GB2352458A

GB2352458A - Combined gutter and bird guard for roofs

Info

Publication number: GB2352458A
Application number: GB9916092A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carl Williams
Original assignee: CDS MARKETING Ltd
Current assignee: CDS MARKETING Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-09
Filing date: 1999-07-09
Publication date: 2001-01-31
Also published as: GB9916092D0

Abstract

A combined gutter and eaves guard 10 comprising a conventional gutter cover 14 with a rearwardly extending portion 12 for fitting below roof tiles (not shown) for securing the gutter cover in place, and a resilient comb-like eaves guard 28 upstanding from the gutter guard 14 or rearward portion 12, adapted to fold below the tiles and close any gap between the underside of the tiles and the rearward portion 12. The eaves guard 28 may be integrally formed with a gutter cover, or may be adapted to be fitted in a groove or below a flap 24 allowing the guard to be fitted after the gutter cover 14 has been put in place.

Description

2352458 Combined Gutter and Bird Guard for Roo This invention relates to a

combined gutter and bird guard for roofs.

Gutter guards are known which project from under the bottom tier of tiles or other roofing element of a sloping roof forwardly over the gutter. These gutter guards, at the portion extending over the gutter, are adapted, as by means of small holes, to allow water running down the roof to pass into the gutter, while leaves and the like are washed over the guard to fall over the front edge of the gutter to the ground.

It is also known, instead of using cement to block the entry of birds under the roofing elements adjacent the gutter, to insert a comb-like barrier strip under the bottom tier of tiles.

According to the invention, there is provided a combined gutter and bird guard for roofs, comprising a member having a portion for extending backwardly under the bottom tier of tiles or other roofing elements adjacent a gutter and a portion for extending forwardly over the gutter, said gutter guard portion being adapted to allow water to fall through it into the gutter while enabling leaves or the like to wash over said guard to fall over the front edge of the gutter, and a bird guard means projecting upwardly from the backwardly extending portion and adapted to be depressed by the roofing elements to form a barrier preventing the entry of birds beneath the roofing elements.

The invention enables the task of guarding the gutter against blockage with leaves and the like and the task of preventing the entry of birds under the tiles adjacent the gutter to be effected in a single operation.

Preferably, the portion of the guard extending backwardly under the tiles is dimensioned to enable the portion to be fixed, as by nailing, to the bottom roof batten from which the bottom tier of roofing elements is suspended.

The bird guard means preferably comprises a comb-like strip which in its natural condition projects upwardly from the backwardly extending portion at a substantial angle, whereby in use to be depressed towards the guard by the weight of the tiles under which the guard is positioned.

The comb-like strip is preferably positioned on the guard so that in use it lies adjacent to the front edge of the tiles adjacent the gutter.

The bird guard means may be formed integrally with the guard, but preferably the backwardly extending portion is provided with a formation into which a base portion of a separately formed comb-like strip can be inserted and thereby held in position.

The arrangement may be such that the said formation will accept and locate a conventional comb-like strip for serving as a bird guard. It will thus be appreciated that the invention also extends to a combined gutter and bird guard having, on the portion for extending backwardly under the tiles, a locating formation for a comb-like strip or other bird guard means later to be fitted, e.g. during installation of the guard on site.

A preferred guard comprises an extruded UPVC member. 'Me comb-like strip or other bird guard means, if separately formed, is preferably also made of plastics material.

The gutter guard portion of the combined guard is preferably ridged and grooved for the passage of leaves or other debris over the ridges, while the bottoms of the -3grooves are formed with slots for the passage of water into the gutter.

The front edge of the gutter guard portion may be adapted in use to clip directly to the front edge of the gutter. Preferably, however, separate clips may be provided to connect the front edge of the gutter guard portion to the front edge of the gutter, whereby to avoid risk of interference with conventional gutter support brackets which clip to the front edge of the gutter.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows an embodiment of combined gutter and bird guard in side view.

The illustrated combined gutter and bird guard 10 is preferably made of extruded UPVC and comprises a portion 12, say about 170 mm in length, for extending backwardly under the bottom tier of tiles or other roofing elements of a sloped roof and a portion 14, also say about 170 mm in length, for extending forwardly over the adjacent gutter.

At its back end, the portion 12 fixes in use, as by nailing, to the bottom roof batten from which the bottom tier of roofing elements is suspended.

At its front end, the portion 14 is in use positioned adjacent the front edge of the gutter, and may be adapted by means of formation 16 to clip directly to the gutter front edge or, more preferably, to connect thereto by means of a separate clip (not shown).

The portion 14 is ridged and grooved so that, in use, water from the roof can pass into the gutter through slots 18 at the bottoms of the grooves 20, whilst leaves and other debris are washed over the ridges 22, which overhang the grooves, to fall to the ground over the front edge of the gutter.

The front of the back portion 12 lies adjacent or a little set back from the front edges of the bottom tier of roofing tiles, and here a formation 24 integrally formed with the guard defines a narrow groove into which the base portion 26 of a plastics bird guard element 28 is inserted, so that a comb-like portion 30 of the element, which is naturally upstanding at a relatively large angle to the guard, is in use depressed towards the guard by the weight of the roofing elements on top of it, whereby to form a barrier to birds endeavouring to enter under the roofing elements.

Ile bird guard element may be a known combed guard for the purpose, such as the Gudevale E55 bird comb. It is not essential, however, for a separately manufactured bird guard means to be used; the bird guard means could alternatively be integrally formed with the guard, and is not even essentially of combed form. It might, for example, take the form of a mesh, preferably but not necessarily of plastics material.

Various other modifications, including the shape of the ridged and grooved front portion of the combined guard, are also possible within the scope of the hither-to defined invention.

C 113 I/C

Claims

I. A combined gutter and eaves guard device for roofs, comprising a member having:

(1) a first portion for extending rearwardly under the bottom tier of roofing elements such as tiles or slates adjacent a gutter; (2) a second portion for extending forwardly over the gutter, which is adapted to allow water to drain through it into the gutter while enabling leaves or the like to wash thereover, and fall over the front edge of the gutter; and (3) guard means upstanding from the said first or second portions and adapted to be depressed by the roofing elements to form a barrier preventing the entry of birds beneath the roofing element.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first portion of the guard is dimensioned to enable it to be fixed, as by nailing to a roof batten, from which roofing elements are suspended.
3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upstanding guard means is formed from resilient material, such that after being depressed below the roofing elements, the resilience of the material causes it to spring up and close any gap between the roofing elements and the underfelt or other weatherproofing sheet material fitted below the roofing elements.
4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the guard means comprises a comblike strip which in its natural condition projects upwardly from the first and/or second portions, at a substantial angle, but which in use is depressed by the weight of the roofing elements under which the guard means is positioned.

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5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the comb-like strip is positioned relative to the first and second portions so that when the second portion is fitted to the gutter, the comb-like strip lies adjacent to the front edge of the tiles adjacent the gutter.
6. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 5, wherein the guard means is formed integrally with the said first or second portions.
7. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 5, wherein the rearwardly extending portion is provided with a formation into which a base portion of a separately formed comblike strip is inserted in use, and thereby held in position.
8. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the said formation accepts and locates the comb-like strip for serving as the eaves guard.
9. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 5, comprising in combination a gutter and eaves guard having on a portion thereof for extending rearwardly under the roof tiles, a locating formation for eaves guard means to enable the latter to be fitted independently such as during installation of the gutter guard on site.
10. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 9, wherein the first and second portions comprise extruded UPVC members.
11. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the eaves guard means is made of plastics material.
12. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 11, wherein the gutter guard (second portion) of the combined guard is ridged and grooved for the passage of leaves or other debris over the ridges, while the bottoms of the grooves are formed with slots for the drainage of water into the gutter.
13. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 12, wherein the gutter guard (second portion) is adapted in use to clip directly to the front edge of the gutter.

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14. A device as claimed in any of claims I to 13,wherein separate clips are provided to connect the front edge of the gutter guard (second portion) to the front edge of the gutter, whereby to avoid risk of interference with conventional gutter support brackets which clip to the front edge of the gutter.
15. A combined gutter guard and eaves guard constructed and arranged substantially as herein described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.