GB2242472A

GB2242472A - Slate re-fixing device

Info

Publication number: GB2242472A
Application number: GB9105001A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Derek Charles White
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-09
Filing date: 1991-03-09
Publication date: 1991-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2011-03-09
Also published as: GB9105001D0; GB2242472B

Abstract

The device is formed from a single length of springy wire and includes a central planar body portion 1 to be sandwiched between the top of the slate and the slate immediately above. Perpendicular arms 2 (not visible) and 3 extend from opposite ends of the body portion for insertion through holes in the slate, and these arms lead directly into downwardly inclined detents 4 (not visible) and 5 for engagement with a fixing batten B. <IMAGE>

Description

DEVICE FOR RE-FIXING ROOF SLATES AND THE LIKE TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for re-fixing loose or detached slates, immitation slates, tiles and the like, in roofing, vertical wall cladding, or similar applications.

BACKGROUND There have been previous proposals for such devices which comprise one or more detents which project froi the underside of the slate to locate behiiid a rof batten when the slate is slid back into position.

Examples of such earlier proposals are disclosed ill GB 2 086 956-A, GB 0 645 380, GB 0 197 584, GB 0 158 451 and GB 0 137 185. In general however, these devices must all be affixed to the slate in some way. This adds to the cost of the device, and also increases the fitting time resulting in a substantial labour cost.

GB 2 141 772-A briefly describes an earlier proposal for a clip which is formed of a length of spring wire, the ends of which form a pair of detents for engagement with the roofing batten. The clip is simply manoeuvred through holes drilled in the slate, and once inserted, the clip remains held in position. In this earlier proposal the length of wire is formed so as to include short arms which pass through the holes in the slate, but the precise positions of these arms along the length of wire is left open to question. It is now apparent that the positions of these arms is crucial to the correct functioning of the clip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes a device for re- fixijg slates or similar elements, the device comprisiny a body portion which lies substantially on a plane so as to be samdwiched between the upper surface of the slate to be re-fixed and the lower surface of an existing slate, a pair of arms projecting in the same general direction, generally perpendicular to the plane of the body portion to pass through spaced holes in the slate, and the arms leading directly into respective detents which project downwardly in use in the same general direction as each other at an acute angle to the plane of the body portion for engagement with a fixing batten.

The arms and detents will usually be formed of sections of springy wire. The body portion may be formed of a plate to which the arms are secured, but more usually the device will be formed of a single length of wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a slate re fixing device of the invention, and Fissure 2 shows the device in use, in side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the device is formed of a single length of springy steel wire which is formed into a central body portion 1 with two short arms 2, 3 at opposite ends of the body portion, and two detents 4 and 5 formed by the opposite end portions of the wire.

The body portion 1 lies substantially on a plane and includes a straight middle section 6 which is joined by two mutually divergent straight sections 7 and 8 to a pair of further straight outer sections 9 and 10. The outer sections 9 and 10 are aligned on a mutual axis, which is parallel to, but spaced from the axis of the middle section 6.

The arms 2 and 3 extend mutually parallel, substantially, from opposite ends of the outer sections 9 and 10, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the body portion 1. The arms lead directly into the detents 4 and 5 which are again mutually parallel, substantially, and project at an acute angle away from the plane of the body portion. Thus, when the body portion 1 is seen in plan view, viewed in a direction perpendicular to its plane, the detents 4 and 5 are disposed substantially perpendicular to the outer sections 9 and 10 of the body portion and extend from those sections in the direction of the middle section 6.

In use, the slate to be re-fixed is re-drilled with two holes at positions corresponding to the spacing of the arms 2 and 3. (The existing holes may be re-used if they are at a suitable spacing.) The detents 4 and 5 are then fed through the holes to project from what will become the bottom surface of the slate, directed towards the bottom edge of the slate, until the arms 2 and 3 enter the holes. Referring to Fig. 2, the slate S1 is now pushed up into position between the existing slates S2 and 53 until the detents are felt to locate behind the batten B to which the slate S1 was previously affixed.The body portion 1 is thus lies flat, sandwiched between the upper surface of the slate being re-fixed and the lower surface of the slate S2 which lies immediately above, the weight of the slates serving to firmly hold the body portion in this position. The slate S1 is now pulled downwardly until the free ends of the detents 4 and 5 engage the top face of the batten B, thus resisting further downward movement of the slate.

The re-fixed slate is thus firmly and invisibly anchored in position by the device.

The shape of the body portion 1 is not very important, the vital thing being that it should extend in two dimensions to be sandwiched between the slates and thus non-rotatably hold the detents in position via title arms 2 and 3. The fact that the arms lead directly into the detents allows the task to be easily fitted to a slate and ensures minimum movement of the slate relative to the detents.

The device can be used for re-fixing artificial or natural slates or concrete roofing tiles for example, in a variety of roofing or wall-cladding applications.

Claims

1. A device for re-fixing slates or similar elements, the device comprising a body portion which lies substantially on a plane so as to be samdwiched between the upper surface of the slate to be re-fixed and the lower surface of an existing slate, a pair of arms projecting in the same general direction, generally perpendicular to the plane of the body portion to pass through spaced holes in the slate, antl the arms leading directly into respective detents which project downwardly in use in the same general direction as each other at an acute angle to the plane of the body portion for engagement with a fixing batten.

2. A device according to Claim 1 and which is formed from a single length of springy wire.

3. A device for re-fixing slates or similar elements, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.