable the moulded products to be extracted from the moulds. Such collapsible core parts are prone to wear and to malfunction in service. Their initial cost is high and their operating cost is relatively high. The invention aims to provide a rainwater gutter attachment bracket in the manufacture of which the problem referred to above is at least alleviated and in combination with this a form of sealing strip which will be securely retained in position.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hanger bracket for fixing successive lengths of synthetic plastics rainwater guttering in position, the bracket including a body part of appropriate channel section, that is to say having the same general cross sectional shape as that of the guttering which the bracket is to support, the body part also having at least one shallow recess for the reception of a resilient sealing strip on which end portions of the successive lengths of guttering are to be seated, respective pairs of abutment members being formed integrally with the body part of the bracket for overlying the opposite side edges of the lengths of guttering which are to be accommodated in said channel section and for retaining them in position, each pair of abutment members being located at one side only of the or each shallow recess.Preferably, the body part will have a pair of shallow recesses in planes spaced from the opposite ends of the bracket for the reception of respective sealing strips on which end portions of the successive lengths of guttering are to be seated, the respective pairs of abutment members in this case being located each pair at one side only of an adjacent one of said shallow recesses, that is to say adjacent the respective ends of the bracket.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided, in combination with a hanger bracket as described above, a resilient sealing strip which is to be received in one of the shallow recesses in the bracket for an end portion of a length of guttering to be seated thereon, the strip being provided in cross section with a lateral projection which in use of the strip is adapted to seat itself in the channel section of the bracket to one side of the recess so that the opposite ends of the strip can be partly located beneath the oppositely disposed abutment members at that end of the bracket. The lateral projection forming part of the resilient sealing strip may be formed with a flange portion which in use of the strip will overlie a part of the end surface of the bracket in which the strip is fitted.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hanger bracket embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is a view in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig.

1 which illustrates the cross sectional shape of one form of resilient sealing strip which may be fitted in the hanger bracket at that point, Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2 which illustrate somewhat different possible cross sectional shapes of resilient sealing strips which could be used, and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 which illustrates a possible modification of the hanger bracket.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the hanger bracket there illustrated and generally indicated 10 includes a body part of appropriate channel section, that is to say having the same general cross sectional shape as that of the synthetic plastics guttering which the bracket is to support. Midway between the ends of the bracket a hole 11 extends through one wall of the channel section as shown, and at that side of the bracket a pair of ribs 13 which extended around the bracket at its opposite ends are extended outwards to form vertical abutment surfaces 1 5. The arrangement is such that the bracket can be fixed in position, with its surfaces 1 5 in abutment with the facia board of a building by a screw extending through the hoie 11.In planes spaced from the opposite ends of the bracket, shallow recesses 1 2 are provided for the reception of respective resilient sealing strips (not shown) on which end portions of successive lengths of guttering are to be seated, the arrangement being such that when urged downwardly upon said sealing strips there will be produced a fluid-tight joint around the outside surface of each length of guttering. The general wall thickness of the bracket is substantially constant so that of course the general channel configuration of the external shape of the bracket is modified by the presence of ribs which contain the internal recesses 12.

Means are provided for overlying the opposite side edges of the lengths of guttering which are to be accommodated in the channel section of the bracket, these means being constituted by respective pairs of abutment members 14 formed integrally with the bracket adjacent its opposite ends, that is to say, each pair of abutment members being located at one side only of an adjacent recess 1 2 and not being broken intermediate their length by the presence of an associated recess.

It will be understood that this form of hanger bracket can be moulded relatively simply using core portions which do not need to be collapsible, a central core portion being withdrawable in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, and forming the recesses 12, and endmost core portions being withdrawable in the direction of the arrows B and forming the undercut configuration of the abutment members 14.

The sealing strips which are to be housed within the grooves 12 can be of any desired form.

For example, in Fig. 2, which is a view in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1 a sealing strip 18 is shown to be of generally rectangular cross section with a pair of shallow ribs 20 for contacting the exterior surface of a length of guttering which is to be received in the bracket. However, in Fig. 3, there is illustrated a slightly different and preferred cross section of strip, this having a lateral projection 22 which in use of the strip is adapted to seat itself in the channel section of the bracket to one side of the recess (and it will be understood that the opposite ends of the strip will then be partly located beneath the oppositely disposed abutment members 14 at that end of the bracket and in this way the strip is located in position longitudinally.In Fig. 5, which illustrates a modification of the form of sealing strip just described, the lateral projection 22 is provided with a flange portion 24 so that the latter can overlie a part of the end surface of the bracket as shown.

Various modifications may be made to the hanger bracket. For example, in Fig. 5 the bracket previously described is shown to have been provided with projections 1 6 which extend along the opposite end portions of the bracket. The projections are such that endmost portions of the lengths of guttering can seat themselves thereon when the sealing strips are of the form illustrated in Fig. 2. (It will be understood that such projections are not required when the sealing strips are as illustrated in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4).

Thus there is provided a hanger bracket which can be manufactured very much more simply than previous hanger brackets of similar form, that is to say having similar means for clipping the lengths of synthetic plastics guttering in position. The bracket could be provided with but a single centrally located shallow recess for the reception of a single length of resilient sealing strip. In this case of course the cross sectional shape of the sealing strip would need to be substantially of Tshape, that is to say having lateral projections 22 (see Fig. 3) on both sides. It will of course be understood that the brackets can be of different cross sectional shapes, for example for supporting lengths of guttering of substantially half round cross sectional shape. The brackets may of course be adapted to be fitted in position by means other than a single screw. For example, each bracket could be provided with a pair of holes through which respective screws could extend.

Furthermore, instead of the bracket having vertical abutment surfaces 1 5 at each end it could have a central abutemnt surface through which the screw hole 11 extends, that is to say, the abutment surfaces 1 5 could be omitted and the central abutment surface extended downwards.

Claims

1. A hanger bracket for fixing successive lengths of synthetic plastics rainwater guttering in position, the bracket including a body part of appropriate channel section, that is to say having the same general cross sectional shape as that of the guttering which the bracket is to support, the body part also having at least one shallow recess for the reception of a resilient sealing strip on which end portions of the successive lengths of guttering are to be seated, respective pairs of abutment members being formed integrally with the body part of the bracket for overlying the opposite side edges of the lengths of guttering which are to be accommodated in said channel section and for retaining them in position, each pair of abutment members being located at one side only of the or each shallow recess.

2. A hanger bracket according to claim 1, in which the body part has a pair of shallow recesses in planes spaced from the opposite ends of the bracket for the reception of respective sealing strips on which end portions of the successive lengths of guttering are to be seated, the respective pairs of abutment members in this case being located each pair at one side only of an adjacent one of said shallow recesses, that is to say adjacent the respective ends of the bracket.

3. A hanger bracket according to either one of the preceding claims, in combination with a resilient sealing strip which is to be received in one of the shallow recesses in the bracket for an 5 end portion of a length of guttering to be seated thereon, the strip being provided in cross section with at least one lateral projection which in use of the strip is adapted to seat itself in the channel section of the bracket to one side of the recess so that the opposite ends of the strip can be partly located beneath the oppositely disposed abutment members at that end of the bracket.

4. The hanger bracket and sealing strip combination according to claim 3, in which the lateral projection forming part of the resilient sealing strip is formed with a flange portion which in use of the strip overlies a part of the end surface of the bracket in which the strip is fitted.

5. A hanger bracket constructed, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated by Fig. 1 or Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A hanger bracket and resilient sealing strip combination constructed, arranged and adapted be used substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.