A gable-end conservatory roof section, for example, may be supported from the end of a ridge bar, which supports a glazed roof on one or both sides. In the case of a double pitched conservatory roof the gable-end roof section, covering the bay or"bell end"of the conservatory may have various different forms.

In the'Edwardian'or'Georgian'style of conservatory the roof hip bars diverge at about 90 degrees or more, any additional jack rafters extending between the eaves and the hips. A corresponding number of windows are generally formed in the end wall of the conservatory to provide a flat end elevation.

In the'Victorian'style one or more rafters are provided intermediate the hips (which in this case usually diverge at more than 90 degrees) so that the roof section may be formed with a plurality of inclined lights, the end wall of the conservatory being formed with corresponding windows to provide a faceted end elevation.

It is important that the alignment of the roofing panels of a bay roof are properly aligned with the adjacent pitched roof sections the necessary adjustment being facilitated by this invention.

Conservatories may be constructed as lean-to structures and various roof forms may be required to accommodate the associated features of an existing building. For example, where a conservatory is to extend around an external corner of a building a hip or, possibly, a more complex segmented roof structure may be provided to carry the roof around an external corner.

In the case where two roof ridges meet at the internal corner of a building, a valley member, extending from junction of the ridges to the eaves is required to support the adjacent edges of the two roof sections.

Where a double-pitched bay intersects with a lean-to roof it will be necessary to provide a valley on each side of the bay roof each extending from the ridge to the eaves.

At any such point at the ridge of a conservatory roof where a hip, valley or bay-roof rafter assembly is required the number, inclination, azimuth and height of the rafter, hip or valley member as the case may be, should be capable of adequate and easy adjustments during the construction stage to facilitate the assembly process.

GB Patent No. 2214964 describes one form of device for supporting a segmented roof over the bell end of a conservatory, the device having a ring member which carries a plurality of pivotally attached arms each of which, in use, supports a roof support member at a desired angle of inclination to provide a segmented roof structure.

The known device may be adjusted vertically on a support member attached to the ridge end or to a supporting wall in the case of a lean-to conservatory.

This invention consists in a support device for adjustably supporting structural members of a conservatory roof, comprising:- a hub, the hub being formed with at least one outwardly opening channel, oriented vertically in use, each channel retaining a radially extending arm member adapted for pivotal movement in the vertical plane, means being provided to retain the arm at a desired location along the channel.

The or each of the channels are preferably circular in cross section, the or each arm having a spigot for longitudinal sliding engagement in each such channels. More preferably, the spigot is adapted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical channel or bore.

Generally, in the case of a hub for supporting a plurality of roof support members, a plurality of outwardly opening channels are disposed and arranged around the surface of the hub so that the arms may project through the mouths of the channels more or less radially outwardly from the hub. The horizontal (i. e. azimuthal) angular distance and spacing between arm members is limited by the number and orientation of the channels on the hub and by the shape of the hub surface although the spacing may be varied by the design of the mouths of the channels and by the shape of the arms.

The mouth of each channel may be of such width as to permit the arm radiating therefrom to swivel from side to side so that the included angle between adjacent arms may be adjusted. Preferably, the arm and channel are so disposed and arranged so that the arm may swivel about 7 or 8 degrees on either side of the normally radial line.

The arm may be adapted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane by providing an articulated joint between an first arm part and a second arm part, the latter being securable to the end portion of a structural component such as a rafter, hip or the like.

Alternatively, a rigid arm may be connected to a spigot in the form of a ball joint located in the channel to permit pivotal movement of the arm in both altitude and in azimuth.

The bore of each channel may be provided with adjustment means for adjusting the height of the arm. The adjustment means may be in the form of the leading end of an adjustment screw located coaxially in the lower portion of bore. Locking means may be provided to lock

the spigot and the associated arm in the required vertical position along the axis of the channel. This may be achieved by the use of a grub screw located coaxially in the upper portion of the bore in opposition to the adjustment screw, the spigot being clamped between the opposed coaxial screws.

The vertical adjustment of the support arms enables the ridge ends of the rafters or hips, for example, supported by the hub to be brought into line with the rafters supported on an adjacent part of the structure, as for example by the ridge, in the Victorian roof configuration.

At least three hub forms may usefully be provided: a first, quadrant form suitable inter alia for supporting a roof structure at an internal corner or gable end of an existing building; a second hub form for supporting a multi-faceted bell end roof; and a third hub form for supporting a hip at an external corner of an existing building.

In all of the embodiments described in more detail below, the hub of this invention functions in the same way. In particular, the arm member can be vertically adjusted in each case to the required height by an adjusting screw located in the lower end portion of the channel. The arm is articulated to provide pivotal movement in a vertical plane to accommodate any required roof pitch angle, typically between 15 and 45 degrees. The included angle between the arms may be adjusted by swivelling the arms from side to side. The arms may be articulated and pivotally connected by offset knuckles, which can be reversed to adjust the included angle. The arms may be locked for example by a grub screw in the bore opposing the adjustment screw.

The hub and arm parts can be easily and cheaply made in the form of aluminium alloy extrusions and are sufficiently versatile to be used in the construction of all forms of the roof features required

in a conservatory roof including :- multi segment bell end extensions, single and dcuble valley assemblies and hip supports.

The invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is an isometric view of a bell end support hub; Figures 2,3 and 4 are, respectively, Plan, Front and Side elevations of the hub illustrated in Figure 1 attached to a conservatory roof ridge; Figures 5,6 and 7 correspond to Figures 2,3 and 4 respectively and showing glazing support members and associated caps connected to the hub ; Figure 8 is a plan view of a conservatory roof incorporating a bell end extension supported by the hub as illustrated in Figures 1 to 7; Figures 9,10 and 11 are respectively the plan, front and side elevations of a hub of quadrant form, shown supporting a gable end section of a lean-to conservatory ; Figures 12,13 and 14 are respectively the plan, front and side elevations of an assembly of two hubs as illustrated in Figures 9, 10 and 11 shown supporting a pair of valley members.

Figure 15 is the plan view of a typical roof incorporating the valley assemblies shown in Figures 12 13 and 14; Figures 16,17 and 18 are respectively the plan, front and side elevations of a hub for supporting a hip at the external corner of a building and illustrating the hip and associated parts.

Figure 19 is a plan view of a lean to conservatory roof section supported by the hub illustrated in Figures 16,17 and 18.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates one form of hub for supporting the bell end portion of a conservatory roof.

The hub comprises an extruded, hollow aluminium alloy body 1 having a front wall 3 flanked by two arcuate side walls 5,7 each of which is formed with three axially parallel and outwardly facing cylindrical channels in the form of bores 9, formed with open mouths 10. Bores 9 are each tapped to receive a coaxial adjustment screw in the lower opening, and a grub screw in the upper opening (neither of which are shown) the purpose of which will be more fully described below.

An articulated arm has an outer arm part 11 having a notch 12 formed on it upper edge and an inner arm part 13 having an integrally formed spigot 15 formed with a cylindrical surface slidably retained in each bore 9. (Figure 2). The width of mouths 10 is greater than the thickness of the inner arm portion enabling the cylindrical spigot to rotate about the axis if the bore 9. The mouth of the channel and thickness of the arm are so dimensioned as to allow the inner arm to swivel from side to side by 15 degrees, that is by 7.5 degrees on either side of the normally radial line.

This provides considerable control over the taper of the glazing panel segments.

The arm parts are extruded alloy profiles. The inner and outer arm parts are formed, respectively, with opposed offset knuckles 13a and lla which are pivotally connected by pin means to allow the outer arm part to pivot in a vertical plane. The knuckle offset in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 is such that the outer arm part in each case is centralised on the normal line radiating from the mouth of the channel.

The hub has a thickened rear wall 17 in which is formed a cylindrical channel 19 which is tapped to receive fixing means for retaining top cap fitting 25 (shown in Figure 3) and bottom cap fittings, not shown. A pair of opposed abutment flanges 21 are provided adjacent to channel 19 to provide surfaces for seating the hub squarely against the distal end of in this case a ridge beam. A rearwardly extending flange 23 is provided to receive through fixing means for securing the hub to the ridge member.

Figure 2 shows in plan a six-arm hub for providing a five segment bell end roof mounted on the end of ridge member R. Figures 3 and 4 showing corresponding front and side elevations. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the offsets of the two central arms are reversed compared with the outer arms to achieve uniform angular horizontal spacing between the arms without any adjustment introduced by swivelling of the spigots in the bores.

Figures 5,6 and 7 generally correspond to Figures 2,3 and 4 except that variable hip members 25 are shown mounted on the outer arm parts and Figure 8 illustrates a plan view of the resultant roof.

Figure 9 illustrates a hub 30 of quadrant form having a rear wall and side wall at right angles thereto connected by an arcuate wall formed with three cylindrical channels as previously described with reference to Figure 1. In this application in which a gable end of a lean to conservatory is required, the first channel is used to support a gable end glazing bar 32 and the second channel supports a hip 34. To provide a similar structure at the opposed end of the lean-to roof the hub may simply be inverted. It will be appreciated that the same hub may be used for example at an internal corner where a valley member may be supported by the central channel.

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate more fully the details of the construction.

Figure 12 illustrates an application of an assembly of two quadrant hubs 36,38 as described with reference to Figure 9. In this case the application concerns the construction of a bay extension of a lean to conservatory in which valley members 40,42 are required between the lean-to roof sections 44 and the bay roof 46.

Figure 16 illustrates a form of hub 50 which is substantially rectangular in cross section and which is formed with a projecting flange, not show, for engagement in the end portion of each of the lean-to ridge members 51. The external vertical edge of the hub 50 is formed with a cylindrical channel 52 having an outwardly opening mouth, which retains inner arm 56, which is pivotally attached to outer arm 58 for pivotal movement in the vertical plane. As in examples already described, the inner arm is retained in the channel by a spigot, the arrangement being such that the arm can swivel from side to side by about 7.5 degrees on either side of normal radial line. The outer arm is illustrated supporting a variable hip at the external corner of a fixed structure. Figures 17 and 18 illustrate further details and Figure 19 illustrates the resultant form of roof section obtained.