GB2176219A

GB2176219A - Spacer for tile battens

Info

Publication number: GB2176219A
Application number: GB08514526A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham R Jones
Original assignee: ANNANDALE TILE CO Ltd
Current assignee: ANNANDALE TILE CO Ltd
Priority date: 1985-06-08
Filing date: 1985-06-08
Publication date: 1986-12-17
Also published as: GB8514526D0; GB2176219B

Abstract

A spacer for mounting tile battens onto felt covered roof rafters is substantially V-shaped in plan view and has a base membrane (10 Fig. 3) for disposition adjacent the felt covered roof rafters with along each of two sides an upstanding wall 11 meeting at an apex. These walls serve to space the tile battens above the roof rafters and at and adjacent the apex these walls are extended upwardly to provide an abutment shoulder for engaging a tile batten. The spacer in use is disposed in an inverted-V attitude and the base membrane has on its side remote from the walls a rib 17 Fig. 3 parallel with the walls for making sealing contact with the felt 18. The tile batten is nailed to the rafters and the nail 22 passes through the base membrane which urges the latter against the roof felt. The base membrane clinging to the nail so that there is a seal between the base membrane and the roof felt to prevent water ingress. The V-shaped rib also ensures that there is a barrier to water ingress. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A spacer The present invention relates to a spacer, and more particularly, to a spacer for supporting tile battens on roof rafters.

A known spacer comprises an annular wall having an upper circumferential edge on which a batten lies, this edge, for part of its circumferential length, having an upward extension against which an edge of a batten is located, and also having a bottom which rests on a false roof, preferably felt-covered, which bottom has at least one opening or recess disposed between opposed abutment portions to permit ventilation of the space within the annular wall.

It is considered that the opening or recess in the spacer bottom through which a battensecuring nail passes into the false roof is unsatisfactory in that it exposes the hole created by the nail through which water, e.g. rain may leak under the false roof.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above drawback.

According to the present invention there is provided a spacer for mounting tile battens onto felt-covered roof rafters, the spacer being substantially V-shaped in plan view, and comprising a base membrane for disposition adjacent said felt-covered roof rafters and having along each of two sides an upstanding wall meeting at an apex and serving to space the tile battens above the roof rafters, the spacer in use being disposed in an inverted-V attitude, and the base membrane having on its side remote from the walls a rib parallel with the walls for making sealing contact with the felt.

Preferably, the two walls at and adjacent the apex are extended upwardly to provide an abutment location against which an edge of a batten is disposed to ensure correct alignment of the spacer.

The batten spacer is preferably moulded from plastics material such, for example, as U.P.V.C.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a batten spacer according to the present invention in use; Figure 2 is a perspective view looking at the top of a spacer according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view looking at the bottom of a batten spacer according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the batten spacer is V-shape in plan, having a triangular base membrane 10, and two integral walls 11 which meet at an apex of the base membrane 10. The spacer is injection moulded from a plastics material, such, for example as U.P.V.C.

At the apex 12, the walls 11 are extended away from the base membrane 10 as indicated at 13, i.e. upwardly when the batten spacer is considered in its in-use position, to define abutment locations 14.

The batten spacer at each of its three corners is provided with a cylindrical pillar 15 to add strength to the spacer and to provide a convenient ejection feature to aid moulding.

The batten spacer is also formed with a triangular strengthening web 16 on the inside of each wall 11 integral with the latter and the base membrane 10 to resist lateral forces.

Finally on the underside of the base membrane 10, considering the batten spacer in its in-use position there is formed a V-rib 17 aligned with and disposed underneath the Vdefining walls 11. This rib 17 provides the batten spacer with a water sealing feature.

In use, the batten spacer is laid on the roofing felt covering 18 disposed over rafters 19 in an inverted-V attitude as shown in Fig.

1.

A tile batten 20 is disposed on the upper surfaces 21 of the walls 11 with an edge thereof abutting the locations 14 to ensure correct alignment of the spacer. It is to be noted that between the tile batten 20 and the apex 12 of the batten spacer there is defined an opening between the upward extensions of shoulders 13 to permit air circulation within the batten spacer.

The tile batten 20 is secured in position by a nail 22 driven therethrough and through the base membrane 10 and felt covering 18 into the rafter 19. The plastics base membrane 10 is thus forced down onto the roofing felt covering 18 and also tends to cling to the nail 22 thus ensuring that the roofing felt covering 18 is sealed against ingress of water.

The roofing felt covering 18 is additionally protected against ingress of water by the Vrib 17 which "bites" into the roofing felt covering 18 to create a seal that disperses water running down the pitch of the roof away from the nail location.

The general inverted-V attitude of the batten spacer also ensures such water dispersion.

1. A spacer for mounting tile battens onto felt-covered roof rafters, the spacer being substantially V-shaped in plan view, and comprising a base membrane for disposition adjacent said felt-covered roof rafters and having along each of two sides an upstanding wall meeting at an apex and serving to space the tile battens above the roof rafters, the spacer in use being disposed in an inverted-V attitude, and the base membrane having on its side remote from the walls a rib parallel with the walls for making sealing contact with the felt.

2. A spacer as claimed in claim 1 in which

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A spacer The present invention relates to a spacer, and more particularly, to a spacer for supporting tile battens on roof rafters. A known spacer comprises an annular wall having an upper circumferential edge on which a batten lies, this edge, for part of its circumferential length, having an upward extension against which an edge of a batten is located, and also having a bottom which rests on a false roof, preferably felt-covered, which bottom has at least one opening or recess disposed between opposed abutment portions to permit ventilation of the space within the annular wall. It is considered that the opening or recess in the spacer bottom through which a battensecuring nail passes into the false roof is unsatisfactory in that it exposes the hole created by the nail through which water, e.g. rain may leak under the false roof. It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above drawback. According to the present invention there is provided a spacer for mounting tile battens onto felt-covered roof rafters, the spacer being substantially V-shaped in plan view, and comprising a base membrane for disposition adjacent said felt-covered roof rafters and having along each of two sides an upstanding wall meeting at an apex and serving to space the tile battens above the roof rafters, the spacer in use being disposed in an inverted-V attitude, and the base membrane having on its side remote from the walls a rib parallel with the walls for making sealing contact with the felt. Preferably, the two walls at and adjacent the apex are extended upwardly to provide an abutment location against which an edge of a batten is disposed to ensure correct alignment of the spacer. The batten spacer is preferably moulded from plastics material such, for example, as U.P.V.C. The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a batten spacer according to the present invention in use; Figure 2 is a perspective view looking at the top of a spacer according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view looking at the bottom of a batten spacer according to the present invention. Referring to the drawing, the batten spacer is V-shape in plan, having a triangular base membrane 10, and two integral walls 11 which meet at an apex of the base membrane 10. The spacer is injection moulded from a plastics material, such, for example as U.P.V.C. At the apex 12, the walls 11 are extended away from the base membrane 10 as indicated at 13, i.e. upwardly when the batten spacer is considered in its in-use position, to define abutment locations 14. The batten spacer at each of its three corners is provided with a cylindrical pillar 15 to add strength to the spacer and to provide a convenient ejection feature to aid moulding. The batten spacer is also formed with a triangular strengthening web 16 on the inside of each wall 11 integral with the latter and the base membrane 10 to resist lateral forces. Finally on the underside of the base membrane 10, considering the batten spacer in its in-use position there is formed a V-rib 17 aligned with and disposed underneath the Vdefining walls 11. This rib 17 provides the batten spacer with a water sealing feature. In use, the batten spacer is laid on the roofing felt covering 18 disposed over rafters 19 in an inverted-V attitude as shown in Fig. 1. A tile batten 20 is disposed on the upper surfaces 21 of the walls 11 with an edge thereof abutting the locations 14 to ensure correct alignment of the spacer. It is to be noted that between the tile batten 20 and the apex 12 of the batten spacer there is defined an opening between the upward extensions of shoulders 13 to permit air circulation within the batten spacer. The tile batten 20 is secured in position by a nail 22 driven therethrough and through the base membrane 10 and felt covering 18 into the rafter 19. The plastics base membrane 10 is thus forced down onto the roofing felt covering 18 and also tends to cling to the nail 22 thus ensuring that the roofing felt covering 18 is sealed against ingress of water. The roofing felt covering 18 is additionally protected against ingress of water by the Vrib 17 which "bites" into the roofing felt covering 18 to create a seal that disperses water running down the pitch of the roof away from the nail location. The general inverted-V attitude of the batten spacer also ensures such water dispersion. CLAIMS

2. A spacer as claimed in claim 1 in which the upstanding walls at and adjacent the apex are extended upwardly to provide an abutment location against which an edge of a batten is disposed to ensure correct alignment of the spacer.

3. A spacer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, moulded from plastics material, for example U.P.V.C.

4. A spacer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising cylindrical pillars moulded integral with said walls at each apex of the base membrane to provide strength.

5. A spacer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein two or more webs within the spacer provide resistance to lateral forces, each web joining one of said walls and the base membrane.

6. A spacer for mounting tile battens onto felt-covered roof rafters, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.