GB1589051A

GB1589051A - Gutter fittings

Info

Publication number: GB1589051A
Application number: GB3463676A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Plastiers Ltd
Current assignee: Plastiers Ltd
Priority date: 1977-08-19
Filing date: 1977-08-19
Publication date: 1981-05-07

Description

(54) GUTTER FITTINGS (71) We, PLASTIERS LIMITED, a British Company, of Woolwich Industrial Estate, London SE28,OAE, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particu larly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to the moulding of a gutter fitting of synthetic plastics materials and to a moulding core for use in such manufacture.

The invention is especially applicable to moulded plastics fittings in the form of union brackets which are intended for supporting and making sealing engagement with the ends of lengths of guttering, whether these are arranged in line as continuations of each other or whether they meet at an angle, such as at the corner of a building.

The invention is, however, also applicable to other gutter fittings, such as bends, unions, running outlets and end caps which are intended for fitting to the end of a length of guttering and to drain pipe con sections. whether these be located at the end of a length of guttering, at an intermediate point or at a corner.

Guttering systems in which the gutters and the fittings used are made of synthetic plastics materials or resins are well-known.

Plastics guttering consists generally of extruded longitudinally extending channel sections arranged to be joined together and supported by moulded gutter fittings. The fittings should have inwardly turned lips for receiving the longitudinally extending edges of the channel sections to prevent leakage of water. Transverse grooves may be provided in the channel for receiving lengths of sealing strip.

For the purpose of this specification and claims it is to be understood that the term "groove" means a configuration which is partially defined by two opposed side walls.

The inwardly turned lips are preferably formed integrally with the gutter fitting. In this case, it will be appreciated that the fitting possesses a groove formation and lip and nib formations at right angles to each other and it is impractical to mould such a fitting using a one piece core because it is virtually impossible to remove such a core from within the fitting. A five-or-more piece core might be used but this is complex and therefore expensive and time-consuming to use.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of injection moulding a gutter fitting of a resilient plastics material and comprising a body of generally channel section, a groove formed transversely in the body for receiving a sealing member in the form of a length or strip of resilient material, and a pair of permanently fixed inwardly turned lips extending respectively over the ends of the groove, one or both of the inwardly turned lips including along its inner edge an inwardly turned clipping nib extending over the respective end(s) of the groove and adapted to engage over the sides of a gutter end inserted into the fitting, which method comprises employing a core comprising a core piece and side core pieces to mould the desired internal configuration of the fitting, release of the moulded fitting from the core being effected by such relative movement of the side core pieces and the core piece that the lips of the moulded fitting are drawn together to an extent such that eventually, under the induced stress in the fitting, the lips spring apart to disengage the clipping nib(s) of the moulded fitting from the side core pieces.

Tn the method of this invention the moulding is produced by injecting or pouring fluid material into a generally two part mould in which the core pieces are arranged in their moulding position. When the material has set to the shape of the mould the core is removed and the two side core pieces moved outwardly of the core piece and towards each other into a position in which the moulding is removable therefrom. The dimensions and angles of the inwardly turned lips and clipping nib(s) are such that after a predetermined amount of movement of the movable core pieces the moulding is released from the movable core piece by "popping" therefrom. Because the or each clipping nib extends over an end of the groove it is possible to produce a fitting in which less material is used that hitherto since the groove can be located very near an end of the gutter fitting and yet satisfactory engagement of the fitting with the gutter still be obtained. Hitherto, it has been necessary to space the groove inwardly of the gutter fitting by an amount sufficient that inwardly turned lips and clipping nib(s) formed on the body outwardly of the groove can satisfactorily engage with the gutter. Preferably the lips and/or clipping nib(s) are continuous althrough this is not the case for certain applications, e.g. for running outlets.

The ends of a sealing member located in the groove of the fitting may lie close underneath the lips but generally they are spaced short distances below the lips. In either case, however, the lips reduce the risk of the ends of the members peeling out from the grooves, which is the usual way in which the members might otherwise become dislodged.

The sealing member employed may be formed on its inner side with a number Of projecting ribs, three being particularly advantageous, and be formed on its outer side with at least one groove. The combination of ribs and grooves helps allow the compression of the sealing ring when the gutter is fitted and the provision of three internal ribs with a single groove behind the central rib has been found to provide a particularly efficient seal, as well as other advantages.

