GB2241520A

GB2241520A - Tiling

Info

Publication number: GB2241520A
Application number: GB9004840A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ernie Coulthard
Original assignee: CANGE CONTROLS Ltd
Current assignee: CANGE CONTROLS Ltd
Priority date: 1990-03-03
Filing date: 1990-03-03
Publication date: 1991-09-04
Also published as: GB9004840D0

Abstract

Tiles that are supported on battens (24) in rows, with holding means consisting of a channel (21) enabling engagement of one row of tiles with a next lower row of tiles to prevent lifting. <IMAGE>

Description

TILING This invention relates to tiling of the kind in which tiles are supported on battens and to a tile per se. Such tiling systems are used as external cladding on buildings to provide, for example, a pitched roof or a shingled wall.

Our GB - A - 2195131, for example, discloses a tiling system in which plastic tiles are supported on battens with which they interlock.

This is advantageous in many respects over prior tiling systems in that the tiles are light in weight and easily manufactured by extrusion.

However, although the above-mentioned tiling system works perfectly well when the tiles are of a size substantially the same as those of prior systems, there is a significant disadvantage when a larger tile is used. In particular, it has been found that when a large tile is used with such a system, there is a marked tendency for the lower edge of the tile, which lies over the next lower row of tiles, to lift up due to an external disturbance, e.g. wind.This is not only visually unacceptable, but may also cause the roof to leak when the wind is accompanied by rain or snow.

On the other hand, one of the advantages of our earlier aforementioned system, is the ease of manufacture which would readily lend itself to the manufacture of larger tiles were it not for this problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide tiling which overcomes the disadvantage described above.

According to the present inveniton, there is provided tiling comprising tiles to be supported on battens in rows, in which the tiles are made of plastics material and in which, in use, the tiles and battens interlock with one another, the tiles each including holding means enabling engagement of one row of tiles with a next lower row of tiles. The provision of holding means prevents the lower end of a tile lifting up from the underlying row of tiles, thereby overcoming the aforementioned disadvantage.

Preferably, the tiles interlock with the batten on which they are to be supported in such a way that the tiles are slidable along the battens, and ideally the tiles and battens also snap fit together.

This provides a particularly secure attachment of the tiles to the batten.

Suitably, the plastics material is U.P.V.C., which will withstand harsh environmental conditions, e.g. the acidity of rain, without corroding or rotting.

The tiles and/or the battens may be formed by extruding plastics, thereby making manufacture particularly straightforward.

The invention also includes a tile including interlocking means enabling the tile to be snap fitted to and slid along a batten fastened to a roof, and holding means enabling engagement of one row of tiles with a next lower row of tiles.

The cross-sectional shape of the tiles is preferably such that the tiles are wider in their central regions, and taper towards opposite edge regions, one of the regions being a region where the tiles are attached to a batten, and the opposite region overlying the next lower row of tiles. Such a cross-sectional shape provides a substantially flat external surface when all the tiles are in position of use.

Preferably, each batten has two guide members which engage corresponding groove members on each tile. The free edges of the guide members and groove members may have cooperating chamfers to facilitate snap fitting the tiles to the battens.

In a preferred embodiment the holding means comprises a channel defined by a first part extending in a direction substantially perdendicular to an under surface of the tile and a second part which lies substantially parallel to said surface.

Conveniently, the channel may engage the upper edge of the next lower row of tiles and the channel preferably is provided towards the centre of the tile. With such an arrangement at least half of the tile may lie directly above the next row of lower tiles, thereby making the tiling completely weatherproof.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided tiling comprising tiles to be supported on battens in rows, the tiles including holding means enabling engagement of one row of tiles with a next lower row of tiles, the holding means comprising a channel which, in use, opens towards the next lower row of tiles enabling the tiling of the next lower row of tiles to be engaged within the channels without close tolerance requirements.

Tiling in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tile, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a batten, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a section through part of the tiling as used on a pitched roof, including a tile for the apex of the roof and a tile for the gutter end of the roof.

In Fig. 1 a tile 10 has a substantially planar body 11 including opposite end regions 12 and 13. Disposed adjacent the end region 12 and extending across the tile are two spaced apart members 14 which together define a channel 15. The tile 10 has a thicker cross-section at a central region 16, and tapers towards the opposite end regions 12, 13, thereby having a cross-sectional shape of a flattened parallelogram.

The members 14 are each defined by a first portion 17 which extends in a perpendicular direction away from a lower surface 18 of the tile 10 and second portion 19 which lies substantially parallel with the surface 18. The respective portions 17 and 19 of the members 14 form grooves which face each other and together form the channel 15. At the free edge of each second portion 19 the surface is provided with a chamfer 20 which facilitates engagement with a batten as will be described below.

Also disposed on the lower surface 18 but at the central region of the tile 10 is a second channel 21. The second channel 21 is defined as first part 22 extending in a perpendicular direction from the lower surface 18 of the tile 10 and a second part 23 which lies substantially parallel with the surface 18. The open side of the channel 21 faces towards the end region 13 and, in use, forms a holding means for engagement with a lower row of tiles.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a batten 24 comprises a channel section 25 having longitudinal free edge portions 26. Extending away from the portions 26 in a perpendicular direction are guide members 27. The guide members 27 each have a chamfer 28 along their free edge to facilitate engagement with the tile 10 as will be explained.

In use, and with reference to Fig. 3, a plurality of battens 24 are secured in parallel to a roof 29 to be tiled; the battens 24 being positioned with their channel sections 25 facing outwardly. A lower row 30 of tiles 10 is then secured to the lowermost batten 24 by a snap-fit interengagement of the channel 15 with guide members 27, the interengagement being aided by cooperating chamfers 20 and 28.

As shown, the lower row of tiles is suitably cut to shape to exclude the channel 21. The next row of tiles is then applied to the next batten in a similar manner except that, during assembly, the channel 21 of the tiles is engaged with the edge region 12 of the lower row of tiles 30.

Once a tile is positioned on a batten, it will be appreciated that it is then possible to slide the tile 10 along the batten 24, to obtain fine adjustment of the position of the tile 10. Indeed the tiling can be assembled, if desired, by sliding tiles 10 onto the end of a batten 18.

Due to the nature of the snap-fit interlocking, tiles can only be removed by sliding the tiles off the end of the batten to further prevent lifting and release by wind.

The uppermost tile 31 shown in Fig. 3 can be fastened by attachment to a wooden batten 32 in order to provide firm fixing at the apex.

The spacing 38 between two uppermost tiles 31 is covered using a ridge-capping tile 35, such as that disclosed in GB - A -2210072.

When the tiling is in position as shown in Fig. 3, there is a spacing 33 between the channel 21 and the edge 12 of the lower row of tiles 30. This facilitates assembly of the tiling and, in particular, provides a large tolerance to cope with any mispositioning of the batten 24.

Each tile 10 has a slightly bowed cross-section, thereby ensuring a close fit above the underlying row of tiles.

Although it should be understood that we prefer to provide the holding channel 21 on the lower surface 18 of the tile 10, it would also be possible to provide the channel 21 on an upper surface of the tile.

Similarly, although we prefer to provide the guide members 27 on the batten 18 and the members 14 on the tile 10, it would be equally feasible to provide the guide members 27 on the tile 10 and the members 14 on the batten 18.

Claims

1. Tiling comprising a plurality of tiles to be supported on battens in rows, In which the tiles are made of plastics material and in which, in use, the tiles and battens interlock with one another, the tiles each including holding means enabling engagement of one row of tiles with a next lower row of tiles.

2. Tiling according to claim 1, wherein the tiles interlock with the batten on which they are to be supported in such a way that the tiles are slidable along the battens.

3. Tiling according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tiles and battens snap fit together.

4. Tiling according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tiles and/or the battens may be formed by extruding plastics material.

5. Tiling according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each batten has two guide members which engage corresponding groove members on each tile.

6. Tiling according to claim 5, wherein the free edges of the guide members and groove members may have co-operating chambers whereby the tiles and the battens may snap-fit together.

7. A tile for mounting on a batten fastened to a roof, the tile including interlocking means enabling the tile, in use, to be snap-fitted to and slid along the batten and holding means enabling a tile in one row to be engaged with a tile or tiles of a next lower row of tiles.

8. A tile according to claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the tiles is such that the tiles are wider in their central regions, and taper towards the opposite edge regions, one of the regions being a region where the tiles are to be attached to a batten, and the opposite region being for overlying the next lower row of tiles.

9. A tile according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the holding means comprises a channel defined by a first part extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an under surface of the tile and a second part which lies substantially parallel to said surface.

10. A tile according to claim 9, wherein, in use, the channel may engage the upper edge of the next lower row of tiles and the channel is provided towards the centre of the tile.

11. Tiling comprising tiles to be supported on battens in rows, the tiles including holding means enabling engagement of one row of tiles with a next lower row of tiles, the holding means comprising a channel which, in use, opens towards the next lower row of tiles enabling the tiling of the next lower row of tiles to be engaged within the channels without close tolerance requirements.

12. Tiling substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. A tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.