Dual flow gutter assembly

Abstract

A gutter cover assembly for use with conventional gutters to separate debris from rainwater that enters the gutter. The assembly includes a fascia board shield with a diverter, a cover support bracket which supports the cover from beneath the cover in a position spaced apart from the fascia shield and gutter, said bracket not contacting the gutter front wall whereby rainwater may enter the gutter through the space between the gutter and cover and through the space between the fascia board and cover.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to gutter assemblies for handling rainwater runoff from roof structures and, particularly, to gutters where the gutter trough is provided with a cover to separate debris from rainwater and prevent the debris from entering the gutter. More specifically, the present invention relates to the dual flow type of gutter cover assembly wherein the gutter cover may be positioned for entry of rainwater from both the front and rear edges of the gutter cover so that debris is cleaned from both front and rear walls of the gutter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are numerous prior art gutter assemblies which have as their object the separation of leaves, pine needles, and other debris from rainwater so that the debris does not enter and clog the gutter. One commonly used method is to place mesh screens, screen wire, or similar filtering devices over the gutter trough but this method has generally met with only limited success as leaves and pine needles tend to cling to the mesh or screen. The mesh or screen has, in some approaches, been hinged so that it can be flipped upwardly should cleaning of the gutter be necessary; but obviously, debris still tends to accumulate on these types of covers and finds its way into the trough.

Another approach to the problem of separating debris from rainwater involves the use of an impervious cover structure which provides a continuous opening at or under the outer lip of the gutter cover front edge for rainwater to enter the gutter and which opening is typically too small for debris to be carried into the gutter by rainwater. One such covered gutter arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,435 which issued on Dec. 8, 1998 to Gary A. Knudson. The Knudson patent describes a fastening support device which holds not only the gutter cover but the front edge of the lower gutter in position. This requires that the gutter must be specially designed so that the support will secure both the cover and the front wall of the gutter to maintain a desired spacing. Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a gutter cover support bracket that does not require supporting or stabilizing contact with the front wall of a gutter trough.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gutter cover and support device which may be used with conventional, “off the shelf” or “standard” gutters, that is, with any of the commercially available gutters sold through outlets and vendors thereby providing a “universal” gutter cover and support device.

Another prior art gutter assembly is shown in Publication No. U.S. 2003/0070366 A1 which was published on Apr. 17, 2003 with Gerald W. Beyers as the inventor. In this configuration a gutter cover is shown which provides for dual flow, that is, flow of rainwater down both the rear wall of the gutter and flow down the front wall. The importance of flow down the back wall is to provide a flow of water on both walls so that debris that does get into the gutter trough does not collect in what would otherwise be a stagnant area at the rear wall. Thus, all walls of the gutter, namely, both sides and the bottom are subjected to flowing water. However, in the Beyers arrangement, the gutter cover comprises two ridges with a flat valley between the two ridges and it appears that debris is likely to accumulate in the valley region. Also, the gutter requires a special design in which the cover must snap into the gutter lips. Therefore, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a cover arrangement wherein debris will readily slide or fall off the cover.

Another gutter system for diverting debris is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,527 B2 which issued on Jan. 27, 2004 to Michael J. Baker. In this arrangement a gutter cap is positioned over the trough at a pre-determined angle to catch rainwater flow from the roof. Again, connection to and support of the lower gutter trough assembly is necessary and a two-piece gutter support bracket is required. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a simplified gutter cover support bracket, and one which does not require supporting contact with the gutter trough walls.

These objects expressed above including other advantages are accomplished by my invention which is summarized below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the invention is a dual flow gutter assembly comprising a cover for separating water from debris as rainwater enters a gutter, a unique support bracket for the cover, and a fascia board shield with a diverter flange. The cover and shield are preferably elongated whereby the cover is carried by a multiplicity of support brackets. The gutter may be one of standard or off-the-shelf design. Such gutters are significantly cheaper than those that are sold as specialized gutters with leaf-guarding or debris separating abilities. In another aspect the invention is a gutter assembly comprising:

• • a) a fascia board shield attached to and covering the outer surface of a fascia board, said shield having an upper end from which a diverter flange extends outwardly;
  • b) a gutter having front, bottom and rear walls defining a gutter trough, said rear wall being mounted with the fascia board shield positioned between the gutter rear wall and fascia board;
  • c) a gutter cover positioned over said trough, and below said diverter flange, said cover being spaced apart from said shield and gutter, to permit rainwater to flow therebetween, said gutter having a smooth planar central body, a front edge folded under a portion of the main body and terminating in a dip from which water can flow into said trough, and a rear edge bent under a portion of the main body; and
  • d) a support bracket mounted on the fascia board shield above the rear wall of the gutter, said bracket supportingly engaging the underside of said cover at the front fold and at the rear bend whereby said bracket does not contact the front wall of said gutter and maintains said cover in its spaced apart position spaced apart from the gutter and fascia shield.

In still another aspect the invention is an improvement provided by another aspect of the invention includes a fascia board shield having an outwardly extending diverter flange, said shield being adapted to be attached to the fascia board adjacent or under a roof edge so that the diverter flange will be positioned above the gutter cover which is to be installed. The gutter cover has a main body with a downwardly turned rear edge bending under the main body of the cover to define a locking flange. The front edge is downwardly turned in a smooth curve so that the front edge making a turn in the range of about 120° to less than 180° thereby defining a mounting notch which is accessible from beneath the cover. The cover is carried by a support bracket having a positioning arm supporting said cover at the locking flange and at the mounting notch, said arm positioning the cover so that the rear edge of the cover is spaced apart from the gutter, and from the fascia board shield to define a rear water flow inlet therebetween, said rear inlet space being covered by and being spaced apart from the diverter flange whereby a portion of the rainwater will flow into the gutter from the upper side of the cover through the rear inlet. The arm of the support bracket further positions the front folded edge of the cover dto extend above the front of the gutter so that it is spaced apart from the lip of the front gutter wall to define a front rainwater flow inlet therebetween whereby rainwater will flow into the gutter by clinging to the cover by surface tension as it flows around the folded edge, said front inlet being sufficiently narrow so as to prevent debris from entering therethrough.

In yet another aspect, the invention is a gutter assembly for separating debris from rainwater when mounted on fascia board adjacent a roof edge, said assembly comprising a gutter having elongated front, rear, and bottom walls and an open top to define a gutter trough; an elongated fascia shield mounted on said fascia board to substantially cover the exterior thereof; said fascia shield having a diverter flange extending horizontally outwardly away from the fascia board and slopping downwardly; a gutter cover having an elongated substantially planar or slightly bowed central body that is tilted towards the front gutter wall with an upper surface over which water can flow, said cover having a downwardly curved front edge that flows under said upper surface to define a mounting notch therewith, said cover having a rear edge that slopes downwardly from the central body at greater than a right angle; a plurality of support brackets spaced apart along the fascia shield for positioning and supporting said cover above the gutter trough, each bracket being adapted to support said cover from the underside of the cover, each bracket having a generally rectangular profile with upper and lower positioning arm members defining the upper and lower sides of the rectangular profile, said arm members being connected by an end member, said lower arm member being longer than the upper arm member and terminating in an approximate right angle bend which forms a securing flange, said flange forming a mounting surface secured to the fascia board through the fascia board shield, said end member being connected to each of said arm members at a right angle, the upper arm member terminating in a straight edge which securely engages the bottom of the right angle bend of the rear of said cover for securing the cover in a position spaced apart from the gutter rear wall below said diverter and spaced from the fascia shield so that rainwater flowing from said diverter can flow between the cover and fascia shield into the gutter, the other end of said upper arm member together with the lower arm member and the connecting end being wedged into said mounting notch of said cover to secure same in a position spaced from the lip of the front wall of the gutter forming a narrow space or inlet so that a portion of the rainwater may flow from the cover into the gutter without carrying debris with it.

In a still further aspect the invention is a support bracket or means that supports a gutter cover out of contact with the gutter and fascia board by supporting the cover from beneath and spaced apart from the gutter and fascia. The support bracket may have positioning arms that are formed from a single piece of material or the support means may comprise separately mounted members, one for the rear of the cover and the other for the front, both means mounted from the fascia board. The support bracket supports the cover without contacting the gutter resulting in simplified installation of the cover. If elongated runs are necessary between support brackets spacers may be used between the cover lip and the gutter lip which do not contact the support bracket.

The foregoing described invention may be better understood by reference to the below described drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One preferred embodiment which is designed to carry out the invention as summarized above will hereinafter be described and shown with other features in the drawings and description below.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this application. The example and embodiment of the invention that is shown in these drawings is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter assembly of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the gutter cover in position and installed over a conventional gutter;

FIG. 2 is a schematic section in elevation of the gutter assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an embodiment of a gutter cover according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a support bracket according to the present invention;

FIG. 4a is a partial section view showing a support bracket according to the invention secured to a fascia board through the fascia shield of the invention;

FIG. 4b shows a support bracket according to the invention securing the front of the gutter cover;

FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of the diverter flange of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a diverter flange according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, one preferred embodiment of the invention will be described.

In FIG. 1, gutter assembly 1 is shown attached to fascia board 2. The gutter, which may be a conventional gutter, comprises gutter bottom wall 4, front wall 5, lip 6 at the top of the front gutter wall, and rear wall 7 that is mounted on the fascia board through fascia board shield. The bottom, front, and rear walls define the gutter trough 8 (See FIG. 2).

Continuing with FIG. 1, fascia board shield 3 is shown attached to and covering the fascia board 2 behind the rear wall 7 of the gutter. In this embodiment, the top of shield 3 coincides with the top of the fascia board so that no space is exposed and the fascia board is protected from the weather. The fascia board shield can extend behind and below the gutter rear wall and terminates in the bottom shield 24 which covers the bottom side of the fascia board. The shield is provided with diverter flange 23 that extends outwardly over the gutter cover 15 and slopes downwardly at greater than a right angle or more than a 90° angle, preferably at about a 120° angle (clockwise from vertical) so that water coming from above may fall onto the gutter cover 15. Support bracket 9 which is wedged into the mounting notch 16′ formed by gutter front fold or bend 16 secures the front of the cover. The main body 19 of the gutter cover 15 is substantially planar but with a slight bow in the main body area and has a slight bend or slope towards the rear beginning at about a point below the end of the diverter flange 23, that is, at about the point rain droplets 20 falling from diverter 23 will fall on main body 19.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the flow of the rainwater droplets 20 is illustrated as they flow down the roof 26 onto the diverter 23 and thence to the cover 15. The fascia shield 3 extends upwardly to the top of the fascia board 2 to fully protect the fascia board from any contact with rainwater. The fascia board shield preferably may be formed from aluminum sheet or, from extruded plastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride to provide a substantially rigid and corrosion resistant diverter and shield.

Continuing with the description of FIG. 2, and following the path of the rain drops 20 as they move across the diverter and fall onto the cover 15 as mentioned above, at about the point where the rain drops fall onto the cover, the substantially planar yet slightly bowed cover body 19 begins a slight downward tilt so that the major portion of the rainwater will flow frontward but a portion will also flow to the rear. As the water that flows to the rear moves over the gutter cover body 19 to locking flange area 18 it continues and drops into the trough 8 thus providing water flow adjacent the rear wall 7 as the drop falls into the collected rainwater 21. The major portion of the rainwater flows to the front of body 19, around the fold 16, and down the drip lip 17 where it also drips into or flows into the collected rainwater 21 in the gutter trough 8. The surface tension of the rainwater will tend to make it cling to the upper folded surface of the cover as it flows around the bend in the fold 16. The bend or fold at 16 forms mounting notch 16′ which is further shown and described in FIG. 3.

The support bracket which is shown in FIG. 1, comprises upper and lower positioning arm members 10 and 11 and these members terminate to the front in end or connecting member 12. In this side view the profile of the bracket 9 is substantially rectangular. As can be seen, the bracket arm members and end member wedge at the front end into the mounting notch and at the rear the upper positioning arm member 10 terminates in and is locked into the downwardly bent edge of the cover 15 which is bent at greater than a right angle to form the locking flange 18. The support bracket also has, at the rear end of the positioning arm member 11, a right angle, downward bend forming a flange 13 (see FIG. 4a) which is the mounting flange for the bracket onto the fascia board or onto the fascia shield. As described above, a preferred embodiment of the bracket comprises two positioning arm members, the lower arm member 11 and upper arm member 10, but these can also be considered to be one continuous positioning arm for the bracket which wedges into the mounting notch 16′ and into the locking flange 18; or, for example, in an alternate embodiment, end member 12 can be an elbow that supportingly engages the mounting notch 16′. The support bracket 9 is positioned so that the locking flange 18 is spaced apart from the fascia shield 3 and this opening or space defines the rear rainwater inlet. In the front, the space between the drip lip 17 and the gutter lip 6 is defined as the front rainwater flow space or inlet. The space between the end of the diverter flange 23 and the top of the cover 15 is a narrow spacing so as to prevent debris from entering between diverter 23 and cover 15. Likewise, the space between the drip lip 17 and the gutter front wall lip 6 is narrow so that there is very little opportunity for any debris to enter the gutter trough area 8. As an example for both inlets, the spacing is preferably about ¼″ but may vary from less than about ⅛″ to greater than about ⅜″.

The fascia shield 3, support bracket 9, and cover 15 are usually the only parts necessary for any homeowner to install in addition to conventional, “off-the-shelf” gutters in order to enjoy the benefit of a protective cover thus eliminating the necessity of buying high-priced, gutter and cover combinations. While in FIG. 1 a mounting screw 30 is shown fastening rear wall 7 to the fascia board and such screw is for illustration purposes and should extend into the structural timbers of the building which are to the left of the fascia board 2 in FIG. 2. A more common means of supporting a conventional gutter is by employing a spike and spacer tube or member whereby at intervals the spike is driven through a pre-drilled hole in gutter lip 6 into and through the fascia board 2. The spike usually goes through a spacer that spans the gutter trough and covers the spike or screw so that the front wall will not be inadvertently bent while driving the spike. However, these are conventional installation procedures. The three additional components for the present invention, namely the gutter cover, the support bracket, and the fascia shield are described in more detail hereinbelow.

In FIG. 3, the cover 15 with the central main body 19 is shown in a partial perspective view. The front of the main body is folded under in a smooth fold wherein one part of the fold is doubled back providing the space 16′ which is the mounting notch and the front edge continues and then reverses its curvature to form the drip lip 17. The cover may be formed from aluminum sheet which is rolled and bent into the shape as shown having a locking flange 18 in the rear which is formed with greater than a right angle bend. The radius of curvature of a portion of the fold at the point where the arrow “R” is directed (See FIG. 4b) may vary with the manufacturing process and material used and with the dimension of the support bracket, particularly the height of member 12. One preferred radius is in the order of “ 1/2”. (Arrow “R” is representatiave only and is not meant to indicate proportion.) The material of the cover should have resiliency or “spring back” to stay rigidly in place when snapped onto the support bracket. A satisfactory thickness of the cover material can be readily determined by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 4a a preferred embodiment of the support bracket is shown in greater detail. The upper positioning arm member 10, which terminates in a straight edge at the rear and into the substantially vertical end or connecting member 12 at the front end, is formed with a predetermined length so that it will fit snugly from the bend of the locking flange 18 and into the mounting notch 16′. The height H of the vertical member 12 is also selected so that it is of greater length than the diameter, that is, greater than 2R (FIG. 4b) to secure wedge into notch 16′. The material of the cover allows sufficient resiliency to stretch and hold onto the bracket. In one preferred embodiment, the height of the connecting member will be about 1⅜″ but this will vary to give a secure, snug fit into mounting notch 16′. The upper surface of the arm member 10 may also be provided with a resilient covering material such as a layer of rubber or plastic which may be ribbed to further secure and restrain the gutter cover and prevent movement thereof. The mounting bracket 9 is preferably formed from one continuous piece of material and may be formed of a strip of metal such as aluminum or steel bent as shown. Alternately bracket 9 can be formed from a plastic or polymeric material such as a relatively rigid thermoplastic, e.g., a high density polyethylene, polypropylene, or PVC. These plastic parts are preferably formed by injection molding. With either metal or plastic or a combination thereof bracket 9 can be formed in more than one piece.

In assembling the parts, the fascia shield 3 is first mounted or installed over the fascia board 2, the gutters installed and the bracket 9 is secured as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Next, the cover 15 is installed by pushing the locking flange 18 over and onto the distal end of arm member 10 and then rotates the cover downwardly to lock the fold 16 onto and over the member 12 and snap it in place. The bracket arms 10 and 11 and end member 12 will wedge securely into notch 16′ as shown in FIG. 4b.

In FIG. 5, the fascia board shield 3′ is shown, which is one embodiment and, as mentioned previously, can be made of extruded plastic material or sheet aluminum. The shield body 22 has diverter 26 formed at its upper end. In FIG. 6 a preferred embodiment is shown in a “Z” arrangement. The main body 25 is planar to lie flat against the fascia board. The upper end is bent to form diverter shield 23. The angle through which the upper end has been bent to form diverter 23 is greater than 90° so that when in place the water flows readily across and down the diverter 23 onto the cover 15. At its bottom end, fascia shield 3 is bent at approximately 90° to form a bottom protector 24 for the fascia board.

Summarizing by referring to all figures, in a preferred installation, fascia board shield 3 is first mounted by nailing or screwing it to the fascia board 2. The shield is preferably provided with mounting holes (not shown) for nails or screws that should, of course, be aluminum. Next, brackets 9 are installed. A chalk line or laser guided line is drawn on the shield at an appropriate slope towards the point where a downspout will be located. The brackets are then installed by drilling through the shield 3 and securing brackets 9 using screws 29 and optional washers to seal the drilled hole. The bottom edge of bracket support flange 13 now acts as a guide in positioning the top of gutter back wall 7 to insure that the gutter is correctly sloped. Once the gutter rear wall 7 is secured to the fascia board through screw 30 or through spikes (not shown), the cover may be installed by hooking the rear cover locking flange 18 over the positioning arm member 10 and then pulling the cover 15 over and around the bracket end member 12 so that the cover snaps into place with drip lip 17 positioned above gutter lip 6. The gutter cover is now ready to function as illustrated in FIG. 2.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, the description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A dual flow gutter assembly comprising:

a) a fascia board shield attached to and covering the outer surface of a fascia board, said shield having an upper end from which a diverter flange extends outwardly;

b) a gutter having front, bottom and rear walls defining a gutter trough, said rear wall being mounted with the fascia board shield positioned between the gutter rear wall and the fascia board;

c) a gutter cover positioned over said trough, and below said diverter flange, said cover being spaced apart from said shield and gutter, to permit rainwater to flow therebetween, said gutter having a smooth central body, a front edge folded under a portion of the main body and terminating in a dip from which water can flow into said trough, and a rear edge bent under a portion of the main body; and

d) a support bracket mounted on the fascia board shield above the rear wall of the gutter, said bracket supportingly engaging the underside of said cover at the front fold and at the rear bend whereby said bracket does not contact the front wall of said gutter and maintains said cover in its spaced apart position spaced apart from the gutter and fascia shield.

2. The gutter assembly of claim 1 wherein the gutter cover and fascia board are formed from materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum and polymeric materials.

3. The gutter assembly of claim 1 wherein the support bracket is of one piece construction.

4. The gutter assembly of claim 1 wherein the fascia shield and gutter cover are elongated and the cover is carried by a multiplicity of support brackets positioned at spaced apart intervals along said fascia board shield.

5. The gutter assembly of claim 1 wherein said support bracket is formed by bending an aluminum strip.

6. In a dual flow gutter cover assembly for separating debris from rainwater wherein a cover is positioned over the gutter trough, an improved cover support bracket for supporting an elongated gutter cover without supporting or stabilizing contact with the gutter, said cover having downwardly folded front edge and a downwardly bent rear edge said bracket comprising:

a) a supporting flange member adapted to be mounted on fascia board or fascia board shield above the rear wall of a gutter;

b) a lower positioning arm member having distal and proximal ends, said member being attached to said support flange at its said arm member's proximal end, said member extending outwardly from the support flange substantially across the gutter trough;

c) a connecting member attached to the distal end of said lower positioning member, said connecting member having upper and lower ends extending generally vertically away from said trough, the height of said member being selected to secure the front of said cover in the fold underneath the cover;

d) an upper positioning arm member having proximal and distal ends attached to the upper end of said connecting member at its proximal end and extending across the gutter trough, said upper positioning arm member being shorter in length than said lower arm member, said length being selected so that the distal end of said upper arm member will supportingly engage the lower side of the rear bend of said cover whereby, when mounted said bracket securely positions said cover over said trough.

7. The support bracket of claim 6 wherein said bracket is formed from one continuous piece of material.

8. The support bracket of claim 7 wherein said bracket is formed from metal.

9. The support bracket of claim 8 wherein the metal from which said bracket is formed is aluminum.

10. The support bracket of claim 7 wherein said material is a polymeric material.

11. In a dual flow gutter assembly having a cover over the gutter trough for separating rainwater from debris as rainwater enters a gutter the improvement comprising:

a) a fascia board shield having an outwardly extending diverter flange, said shield being adapted to be attached to fascia board so that the diverter flange will be positioned above the gutter cover;

b) a gutter cover having a downwardly bent rear edge defining a locking flange and having a downwardly folded front edge defining a mounting notch accessible from beneath said cover; and

c) a support bracket having a positioning arm supporting said cover at the locking flange and at the mounting notch without being in supporting contact with gutter, said arm positioning the cover so that the rear edge of the cover is spaced apart from the gutter, fascia board, and shield to define a rear water inlet therebetween, said rear inlet being covered by and being spaced apart from the diverter flange whereby a portion of the rainwater flowing from the diverter flange can flow into the gutter from the upper side of the cover through said rear inlet, said arm further positioning the front folded edge of the cover so that said folded edge extends above the front of the gutter spaced apart from the lip of the front gutter wall to define a front rainwater inlet whereby rainwater will flow into the gutter over the folded edge and down the drip lip, said inlet being sufficiently small so as to prevent debris from entering therethrough.

12. The gutter assembly of claim 11 wherein said support bracket is adapted to be positioned on the fascia shield above the rear wall of the gutter.

13. The gutter assembly of claim 12 wherein the arm of said support bracket comprises upper and lower positioning members connected at one end by an end member, said end member adapted to secure the front folded edge of the cover and the upper positioning member adapted to secure the rear bent edge of the cover.

14. The gutter assembly of claim 11 wherein said support bracket is formed of one piece of material.

15. In a dual flow gutter assembly for separating debris from rainwater, said assembly having a gutter with rear, bottom, and front walls defining a trough, the gutter being attached through its rear wall to a fascia board below the edge of a roof, said trough being covered by a gutter cover, the improvement comprising:

a) a fascia shield attached to and covering a substantial portion of the fascia board adjacent the gutter, said shield having a diverter flange positioned above said cover to divert debris and rainwater away from the fascia and onto the cover;

b) said gutter cover having central, planar body with a folded under front edge defining a mounting notch beneath said body, said front edge terminating in a drip edge, the rear edge of said body being bent downwardly at greater than a right angle to form a locking flange; and,

c) a support bracket secured to the fascia board, said bracket having no supporting nor securing contact with the gutter and having positioning arm members for supporting said cover at the mounting notch and at said locking flange, said arm members positioning said cover so that the rear edge of the cover is spaced apart from the fascia shield with said space being covered by the diverter flange, the front edge of said cover extending outwardly above out of contact with the gutter being spaced apart from the front edge of the lip of the gutter whereby rainwater will cling to the cover and flow into in the gutter while the entry of debris will be prevented.

16. The gutter assembly of claim 15 wherein the fascia board shield covers the surface of the fascia board and includes a flange covering the bottom of the fascia board.

17. In a dual flow gutter assembly having front, rear, and bottom walls defining an open gutter trough, the front wall having an upper outer lip, and the rear wall being attached to a fascia board adjacent a roof, the improvement for separating rainwater from debris comprising:

a) a fascia board shield positioned between said fascia board and said rear wall and the edge of the roof, said shield having an outwardly and slightly downwardly extending diverter flange; and in

b) a mounting bracket attached to the fascia board above said rear wall and adjacent said shield, said bracket having upper and lower arm members connected at one end by a substantially vertical connecting member;

c) an elongated gutter cover having a main body that is slightly bowed and tilted to the front, gutter wall, a locking flange extending downwardly along the rear edge of said main body at an angle greater than a right angle to the plane of the main body defining a locking flange, and an under folded front edge extending along said main body, the fold of said front edge continuing under said main body in a predetermined radius of curvature, to form a mounting notch therewith, said edge further continuing under said main body and reversing its curvature to form and terminate in a rainwater drip lip from which rainwater may flow into the trough, the upper and lower positioning arm and connecting members of said bracket co-operatively acting to secure said cover at said mounting notch.

18. A dual flow gutter assembly for separating debris from rainwater when mounted on fascia board adjacent a roof, said assembly comprising:

a) a gutter having elongated front, rear, and bottom walls and an open top defining a gutter trough, said rear wall being attached to said fascia board;

b) an elongated fascia shield mounted on said fascia board between the rear wall of the gutter and said fascia board, said fascia shield having a diverter flange extending horizontally outwardly away from the fascia board and sloping downwardly;

c) a gutter cover having an elongated substantially planar central body with an upper surface over which water can flow, said cover having a downwardly curved front edge that folds under said surface to define a mounting notch therewith, said cover having a rear edge that bends downwardly from the central body at an angle greater than a right angle to form a locking flange;

d) a plurality of support brackets spaced apart along the fascia shield for positioning and supporting said cover above gutter trough, each bracket being adapted to support said cover from the underside of the cover, each bracket having a generally rectangular profile defining upper and lower positioning members, said end member, said lower member being longer than the upper member and terminating in a support flange, said flange forming a mounting surface secured to the fascia board through said shield, the upper member terminating an edge which securely engages the bottom of the locking flange for securing the cover in a position spaced apart from the gutter rear wall below said diverter and from the fascia shield so that rainwater flowing from said diverter can flow between the cover and fascia shield into the gutter trough, the other end of said upper member together with the lower member and being wedged into said mounting notch of said cover to secure same in a position spaced from the lip of the front wall of the gutter thereby forming a narrow separation space so that rainwater may flow from the cover into the gutter without carrying debris with it.