GB2244499A

GB2244499A - Ridge tiles

Info

Publication number: GB2244499A
Application number: GB9010806A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Arthur Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-05-15
Filing date: 1990-05-15
Publication date: 1991-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2010-05-15
Also published as: GB2244499B; GB9010806D0

Abstract

A ridge tile assembly comprising a ridge tile having an upper portion (4) defining a ridge including an aperture (8) and downwardly depending skirt portions (6), a plate (12) shaped to fit over the ridge of that tile, and provided with a through hole, and a screw (10) extending through the hole and through said aperture to secure the ridge tile (2) to a frame of the roof. The assembly includes an elastic washer (16) between a head of the screw and the plate to provide a seal and a further washer between the plate and the tile. <IMAGE>

Description

HIP TILES AND RIDGE TILES This invention relates to hip tiles and ridge tiles.

Many buildings, in particular houses, have a pitched ridged roof which roof comprises pitched roof surfaces supported by a frame. Generally the frame comprises a series of rafters resting-on and secured to a "top plate" (or base of the frame) which rests on the top of the walls of the house. The rafters extend upwards towards a ridge beam at the top of the frame. The pitched roof surf aces are formed from overlapping lines of plain tiles, interlocking tiles, slates, shingles or the like which hereinafter for the purposes of this specification will be referred to as tiles. The ridge of the roof where the tiled roof surfaces almost touch each other is formed from/protected by ridge tiles, which overlap the uppermost line of tiles of each roof surface and assist in making the roof waterproof.

Ridge tiles usually have either a part annular "hog back" section, or a triangular section. They have an upper portion and downwardly depending skirt portions which are pitched to encourage water to flow off them when the ridge tiles are in position to form the ridge of a roof. Ridge tiles are held in place on the ridge of the roof by cementing the lower parts of the skirts of the ridge tile to the upper layer of tiles on each pitched surface of the roof.

Detached houses often have four or more roof surfaces which join to form a type of roof known as a hip roof which include angled ridges supported by hip rafters which extend from the top plate to the ridge beam at the top of the frame of the roof. Hip tiles are generally similar to ridge tiles in design and are similarly attached to hips by cementing the lower parts of the skirts of the hip tiles onto the roof surface.

Hereinafter for the purposes of this specification the word "ridge" will include "hip" and the word "ridge tile" will include "hip tile".

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ridge tile.

Thus, according to the present invention there is provided a ridge tile arranged for location to form the ridge of a tiled roof having a frame, said tile having an upper portion defining a ridge and a downwardly depending skirt portion either side of the ridge and wherein the tile is adapted for secure attachment to the frame of said roof.

In one preferred embodiment an aperture is provided in the upper portion of the ridge tile so that in use the tile may be attached to the frame of the roof by engagement means extending through said aperture to secure said ridge tile to a ridge beam of the frame.

The aperture may be a hole having a generally circular shape.

There may be a plurality of holes in the ridge tile.

In an alternative embodiment the ridge tile has two edge cut out partitions arranged so that two such ridge tiles placed side edge to side define a hole so that in use the tiles or a series of such tiles placed side edge to side edge may be attached to the frame by engagement means extending through said hole to secure said ridge tiles to a ridge beam of the frame.

Each edge cut out portion may have a generally semi circular shape.

A tile may have both a hole and a recess.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of locating a ridge tile to form the ridge of a roof having a frame comprising the steps of: 1. placing the ridge tile having an upper ridge portion including an aperture therein and downwardly depending skirt portions, over the ridge of the roof; and 2. securing the ridge tile to the frame of the roof by engagement means extending through said aperture.

The present invention provides a secure way of attaching ridge tiles to the frame of a roof to form the ridge of a roof.

In a preferred embodiment the method includes sealing the gaps between tile and the roof surfaces with a suitable sealant to make the ridge weatherproof.

The engagement means may be a screw or a nail having a screw head or a nail head. A suitably configured plate may be interposed between the head and the ridge tile to prevent leakage of rain or the like through the aperture in the tile.

The plate, screw or nail may be corrosion-resistant, for example, the plate, screw or nail may be made of galvanised steel or plastic. Alternatively the plate, screw and nail may be coated with a corrosion resistant material such as plastic.

Preferably a plastic or mastic washer is disposed beneath the plate.

An elastic washer may be interposed between the head and the plate.

In a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a ridge tile assembly comprising: a ridge tile having an upper portion defining a ridge including an aperture and/an or edge cut out portion and downwardly depending skirt portions; a plate shaped to fit over the ridge of that tile and provided with a through hole; and a screw or nail arranged to extend through said hole and through said aperture.

a washer for disposal between a head of the screw or nail and the plate.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of further securing a ridge tile, already located over the ridge of a roof, to the roof comprising the steps of: 1. forming an aperture in the ridge tile; and 2. securing the ridge tile to the frame of the roof by means of engagement means extending through said aperture.

This method may be used to improve the security of ridge tiles which have already been fitted to roofs by conventional means such as cement.

The engagement means may be a screw or nail and plate as hereinbefore described.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure one is a perspective view of a roof tile; and Figure two is a perspective view of parts of two roof tiles side by side.

Referring to the drawings, figure one shows a hog back ridge tile 2. The tile has a part annular cross section and, as orientated in figure 1, defines an upper portion 4 having a depending skirt or side portion 6 each side of the upper portion 4. Towards the centre of the upper portion there is a hole or aperture 8. The hole 8 is sized to receive a screw 10 having a screw head 11. Above the hole there is a galvanised plate 12, which has a part annular curved surface of approximately the same curvature as that of the tile. Beneath the plate there is a square section plastic or mastic washer 13. The plate includes a hole 14 which is adapted to receive the screw 10. An elastic washer 16 is disposed on the screw 10 between the screw head 11 and the plate 12.

In use the tiles are placed on the ridge of a roof with their skirt portions resting on the upper layer of tiles on the roof. The screw is inserted into the hole 8 with the plate 12 disposed between the head 11 and the tile 2 and the plate is secured to the roof by engaging the screw in the timber forming the ridge of the frame of the roof (the ridge beam). The washer 16 provides a seal and also ensures uniform pressure on the ridge tile to compensate for the coefficient of expansions of the various components due to seasonal changes in temperature. Advantageously the washer will also indicate, by its distortion, any over-tightening of the screw which may fracture the tiles.

Any gaps between the ridge tiles and the tiles on the side of the roof or adjacent ridge tiles can be sealed with cement or mastic.

Figure 2 shows a part of two tiles 20, 22 similar to tile 2 placed end 24 to end 26. In the centre of the upper part of the tiles at each end there is a semi circular recess so that when two tiles are placed end to end a circular hole 28 is defined between the two tiles.

In use these tiles are again placed over the ridge of a roof and fixed to the ridge beam of that roof by the screw plate and washer in a similar manner to tile 2.

The ridge tiles described above are equally suitable for use as hip tiles. In this case the screw 10 is engaged in the hip beam of the frame of the roof.

Claims

1. A ridge tile arranged for location to form the ridge of a tiled roof, said roof having a frame, said tile having an upper portion defining a ridge and a downwardly depending skirt portion either side of the ridge and wherein the tile is adapted for secure attachment to the frame of said roof.

2. A ridge tile as claimed in claim 1 wherein an aperture is provided in the upper portion of the ridge tile so that in use the tile may be attached to the frame of the roof by engagement means extending through said aperture to secure said ridge tile to a ridge beam of the frame.

3. A ridge tile as claimed in claim 2 wherein the aperture is generally round.

4. A ridge tile as claimed in claim 3 including a plurality of apertures in the upper portion of the ridge tile.

5. A ridge tile as claimed in claim 1 including two edge cut out portions arranged so that two such ridge tiles placed side edge to side edge define a hole so that in use the tiles or a series of such tiles placed side edge to side edge may be attached to the frame by engagement means extending through said hole to secure said ridge tiles to a ridge beam of the frame.

