Color-coated gutter cover of expanded metal and method of manufacture

A method of making expanded metal gutter covers, the method comprising

• providing an elongate strip of solid sheet metal having a top face, a bottom face, and opposite side edges along the strip, at least the top face of the strip having a top color coating thereon comprising a first color,
• expanding the coated strip to form metal strands defining a plurality of expanded openings,
• forming the expanded coated strip to have a gutter cover configuration, and
• cutting the expanded and formed coated strip to make individual gutter covers;
• wherein at least one of the individual gutter covers comprises:
• a length, a width, a front side, a rear side, and opposite ends, the gutter cover comprising an installed orientation in which the rear side is adjacent a roof and the front side is adjacent a front of the gutter away from the roof, the gutter cover further comprising
• a front section extending lengthwise of the gutter cover,
• a rear section extending lengthwise of the gutter cover,
• a center section extending lengthwise of the gutter cover between the front section and the rear section, the center section having top and bottom surfaces and comprising the plurality of expanded openings defined by metal strands connected by bonds, each opening having a front edge defined by a front strand toward the front side of the gutter cover and a rear edge defined by an opposing rear strand spaced rearward from the front strand toward the rear side of the gutter cover,
• the front strands of the openings comprising generally forward facing surfaces and generally rearward facing surfaces when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation,
• the rear strands of the openings comprising generally forward facing surfaces and generally rearward facing surfaces when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation, and
• wherein the forward facing surfaces of the front and rear strands have a first color coating thereon and the rearward facing surfaces of the front and rear strands are free of the first color coating;
• wherein the generally forward facing surfaces of the front strands and the generally rearward facing surfaces of the rear strands are arranged to be inclined relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the center section of the gutter cover when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation;
• wherein the rearward facing surface of the front strand of each opening is arranged to face generally across the respective opening toward the rear strand of the respective opening and toward the roof when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation;
• and the forward facing surface of the rear strand of each opening is arranged to face generally across the respective opening toward the front strand of the respective opening and away from the roof when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation;
• and
• wherein at least the front section and the center section are integrally formed from a single piece of metal and the front section defines a recess extending lengthwise of the gutter cover and configured to receive a front flange of the gutter therein to secure the gutter cover to the gutter in the installed orientation in which the top surface faces generally upward away from the gutter and the bottom surface faces generally downward and toward the gutter, the recess being offset vertically from the top surface of the center section in the installed orientation.

A method of making expanded metal gutter covers having different colors for installation on gutters having corresponding different colors, the method comprising

• providing an elongate first strip of solid sheet metal, the first strip having a length, a width, opposite top and bottom faces, and opposite side edges along the first strip, at least the top face of the first strip having a top coating comprising a first color,
• expanding the first strip to form metal strands defining a first plurality of expanded openings,
• forming the expanded first strip to have a first gutter cover configuration,
• cutting the expanded and formed first strip to make individual first gutter covers,
• providing an elongate second strip of solid sheet metal, the second strip having a length, a width, opposite top and bottom faces, and opposite side edges along the second strip, at least the top face of the second strip having a top coating comprising a second color different from said first color,
• expanding the second strip to form metal strands having a second plurality of expanded openings therein,
• forming the expanded second strip to have a second gutter cover configuration the same as or different from the first gutter cover configuration, and
• cutting the expanded and formed second strip to make individual second gutter covers,
• the first gutter covers being adapted to be installed on one or more gutters having a first matching color substantially matching said first color, and the second gutter covers being adapted to be installed on one or more gutters having a second matching color substantially matching said second color;
• wherein at least one of the first and second individual gutter covers comprises:
• a length, a width, a front side, a rear side, and opposite ends, the gutter cover comprising an installed orientation in which the rear side is adjacent a roof and the front side is adjacent a front of the gutter away from the roof, the gutter cover further comprising
• a front section extending lengthwise of the gutter cover,
• rear section extending lengthwise of the gutter cover,
• a center section extending lengthwise of the gutter cover between the front section and the rear section, the center section having top and bottom surfaces and comprising at least one of the first and second plurality of expanded openings defined by metal strands connected by bonds, each opening having a front edge defined by a front strand toward the front side of the gutter cover and a rear edge defined by an opposing rear strand spaced rearward from the front strand toward the rear side of the gutter cover,
• the front strands of the openings comprising generally forward facing surfaces and generally rearward facing surfaces when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation,
• the rear strands of the openings comprising generally forward facing surfaces and generally rearward facing surfaces when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation, and
• wherein the forward facing surfaces of the front and rear strands have a first color coating thereon and the rearward facing surfaces of the front and rear strands are free of the first color coating;
• wherein the generally forward facing surfaces of the front strands and the generally rearward facing surfaces of the rear strands are arranged to be inclined relative to the top and bottom surfaces of the center section of the gutter cover when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation;
• wherein the rearward facing surface of the front strand of each opening is arranged to face generally across the respective opening toward the rear strand of the respective opening and toward the roof when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation, and the forward facing surface of the rear strand of each opening is arranged to face generally across the respective opening toward the front strand of the respective opening and away from the roof when the gutter cover is in the installed orientation;
• and
• wherein at least the front section and the center section are integrally formed from a single piece of metal and the front section defines a recess extending lengthwise of the gutter cover and configured to receive a front flange of the gutter therein to secure the gutter cover to the gutter in the installed orientation in which the top surface faces generally upward away from the gutter and the bottom surface faces generally downward and toward the gutter, the recess being offset vertically from the top surface of the center section in the installed orientation.