GB2271368A

GB2271368A - Rainwater gutter system

Info

Publication number: GB2271368A
Application number: GB9320921A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Strowbridge; Lester Llewellyn Williams
Original assignee: Alumasc Ltd
Current assignee: Alumasc Ltd
Priority date: 1992-10-09
Filing date: 1993-10-11
Publication date: 1994-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 2013-10-11
Also published as: GB9320921D0; GB2271368B

Abstract

A rainwater gutter system comprises lengths of gutter (54), brackets (68), union clips (122) to join gutters together. Each attachment bracket has an upstanding upper flange (66), shaped to engage under the gutter mounting rail, and a depending lower flange (76), and a bracket locking slide (82) is longitudinally slideable on the gutter wall and is shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter mounting rail and at least a portion of the attachment bracket upper flange to thereby lock together the gutter and the attachment bracket. Each union clip (see e.g. Fig. 6, not shown) is shaped to fit within the gutter. Resiliently deformable sealing means (124) are provided between the union clip and the adjacent ends of gutters to be joined, and longitudinally-slideable locking slides (130 and 140) are shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter mounting rail or the gutter front rim (50) respectively and at least part of the adjacent union clip lip, to thereby lock together the gutter and the union clip. <IMAGE>

Description

GUTTER SYSTEMS This invention relates to rainwater gutter systems to be attached to buildings, especially to attaching gutters to buildings and to joining gutters together.

Our European Patent Specification No. 0 511 758 Al discloses a rainwater gutter system having lengths of gutter each having an integral, longitudinally extending, outwardly directed mounting rail projecting from the rear wall thereof, brackets, for attachment to a building, each having at least one lug configured to engage the gutter mounting rail; gutter retaining features provided on the gutter and attachment brackets that positively engage one with the other transversely of the longitudinal axis of the gutter upon rearwards movement of the gutter towards the attachment brackets; and each gutter length has at least one projecting integral hook and gutters are joined together by an essentially rigid jointing clip, shaped to fit within the gutter and having a rim portion configured to engage the gutter hook, and locking means are provided to engage one gutter rim and the other clip rim to lock the clip in position when it is fitted within the abutting ends of adjacent gutters.

This gutter system was particularly, but not exclusively, designed for extruded or cast aluminium gutters.

The gutter system of the present invention particularly, but not exclusively, relates to rainwater gutters pressed from sheets of aluminium. Such gutters are not as rigid as extruded or cast gutters and, because of the pressing tools used, cannot be manufactured as dimensionally accurately as extruded or cast gutters.

A conventional pressed aluminium gutter system is illustrated in Fig. 1 which is a sectional elevation of the Applicants "GX BOX GUTTER" attached to a building. As shown, a box section pressed aluminium gutter 10 is attached to a facia 12 by an L-section attachment bracket 14; which has facia screw holes 16, 18 in its vertical limb 20. The vertical limb has an upwardly and outwardly extending flange 22 that is provided with a tapped screw hole 24. The gutter has an inturned front rim 26. An L-section top strap 28 has an upturned hook 30, formed at the outer end 32 of its horizontal limb 34, the hook is shaped to engage under the gutter front rim 26; the upper end 36 of the top strap vertical limb 38 has a screw hole 40 to enable the top strap 28 to be screwed to the attachment bracket flange 22.The gutter is thus attached to the facia with the building roofing 42 extending over the gutter and roofing felt 44 draped over the point of attachment of the top strap to the gutter; which is therefore difficult to access. The top strap is necessary to give support against snow and ladder loading and also prevents wind lift. The attachment bracket and top strap must provide complete freedom for thermal movement of the gutter. Lengths of gutter are jointed by an external union clip (not shown) attached by several screws to the meeting ends of adjacent gutters, with a silicon-based sealant spread between the union clip and the meeting gutter ends.

United States Patent Specification No. 3 150 851 discloses a gutter hanger consisting of a bracket which is nailed or screwed to the wall of a building and has upper and lower flanges, which grip the gutter at the rear, and a strap which passes over the top of the gutter and interlocks with the bracket and the front rim of the gutter; the bracket upper flange is crimped over the rear rim of the gutter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rainwater gutter system wherein the mounting between the gutter and attachment brackets and/or the joint between gutters does not require- screws or like fastenings or subsequent access to attachment bracket uppers.

According to the present invention a rainwater gutter system comprises lengths of gutter, brackets to attach gutters to a building and union clips to join gutters together, each gutter has an outturned, longitudinally-extending rail in a wall thereof and locking slides, longitudinally slideable on said gutter wall, are provided; a locking slide is shaped to embrace and engage at least part of a gutter rail and at least a portion of an attachment bracket, to thereby lock together the gutter and the attachment bracket, or to embrace and engage at least part of gutter rail and at least a portion of a union clip, to thereby lock together the gutter and the union clip.

According one aspect of the present invention, each gutter has an outturned, longitudinally extending mounting rail in the gutter rear wall; each attachment bracket has an upstanding upper flange, shaped to engage under the gutter mounting rail, and a depending lower flange; so that, in use, gutters can be hung by their mounting rails on the attachment bracket upper flanges with gutter rear walls lying against and supported by attachment bracket lower flanges; and, bracket locking slides are shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter mounting rail and at least a portion of the attachment bracket upper flange. By this means, gutters can be mounted on attachment brackets without the need to employ any screw or like fixings and without need to access attachment bracket uppers.

In an embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, the gutter rear rim is outturned to form the gutter mounting rail.

In another embodiment, the bracket locking slides are each shaped and arranged to snap into engagement with a respective attachment bracket flange to limit longitudinal movement between the bracket locking slide and the attachment bracket. Preferably, the bracket locking slides are of an inverted U-shape with the rear arm thereof vertically notched to engage the attachment bracket upper flange and meeting surfaces of the bracket locking slide rear arm and/or the attachment bracket upper flange are chamfered so that, in use, the bracket locking slide arms will be forced apart as the slide is slid along a gutter rear rim until the attachment bracket flange can snap into the slide notch and the slide arms clamp the gutter and attachment bracket together.

In a further embodiment, spring clips are provided on the attachment brackets and are arranged to snap into engagement with a respective attachment bracket flange to limit longitudinal movement between the bracket locking slide and the attachment bracket.

In a still further embodiment, the bracket locking slide includes a top strap, the front end of which is shaped to engage the gutter front rim.

In another preferred embodiment, the top strap engages the gutter front rim by means of a clamp attached to the top strap.

Our United Kingdom Patent Application No. 9221299.2 discloses a rain water gutter system for attachment to a building comprising lengths of gutter, a jointing clip (hereinafter referred to a "union clip") shaped to fit within the gutter and means to lock the clip in position when fitted within and joining the abutting ends of adjacent gutters; wherein locking means are provided to separately engage one of the gutter rims, or a longitudinal feature thereon, and a respective one of the jointing clip lips, or a longitudinal feature thereon.

According to an embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the gutters each have at an outturned longitudinally extending, mounting rail in the gutter rear wall; each union clip is shaped to fit within the gutter and has front and rear longitudinally extending lips; resiliently deformable sealing means are provided between the union clip and the meeting ends of gutters to be joined; and, the locking means is a union clip locking slide longitudinally slideable on the gutter wall and shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter mounting rail and at least part of the adjacent union clip lip.

In a preferred embodiment, the gutter rear rim is outturned to form the gutter mounting rail, the union clip rear lip is plain and the union clip locking slide is shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter rear rims of meeting gutter ends and to engage the union clip rear lip and compress the sealing means between the union clip and the gutters.

In a further embodiment the union clip locking slide is provided with one or more union clip compression adjusters.

The or each union clip compression adjuster may be journalled in the union clip locking slide and be provided with a series of cam faces of differing radii and which can be brought to bear against the rear union clip lip by rotation of the adjuster and thereby vary the compression on the union clip rear lip.

In a further embodiment, each gutter has an inturned front rim, the union clip front lip is plain and a union clip front locking bar shaped to fit within and be slideable longitudinally of the front rims of meeting gutter ends to engage the union clip front lip and compress the sealing means between the union clip and the gutters.

The above and other features of the present invention are illustrated in the Drawings, wherein: Fig.2 is a sectional elevation of a gutter mounted on a attachment bracket in accordance with the present invention; Fig.3 is a sectional plan on the line C - C of Fig. 2; Fig.4 is a sectional elevation on the line B - B of Fig. 2; Fig.5 is a sectional elevation on the line A - A of Fig.4; Fig.6 is a sectional elevation of a gutter and a union clip; Fig.7 is a detail view of a union clip compression adjuster; Fig.8 is a perspective view of the union clip of Fig.6, joining two abutting gutters; Fig.9 is a detail sectional elevation of an alternative shape of gutter front rim and front locking bar; Fig.10 is a detail perspective view of an alternative form of union clip locking slide; and, Fig.ll is a sectional elevation corresponding to Fig.2; but for an alternative embodiment.

As shown by Figs 2 to 5, a generally box section, pressed aluminium gutter 46 has a rearwardly directed, outturned rear rim 48 of generally semi-circular section and a front rim 50 that initially curves forwardly and outwardly at 52 from the gutter front wall 54, and then curves rearwardly and horizontally at 56 before turning downwardly at 58 towards the gutter bottom 60. The gutter front wall 54 flares forwardly and outwardly at about 5 , whilst the gutter rear wall 62 is vertical. The rear gutter rim 48 is higher than the front gutter rim 50.

The gutter 46 is mounted on a attachment bracket 64 of extruded aluminium of generally rectangular shape with an upper flange 66 kinked upwardly and forwardly from the plane of the attachment bracket body 68. The upper flange terminates in forwardly curved head 70, shaped to fit under the gutter rear rim 48. The attachment bracket has a shoulder 72, running transversely of the attachment bracket and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gutter, between the upper flange 66 and the head 70 and a transverse groove 74 between the upper flange 66 and the attachment bracket body 68. The attachment bracket also has a lower flange 76 kinked forwardly and downwardly from the plane of the attachment bracket body 68.

A pair of holes 78, 80 are provided in the attachment bracket body by which the attachment bracket can be screwed to a building facia 81.

A bracket locking slide 82, of extruded aluminium, has a generally U-shaped section with a rear arm 84 shorter than a front arm 86. The slide 82 is shaped to be slideable longitudinally on the gutter rear wall 62, to embrace part of the gutter rear wall and the attachment bracket upper flange 66.

The top 88 of the bracket locking slide has an internal transverse groove 90, to receive the free end of the gutter rear rim 48, a shoulder 92, to abut the attachment bracket shoulder 72, and a forwardly projecting lip 94 at the bottom of the rear arm 84, to engage the attachment bracket groove 74. As most clearly shown by Fig. 3, the bracket locking slide rear arm 84 has a vertical notch 96 into which the attachment bracket upper flange 66 can fit, the rear arm 84 is relieved to either side of the notch so that, as the slide is slid along the gutter rear wall, one side of the slide rear arm will encounter one side of the attachment bracket upper flange and, as the slide continues to be slide along the gutter, the slide arms will be forced apart until the slide notch is reached and the attachment bracket flange will locate in the slide notch as a snap fit; to thereby tightly clamp the gutter and attachment bracket together. The engagement between the slide groove 90 and the gutter rear rim end, between the slide shoulder 92 and the attachment bracket shoulder 72 and the slide arm lip 94 and the attachment bracket groove 74 all serve to locate and retain the gutter on the attachment bracket; whilst permitting relative longitudinal thermal movement between the gutter and the attachment bracket.

The bracket locking slide front arm 86 has a forwardly extending triangulated structure 96 that terminates in a horizontal plate 98. An extruded aluminium top strap 100 is welded to this plate to extend across the top of the gutter so that an upwardly and forwardly curved top strap extension 102 can rest on the gutter front rim top 56. The welded connection between the bracket locking slide and the top strap enables the same two components to be used for differing sizes of gutter; the top strap only needs to be cut to a suitable length prior to welding. The lower face 104 of the top strap is serrated. A gutter rim clamp 106 of extruded aluminium has a rectangular planar body 108 with an upwardly and forwardly curving extension 110, that fits under the downturned inner end 58 of the gutter front rim, and a transverse groove 112, to receive the free end of the gutter front rim. The upper face 114 of the gutter rim clamp is serrated to engage the top strap serrations and enable the clamp to be adjusted with respect to the top strap. The top strap and gutter rim clamp are locked together by a locking member 116 in the form of a U-shaped aluminium extrusion shaped to embrace the top strap 100 and the clamp body 108. The free ends 118 of the locking member arms are barbed so that a locking member cap 120, in the form of a hollow aluminium box, can engage and force the locking member arms towards one another (see Figs 4 and 5).

In an alternative, unillustrated embodiment, a pin is used to lock the top strap and gutter rim clamp together.

In another, unillustrated embodiment, the bracket locking slide front arm 86 is omitted, providing a forwardly extending Y-shaped structure.

In use, attachment brackets 64 are first screwed to a building facia 81, bracket locking slides 82 are slid onto gutter rear walls 62, gutter rear rims 48 are then hooked over attachment bracket upper flange heads 70 and allowed to rotate until gutter rear walls abut attachment bracket lower flanges 76, the bracket locking slides are then slid along the gutters until they meet the attachment bracket upper flanges and are forced onto the flanges, by hammering the slide structures 96 if necessary, until each slide snaps into engagement with a attachment bracket flange. The top strap extensions 102 will be above the gutter front rim tops 56.A gutter rim clamp 106 is then placed under each top strap with the clamp extension 110 closely fitted within the gutter front rim, a top strap locking member 116 is then forced around the meeting surfaces of each top strap and gutter rim clamp with the serrations interengaging and preventing relative movement therebetween.

The locking member cap 120 is then forced onto the locking member arms 118. The top strap is then locked to the gutter front rim, supporting the gutter in position, it may have been necessary to force the gutter front wall upwardly during the clamping process, and providing bracing against ladder and snow loading and wind lift. The longer bracket locking slide front arm 86 has a rounded end 122, where it turns into the triangulated structure 96, that lies against the inner surface of the gutter rear wall and helps to prevent gutter wind lift.

A gutter is removed by forcing a tool between the top strap locking member 116 and cap 120, to free the gutter front rim clamp 106, and by similarly forcing a tool between the bracket locking slide rear arm 84 and the gutter rear wall 62, to lever the bracket upper flange 66 out of the bracket locking slide notch 96.

As shown by Figs 6 to 9, a generally box section, pressed aluminium union clip 122 shaped to fit with the gutter 46, with a sealing gasket 124 trapped between the union clip and each gutter end. The gasket may be of any suitable material, such as E.P.D.M, and is supplied bonded to the outside of the union clip. The rear lip 126 of the union clip is plain whilst the upper part of the union clip front wall curves forwardly, to follow the gutter front rim 52, and terminates in a plain front lip 128 within the inturned gutter front rim 50.The 5 outward flair to the gutter front wall and the radius (6.5mm minimum) of the bends between the gutter rear wall 62, the gutter bottom 60 and the gutter front wall 54 are such as to allow the union clip and gasket to be fitted into the gutter; the union clip front lip being first being located within the gutter front rim 50 and the union clip then being rotated into the gutter.

An elongate union clip front lip locking bar 130, of extruded aluminium, has a V-shaped cross section shaped to fit within the gutter front rim 50. One arm 132 of the locking bar follows the gutter front rim as it curves downwardly at 58.

The other arm 134 of the locking bar has a shoulder 136 beyond which the arm is parallel to but spaced from the gutter front rim part 52. A front lip locking bar 130 is slid into the front rim of one of a pair of abutting gutters and, once the union clip has been fitted into the meeting ends of the abutting gutters, the front clip locking bar is forced along inside the gutter rim. The locking bar surface meeting the edge of the union clip is relieved or chamfered so that the locking bar shoulder 136 can engage the union clip front lip 128 and force the union clip down into the gutters, compressing the sealing gaskets 124. In this position the locking bar bridges the meeting front rims of adjacent gutter ends. The locking bar arm 134 has a bulbous extension 138 by which the locking bar may be hammered along the gutter rim.

A union clip rear lip locking slide 140 is a somewhat hook shaped aluminium extrusion the bend 142 of which is shaped to fit around the gutter rear rim 70 with an internal transverse slot 144 to engage the free end of the gutter rear rim and a kinked downwards rear extension 146 to overlie and rest against the outside of the gutter rear wall 62. The shank 148 of the union clip locking slide extends downwardly within the gutter to overlie the gutter rear wall. A pair of union clip compression adjusters 150 are journalled in the locking slide shank 148.A union clip compression adjuster is shown in more detail in Fig.7 to comprise a glass fibre reinforced plastics moulding having a hexagonal nut 152 and a series of cam faces 1541 to 1544 of differing radii and which can be brought to bear against the rear union clip lip 126 by rotation of the nut, in much the same way as a drum brake adjuster. Each union clip compression adjuster is retained in the shank 148 by a circlip 155. The union clip compression adjusters are used to compensate for gutter and union clip size errors resulting from the pressing operations by which they are formed. In both cases the front rim or the front lip are the first features to be pressed so that, by the time the rear rim or rear lip has been formed, the position of these features with respect to the aforesaid first features can vary significantly.Specifically, the height h between the union clip rear lip 126 and the gutter rear rim 48 (Fig.6) can vary considerably.

In use (see Fig.8) a union clip rear locking slide 140 is slid onto a gutter rear rim, prior to insertion of a union clip 122. After the union clip front lip 128 has been locked in place by a locking bar 130, the union clip locking slide is then forced along the gutter rear wall 62, with the union clip compression adjusters 150 each turned to its minimum position, until the union clip locking slide is centred on the union clip and bridges the meeting rear rims of the gutter ends; the adjusters may then be rotated to increase compression on the union clip separately into each gutter end. The union clip locking slide shank 148 may be provided with a bulbous extension 156 by which the union clip locking slide can be hammered along the gutter rear rim 48.

Fig. 9 illustrates how different shapes of gutter front rim 50 can be accommodated by providing complementary shaped union clip front lip locking bars 130.

Fig. 10 illustrates a simple union clip rear locking slide 158, generally similar to union clip rear locking slide 140 except that union clip compression adjusters have been replaced by a shoulder 160 designed to bear directly on the union clip rear lip 126. Each end 162 of the shoulder is chamfered so that the compression exerted by the slide on the union clip 122 and sealing gasket 124 increases as the slider is forced along the gutter rear wall 162. A special tool, not shown, may be used to engage the gutter rear rim 70 and the union clip rear lip 126 and, by rotation, force the union clip down into the gutters and allow the union clip rear locking slide 158 to be slide along the gutter rear wall 162 and partially onto the union clip; thereafter, the tool is removed and the locking slide is forced or hammered the rest of the way onto the union clip rear lips 126.

An alternative embodiment of attachment bracket, bracket locking slide and top strap is shown by Figs11; like parts have been given the same reference.

An attachment bracket 170 of extruded aluminium of generally rectangular shape with an upper flange 66 kinked upwardly and forwardly from the plane of the attachment bracket body logo. The upper flange terminates in forwardly curved head 70, shaped to fit under the gutter rear rim 48.

The attachment bracket has a shoulder 72, running transversely of the attachment bracket and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gutter, between the upper flange 66 and the head 70 and a transverse groove 74 between the upper flange 66 and the attachment bracket body 68. The attachment bracket also has a lower flange 76 kinked forwardly and downwardly from the plane of the attachment bracket body 68.

A pair of holes 78, 80 are provided in the attachment bracket body by which the attachment bracket can be screwed to a building facia 81. Lower flange 76 has a relieved longitudinal slot 172 intro which the dovetail shaped upper longitudinal ridge 174 of a bracket extension piece 176 can be slide. The extension piece is an aluminium extrusion of C section, the lower limb 178 of which has the same shape as bracket lower flange 76, including slot 172. Thus, differing depths of gutter can be accommodated by simply adding one or more bracket extension pieces.

The front arm 180 of bracket locking slide 86 has a forwardly extending horizontal plate 98. An extruded aluminium top strap 100 is butt-welded to the end of this plate to extend across the top of the gutter so that an upwardly and forwardly curved top strap extension 102 can rest on the gutter front rim top 56. As before, the welded connection between the bracket locking slide and the top strap enables the same two components to be used for differing sizes of gutter; the top strap only needs to be cut to a suitable length prior to welding. The lower face 104 of the top strap is serrated. A gutter rim clamp 106 of extruded aluminium has a rectangular planar body 108 with an upwardly and forwardly curving extension 110, that fits under the downturned inner end 58 of the gutter front rim. The upper face 114 of the gutter rim clamp is serrated to engage the top strap serrations and enable the clamp to be adjusted with respect to the top strap. The top strap and gutter rim clamp are locked together by a bolt 182 passing through the top plate 100 and clamp body 108, to engage a trapped nut 184.

Attachment bracket 170 may also have a spring clip 186 fixed about the upper flange 66 and arranged to engage the bracket slider rear leg 84 to limit longitudinal movement between the slider and the bracket.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rainwater gutter system comprising lengths of gutter, brackets to attach gutters to a building and union clips to join gutters together; wherein: each gutter has an outturned, longitudinally extending rail in a wall thereof; and, locking slides, longitudinally slideable on said gutter wall, are provided; a locking slide being shaped to embrace and engage at least part of a gutter rail and at least a portion of an attachment bracket, to thereby lock together the gutter and the attachment bracket, or to embrace and engage at least part of a gutter rail and at least a portion of a union clip, to thereby lock together the gutter and the union clip.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: each gutter has an outturned, longitudinally extending mounting rail in the gutter rear wall; each attachment bracket has an upstanding upper flange, shaped to engage under the gutter mounting rail, and a depending lower flange; so that, in use, gutters can be hung by their mounting rails on the attachment bracket upper flanges with gutter rear walls lying against and supported by attachment bracket lower flanges; and, the locking slide is a bracket locking slide longitudinally slideable on the gutter wall and shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter mounting rail and at least a portion of the attachment bracket upper flange.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gutter rear rim is outturned to form the gutter mounting rail.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the bracket locking slides are each shaped and arranged to snap into engagement with a respective attachment bracket lug to limit longitudinal movement between the bracket locking slide and the attachment bracket.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bracket locking slides are of an inverted U-shape with the rear arm thereof vertically notched to engage the attachment bracket upper flange and meeting surfaces of the bracket locking slide rear arm and/or the attachment bracket upper flange are chamfered so that, in use, the bracket locking slide arms will be forced apart as the slide is slid along a gutter rear rim until the attachment bracket flange can snap into the slide notch and the slide arms clamp the gutter and attachment bracket together.

6. A system as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein spring clips are provided on the attachment brackets and are arranged to snap into engagement with a respective bracket locking slide to limit longitudinal movement between the bracket locking slide and the attachment bracket.

7. A system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the bracket locking slide includes a top strap, the front end of which is shaped to engage the gutter front rim.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top strap engages the gutter front rim by means of a clamp attached to the top strap.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: each gutter has an outturned, longitudinally extending, mounting rail in the gutter rear wall; each union clip is shaped to fit within the gutter and has front and rear longitudinally extending lips; resiliently deformable sealing means are provided between the union clip and the adjacent ends of gutters to be joined; and, the locking means is a union clip locking slide longitudinally slideable on the gutter wall and shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter mounting rail and at least part of the adjacent union clip lip.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each gutter rear rim is outturned to form the gutter mounting rail, the union clip rear lip is plain and the union clip locking slide is shaped to embrace and engage at least part of the gutter rear rims of adjacent gutter ends and to engage the union clip rear lip and compress sealing means between the union clip and the gutters.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the union clip locking slide is provided with one or more union clip compression adjusters.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the or each union clip compression adjuster is journalled in the union clip locking slide and is provided with a series of cam faces of differing radii and which can be brought to bear against the union clip rear lip by rotation of the adjuster and thereby vary the compression on the union clip rear lip.

13. A system as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12, wherein each gutter has an inturned front rim, the union clip front lip is plain and a union clip front locking bar is shaped to fit within and be slideable longitudinally of the front rims of adjacent gutters to engage the union clip front lip and compress the sealing means between the union clip and the gutters.

14. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein downwards bracket extension pieces, shaped to engage the extension bracket lower flange, are provided.

15. A rainwater gutter system substantially as described with reference to or as shown by Figs 2 to 9, or Fig. 10 or Fig.11 of the Drawings.

16. A gutter for a rainwater gutter system as claimed in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 10 or 13.

17. A gutter as claimed in claim 16 and substantially as described with reference to or as shown by Figs 2, 6, 8 and 9 of the Drawings.

18. An attachment bracket for a rainwater gutter system as claimed in any of claims 1, 2, 4 or 14.

19. An attachment bracket as claimed in claim 18 and substantially as described with reference to Figs 2 and 3, or Fig.11 of the Drawings.

20. A bracket locking slide for a rainwater gutter system as claimed in any of claims 1, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

21. A bracket locking slide as claimed in claim 20 and substantially as described with reference to or as shown by Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 or 11 of the Drawings.

22. A union clip for a rainwater gutter system as claimed in any of claims 1, 9 or 10.

23. A union clip as claimed in claim 22 and substantially as described with reference to or as shown by Figs 6, 8 or 9 of the Drawings.

24. A union clip locking slide for a rainwater gutter system as claimed in any of claims 1, 10, 11 or 12.

25. A union clip locking slide substantially as described with reference to or as shown by Figs 6, 7, 8 or 9 of the Drawings.