GB2101172A - Tile clips - Google Patents

Abstract

A tile clip 1 for securing a roof tile 9 in a roofing system including overlapping rows of tiles 9 supported by laterally extending battens 10 comprises a first arm 3 extending in use downwardly adjacent the edge of a tile and a second arm 2 securable to the underside of a batten 10. A member 5 extends laterally over a longitudinal ridge 18 at the side of the tile and a terminal portion 6 of the member 5 engages the abutment formed by the inner edge of the ridge 18. The lateral spacing between the first arm 3 and the terminal portion 6 may be varied by rotating the clip about the axis of the first arm whereby different thicknesses of longitudinal ridge 18 and therefore different tiles may be accommodated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tile clips This invention relates to clips for securing pitched roof tiles.

Pitched roofing systems generally comprise overlapping rows of interlocked roof tiles. In one conventional system, the tiles are supported by a plurality of spaced wooden battens which are secured trans tersely to the pitched rafters of the building. The rear ends or heads of the tiles in each row rest on a first batten while the front ends or tails rest on top of the heads of the tiles in the adjacent lower row. Thus, the head of each tile is sandwiched between a supporting batten and the tail portion of a tile from the next row.

The tiles in each row are interlocked through the provision of contoured interlocking regions with longitudinal ridges along their side edges and each is prevented from sliding downwardly by a transverse nib formed on the underside of the head portion which engages the batten on which the tile rests.

In order to ensure that the tiles are secure and are not, for example, lifted from the roof in the event of a high wind, the tail portion of each tile may be clamped to the batten over which it lies. In this way both the tail portions of the tiles from one row and the head portions of the tiles from the adjacent lower row, being disposed beneath the tail portions, are firmly secured. Heretofore, one method of clamping the tail portion has involved the use of a specially designed clip formed for example from an elongate strip of aluminum. The strip is bent at one end to form a hook portion which is adapted to fit over a ridge of the contoured interlocking region of the title while the other end of the clip extends below the tiles and is nailed to the underlying batten.

A disadvantage with such clips is that they have to be-specifically designed with regard to the size and shape of the tiles concerned and this problem has become increasingly significant as the number of different styles and sizes of the roof tiles available has increased. The contoured interlocking regions vary between different types of tile and, in orderto function satisfactorily, the hook portion of the clip must be appropriately sized and shaped so that it fits snugly over a ridge of the contoured region of the tile. Ifthe hook is too large, then there will be inadequate clamping of the tile whereas, if the hook is too small, then it will not fit over the ridge and the clip cannot be properly mounted.

The required length of the clip also varies depending on the tiles to be secured since the height of the interlocking regions above the batten varies. The clip is attached to the tail of the upper tile at a position close to the overlap between two tiles. Thus, the length of the elongate portion of the clip has to approximate to twice the thickness of the tiles so that the portion which is nailed to the batten lies below the tiles and adjacent the batten.

Thus, known tile clips have to be manufactured within fine tolerences depending on the width and depth of the interlocking ridges of the tiles and depending on the thickness of the tiles.

Problems have also been encountered in fixing such clips. Since the clips are formed from a relatively inflexible strip of metal and are firmly nailed to the batten, once they are in place they will not accommodate any small movement of the tile.

However, the tiling process often requires slight movement of the tiles after the clips have been put in place; for example, it may be necessary to alter their positions slightly in order to line the rows up accurately. Also nailing the clips into place is often difficult and time-consuming.

It is therefore an object of this invention-to provide a universal clip that can be used with a wide range of roof tiles and which is easy and convenient to fix.

According to the invention there is provided a clip for securing a roof tile in a roofing system comprising overlapping rows of roof tiles supported by laterally extending battens, each said tile having a longitudinally extending inwardly directed abutment adjacent an edge thereof and spaced therefrom, said clip comprising a first arm adapted to extend downwardly adjacent an edge of a tile, an elongate member adjacent the upper end of said first arm adapted to extend over the edge portion of a said tile, said elongate member having a downwardly directed terminal portion adapted to engage the abutment of a said tile, a second arm being provided adjacent the lower end of said first arm, and means being provided for securing said second arm to a roof batten, wherein, in use, the effective spacing in said lateral direction between said elongate member terminal portion and the axis of said first arm may be varied by rotating said clip about said axis of said first arm so as to permit engagement of said terminal portion with abutments of different spacings from tile edges.

