Abstract:
A composite shingle, comprising a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, the thickness of the buttlap portion is approximately between ¼ inch and ¾ inch, tab cuts that extend completely through the buttlap portion to create separate tabs, the tab cuts disposed along the lower buttlap portion edge such that the width of the separate tab have random appearance; wherein after installation of a plurality of the composite shingles, each tab appears to be a separate shingle. A method of covering a surface with composite shingles comprising providing a plurality of composite shingles having a thickness approximating the thickness of a wood shingle, wherein the plurality of composite shingles each have a width of between approximately 2 inches and approximately 10 inches; and attaching the plurality of composite shingles to the surface in a fashion similar to and/or identical to attachment of a wood shingle to a surface.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/337,305, filed on Nov. 5, 2001, which is expressly incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to roofing systems, and in particular to a composite shingle, a method of manufacture, a method of packaging, and a method of installation thereof.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Conventional roof coverings for sloped roofs include composite shingles, cedar shingles, wooden shakes, sheet metal, slate, clay and concrete tile. Sheet metal, clay and slate are advantageous because of their high weatherability. One of the problems with clay tile and slate roofs is that the clay and slate tiles require significant labor to apply. The composite or wood shingles are nailable and are simply nailed to a roof deck in courses, usually from the bottom or eave to the top or ridge of the roof. Clay, concrete and slate tiles are heavier than composite shingles, and require more support to hold up the roof. The installed cost of clay and slate tiles exceeds that of composite shingles. Clay and slate tiles are inherently fragile, and suffer much breakage during shipping and installation. These materials are fragile even after installation on the roof, and can be damaged by foot traffic on the roof.  
           [0004]    Wooden shingles and shakes are generally flat boards, usually of cedar or other coniferous trees. A cedar shingle is generally ⅜″ thick and a wooden shake is generally ⅝″ thick. The wooden shingles or shakes are nailed in courses on the roof deck, with the exposed or tab portions of the shingles of a subsequent course being laid over the headlap portions of the previous course of shingles. The shingles are cut so that the wood grain runs up the slope of the roof for an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The cutting of the wood, and the subsequent weathering of the shingles after installation on the roof create grooves and ridges running in the direction of the wood grain.  
           [0005]    One of the desirable attributes of any roofing material is to be able to resist fires. This is particularly true in regions having a hot and dry climate, although fire resistance is desirable everywhere. A particularly important aspect of fire resistance is the ability of the roofing material to prevent a fire from burning through the roofing material to thereby expose the roof deck or interior of the building to the fire. Metal roofs and clay and tile roofs have inherent advantages in fire resistance over wood shingle roofs. Composite shingles are sufficiently fire resistant to obtain a Class A fire rating when measured by appropriate tests. Wooden shingles, even when treated with a fire retardant material, are not generally fire resistant and cannot achieve a Class A fire rating. From a fire resistance perspective, a disadvantage of wooden shingles is that they must be applied in a spaced-apart arrangement to allow room for expansion. Because of the propensity of wooden shingles to absorb water, they also tend to curl and not remain flat on the roof. Wood shingles are particularly prone to failing the fire tests because of the gaps between adjacent shingles Because of fire safety concerns, in some jurisdictions it is now illegal to install any roof with less than a Class A rating, including all currently available wooden shingle roof materials.  
           [0006]    For historical reasons, composite shingles are also often referred to as asphalt shingles even if modem composite shingles do not contain asphalt. Manufacturers of composite shingles have, for many years, endeavored to produce shingles that resemble natural materials in appearance. Typical materials that manufacturers have sought to have composite shingles resemble are natural slate tiles and cedar shingles. Techniques that manufacturers have employed have included applying an overlay to the shingle, or making a multiple-layered or laminated shingle. Such shingles are typically manufactured in a variety of weights and colors.  
           [0007]    Improvements in shingle manufacturing have been subtle, often being devoted to the simulation of wood or other natural appearing shingles, having natural appearing textures. Some approaches have been toward applying granules of various color configurations. Other developments have applied shadow bands to give the appearance of depth at various locations along the shingles. Still other techniques have involved irregular cuts in the buttlap portion of the shingles, in an attempt to give a scalloped or random appearance.  
           [0008]    Attempts have been made to produce more irregular surface contours, which would give the shingle a bulkier appearance. Examples of such composite shingles are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,099,131 to Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,058 to Slocum; and D369,421 to Kiik, et al. The complete disclosures of these patents are herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0009]    Various composite shingles have been developed in an attempt to provide an appearance of thickness comparable to wood shingles. Examples of such composite shingles are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,358 to Bettoli; U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,614 to Bondoc, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,530 to Malmquist, et al.; and U.S. Pat. Des. No. 309,027 to Noone, et al. The complete disclosures of these patents are herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0010]    In U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,837 to Kopenhaver, an overlay is taught, whereby, a first single layer of shingle is made, comprised of a mat, asphalt, and granules on an upper surface. The first single layer thus made receives an overlay in the form of an additional partial coating of asphalt, which in turn, receives additional granules thereon, creating localized areas of additional thickness on the shingle, with such areas of additional thickness having an ornamentation appearance. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,162, to Bush et al, teaches a process of continually making a composite laminated shingle. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,361, to Hannah, et al, teaches a laminated shingle in which the shingle is comprised of a base layer and a secondary layer, and with a partial top layer. Each of the layers is comprised of an asphaltic web with granules applied to the top of the web. The final shingle has some portions being of two-layer thickness and other portions being of three-layer thickness. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,186, to Weaver, teaches a laminated composite shingle with an illusion of depth created by a value gradation from a light color to a dark color in a portion of the buttlap section. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,263, to Sieling , et al., teaches a rectangular roofing shingle having dissimilarly shaped, space-separated, snaggle-toothed sections in the buttlap portion of the shingle. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,843, to Kalkanoglu et al., describes a shingle and method for making multi-tab composite shingles having a thicker appearance for the tabs than the actual thickness of the shingle. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,329, to King, et al., describes a method and apparatus of making a laminated roofing shingle. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,512, to Thompson et al., describes a method of applying tiles to a roof in a random appearing manner so as to try to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0018]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,648, to Freshwater, et al., describes a laminated composite shingle, the shingle having color striations across at least some parts of the buttlap portion in an attempt to improve the aesthetic appearance of the shingle. The complete disclosure of this patent is herein incorporated by reference.  
           [0019]    Unfortunately, current manufacturing and installation methods of composite shingle roofing material result in roof with a less aesthetically pleasing appearance than a wood shingle or slate tile roof.  
           [0020]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite shingle that will give the appearance of a wood shingles or a slate tile after installation.  
           [0021]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of installing a plurality composite shingles to give the appearance of a wood shingle or a slate tile roof.  
           [0022]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing shingles that can be readily installed on a building surface to give the appearance of a wood shingle or slate tile roof.  
           [0023]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of packaging composite shingles of various widths.  
           [0024]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following summary of the invention, brief description of the drawing figures, detailed description of the invention and the appended claims.  
         SUMMARY OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
         [0025]    In accordance to the present invention, there has now been developed a composite shingle and a method of installation that has the aesthetically pleasing appearance of a wooden shingle or slate tile roof. The prior art has taught that it is a disadvantage that wooden shingles or slate tiles must be installed in a spaced-apart arrangement to allow for expansion. However, this spaced-apart arrangement is in part what creates an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Likewise, the propensity of wooden shingles to curl and not remain flat on the roof creates random shadow lines that are also part of the aesthetically pleasing appearance. Additionally, because of the subsequent weathering of the wooden shingles after installation, variations between shingles in the grooves and ridges in the wood grain and variations in the color creates part of the aesthetically pleasing appearance. Even slight differences in color between neighboring shingles will add to an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Further still, after installation the width of each wood shingle or slate tile on the roof usually varies in width from the neighboring wood shingles or slate tiles. This random width also adds to the aesthetically pleasing appearance. Also, upon installation the butt edge portion of a wooden shingle or slate tile will often vary slightly from neighboring shingles or tiles. The slight random positioning of the shingles or tiles upon installation adds to the aesthetically pleasing appearance. Another random aspect of natural roofing material that adds to the aesthetically pleasing appearance is a slight variation in thickness between neighboring shingles or tiles. Past attempts to make and install composite shingles having the aesthetically pleasing appearance of wooden shingles or slate tiles have failed to duplicate one or more of the aesthetical characteristics of a wood shingle roof or a slate tile roof.  
           [0026]    Currently available shingles attempt to create the illusion of the dimensions a wood shingles or slate tiles instead of actually approximating the same dimensions. An advantage of having composite shingles that are wider than wood shingles is a decrease in installation cost. However, wider composite shingles have up until now suffered from a decreased aesthetic appearance and a decrease in perceived value compared to natural roofing material. Perhaps because of concerns of having the nails from the underlying course show through the buttlap portion, currently available composite shingles almost always have a solid buttlap layer. Tab shingles are available, but these do not have random widths because of the problem with nails showing from the underlying course. A “tab shingle” is defined as a shingle with a cut completely through all layers of the buttlap portion of the shingle.  
           [0027]    Historically, craftsman attempted to make perfect wood shingles or slate tiles. However, these craftsmen were limited by nature. In the past 100 years, the quality of manufacturing techniques has improved to the point where it is possible to create an almost perfect shingle. From an aesthetic point of view, composite roofing material is made too perfectly. Nature is not perfectly uniform, and as part of nature, people are inherently uncomfortable in a perfectly uniform setting. A perfectly uniform roof does not create the same aesthetically pleasing appearance as a roof with slight random variations.  
           [0028]    The present invention is directed to using composite shingles in a novel manner to create the aesthetically pleasing appearance of a wood shingle roof or a slate tile roof. None of the prior art approaches of manufacturing or installing composite shingles focused on making the thickness of the shingle, the width of the shingle, the spacing between shingles, the butt end alignment of the shingles, and the color of the shingle match a wood shingle roof or slate tile roof. To more accurately approximate the appearance of a wood shingle roof, random appearing dimensions and colors need to be incorporated into the roofing material and/or installation. For the most aesthetically pleasing appearance, after installation each tab of a composite shingle needs to appear to be an independent shingle.  
           [0029]    In one embodiment, a pseudo-wood shingle is created with the same dimensions as a cedar shingle. Each pseudo-wood shingle is an independent shingle, and thus the slight randomness in spacing and alignment inherent in hand installation will add to the aesthetically pleasing appearance of the roof.  
           [0030]    In another embodiment of the present invention, a random tab composite shingle is provided with random tab widths, random cut widths between tabs, random tab colors, and/or random butt edge alignment. The tabs may also be of slightly random thickness.  
           [0031]    In another embodiment of the present invention, when a plurality of the random tab composite shingles described herein are installed to a surface, the composite shingles give the appearance of independent wood shingles.  
           [0032]    In another embodiment of the present invention, composite shingles are provided with a thickness and width approximating a wood shingle. Individual shingles vary in widths less than 18 inches, preferably from between 2 inches and 13 inches, more preferable between 4 inches and 8 inches. These shingles are called “pseudo-wood” shingles.  
           [0033]    In another embodiment of the present invention, when a plurality of the composite shingles described herein are installed on a roof, the roof will have a Class A fire barrier rating.  
           [0034]    In another aspect of the present invention, composite shingles are sorted and packaged by color groups and/or dimensional groups for delivery to construction sites.  
           [0035]    In another embodiment of the present invention, composite shingles are provided with a width and thickness approximating a slate tile. Individual shingles vary in widths less than 24 inches, preferably from between 12 inches and 16 inches. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0036]    [0036]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a random tab shingle of the present invention.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2A is a top plan view of a laminated composite shingle.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 2B is a front plan view of a laminated composite shingle.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partial roofing section after installation in a thatch style of the pseudo-wood tab shingles by the method of the present invention.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a partial roofing section after a typical installation of the pseudo-wood tab shingles by the method of the present invention.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a partial roofing section after a typical installation of the pseudo-wood tab shingles by the method of the present invention.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a partial roofing section after a typical installation of the random tab shingles of the present invention.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the butt edge alignment of either pseudo-wood shingles, a random tab shingle, or pseudo-slate tiles.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 8 is an exploded isometric view showing the sectioned shingle components of the present invention.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 9 is a front plan view of the sectioned shingles of the present invention.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the sectioned shingles of the present invention and a pseudo-wood shingle of the present invention.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 11 is an illustration showing possible variations in colors and dimensions of the random tab composite shingles or the pseudo-wood composite shingles of the present invention after a typical installation.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a diamond pattern installation and of a scallops or “fish scales” installation. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0049]    First Embodiment—Random Tab Composite Shingle  
         [0050]    In FIGS. 1 and 6, the reference number  10  generally designates the random tab shingle of the present invention. Shingle  10  has a body portion of a generally flat or planar, polygonal configuration. Preferably, shingle  10  is of rectangular configuration. Shingle  10  has a headlap portion  112  and a buttlap portion  113 . Cuts  101  are made through all layers of the butlap portion  113 , creating tabs  105 - 109 . Cuts  101  are preferably random appearing in width, approximately {fraction (1/4)}″ with variations preferably of plus or minus {fraction (1/16)}″. Thus, cuts  101  will give a spaced-apart appearance of approximately {fraction (1/4)}″ between tab  105  and  106 , as well as between tabs  106  and  107 , etc. Cuts  101  are made along the buttlap portion such that they create random appearing widths  115 - 119  in tabs  105 - 109 . Tab width  115 - 119  are less than 18″, preferably between 2″ and 13″, more preferably between 4″ and 8″. For illustration purposes only, in FIG. 1 tab width 105 is 5″, tab width 106 is 8″, tab width  107  is 4″, tab width 108 is 3″, etc. Nail targets  102  are marked on the top portion of shingle  10  in headlap portion  112 . On the topside of shingle  10  is glue strip  103 . The alignment of lower tab edge  104  is optionally random appearing. Lower tab edge  104  is preferably within ⅛″ of the neighboring lower tab edges, more preferably within {fraction (1/16)}″ of neighboring lower tab edges. Perforations  110  run up from cuts  101  through the headlap portion  112 . This allows easy of separation between any of tabs  105 - 109 . Preferably, the colors of each of tabs  105 - 109  appear to be random. The thickness  111  is preferred the same as a cedar shingle, that is ⅜″. Thickness  111  can also be that of a wood shake or other natural roofing material. Further, thickness  111  can vary slightly between tabs neighboring. Thus, in one embodiment, the random tab composite shingle may include random appearing tab widths  115 - 119 , random appearing tab thickness  111 , random appearing widths of cuts  101 , random appearing colors of tabs  105 - 109 , and random appearing lower edge alignment  104  of tabs  105 - 109 .  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 6 shows a partial installation of random tab composite shingles. First course  601  is installed in the standard manner for composite shingles. The starter course  602  is completely covered by the first course  601 , except at cuts  101 . In the example shown, shingle  10  is secured to the roof by attaching shingle  10  to the roof at nail targets  102 . The second course  603  covers the headlap portion of first course  601 , third course  604  covers the headlap portion of second course  603 , and fourth course  605  covers the headlap portion of third course  604 .  
         [0052]    After installation, each tab of the random tab composite shingle will appear to be independent from the neighboring tabs.  
         [0053]    Second Embodiment—Pseudo-wood Shingle and Installation Thereof  
         [0054]    In FIGS. 2 and 8, the reference number  20  generally designates a currently available composite shingle. FIGS. 2A and 2B show a bi-laminated composite shingle. The Owens Corning® thirty year composite shingle is one example of a composite shingle as shown in FIG. 2. Other shingles can be substituted for the Owens Corning® composite shingle and still practice the invention described herein. Shingle  20  is cut vertically along cut line  208 . Cut line  208  is preferably along the edge of tab lines  209 , through buttlap portion  22 , and extends vertically through headlap portion  21 . This creates sectioned shingles  202 ,  204  and  206  of single thickness, and sectioned shingles  201 ,  203  and  205  of double thickness, as shown in FIG. 8. The cutting of the shingles can easily be done with a razor, shear, knife, or other cutting means.  
         [0055]    Sectioned shingles  201 - 206  are sorted according to width and thickness, as shown in FIG. 9. Single thickness shingles are matched with double thickness shingles of similar widths. In the example shown in FIG. 9, sectioned shingle  202  is matched with sectioned shingle  203 , and sectioned shingle  204  is matched with sectioned shingle  205 .  
         [0056]    Sectioned shingles of similar widths are stacked on top of each other until the desired thickness is achieved. A cedar shingle is approximately {fraction (3/8)}″ thick. The Owens Corning® thirty year composite shingles achieves this thickness by stacking one single layer shingle with one double layer shingle, or three single layer shingles. This process can be used to “build-up” any desired thickness. Shake shingles are typically ⅝″ thickness, so if this thickness is desired a total of five layers need to be stacked on top of each other. Lamination is achieved in part by the glue strips  207  on the backside of the shingle. Heat from the sun melts glue strips  207  and causes the shingles to adhere to each other and act as one shingle. For example, in FIG. 10, sectioned shingle  202  adheres to shingle  203  and creates pseudo-wood shingle  1001 .  
         [0057]    By laminating sectioned shingles in the fashion described, pseudo-wood shingle  1001  looks and installs in a the same fashion as a traditional wood shingle. However, the greater ease of cutting and nailing that comes from composition shingles is also achieved in the pseudo-wood shingle.  
         [0058]    On a typical roof installation, the roof is prepared in a manner typical to that for a standard composition roof, preferably as required by the Uniform Building Code.  
         [0059]    An example of a “thatched roof” style of installation of the pseudo-wood shingles is shown in FIG. 3. Starter course  301  is installed, in a manner as required by the installation. This usually includes roofing paper  302  under the starter course  301 . The pseudo-wood shingles of first course  303  are then installed in the same fashion as a traditional wood shingle roof. Subsequent courses  304  are also installed in the traditional fashion.  
         [0060]    An example of a standard wood shingle installation method is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, the buttlap portion  401  of the pseudo-wood shingles covers nailing  402  of the previous course. Roofing paper  302  is completely covered by the pseudo-wood shingles.  
         [0061]    In FIG. 5, spacing  504  between each pseudo-wood shingle is the same as spacing between traditional wood shingles on a roof, or approximately {fraction (1/4)}″ to ⅜″. Nails  503  are covered by the buttlap portion of the subsequent courses. For illustration purposes, the color of pseudo-wood shingle  501  is different than pseudo-wood shingle  502 .  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 7 illustrates how the lower edge portion of a shingle can vary. Reference numbers  71 - 74  designate separate pseudo-wood shingles or individual tabs of s random tab shingle. For illustration purposes, in this example lower edge alignment  701  varies slightly with lower edge alignment  702 . Lower edge alignment  703  is not exactly perpendicular to the roof edge (not shown). Lower edge alignment  704  is almost identical to lower edge alignment  701 . An unlimited number of variations are possible while still maintaining a slight random appearance to the lower edge alignment.  
         [0063]    A finished roof is shown in FIG. 11. Either random tab shingles  10  or pseudo-wood shingles  20  may be used to create the appearance of a wood roof. Reference numbers  1101 - 1106  designate separate pseudo-wood shingles or individual tabs of random tab shingles. Shingles  1101 - 1106  may appear to be of random width, spacing, thickness, alignment, and color.  
         [0064]    Third Embodiment—Off-site Manufacture of Shingles  
         [0065]    In another embodiment of the present invention, a single layer of a composite shingle is manufactured to be approximately the thickness of a wood shingle. This single layer is then cut to approximate the dimensions of wood shingles, creating a plurality of pseudo-wood shingles. The pseudo-wood shingles may then be sorted by width and/or color. The pseudo-wood shingles may also be packaged with a plurality of widths and/or colors being provided in each unit.  
         [0066]    Fourth Embodiment—Fancy Butts and Other Applications  
         [0067]    A fancy butt is an exposed end of a shingle that is cut to create a decorative effect. Examples are shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12A shows a diamond pattern. The buttlap portion of the shingle is cut as is well known in the art. FIG. 12B shows a scallop or “fish scale” style.  
         [0068]    Fifth Embodiment—Standard Size Composite Shingle with Perforations or Grooves  
         [0069]    In another embodiment of the present invention, shingle  20  is made as is known in the art, as shown in FIG. 2. During or after manufacture, perforations or grooves are made in shingle  20  at cut lines  208 . Sectioned shingles  201 - 206  are easily separated from each other, and pseudo-wood shingles are created. Each of sectioned shingles  201 - 206  may be a different random appearing color from the neighboring sectioned shingle.  
         [0070]    Sixth Embodiment—Thick Composite Shingle with Perforations or Grooves  
         [0071]    In another embodiment of the present invention, a composite shingle of approximately {fraction (3/8)}″ thickness or more is made, as is known in the art. (Not shown.) During or after manufacture, perforations or grooves are made in the thick shingle at random appearing widths. Pseudo-wood shingles are created by separating the thick shingle at the perforations or grooves. The buttlap portion of the thick shingle between the perforations or grooves may be of random appearing colors.  
         [0072]    Seventh Embodiment—Pseudo-slate Tile and Random Tab Slate Shingle  
         [0073]    The principles described in the first through seventh embodiments will also apply to slate tiles. Specifically, this includes random appearance in shingle width, spaced-apart installation, shingle butt end alignment, shingle thickness, and shingle color. Composite shingles can be manufactured following an analogous format for both the pseudo-wood shingle and the random tab shingle of the first embodiment. Installation methods of the pseudo-slate shingle