GB2490043A

GB2490043A - Weathering slate with sealing sleeve

Info

Publication number: GB2490043A
Application number: GB1206638.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Atkins
Original assignee: Rubberatkins Ltd
Current assignee: Rubberatkins Ltd
Priority date: 2011-04-15
Filing date: 2012-04-16
Publication date: 2012-10-17
Also published as: GB201106418D0; GB201206638D0

Abstract

A weatherslate comprises a planar portion and a sleeve having a wall, an inlet and an outlet. The sleeve extends away from a surface of the planar portion. The sleeve may be flexible. Alternatively the sleeve and planar portion may be formed from a single material. The flexible sleeve wall may be tapered so that the outlet is smaller than the inlet to form a water tight seal with for example, a flue. The sleeve may be in the form of a concertinaed boot or gaiter.

Description

I

Improved Weathering Slate

Field of the lnvention

The present invention r&ates to an improved weathering slate for use on a roof.

Background to the Invention

A weathering Ste is a roofing component which sea an opening which has been made in a roof to sHow a pipe or the Hke to pass through the roof.

Generay a conventional weathering slate con&sts of a zinc plate, defining a hole, and a rubber sleeve extending away from the hole. The plate and the sleeve are slid as a unit over the pipe and positioned with the zinc plate aligned with the slope of the roof and attached to the sarking. The rubber sleeve forms a seal around the pipe preventing water ingress and the roof slates are positioned over the top of the zinc plate completing the water seal.

Conventional weathering slates come in a variety of configurations, with different angles of rubber sleeve b&ng provided to accommodate different pitches of roof.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a weathering slate, the weathering slate comprising: a planar portion; and a sleeve having a wall, an inlet and an outlet, the sleeve extending away from a surface of the planar portion, the sleeve inlet being aligned with an aperture defined by the planar portion; wherein, the sleeve wall is flexible.

Provdng a fexbe &eeve waH, in at east one embodiment of the present invention, permits a single weathedng slate to be used on a range of roof pitches and stifl form a water tight seal with, for exampk, a flue, This aUows for greater utility of the product and ailows a suppiler to manufacture and stock a reduced range of products whilst sfiil being able to fulfil market demand.

The sleeve wail may be at least one of extendable and compressible. A porhon of the &eeve wail may be extended while another porlion of the &eeve wail is compressed. Thus, when used on a pitched roof en upper side portion of the sleeve may be compressed and a lower &de portion of the &eeve extended.

The flexible sleeve may be movable between a rest configuration and an inuse configuration The rest configuration is the configuration which the flexible sleeve adopts when ailowed to recover elasticaily. The inuse configuration is any configuration in which the sleeve is &asticaily deformed and is capable of forming a waterfight seal with a pipe.

In the rest configuration, the inlet and outlet may lie in parailel planes.

In the inuse configuration, the inlet and outlet may lie in planes which are different.

In the inuse configurations, the inlet plane and the outlet plane may be angled to one another by an angle of up to 450, At angles of up to 450, the flexible sleeve may be sufficiently flexible to permit the outlet to form a watertight seal with a pipe.

In an embodiment, the sleeve defines a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis being perpendicular to the planar portion.

In an embodiment? the sleeve wall is convoluted? fOr example in a concertina or bellows form, and may comprise multiple segments linked by living hinges. In this embodiment the sleeve wall is convoluted in a longitudinal direction from the outlet to the inlet.

a preferred embothment, the seeve waD is serpentine. n this embodiment the sleeve waD is serpentine in a longitudinal direcUon from the outlet to the inlet. A serpentine waD particularly as suited to allowing the sleeve to be manipidated to the widest range of angles possible.

The serpentine waD may define a plurality of peaks and troughs, and one or more of the peaks or troughs may define a lMng hinge.

in one embodiment, the serpenthie waD defines two peaks.

The outlet may define a smaller cross sectional area than the inlet.

The ouflet may be adapted to stretch, in use, around the object against which it is going to form a seaL When the ouUet the ouflet hs, in use, formed a seal with an object, as the &eeve is moved from the rest configuration to the in-use configuration, the cross sectional area of the ouflet may remain substantiafly constant.

When the outlet the outlet has, in use, formed a seal with an object, as the sleeve is moved from the rest configuration to the inuse configuration, the shape of the ouflet may remain substantiaDy constant.

The sleeve may comprise an elastomeric materiaL In one embodiment the sleeve comprises rubber, The sleeve wall may be of variable thickness.

Parhcularly, the sleeve wall may thinner in the proximity of the outlet.

The sleeve waD thickness may taper downwardly towards the outlet. Providing a thinner wail thickness at the outlet allows for a smooth tran&tion between the object which the seal is being formed with and the sleeve. This permits rainwater to pass over the join and avoids puddling.

The sleeve wall may be substantially perpendicular to the outlet in the proximity of the outlet.

Particularly, a sleeved wafi interna surface may be substantiafly perpenthcular to the outlet in the proximity of the outlet. Such an arrangement increases the surface area of the sleeve which can form a waterhght seal with the object to be sealed against.

The sleeve may be adapted to extend axiay. The pipe, in use, wHch extends through the weathering Sate can, in hot weather, extend axiay. Being able to accommodate this axial extenSon pern'lts the seal to be maintahied between the weathering slate and the pipe.

The panar porUon may be metal.

Particularly the planar portion may be zinc.

The sleeve may be adhered to the planar portion.

The Seeve may be bonded to the planar portion In an alternafive embodiment, the planar portion may be elastomeric, The planar portion may comprise the same material as the sleeve.

The planar portion and the sleeve may be moulded as a single unit.

in one embodiment, the planar portion may define a plurality of parallel ribs.

Ribs are provided to stiffen the planar portion.

The ribs may be adapted to dh'ect water flow.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a weathering slate, the weathering Sate compri&ng a planar portion; and a sleeve having a wall, an inlet and an outlet, the sleeve extending away from the surface of the planar portion, the inlet being aligned with an aperture defined by the planar portion; wherein the planar portion and the Seeve are moulded as a single unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a weathering slate, the method comprising the steps of: manufacturing the weathering slate from a single material.

S

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a weathering Sate, the method comprising the steps of: manufacturing the weathering Sate planar portion from an elastomeric materiaL the inlet being aligned with an aperture defined by the planar portion S It will be understood that the optional or preferred features of the first aspect may be equafly applicable to the second and subsequent aspects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention wiU now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a weathering slate according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a section through the weathering slate of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic of the weathering slate of Figure 1 in use with a narrow diameter pipe on a shallow pitch roof; Figure 4 is a schematic of the weathering slate of Figure 1 in use with a wide diameter pipe on a steep pitch roof; Figure 5 is a schematic of the weathering slate of Figure 1 in use with my diameter pipe on the shallow pitch roof; Figure 6 is a schematic of the weathehng slate of Figure 1 in use with a wide diameter pipe on a steep pitch roof; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of a weathering slate according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Reference is first made to Figures 1 and 2, perspective and section views of a weathering slate, generally indicated by reference numeral 10, according to a first embothment of the present invention. The weathering Ste 10 comprises a planar portion 12 in the form of a zinc plate, and a flexible sleeve 14 made froni rubber. The flexible sleeve 14 has a wall 16, an inlet 18 and an outlet 20. Adjacent the flexible Seve inlet 18 is a flange 22 which is flied to the zinc plate 12 around an aperture 20 defined by the zinc plate, such that the &eeve inlet 18 and the zinc plate aperture 20 are allgned and a passageway 21 through the weathering Ste 10 is defined.

Referring specifically to Figure 2, the &eeve wall 16 is serpentine, in a bellows or concertinalike form, defining first and second peeks 24a, 24b and first and second troughs 26a, 26b. It will also be noted that the angle of the &eeve wall 16 to the &eeve longitudinal axis 28 decreases towards the sleeve ouflet 20. The angle changes after a concave transition 30 bcated slightly below the ouflet 20.

The provision of a serpentine wall 16 aVows the weathering Ste 10 to be used on roofs of various pitches and still maintain a watertight seal with, for example, a pipe extending through the roof. The &ate configuration shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 is the rest configuration in which the flexible sleeve is not subject to any &astic deformation. As can be seen from Figure 2 in particular, the inlet 18 and the ouflet 20 lie in parallel pknes.

Referring to Figure 3, the weathering slate 10 is shown schematically mounted to a roof 40 which is at an angle of 15<' to the horizontaL In this inuse configuration, the weathering slate sleeve 14 has been elastically deformed to accommodate a narrow diameter pipe 42. The outlet 20 has stretched to accommodate the pipe 42 and the section of sleeve above the transition 30 lies against the pipe external surface 44 forming a watertight seal. Although not visible on Figure 3, the zinc plate 12 is nailed to the sarking boards of the roof 44 and is covered with roof slates (not shown) to seal the roof 44. The upper side of the sleeve wall 16 has been compressed while the lower side of the sleeve wall has been extended, the defomiation of the sleeve wall being pñmardy accommodated by the thñng hinges farmed by the peaks 24a, 24b and troughs 26a, 26b.

Referhng to Hgure 4. the weathering slate 10 is shown schematically mounted to a roof 50 of steeper pitch, at an angle of 450 to the horizontal, but still forming a watertight seal around the narrow diameter pipe 42. The deviation of the sleeve 14 from the rest posEtion in which the inlet I B and the outlet 20 are coplanar to the position shown in Figure 4 in which the inlet 18 and oudet 20 are at an angle of 45° to one another is accommodated by the serpentine design of ribs 24 and troughs 26 of the &eeve wall 16, permitting extension and contraction of different portions of the sleeve walL It will be observed that the compression of the upper &de of the sleeve wall 16 and the exten&on of the lower side of the sleeve wall is greater than that experienced by the Ste 10 when mounted on the shallower pitch roof of Agure 3.

Reference is now made to Figure 5 which shows a seal being formed by the weathering Ste 10 around a wider thameter pipe 50 on the 15° roof 40. Again the tiexibllity of the sleeve wall 16 allows for this wider diameter pipe to be accommodated and a watertight seal be formed against the pipe external surface 62.

Figure 6 shows the weathering &ate 10 forming a watertight seal against the wider diameter pipe 60 on the 45° roof 50. It will be noted that the external surface 62 of the pipe in the region of the sleeve inlet IS is very close to the edge of the zinc plate opening 20 in the location marked NA". For this pipe 60 this arrangement represents the maximum angle which can exist between inlet and outlet for this particular pipe diameter.

As well as accommodating deviations from the vertical, the weathering slate can accommodate axial deviations. For example in hot weather the pipe 40. 60 may increase in length and the serpentine nature of the sleeve 16 will accommodate this.

Reference is made to Figure 7, a perspective view of a weathering slate 1 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment funcUons in the same way as the embodiment of Fkjures I to 8 however it wW be noted that the panar portion 112 and the seeve 114 are mouded as a &nge unit from rubber. Cakns

Claims

1, A weathering Sate comprising: a planar portion; and a sleeve having a wa, an inlet and an outlet, the sleeve extending away from a surface of the planar porfion, the Seeve inlet being aligned with an aperture defined by the planar porfion; wherein, the sleeve wafi flexible.

2. A weathering slate accorthng to daim 1, wher&n the Seeve wafl is at least one of extendabie and compressible.

3. A weathering Sate according to claim 2, wher&n a portion of the sleeve wall is extendable while another portion of the sleeve wall is compressible.

4. A weathedng Sate according to claim 3, for location on a pitched roof with an upper side portion of the sleeve wall compressed and a lower side porUon of the sleeve wall extended.

5. A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wher&n the flexible sleeve is movable between; a rest configuration, and; an inuse configuration in which the sleeve is elastically deformed and is capable of forming a watertight seal with a pipe.

6. A weathedng slate according to daim 5, wherein, in the rest configuration, the inlet and outlet e in paraUS planes, and hi the inuse configuration, the inlet and outlet he in pnes which are different.

7 A weathering slate according to claim 6; wherein, in the inuse configuration, the inlet and outlet lie in planes which are angled to one another by an angle of up to 6. A weathering Sate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the Seeve defines a longitudinS axis, the longitudinal axis being perpendicular to the planar portion.9, A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the sleeve wall is convoluted in a longitudinal direction from the outlet to the inlet.10. A weathering Sate according to claim 9, wherein the sleeve wall is serpentine in a longitudinal direction from the outlet to the inlet, the serpentine wall defining a plurality of peaks and troughs.11. A weathering slate according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the peaks and troughs defines a living hinge.12. A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the outlet defines a smaller cross sectional area than the inlet.13. A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the outlet is be adapted to stretch, in use, around the object against which it is going to form a seal. Ii14. A weathering slate accorthng to any one preceding clakn, wherein the eeve wath is of variable thickness.15. A weathering slate accorthng to claim 14, wherein the sleeve wa is thinner in the proximity of the outlet than in proximity to the inlet.16. A weathering slate according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the sleeve wall thickness tapers towards the ouflet.17. A weathering Ste according to any one preceding daim, wherein the sleeve waU internal surface is substantially perpendicular to the outlet in the proximity of the outlet.18. A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the sleeve wall is adapted to extend axially.19, A weathering Ste according to any one preceding claim, wherein the planar portion comprises the same material as the sleeve.20. A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the planar portion and the sleeve are moulded as a single unit.21. A weathering slate according to any one preceding claim, wherein the planar portion defines a plurality of parallel ribs.22. A weathering slate comprising a planar portion; and a seeve having a waU, an inlet and an ouflet, the sleeve extending away from the surface of the planar portion, the inlet being agned with an aperture defined by the planar portion; wherein the pnar portion and the sleeve are moulded as a sing!e unit.23. A weathedng slate according to any one preceding daim, wherein the planar portion is formed from an elastomeric material 24. A method of manufacturing a weathering slate, comprising the step of manufacturing the weathering slate from a single material.25. A method of manufacturing a weathering slate according to claim 24, the method comprising the step of manufacturing the planar portion from an elastomeric material, the inlet being aligned with an aperture defined by the planar portion.26. A weathering slate substantially as herein described or shown in the drawings.