GB2335676A - A ridge assembly with a gable end support for rafters in a conservatory roof - Google Patents

Abstract

A ridge assembly has a ridge body supporting a plurality of rafters along a first pivotal axis. A frame support device 2 is fixed to the end of the ridge body, supporting a second plurality of rafters 14 around a curved second pivotal axis P1, the support arranged so that the first and second pivotal axes are coincident to ensure alignment of the glazing panels supported by the rafters. A glazing arm for use in such an arrangement is also disclosed.

Description

2335676 Title:- Roof Support Assembly This invention relates to a roof

structure and more particularly to a conservatory roof structure incorporating a roof support assembly suitable for use in the construction of a roof canopy.

Conservatories are constructed in several different forms. One common form has a first part such as a lean-to portion, having a flat pitched roof, and a second part extending from the first part which generally has a pitched roof formed on either side of a central supporting ridge. The two parts of such a conservatory are normally constructed at right angles to each other, with a valley provided at the intersection of the roof of each part. In a second example, the conservatory may be constructed as an extension projecting from the main structure of a house or other building and is provided with a ridge member supporting the upper end of a ridged roof. The gable end of the extending part may be rectangular or polygonal in plan view to provide forms which are known in the trade as Edwardian and Victorian styles, respectively. In the case of the Victorian style, the gable end of the ridge member supports the apex of a multi-faceted canopy which extends downwardly therefrom.

In the case of the Edwardian style, the gable end portion of the extension roof may comprise a number of co-planar glazing panels the panels being supported by jack rafters extending at the required angle of inclination from the gable -end eaves beam and which are fastened at their upper ends to a hip rafter. In the case of a double pitched roof, two a hip rafters are present, a hip in that case being located along the gable end of each of the pitched roof sections. The lower ends of the hips are supported respectively at the opposite corners of the gable end eaves beam.

In British Patent No. 2214964 there is described and claimed an apex forming device consisting of an elongate support member, means for supporting an end portion of the elongate support member from a roof ridge member, a ring member supported co-axially about the elongate support member and a plurality of frame support arms each having one end portion pivotally attached to the ring member. 35 The device of 2214964 facilitates the construction of the gable end of a conservatory roof enabling the pitch and number of triangular light of a multi faceted 2 canopy to be varied. However, in order to align the hips and rafters supported by the device with the rafters supported by the ridge it is necessary to adjust the vertical position of the ring member with respect to the ridge so that the hips and rafters are aligned. Because the diameter of the ring member is greater than the vAdth of the ridge the adjustment required depends on the pitch of the roof which is supported by the ridge. An equivalent frame support device, in which the support member is in the form of an aluminium casting which can be fixed to the eaves end of the ridge and having a horizontally disposed ring member constituted by the radiused circumference of a semi circular plate also requires vertical adjustment by reason of the fact that the diameter of the ring member is greater than the width of the ridge. A vertically extending back-plate, from which the ring member depends, is attached to the gable of the ridge member by screws located through screw holes which must be provided in the correct vertically located position. Since the required vertical position will vary in accordance with the pitch of the roof the back plate will require modification if any pitch other than a few predetermined pitch angles have to be accommodated.

In GB Patent 2273114 there is described and claimed a roof support member which comprises a roof hdge member having a plurality of arms dependable therefrom, the roof ridge member comprising an elongate rod member, the arrn.s being secured to the rod member, pivotally mounted thereon and slidable along the length thereof. The elongate rod member may be U shaped for example, extending along each side of the ridge and around the gable end.

In such a case, the part of the rod extending around the gable end serves the same function as the ring member in GB 2214964, with the advantage that the upper pivot points of all the rafters and hips fie in the plane of the U shaped rod member and so no adjustment to align the gable end rafters with the rafters along the side of the ridge is necessary. A disadvantage of the device of 2 273 114 is that complex fabrication is necessary to construct the device from its component parts.

