Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITr,E ~ NONSYMMETRI AL EAVE~~~~rH FITTING
.F~FT~D OF T~ INVENTION
The present invention relates to eavestrough
fittings and particularly eavestrough fittings for use in
association with nonsymmetrical eavestroughing.
HACKG~tOUNI? OF THE rNVENTION
Plastic eavestrough systems are normally based on a
solvent seal where the eavestrough is permanently secured
to the fitting or are based on a dynamic seal where the
eavestrough is free to move within the fitting. In systems
having a dynamic seal, resilient sealing members are
adhered to the fitting. The most common method of securing
of these seals is to mold the gasket member directly on the
plastic fitting. With solvent base systems, the
eavestrough is permanently secured to the fitting by means
of a solvent, such that a permanent bond between the
eavestrough and the fitting occurs. Unfortunately, with
plastic eavestrough fittings, thermal expansion of the
eavestrough can be considerable and expansion and
contraction must be taken into account, based on the
extremes between summer and winter conditions. In a
dynamic seal system, such expansion is accommodated due to
the fitting which can accept the movement of the
eavestrough, however, in a solvent system, separate
expansion and contraction units must be inserted. Failure
to insert such expansion and contraction units in a solvent
base eavestrough system will result in breaking of Certain
solvent bonds and resulting in leaking of the joints.
The use of nonsymmetrical eavestroughing, such as a
°'K" style eavestrough when manufactured in plastic, has
used a solvent based system, as dynamic seals have
generally been confined to symmetrical type eavestrough
systems.
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There remains a need to provide an effective system
for securing of nonsymmetrical eavestroughing by means
other than a solvent seal.
HUMMARY 9F THE INVENTION
An eavestrough fitting for a nonsymmetrical
eavestrough comprises a generally flat bottom curving
upwardly at a rear edge to a generally upright back portion
and at a front edge, curving upwardly into an angled first
section and an upright second section joined to the first
section by a curved section. A plurality of sealing ribs
generally follow a vertical section of the eavestrough
fitting and are located on the interior surface of the
fitting. A plurality of retaining tabs extend over the
interior surface of the fitting and define a slot like
opening for receiving an end of a length of eavestrough.
The ribs are of a resilient material and cooperate with the
tabs to snuggly retain an eavestrough end in said fitting
when inserted therein.
The present invention is also directed to
combination of the eavestrough fitting described above when
a length of eavestrough has been received within in the
fitting.
It has been found with the fitting as described
above that a satisfactory stationary seal is accomplished,
such that nonsymmetrical eavestroughing can be joined in
end to end relationship by such a fitting or a fitting can
close one end of a length of eavestrough. Furthermore, it
has been found with 'this fitting that, if necessary, and in
addition to normal techniques for accommodating expansion
and contraction of such eavestrough fittings, the
eavestrough fitting will allow for same movement of the
eavestrough therewithin while maintaining a seal. Such
would not be the case in a solvent welded system.
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~RTEIi DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in
the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an eavestrough
fitting;
Figure 2 is a partial perspective view showing two
lengths of eavestrough about to be connected in end to end
relationship by means of an eavestrough fitting;
Figure 3 is a partial perspective showing the
relationship between the seal members used in the
eavestrough fitting and an end of a length of eavestrough
about to be inserted therein; and
Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the
deformation of the seal members when a length of
eavestrough has been inserted within the fitting.
DFT~TJFD DESGRIPTTON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The eavestrough fitting 2 is for use with the "K"
style plastic eavestroughing generally shown as 40. This
type of eavestroughing is a nonsymmetrical eavestrough as
opposed to symmetrical eavestroughing, as generally shown
in our United States Patent No. 4,257,716. The eavestrough
fitting 2 includes a flat bottom 4 which curves upwardly at
the rear edge of the flat bottom at 6 and merges with an
upright rear edge 8. The flat bottom 4 at the forward face
again includes a curved portion, generally shown as 10,
which merges the flat bottom with an angled first section
12. A further curved section 14 joins the angled first
section 12 with an upright second section 16.
Interior to the fitting 2 is an abutment face 18
which defines a stop for inserting of an eavestrough end,
as generally shown in Figure 4. The abutment face 18 has
associated therewith spacers 20 which are secured on the
interior surface of the eavestrough fitting. These spacers
serve to partially separate end 60 of the eavestrough
section 40 which is inserted within a fitting, as generally
shown in Figure 4. The spacers 20 cooperate with the
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WH-8042-90 - 4 -
retaining tabs 22 to snuggly engage the end 60 of an
eavestrough section 40 which has been inserted within the
fitting 2. Ease of insertion of the end 60 of the
eavestrough section 40 into the fitting 2 is accomplished
due to the taper 24 provided on each of the spacers 20 in
combination with the taper face 26 associated with each of
the tabs 22. Taper face 24 and taper face 26 provide a
guide arrangement for allowing insertion of the eavestrough
section within the fitting 2.
Retaining tabs 22 are supported by the abutment
face 18 and project above the flat bottom 4 of the
eavestrough fitting and cooperate with the spacer bars 24
retaining of an end of a section of eavestrough. The tabs
are integrally moulded with the eavestrough fitting and
accurately position a section of eavestrough when inserted
within the fitting.
Sealing ribs 30 are positioned exterior to the
spacers 20 and the retaining tabs 22 and are normally
directly moulded on the fitting after the fitting has
itself been moulded. The sealing ribs 30 are of an easily
deformable resilient type material and provide a wiper type
seal with the lower surface of a section of eavestrough, as
generally indicated in Figure 4. The sealing ribs 30
include three separate wedge shaped ribs 32 interconnected
by base portion 34 which is directly secured to the
interior surface of the fitting. The base provides the
seal with the interior surface of the fitting and the wedge
shaped ribs provide a wiper type seal with the exterior
surface of the eavestrough inserted within the fitting.
The eavestrough, generally shown as 40, also has a
flat bottom 42, a curved joining section 44 for merging the
flat bottom with the upright rear wall, a curved section 48
at the front of the flat bottom which provides a transition
between the flat bottom 42 and the first angled section 50,
and a curved section 52 joining the angled first section 50
with the upright second section 59. The eavestrough 40 is
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WH-8042-90 - 5 -
inserted within the fitting, generally shown as 2, by an
axial sliding type motion, generally indicated as 62.
It has been found with the eavestrough fitting and
eavestrough, generally shown in the drawings, that the
retaining tabs 22 in combination with the spacer bars 20
provide firm engagement of the eavestrough end 60 when
inserted within the fitting, whereby the eavestrough
section and fitting move as one unit. The seals on the
interior surface of the fitting exterior to the spacer bars
and the tabs provide an excellent sealing arrangement, with
the spacers 20 serving to protect or control the extent to
which the wiper wedged shaped ribs 32 are deformed. This
is best illustrated in Figure, 4 where it can be seen that
the spacers 20 protect the individual wedged shaped ribs 32
whereby an effective wiper seal is accomplished due to the
gentle curving of the wedged shaped ribs 32 and a larger
area of contact. The wedged shaped ribs are not exposed to
the same deformation forces that would be present if the
spacer bars 20 were not present, and thus, the spacer bars
serve to protect the wedged shaped ribs and allow them to
perform their wiper type seal which, due to this particular
relationship, has an extended life.
It is preferred that the eavestrough fitting and
the end of eavestrough 60 are essentially locked, however,
if necessary and a contractive force is exerted on the
eavestrough, such as would be common during extreme cold
conditions, some movement can occur between the fitting and
the eavestrough section while still maintaining the seal
and still accommodating the opposite expansion when the
extreme winter conditions are removed. Therefore, although
expansion is normally accommodated by other members of the
system, the fitting in accordance with the present
invention does allow for contraction of the eavestrough
section, if necessary, and also allows for the expansion of
the eavestrough section when such conditions which cause
the contraction are removed. Thus, the present system, due
to the unique fitting, accommodates limited contraction and
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the subsequent expansion of the eavestrough section, if
necessary. This arrangement is quite acceptable, in that
eavestrough systems of this type are generally installed by
the home handyman during mild conditions such as spring and
summertime and thus, abutment of the eavestrough section
within the fitting, in the manner of Figure 4, still allows
this contraction and further expansion. For example, if
for some reason the contraction of the eavestrough section
is impaired or limited, some contraction of the eavestrough
section within the .fitting can be accomplished ,as the
eavestrough section can partially withdraw within the slot
between the tabs 22 and the spacer bars 20 and the wedged
shaped ribs 32 will still maintain a wiper type seal with
the lower surface of the eavestrough section.
The present system can also accommodate expansion
by increasing the size of the retaining tabs 22 and the
slot defined between the retaining tabs and underlying base
or sides of the fitting, with this arrangement, the
eavestrough is not fully inserted to the back of the slot
to accommodate expansion of the eavestrough.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described herein in detail, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that
variations may be made thereto without departing from the
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims.
