Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to eaves troughlng as~em-
blies.
It is common practice for eaves troughing assemblies
to comprise elongated eaves troughing members of resilient
material with generally U-shaped section having a rear por-
tion, base portion and front portion, and connectors of
similar section and shaped for engagement with substantially
abutting ends of longitudinally adjacent eaves troughing
members. The resilient material may be metal or synthetic
plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In
such prior eaves troughing assemblies, it is rather common
for the connectors to be assembled with each eaves troughing
member by longitudinal sliding movement over the end of the
eaves troughing member. With such an assembly, installa-
tion is difficult because long lengths of eaves troughing
have to be moved sideways in moun-ting brackets during instal-
lation.
It is therefore an object of this invention to
provide an improved eaves troughing assembly which does not
require relative longitudinal sliding movement to secure a
connector with an eaves troughing member.
According to the invention, the front portion of
each eaves troughing member has a longitudinal extending
recess in a front surface thereof at least adjacent an end
of the member, and the connectors each have a rear connector
portion having an inwardly extending upper free end portion
forming a recess between the free end portion of an adjacent
part of the rear connector portion to receive an upper end
of the rear portion of an eaves troughing member, and the
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front portion of the connector member has a longitudinal extend-
ing projection in a rear face thereof shaped for snapping en-
gagement in the recess of an eaves troughing member. A connec-
tor can be assembled with a pair of eaves troughing members,
when the members are longitudinally aligned with each other
with ends substantially abutting, by causing the upper ends of
the rear portions of the eaves troughing members to be received
within the recess of the connector, with the remainder of the
connector being below the eaves troughing members. The con-
nector member is then moved angularly upwardly relative tothe eaves troughing members to cause a longitudinal projec-
tion of the connector to move into the recesses in the front
faces of the front portions of the eaves troughing members,
and snap into engagement therewith with the rear portion,
base portion and front portion of the connector engaging the
corresponding portions of the eaves troughing members.
Thus, a number of eaves troughing members may be
secured in place with their ends abu,tting, with the connec-
tors being snapped into place thereafter. Each connector
may be constructed so that its rear portion, base portion
and front portion tightly engage the corresponding portions
of adjacent eaves troughing member to reduce likelihood of
water leakage from the eaves troughing. Also, appropriate
adhesive, cement or other sealing material may be applied to
the inner surfaces of each connector before it is installed.
The front connector portion of the connector may
have an inwardly extending free end poxtion shaped to snap
over upper ends of the front portions of adjacent eaves
troughing members when the connector is assembled there-
with.
d~
The longitudinal extending projection on the rearface of the front portion of the connector may have an upper
edge shaped for substantially greater snapping action into
engagement with corresponding upper edges of the recesses in
the eaves troughing members than a lower edge which i5 shaped
for substantially less snapping action into engagement with
corresponding lower edges of the recesses in the eaves trough-
ing members.
An eaves troughing assembly in accordance with the
invention may also include at least one transversely elongated
bracket securable to a support, each bracket having a downward-
ly extending recess adjacent a rear end for receiving and retain-
ing an upper end of the rear portion of an eaves troughing mem-
ber and an upward projection at a front end, the front portion
of each eaves troughing member having an inwardly bent upper
end portion securable over the upward projection of the bracket
to retain the eaves troughing member in engagement therewith
when the upper end of the rear portion of the eaves troughing
member is retained in the bracket recess.
The bracket may have retaining means on an upper
portion of its rear end operable in association with the
inwardly extending upper end portion of an eaves troughing
member secured thereto to retain a screen member therebetween
with the screen member extending across the eaves troughing
member.
Advantageously, the eaves troughing members and
the connector are extrusions of synthetic plastic material,
such as PVC.
One embodiment of the inventi0n will now be des-
cribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompany-
ing drawings, of which:
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Figure 1 is an end view of an eaves troughing rne~nber,
Figure 2 is a similar view of a connector,
Figure 3 is a similar view of an initial stage of
engagement of a connector with an end of
eaves troughing member,
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the connector
fully engaged with the eaves troughing
member,
Figure 5 is an end view of a bracket,
Figure 6 is a front view of the bracket,
Figure 7 is a plan view of the bracket,
Figure 8 is a side view showing an initial stage
of engagement of an eaves troughing
member with the bracket, and
Figure 9 is a similar view showing the eaves trough-
ing member fully engaged with the bracket.
Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a resili-
ent eaves troughing member 12 of extruded PVC with a generally
U-shaped section having a rear portion 14, base portion 16
and front portion 18, the various portions merging with one
another through rounded corners. The rear portion 14 is
slightly outwardly inclined in an upward direction, and the
inner surface of the rear portion 14 has a longitudinal
extending rib 20 with a downwardly facing lower surface 22
for a purpose to be described. The base portion 16 is hori-
zontal. The front portion 18 is upwardly and outwardly in-
clined and, at about mid-height position, has an outwardly
curved medial portion with a longitudinally extending recess
24 in its front surface. The recess 24 has a slightly re-
entrant lo~er edge 26, a concavely curved major surface 28and a considerably re-entrant upper edge 30. The front
portion also has an inwardly extending upper end part 32
with an inwardly facing recess 34 for a purpose to be des-
cribed.
Figure 2 shows a resilient connector 36 also of
extruded PVC with a generally U-shaped section having a rear
portion 38, base portion 40 and front portion 42, the various
portions merging with one another through rounded corners.
The rear portion 38 is slightly outwardly inclined in an
upward direction, and has an inwardly bent upper free end
portion 44 forming a recess 46 with the adjacent part of the
rear portion 38. The base portion 40 is horizontal. The
front portion 42 is upwardly and outwardly inclined, and
at about mid-height has an outwardly curved medial portion
with a longitudinally extending projection 48 in its rear
surface. The projection 48 has a lower edge 50, a concavely
curved major surface 52 and upper edge 54 shaped in a com-
plimentary manner to the corresponding parts of recess 24
in the eaves troughing member 12. The front portion 42
also has an inwardly extending upper free end part 56.
To assemble a ! connector 36 with the abutting ends
of a pair of longitudinally adjacent eaves troughing members
12, the connector 36 is brought under the eaves troughing
member 12 and the inwardly bent upper free end part 44 of
the rear portion 38 is pulled down over the upper ends of
the rear walls 14 of the eaves troughing members 12, as
shown in Figure 3 so that the upper ends of the rear walls 14
enter the recess 46. By hinging the upper end of the rear
portion 38 of the connector 36 about the upper ends of the
rear portions 14 of the eaves troughing members 12, the
connector 36 is moved angularly upwardly relative to the
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eaves troughing members 12 to cause the projection 48 on the
front portion 42 of the connector 36 to snap into the recess
24 in the front portions 18 of the eaves troughing members 12.
With such upward movement, the lower edge 50 of the projection
48 hinges on the lower edge 26 of the recess 24, and the curved
major surface 28 of the recess 24 then straightens somewhat -to
permit the upper considerably re-entrant edge 54 of the pro-
jection 48 to snap into engagement with the upper edge 30
of the recess 24, with the major surface 28 of the recess 24
tending to return to its original curved shape and therefore
retain the connector 36 securely in engagement with the
eaves troughing members 12 as shown in Figure 4. At the same
time, the upper free end part 56 of the front portion 42 of
the connector 36 snaps over the upper end of the front por-
tions 18 of the eaves troughing members 12, thereby further
securing the assembly.
The connector 36 is constructed so that, when
assembled with the eaves troughing members 12, its rear por-
tion 38, base portion 40 and rear portion 42 tightly engage
the corresponding portions of the eaves troughing members 12.
The rounded corners between the various portions facilitate
such engagement, which reduces the likelihood of water leak-
age from the eaves troughing. A suitable sealing material,
such as PVC cement, can be applied to the inner surfaces of the
connector 36 before assembly for the same purpose.
Referring now to Figures S to 7, the eaves troughing
assembly also includes a number of brackets 60 for securing
the eaves troughing members 12 to a support. Each bracket
60 is of molded PVC with a rear body portion 62 having two
longitudinally spaced holes 64 near the top and extending from
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front to rear for receiving screws 65 to enable the bracket 60
to be secured to a support. The lower part of the rear body
portion 62 has a downwardly open recess 66 having a small ledge
68 at the lower end of its front wall for a purpose to be
described. A tapering vertical wall 70 extends forwardly from
the rear body portion 62, and a pair of wing portions 72
e~tend on opposite sides of the wall 70, the wing portions 72
extending in a downwardly inclined direction from the rear
body portion 62 to the front end of the bracket 60. ~t the
front end, the wing portions 72 curve into an upward projection
74. The top of the rear body portion 62 has a forwardly fac-
ing hook 76 for a purpose to be described.
Referring now to Figure 8, brackets 60 are secured to
a faciaboard support 78 by screws 65, which provide rigidity
and strength over the recess 66. It will be noted that the
rear body portion 62 is thick in the region of the apertures
64, i.e. wider than the recess 66, so that the screws 65
extend well past the recess 66, thus making the bridging over
the recess 66 rigid.
An eaves troughing member 12 is secured to bracket 60
(after they have been secured by screws to a support structure
at suitable intervals) by first pushing the upper end of the
rear portion 14 of the eaves troughing member 12 into the
recess 66 in the rear body portion 62 of the bracket 60, as
shown in Figure 8, until the rib 20 passes the ledge 68 so that
the rib surface 22 rests on the ledge 68. The eaves troughing
member 12 is swung upwardly, with the rib 20 pivoting on the
ledge 68 to cause the inwardly extending upper end portion 32
of the front portion 18 of the eaves troughing member 12 to
snap over the projection 74 on the front of the bracket 60,
thereby firmly securing the eaves troughing member to the
bracket 60 as shown in Figure 9.
If desired, a screen (not shown) can be fitted in
the hook 76 on the rear body portion 62 of the bracket 60 and
the recess 34 in the inwardly extending upper end part 32
of the front portion 18 of the eaves troughing member 12 so
as to extend over the top of the eaves troughing member 12 to
prevent leaves, etc. from falling therein.
The advantages of the invention will be readily
apparent to a person skilled in the art from the foregoing
description of a preferred embodiment. Other embodiments
of the invention will also be readily apparent to a person
skilled in the art, the scope of the invention being defined
in the appended claims.
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