[0001] This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to roofing battens and
their use in a novel method of tiling a roof.
[0002] Conventional roofing battens are generally provided by sawn strips of wood and are
secured to the roof structure to enable a tiler to cover a roof with tiles. To this
end the tiles may be secured by nails which are driven into the battens through apertures
in the tiles and/or the tiles may be secured by clips of many diverse configurations
which clips may be adapted to engage headlap and/or side-lock portions of the tiles.
[0003] In any event, the fixing of tiles to a roof is a time- consuming exercise and especially
where nails and clips are utilised causing the tiler to carry about his person a pouch
for the nails and clips and a belt for carrying the tools necessary for nailing, etc.
[0004] With non-conventional tiles, e.g. the plastics tiles of PCT W087/04479, it is proposed
to use an extruded batten strip which is generally of "T" cross-section along its
length and which strip is arranged to be accommodated in captive engagement by complementary
"T" shaped channels extending widthwise across the underside of the tiles. In order
to mount the tiles of PCT W087/04479 on a roof, each tile must be mounted onto a batten
strip from one end and slid sideways along a roof into place. This is not a practical
way in which to locate conventional tiles on a roof.
[0005] In a further engagement as disclosed in GB-A-2222620, the tiles are provided with
lateral slots of thin section on an underside thereof for engaging in use a support
flange of a batten strip, conventional tiles, e.g. concrete roof tiles are manufactured
in the main by passing pallets seriatim through a tile moulding machine whereat tile
mortar is formed on the pallets as a ribbon of mortar which is thereafter cut to form
discrete tiles on each pallet. Such pallets form the underside of the tiles which
preclude the manufacture of the non-conventional tiles GB-A-2222620 with the thin
section lateral slots.
[0006] DE-C-1 509 135 discloses a roofing batten with integral tile fixing means which are
not snap-fit and which require an adjacent tile to engage the side-lock portion of
a tile.
[0007] US4955170 discloses the use of folded steel sheet batten elements which captively
engage upper end portions of tiles mounted on a roof; however, such an arrangement
does not cater for securing the sidelock portions of tiles located on a roof and thus,
in inclement weather conditions, viz. high wind loads, the tiles may tip up about
their upper ends and become dislodged from a roof.
[0008] The present invention seeks to overcome or at least mitigate the disadvantages of
prior art tiling arrangements. Thus, the present invention provides a roofing batten
comprising integral tile fixing means conveniently provided by a first snap-fit device
for engagement, when in use, with a headlap portion of a roof tile, the tile fixing
means also comprising a second snap-fit device for engagement, when in use, with the
side-lock portion of a roof tile.
[0009] Preferably the first snap-fit device comprises a hold-down clip overlying a recess
formed in an upper surface, in use, of the batten, said recess being adapted to captively
receive, in use, a ribbed portion formed on an underside of a headlap portion of a
tile engaged thereby.
[0010] Conveniently the second snap-fit device comprises a hook element extending upwardly
and rearwardly of the upper surface, in use, of the batten, said hook element being
adapted, in use, to latch over a grooved side-lock portion of a roof tile engaged
thereby.
[0011] Conveniently the batten is of wedge-shape cross-section, or substantially so, at
right angles to the length thereof, the arrangement being such that, in use, the small
end of the wedge shape is the upper end and faces towards the ridge of a roof on which
it is used.
[0012] Preferably the batten of the last five preceding paragraphs is formed together with
the tile fixing means as a unitary moulding of plastics material, preferably polyethylene.
[0013] The present invention also provides a roofing batten comprising tile fixing means
provided by:
a) retaining means for engagement, in use, with headlap portions of tiles in a first
row of tiles on a roof to retain the headlap portions and thus said tiles against
movement, and,
b) hook means for engagement, in use with side-lock portions of a second row of tiles
positioned on a roof with tail-lap portions thereof overlying said headlap portions
of tiles in said first row of tiles.
[0014] Conveniently the present invention further provides a method of tiling a roof comprising
the steps of:
a) securing a plurality of roofing battens to a roof structure said battens comprising
integral tile fixing means provided by:
i) tile retaining means for engagement, in use, with headlap portions of associated
tiles, and,
ii) hooks for engagement, in use, one each with side-lock portions of associated tiles,
b) successively positioning tiles of a first row of such tiles on the roof with the
headlap portions of each tile being retained in snap-fit engagement with associated
tile retaining means,
c) successively positioning tiles of a second row of such tiles on the roof in overlapping
relationship with the tiles of said first row with the headlap portions of each tile
being retained in snap-fit engagement with associated tile retaining means and the
side-lock portions of each tile being engaged by associated hooks, and,
d) repeating step c) above until the tiling of the roof is completed.
[0015] There now follows by way of example of the present invention a detailed description
of a roofing batten and a method of tiling a roof using said batten, which description
is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an upper right-hand perspective view of part of a roofing batten; and,
Figure 2 is an underside perspective view of the interlocking end portions of two
adjacent roofing battens.
[0016] Conventional tiling techniques have utilised wooden battens, to which tiles of concrete,
clay or other materials have been fixed using nails or clips or a combination thereof.
Such costly exercises are overcome by the present invention which provides a roofing
batten 2 formed as a unitary moulding of plastics material, i.e. polyethylene, and
comprising, integrally formed therewith, tile fixing means 4, see Figure 1.
[0017] The batten 2 is wedge-shaped in cross-section, see the left-hand of Figure 1 in order
to achieve accurate tile fitment in use, the batten 2 comprising a rear wall 6 and
a front wall 8 spanned by an upper wall 10, see Figure 1. Reinforcing ribs 12 are
provided in the underside of the wall 10 between the walls 6 and 8; however, such
ribs serve only the perfunctory task of strengthening the batten and may be of any
arbitrary configuration.
[0018] The upper wall 10 is provided with a centrally disposed protuberance 14 extending
therealong which is frustroconical in cross-section and together with the walls 6
and 8 defines rearward and forward channels 16 and 18 respectively the purpose of
which will become clear hereinafter.
[0019] The protuberance 14 is provided with gapped portions 19 along its length, see Figure
1, also for a purpose to be made clear hereinafter.
[0020] The tile fixing means 4 comprises a first snap-fit device provided by latch elements
20 and 22 of inverted "L" shaped configuration at spaced-apart locations on the upper
extremities of the wall 6, with a vertical arm 24 of the elements 20 and 22 extending
upwardly of said wall and a horizontal arm 26 thereof extending to partially overlie
the channel 16, see Figure 1.
[0021] The tile fixing means also comprises a second snap-fit device provided by a hook
element 30 also provided on the upper extremities of the wall 6, see Figure 1.
[0022] It will be obvious that the battens 2 which are supplied in one metre lengths and
are coupled together by the conventional coupling means indicated at 32 and 33 in
Figure 2, provide support for series of first and second snap-fit devices by which
tiles may be secured to a roof.
[0023] In a method of tiling a roof using the novel battens 2 of the present invention a
roofer:
a) secures a plurality of battens 2 in parallel rows to a roof structure by driving
nails, not shown, into the structure through apertures 34 provided along the length
of said battens with lengthwise adjacent battens in one row being coupled together
by the coupling means 32 and 33,
b) positions a first row of tiles overlying a first row of battens 2 on the roof with
their respective interlocked side portions accommodated in associated gapped portions
19 of the protuberance 14 and with their headlap portions each being retained in snap-fit
engagement under the horizontal arms 26 of the elements 20 and 22 of the battens 2,
for this purpose the headlap portions of the tiles are of complementary shape to that
of the recessed upper surfaces 10 of the battens.
c) positions a second row of tiles overlying a second row of battens 2 on the roof
with their headlap portions each being retained in snap-fit engagement under the horizontal
arms 26 of the elements 20 and 22 of the battens 2 and with the side-lock portions
of each tile in snap-fit engagement with an associated hook element 30, and,
d) repeats step c) above until the tiling of the roof is completed.
[0024] It will be obvious from the foregoing that tiling a roof by the described method
using the novel battens 2 of this invention provides a cost effective and most advantageous
improvement on known methods of tiling. Application of the method does not detract
from the security of tiles on a roof since each tile is engaged by fixing means at
three points.
1. A roofing batten (2) comprising integral tile fixing means (4) provided by a first
snap-fit device (20, 22) for engagement, when in use, with a headlap portion of a
roof tile, characterised in that the tile fixing means also comprises a second snap-fit
device (30) for engagement, when in use, with the side-lock portion of a roof tile.
2. A roofing batten according to Claim 1 wherein the first snap-fit device comprises
a hold-down clip (20, 22) overlying a recess (16) formed in an upper surface, in use,
of the batten, said recess being adapted to captively receive, in use, a ribbed portion
formed on an underside of a headlap portion of a tile engaged thereby.
3. A roofing batten according to either one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the second snap-fit
device comprises a hook element (30) extending upwardly and rearwardly of the upper
surface, in use, of the batten, said hook element being adapted, in use, to latch
over a grooved side-lock portion of a roof tile engaged thereby.
4. A roofing batten according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the batten (2) is of
wedge-shape cross-section, or substantially so, at right angles to the length thereof,
the arrangement being such that, in use, the small end (8) of the wedge shape is the
upper end and faces towards the ridge of a roof on which it is used.
5. A roofing batten according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 formed together with the tile
fixing means as a unitary moulding of plastics material.
6. A roofing batten according to Claim 5 wherein the plastics material is polyethylene.
7. A method of tiling a roof comprising the steps of:
a) securing a plurality of roofing battens (2) to a roof structure said battens comprising
integral tile fixing means (4) provided by:
i) tile retaining means (20, 22) for engagement, in use, with headlap portions of
associated tiles, and
ii) hooks for engagement (30), in use, one each with side-lock portions of associated
tiles,
b) successively positioning tiles of a first row of such tiles on the roof with the
headlap portions of each tile being retained in snap-fit engagement with associated
tile retaining means (20, 22),
c) successively positioning tiles of a second row of such tiles on the roof in overlapping
relationship with the tiles of said first row with the headlap portions of each tile
being retained in snap-fit engagement with associated tile retaining means (20, 22)
and the side-lock portions of each tile being engaged by associated hooks (30), and,
d) repeating step c) above until the tiling of the roof is completed.
1. Dachlatte (2), mit einem von einer ersten Schnappverbindungsvorrichtung (20, 22) bereitgestellten
angeformten Dachsteinbefestigungsmittel (4) zum Eingriff - im Gebrauch - mit einem
Kopfüberlappungsteil eines Dachsteins, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Dachsteinbefestigungsmittel
auch eine zweite Schnappverbindungsvorrichtung (30) zum Eingriff - im Gebrauch - mit
dem Seitenverriegelungsteil eines Dachsteins umfaßt.
2. Dachlatte nach Anspruch 1, bei der die erste Schnappverbindungsvorrichtung eine Niederhalteklammer
(20, 22) umfaßt, die - im Gebrauch - über einer in einer oberen Fläche der Latte ausgebildeten
Ausnehmung liegt, wobei die Ausnehmung so ausgeführt ist, daß sie - im Gebrauch -
einen an einer Unterseite eines Kopfüberlappungsteils eines Dachsteins ausgebildeten,
davon in Eingriff genommenen gerippten Teil festhalten kann.
3. Dachlatte nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, bei der die zweite Schnappverbindungsvorrichtung
ein Hakenelement (30) umfaßt, das sich - im Gebrauch - nach oben und rückwärtig der
oberen Fläche der Latte erstreckt, wobei das Hakenelement so ausgeführt ist, daß es
- im Gebrauch -über einen davon in Eingriff genommenen, genuteten Seitenverriegelungsteil
eines Dachsteins greift.
4. Dachlatte nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, bei der die Latte (2) einen keilförmigen
oder im wesentlichen keilförmigen Querschnitt im rechten Winkel zu ihrer Länge aufweist,
wobei die Anordnung derart ist, daß das schmale Ende (8) der Keilform - im Gebrauch
- das obere Ende ist und zum First eines Daches, auf dem sie verwendet wird, weist.
5. Dachlatte nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, die zusammen mit dem Dachsteinbefestigungsmittel
als Formteileinheit aus Kunststoffmaterial gebildet ist.
6. Dachlatte nach Anspruch 5, bei der es sich bei dem Kunststoffmaterial um Polyethylen
handelt.
7. Verfahren zum Decken eines Daches mit Dachsteinen, das die folgenden Schritte umfaßt:
a) Befestigen mehrerer Dachlatten (2) an einer Dachkonstruktion, wobei die Latten
angeformte Dachsteinbefestigungsmittel (4) umfassen, die durch:
i) Dachsteinhaltemittel (20, 22) zum Eingriff - im Gebrauch - mit Kopfüberlappungsteilen
zugehöriger Dachsteine und
ii) Haken (30) zum Eingriff - im Gebrauch - jeweils mit Seitenverriegelungsteilen
zugehöriger Dachsteine
bereitgestellt werden,
b) nacheinander Positionieren von Dachsteinen einer ersten Reihe derartiger Dachsteine
auf dem Dach, wobei die Kopfüberlappungsteile jedes Dachsteins in Schnappverbindungseingriff
mit zugehörigen Dachsteinhaltemitteln (20, 22) gehalten werden,
c) nacheinander Positionieren von Dachsteinen einer zweiten Reihe derartiger Dachsteine
auf dem Dach in überlappender Beziehung mit den Dachsteinen der ersten Reihe, wobei
die Kopfüberlappungsteile jedes Dachsteines in Schnappverbindungseingriff mit zugehörigen
Dachsteinhaltemitteln (20, 22) und die Seitenverriegelungsteile jedes Dachsteins von
zugehörigen Haken (30) in Eingriff genommen werden, und
d) Wiederholen von Schritt c) oben, bis das Decken des Dachs mit Dachsteinen fertiggestellt
ist.
1. Volige de toiture (2) comprenant un moyen (4) intégré de fixation de tuiles, pourvue
d'un premier dispositif à encliquetage (20, 22) destiné à engager, en fonctionnement,
une portion de recouvrement d'une tuile de couverture, caractérisée en ce que le moyen
de fixation de tuiles comprend également un second dispositif à encliquetage (30)
destiné à engager, en fonctionnement, la portion de verrouillage latéral d'une tuile
de couverture.
2. Volige de toiture selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle le premier dispositif à
encliquetage comprend une attache de fixation (20, 22) surplombant un retrait (16)
formé dans une surface supérieure, en fonctionnement, de la volige, ledit retrait
étant prévu pour recevoir prisonnière, en fonctionnement, une portion nervurée formée
sur une sous-face d'une portion de recouvrement d'une tuile engagée par celui-ci.
3. Volige de toiture selon l'une ou l'autre des revendications 1 et 2, dans laquelle
le second dispositif à encliquetage comprend un élément de crochet (30) s'étendant
vers le haut et vers l'arrière de la surface supérieure, en fonctionnement, de la
volige, ledit élément de crochet étant prévu, en fonctionnement, pour accrocher par
le dessus une portion de verrouillage latéral cannelée d'une tuile de couverture engagée
par celui-ci.
4. Volige de toiture selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, dans laquelle la
volige (2) a une section transversale biseautée, ou substantiellement biseautée, à
angles droits par rapport à sa longueur, l'arrangement étant tel qu'en fonctionnement,
la petite extrémité (8) du biseau soit l'extrémité supérieure et soit tournée vers
le faîtage d'un toit sur lequel elle est utilisée.
5. Volige de toiture selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, formée conjointement
avec le moyen de fixation de tuiles en tant que moulage unitaire en matériau en plastique.
6. Volige de toiture selon la revendication 5, dans laquelle le matériau en plastique
est du polyéthylène.
7. Méthode de couverture d'un toit avec des tuiles comprenant les étapes consistant à
:
a) fixer une pluralité de voliges de toiture (2) sur une structure de toit, lesdites
voliges comprenant un moyen (4) intégré de fixation de tuiles constitué par :
i) des moyens (20, 22) de retenue de tuiles, destinés à engager, en fonctionnement,
des portions de recouvrement de tuiles associées, et
ii) des crochets (30), destinés chacun à engager, en fonctionnement, une portion de
verrouillage latéral des tuiles associées,
b) positionner successivement les tuiles d'une première rangée de ces tuiles sur le
toit, les portions de recouvrement de chaque tuile étant retenues en engagement par
encliquetage par les moyens (20, 22) de retenue de tuiles associés,
c) positionner successivement les tuiles d'une seconde rangée de ces tuiles sur le
toit de manière à partiellement recouvrir les tuiles de ladite première rangée, les
portions de recouvrement de chaque tuile étant retenues en engagement par encliquetage
par des moyens (20, 22) de retenue des tuiles associés et les portions de verrouillage
latéral de chaque tuile étant engagées par des crochets associés (30), et
d) répéter l'étape c) ci-dessus jusqu'à ce que la couverture du toit soit terminée.