Patent ID: 7510622

Claim:
A method of making a shingle in a manufacturing environment, in which the shingle has a butt region and a tab region with the tab region having decorative granules applied thereto, the method comprising: (a) providing a shingle-forming layer comprised of shingle reinforcement material impregnated with a bitumen material, the layer having a butt region and a tab region, and including the step of delivering the layer along a longitudinal path; (b) optionally, providing a layer of headlap granules on an upper surface of at least the butt region of the shingle-forming layer; (c) applying a plurality of marks to the shingle-forming layer, with the marks being provided at predetermined longitudinally spaced-apart distances from each other and being applied independently of and synchronized to control the timing and placement of features of subsequent shingle-completion steps; and (d) sensing the locations of the marks and then actuating any of the following subsequent shingle-completion steps as a function of the placement of the marks on the shingle-forming layer: (i) controlling the humidity of the shingle manufacturing environment, for controlling expansion and contraction of at least portions of the shingle being manufactured; (ii) controlling the discharge of decorative granules from a granule applicator; and (iii) controlling the relative positions of at least one granule applicator and the shingle-forming layer.