Asphalt composition ridge cover

A ridge cover used to shingle houses, that gives a roof the appearance of a wood shake shingle. The cover is constructed from a rectangular sheet of asphalt composition which has a plurality of folding tabs. The tabs are arranged such that when the tabs are folded from the side, the resulting cover has a thickened portion on one end of the cover.

FIELD OF INVENTION 
This invention relates to asphalt composition ridge covers that are 
typically attached to the roofs of residential buildings. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Ridge covers are used to shingle the ridge of a roof. It has become 
increasing popular to shingle the roof ridge, such that it has the 
appearance of a shake shingle roof. The present inventor had devised a 
ridge cover, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,589, with a varying 
thickness that when installed, produced the shake shingle effect. The 
change in thickness was created by taking a single flat piece of asphalt 
composition and folding multiple tabs until the desired thickness was 
obtained. As shown in FIG. 5 of the '589 patent, the individual pieces 
were cut out from a roll of asphalt composition into the desired shapes. 
The cutting of these irregular shaped pieces produced an excess amount of 
waste asphalt material, that is both costly and difficult to dispose. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,294 by the same inventor, discloses a ridge cover with 
a thickened portion that is formed by folding the middle portion of the 
cover. The '294 covers have to be packed in corrugated boxes which are 
bulky and costly. The covers can not be stacked on pallets because 
adjacent covers are supported by the thickened middle portion, wherein the 
thin portions tend to bend or bow. Therefore what is needed is a ridge 
cover of varying thickness that can be efficiently stacked and cut from a 
roll with minimal waste. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
The present invention is a ridge cover constructed from a rectangular sheet 
of asphalt composition which has a plurality of folding tabs. The tabs are 
arranged such that when the tabs are folded from the side, the resulting 
cover has a thickened portion on one end of the cover. Because the covers 
are rectangular and thicker at one end, the covers can be stacked by 
rotating each adjacent cover 180 degrees, such that the thick portion of 
one cover is contiguous to the thin portion of an adjacent cover. The 
rectangular shape of the unfolded asphalt sheet allows individual sheets 
to be cut from a roll with minimal waste. 
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a ridge cover of 
varying thickness that produces little waste when cut from a roll. 
It is also an object of this invention to provide a ridge cover of varying 
thickness that can be easily stacked and shipped. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
The objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to 
those skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed 
description and drawings, wherein: 
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a house, with the ridge covers 
of the present invention installed on the ridge of the house; 
FIG. 2 is a side view of a roof, showing the ridge covers attached to the 
house in overlapping fashion; 
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a single sheet of asphalt composition; 
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a folded ridge cover; 
FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 4; 
FIG. 6 is a top view of a roll of asphalt composition showing the cutting 
lines of each individual sheet; 
FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 5, taken at line 7--7; 
FIG. 8 is a front view of a bent ridge cover attached to the roof of a 
house; 
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view, showing two folded ridge covers 
stacked on top of each other; 
FIG. 10a shows the first fold made to the ridge cover; 
FIG. 10b shows the second fold made to the ridge cover; 
FIG. 10c shows the ridge cover going through the third fold; 
FIG. 10d shows the third fold made to the ridge cover; 
FIG. 10e shows the ridge cover going through the final fold; 
FIG. 10f shows the final fold made to the ridge cover; 
FIG. 11 is a side view of an alternate mode of stacking ridge covers having 
a tacking adhesive; 
FIG. 12 is a bottom view similar to FIG. 3, showing an alternate embodiment 
of the present invention; 
FIG. 13a shows the first fold being made to the ridge cover of FIG. 12; 
FIG. 13b shows the first fold completed; 
FIG. 13c shows the ridge cover going through the final fold; 
FIG. 13d shows the final fold completed; 
FIG. 14 is a top view of a roll of asphalt composition cut into a plurality 
of sheets; 
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a sheet from FIG. 14 being folded 
into a ridge cover; 
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing ridge covers being assembled onto the 
ridge of a house; 
FIG. 17 is a side view of a ridge cover separated from the ridge of a roof 
by a porous sheet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers, number 10 
in FIG. 1 is the roof 10 of a house 12, with a plurality of ridge covers 
14 installed on the ridge of the house 12. It is to be understood that the 
phrase ridge cover, as used herein, is used in the broad sense to include 
hip covers and the like, and is used merely as a convenient phrase for 
identifying all such covers 14. FIG. 2 more clearly shows the installation 
of the covers 14. When installed the thickened portion 16 of the covers 14 
are placed over the back portion 18 of the adjacent cover, so as to 
conceal the nails 20 used to attach the covers 14 to the roof 10. The 
resulting structure creates an appearance similar to a wood shake shingle 
roof. The folded covers 14 are typically 12" long and 9" wide. An adhesive 
strip 22 may be applied to the cover on the back portion 18, to attach the 
thickened portion 16 of the overlaying cover 14 with the back portion 18 
of the underlying cover 14. 
FIG. 3 shows the preferred embodiment of an unfolded ridge cover 14. The 
ridge cover 14 starts from a single sheet 24 of asphalt composition that 
is rectangular in shape and has a centerline 26 along the width of the 
sheet 24. The sheet 24 has a first end 28, a second end 30, a pair of 
edges 32, a first face 34 and a second face 36. The sheet 24 has a center 
portion 38 defined as the area between a pair of first fold lines 40. 
Between the first fold lines 40 and a pair of second fold line 42 are a 
pair of first edge tabs 44. The distance between the first 40 and second 
42 fold lines is slightly less than the distance from the centerline 26 to 
one of the first fold lines 30. When the first edge tabs 44 are folded 
over, the end of the first edge tabs 44 (the second fold lines 42) do not 
reach the centerline. As shown in FIG. 4, this creates a breakgap 46 that 
allows the ridge cover 14 to be bent more easily onto the roof. Between 
the second fold lines 42 and the sheet edges 30, and between the first end 
28 and a pair of third fold lines 48 are a pair of second edge tabs 50. 
From the third fold lines 48 and a pair of fourth fold lines 52 is a pair 
of third edge tabs 54. Extending from the fourth fold lines to the second 
end 30 are a pair of fourth edge tabs 56. The length of the third edge 
tabs 54 should be such that when the third edge tabs are folded onto the 
second edge tabs 50 the end of the third edge tabs defined by line 52, 
does not exceed the first end 28. Thus, when the sheet 24 is folded, the 
folded tabs 54 and 56 do not stick out of the cover 14. To facilitate 
folding the third and fourth edge tabs onto the second edge tabs 50, a 
pair of slits 58 are cut from the second end 30 to the third fold lines 
48, along the second fold lines 42. A pair of notches 60 are cut into the 
sheet 24 from the second end 30 along the first fold lines 40. When the 
cover 14 is folded, the notches 60 create a taper 62 on the back end 18, 
as shown in FIG. 5. The taper 62 is produced so that when the covers 14 
are installed the back end 18 does not stick out from under the thickened 
portion 16 of the overlapping cover. 
The sheet 24 typically comprises a layer of asphalt saturated felt 64, 
which has a layer of rock granules 66 applied to the second face, wherein 
the rock granules 66 form the outer surface of the folded cover 14 as 
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The individual sheets 24 are initially part of a 
roll 68 a portion of which is shown in FIG. 5. The roll 68 is cut into 
rectangular sheets 24. In addition, the slits 58 are cut and the notches 
60 punched out to produce the desired form. The rectangular shape 
eliminates the waste that is produced with other forms such as the cover 
disclosed in '589. This is important for large production runs, wherein 
even the smallest pieces of excess material can cumulate into large 
amounts of costly scrap and hard to dispose waste. 
The fold lines are formed by passing the still hot asphalt felt under 
rollers (not shown) that depress the felt 64. It has been found that when 
the cover 14 is folded, the layer of granules 66 and felt 64 tend to 
split, crack and separate. As a result, the visible edges formed by these 
folds appear ragged and broken. To reduce the occurrence of this defect, a 
relief radius 70 can be formed in the folded cover 14, see FIG. 7, by 
replacing the first 40 fold lines with a pair of spaced apart first fold 
lines indicated in FIG. 3 as 40' and 40". The second fold line 42 may also 
be replaced with a pair of spaced apart second fold lines 42' and 42". The 
fold about the pair of second fold lines 42' and 42" can be seen in FIG. 
4, with the increased breakgap 46 toward the first end 28. As stated 
earlier, the breakgap 46 allows the cover 14 to be bent and installed onto 
the roof 60 as shown in FIG. 8. 
FIG. 9 shows one of the more attractive features of the present invention, 
the ability to efficiently stack the covers 14 for packing and shipping. 
By constructing the ridge covers 14 with a thickened portion 16 at the 
first end 28, the covers 14 can be stacked on top of each other by 
rotating each cover 14 180 degrees as shown in FIG. 9. This arrangement 
not only maximizes space, but also prevents the covers from bending or 
bowing during shipping, where temperatures can exceed the softening 
temperature (approximately 90 F.) of the asphalt felt 64. The cover 14 can 
then be stacked on pallets and easily transported to a job site. 
FIGS. 10a-f show how the sheet 24 is folded into a ridge cover 14. First, 
the fourth edge tabs 56 are folded about the fourth fold line 52, wherein 
the first face 34 of the fourth edge tabs 56 faces the first face 34 of 
the third edge tab 54. The folded fourth edge tabs 56 and third edge tabs 
54 are then folded about the third fold lines 48, such that the second 
face 36 of the fourth edge tabs 56 and first face 34 of the third edge 
tabs 54 faces the first face 34 of the second edge tabs 50. The second 
edge tabs 50 and folded third edge tabs 54 are then folded about the 
second fold lines 42 onto the first edge tabs 44 as shown in FIGS. 10c-d. 
In this position, the second face 36 of the third edge tab 54 faces the 
first face 34 of the first edge tabs 44. In the final step, the first edge 
tabs 44 and folded second edge tabs 50 are folded about the first fold 
line 40 onto the center portion 38, wherein the second face 36 of the 
second edge tabs 50 and the first face 34 of the first edge tabs 44, faces 
the first face 34 of the center portion 38. 
In the preferred embodiment beads of adhesive 72 are applied to the first 
face 34 as shown in FIG. 10a. The adhesive 72 act as a means of attaching 
the faces of the tabs that face each other as described hereinafter. The 
first face 34 of the fourth edge tabs 56 are attached to said first face 
34 of the third edge tabs 54, and the second face 36 of the fourth edge 
tabs 58 and first face 34 of the third edge tabs 54 are attached to the 
first face 34 of the second edge tabs 50, by a first pair of adhesive 
lines 72a running essentially parallel with the second fold line 42, 
approximately at the center of the second 50, third 54 and fourth 58 edge 
tabs. The second face 36 of the third edge tabs 54 are attached to the 
first face 34 of the first edge tabs 44 by a second pair of adhesive lines 
72b running essentially parallel with the first fold line 40, 
approximately at the center of the first edge tabs 44. The second face 36 
of the second edge tabs 44 and the first face 34 of the first edge tabs 44 
are attached to the first face 34 of the center portion 38 by a third pair 
of adhesive lines 72c, running essentially parallel with the centerline 26 
approximately one-half the distance between the centerline 26 and said 
first fold line 40. The adhesive 72 insures that the folded tabs don't 
"spring" back to the flat position. 
When the back adhesive strip 22 is added to the cover to facilitate 
installation, an alternate method of stacking the cover 14 can be 
performed as shown in FIG. 11. 
As alternate embodiments, the fourth 56, or the third 54 and fourth 56 edge 
tabs could be eliminated. If the third 54 and fourth 56 edge tabs are 
eliminated, the first edge tabs 44 could end at the third fold line 48, 
wherein the thickened portion 16 is formed by folding the second 50 and 
first 44 edge tabs. 
FIG. 12 shows another alternate embodiment of the present invention. The 
ridge cover is constructed from a sheet 124 that is similar to the sheet 
24 shown in FIG. 3, except that the first edge tabs 44 are not formed 
therein. The removal of the first edge tabs 44 simplifies the folding of 
the sheet, by eliminating one of the folds. Because there are less folds, 
the sheet 124 creates a ridge cover that is thinner than a ridge cover 
produced from the sheet 24 of FIG. 3. Although FIG. 12 shows the third 
edge tabs 154 extending to the second end 130, it is to be understood that 
a fourth edge tab could be incorporated therein, as shown in FIG. 3. The 
addition of a fourth edge tab would increase the overall thickness of the 
folded ridge cover. 
FIGS. 13a-d show how the sheet 124 is folded into a ridge cover. First, a 
third edge tab 154 is folded about a third fold line 148, such that the 
first face 134 of the third edge tab 154 faces the first face 134 of the 
second edge tab 150. The second edge tab 150 and folded third edge tab 154 
are then folded about the second fold line 142 onto the center portion 
138, wherein the second face 136 of the third edge tab 150 faces the first 
face 134 of the center portion 138. The process is repeated with the other 
edge tabs to create the ridge cover shown in FIG. 13d. 
The cover 114 can then be bent about the centerline 126 for installment 
onto the ridge of a house. Adhesive can be applied to the cover 114 to 
further secure the tabs as described above. Although notches 160 are shown 
incorporated into the sheet 124, it is to be understood that a ridge cover 
114 can be constructed from a sheet without notches 160. Such an 
embodiment would eliminate material waste in the cutting of the sheets 124 
from the roll 68 shown in FIG. 6. 
FIGS. 14 and 15 show the construction of another embodiment of the ridge 
cover. Rolls 200 of asphalt saturated felt are layed out and cut into 
individual sheets 202. The sheets 202 may be cut manually, or 
automatically with use of a conveyor belt (not shown) and blades or saws 
(not shown). Saws may be placed in front of the roll 200 and cut along the 
longitudinal axis of the asphalt felt, as the same is travelling along a 
conveyor. Another saw or saws may periodically engage the felt and cut 
along the width of the roll 200. In the preferred embodiment, the roll is 
approximately 36 inches wide and cut into sheets 18 inches long by 12 
inches wide. The sheets 202 are cut into rectangular shapes without any 
notches, etc., so that there is essentially no waste in the construction 
of the ridge cover. 
Fold lines 204 are formed in the sheets 202, preferably before cutting, by 
passing the still hot asphalt under rollers that depress the felt. The 
fold lines 204 are preferably 3 inches from the edges 206 of the sheet. 
The fold lines 204 define a pair of edge tabs 208 and a center portion 210 
of each sheet 202. Each edge tab 208 is folded about the fold lines 204, 
so that the first faces 212 of the edge tabs 208 face the first face 212 
of the center portion 210. Adhesive lines 214 may be added to secure the 
edge tabs 208 to the center portion 210. To reduce the stress of the 
folded corners, each fold line 204 may be replaced with a pair of fold 
lines 204'. 
After the edge tabs 208 are folded, the sheet 202 can be folded about the 
centerline 216, stacked and shipped. In the alternative, the folded sheets 
can be shipped without folding about the centerline 216, wherein the 
centerline fold is performed at the job site. It is preferable to make the 
centerline fold before shipping, so that the temperature of the sheet can 
be controlled during the fold. If the fold is done at the job site, the 
temperature may be quite low, wherein the asphalt felt material will have 
a greater tendency to crack when folded. 
As shown in FIG. 16, the ridge covers 218 are attached to the ridge 220 of 
a house. The covers 218 may have a darkened area 222 that extends across 
the second face 224 of the sheet. Each cover 218 is placed on top of the 
underlying cover, so that the end 226 of the cover is adjacent to the 
darkened area 222, leaving the darkened area 222 exposed. The darkened 
area 222 gives the appearance that the ridge cover 218 is thicker than it 
really is. It is to be understood that the darkened area may also be 
incorporated into the ridge covers 14 and 114, discussed above. 
The ridge covers 218 are typically nailed to the ridge 220. To further 
secure the covers, a second strip of adhesive 228 may extend across the 
second face 224 of each sheet 202. The adhesive attaches the underside of 
the overlaying cover to the second face 224 of the underlying cover. To 
facilitate packing and shipping, a removable protective strip may cover 
the adhesive. The protective strip is then removed when the covers are 
assembled onto the ridge. 
In the preferred embodiment, a strip of porous material 230 is initially 
attached to the top of the ridge. The porous material 230 is preferably 
constructed as a fiber mat that provides optimum air flow therethrough. 
The covers 218 are then attached to the porous material 230 and the ridge 
220. The top of the ridge 220 has slots 231 that allow air to flow from 
the interior of the structure (typically an attic) to the ambient. The 
slots 231 are typically cut into the roof after the roof sheathing has 
been attached to the trusses. Such an assembly allows air to circulate 
through the roof, preventing air from becoming trapped in the attic and 
causing damage to the building. 
As shown in FIG. 17, the cover 218 is typically wider than the porous 
material 230, so that there is an overhang between the two members. The 
overhang prevents water and other material from falling onto the porous 
material and flowing into the building. The folded edge tabs 208, 
structurally reinforce the edges of the assembled covers 218, to reduce 
cracking and other damage to the covers, due to wind, rain or any other 
force that may stress the same. To this end, the overhang of the cover is 
preferably less than the width of the edge tab, so that a portion of the 
folded edge is supported by the porous material 230. This prevents the 
creation of a localized stress line in the cover, which would occur if the 
reduction in cover thickness was located in the overhang portion of the 
assembly. Although a cover with edge tabs 208 that are narrower than the 
center portion 210 is shown, it is to be understood that the edge tabs 208 
could be wider, such that the folded tabs 208 extend to the centerline 216 
of the sheet 202. 
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described above and shown in 
the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the embodiments are 
merely illustrative of, and not restrictive on the broad invention. It 
also being understood that this invention should not be limited to the 
specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various 
other modifications may occur to persons having ordinary skill in the art.