GB2449879A

GB2449879A - Roof junction system

Info

Publication number: GB2449879A
Application number: GB0710824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Russell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-06-06
Filing date: 2007-06-06
Publication date: 2008-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2027-06-06
Also published as: GB2449879B; GB0710824D0

Abstract

The invention is concerned with the weatherproofing of roofs at the sites of roof hips and valleys. This is achieved using a system comprising units as shown in the figure and having a rigid body part with dependent side walls, a triangular wing portion extending from each of the top and bottom edge of a first of the dependent side walls, the two wing portions not being congruent in plan view. The system may comprisea mulltiplicity of enantiomorphic unit-pairs, each having right- and left-handed injection moulded plastic units 11, the units of unit-pairs 43 for employment at roof valleys being (Fig.12) intercalated and being each of the shape and configuration shown in Fig.1. Each enantiomorphic unit 11 for the hip roof (Fig.20) differs from the corresponding in that the units of the unit-pairs, not being adapted for intercalation, the enantiomorphic units, as Fig.12, of each unit-pair 43 have flanges-by which the units are adapted to be fixed at opposite sides of the hip rafter. The hip roof system includes, in addition to unit-pairs 43 an end cap member 59 and a multiplicity of elongate rafter cover members 73 which cooperate with the unit-pairs 43 such as to fully weather-proof the hip roof area adjacent to the hip roof at each of its sides.

Description

THE WEATHERPROOFThJG OF ROOFS AT THE SITES OF ROOF HIPS AND

VALLEYS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to devices for rendering roofs waterproof at the junction between inclined roof segments, being inclined roof segments which together form either a roof hip or a roof valley.

STAI'EMENT OF PRIOR ART

Customarily, as regards the roof hip, waterproofing of the hip at the hip rafter is effected using a bed of cement provided along the hip rafter and along marginal portions of roof tiles lying alongside the hip rafter, the cement bedding being capped with clay hip tiles of, commonly, semi-cylindrical fhrm, the hip tiles being laid, overlying the hip rafter, end to end along the rafter with the lower surfaces of the hip tiles adherent to the cement bedding. As regards the roof valley, waterproofing, customarily involves the introduction at the lowest part of the valley of a channel member of, commonly, semi-cylindrical form. Whilst, correctly laid up, classical hip roofs and roof valleys are satisfactory in weather-protective performance, they not infrequently give rise to rain penetration problems over a period of time, are relatively costly and time-consuming in their fabrication. The roof valley, in particular, is a major site fhr water penetration into space beneath the roof structure.

SUMMARY OF FEATURES OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with a weather-protective system which comprises a weather-protective unit for use, in association with other like units, in the protection of a substantially flat-tiled roof against the ingress of water at the junction between two inclined roof parts, be they roof parts at the site of a roof hip or roof parts at the site of a roof valley, said unit being of a robust, firm, and durable, water impermeable laminar material, preferably a mouldable plastic material such, for example, as polypropylene, the unit comprising: a substantially rigid body part (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the upper part") having a roof portion of generally circular sectorial plan-form and, dependant from said upper portion at the first and second radially-extensive boundary edges, respectively, thereof. first and second radially-extensive side walls; projecting laterally from said rigid body part, a first wing portion of substantially triangular plan-form, being a wing portion having an uninterrupted, water-tight, substantially rigid connection with said first side wall along the radially-extensive lower edge thereof, and, projecting laterally from said body part, a second wing portion of substantially triangular plan-form, being a wing portion having an uninterrupted, water-tight, hinge connection with said first side wall along the radially-extensive an upper edge thereof i'he shapes, dimensions, and configuration of the several parts, as aforesaid, of the unit are such that, viewed in plan, the triangular first and second wing portions together have a generally swallow-tail appearance and have a space therebetween, equal, substantially, to the thickness of' tiles to be received between said wing portions.

Preferably, and as hereinafter more fully described, the second wing portion is constituted as an extension of said upper portion.

