Conservatory roofs are generally constructed by mounting glazing panels between roof beams supported at one end from a ridge beam and at the other end from an eaves beam. The roof beams are fixed at each end by means of screws or bolts through the roof beams into the ridge or eaves beam. At the eaves beam end it is customary to fit an end cap to a roof bean to improve the aesthetic appearance of the roof beam end and for weather protection.

End caps have been simply fixed to roof beam ends by means of screws through an end cap into a screw port of the roof beam. Another means of securing end caps has been to fix a bracket to the end of the roof beam and to have an end cap slidable onto the bracket.

It is still desirable, however, to provide a simpler form of end cap that is simple to fit to a roof beam end.

According to the invention there is provided an end cap for a roof beam for a conservatory roof in the form of a cover for the roof beam end and having one or more internal projections for locating in corresponding apertures in a roof beam.

Preferably two spaced projections, such as pins, are provided internally of the end cap for locating in corresponding apertures of a roof beam. The end cap of the invention is preferably generally U-shaped to provide sides that when fitted overlap top and bottom sides of a roof beam.

Preferably the end caps of the invention will have one or more drainage apertures therein. A preferred drainage aperture is a slit. Preferably the drainage aperture or apertures are provided at a position that will be generally in a lowermost region of the end cap when fitted to the end of a roof beam.

The end cap of the invention is particularly suitable for use with roof beams of the type comprising a core profile of metal, a plastics member fitted to the core profile and providing at least one ledge for carrying an edge of a sheet of glazing material and a cap mountable on the plastics member for retaining the glazing sheet thereon. However, it will be appreciated that the end caps of the invention may be usable with other forms of roof beam.

In a first preferred embodiment the core profile is a hollow extrusion and the plastics member is a sheath for the core profile. In another preferred embodiment, the plastics member is mountable on top of the core profile. For example, the plastics member may be a sliding fit or a snap fit on the top of the core profile. Reinforcement may be provided internally of the core profile, such as in the form of steel profiles inserted into the core profile. Such reinforcement is mainly intended for use with core profile lengths over a predetermined threshold for additional strength. The core profile and or the sheath are preferably shaped to reduce direct contact between them. For example, the sheath may have on its inner spaced surface ribs or the like to provide the only lines of contact with the core profile in certain regions. Additionally or alternatively, the core profile bar can have spaced feet or flanges that make end contact with the sheath.

A preferred sectional profile for the core profiles used in the invention is that of a trapezium having a narrow base and wider top. The sheath preferably has a corresponding profile.

The plastics member, such as the sheath, preferably has a pair of ledges one each side of a connection formation for attachment of the cap. Holes for the internal projections of the end cap will usually be provided in the ledges.

The ledges preferably have gasket material, such as of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material, thereon for sealing against the underside of glazing material. The gasket material may be fitted in grooves or the like in the ledges or may be bonded to or co-extruded onto the ledges. Between the ledges and the connection formation, the sheath preferably has longitudinal channels to provide drainage passages in case of water penetration through the roof beam.

The connection formation of the plastics member, such as the sheath, is preferably in the form of a slot whose sides extend upwardly from the top of the sheath. The sides end with internal lips, whose top surfaces are preferably chamfered for ease of entry of a connection formation of the cap. The cap preferably has an, in use, depending connection formation having at least one pair and preferably two pairs of ribs thereon that can be pushed into the slot of the plastics member and retained there with glazing material sandwiched between the cap and the ledges of the plastics member. Two pairs of ribs are preferably provided on the cap connection formation, so as to allow the cap to be fitted at two different heights relative to the plastics member to accommodate glazing materials of different thickness. Alternatively, the cap may have a single pair of ribs and the slot of the plastics member may have two pairs of internal barbs or the like to allow the cap to be fitted over two different thicknesses of glazing material.

The cap is preferably generally of T-section, the stem of the T providing the connection formation. The cross bar of the T-section preferably has gasket material at ends thereof, such as of rubber or other suitable elastomeric material, for sealing against the topside of glazing material. The gasket material may be fitted in grooves or the like in the ends of the cap crossbar or may be bonded to or co-extruded onto the ends thereof. The cross bar of the cap is preferably arcuate and ends thereof preferably depend to meet the glazing material.

The preferred roof beams for use with end caps of the invention may be mounted between a ridge beam and eaves beam by any suitable means, although it is to be noted that the preferred hollow nature of the core profile allows for fitting of roof beam connectors that can cooperate with formations of a ridge and/or eaves beam for ease of fitting. Preferably such connectors permit snap fitting with cooperating formations of ridge and/or eaves beams.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows part of a conservatory roof; Figure 2 is a top plan view of a roof beam end cap; Figure 3 is rear view of the end cap of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of the end cap of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a front view of the end cap of Figure 2; and Figure 6 is a perspective view from the front and side of the end cap of Figure 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, a conservatory roof comprises glazing panels 10 supported between roof beams 12. The roof beams are themselves supported between a ridge beam (not shown) and an eaves beam 14. The roof beams 12 comprise a core profile in a plastics sheath 16 to which is fitted a cap 18 that holds down the glazing panels 10.

Roof beams of this type are described in more detail in our co-pending application (P5139).

At the eaves end of the roof beams, the roof beams have end caps 20.

The end caps 20 are generally U-shaped having a closed end 22 and top and bottom sides 24 and 26 that in the fitted position overlie the top and bottom sides of the roof beams 12. The end and sides of the end caps are turned over to a small extent to form end walls 28.

Internally of the top side of an end cap is a pair of pins 30 that are provided to locate in corresponding holes in the top of the roof beam, whereby the end cap can be pushed onto the end of a roof beam until the pins drop into the holes to locate the end cap in place.

Where the end cap closed end an its bottom side meet a slit 31 is provided, so that any water collecting in the end cap, such as from rain water running down its roof beam, can escape into guttering 32.