The abutment of the tile will generally be defined by a longitudinal ridge of the tiles interlocking region and the elongate member extends over the ridge with the first arm extending downwardly below the tile and the second arm extending underneath a roof batten and being secured thereto. Clips in accordance with the invention provide an important advantage in that they can be used on a wide range of tiles.

In general use, the clip may be rotated about the axis of the first, downwardly extending, arm which enables the effective spacing between the arm and the terminal portion of the elongate member to be varied. Thus, the first arm may be held against the edge of the tile while the clip is rotated about the arm until the terminal portion of the elongate member engages the inwardly directed abutment.

It will be understood that, for a very thin ridge, the angle between the elongate member and the ridge is likely to be relatively small while for a-wider ridge it will approach 90". The clip can therefore be used with a wide range of tiles having different widths of interlocking ridge.

Preferably, the first arm and the elongate member terminal portion are generally cylindrical in crosssection and are relatively thin so as to provide the clip with maximum adaptability. The first and second arms advantageously define a.substantially "L" shape and the elongate member extends out wardly from a general plane in which the arms lie.

In a preferred embodiment, the clip is formed from a single piece of steel wire having a suitable diameter. The free end of the second arm is preferably bent upwardly and sharpened into a spike. In this way the spike may embed directly into a batten and the clip may be easily secured without the use of nails.

Preferably, the elongate member extends substantially perpendicularly to both the first and second arms although conceivably the angle may be varied.

There is preferably provided a loop of wire between the arms which acts as a spring and allows a certain amount of relative movement between the arms. Thus, the angle between the arms may be varied and the effective vertical spacing between the spike and the elongate member may be increased. In this way the clip may accommodate different thick nessesoftiles. Furthermore the preferred clip can accommodate small movements of the tiles during the tiling process without damage to the clip.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tile clip in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the clip shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the clip shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a pitched roofing system with some of the roof tiles removed showing the positions of the tile clips.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view on a very much enlarged scale of two overlapping roof tiles taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view from above of two overlapping roof tiles showing the tile clip in one position.

Figure 7 is a plan view from above of the interlocking region of a roof tile showing the required angle of the clip with respect to the tile.

Figure 7a is a side elevation of the interlocking region shown in Figure 7.

Figures 8 and 8a are views similar to Figures 7 and 7a but showing the interlocking region of a different roof tile.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the clip in an alternative position.

Referring to Figures 1,2 and 3 of the drawings, a tile clip 1 which is formed from a single piece of steel wire has a horizontal arm 2 and a vertical arm 3 forming an 'L' shape with a single loop of wire 4 disposed therebetween. The arms 2, 3 lie in a single general plane and the vertical arm 3 is bent at its upper end to form an elongate member 5 which extends outwardly from the plane at an angle of approximately 90" in the form of an arm and has a downwardly extending terminal portion 6 at its free end. The horizontal arm 2 has an upwardly inclined end portion 7 with an upwardly extending spike 8 at its free end. The clip is preferably formed from 2 mm diameter wire since this gauge provides the clip with adequete strength while allowing some flexibility of the arms through the loop 4 which has a spring-like effect.

Referring now to Figure 4 the construction of a pitched roofing system is shown. The overlapping rows of interlocked roof tiles 9 are supported by wooden battens 10 which are nailed to pitched rafters 11 of the roof. A layer of roofing felt 12 is disposed between the rafters 11 and the battens 10.

Some of the tiles are shown removed so that the positions of the tile clips 1 may be seen. Each clip 1 secures the tail of a tile from a first row and the underlying head of a tile from the adjacent lower row to the underlying batten.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6 the tail 14 of a first tile has a contoured section 16 on its underside which rests on the head of a tile from the adjacent lower row which in turn is supported by the underlying wooden batten 10. The head 15 has a downwardly projecting nib 17 which engages the rear edge of the batten 10 and thus prevents the tile from slipping down the pitched roof. The member 5 of the clip 1 engages and extends over an outer longitudinal ridge 18 of a contoured interlocking region 19 of the upper tile. The vertical arm of the clip 3 extends downwardly, behind the head 15 of the lower tile, and the horizontal arm 2 extends under the batten 10 and is secured thereto by means ofthe spike 8 which embeds into the batten.The loop 4 acts as a spring and during fitting the angle between the arms 2,3 is usually increased slightly so that the resilience of the spring cause the member 5 to tightly engage the upper surface of the ridge 18.

As shown in Figure 6, the angle p between the member 5 and the side edge of the upper tile is chosen so that the downwardly projecting terminal portion 6 of the member 5 engages the inner edge of the ridge 18 while the vertical arm 3 of the clip 1 lies adjacent the side edge of the tile. Thus, the clip 1 may be conveniently fitted by holding the vertical arm 3 against the side of the tile 9 with the elongate member 5 extending over the longitudinal ridge 18 and then rotating the clip 1 about the vertical arm 3 until the terminal portion 6 of the member 5 engages the inner edge of the ridge 18. The clip 1 may then be secured to the batten 9 by means of the spike 8 with the member 5 fitting snugly over the ridge 18.

Referring to Figures 7, 7a, 8 and 8a. it is shown how the clip 1 may easily accommodate tiles with differently contoured interlocking regions. The contoured region 20 of a first tile in Figures 7 and 7a is shown having a relatively narrow longitudinal ridge 21. In this case the angle 0 between the member 5 of the clip 1 and the edge of tile is relatively small so that, although the ridge 21 is substantially narrower than the length of the member 5, the effective distance between the terminal portion 6 and the vertical arm is reduced and the member 5 fits snugly over the ridge.

The contoured region 22 of a second tile in Figures 8 and 8a is shown having an outer longitudinal ridge 23 the width of which approaches the length of the member 5 of the clip 1. In this case the required angle 02 between the member 5 and the edge of the tile is larger and approaches 90". It will be seen that the clip may be used for securing a wide range of tiles simply by varying the angle at which it is fitted.

Figure 9 shows how the clip may be alternatively fitted in order to avoid, for example, a rafter 11 of the building. Unlike the arrangement shown in Figure 6, the horizontal arm 2 extends to the right as viewed and, thus, while the angle PI and, correspondingly, the lateral spacing between the vertical arm 3 and the terminal portion 6, may remain unchanged, the spike 8 may be secured to the batten 10 at an alternative position.

The flexibility of the arms 2, 3 through the spring-like loop 4 allows the clip to accommodate tiles of different thicknesses. The angle between the arms 2, 3 is simply increased until the vertical spacing between the elongate members and the spike 8 is large enough for the end portion 7 of the horizontal arm 2 to extend under the batten 10. The resiliency of the spring-like loop 4then causes the spike 8 to embed itself into the batten and urges the member 5 tightly against the upper surface of the ridge of the tile.

In addition, the flexibility of the arms allows slight movement of the tile after the clip has been secured in place; this is advantageous in that the readjustments to the positions of the tiles often necessary during the tiling process may be accommodated without damage being incurred to the clip.

The clip of the preferred embodiment is adaptable and can be used with most roof tiles currently available; it is easy and cheap to manufacture and is both quick and convenient to fix.

CLAIMS (Filed 7.7.82.) 1. A clip for securing a roof tile in a roofing system comprising overlapping rows of roof tiles supported by laterally extending battens, each said tile having a longitudinally extending inwardly directed abutment adjacent an edge thereof and spaced therefrom, said clip comprising a first arm adapted to extend downwardly adjacent an edge of a tile, an elongate member adjacent the upper end of said first arm adapted to extend over the edge portion of a said tile, said elongate member having a downwardly directed terminal portion adapted to engage the abutment of a said tile, a second arm being provided adjacent the lower end of said first arm, and means being provided for securing said second arm to a roof batten, wherein, in use, the effective spacing in said lateral direction between said elongate member terminal portion and the axis of said first arm may be varied by rotating said clip about said axis of said first arm so as to permit engagement of said terminal portion with abutments of different spacings from tile edges.

2. A clip as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second arms define substantially an L-shape and the elongate member extends outwardly from a general plane in which the arms lie.

3. A clip as claimed in claim 2 wherein the elongate member extends substantially perpendicu larly to said general plane.

4. A clip as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the first arm and the elongate member terminal portion are generally cylindrical in cross section and are relatively thin.

5. A clip as claimed in any preceding claim integrally formed from steel wire.

6. A clip as claimed in claim 6 wherein the free end of the second arm is bent upwardly and sharpened into a spike adapted to be embedded into a said roof batten.

7. A clip as claimed in claim 5 or 6 including a loop of wire between the arms which acts as a spring so as to allow restricted relative movement between the arms.

8. A clip for securing a tile in a roofing system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Figure 9 shows how the clip may be alternatively fitted in order to avoid, for example, a rafter 11 of the building. Unlike the arrangement shown in Figure 6, the horizontal arm 2 extends to the right as viewed and, thus, while the angle PI and, correspondingly, the lateral spacing between the vertical arm 3 and the terminal portion 6, may remain unchanged, the spike 8 may be secured to the batten 10 at an alternative position. The flexibility of the arms 2, 3 through the spring-like loop 4 allows the clip to accommodate tiles of different thicknesses. The angle between the arms 2, 3 is simply increased until the vertical spacing between the elongate members and the spike 8 is large enough for the end portion 7 of the horizontal arm 2 to extend under the batten 10. The resiliency of the spring-like loop 4then causes the spike 8 to embed itself into the batten and urges the member 5 tightly against the upper surface of the ridge of the tile. In addition, the flexibility of the arms allows slight movement of the tile after the clip has been secured in place; this is advantageous in that the readjustments to the positions of the tiles often necessary during the tiling process may be accommodated without damage being incurred to the clip. The clip of the preferred embodiment is adaptable and can be used with most roof tiles currently available; it is easy and cheap to manufacture and is both quick and convenient to fix. CLAIMS (Filed 7.7.82.)

1. A clip for securing a roof tile in a roofing system comprising overlapping rows of roof tiles supported by laterally extending battens, each said tile having a longitudinally extending inwardly directed abutment adjacent an edge thereof and spaced therefrom, said clip comprising a first arm adapted to extend downwardly adjacent an edge of a tile, an elongate member adjacent the upper end of said first arm adapted to extend over the edge portion of a said tile, said elongate member having a downwardly directed terminal portion adapted to engage the abutment of a said tile, a second arm being provided adjacent the lower end of said first arm, and means being provided for securing said second arm to a roof batten, wherein, in use, the effective spacing in said lateral direction between said elongate member terminal portion and the axis of said first arm may be varied by rotating said clip about said axis of said first arm so as to permit engagement of said terminal portion with abutments of different spacings from tile edges.

2. A clip as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second arms define substantially an L-shape and the elongate member extends outwardly from a general plane in which the arms lie.

3. A clip as claimed in claim 2 wherein the elongate member extends substantially perpendicu larly to said general plane.

4. A clip as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the first arm and the elongate member terminal portion are generally cylindrical in cross section and are relatively thin.

5. A clip as claimed in any preceding claim integrally formed from steel wire.

6. A clip as claimed in claim 6 wherein the free end of the second arm is bent upwardly and sharpened into a spike adapted to be embedded into a said roof batten.

7. A clip as claimed in claim 5 or 6 including a loop of wire between the arms which acts as a spring so as to allow restricted relative movement between the arms.

8. A clip for securing a tile in a roofing system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.