Preferably, also, the unit comprises: a base part of generally circular sectorial plan-form corresponding in shape and substantially in dimensions to said rigid part: and, the first wing portion is constituted as an extension of said base part.

Where the weather-protective system is for use at the site of a roof valley, the unit comprises: a tongue portion, of generally circular sectorial shape and of dimensions corresponding substantially to those of said body part, being an extension of said base part from an uninterrupted water-tight hinge axis adjacent to and extending parallel to said lower edge of said second side wall; the second side-wall subtends an acute angle with respect to said base part; and, between the lower edge of said second side-wall of the upper part and said base part there is a gap.

The connection in said unit between said base part and the lower radially-extensive first side-wall edge of said upper part is a substantially rigid connection, and said gap is a slot-form gap. The slot-form gap of said unit may he open at at least one of its ends.

The connection between said base part and the lower radially-extensive first side-wall edge of said upper part may, however, be constituted as a hinge, the aforesaid gap being variable in angle by deflection about said hinge of the upper part with respect to said base part. The hinge connection in said unit between said base part and -_, -the lower side-wall edge of said upper part may have a resilient bias towards closure of said gap.

Suitably, the acute angle between the second side walls of said units and their respective said bases is such as to enable the units of said unit-pair to be angularly displaced with respect to one another about said common hinge axis such as to enable said unit-pair to he angularly displaced with respect to one another through an angle substantially within the range 25 to 55 , this being the range of angles commonly encountered at roof valley sites.

According to the invention, also, a weather-protective system comprises a unit-pair, for use at the site of a roof valley or a roof hip, the unit-pair comprising first and second enantiomorphically-related, weather-protective units, each unit having characteristic features stated in at least one ofthe above consistory clauses.

In the context of a weather-protective system for use at a roof valley, the shape, dimensions, and configuration of each unit of said enantiomorphic unit-pair is such that said units may be brought together with the tongue portion of one unit received within the body part of the other by way of the slot-form gap of said other body part, penetration of said tongue portion into said other body part being limited by lengthwise sliding contact between the two body parts at the lower, forwardly disposed edges, respectively, of said acutely angled second side walls, the hinge axes of said tongue portions, respectively, being then substantially coincident with one another, such as to constitute a common hinge axis permitting relative angular displacement, also, of the units of the unit-pair with respect to one another.

In a weather-protective system, for installation at the site of a roof hip, however said second side wall of the unit has an uninterrupted water-tight joint with said base, the unit further comprising: an elongate flange portion with an edge thereof connected to the body part of said unit at an uninterrupted hinge joint between an edge of said flange portion and said body part at the lower edge of said second side wall. The unit may be one of a unit-pair, the weather-protective units of the unit-pair being enantiomorphically-related arid being such as to enable said units to be fitted, similarly orientated, to a hip rafter at either side thereof with said flange portions extending lengthwise in contact with the proximate side of the rafter.

According to the invention, also, a weather-protective system fOr use at a roof hip comprises: a multiplicity of unit-pairs each as stated in the last preceding paragraph; a member composed of a robust, firm, and water impermeable laminar material, adapted to be mounted on the hip rafter at the lower end thereof and to be secured, as by nails. to roof battens at either side of the hip rafter, and being of shape and dimensions such as, when fitted to a hip rafter lower end segment, to protect the end-segment and such portions of the roof adjacent said rafter end as may he left unprotected by a said unit-pair when fitted to the rafter adjacent to said hip rafter lower end segment; and, at least one channel-shaped length of a robust firm and water impermeable laminar material of' rectangular cross-section, being a channel-shaped member of' dimensions such the channel-shaped length may make a close fit about a hip rafter and with the side flange portions thereof of a depth not less than the difference between the height of the hip rafter and that of said unit flange portions.

According to the invention, furthermore, a kit comprises the several parts of a weather-protective system as specified in the last preceding paragraph.

The foregoing and other features of units, unit-pairs, kits of parts comprising the same, and hip and valley roof sites incorporating said features arc more particularly described hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. I is a top-view pictorial diagram of' one weather-protective unit, being a right-hand, two-part unit, of an enantiomorphically-related unit-pair, for use as one component part of a weather-protective system at the site of a roof valley; Fig.2 is a plan view of the two-part unit of Fig. I; Fig.3 is a top-view ofa variant of'the unit depicted in Fig.l; Fig 4 is a top-view pictorial diagram of one part, the upper part, of the two-part unit of Fig. I, being the two-part right hand unit of an enaimon-iorphic weather-protective unit-pair; Fig.5 is an under-view pictorial diagram of the part ofFig.4; Fig.6 is a plan view, from above, of the part depicted in Fig.4; Fig.7 is a plan view, from beneath, of the part depicted in Fig 4; Fig 8 is a top-view pictorial diagram of the other, the base part, of the two-part unit depicted in Fig.4, Fig.9 is a plan view of the base part of Fig 8; Fig 10 is a pictorial representation of a multiplicity of enantiomorphic weather-protective unit-pairs in situ at the site of a roof valley; Fig. II is a plan view of a multiplicity of enantiomorphic weather-protective unit-pairs in Situ at the site of a roof valley; Fig 12 is a top-view pictorial representation of a two-part unit, being the left-hand unit, of an enantiomorphic weather-protective unit-pair, for use at the site of a roof hip rafter, Fig 13 is an under-view pictorial representation of the unit olhg 12, Fig 14 is a side view pictorial representation of the unit of Fig 12; Fig. I 5 is a plan view of the unit of Figs. 1 2; Fig.16 is an under-side plan view of the unit of Fig.12; Fig. 1 7 is a pictorial representation of a hip roof rafter end-capping member for use in association with the units as depicted in Fig 12; Fig. 18 is a pictorial representation of a hip roof rafter cover member for use in association with units as depicted in Fig.12 and with an end-capping membcr as depicted in Fig 1 7; Fig.19 is a pictorial representation of a roof hip fitted with a single weather-protective unit as depicted in Fig.12, together with a hip rafter-end capping member as depicted in Fig. 1 7; Fig.20 is a pictorial representation showing the hip roof of Fig.19 fitted with a hip rafter-end capping member as depicted in Fig.17, a multiplicity of unit-pairs each comprising right-and left-hand enantiomorphically-related units and a series of hip rafler cover members each as depicted in Fig. 1 8, and, Fig.21 is a plan view of the hip roof depicted in Figs.19 and 20

A DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS OF

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF TWO EMBODIMENTS OF THE

INVENTION

In both hereinafter described embodiments oithe invention, the weather-protective system comprises a weather-protective unit for use, in association with other like units, in the protection of a substantially flat-tiled roof against the ingress of water at the junction between two inclined roof parts, be they roof parts at the site of a roof hip or roof parts at the site of a roof valley, the unit being, in both cases of a robust, firm, and durable, water impermeable laminar material, such, for example, as polypropylene, and exhibiting common functional characteristics, hereinafter more particularly described.

Referring, on the one hand, to Figs.] to 11, inclusive, being drawings relating to a unit II for a weather-protective system for installation at the site o a roof valley V (Figs.l0 and II), and, on the other hand, to Figs. 12 to 21, inclusive, being drawing relating to a unit II for installation at the site of a hip roof H (Figs.19, 20, and 21) the weather-protective unit I I comprises, in either case: a substantially rigid body part 13, having an upper portion 15 of generally circular sectorial plan-form and, dependant from the roof 15a of said upper portion, at the first and second radially-extensive boundary edges 17, 19, respectively, thereof, first and second radially-extensive side walls 21, 23, respectively; projecting laterally from the body part II, a first wing portion 25 of substantially triangular plan-fbrm, being a wing portion having an uninterrupted, water-tight, substantially rigid connection with the first side wall 21 along its radially-extensive lower edge 27; projecting laterally from the body part II, also, a second wing portion 29 of substantially triangular plan-form, being a wing portion having an uninterrupted, water-tight, hinge connection 31 with the first side wall 21 along its radially-extensive upper edge I 7, the hinge 3 1 being formed in the wing portion 29, during the moulding of the upper portion 1 5, as a lengthwise-extensive indent adjacent to said upper edge The shapes, dimensions, and configuration of the several features described above, both as regards a unit I] for use at the site of a roof valley, and as regards a unit 11 fbr use at the site of a hip roof, are such that, viewed together, in plan, (Fig.6 and II) the triangular first and second wing portions 25, 29, of the unit have, as shown, a generally swallow-tail appearance, but in side elevation have a spacing S therebetween equal, substantially, to the thickness of tiles T to be received between the wing portions in the course of weatherproofing a roof at the site of a roof valley or, as the case may be, hip roof site.

