GB2202558A

GB2202558A - Undersill tray

Info

Publication number: GB2202558A
Application number: GB08806925A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Louis Shillabeer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-03-26
Filing date: 1988-03-23
Publication date: 1988-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-23
Also published as: GB8707239D0; GB2202558B; GB8806925D0

Abstract

An undersill tray for installation in an opening in a cavity wall 10, 12 has a front angled portion 22 providing a planar support for a front region of a building element 36, and a vertex V spaced rearwardly in line with the angled portion 22 so that it provides a line of support for the element 36. This leaves plenty of room for mortar. There may be a removable lip 24, 26 at the front. The vertex V may be provided between an upright portion 28 and a horizontal portion 30 which extends across the cavity 14 to the rear skin where there may be a further upright portion 32 and a horizontal portion 20 extending across the rear skin 12. <IMAGE>

Description

UNDERSILL TRAY The present invention relates to an undersill tray.

In further aspects it relates to a method of building using an undersill tray, and to a building construction including such a tray or formed by such a method.

An undersill tray is used where a sill, e.g. of bricks or tiles, is to be formed in a cavity wall construction. The tray in use extends from the front skin of the cavity wall upwardly and rearwardly, and supports building elements (such as bricks or tiles) that form the sill at an angle. GB 2,080,358 discloses a cavity tray having a horizontal portion for resting on the outer skin of a cavity wall. A first angled portion extends downwardly and outwardly from the front of the horizontal portion. At the back of the horizontal portion, there is a vertical wall.

At the top of this, there is a second angled portion extending rearwardly and upwardly. This is coplanar with the first angled portion. In use, a building element forming the sill rests on the two angled portions. This construction has disadvantages. Thus, it is a constraint that the two angled portions must be provided, and must be accurately coplanar. Furthermore, the fact that the building elements lie partly on the second angled portion restricts the amount of mortar that can be bonded to the undersill tray, and hence the strength with which it can be bonded.

Thus the present invention provides an undersill tray in which the rear support for a building element is formed, not by a substantially planar contact surface, but by what is substantially a line of contact, suitably provided by an angle between two portions of the tray. In particular the invention provides an undersill tray for building into a cavity wall to support building elements at an angle to the horizontal, the tray having a first portion for extending across the outer skin of a cavity wall; a second portion extending downwardly and forwardly from the front of the first portion to provide a support for a front portion of a building element extending parallel thereto; and a further portion extending generally upwardly and rearwardly from the rear of the first portion and providing a vertex in line with the third portion so that a building element is supportable by the tray with its front portion supported by the second portion and a rear portion supported by a line of contact at said vertex.

In a preferred form, the undersill tray has a horizontally extending first portion for extending through the outer skin of a cavity wall; a substantially planar second portion extending forwardly and downwardly at the front of the first portion; a third portion extending upwardly at the rear of the first portion; a fourth portion extending rearwardly from the top of the third portion; and a fifth portion extending upwardly from the rear of the fourth portion; such that a building element is supportable by contact with the second portion and with the vertex between the third and fourth portions, without substantial face-to-face contact with the third or fourth portion.

Generally, the third, fourth and fifth portions extend, in use, within the cavity, and may substantially bridge it.

sixth portion may extend horizontally from the top of the fifth portion for embedding in the inner skin of the wall.

At the front of the second portion there may be an upturned lip for engaging the front edge of the building element. This lip may be integrally formed with the second portion, or provided by a separately formed element. In either case it may be removable, e.g. after it has served its purpose and the sill has been constructed. There may be an end upstand connecting the fourth and fifth portions at either or at each end of the tray, to control the discharge of water.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the sole figure is an end view of a sill construction including an undersill tray.

The drawing shows a window opening in a cavity wall, the wall having an outer skin 10 separated from an inner skin 12 by a cavity 14. An undersill tray 16 bridges the cavity, having an outer horizontal portion 18 overlying (directly as shown, or indirectly) the outer skin 10; and a rear horizontal portion 20 at a higher level, overlying part of the inner skin 12. Generally, the horizontal portions 18,20 will be built into the respective skins at either side of the opening. The front horizontal portion 18 passes at its front edge into a downwardly angled planar portion 22. At its downward and outward edge region, it is provided with a lip formation 24 which forms a right-angle therewith. The lip formation shown in the drawing is provided by a separate element 26, secured e.g. by adhesion, possibly via double-sided foam pads. It may be removable.

At the rear of the front horizontal portion 18, there is a vertical wall portion 28, leading to a rearwardly extending horizontal portion 30. This in turn leads to a vertical portion 32 which is connected to the rear horizontal portion 20. The intermediate vertical and horizontal portions 28,30 and 32 will generally be arranged as shown to bridge the cavity 14. There may be an end upstand 34 at either or each end of the tray, connecting the intermediate portions 30,32 to control water discharge from the cavity.

A building element 36 for use in forming a sill (such as a brick or tile) can be located on the tray 16 as shown, with a front portion supported on the angled portion 22 at the front of the tray, the rear of the element 36 being supported by a line of abutment provided by the vertex V between the intermediate horizontal portion 30 and the lower vertical portion 28. Preferably the building elements 36 and the tray are mutually dimensioned so that, as shown, there is space between the rear of the elements 36 and the main vertical wall 32 of the tray, so that mortar can be filled in here and beneath the rear portion of the elements 36, so that a strong bond can easily be formed. Once the assembly has been bonded, the lip formation 24 which served to locate the elements may be removed, to improve the appearance of the finished sill.

Thus the tray acts as an integral formwork during formation of the sill, and also serves as an integral dampproof course once the sill has been made.

The tray can be produced in any convenient material, e.g. stainless steel, galvanised steel, and plastics material, including glass reinforced plastics material.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An undersill tray for building into a cavity wall to support building elements at an angle to the horizontal, the tray having a first portion for extending across the outer skin of a cavity wall; a second portion extending downwardly and forwardly from the front of the first portion to provide a support for a front portion of a building element extending parallel thereto; and a further portion extending generally upwardly and rearwardly from the rear of the first portion and providing a vertex in line with the third portion so that a building element is supportable by the tray with its front portion supported by the second portion and a rear portion supported by a line of contact at said vertex.

2. A tray according to claim 1 wherein said further portion comprises a third portion extending upwardly at the rear of the first portion; a fourth portion extending rearwardly from the top of the third portion; and a fifth portion extending upwardly from the rear of the fourth portion; said vertex being provided between the third and fourth portions, such that a building element is supportable by said vertex without substantial face-to-face contact with the third or fourth portion.

3. A tray according to claim 2 having a sixth portion extending horizontally from the top of the fifth portion for embedding in the inner skin of the wall.

4. A tray according to claim 2 or 3 having an end upstand connecting the fourth and fifth portions at either or at each end of the tray, to control the discharge of water.

5. A tray according to any preceding claim having an upturned lip for engaging the front edge of the building element at the front of the second portion.

6. A tray according to claim 5 wherein said lip is adapted to be removed.

7. An undersill tray substantially as herein discribed with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

8. A building comprising a cavity wall with an opening having a sill comprising building elements supported at an angle by means of a tray according to any preceding claim.

9. A method of constructing a sill comprising installing a tray according to any of claims 1 to 8 in an opening in a cavity wall and supporting building elements thereon.