U.S. patent application number 12/860854 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-24 for rain gutter rotation system (rgrs).
Invention is credited to John Harrison Anthony.
Application Number | 20110067319 12/860854 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43755373 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110067319 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Anthony; John Harrison |
March 24, 2011 |
Rain Gutter Rotation System (RGRS)
Abstract
Using two new integral component types, RGRS provides an
effective way from the ground to rotate and clean rain gutters. The
Rotating Bracket attaches to the fascia board and maintains the
normally upright gutter. A self-closing hinge in the rotating
bracket provides retention yet allows the gutter to be rotated
forward 180 degrees for cleaning. The Collector Box located
directly under the gutter floor is secured to the fascia board and
connects to a standard downspout. The collector box captures water
from a drain hole in the gutter floor and directs it into the
downspout. There is no connection between the gutter and collector
box. Using a third non-integral component, comprised of an
actuation rod/cleaning brush tool attached to an extendable
telescopic pole, an operator at ground level can rotate, manually
clean (if gravity can not dislodge wet contents present) and
upright the gutter.
Inventors: |
Anthony; John Harrison;
(Angier, NC) |
Family ID: |
43755373 |
Appl. No.: |
12/860854 |
Filed: |
August 20, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61237262 |
Aug 26, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/16 ; 52/11;
52/173.1; 52/698 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/0765
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/16 ; 52/11;
52/698; 52/173.1 |
International
Class: |
E04D 13/076 20060101
E04D013/076; E04D 13/064 20060101 E04D013/064; E04D 13/08 20060101
E04D013/08; E04D 13/072 20060101 E04D013/072 |
Claims
1. Off-the-shelf trough shaped gutters readily available and widely
used in fixed gutter systems, are made rotatable and cleanable from
the ground by integrating two new component types that are claimed
in this invention: the rotating bracket and the collector box. A
third component, an actuation rod-cleaning brush tool is also
claimed, but it is not an integral part of the installed rotatable
gutter system.
2. The rotating bracket of claim 1 is the sole component required
for normally supporting a rain gutter of the type having a vertical
back wall, a horizontal floor and vertical front wall in an upright
position and allows the rain gutter to rotate forward and over 180
degrees to an inverted position to be cleaned, and is comprised of
three sub components: an L shaped strength member in which the
vertical rear section is adapted to be secured to the fascia or
trim board of a building and in which the horizontal forward ledge
provides support for the floor of a U-shaped cradle that seats and
secures the gutter, and in which the front end of the horizontal
ledge bends perpendicularly downward forming a short stub which
provides a means to limit hinge travel for optimum positioning of
the gutter in the inverted cleaning position. a generally U-shaped
cradle having a vertical front wall to which the front wall of the
gutter is secured, a horizontal floor providing support for the
floor of the gutter and a vertical rear wall to which the rear wall
of the gutter is secured. a self-closing hinge that connects the
cradle to the L-member horizontal ledge and provides, a means of
resilient bias for maintaining the cradle and gutter in the
normally upright position, and a means to pivotally rotate the
cradle and gutter forward about the front end of the horizontal
ledge to an inverted position.
3. The collector box of claim 1 provides a way to separate the
downspout from the gutter so the gutter can be rotated forward and
over for cleaning, while still providing a rainwater drain path
from the gutter to the downspout when the gutter is in the normally
upright position. the collector box is a rectangular, shallow, open
top, water-tight box constructed of flashing material which has a
length of 6 inches, a width from front to back of 31/2'' and an
extended back wall rising above the 11/4'' high sidewalls and front
wall, thus providing a means of attaching the box to the fascia
board. the box is located directly under a drain hole cut in the
gutter floor, with the side and front walls of the box flush
against the gutter floor, and receives rainwater from the upright
gutter that in turn flows into a short pipe stub (drop) emanating
down from the floor of the box which is sized to fit into
downspouts of different sizes most commonly 2''.times.3'' and
3''.times.4'', thereby routing water down and away from the
building. as the gutter is rotated forward to be cleaned, the
collector box remains fixed in place atop the downspout.
4. the rotating bracket of claim 2, wherein said means to pivotally
rotate the cradle and gutter is provided by a self-closing hinge in
which each leaf forms a right angle plate and in which both plates
are parallel and adjacent along their entire length in the closed
position and in which the end of the inner hinge leaf is attached
to the forward end of the upper side of the horizontal ledge with
the hinge knuckle is butted against the vertical down stub of the
horizontal ledge, and in which the other hinge leaf is bifurcated
forming two outer leaves the ends of which are each secured to the
forward end of the cradle floor such that the cradle can rotate 180
degrees about the forward end of the horizontal ledge.
5. the rotating bracket of claim 2 wherein said resilient bias is
provided by internal action within the self-closing hinge is
clarified here. The self-closing hinge used in this invention is an
off-the-shelf part much as a screw or other piece of hardware is.
The self-closing mechanism it employs is used by most manufacturers
of this type of self-closing hinge, and is not a claim of this
invention. It is explained because the non-linear, spring action of
the hinge is a key factor in the operation of the rotating bracket.
Resilient force results from cam action in the self-closing hinge
knuckles where the inner hinge leaf knuckle has a flat area on an
otherwise round surface and the knuckle of the other leaf contains
two small springs that press a small plastic block, limited to
forward and backward motion only, against the knuckle of the inner
leaf such that when the hinge is closed the plastic block is flush
against the flat on the inner hinge knuckle. As the hinge leaves
begin to open the edge of the block is rotated against the flat,
compressing the springs and generating a force that tends to move
the leaves back toward the closed position. As the leaves are
further opened and the angle between the hinge leaves reaches
approximately 45 degrees, the block leaves the flat and moves into
contact with the round portion of the inner leaf knuckle reducing
the retentive force to zero and leaving only the low resistance
friction of the block moving tangentially along the round portion
of the knuckle throughout the remainder of the leaf travel to the
fully open position.
6. the rotating bracket of claim 2 wherein said means to limit
hinge travel is provided by the vertically downward stub at the
front end of the horizontal ledge of the L-shape member such that
the hinge knuckle is placed against the face of the stub with the
hinge leaves following the face of the stub up and at a right angle
onto the end of the horizontal ledge with the inner hinge leaf
connected to the end of the ledge. As the hinge opens the outer
bifurcated hinge leaf connected to the cradle rotates about the
hinge knuckle axis and stops against the stub section below the
hinge knuckle in a position with the cradle and gutter inverted 180
degrees from the upright starting position.
7. A rotatable rain gutter system for supporting a rain gutter of
the type having a vertical back wall, a horizontal floor and
vertical front wall in an upright position and allows the rain
gutter to rotate forward and over 180 degrees to an inverted
position to be cleaned, comprising: a plurality of spaced rotating
brackets to be secured to the fascia or trim of a building and to
receive the rain gutter, each comprised of: an L shaped strength
member in which the vertical rear section is adapted to be secured
to the fascia or trim board of a building and in which the
horizontal forward section provides support for the floor of a
U-shaped cradle that seats and secures the gutter, and in which the
front end of the horizontal section bends perpendicularly downward
forming a short stub used to limit hinge travel in the fully
rotated forward position to 180 degrees of rotation from the
upright operating position. a U-shaped cradle having a vertical
front wall to which the front wall of the gutter is secured, a
horizontal floor providing support for the floor of the gutter and
a vertical rear wall to which the rear wall of the gutter is
secured. a self-closing hinge that pivotally connects the cradle
and horizontal section of the L-shaped member allowing 180 degrees
of rotation of the cradle and gutter about the end of the
horizontal section, and provides a resilient force derived from the
cam action of internal springs and a plastic block in the hinge
knuckle of one leaf pushing against the shaped surface of the other
hinge knuckle, such that the resilient force tending to close the
hinge is in effect until the hinge leaves are at 45 degrees of
separation, after which the resilient force is zero through the
reminder of hinge leaf travel to the fully open position.
8. the rotatable rain gutter system of claim 7 includes hidden
metal gutter hangers located at certain intervals along the gutter,
typically used in fixed systems to secure the gutter to the fascia,
which here are installed between and secured to the upper front
gutter wall and upper rear gutter wall solely to add rigidity to
the gutter.
9. The collector box of claim 3 is designated a straight collector
box and is installed anywhere under the length of a straight
rotatable gutter section at the location of the downspout draining
the gutter. When expanded in length to 12'' the collector box is
designated a long collector box and is used where two straight
gutter sections meet inline and drain into a common downspout.
10. The collector box of claim 3 when elongated in length and
formed into an L-shape consisting of two legs each 16'' in length
along the front wall and each 191/2'' in length along the back wall
is designated an inside corner collector box. It is installed with
the back wall of each leg flush against one side an inside corner
and directly under the ends of the two gutter sections that meet at
the corner, and where one or both gutters drain through the
collector box into a common downspout attached to a drop located in
either of the leg of the box.
11. The collector box of claim 3 when elongated in length and
formed into an L-shape consisting of two legs each 191/2'' in
length along the front wall and each 16'' in length along the back
wall is designated an outside corner collector box. It is installed
with the back wall of each leg flush against one side of an outside
corner and directly under the ends of the two gutter sections that
meet at the corner, and where one or both gutters drain through the
collector box into a common downspout attached to a drop located in
either of the leg of the box.
12. Where multiple gutter corners are in close proximity due to the
path of the roofline, e.g., a small porch with two inside and two
outside corners, downspout usage of one per corner exceeds the
requirement of the roof area drained. In such cases, a U-shaped
collector channel with the same 31/2'' width and 11/4'' wall height
of the water carrying section of all collector boxes is run between
the collector boxes of adjacent corners serving the defined small
area, in effect forming a continuous water channel that is drained
by a single downspout connected at any point on the channel or at
any of the corner collector boxes. The collector channel is carried
under rotating brackets in an L-shaped bracket that mounts to the
vertically downward stub of the support member of the rotating
bracket.
13. the rotatable rain gutter system of claim 7 includes at least
one collector box type for proper drainage of each rotatable gutter
segment, the type of which is determined by the use and placement
of said gutter segment.
14. The actuation rod-cleaning brush tool of claim 1 is: a T-shaped
tool with a 3/4'' diameter.times.5 thread per inch female connector
at the base of the stem, a double hook shaped metal rod forming one
arm and a long corncob-shaped brush forming the other arm, where
the rod on the tool is used to rotate the gutter from the upright
position to the inverted cleaning position from the ground by
placing the inner down-hook of the rod over the top of the gutter
front wall near the center of the gutter span and pulling it
forward and down into the inverted cleaning position, and
conversely returning the inverted gutter to the upright position by
pushing the outer up-hook of the rod against the inverted back wall
of the gutter near the center of the gutter span causing it to
rotate up and back into the upright position, and where, if needed,
a variable angle cleaning brush that the user can adjust as
required is used to dislodge contents from an inverted gutter that
gravity alone cannot dislodge. a variable length telescopic pole
with a 3/4'' diameter.times.5 thread per inch male connector at the
end, not claimed in this invention, is used to elevate the tool to
the height of the gutter being cleaned.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Provisional patent No. 61/237,262 was filed for this
invention with the USPTO on 8-26-09 followed by the original
non-provisional utility patent filing on 8-20-10.
[0002] The solution presented and described provides a method and
apparatus that permits rapidly cleaning rain gutters from the
ground by rotating them instead of the dirty, time consuming and
dangerous task of moving and climbing a ladder multiple times along
the entire gutter length to reach and manually remove the debris
that perennially clogs them.
[0003] Prototype components described in the provisional patent
were fabricated and used to convert a number of fixed gutters to
the rotatable type and have worked well and in accordance with the
design intent.
Prior Art Pertaining to Rotating Rain Gutters
[0004] Prior art requires clips, snaps, hooks, cords or continuous
coil springs to maintain the gutter upright. The rotating gutter as
implemented with RGRS uses few parts, and is efficient, reliable
and easy to use.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,085 provides a coil spring in a pivot
mechanism at each bracket location. A rod under the longitudinal
center floor of the gutter connects all brackets together providing
an axis for synchronous forward gutter rotation. The coil spring
exerts continuous increasing closing force as the gutter rotates
forward making an extended stay in the inverted cleaning position
difficult to maintain. The complex pivot mechanisms and long
connecting rod across all brackets add cost to the system as
well.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,679 pivots the gutter backward toward
the fascia at the upper front edge of an L bracket. The gutter is
held upright by small ropes passing through eyelets that connect to
the back edge of the gutter at each bracket location. As the rope
tension is loosened from the ground the gutter pivots down at the
back to allow dumping. The downspout mechanism is fairly complex
requiring matching curved sections on the rotatable gutter and the
fixed downspout top.
[0007] Patent US2006/00352151A uses air or gas to activate a
rotating mechanism that rotates the gutter forward and over. The
mechanism to do this is hidden so that the gutter retains the
appearance of a standard fixed gutter. These hidden mechanisms are
complex and costly. Higher complexity introduces more potential
points of failure.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,843 describes a mechanism for forward
gutter rotation about the center longitudinal axis of the gutter
floor for easy rotation. The gutter is held in place with a clip
mechanism biased against the gutter strengthened portion to
maintain the gutter upright. It is not clear how the gutter is
rotated forward and back. The downspout is hinged so as to swing
forward and down out of the way of the inverted gutter.
[0009] There are other patents pertaining to rotating gutters. All
appear to contain more parts, complexity and cost than needed for
basic gutter rotation and cleaning.
[0010] The key component in RGRS is the self-closing hinge that is
off-the-shelf, simple, inexpensive and time tested.
INVENTION SUMMARY
[0011] The rotating gutter system is a simple and effective ground
based way to rotate and dump rain gutters that are found on
millions of homes and buildings. To do this, two new component
types, the rotating bracket and the collector box were designed and
developed. By integrating these into a fixed gutter system the
gutter can be made to rotate. A third component, not integrated
into the gutter system itself, is an actuation rod-cleaning brush
tool that is threaded onto to the end of an extendable telescopic
pole. It is used to rotate the gutter and, when required, dislodge
contents from the gutter.
Rotating Bracket
[0012] The strength member of the rotating bracket is an L-shaped
support member, which is secured to the fascia board by the back
vertical section. The horizontal forward ledge of the support
member supports a U-shaped cradle that seats and secures trough
shaped gutters.
[0013] The cradle connects to the front end of the horizontal ledge
with a self-closing hinge that provides resilient bias to hold the
gutter upright yet allows the cradle and gutter to be rotated
forward and over to a completely inverted cleaning position by
means of the actuation rod.
[0014] If required, the cleaning brush portion of the rod-brush
tool is used to dislodge debris that gravity alone cannot pull out
of the inverted gutter. The cradle and gutter are returned to the
upright position with the actuation rod.
Collector Box
[0015] In operation the upright gutter empties water through a
drain hole in its floor into a collector box, which is made of
flashing material and has the general shape of a small, very
shallow shoebox without the lid. The open top allows rainwater from
the gutter drain to freely enter the box and immediately flow out
of a short circular pipe stub (drop) emanating from the box floor.
The drop is connected to the top of a standard downspout that
directs the rainwater down and away from the building. A porous
mesh screen is installed over the gutter drain hole to prevent
debris from entering the collector box and downspout.
[0016] During a gutter cleaning cycle the gutter rotates around the
fixed collector box. There are four collector box types that are
used to drain gutter sections in various placements along a
roofline: [0017] Straight type is used anywhere along a straight
rotating gutter section. [0018] Long type is used where two inline
gutter sections meet and one or both share a common downspout.
[0019] Inside Corner type is used at an inside corner where two
gutter sections meet and one or both drain into a single downspout
serving the corner. [0020] Outside Corner type is used at an
outside corner where two gutter sections meet and one or both drain
into a single downspout serving the corner.
[0021] Where corners are connected by long gutter spans, having a
downspout at each corner is reasonable and meets the generally
accepted downspout spacing guidelines.
[0022] Some rooflines however require a number of gutter corners in
close proximity such as found on a small porch that has two inside
corners and two outside corners. In this case in order to preclude
having four downspouts serving such a small roof surface area, a
collector channel is used. The collector channel is a U-shaped
length of thick aluminum flashing that has the same floor and wall
dimensions as found in all collector box types. Channel is run
between and connected to adjacent corner boxes, forming a
continuous, sealed water-carrying trough under the gutter serving
the porch perimeter. A single downspout is connected to the channel
or a corner collector box at any point along the trough and drains
the entire trough.
[0023] In summary, wherever adjacent corners along a roofline are
located close together the collector channel described above is
used to keep the number of downspouts used in proper proportion to
the roof area being drained.
[0024] The drawing list below illustrates the components used in
the invention, the preferred embodiment of the invention, and
together with the detailed description serve to explain the
principles of the invention.
TABLE-US-00001 Number Drawing description 1 5'' K style aluminum
gutter 10-profile 2 5'' K style PVC gutter-profile 3 5'' U-style
PVC gutter-profile 4a L-shaped support member 12, component
rotating bracket-elevation 4b Cradle 13, component of rotating
bracket-elevation 4c Hinge, self-closing, 1/2'' overlay 14,
component of rotating bracket-elevation 4d Rotating bracket
15-elevation 5a 5'' K style alum. gutter mounted in rotating
bracket, operating position-profile 5b 5'' K style alum. gutter
mounted in rotating bracket, cleaning position-profile 6a Straight
collector box 30-elevation view 6b Long collector box 31-elevation
view 7a Outside corner collector box 40-elevation view 7b Outside
miter corner 41-elevation view 7c Outside corner cap 42-elevation
view 8a Inside corner collector box 50-elevation view 8b Water
diverter inside corner 51-elevation view 8c Inside corner cap
52-elevation view 9a Collector channel 55-elevation view 9b
Collector channel bracket 56-elevation view 9c Collector channel in
collector channel bracket mounted to rotating bracket-profile 10
Telescopic pole 20 with actuation rod and cleaning brush attachment
tool 21-profile 11a Moving the gutter from operating position to
the inverted position with rod-profile 11b Moving the gutter from
the inverted position to the operating position with rod-profile 12
Outside corner with gutters, outside miter corner and outside
corner collector box-elevation 13 Inside corner w/ gutters, inside
corner collector box, inside corner cap, water diverter-elev. 14a
5'' K-style alum. gutter shown in U-shaped cradle and in contoured
cradle-profile 14b 5'' K-style pvc gutter shown in U-shaped cradle
and in contoured cradle-profile 14c U-style pvc gutter shown in
U-shaped cradle and in contoured cradle-profile 15 Gutter hanger 16
(hidden type)-elevation 16 Rotating bracket spacing guide 17
Feature number reference
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW
[0025] This detailed description is divided into three sections.
[0026] Components [0027] Operation [0028] Installation
[0029] The 5K-aluminum style gutter 10 shown in FIG. 1 is used and
described exclusively in the detailed description as it is the most
widely installed gutter type in the United States. All text and
drawings in this section pertain to it.
[0030] The 5K PVC gutter and the Raingo PVC gutter, shown in FIGS.
2 and 3 respectively, are commercially available as well and are
briefly addressed in this document. They and other trough shaped
gutters are all applicable to and workable with the method and
apparatus described herein. Form and fit will vary somewhat, but
the basic functional operation is the same.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Components
[0031] The Rotating Bracket and the Collector Box are the two
integral component types required to make a gutter rotatable. A
third non-integral component is the actuation rod-cleaning brush
tool, which mounts on the end of an extendable telescopic pole. The
rod is used to rotate the gutter and the brush is used to clean the
gutter when required.
Rotating Bracket
[0032] The rotating bracket is made up of three primary
elements:
L-shaped support member 12 formed from aluminum, 1/8''
T.times.11/4'' W, see FIG. 4A. U-shaped cradle 13 made of
galvanized steel, 0.040'' T.times.13/4'' W, see FIG. 48. Hinge,
self-closing, 1/2'' overlay with protective finish 14, see FIG.
4C.
[0033] FIG. 4D shows the fully assembled rotating bracket 15. In
order to blend in with the gutter, the bracket is painted with
exterior paint to match the colors, typically white or brown, of
commercially available gutters.
[0034] The vertical rear portion of the L-shaped support member is
secured to the fascia board 11 or trim and at 51/2' is the minimum
allowable distance from the roof edge to the bottom of the bracket.
The top edge of the bracket at the non-drain end of a gutter is set
flush against the roof edge. Each subsequent bracket moving toward
the drain end is set incrementally farther from the roof edge to
provide the gutter proper downward pitch.
[0035] The horizontal forward ledge of the support member supports
a cradle used to secure trough-shaped gutters. The vertically
downward lip at the end of the horizontal ledge provides a hinge
stop point to limit rotation of the gutter to 180 degrees from the
upright operating position.
[0036] The cradle is generally U-shaped having a vertical front
wall to which the front wall of the gutter is secured, a horizontal
floor providing support for the floor of the gutter and a vertical
rear wall to which the rear wall of the gutter is secured. The
cradle rotates about the front end of the support member horizontal
ledge on a self-closing hinge. See FIGS. 5A and 5B.
[0037] For aesthetic reasons, the U-shaped cradle described above
could be shaped to match the profiles of various gutter types it is
used with so that it presents a more uniform appearance in each
case. FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C show examples of three commercially
available gutter types.
[0038] The self-closing hinge provides a retentive force at and
near the closed position. This helps maintain an empty gutter in
the upright operating position against wind and other potentially
disruptive elements. The weight of any debris and/or water in the
gutter pushes the gutter down against the bracket support ledge,
which also tends to maintain the gutter in the upright operating
position.
[0039] The retentive hinge force is provided by a cam action in the
hinge knuckles. The inner hinge leaf knuckle has a flat area on an
otherwise round surface. The knuckle of the other leaf contains two
small springs that press a plastic block against the knuckle of the
inner leaf. When the gutter is in the upright operating position,
the hinge is closed (leaves parallel and adjacent), and the face of
the plastic block is flush against the flat on the opposing
knuckle. As the hinge begins to open, the edge of the block is
rotated against the flat, compressing the springs and generating a
force that tends to move the hinge back toward the closed position.
When the angle between the hinge leaves approaches 45 degrees, the
block face moves into tangential contact with the round portion of
the knuckle, offering very low resistance friction throughout the
reminder of travel to the hinge full open position.
Collector Box
[0040] The collector box is an open top box made of aluminum
flashing. It connects to the top of the downspout 17, and is
secured with screws to the fascia board through mounting holes in
its high back wall. A short circular or rectangular shaped stub
(called a drop) extends from the center of the box floor and is
appropriately sized to attach to standard downspouts, typically
2''.times.3'', or 3''.times.4'' types. All the water exiting drain
hole(s) of gutter(s)s it serves is collected and sent to the
downspout.
[0041] There are four types of collector box: Straight, Long,
Inside Corner and Outside Corner, and a Collector Channel.
Straight Collector Box 30
[0042] It is 6'' long.times.31/2'' wide with front and side walls
11/4'' high. The back wall of the box is 63/4'' high and is the
nominal distance from the roof edge to the bottom of the box to
work with a zero pitch gutter. The increase in distance required at
the drain end to properly pitch the gutter is added to the nominal
distance before securing the box to the fascia board. A drop sized
to match that of the downspout below the box extends from the
center of the box floor and attaches to the downspout. See FIG.
6A.
Long Collector Box 31
[0043] It is 12'' long.times.31/2'' wide with front and side walls
11/4'' high. The back wall of the box is 63/4'' high and is the
nominal distance from the roof edge to the bottom of the box to
work with a zero pitch gutter. The increase in distance required at
the drain end to properly pitch the gutter is added to the nominal
distance before securing the box to the fascia board. A drop sized
to match that of the downspout below the box extends from the
center of the box floor and attaches to the downspout. See FIG.
68.
Outside Corner Collector Box 40
[0044] Two equal length legs form a right angle allowing this box
to fit around an outside corner. Each leg is 31/2'' wide. The back
wall of each leg is 16'' long and 63/4'' high. The front wall of
each leg is 191/2 ''long and 11/4'' high. The walls at the end of
each leg are 11/4'' high. The 63/4'' high back wall is the nominal
distance from the roof edge to the bottom of the box to work with a
zero pitch gutter. The increase in distance required at the drain
end to properly pitch the gutter is added to the nominal distance
before securing the box to the fascia board. Mounting holes in the
high back wall are used to screw attach the collector box to the
fascia. A drop sized to match that of the downspout below the box
extends from one of the collector box legs and attaches to the
downspout. See FIG. 7A.
Inside Corner Collector Box 50
[0045] Two equal legs form a right angle allowing this box to fit
along an inside corner. Each leg is 31/2'' wide. The back wall of
each leg is 191/2'' long and 63/4'' high. The front wall of each
leg is 16'' long and 11/4'' high. The walls at the end of each leg
are 11/4'' high. The 63/4'' high back wall is the nominal distance
from the roof edge to the bottom of the box to work with a zero
pitch gutter. The increase in distance required at the drain end to
properly pitch the gutter is added to the nominal distance before
securing the box to the fascia board. Mounting holes in the high
back wall are used to screw attach the collector box to the fascia.
A drop sized to match that of the downspout below the box extends
from one of the collector box legs and attaches to the downspout.
See FIG. 8A.
Collector Channel 55
[0046] The collector channel is a U-shaped section of flashing used
to form a continuous water-carrying channel between adjacent
collector boxes in certain applications. The floor of the channel
is 31/2'' wide and each wall is 11/4'' high, which is the same
floor and wall dimensions as found in all collector box types. See
FIG. 9A. The length of a section will vary based on distance
between the adjacent collector boxes it serves. Maximum length is
10 feet, which is limited by the typical aluminum brake tool length
of 10 feet. For a collector channel greater than 10 feet, channel
sections are overlapped, sealed, and screw attached together near
the top of each wall.
Collector Channel Bracket 56
[0047] The collector channel bracket is an L-shaped piece of
1/8''T.times.11/4'' W aluminum stock. See FIG. 9B. It is designed
to mount to the front vertically down section of the L-shaped
support member of the rotating bracket. When so mounted it provides
a shelf to hold the collector channel under a section of gutter.
See FIG. 9C.
Operation
Normal Operation:
[0048] The gutter 10 is in the upright position. As rainwater
enters the gutter, it flows out of the gutter drain into the open
collector box 30. The water continues to flow through the collector
box into the attached downspout 17 where is directed down and away
from the building.
Cleaning the Gutter
[0049] An extendable telescopic pole 20 with a screw-on tool 21
comprised of a double hook-shaped actuation rod and a cleaning
brush. The rod (see FIG. 10) is used to move the gutter between the
operating upright position (see FIG. 11A) and the inverted cleaning
position (see FIG. 11B). The pole has a male 3/4'' diameter
connector with 5 threads per inch which connects to the female
connector of the tool which has the same thread diameter and pitch.
The telescopic pole can be adjusted for cleaning gutters at various
heights. An average sized adult person standing at ground level
with a telescopic pole that extends to 20 feet in length can reach
and clean gutters that are 25 feet above the ground.
[0050] All corner collector box caps and any short gutter stubs
with fixed covers should be brushed off. Any debris that falls into
the gutter will be emptied during the cleaning cycle.
[0051] Inverting the gutter. The operator stands near the center of
the gutter span and back from the gutter a distance about half the
height of the gutter from the ground. Pulling the gutter at this
angle presents the least effort required to rotate the gutter, and
any debris in the gutter does not fall on the operator. The design
of the system does not allow the gutter to rotate when pulled
straight down.
[0052] The pole is raised and the inner down-hook of the rod is
placed over the top of the front gutter wall 10 near the center
hanger. See FIG. 11A. The operator pulls the pole and the gutter
rotates forward against the self-closing retentive force of the
hinge. Once the gutter has rotated about 45 degrees, the retentive
force drops off to zero with no appreciable friction offered to
continued rotation. As the gutter passes 90 degrees of rotation it
falls forward and rests in the inverted cleaning position, which is
180 degrees from the upright operating position.
[0053] During rotation the collector box does not move as the
gutter rotates around it. Gravity empties most contents from the
inverted gutter. Sticky wet contents may not fall out, and can
easily be removed using the cleaning brush. The brush handle can
pivot on a threaded bolt welded to the stem of the actuation rod.
The brush which is normally held in place by a wing nut tightened
against it, can be adjusted for the best cleaning angle by
loosening the wing nut, making the adjustment and retightening the
wing nut
Returning the Gutter to the Operating Position
[0054] Leaves accumulated along a roof edge could fall off as the
gutter is rotated forward. It is a good practice is to visually
check the ledges of the L support member and insure they are free
of debris. The cleaning brush is used to clean them if necessary.
The collector box is not easy to check visually from the ground so
a side-to-side sweep of the collector box with the cleaning brush
will sweep out any leaves that may have landed in it while
exposed.
[0055] To return the gutter upright the operator stands one step in
front of the center of the gutter span. The pole is raised with the
rod pointing toward the gutter and the up-hook at the end of the
rod is placed on the back wall of the gutter near center gutter
hangar. See FIG. 11B. The pole is pushed straight up and follows
the rotation of the gutter back toward the upright position with
minimal resistance. Once the gutter has traveled through
approximately 135 degrees of rotation, the self-closing action of
the hinges engage and pull the gutter quickly and firmly back into
the operating position.
When to Clean Gutters
[0056] Cleaning works best in dry weather as gutter debris usually
falls out by gravity alone and is easy to sweep away. Wet debris is
heavy and messy requiring more work all around, so avoid cleaning
after rain. The number of cleanings per year will vary based on the
number of trees within close proximity of the gutters.
[0057] In regions that receive snow falls during winter months the
gutters can be rotated to dump snow right after each snowfall.
Doing this will prevent the accumulated buildup of snow and ice at
the gutter-roof boundary, which can cause roof leaking problems
when spring melting occurs and pooled water backs up under shingles
near the roof edge. If significant buildup of snow or ice is
present, the gutters should NOT be rotated as they could be frozen
in place or otherwise immovable. Trying to rotate them under these
conditions could damage them. Assuming non-damaging rotation is
possible, extreme caution is required as large chunks of frozen
precipitate could fall posing a hazard to anyone under or near the
gutter.
Installation
Remove the Fixed Gutter
[0058] The fixed gutter is removed from the fascia board and if it
is in good shape it can be converted to a rotating gutter as
described further on in this document. Check the condition of
fascia board at this time as well and remove any nails, screws or
rough spots that could interfere with gutter rotation.
Roof Edge Preparation
[0059] Shingles are not installed uniformly from roof to roof. In
some cases they can extend out an inch or more beyond the roof edge
where during hot weather they could potentially droop into the
rotational path of the gutter as it moves back and forth between
the operating and cleaning positions.
[0060] At the other extreme, shingles may extend minimally, 3/4''
or less, beyond the roof edge, potentially allowing rainwater to
run down between the gutter back wall and the fascia board.
[0061] Good installation practice incorporates a clean, properly
extended roof edge that facilitates proper rainwater flow into the
gutter. A drip edge is a standard piece of flashing installed at
the roof edge in fixed gutter applications to provide this ramp
function. If a drip edge is installed and extends the roof edge out
at least 1'' beyond the plane of the fascia it can be used with
RGRS.
Installing a Ramp
[0062] If no drip edge is installed, or one is installed but is
shorter than required, a ramp can be formed from lengths of
flashing called roof edge or drip cap. These flashing pieces are
folded at a 90 degree angle lengthwise forming an L cross section.
They are typically installed under the shingles along the sides of
the roof. There are different sizes of these flashings available.
The size required is 10' long and 3'' wide with each leg 11/2''
long.
[0063] Manually compress the two legs all along the length so they
form a V shape that corresponds to the angle between the shingles
and the fascia board, which can vary from roof to roof. The
finished piece is called a V-Ramp 62. Place the flat leg of the
V-ramp up against the underside of the shingles and press the other
leg firmly against the fascia board. Use 6.times.3/4'' sheet metal
screws 72 to attach the leg against the fascia along a line half
way between the point of the V and the edge of the leg. See FIG.
11B.
Gutter Preparation
[0064] The two ends of each rotating gutter section are capped and
sealed with standard gutter end caps.
[0065] The end cap of a gutter section terminating at a roof edge
extends beyond the outside edge of the shingles about half an
inch.
[0066] The end cap on a gutter section that terminates in a corner
should be located such that there is 1/4'' distance between it and
either the outside corner piece 41 at an outside corner or the
water diverter 60 at an inside corner. The goal is to have it as
close as possible to prevent debris from slipping in between while
still allowing interference-free rotation.
[0067] Using these guidelines, measure the length of the roof edge
the gutter section must serve and make sure it is made to the
proper length as required.
[0068] Aluminum hidden gutter hangers 16, typically used in fixed
gutter applications to attach the gutter to the fascia board, are
installed along the gutter at certain places. They are used here
solely to fortify the gutter and do not connect it to the fascia.
Each hanger is installed between the top of the front wall and top
of the back wall of the gutter and securely fastened to the gutter
at both ends by driving 8.times.3/8'' sheet metal screws 73 in
toward the gutter. See FIG. 5.
[0069] One hanger is installed at the center of the gutter span and
one at every 6-foot interval to the left of the center hanger and
one at every 6-foot interval to the right of the center hangar.
FIG. 16 shows the Gutter Bracket Spacing Guide.
[0070] Most 5K aluminum gutters today are formed on site into
custom length seamless gutters. If however there is a gutter slip
joint joining two sections to make the gutter span then the gutter
joint should be reinforced. Where each gutter section slides into
the slip joint member it is secured with two 6.times.3/8'' sheet
metal screws 71, one installed near the top front of the slip joint
and the other installed at the top rear of the slip joint such that
each gutter section cannot move with respect to the slip joint.
Finally, a gutter hanger is installed 1 inch to the left of the
slip joint and another hanger is installed 1 inch to the right of
it.
Rotating Brackets Connected to the Gutter
[0071] All gutter types are connected to the rotating brackets as
described below.
[0072] Use the Gutter Bracket Spacing Guide shown in FIG. 16 to
determine the bracket locations based on the gutter section length.
Begin at the non-drain end of the gutter and slide the cradle of
the first rotating bracket onto the gutter at the specified
location. Insure that the gutter floor and back wall are flush with
the cradle bottom and back wall respectively. Drive a 6.times.3/8''
sheet metal screw 71 through the mounting hole in the front wall of
the cradle into the gutter.
[0073] Open the bracket so that the back wall of the cradle is
fully exposed. Insure that the gutter floor and back wall remain
flush with the cradle bottom and back wall respectively. Drive a
6.times.3/8'' sheet metal screw 71 through the offset mounting hole
in the rear wall of the cradle into the gutter. Close the bracket
so that the cradle bottom is flush against the L support member of
the bracket.
[0074] Install the remaining brackets in the same manner along the
gutter at the locations specified in the spacing guide.
[0075] Maximum recommended gutter section length is 28 feet and
utilizes 7 rotating brackets. For straight rooflines longer than 28
feet, multiple inline gutter sections as required are
installed.
Collector Box Installation:
[0076] Before installing the collector box the downspout must be
either trimmed or moved down. Trimming requires less work. The
collector box back wall is 63/4'' high and is the nominal distance
from the roof edge to the bottom of the box to work with a zero
pitch gutter. If the collector box was draining a 24 foot gutter,
the top edge of the collector box back wall would be spaced 5/8''
down from the roof edge to maintain proper pitch at the rate of
1/4'' drop for every 8 feet of gutter. Place the collector box next
to the downspout and insure that it is positioned correctly with
respect to the roof edge. Mark the location of the bottom of the
box on the downspout. Trim the downspout off at the mark and push
the drop from the collector box fully into the downspout. Verify
that the box is set at the correct pitch level and secure the box
to the fascia with three 1'' exterior screws 70 driven through the
mounting holes in the back wall of the box. The downspout is
secured to the drop with a 6.times.3/8'' sheet metal screw 71.
Single Gutter
[0077] A straight collector box 30 is installed anywhere along the
length of a straight gutter section at the location of the
downspout serving the gutter. The top edge of the back wall of the
box is placed down from the roof edge the required distance for the
pitch of the gutter it drains. The box is secured in place by
driving 1'' exterior screws 70 into the fascia through mounting
holes in its back wall. The downspout slides over the stub
emanating from the bottom of the box and is secured in place with a
small screw.
Junction of Two Inline Gutters
[0078] A long collector box 31 is installed where two inline gutter
sections meet, and where one or both drain into the downspout
attached to the long collector box. The gutter end caps are
separated by 1/4'' gap and the center of the collector box is
located directly under this gap. The top edge of the back wall of
the box is placed down from the roof edge the required distance for
the pitch of the gutter(s) it drains. When the box drains both
gutters it is set to the pitch depth required for the longer
gutter. The box is secured in place by driving 1'' exterior screws
70 into the fascia through mounting holes in its back wall. The
downspout slides over the stub emanating from the bottom of the box
and is secured in place with a small screw.
Outside Corner
[0079] If neither gutter will drain at the corner the outside
corner collector box 40 is not installed and the following
paragraph is skipped.
[0080] If either or both gutters at the corner will drain into a
downspout at the corner, an outside corner collector box 40 is
installed. If only one gutter at the corner will drain into the box
the top edge of the back wall of the box is placed down from the
roof edge at the required distance for the pitch of the gutter. If
both gutters at the corner will drain into the box the box is set
to the pitch depth required for the longer gutter. One-inch
exterior screws 70 are driven through mounting holes in the back of
the collector box to secure it to the fascia board.
[0081] FIG. 12 shows a fully configured outside corner with the
outside corner collector box installed.
[0082] In all cases a 5K aluminum outside miter corner 41 is
installed at the corner. The bottom of the miter corner piece is
aligned with the top edge of the collector box front wall and is
secured to the fascia board using 1'' exterior screws 70 driven
through the back wall of the miter piece. The sides of the miter
corner piece are left open (uncapped).
[0083] An outside corner cap 42, see FIG. 7C, mounts on top of the
miter corner piece and is screw attached along the front edge, and
to the fascia corner with screws driven through mounting holes in
bent up tabs along its back edges. The cap catches leaves and
debris and prevents them from getting into the miter corner. The
accumulated debris can be brushed off to the ground or into the
rotating gutter(s) on either side of it, prior to cleaning
them.
Inside Corner
[0084] An inside corner collector box 50 is installed at the
corner. If only one gutter at the corner will drain into the box,
the top edge of the back wall of the box is placed down from the
roof edge the required distance for the pitch of the that gutter.
If both gutters at the corner will drain into the box, the box is
set to the pitch depth required for the longer gutter. One-inch
exterior screws 70 are driven through mounting holes in the back of
the collector box to secure it to the fascia board.
[0085] FIG. 13 shows a fully configured inside corner.
[0086] An inside corner cap 52, see FIG. 8C, is positioned at the
corner so that the bent-up lip at the back of the cap is flush
against the roof edge. Four 1'' exterior screws 70 are used to
secure the tabs to the fascia board. The cap directs rainwater as
well as any debris into gutters at the corner. The debris is
cleaned out when the gutters are rotated for cleaning.
[0087] A right angle water diverter 60 is placed against the inside
of the collector box front wall and flush against the floor of the
box. It is attached to the collector box front wall with four
6.times.3/8'' sheet metal screws 71. The corner cap 52 is leveled
and secured to the water diverter wall by driving four
6.times.3/8'' sheet metal screws 71 through the diverter wall into
the bent-up lip along the front edge of the corner cap.
[0088] Water from the roof valley is diverted left and right by the
water diverter 60 and passes along the corner cap directly into the
gutter for mid to high water flow. At lower flow rates the water
won't have enough velocity to reach the gutters and will fall off
the cap edges directly into the collector box. In either case all
water ends up in the collector box and is directed to a downspout
attached to the collector box or is passed along in a collector
channel.
Attaching the Gutter to the Fascia Board
[0089] Before attaching the gutter to the fascia board 11 verify
that the fascia board surface is smooth and free of obstructions
that could potentially snag the gutter back wall as it rotates
forward.
[0090] Observe proper pitch. A gutter should be pitched down toward
the drain end at a rate of approximately 1/4'' drop for every 8
feet of gutter. For example if the gutter being installed is 24
feet long it would require 6 rotating brackets spaced at 4-foot
intervals. The top of the rotating bracket leg at the non-drain end
of the gutter is set flush against the roof edge. The top of the
next bracket leg is set 1/8'' down from the roof edge and each
succeeding bracket has another 1/8'' of drop added to it. The sixth
bracket at the drain end is set 5/8'' down from the roof edge.
[0091] Determine the drop down pitch distance required for each
bracket ahead of time and insure that all rotating brackets are
closed (cradle floor is flush with L support member ledge). Raise
the gutter at the center and rest the drain end on the collector
box. Insure that the gutter is properly aligned side-to-side as
previously described in the Gutter Preparation. Begin with the
bracket closest to the center of the section and align the bracket
down from the roof edge at the distance for proper gutter pitch.
Drive a 1'' exterior screw 70 through the upper mounting hole of
the bracket into the fascia board.
[0092] Continue installing brackets, moving from the center toward
the non-drain end, until the last bracket over the non-drain end is
secured flush against the roof edge. Then install the remaining
brackets moving from the center toward the drain end until the last
bracket is installed at the prescribed pitch distance down from the
roof edge. When all brackets have been secured with a screw in the
upper mounting hole, rotate the gutter forward and drive 1''
exterior screws 70 into the center and lower mounting holes of each
bracket.
[0093] Rotate the gutter back and forth a couple of times and be
sure it moves freely. There should be a minimum 1/2'' clearance
between the top of the gutter back wall and the forward edge of the
roof-edge ramp as the gutter is rotated.
Gutter Drain
[0094] The gutter drain is an opening cut in the gutter floor
directly over the collector box. When an existing fixed gutter is
converted to RGRS removing the drop in the gutter bottom leaves a
round hole, which for a typical 5K aluminum gutter is a 23/8'' in
diameter. If the downspout being used is 2''.times.3'', this size
hole size works well. If a new drain hole is needed a 21/2'' metal
cutting hole saw is a quick and easy way to do this.
[0095] If the gutter will drain a large roof area, a
21/2''.times.4'' rectangular opening can be made in the gutter to
work with a 3''.times.4'' downspout. In this the case the drop in
the collector box serving this gutter will need to be increased in
size to work with the 3.times.4 downspout as well.
[0096] In every case, to insure that the collector box captures all
water exiting the drain hole, the perimeter of the gutter drain
opening should remain completely inside of the perimeter of the
collector box walls by a minimum of 1/2'' at every point.
[0097] If the gutter is aluminum, the edges of a newly cut drain
opening may have been pushed up in making the opening. The edges
should be adjusted to taper downward very slightly, 1/4'' maximum,
to facilitate unimpeded rainwater flow through the drain hole. The
edges in PVC gutters are usually not pushed off plane in making the
drain opening.
Drain Screen
[0098] A section of 1/4'' mesh wire screening slightly larger than
the drain hole opening is attached over the drain opening with four
6.times.3/8'' sheet metal screws 71, one located near each corner
of the screening. The screen prevents leaves and debris from
falling into the collector box, which could eventually clog it
and/or the downspout.
[0099] Note: The 2 drain screen screws nearest the front wall of
the gutter should be located back at least 3/4'' from the front
wall. If they are more forward than this they can potentially drag
on the top edge of the front wall of the collector box as the
gutter is rotated forward.
[0100] This completes the installation.
Prototype Development, Installation and Testing
[0101] Rotating bracket and collector box prototypes were produced
and used to convert a number of existing fixed rain gutters. The
converted gutters performed very well in accordance with
specifications of this document.
[0102] Testing was also done on some of these converted gutters to
determine the integrity of the rotating brackets under a fully
loaded condition.
[0103] The gutter drain was closed and the gutter was fully loaded
with water to simulate a situation that can occur over time as
gutters become completely clogged. The rotating brackets remained
securely attached to the fascia board and the gutter remained in
the operating upright position. The gutter was rotated forward from
the ground and emptied of the water contents.
[0104] As ice weighs about 9% less than water it is safe to
conclude that the same gutter filled with water that freezes
partially or completely would weigh no more than the water in the
gutter.
* * * * *