GB2270529A - Conservatory roof - Google Patents

Abstract

A roof assembly comprises a king rafter 20 and a jack rafter 30 which meets the king rafter at an angle, each rafter having a respective elongate capping member 25, 17 overlying the respective rafter in the longitudinal direction for securing the edges of glass sheets 23, 24, 34 located between them. The end of the capping member 17 overlying the jack rafter stops short of the other capping member 25 and accommodates the leg portion of an insert member 10, e.g. of PVC having a head portion 13 whose exposed surface has substantially the same cross-sectional profile as that of the exposed surface of the capping member 17 so as to constitute visually a substantially continuous extension of the latter. The free end of the head portion 13 is mitred to fit against the lateral edge of the other capping member 25. <IMAGE>

Description

ROOF ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a roof assembly, especially but not exclusively a conservatory roof assembly. In a conventional conservatory roof assembly there is provided a king rafter which runs from the apex of the roof assembly to the corner of the building the king rafter being joined along its length by one or more jack rafters which run from the guttering of the building up to join the king rafter. The joint between the king rafter and a jack rafter can be at any angle.

Accordingly it is necessary for a good conservatory roof assembly to shape or mitre the end of the jack rafter to ensure that the fit with the king rafter is correct.

Where one is using a king rafter assembly and a jack rafter assembly each comprising a frame member and a capping member with glass sheets and/or panel units located between the frame member and the capping member for example an assembly as described in the specification of our co-pending Patent Application No.

2747/91 then it is essential that the joint between the king rafter assembly and the jack rafter assembly be wholly correct. Where one is using an aluminium capping system it has been found in practice, that the aluminium extrusion are not easily shaped on site to give a proper joint between the jack rafter assembly and the king rafter assembly. Further, aluminium extrusions are hollow and accordingly one requires a large amount of sealant to fill properly the shaped and of the aluminium extrusion of the jack rafter assembly.

In order to overcome the stated problems associated with the use of an aluminium extrusion as a capping member in the jack rafter assembly the present invention provides a roof assembly comprising a king rafter and a jack rafter which meets the king rafter at an angle, the king and jack rafters having first and second elongate capping members respectively each of substantially constant cross section overlying the respective rafter in the longitudinal direction, and glass sheets and/or panel units whose edges are located between and held in position by each rafter and its respective capping member by fixing means passing from the capping member and into the rafter between adjacent edges of the sheets or panel units, wherein the end of the second capping member nearest the first capping member stops short of the latter and accommodates an insert member having a leg portion inserted in the said end of the second capping member and a head portion whose exposed surface has substantially the same cross-sectional profile as that of the exposed surface of the second capping member so as to constitute visually a substantially continuous extension of the latter, the end of the head portion remote from the end of the second capping member being mitred to fit against the lateral edge of the first capping member.

Preferably the insert cap member is injection moulded from an ultra-violet resistant PVC material.

The moulded PVC insert cap member is solid and accordingly when the free end of the cap member is shaped the PVC cap member retains the same colour overall.

The invention will be understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a view of the top or in-use exposed surface of an insert member according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom or underneath surface of the insert member; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the insert member with a shaped mitred free end; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the insert member with a shaped mitred free end inserted into position in a capping member of a jack rafter assembly; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a conservatory roof showing a joint between a king rafter assembly and a jack rafter assembly; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, an insert member 10 is a moulded article produced from an ultra-violet light resistant PVC material, and is intended for use with an elongate capping member 17 (see also figure 5) made for example of extruded aluminium and having a shallow generally arched or inverted V-shaped constant cross-section.

The insert member 10 has a leg portion 11 with a hole 12 and an integral head portion 13. The leg portion 11 of the insert member 10 has a substantially constant cross-section substantially corresponding to the interior cross-section of the capping member 17, so as to be slidable therein from the open end and a snug fit therein. The head portion 13 has an in-use exposed surface (i.e. the top surface as seen in figures 3 and 4) which has substantially the same cross-sectional profile as that of the exposed surface of the capping member 17 so as to constitute visually a substantially continuous extension of the latter in the longitudinal direction.This is seen particularly in figures 4 and 5, from which it is also seen that a gradual change in the cross-section of the head portion 13 as it extends away from the end of the capping member 17 is permitted,as exemplified by the slight flaring of the top flat 13A.

The capping member 17 has on its underside a respective groove or recess 14A, 15A along each lateral edge (see figure 5) which accommodates a respective sealing member 18, and the underneath surface of the head portion 13 of the insert member 10 has a similar groove 14, 15 along each lateral edge which forms a continuation of the corresponding groove 14A, 14B in the capping member 17, the sealing members 18 in use extending continuously from the grooves 14A, 14B in the capping member 17 into and along the corresponding grooves 14, 15 in the head portion 13 (figures 4 and 5).

The underneath surface 16 of the head portion 13 of the insert member 10 is provided with a plurality of guide lines 19 to indicate to the user the respective angles between 0-60 to assist the user shape on site the head portion 13 to the required angle to give a proper fit with a capping member of a king rafter assembly.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a portion of a conservatory roof assembly which includes a king rafter assembly consisting of a wooden king rafter 20 which is overlapped on its opposite longitudinal edges 21 by the respective edges 22 of a pair of glass sheets or other panel units 23, 24. The glass sheets 23, 24 are held firmly in place by an elongate capping member 25 of substantially constant cross-section similar to the capping member 17 already described, which overlies the rafter 20 in the longitudinal direction and overlaps the edges 22 of the glass sheets 23, 24 on the opposite side thereof to the rafter 20.The capping member 25 itself is secured to the rafter 20 by a series of screws 26 disposed spaced apart centrally along the length of the capping member 14, the screws 26 extending through respective apertures in the capping member 25 and passing to the rafter 20 via a gap between the adjacent edges 22 of the glass sheets 23, 24.

Like the capping member 17, the capping member 25 is made for example from extruded aluminium and is of shallow generally arched or inverted V-shaped cross section. Each longitudinal edge of the capping member 25 has a recess 28 for accommodating a respective weather seal 29 which seals against the respective glass sheet 23, 24. Similar seals may be provided in recesses formed along the opposite edges of the rafter 10 - such seals are not shown in the drawings.

The roof assembly further has a jack rafter assembly (see also figure 6) similar in construction to the king rafter assembly. It includes a wooden jack rafter 30 which meets the king rafter 20 at an angle, and which is overlapped on its opposite longitudinal edges 31 by the respective edges 32 of a pair of glass sheets 24, 34. The capping member 17 overlies the rafter 30 in the longitudinal direction and overlaps the edges 32 of the glass sheets on the opposite side to the rafter 30. The capping member 17 is secured in position, and thus holds the glass sheets in position, by screws 36 which pass through apertures 37 in the capping member 17 to the rafter 30 through the gap between the edges 32 of the glass sheets.

The end of the capping member 17 nearest the capping member 25 stops short of the latter and has inserted therein the leg portion 11 of the insert member 10. The leg portion 11 is held in the end of the capping member 17 by one of the screws 36 which passes through the hole 12 (figures 1 to 3) in the leg portion 11 before engaging the rafter 30. With the leg portion so inserted, the head portion 13 which, as previously described, constitutes visually a substantially continuous extension of the capping member 17, extends towards the capping member 25 with the end of the head portion remote from the end of the capping member 17 being mitred at the correct angle to fit against the lateral edge of the capping member 25.

The use of the insert member 10 means that one does not have to cut the free end of the aluminium capping member 17 at the correct angle to fit against the capping member 25. Rather, the end of the capping member 17 is cut square and it is instead the free end of the head portion 13 of the insert member 10 which is cut to fit against the capping member 25. Not only is this easier to do because the insert member 10 is made of a much more easily shaped material, but also if a mistake is made one has only to discard the relatively cheap insert member 10 rather than the more expensive capping member 17.

It will be seen in figures 3 and 4 that the insert member 10 is moulded with a slight concavity on its underside so that the head portion 13 exhibits, in an unstressed condition of the insert member, a slight downward angle relative to the leg portion. This means that when the insert member 10 is in situ as seen in figure 5 the head portion 13 is resiliently biased upwardly against the downward bias provided by the concavity. This assists in the compression of the sealing members 14A and 1SA and ensures a good seal against the glass sheets.

The use of the invention and the use of king rafter and jack rafter assemblies has been described in relation to the jointing of a jack rafter assembly with a king rafter assembly at the apex of a conservatory roof. It will be readily appreciated that the use of such a king rafter assembly and jack rafter assembly is also very suitable in a valley of a conservatory roof structure.

Claims (8)

1. A roof assembly comprising a king rafter and a jack rafter which meets the king rafter at an angle, the king and jack rafters having first and second elongate capping members respectively each of substantially constant cross section overlying the respective rafter in the longitudinal direction, and glass sheets and/or panel units whose edges are located between and held in position by each rafter and its respective capping member by fixing means passing from the capping member and into the rafter between adjacent edges of the sheets or panel units, wherein the end of the second capping member nearest the first capping member stops short of the latter and accommodates an insert member having a leg portion inserted in the said end of the second capping member and a head portion whose exposed surface has substantially the same cross-sectional profile as that of the exposed surface of the second capping member so as to constitute visually a substantially continuous extension of the latter, the end of the head portion remote from the end of the second capping member being mitred to fit against the lateral edge of the first capping member.

2. A roof assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insert member is moulded from an ultra-violet resistant plastics material.

3. A roof assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the second capping member has a shallow generally arched or inverted V-shaped cross-section, and wherein the leg portion of the insert member has a substantially constant cross-section substantially corresponding to the interior cross-section of the second capping member.

4. A roof assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second capping member has a respective groove along each lateral edge which accommodates a respective sealing member, and the underneath surface of the head portion of the insert member has a similar groove along each lateral edge which forms a continuation of the corresponding groove in the second capping member, the sealing member extending continuously from the second capping member into and along the groove in the head portion.

5. A roof assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the head portion of the insert member exhibits in an unstressed condition a slight downward angle relative to the leg portion so as to be resiliently biased upwardly in situ to assist compression of the sealing member.

6. A roof assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. An insert member adapted for use in a roof assembly as claimed in any preceding claims.

8. An insert member for a roof assembly, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.