GB2157738A

GB2157738A - Improvements in roof ventilation

Info

Publication number: GB2157738A
Application number: GB08506195A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Radcliffe
Original assignee: Nicholl & Wood Ltd
Current assignee: Nicholl & Wood Ltd
Priority date: 1984-03-12
Filing date: 1985-03-11
Publication date: 1985-10-30
Also published as: GB8406385D0; GB8506195D0; GB2157738B

Abstract

A roof is ventilated using at least one ventilating tile which reproduces the general shape and size of the other tiles but includes an apertured upstand (2) flanged (4, 5) at its upper end, with a cowl (10) slidably disposed over the upstand and located there by engagement with the flanges. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in roof ventilation This invention relates to an improved method of ventilating a tiled roof space and to an improved ventilator for use in the method.

It is deemed desirable to provide ventilation of roof spaces and this can cause problems in the case of roofs effected using cement tiles.

According to one aspect of this invention a tiled roof space is ventilated by using, for at least one of the tiles, a ventilating tile provided with an apertured upstand having a flanged upper end and securing a ventilating cowl over the flanged upper end of the upstand so that air, but substantially not rain, can flow through the cowl and aperture in the upstand into the underlying roof space.

Conveniently the upstand is flanged along two opposed sides at its upper end and the cowl is shaped to slide over the top of the upstand in en gagement, with the flanges thereof.

Suitably the cowl is made of sheet metal and is provided with at least one tag which can be man ually deformed to hold the cowl in position over the upstand.

The upstand is conveniently made of a material similar to that used for the rest of the ventilating tile. Thus in the case of a cement tile, a short flanged rectangular cross-section tube of cementitious material can be bonded into a rectangular hole cut in the tile.

Desirably the upstand represents no more than 50% of the plan area of the tile and is located close to the centre thereof (as seen in plan), the regions of tile surrounding the upstand reproducing the shape and size of other non-ventilating tiles used on the roof. Making ventilating tiles "match" the other roofing tiles used, makes for easier fitment of the ventilating tile(s) on the roof and a more attractive visual appearance. It also permits freedom of choice as to the location of the ventilating tile(s) on the contour of the roof.

The upstands can be premoulded and if a batch of one shape and style of upstand is supplied to a tile maker, the same design of upstand can be incorporated in a range of different tiles issuing from that tile maker.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a tiled roof ventilator comprises a tile provided with an upstand which defines an air duct passing through the tile and provides flanges on its upper end, and a weatherproof ventilating cowl remova bly located over the top of the upstand by engage ment with the said flanges.

The invention will now be further described by reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, one embodiment of roof ventilator for a tiled roof. In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the tile part of the ventilator, Figure 2 shows a perspective view (somewhat enlarged) of the cowl part of the ventilator, Figure 3 shows an end view of the ventilator when the parts of Figures 1 and 2 have been fitted together, and, Figure 4 shows a modified form of upstand for use in the tile part of the ventilator.

The tile 1 shown in Figures 1 and 3 is of conventional form apart from the provision of an upstand 2 integrally formed therein. The upstand 2 is apertured to define a duct 3 of rectangular cross-section and it will be appreciated that when the tile 1 has been incorporated with other wholly conventional tiles (not shown) in a tiled roof, the duct 3 can communicate with the roof space.

The upstand 2 is provided with outwardly-extending flanges 4, 5 on opposite sides thereof and the vertical height of these flanges is somewhat less than grooves 14, 15 formed in downwardly depending side walls 11 of a sheet metal cowl 10.

A rear wall 12 of the cowl interconnectes adjacent ends of the side walls 11 but no interconnection is provided between these side walls at the front of the cowl 10. Rising from the walls 11, 12 is an integral hood 13 partially obturated at the front by a louvred panel 16. Deformable tabs 17 are provided at the front edges of the side walls 11 for the purpose now to described.

After the tile 1 has been put in place with other non-apertured tiles on the roof, the upper end of the duct 3 is weatherproofed simply by sliding the cowl 10 over the top of the upstand 2 (with the flanges 4, 5 located in the grooves 14, 15, respectively). The cowl 10 is temporarily secured in place by bending up the tabs 17 so that these bear against the front ends of the flanges 4, 5.

As can be seen from Figure 3, the rear wall 12 of the cowl 10 then bears against the rear of the upstand 2.

Air, but not rain, can now flow freely intoiout of the roof space through apertures 18 formed in the panel 16. The apertures 18 can be masked with a mesh material to prevent ingress of snow flakes or insects and such a masking can easily be effected by fixing a sheet of mesh on the inside of the panel 16.

The cowl 10 can be stamped from sheet metal or moulded from plastics material, although where a moulded cowl is used it may be necessary to use an alternative method (to the tabs 17) of securing the cowl in place.

In a typical cement tile of some 33 cms x 42 cms, the upstand would have a duct 3 of some 135 mm x 150 mm formed therein and the height h of the upstand shown in Figure 1 would be some 50 mm. In a preferred manufacturing technique, the upstand extends down to the base of the tile 1 and the gap (extending in the direction of the thickness of the tile) is filled with a settable liquid bonding agent. The preferred bonding agent is a resinbased adhesive loaded with sand and cement and optionally also a dye to blend with the tile and upstand.

Although cementitious material is expected to be the normal material from which the tiles and upstands are made it is not ruled out that the upstand alone or the upstand and tile could be of plastics material or sheet metal.

The mesh material masking the apertures 18 in the cowl 10 can be fixed in place in any convenient manner and can be frictionally retained in place by being wedged behind the panel 16.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of upstand 2' having a pair of opposed flanges 4', 5' on a square top plate and a circular cross-section duct 3'. The duct 3' is formed in a cylindrical tube 18. Because the tube 18 is of circular cross-section, the upstand is cheaper to fabricate and easier to fix into a tile, since the latter requires a circular hole to be cut therein to receive the tube 18.

Other changes are clearly possible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A method of ventilating a tiled roof space which comprises using, for at least one of the tiles, a ventilating tile provided with an apertured upstand having a flanged upper end and securing a ventilating cowl over the flanged upper end of the upstand so that air, but substantially not rain, can flow through the cowl and aperture in the upstand into the underlying roof space.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the upstand is flanged along two opposed sides at its upper end and the cowl is shaped to slide over the top of the upstand in engagement with the flanges thereof.

3. A method as claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, in which the cowl is made of sheet metal and is provided with at least one tag which can be manually deformed to hold the cowl in position over the upstand.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the upstand is made of a material similar to that used for the rest of the ventilating tile and is bonded into a hole cut in the tile.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the upstand represents no more than 50of the plan area of the tile and is located close to the centre thereof (as seen in plan), the regions of tile surrounding the upstand reproducing the shape and size of other non-ventilating tiles used on the roof.

6. A method of ventilating a tiled roof substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 when modified by the use of the upstand shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A tiled roof ventilator comprising a tile provided with an upstand which defines an air duct passing through the tile and provides flanges on its upper end, and a weatherproof ventilating cowl removably located over the top of the upstand by engagement with the said flanges.

9. A tile as claimed in claim 8, in which the upstand is flanged along two opposed sides at its upper end and the cowl is shaped to slide over the top of the upstand in engagement with the flanges thereof.

10. A tile as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the cowl is made of sheet metal and is provided with at least one tag which can be manually deformed to hold the cowl in position over the upstand.

11. A tile as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, in which the upstand is made of a material similar to that used for the rest of the ventilating tile and is bonded into a hole cut in the tile.

12. A tile as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, in which the upstand represents no more than 50% of the plan area of the tile and is located close to the centre thereof (as seen in plan), the regions of tile surrounding the upstand reproducing the shape and size of other non-ventilating tiles used on the roof.

13. A ventilating tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.