The present invention relates to tile roofs and, in particular, to the supporting of tiles along gable rake edges of the roof.
Tiles used in tile roofing have traditionally been laid such that their upper or head ends are directly supported by the solid sheathing or by battens placed on the sheathing in parallel relation to the eave edge of the roof, and their lower or nose ends rest upon the head end of the next lower tile. Thus, all of the tiles are coplanar. A rib-and-groove connection between adjacent tiles helps retain the tiles in position.
A rake trim board may be secured along the gable edge of the roof to cover the exposed ends of the tiles, or special rake trim tiles can be used for this purpose. Rake trim tiles impart substantial weight to a gable rake overhang and create a relatively massive appearance which may not always be desirable. Although these drawbacks can be avoided by the use of rake trim boards, a clearance typically results between the tiles and the boards which results in water entering beneath the tiles.
It has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,824 issued to Izawa et al on Dec. 2, 1975 to provide a gable strip which extends along the gable rake edge of the roof. The strip includes a base secured by fasteners to the roof and an upright wall extending upwardly from the gable edge of the roof. An elastic sealing member is mounted on the inside surface of the upright wall. By pushing a roofing sheet or tile firmly against the elastic member, a water-tight seal is to be created along the gable rake edge. The base portion is provided with short ridges that extend parallel to the gable edge in order to impede the inward flow of water which may leak past the roofing tile and the elastic member. Water which may travel over the ridges is blocked by a dam formed by a reversely bent inner terminal edge of the strip. While such a dam may restrict travel of the water past the strip, it results in water collecting above the fasteners which secure the base to the roof, whereby water may leak through the roof via the fasteners. In addition, the elastic member in which the roofing tile is positioned will not provide adequate support for the tile for a sufficiently long period due to its exposure to ambient conditions.
It has also been conventional to position an L-shaped strip along the gable edge whereby the base portion thereof is mounted upon the roof and the tiles are laid thereupon. However, there is no restriction to the inward flow of water and, in the event that the roof contains battens for mounting the tiles, the battens are extended across the strip base and thus can create dams which prevent the downward flow of water.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to minimize or obviate problems of the type described above.
A further object is to provide for water drainage along the gable edges of tile roofs while maintaining adequate support for the gable tiles.
An additional object of the invention is to provide for water drainage while minimizing the chances for water leakage.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a cover for gable tiles which is light in weight, supports roofing tiles, provides for water drainage and resists leakage.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds