GB2152963A - A roof assembly of combined roof and ceiling units - Google Patents

Abstract

A roof assembly assembly is provided composed of a plurality of combined roof and ceiling units 11 each adapted to rest on and be attached to a plurality of rafters 13 substantially in side-by-side association with at least one other similar unit, each of said units 11 being a tile-like slab comprising: a hollow body 17 which houses an insulatory medium 18 (Figure 4) and is closed at least at one of its ends by a flat closure plate 19 secured on that end, and rain-excluding means bordering said body 17, said rain-excluding means comprising means whereby the ends of the units 11 in mutual abutment are sealed each in relation to the other, and in respect of each of said units 11, a channel formation 25 of inverted "u" cross-sectional shape extending along and for the full length of one side of said unit 11 which accepts within it an upstanding flange 26 extending along one side of a neighbouring and similar unit 11. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A roof assembly of combined roof and ceiling units This invention relates to a roof assembly composed of simple units which are inexpensive, amenable to mass production, and which, with a minimum of on-site labour, may be arrayed in multiple on, and secured to, a conventional assemblage of rafters or like supports thereby to constitute both roof and ceiling for a house or other dwelling or structure.

In summary, the invention provides: a roofing assembly composed of a plurality of combined roof and ceiling units each adapted to rest on and be attached to a plurality of rafters substantially in side-by-side association with at least one other similar unit, each of said units being atile-like slab comprising: a hollow body which houses an insulatory medium and is closed at least at one of its ends by a flat closure plate secured on that end, and rain-excluding means bordering said body; said rain-excluding means comprising:: means whereby the ends of the units in mutual abutment are sealed each in relation to the other, and in respect of each of said units, a channel formation of inverted "u" cross-sectional shape extending along and for the full length of one side of said unit which accepts within it an upstanding flange extending along one side of a neighbouring and similar unit.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the drawings as herewith.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single unit able to span four rafters.

Figure2 is a sectional end elevation taken on line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of an array of units incorporating an eave-guttering unit.

Figure 4 is a sectional showing (taken on line 4-4 in Figure 3) of a cover strip arrangement for weatherpoofing the abutting ends of two units or arrays thereof assembled in end-to-end contiguity.

Figure 5 is a section showing of a cover strip taken on line 5-5 in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional end elevation showing two eave-guttering units meeting in a roof valley.

Figure 7 is a detail of preferred unit holding down means.

Figures 8 to 10 respectively show modified forms of unit.

First referring to Figures 1 to 7, the roofing assembly is mainly composed of a plurality of similar units 11 the array of which will frequently be bordered, on one side, by an eave-guttering unit 12.

Units 11 and 12 rest on roof rafters 13 and are secured thereto in any convenient manner. For example by use of clamping strips 14 (Figure 3) or clamping plates 15 (Figures 6 and 7); or, by use of hook-like brackets 16 (Figure 6).

Each unit 11 consists of a hollow body 17 internally packed with insulatory material 18 and closed at its ends by closure plates 19 secured to the body by welding or otherwise. The units 12 are uptilted, as indicated at 20 where they are required to channel water to a downpipe (not shown) or otherwise.

At the ends of the units the rain exclusion means may consist in no more than the insertion between an abutting pair of plates such as 19 of a mastic or other sealant or adhesive material, or of the insertion between plates 19 of a layer of rubber or other gasketting compressible material. For preference the rain excluding means at the meeting ends of two units comprise protuberent marginal flanges 21 on said end plates 19. These flanges, in most cases, project above the unit bodies as shown in Figure 5 and that may be sealed, each in relation to the other, in several ways. For example by making one of the meeting flanges taller than the other and bending the taller over the shorter; or, by making the flanges of equal height (as shown) and bending them over combinedly; or, by application to the flanges of u-sectioned cover strips such as 22 and 23.Where such cover strips are required in relation to eave guttering units needing to have their adjoining top surfaces unobstructed, the strips 23 or appropriate parts thereof, may be sunken in wells 24. Subsequent to cover strip application, the wells 24 may be filled with mastic material, silicone rubber, or the like.

The longitudinal edges of the units 11 are weather proofed by providing the units with channel formations 25 able to receive within them upstanding flanges 26 extending along one longitudinal edge of a neighbouring and similar unit.

The eave-guttered unit 27 shown in Figure 8 is virtually the same as that shown at 12 in Figures 3 and 6, except that it is internally provided with layers 28 of corrugated and laminated cardboard, sheets of foamed plastics or other material able to deter transmission of heatthrough the unit.

Figure 9 differs from the previously described arrangements in that its units 29 have their side edges in overlap as distinct from abutment as before; moreover, the units are secured to the rafters 30 by means of brackets 31 and 32 instead of hook-like brackets of the kind numbered 16 in Figure 6.

In this embodiment, each of the units has channel formation 33 to accept an upstanding flange 34 on a neighbouring, similar unit. In this instance however, the flanges 34 are stepped at 35 to receive a tongue 36 on the companion unit, thus to provide holding down means for the units alternative to the use of hook brackets such as 16 in Figure 6.

The arrangement of Figure 9 may be furnished with an eave-guttering unit such as shown in 12 in Figure 6 or at 27 in Figure 8. Even so, the use of brackets 32 provides a suitable suspension for a substantially conventional gutter as shown at 37.

The unit shown in Figure 10 displays a mix of characteristics already described in relation to earlier figures. It is of the general form shown in Figure 2, its insulatory medium is of the kind shown in Figure 8, its weather proofing arrangements are similar to those of Figure 9.

In Figure 10 the unit 38 has a channel formation 39 to accept an upstanding flange 40; and, for holdingdown purpose each of these units has a fixing flange 41 attachable (e.g. screw 42) to a rafter; and, at the proximal end of that flange, a groove formation 43 to receive an anchor flange 44.

The bodies of the units may be made of metal or of plastics material. They may be formed by extrusion, folding, rolling, moulding or otherwise. The insulatory material may be of any known kind such as synthetic foam, foam crumb or other. The end plates are, in most cases, applied to both ends of each unit body and they may be held thereon by adhesion, bonding, welding, heat-sealing or otherwise.

Where an end plate such as 19 (Figures 1 and 2) is applied to only one end of a body, the other end of the body may be left temporarily open, and eventually closed during roof assembly by butting the open end against the plate-closed end of another similar unit. Where the bodies are made by moulding one end plate may be applied and secured to the tubular body by being integrally moulded with it.

It will be appreciated that the provision of closure end plates such as 19 enables units to be butted together end-to-end irrespective of whether the units are butted co-linearly or at some selected angle, but while all of the units are so enabled, there will be many that may have one or both ends "free", not being required to be abutted against anything; for example where a unit has a free end or ends which overhang the supporting rafters as gable eaves.

Such free ends are sufficiently weather-proofed merely by having an end plate applied thereto.

Where a unit has one end required to be abutting against a wall or other structure, that end may be weather-proofed by conventional use of flashing material.

Claims (10)

1. A roofing assembly composed of a plurality of combined roof and ceiling units each adapted to rest on and be attached to a plurality of rafters substantially in side-by-side association with at least one other similar unit, each of said units being a tile-like slab comprising: a hollow body which houses an insulatory medium and is closed at least at one of its ends by a flat closure plate secured on that end, and rain-excluding means bordering said body; said rain-excluding means comprising: means whereby the ends of the units in mutual abutment are sealed each in relation to the other, and in respect of each of said units, a channel formation of inverted "u" cross-sectional shape extending along and for the full length of one side of said unit which accepts within it an upstanding flange extending along one side of a neighbouring and similar unit.

2. A roofing assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the units constituting said assembly is formed as a rain catchment gutter.

3. A roofing assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the unit ends in mutual abutment are sealed by way of protuberent marginal flanges on the end plates meeting at those ends and cover strips applied to said marginal flanges.

4. A roofing assembly according to claim 3 wherein said marginal flanges project above the unit bodies to which they belong.

5. A roofing assembly according to claim 3 wherein said marginal flanges, at least in part are disposed in well formations in the unit bodies to which they belong.

6. A roofing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means whereby said units are attached to said rafters include clamping strips fastened to the rafters and having flanges which project into grooves formed in the units.

7. A roofing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means whereby said units are attached to said rafters include hook-like brackets fastened to the rafters and engaged over the upstanding flanges belonging to the units.

8. A roof assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the means whereby said units are attached to said rafters include a fixing flange which forms part of one unit, which is fastened to a rafter and which has a groove formation at its proximal end; and, an anchor flange entered in said groove formation and forming part of a neighbouring similar unit.

9. A roof assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bodies of said units are formed by extrusion.

10. A roof assembly of combined roof and ceiling units substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings herewith.