Roof construction for playhouse
OwnerGregg Westinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A playhouse constructed of interlocking logs has a water-tight sloped roof formed by overlapping roof sheets. The sheets are secured to the playhouse by means of roof peak pieces notched at their bottom to interlock with respective notches in a tie beam log. The roof peak pieces have sloped surfaces, each with a bore defined therein for receiving a roof peg extending through one of two holes defined through the roof sheet in spaced relation along an upper edge of the roof sheet. Adjacent roof sheets in the roof structure overlap such that one peg may be inserted through aligned holes in each sheet and into a common roof peak piece bore.
Claims14
A child's playhouse constructed of multiple interlocking log-like members, each member having first and second opposite sides extending longitudinally of the member and at least one recess notch extending transversely into the member from prescribed locations along the first and second sides to permit interlocking of said members at said recess notches, said playhouse having first and second longitudinally spaced walls and being characterized by a roof construction comprising:
- an upper tie beam comprising one of said members extending between said first and second walls and having at least a first and second of said recess notches opening upward at locations longitudinally spaced by a predetermined distance;
- a first lower tie beam comprising another of said members extending parallel to said upper tie beam at a location lower than and transversely spaced from said upper tie beam, whereby the upper and first lower tie beams define a first sloped plane disposed at an acute angle to horizontal;
- first and second roof peak pieces disposed in said first and second recess notches, respectively, of said upper tie beam, each roof peak piece including;
- a bottom edge having a recess notch defined therein and configured to interlock with a respective one of said first and second recess notches in said upper tie beam;
- and a top edge having at least one top surface oriented substantially at said acute angle to horizontal, said roof peak piece having a bore defined therein at said one top surface;
- a first roof sheet disposed upon and extending between said upper and lower tie beams, said roof sheet having an upper edge oriented longitudinally along said upper tie beam, wherein first and second holes are defined through said roof sheet at longitudinally spaced locations adjacent said upper edge, the spacing between said holes being substantially the same as the predetermined spacing between said first and second recess notches such that said first and second holes overlie said bores in said first and second roof peak pieces, respectively;
- and
- first and second roof pegs extending through said first and second holes, respectively, in said roof sheet and into said bores in said first and second roof peak pieces, respectively, to mount said roof sheet to said upper tie beam via said roof peak pieces;
- wherein the playhouse is scaled to permit children to enter and play interiorly thereof.
A roof peak piece for use in securing roof sheets atop a child's playhouse constructed of interlocking log-like members that inter-engage by standardly configured recess notches defined in edges of the members, said roof peak piece comprising:
- a body having front and back surfaces defining a thickness dimension therebetween, a bottom edge, two side edges and first and second top surfaces converging upwardly from respective side edges to a linear top edge, wherein one of said standardly configured recess notches is defined in said bottom edge entirely through said thickness dimension, and wherein each of said first and second top surfaces has a respective bore defined therein adapted to receive a peg extending through a hole in said roof sheet.
A child's playhouse of the type that is readily assembled, disassembled and enterable by five to twelve year old children, said playhouse comprising:
- first and second longitudinally spaced walls;
- an upper tie beam extending between and supported by said walls, said upper tie beam having at least first, second and third upwardly open recess notches of substantially identical configuration disposed along its length at predetermined equally spaced intervals;
- a first lower tie beam extending between and supported by said walls at a location below and transversely displaced from said upper tie beam, said upper and lower tie beams being parallel to one another to define a first sloped plane at an acute angle to horizontal;
- first, second and third roof peak pieces disposed in said first, second and third recess notches, respectively, in interlocking engagement with said upper tie beam, each of said roof peak pieces comprising:
- a bottom edge having a recess notch defined therein and configured to interlock with a respective one of said first and second recess notches in said upper tie beam;
- and a top edge having at least one top surface oriented substantially at said acute angle to horizontal, said roof peak piece having a bore defined therein at said one top surface;
- a first roof sheet disposed upon and extending between said upper and lower tie beams, said roof sheet having an upper edge oriented longitudinally along said upper tie beam, wherein first and second holes are defined through said roof sheet at longitudinally spaced locations adjacent said upper edge, the spacing between said holes being substantially the same as the predetermined spacing between said first and second recess notches such that said first and second holes overlie said bores in said first and second roof peak pieces, respectively;
- a second roof sheet disposed above the extending between said upper and first lower tie beams such that a side edge of said second roof sheet overlaps a side edge of said first roof sheet, said second roof sheet having an upper edge oriented longitudinally along said upper tie beam, wherein third and fourth holes are defined through said second roof sheet at longitudinally spaced locations adjacent it supper edge, the spacing between said third and fourth holes being substantially the same as the predetermined spacing between said second and third recess notches, whereby the third and fourth holes overlie said bores in said second and third roof pieces, respectively, and said third hole is aligned with the second hole in said first roof sheet;
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- first, second and third roof pegs removably extending into said bores in said first, second and third roof peak pieces, respectively, wherein said first roof peg passes through said first hole to partially secure said first roof sheet to said first roof peak piece, wherein said second roof peg passes through said second and third holes to partially secure said first and second roof sheets to said second roof peak piece, and wherein said third roof peg passes through said third hole to partially secure said second roof sheet to said third roof peak piece;
- wherein the playhouse is scaled to permit children to enter and play interiorly thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.