GB2218127A

GB2218127A - Apex structure for use in triangulated panelled pitched roof

Info

Publication number: GB2218127A
Application number: GB8809024A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Walker
Original assignee: SCHOLES WINDOWS Ltd
Current assignee: SCHOLES WINDOWS Ltd
Priority date: 1988-04-16
Filing date: 1988-04-16
Publication date: 1989-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-16
Also published as: GB2218127B; GB8809024D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a roof apex structure 26 for use in a prefabricated pitched roof e.g. of a prefabricated conservatory, and which is adapted to have coupled therewith the hollow upper ends of elongate plastics frame members of a plurality of adjacent triangular roof frames. The apex 26 is formed of a plastics moulding having a number of inserts 29 secured at required spacings apart along its outer periphery 30 and each adapted to be received by a hollow end of a respective elongate plastics frame member to couple the frame members to the apex structure in a required array of adjacent triangular roof frames. <IMAGE>

Description

APEX STRUCTURE FOR USE IN PREFABRICATED PITCHED ROOF This invention relates to an apex structure for use in a prefabricated pitched roof.

The invention has been developed primarily, though not exclusively, in connection with a prefabricated pitched roof for a building which is to be added or attached to an existing building, such as a conservatory for attachment to an outside wall of a house. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to use as all or part of a conservatory roof, and may be applied to other buidlings requiring a pitched roof.

There is a growing market for prefabricated conservatories, the components of which can be factorybuilt, and then fairly readily installed on site, and most commercially available prefabricated conservatories have glazed frames built-up from extruded plastics sections.

Rectangular frames form the side walls of the conservatory, one of which may include a door frame or opening window(s), and the frames are then glazed on site using glass or infill panel.

There is a particular demand for the more expensive type of conservatory, which simulates the appearance of Victorian designs of conservatories, while having the advantage in assembly and maintenance of using modern materials. Typically, the conservatories are squared-off at one end (which is the end attached to an outer wall of an existing house), and projects at right angles to this outer wall. The opposite end of the conservatory is formed as an end "bay" which is formed of at least three straight sides inclined to each other with a central side of the bay extending perpendicular to the general longitudinal extent of the conservatory. Usually, the central side will be provided with one or a pair of hinged doors.

Alternatively, a door may be positioned in one of the side panels.

In addition to the central side of the bay, there will be an adjoining first pair of sides which form part of the transition of the bay to the general rectangular remaining extent of the conservatory, and this pair of sides will be inclined both to the central side, and also to the adjoining straight sides of the remainder of the conservatory.

The end bay forms a basic module of the conservatory, and a number of parallel sided walls can be added to the basic module according to the overall size of conservatory required by the customer. The frames may be full height, located on a concrete plinth or a course of bricks.

Alternatively, they may locate on a dwarf wall to blend in the conservatory with the existing house structure.

A prefabricated pitched roof is provided for the conservatory, and comprises glazed rectangular frames extending up to a central ridge of the roof in the case of the co-linear side walls of the conservatory, and these rectangular frames can be glazed with glass or clear plastics sheets, such as polycarbonate sheet which can be double or triple glazed as required.

In the case of the part of the roof overlying the end bay of the conservatory, (in a typical example) three triangular frames extend upwardly from the central side wall and the adjoining pair of inclined side walls of the end bay, such triangular frames meeting at a common apex structure which will be located at one end of the ridge of the roof. Typically, the angle subtended at the apex structure by the three triangular frames is less than 1800, as seen in plan, in which case the frames associated with the adjoining pair of side walls of the remainder of the conservatory structure will be trapezoidal and taper upwardly, so as to compensate for the fact that the roof structure associated with the three sides of the end bay do not extend through 1800.