6. A ridge tile as claimed in claim 5 wherein each edge cut out portion has a generally semi-circular shape.

7. A ridge tile as claimed in claim 1 or 2 including both an aperture and an edge cut out portion.

8. A method of locating a ridge tile to form the ridge of a roof, said roof having a frame, comprising the steps of: 1. placing the ridge tile having an upper ridge portion including an aperture and/or edge cut out portion therein and downwardly depending skirt portions, over the ridge of the roof; and 2. securing the ridge tile to the frame of the roof by engagement means extending through said aperture or edge cut out portion.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 including the step of sealing any gaps between the tile and surfaces of the roof with a suitable sealant to make the ridge weatherproof.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the engagement means are a screw having a head or a nail having a head.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 including the step of interposing a suitably configured plate between the head and the ridge tile.

12. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the plate, and/or screw, and/or nail are corrosion-resistant.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or 12 including the step of disposing a plastic or mastic washer beneath the plate.

14. A method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13 including the step of interposing an elastic washer between the head and the plate.

15. A ridge tile assembly comprising: a ridge tile having an upper portion defining a ridge including an aperture and/or an edge cut out portion and downwardly depending skirt portions; a plate shaped to fit over the ridge of that tile and provided with a through hole; a screw or nail arranged to extend through said hole and through said aperture; and an elastic washer for disposal between a head of the screw or nail and the plate.

16. A method of further securing a ridge tile, already located over the ridge of a roof, to the roof comprising the steps of: 1. forming an aperture and/or edge cut out portion in the ridge tile; and 2. securing the ridge tile to the frame of the roof by means of engagement means extending through said aperture and/or edge cut out portion.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the engagement means comprise a screw or nail and a plate is interposed between a head of the screw or nail and the ridge-tile.

18. A ridge tile or ridge tile assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in figure 1 or figure 2 of the drawings.

19. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FLED AS FOLLOWS CLAIMS 1. A method of locating a ridge tile to form the ridge of a roof, said roof having a frame, comprising the steps of: 1. placing the ridge tile having an upper ridge portion including an aperture and/or edge cut out portion therein and downwardly depending skirt portions, over the ridge of the roof; 2. placing a suitably configured plate having a through hole, over the aperture or edge cut out portion; and 3. securing the ridge tile to the frame of the roof and the plate to the ridge tile by engagement means extending through said aperture or edge cut out portion and said through hole.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of sealing any gaps between the tile and surfaces of the roof with a suitable sealant to make the ridge weatherproof.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the engagement means are a screw having a head or a nail having a head.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the plate, and/or screw, and/or nail are corrosion-resistant.

5. A method as claimed in any preceeding claim including the step of disposing a plastic or mastic washer beneath the plate.

6. A method as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5 including the step of interposing an elastic washer between the head and the plate.

7. A ridge tile assembly comprising: a ridge tile having an upper portion defining a ridge including an aperture and/or an edge cut out portion and downwardly depending skirt portions; a plate shaped to fit over the ridge of that tile and provided with a through hole; a screw or nail for disposal through said through hole and through said aperture in use; and an elastic washer for disposal between a head of the screw or nail and the plate in use.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 including a washer for disposal between the plate and the tile.

9. A method of further securing a ridge tile, already located over the ridge of a roof, to the roof comprising the steps of: 1. forming an aperture and/or edge cut out portion in the ridge tile; 2. placing a suitably configured plate, including a through hole over the aperture or edge cut out portion; and 3. securing the ridge tile to the frame of the roof and the plate to the ridge tile by means of engagement means extending through said aperture and/or edge cut out portion.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the engagement means comprise a screw or nail and a plate is interposed between a head of the screw or nail and the ridge tile.

11. A ridge tile or ridge tile assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in figure 1 or figure 2 of the drawings.