GB2272715A

GB2272715A - Roof ridge bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2272715A
Application number: GB9323625A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Den Berg Garbrand Van; William Boone Verwer
Original assignee: REDLAND DAKPROD BV
Current assignee: REDLAND DAKPROD BV
Priority date: 1992-11-20
Filing date: 1993-11-16
Publication date: 1994-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2013-11-16
Also published as: GB2272715B; DE9317696U1; NL9202024A; NL193461C; GB9323625D0; BE1007773A6; NL193461B

Abstract

A ridge bracket, which has to be fitted on the ridge of a sloping roof, comprises a holder (1) for the accommodation of a ridge board (10) for supporting a ridge tile (14), two legs (4, 5) extending from said holder (1) and intended for fixing on a counterbatten (9) of the roof sheathing (7, 8), and means (6) provided on each leg for holding a tile batten (11, 12). In order to be able to use this ridge bracket both in cases where the counterbattens lie directly opposite each other on two roof hips and in cases where the counterbattens are staggered on two roof hips, a break line (15) extends through the material of the holder (1), by means of which break line the bracket can be broken into two halves, each with a holder part and a leg. Alternatively, a bracket may comprise a single leg and a holder, and be such that when two such brackets are arranged next to each other along the ridge board, the legs lie directly opposite each other. <IMAGE>

Description

Ridge bracket to be fitted on the ridge of a sloping roof The invention relates to a ridge bracket to be fitted on the ridge of a sloping roof, comprising: a holder for the accommodation of a ridge board for supporting a ridge tile, two legs extending from said holder and intended for fixing on a counterbatten of the roof sheathing, and means provided on each leg for holding a tile batten.

Such a ridge bracket is known from EP-B-0220771.

Sloping roofs usually have two roof hips, each provided with a roof sheathing in which a layer of insulating material is incorporated, and on which tile battens are fixed at intervals. The ridge of the roof is covered with a ridge tile, which is a semi-circular tile resting on a ridge board and overlapping the top edge of the top layer of tiles. In order to prevent leakage at the position of the roof ridge, the distance between the top side of the tile batten and the centre of the ridge board must meet a strict specification. In view of the increasing importance attached to good heat insulation, there is a tendency to make the insulating layer in the roof sheathing - and thus the roof hips themselves - thicker and thicker.Apart from the fact that the ridge board for the ridge tile must be heavy and expensive in that case, producing the specified distance between the top tile batten and the centre of the ridge board can give rise to problems. In order to be able to fix the top tile battens, an additional wooden block is often used, which is an expensive measure. Sawing off the top edge of the roof sheathing of the roof hips at an angle may also help to solve the problem. If the specifications cannot be met by using additional wooden blocks and/or by sawing off the roof sheathing at an angle, or if they would involve high costs, there can be cheating, which leads to an increased risk of ridge leakage.

The problem of the top tile battens and the ridge of the roof being fixed in the correct position relative to each other is solved by using the abovementioned ridge bracket, without additional wooden blocks or the sawing off of a roof sheathing piece being necessary.

The ridge brackets mentioned in the preamble combine three functions: 1. They are the support for the ridge board for the ridge tile; 2. They fix the specified tile batten position; 3. They form a replacement for an expensive wooden block which in the absence of the bracket would be necessary in the case of thick roof hips, in order to permit fixing of the top tile batten.

The known ridge bracket is intended for sloping roofs in which a counterbatten on one roof hip, viewed in a direction at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the roof ridge, lies opposite a counterbatten on the other roof hip. However, there are quite a number of sloping roofs in which the counterbattens on one roof hip are staggered relative to the counterbattens on the other roof hip. With the known bracket one of the sloping legs of the bracket in that case is always fixed on a counterbatten, while the other leg does not lie on a counterbatten, and therefore cannot be fixed to a counterbatten. This leg therefore extends unattached from the holder downwards. In that case twice as many ridge brackets are needed as in the case where the counterbattens are not staggered on the two roof hips.

The object of the invention is to avoid this drawback, and to this end the ridge bracket mentioned in the preamble is characterized in that a break line extends through the material of the holder, by means of which break line the bracket can be broken into two halves, each with a holder part and a leg.

It is not broken in two in cases where the ridge bracket is being used on a sloping roof in which the counterbattens are placed opposite each other on the roof hips. On the other hand, each ridge bracket is broken into two halves by means of the abovementioned break line when the counterbattens are staggered relative to each other on the two roof hips.

The leg fixing parts, in which holes are provided, are preferably situated essentially opposite each other.