In one aspect this invention comprises a roof for a conservatory having a ridge member having rafter support means for supporting the upper end portion of each of a first plurality of rafters at a chosen angle of declination about a first axis extending along the rafter support means and a frame support device fixed to the gable end of the ridge adjacent to the end of the rafter support means the frame 2 3 support and having a radiused edge portion supporting each of a second plurality of rafters at a second chosen angle of declination about a second axis parallel to the radiused edge portion, the ridge member and the frame support device being dimensioned and arranged so that the said first and second axes form a substantially continuous axis.

Preferably, the frame support device has a substantially D shaped plate having a radiused edge portion and the axis extends along one side of the ridge, through the radiused edge portion and along the other side of the ridge.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is the partly sectional front view of a frame support member and showing the upper end portions of two fixing arms attached thereto; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the support member illustrated in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a plan view of the support member shown in Figure 1 having nine glazing arms attached thereto Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 in which thirteen longer glazing arms are attached to the support member Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, plan and side elevations of a short form of fixing arm; Figures 7 and 8 are corresponding views of a long form of fixing arm Figure 9 is a plan view of a short form glazing arm Figure 10 is a section along the line x-x of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a plan view of a long form of glazing arm; 3 4 Figure 12 is a section along the line x-x of Figure 11 Figures 13 and 14 are, respectively, a plan view of the assembly of a short and long 5 form of fixing arm and glazing arm; and -, Figure 15 is an side elevation of the eaves end of a ridge having a frame support member fitted thereto and showing two fixing arms attached to the support member.

Referring to Figures 1-4, the frame support member 2 is an aluminium alloy casting having an upstanding back plate 4 formed with screw holes 6 aligned with corresponding screw ports provided in the gable end of the ridge member 5 as illustrated in Figure 15 and 16. Referring to these Figures, the ridge member 5 is formed on opposed sides with glazing pockets 7 for receiving the projecting end portions of glazing panels, not shown, and glazing shoulders 9 constituting rafter support means upon which the upper end portions of glazing rafters rest at a required angle, as more fully described in our co-pending application No. of even date herewith. The notional axis, constituting a first axis, about which the glazing bars are inclined to either side of the ridge is a line represented by the point P (Figure 15) between the first glazing shoulder blade 9' which is inclined at 15 degrees and the second glazing shoulder blade W' which is inclined at 23 degrees to the horizontal, in the embodiment illustrated. Other angular ranges are desirable and the blades may suitably be inclined at 24 and 30 degrees as described in our copending application referred to above.

An integral web 8 is formed between the back plate 4 and a D-shaped base plate 10 which is formed with a radiused circumferential edge 12 for supporting fi)ing arms 14 at a required angle of inclination between 15 degrees and 30 degrees. Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the fixing arms 14 etc. pivot about an axis constituting a second axis, within the radiused edge 12 the location of the axis being indicated by the points Pl.

The diameter of the D shaped plate 10 is such that when the frame support device 2 is fixed to the gable end of the ridge 5 the ends of axis P along each side of the ridge meets the corresponding ends of the axis P1 thus forming a substantially 4 continuous axis about which all of the rafters are supported at the required angle of inclination. This arrangement ensures that all of the rafters are automatically aligned irrespective of roof pitch and without any need to make adjustments in the vertical position of the frame support device 2 to accommodate variation in pitch.

One form of fixing arm is more fully shown in Figures 5 and 6 and a longer arm is shown in Figures 7 and 8. Longer arms are used when a larger number of rafters are required to be supported than can be accommodated by the use of the shorter arms, as more clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. ReferTing to Figures 5 and 6 the fixing arm 14 has a U shaped slot 16 formed to compliment the radiused edge 12 of the fixing member to which the arm may be pivotally secured by means of a pin 18 which passes through holes 20 in the sides of the slot and through a larger hole 22 formed in near the edge of the substantially D-shaped base plate 10. The dimensions of the hole 22 and pin 18 are such that the fixing arm can pivot by 15 degrees. The fixing arm 14 has a cranked webs 24 and 26 and a flange 28 extending from the portion 24 the flange being fixed to a rafter by fixings located through fixing holes 30. Arm portion 24 is cranked at 15 degrees to arm portion 26, so that when the web 26 of arm 14 (Fig. 1) is supported in the horizontal position the flange 28 and the rafter attached thereto is inclined at the minimum pitch for this configuration at 15 degrees to the horizontal. Since the arm can pivot by 15 degrees, the maximum roof angle with this configuration is 30 degrees.

Referring to Figures 9 10 11 and 12 a glazing arm 34 has a length-wise tapering top-hat section 36 formed with downwardly sloping rims 38 along the edges of which are provided upstanding seal retaining grooves 40 for retaining seals cooperable with the underside of the glazing material. Each longitudinal side of the glazing arm has drainage sections 42 extend from the tapered section 36 to lie on the glazing support flanges of the connected rafter whereby any water may drain towards the eaves. As may be seen from Figure 13 the gazing arm seats on the fixing arm after the glazing panels, not shown, have been fitted between adjacent rafters the glazing arms channelling water away from the apex of the roof. The longer fixing arm illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 and the associated glazing arm of Figure 14 function is the same way as described above and are not further described. However, since the ends of the rafters are supported by the arm at a greater distance from the apex of the roof a greater number of them can be accommodated than is the case with the shorter arm described above. As will be I- 6 noted from Figures 3 and 4 in the illustrated configuration a maximum of 9 fixing bars and rafters can be accommodated using the shorter fixing arm and a maximum of 13 bars and rafters with the longer arm.

As will be appreciated, the ridge may be in the form of a half ridge and employed to support a lean-to roof in which case the support device would be provided with a back plate securable to the eaves end of the half ridge and the hohzontal plate formed with a radiused edge may be in the form of a quadrant section.

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Claims (14)

Claims.

1. A ridge assembly for a conservatory roof having a ridge body having a shoulder for supporting the upper end portion of a first plurality of rafters over a range of angles about a first pivotal axis extending along the shoulder and a frame support device fixed to the end of the ridge and has rafter support means for supporting a second plurality of rafters over a range of angles about a second pivotal axis, the ridge body and the frame support device being so dimensioned and arranged that on assembly the said first and second pivotal axes are substantially coincident to form a continuous pivotal axis for all of the rafters.

2. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the frame support device has rafter support means comprising a radiused edge portion to form the second pivotal axis for the rafters mounted thereon.

3. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the frame support device has an upstanding back plate and an extending rafter support member formed with the said radiused edge portion the back plate being fixed to the end of the ridge in a position where the first and second pivotal axes coincide.

4. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 3 in which the frame support device is provided with means to pivotally retain a plurality of selected fixing arms to which the rafters may be connected.

5. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 4 in which each of the fixing arms is cranked such that when the upper part of an arm is substantially horizontal in use the lower part of the arm supports the connected rafter at the minimum required pitch angle.

6. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 in which each of the fixing arms has an end formation adapted to receive the edge portion of the frame support device

7 8 7. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 6 in which a fixing arm is pivotally retained by a pin located through a hole formed in the frame support device.

8. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 4-7 in which the ends of rafters connected to the frame support device adjustably spaced from the pivotal axis by means of fixing arms of predetermined length.

9. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 4-8 in which a glazing arm of tapering top hat section and formed with drainage channels is provided to cover each fixing arm, in use to provide a weatherproof cap.

10. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 9 in which the opposed longitudinal sides of the glazing arm are adapted to carry sealing members to sealingly engage with the underside of the glazing material.

11. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 10 in which drainage channels provided on each longitudinal side of the glazing arm glazing support flanges on eeach side of the rafters whereby water may be channeled to the eaves.

12. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 3-9 in which the rafter support member is in the form of a D-shaped member the second pivotal axis extending around the curved rim thereof to coincide with the first pivotal axis on each lateral side of the ridge body.

13. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 3-9 in which the rafter support member is in the shape of a quadrant for use with a lean to ridge body.

14. A roof assembly incorporating a ridge assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim 8