In one known arrangement, three triangular roof frames associated with the three sides of an end bay are built in a factory, and are then transported to the site for assembly into the roof of the conservatory. The sides of the triangular frames are formed of extruded plastics sections, and they are built in the factory into triangular form by welding together of the adjacent ends of the plastics sections. The quality and appearance of the roof structure will therefore be dependent upon the skill and attention of the welder, and any slight misalignment of the sides of the triangular frames can cause serious assembly problems on site.In addition, the handling and transportation of triangular frames is cumbersome, as compared with single sections, and the frames will also be liable to damage if roughly handled, which may give rise to cracking of the sections, especially in the region of the welded connections.

Also, in certain circumstances, the welder may have to cut-out excessive amounts of material at the adjoining ends of the mating sections, to leave room for the welding head, and this leaves a gap which subsequently requires filling, which is an additional labour and material cost, and also can be unslightly. This may arise when the A-frame angle is shallow and the span length to be welded is greater than that which can be handled by the welding machine.

The present invention has therefore been developed with a view to provide an improved apex structure for use in a prefabricated pitched roof, which enables simplified assembly of the frame components of the roof which form triangular frames at a bay end of the roof, and without the need for the triangular frames to be pre-welded together.

In particular, the invention provides a novel roof apex structure which is capable of having the upper ends of the frame components coupled therewith in accurately controlled angular spaced relationship to each other to form triangular frames, and yet in a manner which is easy to assembly on site.

According to the invention there is provided a roof apex structure for use in a prefabricated pitched roof and which is adapted to have coupled therewith the hollow upper ends of elongate plastics frame members of a plurality of adjacent triangular roof frames, in which the apex is formed of a plastics moulding having a number of inserts secured at required spacings apart along its periphery and each adapted to be received by a hollow end of a respective elongate plastics frame member to couple the frame members to the apex structure in a required array of adjacent triangular roof frames.

Thus, in the application of a roof apex structure according to the invention to a roof of a conservatory, the frame members of an end bay roof structure can be assembled accurately on site in a required angularly spaced relationship, and yet in an easily assembled manner.

A characteristic appealing feature of simulated Victorian conservatories is that of providing an end bay which closes-off the end of the conservatory remote from the end which will be attached to and provides communication with an access opening in an outside wall of building to which the conservatory is attached. This end bay has at least three side walls, and therefore requires three triangular roof frames (each mounted on the upper end of a respective one of the side walls) which converge to the common apex structure. The invention therefore readily permits these distinctive end bays to be assembled on site from single pieces of elongate plastics frame members.

The plastics frame members can be readily made in a factory; and then transported to site in single unassembled form, and preferably are fabricated of hollow extruded plastics sections in any of the sections known for use in prefabricated windows, door or roof frame structures.

In a preferred form, the apex structure is made of hollow CRP (glass reinforced plastics) and may be provided with internal reinforcement e.g. in the form of a moulded in wood block(s) to which the inserts can be secured.

The inserts may take the form of hollow metal fittings of rectangular cross section, known for use in assembling together plastics frame sections at right angles to each other in the formation of door and window frames. These fittings can be readily secured at accurate angular spacings from each other around the periphery of the apex roof moulding in the factory, and can be secured in position by screwing through the outer wall of the moulding and into the built-in wood reinforcement. This ensures correct alignment and positioning in the factory, and therefore no additional adjustment is required on site by the erector of the conservatory.

Advantageously, the side of each triangular roof frame is composed of a pair of adjacent hollow elongate plastics sections, which may be of known design for use in having glazing panels mounted thereon, and therefore a pair of insert fittings will be mounted closely adjacent to each other at a required position around the periphery of the apex moulding to suit the required attachment of the side of the triangular roof frame.

