Abstract: Systems and methods for draining liquids include spaced support members and drainage ribs extending therebetween. Adjacent rows of drainage ribs may establish a general checkerboard pattern of ribs and interstitial spaces therebetween. Drainage ribs may have a differential height along their length, though may have substantially coplanar bottom surfaces. A first support member is provided with stress risers to enable enhanced bending capability to provide a customizable device width for mating with predetermined liquid conduit sizes, such as roofing gutters having upward-facing channel widths.

Abstract: A rain gutter system comprises a covered rain gutter and a mounting bracket in the interior of the covered rain gutter for mounting the covered rain gutter to a structure. The covered rain gutter includes a trough portion and a cover portion with the trough portion including a lip and the cover portion including a nose configured to direct rainwater to flow toward the interior of the covered rain gutter. The mounting bracket includes a top portion, a bottom portion, and a central portion interconnecting the top and bottom portions. The top portion of the bracket can contact and support the cover portion. The bottom portion of the bracket can contact the lip of the trough portion, support the trough portion, and maintain separation between the nose and the lip of the covered rain gutter.

Abstract: A holding means for a solar roof tile includes an oblong beam extending in a longitudinal direction, a first support supported in a mounted position on a first upper batten of a pitched roof, and a second support supported in the mounted position on a second lower batten. The holding means further includes at least one rest for the solar roof tile and a drain channel arranged adjacent to the at least one rest and extending in the longitudinal direction to drain atmospheric water along a longitudinal outer edge of the solar roof tile.

Abstract: A device for leveling and aligning tiles and method for leveling and aligning tiles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the leveling device includes a body and two spaced and parallel strip members extending transversely from the body. Each of the spaced and parallel strip members extend to the front and rear of the body. Two opposing lateral open windows are formed in the body. A breakaway section is defined along the body. A wedge device is provided for penetrating one or more of the two opposing lateral open windows and exerting a force on the tiles for leveling them relative to each other.

Abstract: A device for leveling and aligning tiles and method for leveling and aligning tiles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the leveling device includes a body and two spaced and parallel strip members extending transversely from the body. Each of the spaced and parallel strip members extend to the front and rear of the body. Two opposing lateral open windows are formed in the body. A breakaway section is defined along the body. A wedge device is provided for penetrating one or more of the two opposing lateral open windows and exerting a force on the tiles for leveling them relative to each other.

Abstract: A firestop collar (10) for sealing of openings, especially of line penetrations (12), that pass through walls (11) or ceilings has a frame (16) and a block (20) of optionally intumescent material disposed therein, and is characterized in that an intumescent inlay (22) is disposed between the block (20) and the frame (16).

Abstract: A modular panel is provided and includes a sill plate, a top plate, a plurality of vertical studs, and having at least one skin applied to a major face of the modular panel that presents a first edge having a waveform profile configured to connect to an opposing edge of an adjacent modular panel. At least one of the vertical studs is an end stud having a connector element configured to be secured to a complementing connector of the adjacent modular panel. Two or more of the modular panels may be connected together to form part of a shelter.

Abstract: A tile-setting lippage control system and method for tiles set with mortar as floors or walls on prepared surfaces, providing tab-and-wedge pairs with a footed tab having a footplate, a wedge slot having a membrane, a multi-tapered descending portion having a thicker center, tapering base, and tapering sides, and a ridged upper portion having a reinforced upper edge, and with a tensioning wedge having a leading end, wedge bottom, tapered top edge, and wedge teeth. In use, the wedge bottom and the footplate apply a constant compressive force to two adjacent pieces of tile. The size, shape, and location of the wedge slot with the tapered top edge of the tensioning wedge accommodate a range of tile thicknesses by insertion of the tensioning wedge to different depths. Optionally, flap cuts in the ridged upper portion provide for formation of a top flap and side flaps which lock in engagement with the wedge teeth of the tensioning wedge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a post hole cover comprising a cover portion adapted to substantially overlie a post hole and one or more ground-engaging members extending from the cover portion, wherein the cover portion includes one or more installation portions adapted to facilitate installation of the post hole cover over the post hole.

Abstract: Disclosed and described herein are components for configuring and assembling gutter guard systems for trough-style and built-in gutter systems. Such gutter guard systems are designed and arranged to be positioned across the opening of a trough or box gutter to prevent debris from entering the rain gutter. The modular assembly includes a number of configurable components. In one embodiment, a gutter guard system includes a customizable main body, a mesh screen, a front receiver, and a rear receiver. The customizable main body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a front edge, and a rear edge, and the main body is arranged to be trimmed to custom dimensions. Once assembled, the mesh screen is positioned on the top surface of the main body, the front receiver is positioned along the front edge of the main body, and the rear receiver is positioned along the rear edge of the main body.

Abstract: A tile spacing device and accompanying system and method are disclosed for spacing a plurality of tiles having a contour. In one embodiment of the tile spacing device, the tile spacing device includes a U-shaped band having a body with two branches extending parallel therefrom and an opening therebetween. An arm having a lateral end extends proximally from one of the branches into the opening. Two interlocking connectors are respectively positioned on the body at the opening and on the arm. In one embodiment of the system, two tile spacing devices complimentarily releasably mate when the tile spacing devices are opposing and perpendicularly displaced to interlock the interlocking connectors.

Abstract: A device for leveling and aligning tiles and method for leveling and aligning tiles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the leveling device includes a body and two spaced and parallel strip members extending transversely from the body. Each of the spaced and parallel strip members extend to the front and rear of the body. Two opposing lateral open windows are formed in the body. A breakaway section is defined along the body. A wedge device is provided for penetrating one or more of the two opposing lateral open windows and exerting a force on the tiles for leveling them relative to each other.

Abstract: Provided are a concrete structure repaired and reinforced using a textile grid reinforcement and a highly durable inorganic binder and a method of repairing and reinforcing the same, capable of easily repairing and reinforcing an old concrete structure by adhering a textile grid reinforcement, which is coated with a coating material to improve adhesiveness, to the old concrete structure and by adhering a textile grid reinforcement selectively using a highly durable inorganic binder having chloride penetration resistance performance or chemical resistance performance according to a use environment and a reinforcement purpose, that is, by adhering a textile grid reinforcement using an inorganic binder such as cement in place of an organic adhesive.

Abstract: A gutter cover for covering an open top of a gutter, comprising: a central cover portion positionable over the open top; a rear cover mounting portion extending rearwardly from a rear central cover portion end and being engageable with a rear gutter portion of the gutter; and a front cover mounting portion extending forwardly from a front central cover portion end and being engageable with the front gutter portion, the front cover mounting portion being configured such that a distal front mounting portion end of the front cover mounting portion is located under the central cover portion and rearward of the front central cover portion end and such that a reinforcement portion of the front cover mounting portion adjacent the distal front mounting portion end is superposed against a bottom central portion surface of the central cover portion, the reinforcement portion being secured to the central cover portion.

Abstract: A wooden structural joint is provided, including a wooden rectangular base member comprising, at one end, a removed center element, a plurality of removed center edge elements, and four intact corner elements, where the removed center element and the plurality of removed center edge elements are formed from vertical and horizontal cuts into the one end of the wooden rectangular base member, a plurality of horizontal members, each horizontal member having a height and further having a tab cut therein at one edge of the horizontal member, the tab cut at a percentage of the height such that all horizontal members fit securely together when assembled within the wooden rectangular base member, and a wooden rectangular top member having one end cut similar to the wooden rectangular base member.

Abstract: A control system guides and supports the deployment of a folded, collapsed bleacher system. The control system includes a hydraulic device implemented as a piston-cylinder combination anchored at one end to the trailer frame carrying the stowed bleacher and anchored at another end to an undercarriage support member of the bleacher. The movement of the piston exerts a tandem pivoting action on the front and rear bleacher sections, which deploys and opens the bleacher system to a level, seating-ready configuration. A weight detection module senses the approach of a free-fall condition of the bleacher system during deployment and increases the applied resistance of the piston-cylinder combination, controlling the rate of descent of the bleacher system to avoid free-fall.

Abstract: The present invention provides a truss system a horizontal chord, and a connector retained inside the channel of the horizontal chord. The connector has a base that has two parallel vertical walls, and a connecting base wall that together define a U-shaped cross-section, with a receiving space defined by the two parallel walls and the base wall. First and second dividers are positioned in the receiving space and define separate first, second and third spaces, respectively, with the second space positioned between the first and third spaces. Each of the first and second dividers has a vertical wall section that is connected to the two parallel walls and the base wall, with an angled surface associated with the upper end of each vertical wall section. A vertical web member has one end that is inserted into the second space, and a diagonal web member has one end inserted into either the first space or the third space.

Abstract: Provided are a reinforcing method and a reinforcing structure for a manhole having a neck part in a position shifted from the middle part of an upper slab which allow the buried manhole to be reinforced sufficiently against stress inflicted thereon while reducing the operation and material costs involved in the reinforcement.

Abstract: Ceramic and stone tiles are shown, which are provided with a locking system including a separate strip part connected to vertical and horizontal grooves formed in the tile edge. A set of ceramic or stone tiles including a first tile provided with a first edge and a second tile provided with a second edge wherein the tiles are provided with a locking system for locking the first edge to the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel with a tile surface and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, said locking system includes a first and a second tongue and a strip part provided with a first and a second locking element.

Abstract: A wall bead (100) is provided for application to adjoining surfaces, typically at a corner of a wall, during coating thereof tin with plaster or other render material. The wall bead comprises a central longitudinally extending portion (102) having first and second longitudinal edges; first and second planar panels (104, 106) extending from the first and second edges respectively; and first and second connection portions (108, 110) extending from the first and second panels respectively. The first and second connection portions each comprise a plurality of teeth (114) protruding therefrom. The first and second panels (104, 106) each comprise a flexible mesh such that they are arranged to conform to a contour of a wall surface. The wall bead is adapted to be flexible to suit the needs of varying shapes, angles and surface profiles of a wall, while having a simple and robust attachment mechanism.