GB2332686A

GB2332686A - Roofing batten

Info

Publication number: GB2332686A
Application number: GB9727171A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Iain Fairnington
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-03-15
Filing date: 1997-12-24
Publication date: 1999-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-24
Also published as: GB9727171D0; GB2332686B; GB9705411D0

Abstract

The present invention provides a roof batten (1) comprising a batten member (2) having secured by an adhesive to its underside a layer of sheet material (6). The sheet material (6) comprises a series of downwardly depending abutment portions (8) which depend from the underside of the sheet material (6). The abutment portions (8) are arranged to abut against a roof panel in use of the batten (1) so as to space the batten from the roof panel (14). The abutment portions (8) may be in the form of spaced apart nipples or in the form of spaced apart elongate strip members arranged in a criss-cross lattice type of sheet material (6).

Description

IMPROVED ROOFING BATTEN The present invention relates to an improved roofing or tiling/slating batten of the type used on pitched roofs but not exclusively.

Conventional pitched roof constructions generally comprise inclined rafters to which are fixed close boarding or rigid insulation boards. Over this boarding a layer(s) of waterproof roofing paper/felt/plastics underlay is applied to seal the roof against moisture, dust, draughts etc. It is desirable that roof tiles or slates are spaced apart from underlay to allow ventilation and drainage in the space between the tiles and the underlay. Roof tiles are therefore fixed to battens which extend horizontally across the roof.

It will be appreciated though that horizontally extending battens fixed to the underlay do not allow drainage of moisture and to overcome this it is known first to secure counter battens to the roof which counter battens extend at an angle to the ridge of the roof and then to secure the horizontal roof battens onto the counter battens and then to hang the tiles to the roof battens. This arrangement allows any water that may penetrate past the tiles to drain away under the horizontal roof battens.

It will be appreciated that the abovedescribed roof construction arrangement involves several different construction operations and requires large amounts of material, usually timber, for use in the counter and horizontal roof battens. Furthermore in lead roof constructions it is recommended and good practice if utilising a warm roof construction using thermal insulation materials that there should be a vented air gap of for example 50mm between the breather membrane and the roof boarding to allow ventilation. This is usually achieved using battens extending up to the ridge of the roof but such arrangements do not allow cross ventilation between adjacent gaps unless there is provided a vent in each respective air gap.

United Kingdom Patent Application publication No. 2 062 056 A (Isopag Aktiengesellschaft) discloses a roof lath (batten) which it is suggested makes it possible to dispense with the counter battens. The battens disclosed though are battens to which are fitted a plurality of short "spacer" strips to permit the cross ventilation. Alternatively there is disclosed a batten in which gaps are milled or machined out of a solid batten. Fitting lots of short strips to batten is an extremely fiddly and time consuming operation and one that does not lend itself to "on-site" situations. Furthermore machining gaps and holes in a solid batten is also time consuming and thus expensive and wasteful of resources also and would not be a feasible for "on-site" situations.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimise one or more of the above disadvantages.

The present invention provides an improved roof batten for use in supporting roofing panels or tiles/slates which comprises a batten member having secured to its underside a plurality of spaced apart downwardly depending abutment portions, said abutment portions being arranged to abut against a roof panel in use of said batten so as to space said batten therefrom; said plurality of downwardly depending abutment portions being interconnected to form a substantially monolithic construction.

Thus with a roof batten according to the present invention roof tiles may be secured to a roof without the need for counter battens and to allow roof ventilation and drainage in a simpler and more convenient way than has been previously possible.

Preferably said monolithic construction of downwardly depending abutment portions comprises a generally planar sheet material, desirably plastics material, having formed therein said plurality of abutment portions. The abutment portions have a downward extent of from 3 to 15mm, preferably 5 to loin, desirably 7mm.

The abutment portions may be of any shape and configuration though preferably have a frustoconical shape. Desirably the abutment portion has an inverted nipple appearance comprising said outer frustoconical shape and inverted conical portion, said outer frustoconical portion and said inverted conical portion being connected by a planar base portion which abuts against a said roof panel in use of the improved roof batten according to the invention.

Preferably said abutment portions are circular but may be of any suitable shape and have a diameter in the range of from 10-20mm preferably 12mm at the base portion when in contact with a said roof panel. The abutment portions are preferably arranged in said monolithic construction in side-by-side spaced apart relation. The spacing apart of the abutment portion (centre to centre) is in the range of from 20 to 50mm preferably 30mm.

Alternatively said substantially monolithic construction of downwardly depending abutment portions is in the form of a criss-cross lattice arrangement comprising a plurality of spaced apart preferably parallel strip members arranged over a corresponding series of spaced apart preferably parallel strip members and connected thereto so as to form in plan view a series of square, oblong or parallelogram apertures in said substantially monolithic construction.

Preferably said strip members are spaced apart 0.5cm to 1.5cm desirably lcm and have a thickness of from lmm to 5mm preferably 2mm to 4mm desirably 3mm. Said strip members of said substantially monolithic construction may either be angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the batten member or alternatively arranged perpendicularly and co-axially respectively relative to the longitudinal axis of said batten member.

Preferably said batten member is of generally known type and construction e.g. wood, though other batten members materials and/or constructions/dimensions niay be used according to any specific requirements.

Said monolithic construction of abutment portions may be secured to said batten member in a variety of way. Preferably though there is used an adhesive for bonding said abutment portions to said batten. Alternatively there may be used nails or staples.

In another respect the present invention provides a roof comprising rafters, boarding, waterproof felt or plastics sheeting material extending over said boarding, battens secured to said boarding through said waterproof felt or plastics sheeting and roofing panels, tiles or slates secured to said battens, wherein said battens are the improved roof battens according to the invention.

Further preferred features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above of a roof batten according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the roof batten shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cutaway side view of the roof batten shown in Fig.

1 in use on a roof supporting tiles; Fig. 4 is a cutaway end view of a traditional roof in use of a roof batten according to the invention; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of a section of the roof shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an end view of a traditional warm roof-lead in use of a roof batten according to the invention; Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 of the roof in Fig.

6; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the underside of an alternative embodiment of roof batten according to the invention.

A roof batten, generally indicated by reference number 1, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and comprises a batten member 2 having secured by adhesive to its underside 4 a layer of sheet material 6. The sheet material 6 has an arrangement of spaced apart nipples 8 which depend from the underside 10 of the sheet material 6 and thus the underside 4 of the batten member 2. The base portions 12 of the nipples are arranged to abut against a roof panel 14 of a roof in use of the roof batten 1.

(See Fig. 3) In more detail and with reference to Fig. 3, an inclined roof panel 14 is secured to the rafter 16 of a roof 18. The roof battens 1 are secured by nails 15 which pass through the batten 1 into the roof panel 14 and the rafter 16. Tiles 20 can then be hung onto roof batten in the generally known overlapping manner.

As shown in Fig. 3, it will be seen and appreciated that any moisture which may have penetrated past the gaps between the overlapping tiles 20 can pass under the roof battens supporting the tiles 20 and run off the roof panel 14.

Furthermore it will be seen that air can circulate more or less freely thereby ensuring good ventilation.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 show respectively two different roof constructions utilising the roof batten according to the invention and will be described with like reference numbers.

The roof construction shown in Fig. 4 is a traditional roof construction which comprises inclined vertically extending rafters 16 arranged in a pitch which rafters 16 support roof panels 14. A layer of underlay material 22, usually bituminous felt, is laid over the roof panel 14 and secured thereto. A batten 1 is laid horizontally on top of the underlay 22 at right angles to the rafters 16 and secured by nails. Tiles 20 may then be hung on the batten 1. As will be seen from the side view of the batten 1 shown in Fig. 4, the batten has a castellated underside and any moisture may drain through castellations (nipples 8).

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing a section of the roof batten.

The roof construction shown in Fig. 6 is a traditional warm roof-lead type of flat roof construction and comprises rafters 16 having secured thereto roof boarding 14 on which is laid a vapour control layer 24. On top of the vapour control layer 24 is an insulation panel 26 and on top of this is a breather membrane 28. Roof battens 1 are then laid on the top of the breather member 28 except that in this roof construction they are laid parallel to the rafters 16 and secured again by nails to the rafter 16. Finally a layer of boarding 30 is fixed to the battens and a layer of lead sheet 32 covers the boarding.

The construction defining a number of adjacent vented air spaces 34. As will be seen from Fig. 6 and the enlarged detailed section of the batten shown in Fig. 7, air is free to circulate (shown by arrows 'A') between adjacent vented air spaces 34.

The sheet material 6 is a plastics material and an example of suitable sheet material is the SystemPlaton (Trade Mark) membrane sheet material manufactured by Isola of Norway and marketed in the UK by Isola-Platon Ltd, Loughton, Essex.

Fig. 8 shows an alternative form of roof batten, generally indicated by reference number 11 and comprises a batten member 2I having secured by adhesive to its underside 4 a layer of criss-cross sheet material 6 having a lattice type arrangement. The sheet material 6s has an arrangement of a first layer of parallel spaced apart strip members 36 sitting on top of a layer of corresponding parallel spaced apart strip members 38, the respective strip members being interconnected and angled relative to each other so as to form the crisscross arrangement. The underside layer of the strip members 38 is arranged to abut against a roof panel of a roof in use of the roof batten 11 . y The sheet material is a plastics material and example of suitable sheet material is the mesh sheet material manufactured by Conwed Plastics of Leicestershire, England.

Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus for example the sheet material may be in the form of a sheet of net-like material which supports nipples in spaced apart relation and which sheet material can be secured to the batten member by staples or nails.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An improved roof batten for use in supporting roofing panels or tiles/slates which comprises a batten member having secured to its underside a plurality of spaced apart downwardly depending abutment portions, said abutment portions being arranged to abut against a roof panel in use of said batten so as to space said batten therefrom; said plurality of downwardly depending abutment portions being interconnected to form a substantially monolithic construction.
2. A roof batten according to claim 1 wherein said monolithic construction of downwardly depending abutment portions comprises a generally plainer sheet material having formed therein said plurality of abutment portions.
3. A roof batten according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said abutment portions have a downward extent in the range of from 5mm - lOmm.
4. A roof batten according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said abutment portions have a frustoconical shape.
5. A roof batten according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said abutment portions are substantially annular and have a diameter in the range of from lOmm - 20mm and are spaced apart centre to centre in the range of from 20mm 50mm.
6. A roof batten according to claim 1 wherein said monolithic construction of downwardly depending abutment portions comprises a first layer of laterally spaced apart elongate strip members interconnected in a criss-cross arrangement with a corresponding layer of laterally spaced apart elongate strip members angled relatively to each other.
7. A roof batten according to claim 6 wherein said spaced apart strip members are spaced apart in the range of from 0.5cm to 1.5cm.
8. A roof batten according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said monolithic construction of downwardly depending abutment portions is of a plastics material.
9. A roof batten according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said batten member is of a wood material.
10. A roof batten according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said monolithic construction of abutment portions is secured to said batten member by bonding.
11. A batten member according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said monolithic construction of abutment portions is secured to said batten member by fasteners selected from the group including nails, staples, screws and rivets.
12. A roof comprising rafters, boarding, waterproof felt or plastics sheeting material extending over said boarding, battens secured to said boarding through said waterproof felt or plastics sheeting and roofing panels, tiles or slates secured to said battens wherein said battens are the improved roof battens according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. A roof batten substantially described hereinbefore and with reference to Figs. 1 - 7 or Fig. 8.