The sides of the groove moulded into the fitting may be tapered slightly, so that the groove is wider at the bottom than at the top, and the sealing member may be made so that it has a similar crosssection before it is inserted into the groove.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a core adapted for the injection moulding of a gutter fitting of resilient plastics material and comprising a body of generally channel section, a groove formed transversely in the body for receiving a sealing member in the form of a strip of resilient material, and a pair of permanently fixed inwardly turned lips extending respectively over the ends of the groove, one or both of the inwardly turned lips including along its inner edge an inwardly turned clipping nib extending over the respective end(s) of the groove and adapted to engage over the sides of a gutter end inserted into the fitting, which core comprises a core piece having a tapered cross section, and two side cores pieces located respectively at opposite sides of the core piece, which opposite sides form the taper of the core pieces having the configuration of at least an inwardly turned lip of the plastics gutter fitting and one or both of the side core pieces having the configuration of a clipping nib of the plastics gutter fitting, and the side core pieces and central core piece being relatively movable to allow the discharge from the core of the plastics gutter fitting after moulding by first inward movement of the lips with the side core pieces to induce a stress in the fitting followed by springing of the lips from the side core pieces under the induced stress.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the moulding of a plastics gutter fitting, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows in transverse sectional elevation a mould, including a moulding and core pieces; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a gutter fitting, with its sealing member, which fitting may be produced by the method of this invention; Fig. 3 is a detail section, to a larger scale, showing one form of sealing member in a groove therefore of a said gutter fitting; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a different form of sealing member in its groove, which is of a different section.

Referring to Fig. 1, the mould consists of a steel cope 1, a drag 2, a fixed steel core piece 3 and movable steel core pieces 4, 4'. The movable core pieces 4, 4' are mounted in linear bearings 5, 5' in a support 6 which is vertically movable relative to the drag 2 and fixed core piece 3 by means of a hydraulic piston (not shown).

The movable core pieces 4, 4' are movable in convergent channels 7, 7' formed be-.

tween the fixed core piece 3 and the drag 2 from the position shown in solid ("moulding" position) to the position indicated by means of dotted lines ("discharge" position). The gutter fitting 8, in this case made of P.V.C., is formed with inwardly turned lip portions 9, 9' each terminating in a nib 15 (Fig 2), and a transverse groove 10. In use the mould and core are disposed in the position shown in solid and the plastics material is injected or poured into the mould space and there allowed to set.

Subsequently the cope 1 is removed, the support 6 is moved vertically upwards so that the movable core pieces, travelling in the convergent channels 7, 7', move vertically upwards and towards each other. In so doing the lips are drawn towards each other by virtue of the engagement of the nibs with the movable core pieces thereby stressing the moulded fitting. At the positions shown by the dotted lines the stress becomes sufficient to disengage the nibs from the core pieces and the gutter fitting 8 springs off the core pieces.

Thus be means of the core of the present invention there may readily be formed a moulding such as a gutter fitting having one or more transverse grooves and con ti;luous longitudinally extending inwardly turned lips each ending in nibs. Moreover, if, as is frequently the case in a gutter fitting, a transverse aperture is required in a bracket portion of the gutter fitting for receiving a securing screw or the like, then a suitable laterally extending stud may be provided on a head of one of the movable core pieces. When the dimensions are approximately selected the fitting will still spring from the core pieces and stud thus to provide the required aperture without further treatment. Hitherto, such apertures have been formed by a manual drilling operation on a moulded gutter fitting.

Referring now to Fig. 2 the gutter fitting 8 shown comprises a body 11 formed of a suitable moulded synthetic plastics material, such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene or polyethylene. The body 11 is formed with an integral bracket 12, which enables it to be attached to a wall, fasciaboard or the like by means of a screw inserted through a hole 13. The body 11 also has two inwardly-turned lips one or each of which is downwardly turned to form clipping nibs 15. In use, the end of a length of gutter inserted into the fitting is held beneath the nibs 15 against which it is pressed by its engagement with a sealing strip 16.

The fitting shown is intended for connecting and supporting the ends of two lengths of gutter and it is provided with two such sealing members or strips 16, each of which is fitted in a groove 17 moulded in the fitting. The outer walls of these grooves, where they project from the main body 11, are shown at 18.

The sealing members 16 are formed of a resilient material, such as a synthetic rubber. The section of one suitable sealing member is shown in Fig. 3. It has three ribs 19 separated by grooves 20 on its inner face and on its outer face it is formed with a single groove 21 located below the central one of the ribs 19. The ribs 19 project above the bottom of the fitting (shown at 22) so that when an end of a length of gutter is pressed into the fitting, with its edges engaged under the lips 14, the ribs 19 are forced downwardly into the groove 17. Because the sealing member 16 engages against both sides of the groove 17 the effect is to compress the material of the sealing member both radially and longitudinally of the gutter so that the member presses against both the sides and the bottom of the groove 17 and also against the outer surface of the gutter, thus forming a particularly efficient seal between the fitting and gutter.

The groove 21 allows deformation of the sealing member 16 when this occurs.

Before it is fitted in its groove the member 16 is slightly wider than the groove 17 so that it is held in the latter by its own resiliency, without the use of an adhesive.

This effect can be improved by making the sealing member 16 and groove 17 of the section shown in Fig. 4 so that the groove and sealing member are naturally wider near the bottom of the groove that at the top.

The fitting shown in Fig. 2 could be lengthened and formed with a junction for connection to a down-pipe or it could be made to act as an end cap, in which case only one sealing member 16 would be needed.

The fitting 8 may constitute a connecting bend for the guttering and this fitting could also be provided with a down-pipe connection.

In the construction shown, the sealing members 16 are shown as being slightly shorter than the grooves 17, but they may be made of the same length, or even so that they are slightly longer before they are fitted in position. This would help hold them in the grooves 17 but, even when the ends of the sealing members 16 are spaced below the lips 14 the latter, particularly with their downwardly turned clipping nibs 15, reduce the risk of the ends of the sealing members 16 peeling out of the grooves 17.

WHAT WE CLAIM XS:- 1. A metthod of injection moulding a gutter fitting of a resilient plastics material and comprising a body of generally channel section, a groove formed transversely in the body for receiving a sealing member in the form of a strip of resilient material, and a pair of permanently fixed inwardly turned lips extending respectively over the ends of the groove, one or both of the inwardly turned lips including along its inner edge an inwardly turned clipping nib extending over the respective end(s) of the groove and adapted to engage over the sides of a gutter end inserted into the fitting, which method comprises employing a core comprising a core piece and side core pieces to mould the desired internal configuration of the fitting, release of the moulded fitting from the core being effected by such relative movement between the side core pieces and the core piece that the lips of the moulding are drawn together to an extent such that eventually, under the induced stress in the fitting, the lips

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Claims

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becomes sufficient to disengage the nibs from the core pieces and the gutter fitting 8 springs off the core pieces.

Thus be means of the core of the present invention there may readily be formed a moulding such as a gutter fitting having one or more transverse grooves and con ti;luous longitudinally extending inwardly turned lips each ending in nibs. Moreover, if, as is frequently the case in a gutter fitting, a transverse aperture is required in a bracket portion of the gutter fitting for receiving a securing screw or the like, then a suitable laterally extending stud may be provided on a head of one of the movable core pieces. When the dimensions are approximately selected the fitting will still spring from the core pieces and stud thus to provide the required aperture without further treatment. Hitherto, such apertures have been formed by a manual drilling operation on a moulded gutter fitting.

Referring now to Fig. 2 the gutter fitting 8 shown comprises a body 11 formed of a suitable moulded synthetic plastics material, such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene or polyethylene. The body 11 is formed with an integral bracket 12, which enables it to be attached to a wall, fasciaboard or the like by means of a screw inserted through a hole 13. The body 11 also has two inwardly-turned lips one or each of which is downwardly turned to form clipping nibs 15. In use, the end of a length of gutter inserted into the fitting is held beneath the nibs 15 against which it is pressed by its engagement with a sealing strip 16.

The fitting shown is intended for connecting and supporting the ends of two lengths of gutter and it is provided with two such sealing members or strips 16, each of which is fitted in a groove 17 moulded in the fitting. The outer walls of these grooves, where they project from the main body 11, are shown at 18.

The sealing members 16 are formed of a resilient material, such as a synthetic rubber. The section of one suitable sealing member is shown in Fig. 3. It has three ribs 19 separated by grooves 20 on its inner face and on its outer face it is formed with a single groove 21 located below the central one of the ribs 19. The ribs 19 project above the bottom of the fitting (shown at 22) so that when an end of a length of gutter is pressed into the fitting, with its edges engaged under the lips 14, the ribs 19 are forced downwardly into the groove 17. Because the sealing member 16 engages against both sides of the groove 17 the effect is to compress the material of the sealing member both radially and longitudinally of the gutter so that the member presses against both the sides and the bottom of the groove

17 and also against the outer surface of the gutter, thus forming a particularly efficient seal between the fitting and gutter.

The groove 21 allows deformation of the sealing member 16 when this occurs.

Before it is fitted in its groove the member 16 is slightly wider than the groove 17 so that it is held in the latter by its own resiliency, without the use of an adhesive.

This effect can be improved by making the sealing member 16 and groove 17 of the section shown in Fig. 4 so that the groove and sealing member are naturally wider near the bottom of the groove that at the top.

The fitting shown in Fig. 2 could be lengthened and formed with a junction for connection to a down-pipe or it could be made to act as an end cap, in which case only one sealing member 16 would be needed.

The fitting 8 may constitute a connecting bend for the guttering and this fitting could also be provided with a down-pipe connection.

In the construction shown, the sealing members 16 are shown as being slightly shorter than the grooves 17, but they may be made of the same length, or even so that they are slightly longer before they are fitted in position. This would help hold them in the grooves 17 but, even when the ends of the sealing members 16 are spaced below the lips 14 the latter, particularly with their downwardly turned clipping nibs 15, reduce the risk of the ends of the sealing members 16 peeling out of the grooves 17.

WHAT WE CLAIM XS:- 1. A metthod of injection moulding a gutter fitting of a resilient plastics material and comprising a body of generally channel section, a groove formed transversely in the body for receiving a sealing member in the form of a strip of resilient material, and a pair of permanently fixed inwardly turned lips extending respectively over the ends of the groove, one or both of the inwardly turned lips including along its inner edge an inwardly turned clipping nib extending over the respective end(s) of the groove and adapted to engage over the sides of a gutter end inserted into the fitting, which method comprises employing a core comprising a core piece and side core pieces to mould the desired internal configuration of the fitting, release of the moulded fitting from the core being effected by such relative movement between the side core pieces and the core piece that the lips of the moulding are drawn together to an extent such that eventually, under the induced stress in the fitting, the lips

spring apart to disengage the clipping nib(s) of the moulding from the side core pieces.
2. A method according to claim l wherein the dimensions of the lips and clipping nib(s) relative to the moulding are as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
3. A method according to any claim l or 2, wherein the body of the fitting has a part-cylindrical channel section.
4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fitting constitutes a running outlet for connection to a drain pipe.
5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a said clipping nib of the fitting extends beyond a said groove for a dstance to each side thereof.
6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the body of the fitting is moulded with an aperture therethrough for receiving a securing means such as a screw for securing it to a surface.
7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the resilient plastics material comprises polyvinyl chloride, poly propylene or polyethylene.
8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the fitting is moulded with a transverse groove having a rectangular profile.
9. A method according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the fitting is moulded with a transverse groove having a profile substantially as shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, the fitting is moulded with an integral bracket part for attachment to a wall or the like.
Il. A method of producing a plastics moulding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
12. A core adapted for the injection moulding of a gutter fitting or resilient plastics material comprising a body of generally channel section, a groove formed transversely in the body for receiving a sealing member in the form of a strip of resilient material, and a pair of permanently fixed inwardly turned lips extending respectively over the ends of the groove, one or both of the inwardly turned lips including along its inner edge and inwardly turned clipping nib extending over the respective end(s) of the groove and adapted to engage over the sides of a gutter end inserted into the fitting, which core comprises a core piece having a tapered crosssection, and two side core pieces located respectively at opposite sides .of the core piece, which opposite sides form the taper of the core piece, each of the side core pieces having the configuration of at least an inwardly turned lip of the plastics gutter fitting and one or both of the side core pieces having the configuration of a clipping nib of the plastics gutter fitting, and the side core pieces and central core pieces being relatively movable to allow the discharge from the core of the plastics gutter fitting after moulding by first inward move nient of the lips with the side core pieces to induce a stress in the fitting followed by springing of the nib(s) from the side core pieces under the induced stress.
13. A core according to claim 12, wherein each movable core piece is mounted in linear bearing on a movable support.
14. A core according to claim 13, wherein the support is arranged to be moved hydraulically.
15. A core according to any of claim 12 to 14, which includes a projection adapted to produce in the moulding an aperture for receiving a securing means such as a screw for securing it to a surface.
16. A core substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
17. A mould adapted for the injection moulding of gutter fitting of resilient material, which includes a core as claimed in any of claim 12 to 16.
18. A mould substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings.
19. A gutter fitting of resilient plastics material, when produced by means of a method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, a core as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 16, or a mould as claimed in claim 17 or 18.
20. A gutter fitting according to claim 19, and constituting a union bracket, a union, a bend, a running outlet or an end cap for guttering.
21. A gutter fitting of resilient plastics material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.