GB2135362A

GB2135362A - Soffitts for roofs

Info

Publication number: GB2135362A
Application number: GB08403618A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Albert George Griffiths
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-02-11
Filing date: 1984-02-10
Publication date: 1984-08-30
Also published as: GB8403618D0

Abstract

A combined fascia-soffitt with a rain water gutter comprises a one piece extrusion or fabricated component with a vertical web (12) to act as a fascia joint to a horizontal wall (14) acting as a soffitt, the upper lip of the fascia having an over-turned rim or bead (19, 20) which engages with a complementary flange (30) on the upper edge of the adjacent wall (25) of the gutter (10) to support and locate the gutter in position on the fascia. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Soffitts for roofs This invention relates to the construction of roofs with soffitts fascias and rain water gutters.

It is common practice at the eaves of the roof where the ends of the rafters project beyond a vertical wall, to attach a horizontal fascia board along the ends of the rafters and a separate horizontal soffitt board closing the gap between the fascia and the wall. A rain water gutter is then normally attached to the fascia using supporting brackets fixed by screws driven through the fascia into the ends of the rafters.

Existing structures and methods of construction are basically satisfactory but suffer from a number of disadvantages. In particular they are time consuming and may require the services of three or more different tradesmen to complete what appears to be a simple operation.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved construction and method of erection which will overcome some of the existing disadvantages.

Broadly stated the invention consists in a combined fascia-soffitt with rain water gutter, the fascia-soffitt being a unitary structure having a vertical web to act as facia with a projecting horizontal flange to act as soffitt, the gutter being formed as a separate element having means to interconnect directly with the fascia to locate the gutter in position.

In a preferred construction the fascia has a lip projecting away from the vertical web to engage with the gutter.

Conveniently the fascia and gutter interlock and are arranged to allow interengagement and disengagement by relative pivotal movement, separation by linear movement transverse to the length being prevented.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the fascia and gutter interengage along substantially the full length.

The interengagement between the fascia and gutter may take various forms but in a particular preferred construction the fascia and gutter are formed with interengaging formations one being a substantially closed box or trough with a longitudinal opening in one side wall, and the other a web with a projecting bead or flange which can enter the mouth in the first mentioned part.

The fascia and/or the gutter are preferably formed as an extrusion or as fabricated sheet metal.

The invention also lies in a combined fasciasoffitt and a separate rain water gutter formed to interengage to form a combined structure as defined above.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating a combined fascia-soffitt with a rain water gutter according to the invention, Figure 2 is a front elevation of part of the combined structure, Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating how the gutter is pivoted to engage or disengage from the fascia, and Figure 4 illustrates a modification.

In Figure 1 the gutter is a metal trough indicated generally at 10 and the fascia-soffitt is a sheet metal unit indicated generally at 11. The fascia has a main vertical web 12 which is fixed by screws onto the vertical ends of the rafters 1 3.

This vertical web is formed continuous with a horizontal flange 14 which acts as a soffitt, there being a narrow step 1 5 along the bottom front corner to provide a "waterdip." The free edge of the flange 14 is turned up at 16 to engage the brick wall 1 7 and the upper lip of the vertical fascia 12 has a projecting lip 1 8 which is turned down at 19 and turned back at 20 to form a substantially closed channel with four sides and a narrow elongated entrance 21 in the bottom wall.

This provides the inter-engagement with the gutter as will be described.

The gutter 10 has a back wall 25, a bottom wall 26, and front wall 27, the corner being chamfered off at 28 while the upper part of the front wall is formed with a shallow projecting step 29. This reinforces and strengthens the front wall and also serves as some protection against damage when sections of gutter are lying on a building site. A heavy ladder for example would tend to rock over the step 29 towards the chamfered corner 28 where its weight can be transferred directly onto the back wall 25 without bending.

The upper lip of the back wall 25 is formed with a projecting Forward flange 30 which can engage within the box channel 18, 19, 20 as illustrated.

Engagement and disengagement is effected by pivoting the gutter upwards as shown in Figure 3 in dotted lines to a position in which the flange 30 can be withdrawn downwards or entered upwards through the entrance 21.

Thus to assemble the structure the combined fascia-soffitt is offered up to the ends of the rafters and fixed in one operation by driving screws into the rafter ends. Thereafter the gutter is offered up to the fascia so that the flange 30 engages in the entrance 21 as described and a simple pivotal movement then completes the assembly.

It will be noted that the position and shape of the gutter allow the required pivotal movement without disturbing the lower course of tiles 32 which are accommodated within the gutter as it pivots.

The gutter will be adequately supported by the arrangement illustrated but in some situations it may be found that high winds will cause the gutter to lift or vibrate. To reduce this possibility light brackets or straps may be added which hook over the upper lip 29 of the gutter as indicated at 33 and fix under the drip 1 5.

It will be appreciated that the precise shape and nature of the interengaging formations may take a number of different forms. For example, in one alternative the channel is formed on the upper edge of the rear wall 25 of the gutter and the fascia has a lip to engage this channel.

Figure 4 illustrates an application of the invention to a roof structure in which soffitt hangers 37, 38 are fitted to each rafter, like parts being indicated by the same reference numerals.

It will be appreciated that the components may be formed of any suitable material, including synthetic plastics alone or in combination with metal, for example a metal fascia-soffitt with a plastic gutter.

Claims

1. A combined fascia-soffitt with rain water gutter, the fascia-soffitt being a unitary structure having a vertical web to act as fascia with a projecting horizontal flange to act as soffitt, the gutter being formed as a separate element having means to interconnect directly withthe fascia to locate the gutter in position.

2. A structure according to claim 1, in which the fascia has a lip projecting away from the vertical web to engage with the gutter.

3. A structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the fascia and gutter interlock and are arranged to allow interengagement and disengagement by relative pivotal movement, separation by linear movement transverse to the length being prevented.

4. A structure according to any of the previous claims, in which the fascia and gutter interengage along substantially the full length.

5. A structure according to any of the preceding claims, in which the fascia and gutter are formed with interengaging formations, one being a substantially closed box or trough with a longitudinal opening in one side wall, and the other a web with a projecting bead or flange which can enter the mouth in the first mentioned part.

6. A structure according to any of the preceding claims in which the fascia and/or gutter are formed in metal, preferably as an extrusion or as fabricated sheet metal.

7. A fascia-soffitt or a rain water gutter formed with an interengaging formation at the upper lip of a vertical web to form part of a combined structure according to any of the preceding claims.

8. A combined fascia-soffitt with a rain water gutter, or combined apparatus therefor, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.