Apparatus and method for drying a flat roof

Abstract

A water guiding apparatus 8 for use during drying a flat roof by sweeping pooled water into a roof drain hole 3, including a drain hole engaging part 9 providing a passage through which water flows into an engaged drain hole in use, the engaging part in communication with a water receiving part 10 presenting a guiding mouth 14 for receiving of water in use, providing an opening formed from two spaced side walls 13 separated by a distance 3A greater than the largest width of the engaging part, the walls converging from the mouth to the engaging part, to direct, in use, a wave of swept water, e.g. by brooms or squeegees, along a funnel like horizontal passage to the engaging part and into an engaged roof drain. The side walls 13 and top 20 may be a spiral or triangular shape, the passage may join the frusto-conical engaging part 9 at a side inlet entrance port 15. A method includes removing a drain grate, sliding the engaging part into the hole, placing weights on anchor flaps (22), sweeping water into the mouth, and removing the apparatus after use.

Description

Technical field

[0001] , The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for drying a flat roof. Prior art

[0002] , Conventionally a flat roof comprises a rigid structural support covered with a waterproofing coating or membrane. Figure 1 shows a building having a flat roof 1 surrounded in this case by a low safety wall 2. Water deposited onto the roof surface is drained through multiple drain holes 3 which communicate with a drain pipe 4 which descends to a sump sewer or sink to be transported away from the roof. Typically, the drain hole is covered with a cover 5 to prevent large debris entering the drain and obviate a trip hazard caused by the drain hole. The cover in this case has a descending cylindrical collar 6 to locate into the drain hole, an annular flange 7 which rests against the roof upper surface, possibly in a prepared recess to make the upper surface of the cover flush with the roof upper surface and facilitate drainage. A grid part 8 extends diametrically from side to side of the annular flange 7.

[0003] , It is commonplace for the roof to exhibit a lack of flatness or designed slope such that water does not drain freely to the drain holes but forms puddles at random locations around the roof. When repairs are required to the roof, usually to the membrane, it is necessary for the workforce to sweep the roof clear of puddled water before repairs can be implemented. Sweeping is usually with a simple fibre brush wielded manually to encourage the water to form waves moving in the direction of the drain holes. The brushes are usually between 0.5m and 1m in width and form a wave initially of similar width which of course spreads out as it moves towards the drain hole. The drain hole in this example is A=0.2 m in diameter, although this will vary according to building standards from building to building. The amount of water which falls into the drain hole as a wave moves over it is basically that part of the width of the wave coincident with the drain hole, in this case 0.2m of the wave. The remaining, escaped wave, not captured by falling into the drain hole carries on to collide with the wall and be reflected back over the roof, although the roof contour / wayencourage the moving water to drain towards the drain hole. It will be appreciated that this is a very inefficient process and for a large roof such as the 20m by 30m roof of figure 1, it can take the workforce hours to sufficiently dry the roof.

[0004] . It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to mitigate the aforementioned problem. Summary of the Invention First Aspect

[0005] , According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for drying a flat roof wherein the flat roof has a drain hole comprising a drain hole engaging part in communication with a water receiving part; the drain hole engaging part providing a passage through which water can flow into an engaged drain hole during use and the receiving part presenting a mouth for the reception of water wherein the mouth is an opening formed from two spaced walls which at the mouth are separated by more than the largest linear horizontal dimension of the drain hole engaging part, the side walls converge from the mouth to the drain hole engaging part whereby a wave of water directed into the mouth passes along a horizontal passage to be captured by the drain hole engaging part and directed into the drain hole.

[0006] , The drain hole engaging part may conveniently be shaped to slot into an exposed drain hole or to engage features of a cover such as the grill. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the drain hole engaging part is a tube sized to slide into the drain hole. Preferably the tube is tapered from a wide open top and descends to a narrower open bottom.

[0007] , Drain pipe engaging features such as resiliently deformable wedge-shaped ribs may radiate from the drain hole engaging part to more firmly engage the inside of the drain pipe and resist rotation of the apparatus around the drain hole.

[0008] , The tube may be cylindrical or rectangular in cross section, with the largest linear horizontal dimension being the diameter of the cylinder, or the diagonal joining corners where the side walls meet, plus the length or diameter of any drain pipe engaging wedge features.

[0009] , The receiving part may be a pair of opposing spaced side walls extended to guide a wave of water entering the mouth formed between the walls to a port in the drain hole engaging part. The walls are widely separated at the mouth of the receiving part and converge to a separation not more than the largest linear dimension of the drain pipe engaging part. The largest linear dimension of the drain hole engaging part corresponds to the largest linear dimension of the drain hole. [OO1O], Preferably the side walls are held in their converging relationship by one or more structural support members. Preferably the structural support member comprises a top. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the top and side walls form a continuous arc. [ooh]. The structural support members may also comprise a flat base part. The base part may conveniently be separable from the side walls of the receiving part, and the receiving part may be adapted to nest with other receiving parts for the purpose of minimising the volume occupied by several similar apparatus during manufacture a subsequent transport.

[0012] , It is evidently desirable to maximise the separation of the side walls to maximise the width of wave to be captured by the apparatus. However, this would require increasingly long side walls to form the passage to the drain hole engaging part, resulting in a very bulky structure. To overcome this problem, it is preferable that the side walls arc spirally around the drain hole engaging part to form a shape like a nautilus flattened on the bottom. This shape has a progressively decreasing cross sectional area from the mouth to the port, in particular the top converges towards the base or roof. Consequently, air bubbles pushed into the mouth of the apparatus ahead of the wave tend to be expelled up and out through the mouth as the wave progresses towards the port. This helps to minimise air being forced into the drain pipe which would otherwise tend to choke the drain pipe.

[0013] , Preferably the side walls and the port are configured to engage the drain hole engaging part substantially tangentially to the drain hole. This encourages water entering the drain hole engaging part to spin in a vortex as it falls under gravity into the drain pasage.

[0014] , One or more anchor platforms may be provided extending from the side wall edges adjacent to the roof. These can receive anchor weights during use. Such anchor weights may be any conveniently available improvised weights such as bricks, stones, sandbags etc to help resist movement of the apparatus during use without obstructing the mouth.

[0015] , The apparatus may be fabricated from moulded plastics, or fibrous water tolerant composites preferably by inexpensive vacuum moulding. Second Aspect

[0016] , According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of drying a flat roof comprising; providing an apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, engaging a drain hole engaging part of the apparatus with one of a drain hole cover or a drain hole of the roof and deploying the receiving part of the apparatus so the mouth is facing a region of the roof to be swept clear of water; manually sweeping water towards the mouth of the apparatus forming a wave of which at least a portion of the width of the wave is captured by the apparatus and guided into the drain hole.

[0017] , In a preferred embodiment of the method a drain hole cover is removed to expose the drain hole to facilitate engagement of the drain hole engaging part in the drain hole.

[0018] , Weights may be applied to a roof adjacent the walls or anchor platforms projecting from the walls in order to anchor the apparatus in position on the roof.

[0019] , Because the mouth of the apparatus has a much larger width where it engages the roof than the width of the drain hole, a much larger portion of the wave is captured each time a wave impinges on the mouth than would be the case without the apparatus, thereby accelerating the drying of the roof. When the apparatus is no longer required to dry the roof, it can readily be removed from the drain hole and the drain hole cover replaced. Brief description of figures

[0020] . Embodiments of apparatus according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein: Figure 1 is a 1:250 scale isomteric SE view of a flat roofed building including a fragmental view of a prior art drain hole and cover enlarged to 1:10 scale; Figure 2 is a 1:250 scale isometric SE view of the building showing the installation of an apparatus of the invention together with an enlarged fragmental 1:10 scale view of the apparatus as installed; Figure 3 is a1:30 scale SE isometeric view of the apparatus and a drain pipe with the building removed; Figure 4 is a 1:6 scale SE isometric view of the apparatus; Figure 5 is a 1:6 scale NE isometric view of the apparatus; Figure 6 is a 1:6 scale SE isometric view of a second embodiment of the apparatus; and Figure 7 is a 1:15 scale SE isometric view of a third embodiment of the apparatus. Detailed description of figures

[0021] , Figure 2 shows an apparatus 8 to facillitate drying a flat roof having a drain hole engaging part 9 and a water receiving part 10. The drain hole engaging part 9 has a frusto conical side wall 11 defining a passage 12. Drain holes are, according to local building regulations, of standardised sizes so that the drain hole engaging part is dimensioned to slide into a drain hole when the drain hole is exposed by removing a drain cover 5.

[0022] , The water receiving part 10 comprises two side walls 13 which define an open mouth 14. The drain hole in the example is cylindrical and has a diameter “A”. The horizontal separation of the side walls at the mouth is arranged to be much greater than “A” for example “3A”. The side walls converge from the mouth 14 towards the drain hole engaging part and are joined to the side wall 11 in which is formed a port 15. Water propelled by a wave is thus entrained through the port into the drain hole engaging part and via the passage 11 discharged into the drain hole and communicating drain 16.

[0023] , The third embodiment of the apparatus shown in figure 7 uses straight side walls which are retained in a deployed condition against the forces of waves directed at them by a structural member comprising an elongate resilient wire 16 engaged into tubular sockets 17 secured to the walls 11. The ends 18 of the walls adjacent to the drain hole engaging part are secured to a hoop 19 which allows the apparatus to be partially disassembled by lifting the drain hole engaging part 9 out of the hoop 19 removing the structural member 16 and folding the side walls substantially flat.

[0024] . The third embodiment includes wedging elements 23 which project out from the tube providing the drain hole engaging part 9. The wedging elements are resiliently deformable to firmly engage in the drain hole and prevent movement of the apparatus. In a variant of the apparatus (not shown) the wedging elements may be pneumatic, ie a ring around the tube or one or more bags which elastically deform to wedge the drain hole engaging part into the drain hole. The wedging elements may be applied to any embodiment of the apparatus.

[0025] A limitation of the third embodiment is that waves of sufficient amplitude will overtop the side walls and spill away from the drain hole, wasting effort and time. To mitigate this the first and second embodiments provide a top 20.

[0026] . The angle between the side walls is limited because as the walls approach 180° the wave is increasingly inclined to be reflected instead of guided towards the drain hole engaging port 15. It is consequently desirable to have the angle between opposing elements of the side walls at less than 45°. This factor tends to result in an unwantedly bulky apparatus. To mitigate these problems the first and second embodiments configure the side walls into a spiral shape which wraps tightly around the drain hole engaging part 9. This significantly reduces the linear dimensions of the apparatus reducing the cost of transport and any packaging.

[0027] , The first embodiment has a separable base 21 with groove features (not shown) which snap engage with features (not shown) on the lower edge of the side walls 13. The base 21 is preferably provided separate from the side walls and top of the first embodiment to facilitate nesting the other parts of the apparatus for storage and display.

[0028] The second embodiment lacks a base but has anchor platforms 22 which extend out from the side walls onto which weights may be set to prevent movement of the apparatus during use. It is anticipated that materials such as bricks or sandbags may be improvised on site to serve as anchor weights.

[0029] , The spiralling side walls and thus defined receiving passage of the receiving part are arranged to deliver water into the vertical passage of the drain hole engaging part substantially tangential to the walls 11 so that the water falls in a forced vortex down into the drain hole. This resulting open space on the axis of the drain hole engaging part thus facilitates the discharge of any air entrained in the water or discharged from the drain pipe and reduces any risk of choking.

[0030] , To use the apparatus the drain hole cover is first removed. The cover is commonly merely rested in a recess above the drain hole or held in place by screws. The apparatus is assembled and a bottom part of the drain hole engaging part located into the drain hole and the mouth of the apparatus directed towards a puddle of water. Movement of the apparatus may be prevented by the application of improvised weights to the outside of the side walls. The water is then swept towards the mouth using a broom or squeegee. Because the mouth is of much greater diameter than the drain hole a much larger portion of the resulting wave is captured each time the wave moves towards the apparatus with consequently accelerated drying of the roof and reduced labour.

Claims

An apparatus for drying a flat roof wherein the flat roof has a drain hole comprising a drain hole engaging part in communication with a water receiving part;the drain hole engaging part providing a passage through which water can flow into an engaged drain hole during use andthe receiving part presenting a mouth for the reception of water wherein the mouth is an opening formed from two spaced walls which at the mouth are separated by more than the largest linear horizontal dimension of the drain hole engaging part, the side walls converge from the mouth to the drain hole engaging part whereby a wave of water directed into the mouth passes along a horizontal receiving passage to be captured by the drain hole engaging part and directed into the drain hole.Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein drain hole engaging part is shaped to slot into an exposed drain hole.Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the drain hole engaging part is a tube.Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the drain hole engaging part is provided with wedging elements.Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the side walls are arranged to spiral towards the drain hole engaging part and wrap around the drain hole engaging part.Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the side walls are supported by a structural member.Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the side walls support a top.8.Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the top is integral with the side walls.9.Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the top and side walls are arcuate and the cross section and height of the receiving passage decreases progressively from the mouth.10.Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the receiving passage communicates with a port in the drain hole engaging part substantially tangentially to the axis of the drain hole engaging part, whereby, in use water is introduced to the drain hole passage tangentially to an inside wall forming the passage.11.Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a base is provided to be engageable with the lower edge of the side walls and provide a structural member.12.Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein anchor platforms extend out from the side walls to receive improvised anchor weights.13.A method of drying a flat roof comprising;providing an apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, engaging a drain hole engaging part of the apparatus with a drain hole of the roof and deploying the receiving part of the apparatus so the mouth is facing a region of the roof to be swept clear of water;manually sweeping water towards the mouth of the apparatus forming a wave of whichat least a portion of the width of the wave is captured by the apparatus and guided into the drain hole.

14. A method according to claim 13 comprising, when the roof is sufficiently dry, removing the apparatus from the drain hole and replacing the drain hole cover.

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