U.S. patent application number 10/219777 was filed with the patent office on 2003-02-20 for rotatable gutter system.
Invention is credited to Adams, Kenneth E., Ferrell, James H..
Application Number | 20030033756 10/219777 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26914224 |
Filed Date | 2003-02-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030033756 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Adams, Kenneth E. ; et
al. |
February 20, 2003 |
Rotatable gutter system
Abstract
A rotatable gutter system that includes a gutter and a pair of
support members each located at an opposite end of the gutter to
mount it onto a building. The gutter is rotatable relative to the
support members about an axis that extends between them. The gutter
includes a drive member accessible through an opening in one of the
support members. Rotation of the drive member causes concomitant
rotation of the gutter. In this way, the gutter can be inverted for
easy cleaning and for storage during winter months to prevent ice
buildup in the gutter. An elongated drip edge can be provided above
the gutter such that it contacts an outer surface of the gutter
when it is rotated to a closed (inverted) position. The gutter can
have an end piece at each end with the drive post being a unitary
extension of that end piece.
Inventors: |
Adams, Kenneth E.; (Linden,
MI) ; Ferrell, James H.; (Belleville, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAMES D. STEVENS
REISING, ETHINGTON, BARNES, KISSELLE, ET AL
P.O. BOX 4390
TROY
MI
48099
US
|
Family ID: |
26914224 |
Appl. No.: |
10/219777 |
Filed: |
August 15, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60312642 |
Aug 15, 2001 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/076 20130101;
E04D 13/072 20130101; E04D 13/0722 20130101; E04D 13/0725
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/11 |
International
Class: |
E04D 013/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A rotatable gutter system, comprising: a gutter having an
elongated trough extending from a first end to a second end; and a
first support member located at said first end of said gutter and a
second support member located at said second end of said gutter,
said gutter being supported by said support members and being
rotatable relative to said support members about an axis that
extends between said support members; wherein at least one of said
support members includes a central opening, with said gutter
including a drive member accessible at said opening, wherein
rotation of said drive member causes concomitant rotation of said
gutter.
2. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 1, wherein said
gutter includes an opening in a lower portion of said trough, and
wherein said gutter system further comprises a downspout located
below said opening, with said gutter being rotatable relative to
said downspout.
3. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 1, wherein said
gutter is rotatable between an open position and a closed position,
with said trough opening upwardly when in said open position such
that it can collect water in said trough, and said trough opening
at least generally downwardly when in said closed position such
that it cannot collect water in said trough.
4. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 3, further
comprising an elongated drip edge located above said gutter,
wherein said drip edge contacts an outer surface of said gutter
when said gutter is rotated to said closed position.
5. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 1, wherein said
drive member comprises a drive post that extends through said
central opening.
6. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 5, further
comprising a drive mechanism that engages said drive post to rotate
said drive post and said gutter.
7. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 6, wherein said
drive mechanism comprises a hand tool.
8. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 7, wherein said
hand tool comprises an extendible hand tool having a telescoping
handle.
9. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 7, wherein said
hand tool comprises a hand grip tool.
10. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 6, wherein said
drive mechanism comprises a pulley system.
11. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 6, wherein said
drive mechanism comprises a motor drive.
12. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 5, wherein said
drive member comprises an end piece of said gutter with said drive
post being a unitary extension of said end piece.
13. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 1, wherein each
of said support members comprise an end cap that fits over its
associated end of said gutter.
14. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 13, wherein each
of said end supports further comprise a retaining ring that is
integral with said end cap and that engages a portion of said
gutter to captively retain said portion between said retaining ring
and said end cap.
15. A rotatable gutter system, comprising: a gutter having an
elongated trough extending from a first end to a second end; and a
plurality of support members in contact with said gutter at spaced
locations along the length of said gutter, said gutter being
supported by said support members and being rotatable relative to
said support members about an axis that extends between at least
two of said support members; wherein at least one of said support
members includes a central opening, with said gutter including a
drive member accessible at said opening, wherein rotation of said
drive member causes concomitant rotation of said gutter.
16. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 15, wherein said
drive member comprises a drive post that extends through said
central opening.
17. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 16, further
comprising a drive mechanism that engages said drive post to rotate
said drive post and said gutter.
18. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 16, wherein said
drive member comprises an end piece of said gutter with said drive
post being a unitary extension of said end piece.
19. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 15, wherein each
of said support members comprise an end cap that fits over its
associated end of said gutter.
20. A rotatable gutter system as defined in claim 19, wherein each
of said end supports further comprise a retaining ring that is
integral with said end cap and that engages a portion of said
gutter to captively retain said portion between said retaining ring
and said end cap.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/312,642, filed Aug. 15, 2001, the entire
contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to gutter systems used in residential
and commercial applications to handle collection of rain water from
building roofs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Gutter systems in common use today include a gutter in the
form of a trough that extends along and below the edge of a
building's roof to collect rain water shed from the roof shingles.
The gutter is rigidly attached to the building fascia and is
typically pitched towards one of its ends where a downspout is
attached to route the collected water to a location on or under the
ground surrounding the building. Apart from rain water,
conventional gutters may also collect leaves and other debris that
can block the free flow of water out of the gutter through the
downspout, sometimes causing the collected water to spill over the
upper edges of the gutter trough. Periodic cleaning of the gutter
can be done to avoid this problem; however, this cleaning can be
difficult if not dangerous for homeowners and contractors since it
normally requires ladder access, often at high heights. Specialized
equipment can be used in lieu of ladder access, but such equipment
can be expensive or problematic to use successfully.
[0004] In northern climes, ice damage can occur at the lower
regions of the roof near the gutter. This is usually the result of
snow melting from heat loss through the roof, with the melted snow
running down the roof to the eaves and gutter where temperatures
may be sufficiently colder to refreeze the water. As a result, ice
dams can build up at the gutter and roof edge, which can not only
cause lifting of the shingles and resulting damage to the roof, but
can also trap pools of water between the ice dam and warmer
portions of the roof, with the pooled water seeping into the
building structure under the shingles and causing water damage
within the building. Removing ice dams once they have developed can
be expensive, dangerous, and damaging to the roof and gutter.
Preventing them with heating cables can be costly both in terms of
the cost for the cables and the electricity used.
[0005] Gutter systems are known in which the gutter is either
rotated or pivoted about an axis to invert the gutter trough so
that debris within the gutter can be dumped without requiring
ladder access to the gutter. A number of different approaches have
been proposed over the years, yet such gutter systems remain
uncommon in ordinary residential and commercial applications. To be
commercially successful, a gutter system should provide a proper
balance between cost, durability, ease of installation, and ease of
use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is thus a general object of the invention to provide a
rotatable gutter system that permits rotation of the gutter trough
to permit easy cleaning of the trough and that does so in a manner
which overcomes at least some of the disadvantages found in the
prior art.
[0007] In accordance with the invention, there is provided a
rotatable gutter system that includes a gutter having an elongated
trough extending from a first end to a second end, and at least a
pair of support members each located at one of the two ends of the
gutter. The gutter is supported by the support members and is
rotatable relative to the support members about an axis that
extends between them. At least one of the support members includes
a central opening, with the gutter including a drive member
accessible at the opening. Rotation of the drive member causes
concomitant rotation of the gutter. In this way, the gutter can be
inverted for easy cleaning and for storage during winter months to
prevent ice buildup in the gutter. An elongated drip edge can be
provided above the gutter such that it contacts an outer surface of
the gutter when it is rotated to a closed (inverted) position.
[0008] The drive member preferably comprises a drive post that
extends through the central opening and can be implemented as an
end piece of the gutter with the drive post being a unitary
extension of the end piece. A drive mechanism can then be used to
engage the drive post to thereby rotate the drive post and gutter.
Any suitable drive mechanism can be used, including a hand tool
(which may have a telescoping handle and/or a hand grip tool that
permits rotation of the gutter by squeezing of the tool handle), a
pulley system, or an electrically-operated motor drive.
[0009] Each of the support members can comprise an end cap that
fits over its associated end of the gutter and each of the end
supports can include a retaining ring that is integral with the end
cap and that engages a portion of the gutter to captively retain
that portion of the gutter between the retaining ring and the end
cap.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will
hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings,
wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter used in an
embodiment of the rotatable gutter system of the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an end portion of the
disclosed gutter system embodiment showing both an end piece of the
gutter and a two-piece support member formed by an end cap and
retaining ring;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hand tool provided as a
part of the illustrated gutter system to enable rotation of the
gutter between open and closed positions;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing the support member of
FIG. 2 and including a rear view of the end cap;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled end
portion of FIG. 2 showing how the end piece of the gutter is held
and retained in place by the support member;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic end view showing a drip edge and
its positioning relative to the gutter when installed in a typical
application under the edge of a roof with the gutter in its open
position;
[0017] FIG. 7 is an end view as in FIG. 6 but showing the gutter in
its closed position;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a perspective partial view of the drip edge and
gutter showing it in both the open and closed positions;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a comer diverter that can be
used to direct rain into two adjacent gutters underneath a valley
of the roof;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the gutter along
with a downspout in an arrangement that permits rotation of the
gutter relative to the downspout;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a hand tool as in FIG. 3,
but including a telescoping handle;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an alternative drive
mechanism to the hand tools of FIGS. 3 and 11, comprising a pulley
system;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another alternative drive
mechanism comprising a hand grip tool;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of yet another alternative
drive mechanism in the form of a motor drive; and
[0025] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the motor drive of FIG.
14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Referring first to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown an embodiment
20 of a rotatable gutter system of the present invention. FIG. 1
depicts one gutter section 22 that includes a trough 24 and an end
piece 26 at each end of the trough. In use, the gutter 22 of FIG. 1
is mounted to a building's fascia by way of a pair of support
members 30 (FIGS. 4 and 5) that both support the gutter 22 via its
end pieces 26 and permit the gutter 22 to be rotated between an
open position and a closed position. Referring briefly to FIGS.
6-8, the open position is the normal operative or working position
in which the trough 24 opens upwardly such that it can collect rain
water shed off the roof of the building upon which the gutter
system 20 is installed. The closed position is a cleaning or
storage position in which the gutter 22 is rotated from its open
position through some large angle (normally 90.degree. to
270.degree., and preferably 180.degree.) so that leaves and other
debris in the trough 24 will fall out and can be flushed out using
a nozzle spray from a garden hose by a person on the ground. Only
one of the two support members 30 used for a gutter section is
shown in the drawings and it will be appreciated that the second
support member would be substantially if not entirely identical to
the one support member shown.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the gutter 22 is formed from the trough
24 and two end pieces 26 which are rigidly attached to the trough.
Each end piece 26 includes a circular shoulder 32 on which its
associated end of the trough 24 rests. At least one of the end
pieces 26 includes a drive member 34 which, in the illustrated
embodiment is in the form of a drive post 36. As will be described
in greater detail below, the gutter 22 can be rotated via its drive
post 36 using some drive mechanism such as the hand tool 40 of FIG.
3. This tool 40 has an aperture 42 that is keyed to fit over the
drive post 36, and also includes a pivot link 44 to an elongated
rod or handle 46. A housing 48 can be interconnected between the
pivot link 44 and handle 46 and can be threaded to receive the top
end of the handle 46. Using this handle, a person standing on the
ground can slide the aperture 42 over the drive post 36 and then
manipulate the handle 46 to rotate the gutter 22 through the
desired angle to switch between the open and closed positions.
[0028] The trough 24 and end pieces 26 can be made from PVC, with
the end pieces being cemented (adhered) to the trough to make a
single integral section of gutter, as shown. Of course, other
suitable materials could be used, and screws and other means of
fastening the end pieces 26 to the trough 24 could utilized to form
the integral section of gutter. Alternatively, one or both of the
end pieces 26 could be formed as a unitary part of the trough 24.
Furthermore, although the illustrated embodiment utilizes a trough
of circular cross-section, any other cross-sectional shape can be
used as long as it is suitable for collecting water shed from the
building roof. As shown, some of the end piece material located
between its drive post 36 and outer periphery 38 can be eliminated
to reduce weight and material costs.
[0029] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of one end of the
illustrated gutter system 20.