A ridge bracket obtained by breaking the abovementioned ridge bracket in two also falls within the scope of the invention. The latter also applies if a ridge bracket is provided with a holder for the accommodation of a ridge board for supporting a ridge tile, one leg extending from said holder and intended for fixing on a counterbatten of the roof sheathing, and means provided on said leg for holding a tile batten, while the position of the leg fixing means, in which holes are provided, is such that when two of such ridge brackets are combined by connecting the holders of said brackets to each other the leg fixing parts are situated essentially directly opposite each other.

The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a ridge bracket according to the invention.

Figures 2a and 2b show a top view of the ridge bracket according to Fig. 1, in the undivided and divided state respectively.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a part of a sloping roof with ridge bracket according to Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a ridge bracket according to the invention.

Figures 5a and 5b show a top view of a ridge bracket according to Fig. 4, in the undivided and divided state respectively.

The bracket shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises a holder 1 with a horizontal body 2 and upright flanges 3, and two legs 4, 5 diverging from said holder, with fixing strips 6 punched out of each of the legs. The connection between the legs 4, 5 and the holder 1 is such that the angle of the legs relative to the body 2 of the holder 1 is adjustable by bending. Fixing holes for screws or nails are provided in the flanges 3 of the holder 1 and in the legs 4, 5.

It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the bracket is placed on the ridge of a sloping roof which has two sloping roof sheathing hips 7 and 8, in each of which a thick layer of insulating material is accommodated.

Each of the legs 4, 5 is fixed to a counterbatten 9 by means of screws. A ridge board 10, in the form of a relatively light wooden beam, is fitted in the holder 1 and fixed by means of screws.

The top tile battens 11 and 12 are fixed by bending a strip 6 around them. Projecting ridges of the top row of tiles 13 rest on the top tile battens 11 and 12.

Resting on the ridge board 10 are semi-circular tiles 14, together forming the ridge of the roof. The edges of these tiles 14 overlap the top edge of the top row of ordinary tiles 13. The effect of the ridge brackets is to achieve accurate positioning of the tile battens 11, 12 relative to the centre of the ridge board 10, cutting out the necessity for wooden correction blocks or the roof sheathing ends being cut off at an angle.

According to the invention, a break line 15 runs along the body 2 of the holder 1, along which break line the bracket can be broken into two halves by hand (see Fig. 2b). If the counterbattens 9 on the roof hip 7 are not positioned directly opposite the counterbattens 9 on the roof hip 8, but are staggered relative to each other, the brackets are broken in two and each bracket half is fixed on a counterbatten 9.

An advantage of the breakable two-leg ridge bracket is that the legs are easily bent into the angle which goes with the slope of the roof, and the ridge bracket can subsequently be broken in two, in which case the leg of each half" is in the desired angular position.

The embodiment of the ridge bracket according to Figs. 4 and 5 differs from that according to Figs. 1 and 2 only in that the break line 15 does not slant but runs crosswise, and in that the fixing parts 4a, 5a, in which holes are provided, of the leg parts 4, 5 are staggered slightly relative to their respective leg, in such a way that they lie directly opposite each other (Fig. 5a).

What is essential for the invention is that a single product can be used in two ways.

The break line 15 can be formed by removing material locally, through burning (with a laser beam) or cutting (with a die).

An option which falls within the scope of the invention is for two ridge brackets, each with only one leg, to be combined by connecting the holders of said brackets to each other, in such a way that the fixing parts, in which holes are provided, of said legs are situated directly or essentially directly opposite each other. In that case there is no break line. While in the case of the illustrated embodiment of a two-legged ridge bracket two one-legged ridge brackets can be made by breaking, the reverse is thus also possible, i.e. two one-legged ridge brackets can be combined.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Ridge bracket to be fitted on the ridge of a sloping roof, comprising: a holder for the accommodation of a ridge board for supporting a ridge tile, two legs extending from said holder and intended for fixing on a counterbatten of the roof sheathing, and means provided on each leg for holding a tile batten, characterized in that a break line extends through the material of the holder by means of which break line the bracket can be broken into two halves, each with a holder part and a leg.

2. Ridge bracket according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the leg fixing parts, in which holes are provided, are situated essentially opposite each other.

3. Ridge bracket obtained by breaking the ridge bracket according to Claim 1 or 2 in two.

4. Ridge bracket comprising: a holder for the accommodation of a ridge board for supporting a ridge tile, one leg extending from said holder and intended for fixing on a counterbatten of the roof sheathing, and means provided on said leg for holding a tile batten, in which the position of the leg fixing means in which holes are provided is such that when two of such ridge brackets turned through 1800 relative to each other are combined by connecting the holders of said brackets to each other, the fixing parts of the legs are situated essentially directly opposite each other.

5. A ridge bracket for use on the ridge of a sloping roof and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.