The invention relates to a brace or hood to be applied on the ridge of a sloping roof.

SLoping roofs have sometimes one, but mostly two roof hips, each provided with roof boarding which has incorporated in it a Layer of insulation material and on which are fastened horizontal tile battens which are spaced from each other. The ridge of the roof is covered with a ridge tile, which is a half-round tile resting on a ridge board and overlapping the top edge of the top layer of tiles. In order to avoid Leaks at the ridge of the roof, the distance between the top side of the tile batten and the centre of the ridge board must meet a strict specification. In view of the increasing importance attached to good heat insulation, there is a'tendency to make the insulating Layer in the roof boarding, and thus the hips of the roof themselves, increasingly thick. Apart from the fact that the ridge board for the ridge of the roof in that case has to be heavy and expensive, producing the specified distance between the top tile batten and the centre of the ridge board can give rise to problems. In order to permit fastening of the top tile batten, use is made of an extra block of wood, which is an expensive measure. A contribution to the solution of the problem can also be to saw off the top edge of the roof boarding of the roof hips at an angle. Where the specifications cannot be met by using extra blocks of wood and/or sawing off the roof boarding at an angle, or where it would be very expensive to do so, cheating does take place, which leads to an increased risk of Leaking at the ridge.

It is known from GB-A-2,075,081 to provide a brace or hood to be applied on the ridge of a sloping roof with a nesting element for the ridge board to support the ridge tile and two fastening Legs extending from the nesting element and diverging from each other. The Legs are fastened by means of a toothed construction to brackets which in turn are fastened by means of screws to the top tile batten. The top tile batten should be fixed to the roof boarding in the normal way. This construction does not solve the above problem of fixing the top tile battens and the ridge tile in the correct position relative to each other without the necessity for expensive corrective measures such as extra wooden blocks and sawing off the roof boarding at an angle.

The object of the invention is to avoid the above disadvantages, and to this end the Leg or Legs are provided according to the invention with either a fastening part for a top tile batten or a replacement top tile batten.

It is pointed out that DE-A-3,216,700 discloses a brace or hood to be applied on the ridge of a sloping roof, which brace or hood is provided with a nesting element for the ridge board to support the ridge tile and at least one Leg which extends from said nesting element and is of such length that it can be fixed on the roof boarding. In this known construction also, no fastening part is provided on the Leg for a top tile batten or a replacement top tile batten itself.

An easy fastening of the top tile batten can be achieved if the fastening parts for the top tile batten are L-shaped, while the free leg of the L is bendable in such a way that a tile batten Lying on a fastening part can be held down.

The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures, in which three embodiments are shown.

• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment.
• Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the brace according to Fig. 1 applied on the ridge of a sloping roof, with certain parts being broken away for the sake of clarity.
• Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment.
• Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment.
• Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment.

The brace shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a U-shaped holder 1, two legs 2, 3 diverging from said holder, and disposed on each of the Legs L-shaped fastening elements 4. The connection between the Legs 2, 3 and the holder 1 is such that the angle of the Legs relative to the body of the U-shaped holder is adjustable by bending. In fact, the Legs 2, 3 are connected to each other by a connecting piece 5 which is welded to the body of the U 1. Disposed in the flanges of the U-shaped holder 1 and in the Legs 2, 3 are fixing holes for the purpose of allowing through screws.

It can be seen from Fig. 2 that the brace is placed on the ridge of a sloping roof which has two sloping hips 6, 7, each provided with roof boarding in which there is a thick Layer of insulation material.

Each of the Legs 2, 3 is fastened by means of screws to a batten 8 of the roof boarding. Disposed in the U-shaped holder 1 is a ridge board 9 in the form of a relatively Light wooden beam and fastened by means of screws.

The top tile battens 11 are placed on the fastening elements 4 and are fixed by bending the relatively thin flanges 12. Projecting edges of the top row of tiles 13 rest on the top tile battens. On the ridge board 9 rests a half-round tile 14, the so-called ridge tile. According to specification, the edges of this ridge tile overlap the top edge of the top row of tiles. This overlapping is essential for a Leakproof ridge construction. In order to meet the specification, it is necessary for the tile battens 11 to be positioned accurately relative to the centre of the ridge board 9. Through the above-described brace, this accurate positioning is achieved without expensive- provisions such as wooden correction blocks or obliquely sawn roof boarding ends being necessary. Ridge leaks due to incorrectly positioned top tile battens are out of the question.

Other advantages are that the ridge board can be made relatively light, that even with very thick roof hips tile battens of ordinary dimensions can be used, and that specifications concerning the finishing of the ridge can be followed precisely.

In fact, the embodiments described combine three functions:

• 1) They are the support for the ridge board;
• 2) They fix the specified tile batten position;
• 3) They constitute a replacement of an expensive wooden block which in the case of thick roof hips would be necessary in the absence of braces to permit fastening of the top tile batten.

The embodiment according to Fig. 3 differs from that of Figs. 1 and 2 only in that the leg 3 is much shorter and is not attachable to a batten. The advantage of this is that two battens need not be positioned directly opposite each other.

Of course, the brace can have only one Leg 2 or 3, which is necessary in the case of a sloping roof with one hip which at its top edge ends at a wall.

While in the embodiments according to Figs. 1 to 3 the bendable flanges 12 of the fastening elements 4 are bent from the bottom side of the top tile batten to be fixed around said batten, the bendable fastening eLements 4 in the embodiment according to Fig. 4 are bent from the top side of the top tile batten to be fixed over said batten; the tile batten rests on narrow supports 10. This prevents the bent fastening elements 4 from being partially folded back to their original position through the weight of tiles resting on the top tile batten and the top tile batten from being moved from the desired position. Another feature of the embedment according to Fig. 4 is that the fastening elements 4, the supports 10 and the Legs of the holder 1 are cut from a single strip which also comprises the material of the Legs 2, 3 and the bottom of the holder 1, which makes the production of the braces considerably cheaper.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which the Legs 2 and 3 are considerably broader than those in the embodiments according to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In fact, the Legs 2, 3 and the connecting piece 5 form a continuous hood. Disposed on each of the Legs 2, 3 is a replacement tile batten 15.

The braces and hood described may be made of any suitable material.

The embodiment according to Fig. 5 is particularly suitable for being made of plastic material, although other materials are not ruled out. It is possible for the Legs 2, 3 in the embodiment according to Fig. 5 to be provided with insulation material.

Various modifications of the design illustrated and described are possible within the scope of the invention.