[0030] As described above, the gutter 22 includes both the trough
24 and the end piece 26, with the latter being captively held by
the support member 30 which, in the illustrated embodiment,
includes an end cap 50 and a retaining ring 52. As shown in FIG. 4,
each end cap 50 includes a base 54 and a unitary gutter support
section 56. The base 54 has a flat mounting surface 58 and includes
a pair of slide locks 60 that can be used to hang the end cap 50
from screws or posts on the building fascia. These slide locks 60
can be made as a unitary part of the end cap 50 or can be made
separately and snap fit or otherwise attached to the end cap. In
addition to or in lieu of using the slide locks 60, the end caps 50
can be attached to brackets (not shown) mounted on the building
fascia, rather than the end caps being mounted directly to the
fascia itself. Where slide locks 60 are used, it will be
appreciated that the slot pattern for the other end cap will have
the same orientation as that shown in FIG. 4 even though the
remainder of the end cap will be inverted from the depicted
orientation.
[0031] Referring now to both FIGS. 4 and 5, the gutter support
portion 56 of the end cap 50 comprises an annular flange 62 and
annular end wall 64, with the flange providing the actual support
for the end piece 26 of the gutter 22, and the end wall 64
preventing axial movement of the gutter. These components can also
be made from PVC or some other suitable material. The end wall 64
includes a central opening 66 through which the drive post 36
extends to an exposed location where it can be accessed by the hand
tool 40 or other drive mechanism. As best seen in FIG. 5, the
retaining ring 52 attaches to the end cap 50 after insertion of the
end piece 26 into the end cap. The retaining ring 52 is then
fastened to the end cap 50 via removable fasteners such as screws
68, although it could be permanently attached as well. The inside
diameter of the retaining ring 52 is the same as the outside
diameter of the trough 24 which is smaller than the diameter of the
end piece's circular shoulder 32. Consequently, the gutter 22
cannot move axially in either directly relative to the support
members 30 due to interference of the end piece 26 with the
retaining ring 52 and the end wall 64 of the end cap. Where the
gutter is securely mounted between opposing end caps, the retaining
rings may not be needed, as axial movement of the gutter in both
directions will be limited by the two end caps.
[0032] As is also best seen in FIG. 5, rotation of the drive post
36 causes concomitant rotation of the entire gutter 22 about a
central axis of rotation 70. As will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art, rather than using a drive post that is keyed
for positive engagement with a drive mechanism, frictional
engagement between the drive mechanism and drive post can be used.
Furthermore, the drive member used on the gutter end piece need not
comprise a drive post, but could be a keyed aperture in the end
piece that is accessible at the end cap's opening by a drive post
that is part of the drive mechanism itself.
[0033] Turning now to FIGS. 6-8, the gutter system 20 can also
include a rubber or other flexible drip edge 72 that can be
mounted, for example, on the building fascia 74 above the gutter 22
underneath the lowest roof shingle 76. When the gutter 22 is in the
open position, the drip edge 72 helps insure that water is
deflected into the trough 24 so that no water gets between the
gutter and building fascia. This is shown in FIG. 6. When the
gutter 22 is rotated clockwise (using the orientation shown in the
figures), the drip edge 72 contacts and seals against the outer
(bottom) surface of the trough 24, as shown in FIG. 7. This not
only prevents water from falling between the gutter and building
fascia, but may also help prevent formation of ice dams during the
winter. In this regard, it will be appreciated that, regardless of
whether the drip edge 72 is used, the gutter 22 can be maintained
in its closed position during the winter months which can help
reduce the formation of ice dams due to the curved design of the
trough. Moreover, in the event ice does begin to form, the gutter
can be rotated 360.degree. (closed to open to closed) to break off
any ice forming.
[0034] The drip edge 72 can extend the length of the trough 24
between the end pieces 26 and can terminate just inwardly of each
end cap 50. Alternatively, the end caps 50 can be open at the upper
portion of the annular flange 62 so that the drip edge 72 can
extend all of the way axially to the ends of the trough 24.
[0035] FIGS. 6 and 7 show rotation of the gutter 22 is a single
direction--clockwise.
[0036] This may be preferred where the drip edge 72 is used so that
it properly seals in the manner shown in FIG. 7. Although not
necessary, this uni-directional rotation can be incorporated into
the design of the end piece 26 and/or end cap 50 so that reverse
rotation is not possible. Alternatively, the drive mechanism used
to rotate the gutter 22 could be designed to rotate in a single
direction only. Those skilled in the art will be familiar with
ratcheting and other such means of limiting rotation to one
direction only. Regardless of whether uni-directional rotation is
used, the end piece 26 or some other portion of the gutter 22, can
include detents that indicate when the gutter has reached its open
and/or closed positions. Also, as will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art, the total amount of rotation can be limited
using stops, for example, so that uni-directional rotation is not
possible. In this way, the gutter will only rotate through some
maximum angle, say 180.degree., between its open and closed
positions, and must be rotated in the reverse direction to return
it to its initial position.
[0037] FIG. 9 depicts a corner cover or diverter 80 than can be
used at valley intersections between different roof regions 82 to
divert water away from the end caps 50 located at the comer and
into the troughs 24. These comer covers 80 can be installed under
the lower or lowest courses of shingles using known roofing
techniques. If desired, a downspout (not shown) can be located
under these valley intersections (either with or without the comer
cover 80) to collect and route water not captured in the
gutters.
[0038] FIG. 10 shows one possible embodiment of an interface
between the trough 24 and a downspout 90 that permits the gutter 22
to be rotated relative to the downspout 90 and that permits
downspout 90 to provide additional support for the gutter, if
desired. The trough 24 includes an opening 92 in its lower portion,
and this opening is aligned with the upper opening 94 in the
downspout 90 when the gutter is in its open position. The downspout
90 can have a pair of opposed upstanding extensions 96 that engage
and cradle the bottom side of the trough 24. Alternatively, the top
of the downspout 90 need not be in physical contact with the trough
24, as shown. The top portion of the downspout 90 illustrated in
FIG. 10 can be a unitary portion of the entire downspout, or can be
a separate piece that attaches to a standard or nonstandard
downspout.
[0039] Turning now to FIGS. 11-15, various drive mechanism
embodiments are disclosed. Each of these embodiments is designed to
mate with the drive post 36 used on the gutter end piece 26 so that
these different drive mechanisms are interchangeable. Of course,
the other drive topologies discussed above in connection with FIG.
5 can be used so that, for example, the drive mechanisms can be
constructed with a drive post (instead of an aperture) that mates
with a keyed aperture (instead of a drive post) in the end piece
26.
[0040] FIG. 11 depicts a hand tool 100 such as that shown in FIG.
3, with the difference being that the hand tool 40 of FIG. 3
includes a fixed length handle 44 threaded into an upper housing
48, whereas that of FIG. 11 has an extendible (e.g., telescoping)
handle 102. FIG. 12 depicts a pulley system 110 that uses and
endless loop of rope 112 hanging from a pulley 114 enclosed in a
housing 116 that attaches to the end cap 26 via screws 118. The
center of the pulley 114 includes a keyed aperture 120 that mates
with the drive post 36 of the gutter end piece 26. FIG. 13 depicts
a hand grip tool 130 that includes an upper housing 132 that holds
a ratchet device 134. Extending down from the housing 132 is a
frame 136 terminating at a holding handle 138. A second, grip
handle 140 is pivotally attached to the frame 136 near the holding
handle 138 and a pair of links 142 extend from the grip handle 140
up to a pair of pins 144 that extend out of each axial side of the
ratchet device 134. By squeezing the handles together, the links
142 pull on the pins 144, causing rotation of the ratchet device
134 and, thus the keyed aperture 146 at the center of the ratchet
device. FIGS. 14 and 15 depict a motor drive 150 that attaches to
the end cap 26 using screws 152. The motor drive 150 includes a
housing 154 containing a drive gear 156 having a keyed aperture 158
for connecting to the drive post 36 of the gutter end piece 26. The
drive gear teeth meshes with a worm gear 158 connected to the
output shaft of a single drive or reversible drive motor 160 which
can be battery operated or connectable to line voltage via a power
cord 162. The unit 150 can be wired to a remote switch (not shown)
or can include a wireless receiver 164 that receives commands from
a remote transmitter (not shown) using r.f., i.r., or other types
of signals.
[0041] It will thus be apparent that there has been provided in
accordance with the present invention a rotatable gutter system
which achieves the aims and advantages specified herein. It will of
course be understood that the foregoing description is of exemplary
embodiments of the invention and that the invention is not limited
to the specific embodiments shown. Various changes and
modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. For
example, additional supports could be installed at spaced locations
between the end caps for longer sections of gutter. These could
take the form of a bracket having a curved support surface against
which the bottom of the trough rests. All such variations and
modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *