GB2110263A

GB2110263A - Thermally insulated gutters; gutter connections

Info

Publication number: GB2110263A
Application number: GB08136018A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Arthur Rundles
Original assignee: KELSEY BUILDING PROD
Current assignee: KELSEY BUILDING PROD
Priority date: 1981-11-28
Filing date: 1981-11-28
Publication date: 1983-06-15
Also published as: EP0080850A1; NO823975L; DK527582A

Description

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GB 2 110 263 A 1

SPECIFICATION Gutters

This invention relates to gutters and particularly, although not exclusively, relates to gutters for use in the valleys between inclined roofs of industrial buildings.

According to the present invention there is provided a gutter component comprising a skin of water impervious material providing a trough for carrying rain water, the underside of the trough being provided with a layer of thermally insulating material.

In a preferred construction, the thermally insulating material is accommodated between the upper skin and a lower skin which may engage the upper skin at its edges.

The upper and lower skins may comprise glass reinforced plastics material (GRP), and the insulating material may comprise foamed plastics material, such as polyisocyanurate foam.

A convenient method of manufacturing a gutter component in accordance with the present invention begins with laying up the lower skin in a mould by applying a gel coat of a suitable resin to the surface of the mould. Glass fibre rovings are then sprayed onto the gel coat. The lower skin thus formed can be removed from the mould for storage if required. The upper skin may be formed by the so-called "pultrusion" process, in which the material is pulled through a suitably shaped die under tension.

When the complete gutter component is to be assembled, the lower skin is fitted into a mould which is capable of holding the lower skin rigid under pressure. A dosed quantity of foamable plastics material is deposited on the lower skin, and the upper skin is then clamped firmly, in sealing engagement, with the lower skin. Within a very short time, the foamable material begings to foam and expands to fill the cavity provided between the upper and lower skins. The foamed material bonds together the upper and lower skins, so that no further bonding is required at the adjoining edges of the upper and lower skins.

The present invention also provides a method of jointing gutter components, the method comprising bonding a connecting element to one of the gutter components, the connecting element including a tapped bore, the method then comprising bolting the other component to the connecting element by means of a bolt passed through an opening in the other gutter component and into the tapped bore, a self-supporting gasket being provided between the other gutter component and the connecting element. The connecting element may be made from GRP, in which case the tapped bore may be provided by a threaded metal insert.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, which shows, in longitudinal cross-section, two interconnected gutter components.

Each gutter component comprises an upper skin 2 which is made from GRP by means of the "pultrusion" process. Each upper skin 2 incorporates woven glass fibre matting, and to provide the necessary rigidity and strength there may be, for example, five layers of this matting.

To one end of each upper skin 2 is bonded a connecting element 4. This element 4 is shown bonded to the left-hand upper skin 2, but it will be appreciated that a similar connecting element 4 will be bonded to the right-hand upper skin at the end which is not visible in the Figure. The connecting element 4 comprises a rib 6 from which extend two flanges 8 and 10, the upper skin 2 being bonded to the flange 8.

A lower skin 12 adjoins the upper skin 2 at its lateral edges. At one end, the lower skin 12 adjoins the flange 10 of the connecting element 4, and at the other end the lower skin 12 adjoins the upper skin 2 at a position spaced from the end of the upper skin 2. The upper skin (including the connecting element 4) and the lower skin provide a cavity 14 which is filled with a polyisocyanurate foam. The thickness of this cavity (i.e. the distance between the upper skin 2 and the lower skin 12) is selected to provide the desired degree of thermal insulation as governed by current building practice and/or regulations. At present, it is thought that a thickness of approximately 25 mm is sufficient for most purposes.

The lower skin is made from GRP by laying up in the conventional manner in a suitably shaped mould. A gel coat is applied to the surface of the mould, and glass fibre rovings are sprayed on to the gel coat.

The connecting element 4 is made from GRP in a hot press moulding process. A row of holes is provided across the width of the flange 10, and threaded insert 16 is force-fitted into each hole. Each insert 16 may have a serrated cylindrical surface in order to retain it against rotation in its hole. Between the upper skin 2 of the right-hand gutter section and the flange 10 there is a self-supporting gasket 18 which is bonded to the flange 10. This gasket 18 can, for example, be made from paper or board, as is commonly used for gaskets in automobile engines, or it may be made from hard rubber or other resilient materials In the preferred construction, the upper skin 2 and the connecting element 4 can be formed with great accuracy, and so the gasket 18 does not have to be excessively resilient. In particular, the use of flowable sealants such as mastic can be avoided, ghe gasket 18 has, at each end, an upturned lip 20 which increases the pressure between the upper skin 2 and the flange 10 to improve the seal between these parts.

The two gutter components are secured together by bolts 22 which pass through holes drilled in the upper skin 2, through pre-punched holes in the gasket 18, and into the inserts 16. A rigid and water tight joint can thus be obtained, and it will be noted that the upper surfaces of the upper skins 2 and of the rib 6 are flush with one another.

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GB 2 110 263 A 2

The Figure and the description given above relate to gutter components which are both thermally insulated and interconnected by the connecting element 4. However, it will be 5 appreciated that the connecting element 4 can be used to interconnect gutter components which are not thermally insulated and which comprise, for example, only the upper skin 2. Similarly, thermally insulated gutter components can be 10 interconnected by means other than the connecting element 4.

Claims

Claims (Filed 23 Aug 1982).

1. A gutter component comprising an upper skin of water impervious material providing a

15 trough for carrying rain water, a lower skin, the edge regions of which engage the edge regions of the upper skin and the central region of which is spaced from the central region of the upper skin to provide a cavity between the upper skin and 20 the lower skin, and a body of thermally insulating material disposed within the cavity.

2. A gutter component as claimed in claim 1, in which the body of thermally insluating material substantially fills the cavity.

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3. A gutter component as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the thermally insulating material comprises foamed plastics material.

4. A gutter component as claimed in claim 3, in which the foamed plastics material serves to bond

30 the upper and lower skins together.

5. A gutter component as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the upper skin comprises glass reinforced plastics material.

6. A gutter component as claimed in claim 5, in 35 which the upper skin is formed by a pultrusion process.

7. A gutter component as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lower skin comprises glass reinforced plastics material.

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8. A gutter component substantially as described herein with referece to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.

9. In a gutter, a connection between two gutter components in accordance with any one of the

45 preceding claims, the connection being made between a connecting element including at least one tapped bore which is bonded to one end of the upper skin of one of the gutter components and a projecting portion at the adjacent end of the 50 upper skin of the other component, the projecting portion overlying the connection element and a self-supporting gasket being provided between the projecting portion and the connecting element, a bolt extending through an opening in the 55 projecting portion into the tapped bore to secure the gutter components together.

10. In a gutter, a connection between two gutter components, the connection being made between a connecting element including a tapped

60 bore which is bonded to one end of one of the gutter components and a connection portion at the adjacent end of the other gutter component, the connecting portion overlying the connecting element, and a self supporting gasket being

65 disposed between the connecting portion and the connecting element, a bolt extending through an opening in the connecting portion into the tapped bore to secure the gutter components together.

11. A connection in a gutter as claimed in

70 claim 9 or 10, in which the connecting element is made from glass reinforced plastics material.

12. A connection in a gutter as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, in which the tapped bore is provided by a threaded metal insert in the

75 connecting element.

13. A connection in a gutter as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, in which the connecting element has a rib which extends between the adjacent end edges of the gutter components, or

80 of the upper skins of the gutter components, the upper surface of the rib being flush with the upper surface of each of the gutter components.

14. A connection in a gutter as claimed in claim

13, in which two flanges extend from the rib, one

85 of the flanges being bonded to the said one component and the other of the flanges having the tapped bore.

15. A connection in a gutter as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14, in which the tapped bore is

90 one of a plurality of tapped bores disposed in a row extending across the width of the gutter,

each tapped bore receiving a respective bolt extending through a respective opening in the connecting portion.

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16. A connection in a gutter as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 15, in which the gasket comprises a pair of ribs which engage the connecting portion and extend across the width of the gutter, the tapped bore being disposed

100 between the ribs.

17. A connection in a gutter as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 15, in whih the gasket is made from a hard resilient material.

18. A connection in a gutter substantially as

105 described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.

19. A method of making a gutter component, the method comprising:

(i) manufacturing an upper skin;

110 (ii) manufacturing a lower skin;

(iii) applying a foamable material to the upper or lower skin;

(iv) bringing the edge regions of the upper and lower skins into contact to provide a cavity

115 between the upper and lower skins, which cavity encloses the foamable material;

(v) allowing or causing the foamble material to foam thereby to fill the cavity; and

(vi) allowing or causing the foamable material

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20. A method as claimed in claim 19, in which the upper skin is manufactured from glass reinforced plastics material by a pultrusion process.

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GB 2 110 263 A 3

21. A method as claimed in claim 19 or 20, in

22. A method of making a gutter component which steps (iii) to (vi) are performed with the 5 substantially as described herein.

lower skin supported in a mould.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1983. Published by the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained