Roof gutter and protector

Claim 1

The combination of an elongated roof gutter including front and rear walls and a bottom joining said front and rear walls, said rear wall having an upstanding top margin and a fold formed therein spaced downwardly from said top margin and extending along the length of the gutter which fold projects toward the gutter''s front wall, said fold having a flat expanse along the top thereof providing a shelf in a gutter, said front wall adjacent the top of the gutter extending upwardly and then downwardly in a reverse bend which forms a shoulder along the front of the gutter and continuing further in a substantially horizontal flange expanse which is disposed at a level below the level of said shoulder, and an elongated protective screen extending along the gutter adjacent its top, said screen having front and rear elongated outer margins resting on said flange expanse of said front wall and said flat expanse of said fold, respectively, and confined on front and rear sides of the gutter by said shoulder and said upstanding top margin, respectively, said flange expanse of said front wall being constructed and arranged to provide for drainage of water away from said shoulder and into the interior of the gutter, said elongated protective screen being folded to provide a crease extending longitudinally of the screen directly adjacent said flange expanse, said crease including abutting folds of screen whereby the crease is closed.