Retainer for a roof slate

Abstract

The invention provides a roof-slate retainer (10) for use in roof repair. The retainer (10) is configured to be applied to an edge of a roof slate (22) having an upper face (31) and a lower face. The retainer (10) comprises upper and lower limbs (24, 26) between which an edge portion of the roof slate (22) is able to be received and gripped to mount the retainer on the slate, the upper limb (24) lying against the upper face (31) of the slate and the lower limb (26) lying against the lower face of the slate. An engagement member (28) projects downwardly from the retainer (10). In use the retainer (10) is mounted on the roof slate (22) by pushing the retainer onto the edge portion of the roof slate. When the roof slate in position in a roof, the downwardly projecting engagement member (28) is able to engage an upper edge of a roof lath or of an adjacent roof slate to retain the roof slate in position.

Description

[0001] RETAINER FOR A ROOF SLATE

[0002] The present invention is concerned with repair of roofs. In particular, the invention provides a retainer able to be secured to a replacement roof slate and to retain it in position in a pre-existing roof.

[0003] It is stressed that where the term "slate" is used throughout the present description and the appended claims, it does not require that the item in question should be made of slate as such. Roofing slates may indeed comprise slate, but they may comprise other materials including bitumen-impregnated asbestos and fibre cement. A roofing slate is typically roughly square or rectangular in shape (natural materials create some variation), and is planar and generally flat, having parallel upper and lower faces.

[0004] In a typical roof, the slates are each secured in position by a pair of nails driven through preformed holes in the slate into a wooden lath beneath. Slates are laid in horizontal, overlapping rows, working from the bottom up, so that the nail heads of one row are concealed beneath the overlapping portion of the row above. This arrangement of slates 10 is depicted in the upper part of Figure 1, although the roof in question is under repair. Slates which would normally cover an upper portion of slate 10a are missing, exposing an upper portion of that slate and the heads 12 of nails which secure it in position.

[0005] Repairs to roofs often involve remounting or replacement of one or more slates, and this can create a problem because in a typical repair it will not be possible to secure all the required slates by nailing. Consider the example provided by Figure 1. A replacement slate (not shown) needs to be slid into position alongside slate lOe so that its lower portion will cover upper portions of slates 10a and 10b while its upper portion will be beneath slates 10c and lOd in the row above. But having done this, it will not then possible to nail the replacement slate into position without removing the slates 10c and lOd because the lath into which the nails would need to be driven lies beneath them.

[0006] The conventional solution to this problem is to nail an elongate lead tag 14 (sometimes referred to as a "tingle") into a lath beneath the site of the replacement slate. The tag 14 extends downwards, beneath the level of the lower edge of the replacement slate. After the replacement slate has been slid into position over the tag 14, a lower part of the tag is bent around the lower edge of the replacement slate to prevent it from slipping down the roof. A tag 16 which has been bent in this manner around replaced slate lOe is seen in Figure 1.

[0007] A roof repair may entail replacement of multiple slates across multiple rows, in which case it may be possible to nail some of the replacement slates in position. But even in these cases, there will often be one or more slates which cannot be nailed in place, whose mounting requires use of a lead tag.

[0008] This traditional method of slate replacement suffers from drawbacks. The portion 16 of the lead tag that is bent over to secure the replacement slate remains visible and may be regarded as unsightly. It is exposed to the elements and has a finite lifetime. Failure of the lead tag leaves the slate free to slip out of position, creating a potential leak but also the risk of injury should the slate fall on a passer-by.

[0009] International patent application PCT / GB01 / 00871, published as W001 / 65024A1, concerns a clip to be used in replacing a roofing slate. The clip has a back plate to be fixed to the rear of the slate, and a resilient lip inclined to the back plate. As the slate is slid into position, the lip is compressed toward the base plate and then springs back into its inclined position to engage an upper edge of the lath beneath, securing the slate in position. Drawbacks include the need to secure the backplate in position on a rear face of the slate. This is to be done by means of pop rivets driven through the material of the backplate, which involves some labour and the need for the roofer to carry a riveter and rivets with them. One may also question whether the use of a pop rivet would be likely to cause cracking of the slate.

[0010] European patent application 10176705.1, published as EP2305913A1, concerns a slate retainer which can be seen as a development of the conventional lead tag. The retainer is to be nailed into a lath, like the lead tag, but has a preformed and flexible hook part to receive and secure the lower edge of the replacement slate. Flexure allows the hook portion to lie down as the replacement slate is slid into position over it. This approach suffers from similar drawbacks to the conventional repair method using a lead tag.

[0011] A need remains for a means and a method for securing a roof slate in place in a pre-existing roof which is reliable yet straightforward to use, and which does not create unsightly visual features on the roof.

[0012] According to the present invention, there is a roof-slate retainer and a method of installing a roof slate according to the appended claims.

[0013] Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a depiction of a conventional roof belonging to the prior art;

[0015] Figure 2 depicts a roof-slate retainer embodying the present invention, viewed from beneath and to one side;

[0016] Figure 3 is another depiction of the roof-slate retainer, viewed from above and to one side;

[0017] Figure 4 depicts the roof-slate retainer mounted on a roof slate;

[0018] Figure 5 depicts the roof-slate retainer mounted on a slate and in engagement with a roof lath; and Figure 6 depicts the roof-slate retainer in situ in a roof, some slates of the roof being omitted so that the retainer is visible.

[0019] The retainer 20 depicted in Figures 2 to 6 is used to retain a roof slate 22 in position, and especially to enable the roof slate 22 to be installed in a preexisting roof. The retainer 20 is configured to engage, and to secure itself to, an edge of the roof slate 22. To this end it has upper and lower limbs 24, 26 cantilevered from a spine 28. Between the upper and lower limbs 24, 26 is a space 30 to receive an edge portion of the roof slate 22. In the absence of the slate 22, the upper and lower limbs 24, 26 converge somewhat in a direction away from the spine 28, but they are resilient. Inserting the edge of the slate 22 between the upper and lower limbs 24, 26 moves them apart somewhat, stressing the limbs 24, 26 and causing them to grip the slate. To enhance this grip, the limbs 24, 26 are respectively provided with upper and lower barbs 32, 34 which are directed toward the space 30 between the limbs 24, 26. Thus in use the barbs engage the upper 31 and lower 33 faces of the slate 22, resisting slippage of the retainer 20 relative to the slate 22.

[0020] The retainer's upper and lower limbs 24, 26 along with the spine 28 form a resilient "U"-shaped clip attachable to the slate 22.

[0021] The retainer has a downwardly projecting engagement part 36 which in this embodiment comprises a finger downwardly inclined from the lower limb 26. The finger 36 is sprung, being able to be pushed upwards toward the plane of the lower limb 26 and to spring back into its inclined position when released.

[0022] The invention imposes no particular limitation on the materials and the mode of manufacture of the retainer 20. It may for example comprise moulded plastics, or a metal casting, or may be formed from a suitable composite material. But in the present embodiment the retainer 20 is a unitary component formed by pressing from a steel sheet which is folded along lines 38 and 40 to delineate the spine 28 and the upper and lower limbs 24, 26. The barbs 32, 34 are integrally formed with the limbs 24, 26 on which they are carried, being formed by triangular portions thereof pressed to be inclined inwardly (toward the space 30) and to provide pointed ends 42 directed toward the spine 28. The finger 36 is pressed out of the plane of the lower limb 26, leaving a complementarily shaped opening 44 in it, and its springing is enhanced by cutaways 46 extending into the spine 28.

[0023] A pair of the retainers 20 is used to retain a single slate 22, being mounted on the slate's opposite lateral edges, one of which is indicated at 48 in Figure 6, simply by pushing the retainers onto edge portions of the slate 22. The upper limb 24 of each retainer grips the upper face 31 of the slate 22 while the lower limb 26 grips its lower face 33, and the springing of the limbs, along with the action of the barbs 24, 26, enables the retainer 20 to maintain its location on the slate 22, resisting slippage and accidental removal.

[0024] The slate 22 can then be slid into position in the roof, its upper part being received beneath slates in the row above. Figure 6 depicts the configuration when the replacement slate 22 is in position, but this drawing omits the slates of the row above so that the retainer 20 itself is visible. To facilitate insertion of the slate 22, the finger 36 is pressed upward as it runs over slates 22a in the row below. As the replacement slate 22 is slid upwards, the finger 36 of each retainer 20 moves past the top edge of the slates 22a and is released, springing back to its inclined position to engage either the top edge of one of the slates 22a beneath it, or an upper edge of lath 52. This engagement of the retainers' engagement parts 36 prevents the slate 22 from slipping down the roof. The slate 22 is prevented from moving laterally by abutment of its lateral edges with neighbouring slates in the same row, and its upper portion is secured beneath the slates in the row above, so that the slate 22 is securely retained.

[0025] Any number of developments and modifications is possible without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims. Purely by way of example, the barbs 32, 34 may be dispensed with in certain embodiments or their form may be changed. In their place, the limbs 24, 26 could for example be provided with textured surfaces to enhance their grip in the faces of the slate. While in the present embodiment the engagement part is formed as a finger 36 separately from the lower limb 26, in other embodiments the lower limb 26 could itself be extended downwardly, or provided with some form of additional appendage, to perform the function of the engagement part in engaging the roof slate or lath beneath. In some embodiments the depth of the retainer may be matched to the thickness of the roof slate. For example, the retainer may be supplied in two versions, one for use with thick roof slates and one for use with thin slates.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A roof-slate retainer configured to be applied to an edge of a roof slate having an upper face and a lower face, the retainer comprising: resilient upper and lower limbs cantilevered from a spine to form a "U"-shaped clip, an edge portion of the roof slate being receivable between the upper and lower limbs to mount the retainer on the slate with the upper limb lying against the upper face of the slate and the lower limb lying against the lower face of the slate, the upper and lower limbs converging somewhat in a direction away from the spine in the absence of the slate, so that insertion of the slate between the upper and lower limbs moves them apart somewhat, stressing the limbs and causing them to grip the slate, and an engagement member projecting downwardly from the retainer, so that the retainer is able to be mounted on the roof slate by pushing the retainer onto the edge portion of the roof slate, and so that when the roof slate in position in a roof, the downwardly projecting engagement member is able to engage an upper edge of a roof lath or of an adjacent roof slate to retain the roof slate in position.

2. A retainer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the engagement member is inclined downwardly and is resiliently deformable so that as the roof slate is slid into position the engagement member is able to be deformed upwardly as it rides over another roof slate beneath, and to spring back to its downwardly inclined configuration when it passes over a top edge of said roof slate beneath.

3. A retainer as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the upper and lower limbs comprise shaped gripping features which enhance the limbs' grip on the faces of the roof slate.

4. A retainer as claimed in claim 3 in which said features of shape comprises pointed barbs.

5. A retainer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the retainer is formed by a unitary metal component.

6. A kit of parts comprising a pair of retainers as claimed in any preceding claim and a roof slate.

7. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 6 in which the roof slate comprises one of bitumen-impregnated asbestos, fibre cement and slate.

8. A method of installing a roof slate in chosen row of a pre-existing roof comprising multiple rows of roof slates, the method comprising pushing a first retainer according to any preceding claim onto a first lateral edge of the roof slate, pushing a second retainer according to any preceding claim onto a second lateral edge of the roof slate opposite the first, and sliding an upper portion of the roof slatebeneath roof slates in the row above the chosen row until the engagement members of the first and second retainers engage an upper edge of roof slates in the row below the chosen row, or until the engagement members of the first and second retainers engage an upper edge of a roof lath.

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