Gutter cover

• US 20060201068A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Idadea Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Idadea Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Shane, Kip
• Application Number:
  US11/077,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20060201068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/11
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/064 Gutters drainage channels on the roof surface E04D13/0445; gutters for greenhouses A01G9/1476
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/076 Devices or arrangements for removing snow, ice or debris from gutters or for preventing accumulation thereof

Abstract

The present invention is a gutter cover formed of sheet metal, with perforations in the cover deck for passage of water. The prism shaped perforations allow water to pass even when blocked by leaves, and is self-cleaning from winds.

Claims

1. A gutter cover for use with a gutter placed on fascia at the roof edge of a structure, said gutter having a gutter inner wall, a gutter floor, a gutter outer wall, and a gutter lip on said outer wall, said gutter cover comprising:

a cover deck with a plurality of perforations;

a cover inner wall, attached to said cover deck, for mounting to said fascia;

an L-shaped cover outer wall, attached to said cover deck, with a generally vertical riser and a generally horizontal cover lip, with said cover lip for attachment to said gutter lip.

2. The gutter cover of claim 1 in which said cover deck is configured to be installed at a downward angle toward said vertical riser.

3. The gutter cover of claim 1 in which said perforations in said gutter cover are in the form of prism shaped depressions pressed into the material of the cover deck.

4. The gutter cover of claim 1 in which said cover deck perforations include multiple rows of first perforations adjacent to said cover inner wall, and at least one row of second perforations adjacent to said vertical riser, with said second perforations being larger than said first perforations.

5. The gutter cover of claim 1 in which said cover inner wall and said vertical riser form a water basin with said cover deck in which water can pool before it drains through said perforations.

6. A gutter cover for use with a gutter placed on fascia at the roof edge of a structure, said gutter having a gutter inner wall, a gutter floor, a gutter outer wall, and a gutter lip on said outer wall, said gutter cover comprising:

a cover deck with a plurality of generally prism shaped perforations pressed into said cover deck;

a cover inner wall, attached to said cover deck, for mounting to said fascia;

an L-shaped cover outer wall, attached to said cover deck, with a generally vertical riser and a generally horizontal cover lip, with said cover lip for attachment to said gutter lip.

7. The gutter cover of claim 6 in which said cover deck perforations include multiple rows of first perforations adjacent to said cover inner wall, and at least one row of second perforations adjacent to said vertical riser, with said second perforations being larger than said first perforations.

8. The gutter cover of claim 6 in which said cover inner wall and said vertical riser form a water basin with said cover deck in which water can pool before it drains through said perforations.

9. A gutter cover made from a strip of sheet metal that is pressed between two rollers, comprising a first roller having a first roller surface, and a number of generally prism shaped projections that form ridges circumvolving the first roller, with spaces between the projections in each ridge,

and a second roller with a second roller surface, and with a number of grooves corresponding to the ridges of the first roller,

with the rollers held together so that the roller surfaces are adjacent to each other, so that when a strip of sheet metal is fed between the two rollers, the projections of the first roller press into the grooves of the second roller, and the sheet metal between them is perforated by the projections.

10. The gutter cover of claim 9, in which said perforations are linear slots, arranged in parallel rows.

11. The gutter cover of claim 9, in which said projections on said first roller are in the form of triangular prisms with sloped ends, so that the tapered perforations are linear slots at the apex of a prismatic depression, arranged in parallel rows.

12. The gutter cover of claim 9, which further comprises a deck, with said perforations positioned on said deck, and an inside edge that is angled from the deck, and an outside edge that is angled from the deck, for interfitting relationship with a gutter inside wall and a gutter outside wall.

13. A gutter cover forming machine comprising:

a frame for supporting said gutter cover forming machine;

a first perforation roller attached to said frame, having a first roller surface, and a number of projections that form multiple ridges that circumvolve the first roller, with spaces between the projections in each ridge;

a second perforation roller attached to said frame, with a second roller surface, and with a number of grooves corresponding to the ridges of the first roller;

one or more motors for driving the first and second perforation rollers;

wherein

the first and second rollers are positioned on said frame so that the roller surfaces are adjacent to each other, so that when a strip of sheet metal is fed between the two rollers, the projections of the first roller are configured to press into the grooves of the second roller, and the sheet metal between them is perforated by the projections.

14. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13, in which said one or more motors is mounted on the frame.

15. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 which further comprises a pair of feed rollers for feeding a strip of sheet metal through the machine.

16. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 which further comprises one or more forming rollers for bending said strip of sheet metal into an angled shape from its flat original shape, as it passes through the machine.

17. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 which further comprises one or more pairs of guide rollers for aligning the strip of sheet metal as it passes through the machine.

18. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 in which the machine is configured to punch linear perforations in a cover deck of the gutter cover.

19. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 18 in which the machine is configured to form, from a strip of sheet metal, a gutter cover with an upturned side piece on one side, and an upturned L-shaped side piece with a cover lip on the other side, the upturned side piece for attaching to the fascia of a structure or the inside of a gutter, the cover lip for contacting a side of the gutter.

20. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 19, in which said cover lip is configured to attach to the top of the gutter.

21. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 20, in which said cover lip attaches to said top of the gutter by screws.

22. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 in which the machine uses a strip of sheet metal from a roll to form a gutter cover.

23. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 in which the machine has a cut-off device for cutting off a section of gutter cover.

24. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 in which the cut-off device for cutting off a section of gutter cover is a guillotine type cutter.

25. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 13 in which the gutter cover machine is mounted on a vehicle.

26. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 which further includes a gutter cover support table adjacent the cutter, on which a section of gutter cover rests after being cut from the strip of sheet metal.

27. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 which further includes a sensor to actuate said cutter for a selected length of gutter.

28. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 in which said sensor is a light beam which is broken to activate said cutter.

29. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 in which said sensor is a laser that is broken to activate said cutter.

30. The gutter cover forming machine of claim 23 in which said sensor is a mechanical limit switch that activates said cutter.

31. A gutter assembly, for placement on fascia at the roof edge of a structure, comprising:

a gutter body, with a gutter inner wall, a gutter floor, a gutter outer wall, and a gutter lip on said outer wall;

a gutter cover, comprising a cover deck with perforations for the passage of water into said gutter body, a cover inner wall attached to said cover deck and configured for attachment to said fascia, and a cover outer wall, configured for attachment to said gutter lip of said gutter outer wall, forming a unitary tubular gutter assembly.

32. The gutter assembly of claim 31, which further comprises a plurality of gutter body brackets, attached to said fascia and said gutter outer wall.

33. The gutter assembly of claim 31 in which said cover outer wall is L-shaped with a generally vertical riser and a generally horizontal cover lip.

34. A gutter manufacturing system, for making gutters on site, comprising:

a gutter body forming machine, for forming a length of gutter body from a strip of sheet metal;

a gutter cover forming machine, for forming a length of gutter cover from a strip of sheet metal;

wherein said gutter body and said gutter cover are configured for attachment to each other to form a sealed flat roofed tubular gutter assembly, with perforations in said cover desk to allow water to enter said gutter body, and for said tubular gutter assembly to be configured for attachment to a fascia of a building.