Turning, next, to features which distinguish units for use at the site of a roof valley from those for use at the site of a hip roof, the roof valley unit II of Figs. I and 2, being, in distinction from the hip roof unit of Figs. 12 and 13, a two-part unit, the valley unit 11 has a base portion 31 (Fig.8), of generally circular sectorial plan-form in shape and in general dimensions corresponding to those of the roof I 5 of the upper portion 15, the base portion being contained in a plane substantially parallel to that of the roof 1 5a and having a hinge connection (as hereinafter more particularly described) extending along the lower radially-extensive edge 27 of the first side wall 21, only, of the upper portion 15 of the unit 11; and, projecting laterally from the base portion 3 I adjacent to the lower forwardly projecting edge 35 of the second side-wall 23 there is a tongue portion 37, of generally circular sectorial shape and of dimensions corresponding substantially to those of the body part 13, being an extension of the base 31 from an uninterrupted water-tight hinge axis 39 closely adjacent to and extending parallel to said the lower edge 35 of the second side wall 23, there being, in consequence, a gap S left between the base 31 and the lower edge 35 of the side wall 23. As with the hinge connection 31, the hinge 39 is formed, during the moulding of the upper portion, as a lengthwise-extensive indent adjacent to said lower edge I 7.

The first wing portion 25 is constituted, also, as an extension of the base portion 31, being a fixed extension, devoid of any hinge axis, that is to say, which projects, as previously stated, from the body part 13 at the lower edge 27 of its first side wall 21; and, the second side-wall 23 subtends an acute angle with respect to the base portion n The unit 11 for use at a valley feature of a roof is, as shown in Figs. 1 0 and 11, one, left-or right-hand, of an enantiomorphically-related unit-pair 43 and the shape, dimensions, and configuration of each unit 11 of the unit-pair 43 is such that right-and left-hand enantiornorphic units may be brought together with the tongue portion 37 of either unit 11 received within the body part 13 of the other by way of the gap S between the base 3 1 and the lower edge 33 of the first side wall 2 I of the other body part 13, penetration of the tongue portion 37 of one unit into the latter body part 13 being limited by lengthwise sliding contact between the two body parts 13 at the lower, f'orwardly disposed edges 35 of the acutely angled second side walls 23, the hinge axes 39 of the tongue portions 37 being then substantially coincident with one another, such as to constitute a common hinge axis permitting relative angular displacement, also, of the units 11 of the unIt-pair 43 with respect to one another.

Whilst the connection between the base portion 3 1 and the upper portion 15 at the lower edge 27 of its first side wall 21 be an integral substantially rigid connection, the base 31 projecting therefrom to form a narrow slot-form gap 41 of substantially unvarying width equal to the thickness of the tongue portion 37 at the lower edge 35 of the second side wall 33.

As more particularly hereinafter described with reference to Fig 3, to facilitate the reception of the body portion of one unit of an enantiomorphic unit-pair of the tongue portion 37 of the other, the upper portion 15 of the units II may, however, be rockable, to a limited extent with respect to said base portion 31 about the hinge connection between the upper and base portions 1 5, 3 1, respectively, adjacent to the lower radially-extensive edge 33 of the first side-wall portion 21.

The two enantiomorphic units 11 of each unit-pair 43 are such as to provide weather protection over a range of valley angles commonly encountered in modern constructions. More specifically, the acute angle subtended by the second side walls 23 and the bases 3 1, respectively, of the units 11 is such as to enable the units 11 of the unit-pair 43 to be angularly displaced with respect to one another about the aforesaid common hinge axis formed at mating, as aforesaid, of the two units I I of the unit-pair, through an angle substantially within the range 25 to 55 , this being the range of valley angles referred to.

As stated previously, the unit 11 is formed as a plastic moulding, more specifically an injection moulding of, suitably, polypropylene. To give it adequate stiffliess, the upper portion 15 is formed at its underside with an integral, quasi-honeycomb, re-enforcement wall structure 41 comprising a multiplicity of contiguous wall segments 43 upstanding perpendicular to the roof 1 5a at the underside thereof.

Whilst the demands and limitations of injection moulding technology in the provision of units II, for use at a roof valley site, call for a two-component construction for the valley unit, primarily the need for the base portion 3 I more arises, in distinction from conditions prevailing at a roof hip site, from the fact that, at a roof valley site, rain incident on valley units is directed by the units to the junction line, the common hinge line, that is to say, between aligned enantiomorphic unit-pairs (Figs 10 and II). Taking into account, also, the overlap (Figs. 10 and 11) down a roof valley between the several aligned enantioniorphic unit-pairs, the base portions 31 serve as essential back-up to the protection given by the upper portions 1 5 of the units.

The roof valley unit II, being constituted of two separate mouldings 15, 31, in addition to the quasi-honeycomb re-enforcement structure 41, its upper portion IS, may (Fig.3) be formed at the underside of the roof ISa with a narrow, elongate wall extending closely parallel to the first side-wall 21 of the roof 15a throughout substantially the lull length of the latter wall, the side-wall 21 being pierced, at intervals along its length, with elongate apertures, as 47.

The base portion 3 1 (Figs. 8 and 9) comprises not only the first wing portion 25 and tongue portion 37, but an upstanding elongate wall 49, also, of height a little greater than that of the first side- wall 21 by, in particular, the thickness of the tongue portion 35. The wall 49 extends across the base portion 31 at the boundary edge of the base port!on, this being a notional line corresponding in position to that occupied on the upper portion 15 by the narrow elongate receptacle 51 formed between the wall 45 and the closely adjacent first side wall 21.

l'he wall 49 has a length and width corresponding to that of the receptacle 5 1, and has raised ramp-form protuberances, as 53, distributed at intervals therealong such that the roof and base portions 1 5, 31, may be brought together, the protuberances 53 mating, respectively, with the apertures 49 to lock the upper and base portions 1 5, 3 1, together thereby to constitute a complete unit II with the base portion 3 1 and the lower edges of the side walls of the upper portion 1 5 set apart, as a result of the disparity between the height of. the wall 49 and the depth of the receptacle 51 by the thickness of the tongue portion 35.

To facilitate occupation of the body part of one unit by the tongue portion 37 of the other, the upper portion 15 may, as previously intimated, be free to execute a limited hinge movement with respect to the base portion 31, the roof 15 of the upper portion 1 5 being formed, part-way through, at one side of the wall 47, with a lengthwise recess 55. As a result of the so-weakened juncture between the wall 47 and the base portion 31, the upper portion 15 of the unit 11 is thereby enabled to be flexed resiliently away From its base portion 31, as shown in Fig.3, to receive the tongue portion 37 of the other, left-or, as the case may be, right-.hand, unit 11. Thereafter, the upper portion 15 having been released, the lower edge 15 of the second side wall and the base portion 31 are held apart against the resilient bias of the wall 49, by the presence of the slot-form, gap-defining, tongue portion 37, the so-mated right-and left-hand units constituting a unit-pair 43 for installation at the site of a roof valley.

Where the mutually inclined roofs parts forming a valley are at equal pitch angles, battens B of the roofs to either side of the valley centre line are, generally, substantially in alignment one with another and units 11 of' the unit-pairs 43 rise, nailed to the battens B, symmetrically at the valley sides from the central root line root line of the valley. Where, however, the pitch of the roof parts at the valley differ in angle, whilst the nail or screw positions of one of the units 11 of a unit-pair 43 may be in register with battens B of one of the valley roof parts such that the latter units 11 may be nailed to in-register battens, nail positions of the other units I I of the unit-pairs 43 may and, in general, are not in register, for nailing, with battens B of the other valley roof part. It is to accommodate such mismatch between the locations of units 11 and battens B that the mated enantiomorphic units are permitted to slide with respect to one another with the forwardly projecting leading edges 35 of their inclined first side walls 23 in contact with one another in the direction of an open end of the gap S to positions at which nail positions of the relevant unit 11 of the unit- pair 43 are in the necessary relationship with battens B to which they are to be nailed.

Fig. 1 0 shows a roof valley with a set of enantiomorphic unit-pairs 43 running the full length of the valley root, the battens B of the valley roof parts having a cladding ot roofing felt (not shown). The units 11 of each unit-pair 43 are angularly displaced with respect to one another about the common hinge axis therehetween the angle being, of course, determined by the angle of the valley in which the unit-pairs 43 are to sit.

As each unit-pair 43 is laid down and nailed to the battens B, the second wing portions 29 of the units are, referring to the example of Fig.3, raised, enabling flat tiles, suitably, flat interlocking tiles 1, to be inserted between the wing portions 25, 29, to positions of abutment with the first side walls 21 of the units.

Successive unit-pairs 43 laid down, as before described, overlap one another, as shown. The units H to shape and configuration shown and to dimensions and appropriate to tile size, ensure that the valley, at the junction between the inclined valley roof parts, and the tiles T received by the units I lat the sides thereof, are fully weathered along the entire length of the junction.

Fig. II shows, in plan, the roof valley depicted, pictorially, in Fig.lO. Rain incident on the roof at the valley is deflected to the fully weathering unit-pairs 43 to gutter G attached to facia board F. Figs.19, 20 and 21 depict a hip roof H at various stages in the process of its cladding with tiles and the completion of weatherproofing of the roof employing a weather-proofing system S in accordance with the invention. The figures depict, as before, the hip rafter R together with associated jack rafters J which extend from the hip rafter H and battens B which are secured to the jack rafters J and which are -Il-overlaid with roofing sheet material (not shown), upon which a multiplicity of substantially flat roof tiles, as T, such, for example, as interlocking flat roof tiles employed, predominantly in the cover of the roof, are laid. Also shown in Figs. 19, 20, and 21 are lengths of facia board F, these being secured to the wall, the outer skin, (not shown) of the dwelling or other building of which the hip roof H is part, and, secured by brackets to the facia board F, lengths of gutter G. Ihe weather-protective system is effective to secure the hip roof against the ingress of water into the building at gaps existing at both side surfaces of the hip rafter R and proximate edges of adjacent tiles.

Whilst the previously described weather-protective system for a roof valley demands that the several enantiomorphically-related units to furnish the roof valley are for both practical manufacturing and for functional reasons in two parts, an upper and a base part, enantioniorphic units for use at hip rafters may he one piece unitary items, corresponding in certain essential features, as stated earlier, to the upper part of the roof valley unit.

The unit for the hip unit 11 differs, in essential form, from the upper part, Figs. I and 2. say, of the unit 11 for the roof valley unit, only in that the roof hip unit has no base portion, the wing portion 25 projecting directly from the first side-wall 21 at the lower edge 33 thereof, and in that instead of a tongue portion 37 at an acutely inclined second side wall, the unit has an elongate tab portion 59 integral with a second side-wall 23 upstanding perpendicular to the roof portion I 5 at a water-tight hinge 57 extending along its lower edge 35.

The roof hip system comprises not only a unit 11, but also a hip rafter-end capping member 61 (Fig. 17) which may be of the same plastic as that may be employed for the units 11, the end capping member comprising: a central portion 63 having first and second parallel walls 63a, 63b, respectively, bridged at one end by a transverse wall 65 of height greater than that of the walls 63a, 63b bridged thereby, and first arid second generally triangular wings 67a, 67b, respectively, of similar shape and size and from edges of which the walls 63a, 63 and 65 are upstanding, the wings, projecting laterally of and being symmetrically disposed with respect to the walls 63a, 63b. The wings 67a, 67b, have tab portions, as 69, extending along forward edges, 71a, 7lb, respectively, thereof, being edges which are inclined with respect to one another at substantially 90 degrees. The wall 65 has score lines (not shown) extending transversely across one of its faces, this to facilitate bending of the wall 71 at any one of the several score lines The roof hip system includes, further, a multiplicity of hip rafter cover members, as 73 (Fig. I 8), being channel-form lengths of extruded plastic material provided with buttons 75 to assist in their handling and fixing apertures 77, including a key slot.

Fig 19 shows a hip roof with the capping member 61 nailed to the hip rafter lower end, the wings 67a, 67b resting on battens B to either sideof the hip rafter R with their tab portions 69 overlapping the gutter 0, the parallel walls 63, 63h standing in contact with the sides of the rafter, and the transverse wall 65 confronting the end of the rafter R and being bent backwards at the position of a score line appropriate for the depth of the rafter An enantiornorphic unit-pair 43 has its units 11 secured to the sides of the rafter R, the tabs 53 of the units being bent upwardly at their hinges 55 to lie flat against the sides of the rafter, the tabs 59 being secured to the rafter as by nailing.

As may be seen, the wings 67a of the capping member 61 occupy such roof area as may be left unoccupied by the lowermost units 11 along the rafter, the extent of such unoccupied space varying with hip roof pitch angle. The shape and dimensions of the capping member must therefore be chosen such as to occupy roof areas adjacent to the lowermost enantiomorphic unit-pair as may, absent the end capping member 61, be left unprotected by the lowermost units I I notwithstanding such variation in roof pitch angle Fig 20 shows a hip roof portion fitted with units 11, as described, together with end-capping member 61, and with the rafter cover members 73 superimposed on the rafter R in overlapped relationship with one another, the web portions 73a of the cover members 73 being screwed to the rafter R at the apertures 77. The flanges 73b of the cover members 73 have a depth such as to ensure that these overlap the tabs 53 of the units I I n

Claims

-I.) -

I A weather-protective system which comprises a weather-protective unit for use, in association with other like units, in the protection of a substantially flat-tiled roof against the ingress of water at the junction between two inclined roof parts, be they roof parts at the site of a roof hip or roof parts at the site of a roof valley, said unit being of a robust, firm, and durable, water impermeable laminar material and having: a substantially rigid body part (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the upper part") having a roof portion of generally circular sectorial plan-form and, dependant from said upper portion at the first and second radially-extensive boundary edges, respectively, thereof, first and second radially-extensive side walls; projecting laterally from said rigid body part, a first wing portion of substantially triangular plan-form, being a wing portion having an uninterrupted, water-tight.

substantially rigid connection with said first side wall along the radially-extensive lower edge thereof', projecting laterally from said body part, a second wing portion of substantially triangular plan-form, being a wing portion having an uninterrupted, water-tight, hinge connection with said first side wall along the radially-extensive an upper edge thereof, and in which. the shapes, dimensions, and configuration of' the several parts, as aforesaid, of the unit are such that: viewed in plan, said triangular first and second wing portions together have a generally swallow-tail appearance; and, said first and second wing portions have a space therebetween, being a space equal, substantially, to the thickness of tiles to be received between said wing port ions.

2. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim I in which: the second wing portion of said unit comprises an extension of said rigid body part.

3. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim I or 2 and in which said unit comprises: a base part of generally circular sectorial plan-form corresponding in shape and substantially in dimensions to said rigid part; and, said first wing portion comprises an extension of said base part 4 A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 3, for installation at the site of a roof valley, and in which said unit comprises a tongue portion, of generally circular sectorial shape and of dimensions corresponding substantially to those of said body part, being an extension of said base part from an uninterrupted water-tight hinge axis adjacent to and extending parallel to said lower edge of said second side wall; and in which: said second side-wall subtends an acute angle with respect to said base part; and, between the lower edge of the second side-wall of said upper part and said base part there is a gap S A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 4 in which: the connection in said unit between said base part and the lower radially-extensive first side-wall edge of said upper part is a substantially rigid connection, and said gap is a slot-fimi gap.

6. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 5 in which; said slot-form gap of said unit is open at at least one of its ends.

7. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 4 in which: the connection in said unit between said base part and the lower radially-extensive first side-wall edge of said upper part is constituted as a hinge, said gap being variable in angular width by deflection about said upper part hinge with respect to said base part.

8, A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 7 in which: the hinge connection in said unit between said base part and the lower side-wall edge of said upper part has a resilient bias towards closure of said gap.

9. A weather-protective system, for use at the site of a roof valley, in which said unit is one o a unit-pair comprising first and second enantioniorphically-relited, weather-protective units, each said unit having characteristic features as set forth in any of the preceding claims.

1 0. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 9 when appendant to any of claims 4 to 8, in which: tile shape, dimensions, and configuration of each unit of said enantiornorphic unit-pair is such that said units may be brought together with the tongue portion of one unit received within the body part of the other by way of said gap of the other body part, penetration of said tongue portion into said other body part being limited by lengthwise sliding contact between the two body parts at the lower, forwardly disposed edges, respectively, of said acutely angled second side walls, the hinge axes of said tongue portions, respectively, being then substantially coincident with one another, such as to constitute a common hinge axis permitting relative angular displacement, also, of the units of the unit-pair.

Ii A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 10 in which: the acute angle between the second side walls of said units and their respective said bases is such as to enable the units osaid unit-pair to be angularly displaced with respect to one another about said common hinge axis such as to enable said unit-pair to be angularly displaced with respect to one another through an angle substantially within the range 25 to 55 .

12. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 1, for installation at the site of a roof hip, and which comprises: an elongate flange portion with an edge thereof connected to the rigid body part of said unit at a hinge joint between said elongate flange portion and the body part, being a hinge joint which extends along the lower edge of tile second side-wall of said body part 13. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim I 2, and which comprises: a base portion of shape and dimensions corresponding substantially to those of said upper portion; and in which: said first wing portion and said elongate flange portion are constituted as extensions of said base portion.

14. A weather-protective system as claimed in claim 12 or 13 in which said unit is one unit of a unit-pair, the weather-protective units of said unit-pair being -16-enantiomorphically-related and being such as to enable said enantiomorphic units to be fitted to a hip rafter one at each side thereof, with said flange portions extending lengthwise in contact with the proximate sides, respectively, of the rafter.

15. A weather-protective system which comprises: a multiplicity of unit-pairs each as claimed in claim 14; a member composed of a robust, firm, and water impermeable laminar material, adapted to he mounted on said rafter at the lower end thereof and to be secured, as by nails, to roof battens at either side of the hip rafter, and being of shape and dimensions such as, when fitted to a hip rafter lower end segment, to protect the end-segment and such portions of the roof adjacent said rafter end as may be left unprotected by a unit-pair when fitted to the rafter adjacent to said hip rafter lower end segment; and, at least one length of a robust firm and water impermeable laminar material of rectangular cross-section, being a channel-shaped member of dimensions such that the channel-shaped length may make a good fit about a hip rafter, and with the side flange portions of the channel-shaped length having a depth not less than the difference between the height of the hip rafter and that of said unit flange portions.

1 6 A kit which comprises the several parts of a weather-protective system as claimed in claim 15.

1 7 A weather-protective system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.1 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A weather protective system substantially as hereinbefbre described with reference to Figs. 1 2 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A kit for a weather-protective system as claimed in claim 15 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 12 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.

A roof valley substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.10 and 11.

21. A hip roof substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.19, 20, and 21 of the accompanying drawings.