Patent Publication Number: US-6339975-B1

Title: Roofing tool

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/166,533, filed Oct. 6, 1998, now abandoned, which application was a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/728,162 filed Oct. 9, 1996, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,222 on Nov. 17, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is directed toward a roofing tool. The invention is more particularly directed toward a bladed roofing tool with projecting teeth to be used in repairing or demolishing a roof including removing roofing materials such as shingles and sheathing boards. 
     2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under CFR §§1.97-1.99 
     Many bladed roofing tools are known. Most of these known tools have a blade, for use in prying or lifting up shingles, and nail receiving slots in the front edge of the blade for use in removing shingle nails left in the roof as the shingles are removed. Examples of such tools are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,086,699 and 5,280,676 by way of example. However a great deal of energy must still be expended in removing the roofing material and nails since the wide blades are difficult to drive under the shingles. Further, the known bladed tools are not well suited for lifting large pieces of material such as roof sheathing boards, used to support the shingles, when repairing or demolishing a roof. The known tools have difficulty in getting between the boards and the framing members which support them, and it is difficult to obtain the necessary leverage to lift the boards. Also, the tools are not particularly suited for easily lifting framing nails, which nails often remain in the roof when the sheathing boards are removed. The framing nails usually become securely embedded in the wood after a period of time and the slots in the known tools for receiving shingle nails are not deep enough to provide sufficient leverage to easily lift the framing nails. Often, closely adjacent shingle nails remain in the roof when the shingles are lifted and the known tools usually are not able easily to lift two or more of such nails simultaneously. It is time consuming to remove these closely adjacent nails one at a time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an improved tool that is able, from its construction, to more easily be inserted under roofing material. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a roofing tool that is able to provide more leverage to lift both small pieces of roofing material, such as shingles and shingle nails, and also larger pieces of roofing material such as sheathing boards, and also the larger framing nails associated with such boards and the framing members supporting such boards. It is another purpose of the present invention to provide roofing tools which can more easily simultaneously lift two or more shingle nails from a roof, particularly closely adjacent shingle nails, when removing shingles. 
     In accordance with one form of the present invention, a roofing tool is provided with a flat blade having a front edge and a rear edge. At least one nail receiving slot is provided in the front edge of the blade for use in removing shingle nails left in the roof as shingles and/or sheathing boards are removed and for removing framing nails as sheathing boards are removed. The bladed tool includes two teeth projecting forwardly from the front edge of the blade, one on either side of the nail receiving slot or slots, at least the front ends of the teeth adapted to easily slide under roofing material. The inner sides of the teeth are beveled to allow the inner sides of the teeth to also lift shingle nails. 
     The front ends of the teeth can be pushed under shingles on a roof and the blade is then levered up about the front ends of the teeth, or about the rear edge of the blade, to help remove the shingles. Any shingle nails left in the roof after the shingles are removed can be removed with the nail slot or slots and/or with the beveled inner sides of the teeth. The slots alone or in combination with the beveled inner sides of the teeth can be used to remove two shingle nails simultaneously. If any framing nails are encountered they can also be removed with a nail slot. 
     The front ends of the teeth are preferably spaced apart a distance greater than the normal width of roof framing members which members support roofing material such as sheathing boards, tin sections, etc. This allows the teeth to straddle a framing member with the teeth located under a sheathing board. Levering the teeth up by pivoting the blade about the back edge of the blade, while the back edge is on the framing member, will raise the sheathing board off the framing member. 
     The front ends of the two teeth are preferably pointed. This allows the front ends of the teeth to be easily inserted under shingles on the sheathing boards. The pointed front ends of the teeth, being spaced apart, also allow the tool to more easily straddle a framing member. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the two teeth extend forward from the sides of the front edge of the blade. The two teeth are relatively narrow, straight sided, spaced apart, and parallel. The teeth are pointed just at the front end. At least one, and preferably several, nail receiving slots are provided in the front edge of the blade between the teeth. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the teeth extend from nearly the entire length of the front edge and each tooth tapers to a point, the points spaced apart. 
     The blade, with the projecting teeth, makes it easier to lever up any nails, particularly framing nails, remaining in the roof. The teeth project forwardly from the front edge of the blade. The nail receiving slots project rearwardly from the front edge of the blade. This construction increases the lever arm for pulling up the nails when the nails are in the ends of the slots and the blade Is pivoted up about the pointed ends of the projecting teeth. 
     The invention is particularly directed toward a roofing tool having a generally quadratic blade with a front edge, a rear edge, and side edges joining the front and rear edges. A tubular socket for a handle extends upwardly and rearwardly from the top of the blade near its rear edge. The blade has two integral teeth projecting forwardly from the front edge of the blade, the forward ends of the teeth adapted to be easily slipped under roofing material to be removed. At least one nail receiving slot is provided in the blade between the teeth, the slot extending rearwardly from the front edge of the blade, so that a nail located in the end of the slot is located a considerable distance from the front of the teeth to provide a relatively long lever arm for lifting the nail. At least the inner sides of the teeth are beveled to allow the teeth to lift up shingle nails. 
     In a preferred embodiment the ends of the teeth are spaced a distance apart sufficient to allow at least a portion of the teeth to straddle a wood framing member, the teeth adapted to be manipulated to help loosen a sheathing board from a roof framing member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the roofing tool; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-section view taken along line  2 — 2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a detail plan view; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the tool in use; 
     FIGS. 5A to  5 C are side views showing the tool in use; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of a normal roof shingle arrangement; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of a variation of the tool shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the roofing tool; 
     FIG. 9 is a detail plan view of the tool shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tool in FIG. 8 in use; 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of another embodiment of the roofing tool; and 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of a variation of the tool shown in FIG.  11 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The roofing tool  1  shown in FIGS. 1 to  4  has a flat metal blade  3  with a generally quadratic or rectangular shape. The blade  3  has a front edge  5 , a rear edge  7  and side edges  9 , preferably parallel, joining the front and rear edges  5 ,  7 . 
     The blade  3  also has a pair of spaced-apart, relatively narrow, teeth  11  extending forwardly from the front edge  5 , the teeth in the same plane as the blade. The front ends of the teeth  11  are pointed as shown at  13 . The outer sides  15  of the teeth form continuations of the side edges  9  of the blade  3  and are generally aligned with them. The teeth  11  can range in length from about one half inch to about six inches but are generally in the longer length range. The top of each tooth  11 , at the pointed front end  13  and adjacent the sides  15 ,  19 , is preferably tapered or beveled as shown at  21  in FIG.  3 . 
     At least one nail receiving slot  25  extends inwardly or rearwardly from the front edge  5  between the teeth  11 . Preferably, a plurality of nail slots  25  are provided in the front edge  5  forming short parallel fingers  27 . At least one nail slot  29  also extends forwardly from the rear edge  7  of the blade  3 . The mouths of the slots  25 ,  29  are widened as shown at  31  to provide easier entry into the slots. The top surface of each finger  27  is tapered or beveled adjacent the front and sides of the finger as shown at  37 . The slots  25 ,  29  are sized to receive the shank S of a roofing or shingle nail N but will not pass the head H of the nail N as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The slots will also receive the shank of a framing nail, not shown, which nail is usually quite a bit longer than the roofing nail, but will not pass the head of the framing nail. 
     A camming plate  41  can be provided on each tooth  11 , the plate  41  centrally located on the tooth and extending rearwardly partly onto the blade  3 . The plate  41  is triangular in shape and is vertical on the horizontal blade  3 . The plate  41  has a camming top edge  43  that slopes upwardly from the front at a shallow angle Φ. The angle Φ can range between ten degrees and twenty degrees and is preferably around fifteen degrees. 
     Handle attachment means  51  are provided on the blade  3 . The handle attachment means comprise a short tubular member  53  fastened to the top of the blade  3  near its rear edge  7  and centrally located on the blade. The tubular member  53  slopes rearwardly and upwardly and receives a handle  55  for the tool. 
     The tool  1  is particularly adapted to remove roofing material such as sheathing boards B nailed to rafters or joists J. The tool can be placed adjacent the edge E of the board B, the tool straddling the joist J the board B is fastened to with the teeth  11  extending under the board, one on either side of the joist J as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A. The tool  1  can be pivoted about its front edge  5  to place the teeth  11 , and the camming plates  41  on the teeth, if used, snug against the bottom of the board B as shown in FIG.  5 B. Continued pivoting of the tool  1  will cause it to pivot about its rear edge  7  as shown in FIG. 5C to lever the board B up from the joist J by the front ends of the teeth  11 . 
     The tool  1  can also be used to remove shingles or similar roofing material by easily sliding the pointed ends  13 , of the teeth  11  under the shingles. The cam plates  41 , if used, start to lever the shingles up and then the blade  3  can be pivoted about the tips  13  of the teeth  11  to further lever the shingles up. The long teeth  11  increase the lever arm of the blade making it easier to lift the shingles. 
     The tool  1  can also be used to remove individual shingle nails. The individual shingle nails can be removed by using the slots  25 ,  29  or by using the beveled sides of the teeth  11 . The inner beveled side of a tooth  11  can be slipped under the head of a shingle nail and the tooth can be levered up about the tip of the tooth to lift the nail. The tool can be also be used to remove at least two shingle nails simultaneously. When shingles are applied to a roof, adjacent shingles  63 A,  63 B, in the same layer of shingles as shown in FIG. 6, have adjacent corners  65 A,  65 B. A roofing nail  67 A,  67 B is driven into each adjacent corner  65 A,  65 B as shown and thus the nails in these corners are adjacent as well. The tool can easily lift both adjacent corner nails  67 A,  67 B simultaneously by locating the nails in the slots  25  or by locating one nail in a slot  25  and another nail adjacent a beveled side of a tooth  11 . These adjacent nails may not always align up with  25  slots in the tool. However, since the fingers  27  are pointed, the nail shanks will slide at least part way into the slots. Having the fingers  27  beveled or tapered on the front and sides will allow the fingers to slide under the heads of the nails and allow them to be levered up even if they do not reach the end of the slots. 
     The tool  1  can also be used to lift framing nails such as those used to fasten sheathing boards to framing members. These nails are longer and often more securely held in the framing members. The tool is positioned to have the framing nail enter one of the slots  25  and the tool can be levered up against either the front of the projecting teeth  11  on the blade or the rear edge  7  of the blade. In either case, a long leverage arm makes it easier to withdraw the longer framing nails. Thus it is seen that the tool  1  is easily used both in shingling, to remove shingles and the associated shingle nails, and in demolition or renovation to remove roofing boards and the associated framing nails. 
     The blade  3 ′ of the tool of FIG. 1 can be modified to have a wider central slot  71  formed in the center of its front edge  5 ′ as shown in FIG.  7 . The wide central slot  71  is centrally located in the front edge  51  of the blade and has a width at the front edge  5 ′ slightly wider than the normal spacing between adjacent corner shingle hails N in adjacent corners of adjacent shingles. The wide slot  71  tapers down toward a single narrow slot  73  similar to the slots  25  in tool  1 . Although not shown, additional slots  73 , similar to slots  25 , could be provided on either side of the wide slot  71  as well. The side edges  75  defining the wide slot  71  are preferably beveled as shown by the surfaces  77  as are the sides  79  of the narrow slot  73  as shown by the surfaces  81 . The wide slot  71  allows a framing nail to be directed into the bottom or closed end  83  of the narrow slot  81  which bottom  83  is located farther away from the front edge  51  of the blade than the bottoms of the slots  25  in blade  3 . This allows more leverage about the front edge  5 ′ of the blade to more easily lift the framing nail from a frame member straddled by the tool. The wide entrance to the wide slot  71  also allows the tool to pick up two adjacent corner shingle nails N on the beveled side edges  75  allowing them to be lifted simultaneously,. 
     In another embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGS. 8 to  10 , the tool  101  has a flat, metal blade  103  with a generally quadratic or rectangular shape with a front edge  105 , a rear edge  107  and side edges  109  which preferably are parallel. The blade  103  has two large front teeth  111 ,  113  that extend forwardly from the front edge  105 , the teeth  111 ,  113 , the teeth in the same plane as the blade  103 . The bases  115 ,  117  of the teeth extend nearly across the front edge  105  with a narrow, central space between them. The teeth  111 ,  113  taper from their bases  115 ,  117  to a point  119 ,  121  with the points  119 ,  121  spaced a considerable distance apart. The tops of the teeth  111 ,  113  adjacent at least their inner sides can be tapered or beveled as shown at  127 ,  129 . A nail receiving slot  135  extends rearwardly from the front edge  105  of the blade between the teeth  111 ,  113 . One of more nail receiving slots  137  can be provided in the rear edge  107  of the blade extending forwardly. The slots  135 ,  137  are similar to the slots  25 ,  29 , widened at their mouth, and sized to receive the shank of a roofing nail or framing nail but unable to pass the head of the nail. 
     The blade  103  can have camming plates  141 , one located centrally on each tooth  111 ,  113 , the camming plates tapered toward the front and having a top camming edge  143  that angles up toward the back at a shallow angle ≳. The plates  141  extend from the teeth  111 ,  113  onto the top of the blade  103 . 
     The blade  103  also has handle attachment means  155  in the form of a tubular member  157  that is near the back edge  107  and extends upwardly and rearwardly from the top of the blade. The tubular member  157  is centrally located on the blade and receives the handle  159  of the tool. 
     This tool is also adapted to remove building material such as sheathing boards. The tool can be placed to have the teeth  111 ,  113  straddle a joist J adjacent the edge E of the board B as shown in FIG.  9  and the blade  103  is pivoted on the joist, about the inner edge  161 ,  163  of the teeth, to place the front of the teeth adjacent the bottom of the board B. The blade  103  is then pivoted about its rear edge  107 , which rests on the joist J, to lever the board up via the front ends of the teeth  111 ,  113 . 
     The tool  101  is also useful in removing shingles, the blade manipulated to slide the pointed, beveled, ends  119 ,  121  of the teeth under the shingles to have the camming plates initially cam the shingles upwardly. The blade can then be pivoted up about the front ends of its teeth to lever the shingles upwardly The tool  101  can also be used to remove shingle or framing nails with the nail slots  135 ,  137 . The front teeth  111 ,  113  can also be used to remove two shingle nails at once, if desired. As shown in FIG.  8 . the inner edges  161 ,  163  of the tapered teeth  111 ,  113  can be jammed on the outside of the shanks of two adjacent nails, N′, N″, under their heads, because the sides are beveled. The blade can then be levered up about the points  119 ,  121  of the teeth  111 ,  113  to remove both nails N′, N″ simultaneously. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 11, the roofing tool  201  has a flat metal blade  203  with two truncated teeth  205 ,  207  extending forwardly from the front edge  209  of the blade  203 . The outside edges  211 ,  213  of the teeth  205 ,  207  are preferably aligned with the sides  215 ,  217  of the blade. The inside edges  221 ,  223  of the teeth are angled toward each other. The front edges  225 ,  227  of the teeth  205 ,  207  are spaced wide enough apart to enable the teeth to receive a framing member, such as two by four, between them. This allows the tool to lever up sheathing boards when straddling framing members. The teeth in this embodiment are blunt with straight front edges  225 ,  227 . However, the teeth  205 ,  207  are beveled back from the front edges  225 ,  227  as shown by beveled surfaces  231 ,  233  so that the teeth can be easily inserted under shingles and like roofing material. 
     The inner sides  221 ,  223  of the teeth  205 ,  207  are beveled as well as shown by surfaces  239 ,  241 . A nail receiving slot  245  is provided in the front of the blade  203 . The nail slot  245  is preferably centrally located in the blade and extends rearwardly from the front edge  209 . The slot  245  can receive the shanks of either shingle nails or framing nails. The teeth  205 ,  207 , extending forwardly from the front edge  209  of the blade, extend the leverage of the blade when it is tipped up about the front edges  225 ,  227  of the teeth to more easily lift up the nails caught in the slot  245 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 12, the tool  301  can have a blade  303  with short, wide teeth  305 ,  307  extending forwardly from its front edge  309 . A central nail receiving slot  311  extends inwardly from the front edge  309  of the blade  303 . The inner sides  315 ,  317  of the teeth  305 ,  307  are angled toward each other and toward the mouth of the slot  311  and form a tapered entrance  321  to the slot  311 . The inner sides  315 ,  317  of the teeth  305 ,  307  in this embodiment are just slightly wider at the mouth of the entrance  321  than the normal distance between adjacent corner roofing nails in adjacent corners of adjacent shingles. This allows the entrance  321  to receive closely adjacent shingle nails so as to be able to lift both simultaneously. The inner sides  315 ,  317  of the entrance  321  are beveled as shown by the surfaces  325 ,  327  to be able to slide under the heads of roofing nails. The wide, front edges  331 ,  333  of the teeth  3 . 05 ,  307 , extending parallel to the front edge  309  of the blade, are also beveled rearwardly as shown by the surfaces  335 ,  337  to allow the teeth to more easily slip under roofing material. 
     The blades  3 ′,  203  and  303  shown in FIGS. 7,  11  and  12  can also have a camming plate, similar to the camming plates  41  associated with blade  3 , associated with each tooth. 
     The various tools have been described as roofing tools but they can also be used to remove material from other building surfaces such as floors, walls and ceilings. The tools can be used in removing material to repair the building or to demolish it.