As the roof structure is erected around the end bay.

successive triangular frames are inclined relative to each other so as to form a smooth transition between the planes of the roof panels on either side of the ridge and associated with the rectangular (as seen in plan) part of the conservatory. To achieve this transition, by successive inclination of one triangular frame to the other, an elongate spacer may be provided to fit between each pair of plastics sections forming one of the upwardly extending sides of the triangular frame to the apex, this spacer fitting between the two sections and holding them in a required angular spacing relative to each other. The spacer may take the form of an aluminium bay pole.It will be understood that the insert fittings on the apex moulding will also be suitably inclined relative to each other, to enable adjacent sections to be inclined to each other, at an angle which will depend upon the number of faces at the front end of the conservatory. The spacer also forms reinforcement or strengthening of the end bay roof structure.

The adjacent plastics sections forming each upwardly extending side of a triangular roof frame are known as ridge bars", and the central spacers located therebetween are known as "bay poles". Thereafter, a decorative cover strip can be snap-fitted over each adjacent pair of ridge bars, and also the central bay pole, to present a pleasing external appearance, and also for weather proofing purposes. Alternatively, a moulded (CRP) cresting arrangment may be snap-fitted in similar manner.

One embodiment of roof apex structure according to the invention for use in a pitched roof will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a conservatory having a pitched roof structure which may incorporate an embodiment of apex structure according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective illustration of the apex structure according to the invention; Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view of part of the outer periphery of the apex structure; Figure 4 is a perspective illustration of the mounting in position of one side of a triangular roof frame of an end bay of the conservatory shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a detailed view of the securement of the upper end of a number of triangular roof frames to the apex structure with glazing panels mounted therein; and, Figure 6 is an exploded view illustrating the manner by which a ridge bar of one of the sides of a triangular roof frame can be coupled to the apex structure.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, this shows, by way of example only, a prefabricated conservatory which is designated generally by reference 10, and which is composed of prefabricated rectangular plastics frames 11 to 15 which form the side walls of the building. Evidently, the illustration of the conservatory 10 only shows one side and part of an end bay, though similar arrangement will be provided along the side which is obscured from view. The side walls formed by the frames 11, 12 and 13 are co-linear, and form part of the rectangular structure of the conservatory, as seen in plan. Prefabricated rectangular frames 16 and 17 are associated with the side wall frames 11 and 12 respectively, and extend upwardly to a common ridge 18, and have rectangular glazing panels 19 mounted thereon.

The end 20 of the conservatory 10 will normally be attached to an outside wall of the house, which outside wall will be provided with an access opening, preferably provided with hinged doors (or patio doors), to provide access between the conservatory and the interior of the house. An end bay structure 21 is provided at the end remote from attachment end 20, and in the illustrated arrangement comprises a central side formed by end frame 15 and provided with a pair of hinged doors, and a pair of adjoining side walls formed by the frame 14, and a further frame which is not visible in Figure 1.

An end bay roof structure 22 is mounted in position over the three side walls of the end bay 21, and is composed of three triangular roof frames which will be described in more detail later. It will be seen that the triangular frames of the end roof bay 22 converge to a common apex structure 23 located at the outer end of the roof ridge 18.

Since the three triangular roof frames of the end roof frames of the end roof bay 22 subtend an angle of less than 1800 about the apex 23, as seen in plan, a roof frame 24 associated with side wall frame 13 is convergent upwardly, and has a trapezoidal panel 25 mounted therein. Also, to bring about a transition between the planes of the roof panels associated with the rectangular part of the conservatory, the three triangular roof frames of the end roof bay structure 22 have to be successively inclined to each other.

The structure of prefabricated conservatory 10 shown in Figure 1 is intended to simulate a Victorian conservatory design, and is particularly suitable for incorporating in its assembly a roof apex structure according to the invention, which will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 6.

The embodiment of roof apex structure according to the invention is designated generally by reference 26, and is adapted to have coupled therewith the hollow upper ends of elongate plastics frame members of a plurality of adjacent triangular roof frames. The upwardly extending sides of a typical triangular roof frame are shown in Figure 4, from which it can be seen that each side is formed by a pair of adjacent A-frame ridge bars 27, which are hollow extruded sections of plastics material, and may be of known form for use in prefabricated building structures. The ridge bars 27 are maintained by an elongate spacer at a required internal angle of inclination to each other, x, to achieve the required transition between the sides of the roof structure on opposite sides of the ridge 18. The spacer arranged between the ridge bars 27 also forms structural reinforcement, and takes the form of an aluminium bay pole 28.

The apex structure 26 is formed of a plastics moulding, and has a number of tubular metal insert fittings 29 secured at required spacings apart along its periphery 30 and each adapted to be received by a hollow end of a respective elongate plastics frame member (A-frame ridge bar 27), as can be seen in the exploded view of Figure 6.

By this means, each upwardly extending side of the triangular roof frames of the end base structure 22 can be coupled with the apex structure 26 accurately and in simple manner in a required array of adjacent triangular roof frames. The apex structure 26 is secured by four screws to the horizontal ridge bars of the roof.

The individual elongate frame components of the roof structure can therefore be formed of extruded plastics sections, and transported to site in unassembled form, and then readily assembled in a simple and yet accurate manner, which is a considerable improvement over the existing technique whereby the triangular roof frames of the end bay structure are fabricated in the factory by welding, and then transported to site, for subsequent assembly.

Upon assembly of the hollow upper- ends of the ridge bars 27 with the tubular inserts 29, with the bay poles 28 located therebetween, decorative capping and weather proof strips 31 can then be snap fitted in position, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The apex structure 26 is formed as a plastics moulding, and preferably has internal reinforcement, preferably moulded-in, and taking the form of wooden blocks arranged alongside the interior of the outer periphery 30, so that the tubular metal insert fittings 29 can be readily secured thereto by screw fixings during factory assembly.

The glazing of the end bay structure 22 can be completed by mounting in position of suitable triangular glazing panels 32, which preferably are double or triple thickness polycarbonate sheets, or glass.

Claims

1. A roof apex structure for use in a prefabricated pitched roof and which is adapted to have coupled therewith the hollow upper ends of elongate plastics frame members of a plurality of adjacent triangular roof frames, in which the apex is formed of a plastics moulding having a number of inserts secured at required spacings apart along its periphery and each adapted to be received by a hollow end of a respective elongate plastics frame member to couple the frame members to the apex structure in a required array of adjacent triangular roof frames.

2. A conservatory roof including a roof apex structure according to Claim 1.

3. A roof apex structure according to Claim 1, in which the plastics frame members are fabricated of hollow extruded plastics sections.

4. A roof apex structure according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the apex structure is made of hollow glass reinforced plastics.

5. A roof apex structure according to Claim 4, in which the hollow glass reinforced plastics is provided with internal reinforcement.

6. A roof apex structure according to Claim 5, in which the internal reinforcement comprises moulded-in blocks to which said inserts are secured.

7. A roof apex structure according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the inserts comprise hollow metal fittings of rectangular cross section.

8. A roof apex structure according to Claim 7, in which the hollow metal fittings are secured at angular spacings from each other around the periphery of the apex roof moulding.

9. A roof apex structure according to any one of the preceding claims, including a plurality of elongate plastics frame members having hollow ends each engaging with a respective insert to provide a required array of adjacent triangular roof frames.

10. A roof apex structure according to Claim 9, including an elongate spacer arranged to fit between each pair of plastics sections forming one of the upwardly extending sides of a triangular frame to the apex, such spacer fitting between the two sections and holding them in a required angular spacing relative to each other.

11. A roof apex structure according to Claim 10, in which the spacer takes the form of an aluminium bay pole.

12. A roof apex structure according to Claim 11, including a decorative cover strip snap-fitted over each adjacent pair of ridge bars, and also the central bay pole, for decorative and weather proofing purposes.

13. A roof apex structure according to Claim 11, in which a moulded cresting arrangement is snap-fitted over each adjacent pair of ridge bars, and also the central bay pole.

14. A roof apex structure according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.