Laminated shingle with spacer bands for level stacking

Abstract

A roofing shingle includes a shingle overlay sheet, a shingle underlay sheet, and at least one shingle spacer. The underlay sheet and the spacer sheet are secured to the overlay sheet in a manner to prevent humping when the shingles are formed into bundles.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to roofing shingles, and more particularly to an improved laminated shingle which lies flat when the laminated shingle is stacked with other similar laminated shingles. The improved shingle also provides a suitably wide zone for nailing the shingles to a roof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is well known in the roofing industry that irregularity or variation in shingle design provides a roof that is aesthetically pleasing and in popular demand. Mass produced asphalt roofing shingles of the ordinary three-tab variety, when placed on the roof, result in a roof that sometimes appears flat, dimensionless and uninteresting. Shingle manufacturers have attempted to provide a better appearance to such roofs by using variations in the thickness and in the tab cutout design of shingles. The goal is to produce a random looking sequence or pattern of shingles on the roof, similar to the appearance given by a roof shingled with wood shingles having varying widths, lengths and thicknesses.

[0003] Innovations to improve the random-like character of shingles include the use of laminated shingles. A common type of laminated shingle consists of an overlay having tabs and cutouts in the exposed portion of the shingle, and an underlay adhered to the rear of the overlay below the tabs and cutouts. The laminated shingle includes laminated or double-layered portions where the overlay and underlay overlap, and nonlaminated or single-layered, portions where the underlay portions and overlay portions do not overlap. The laminated portions include tab areas and a longitudinal central area of the shingle between the inner ends of the cutouts and the top end of the underlay. The nonlaminated portions include the areas of the cutouts, and the area of the shingle that does not include the underlay.

[0004] After manufacture, the laminated shingles are packaged in a stack or bundle of the shingles. The laminated shingles are often stacked by turning every other shingle 180.degree. relative to the adjacent shingles. This stacking method attempts to minimize uneven build-up in the bundle caused by the differences in thickness between the area of the shingle that includes the underlay and the area that does not include the underlay. However, unevenness, or "humping" problems occur along the central area of the bundle because the longitudinal central areas of the shingles are double-layered whereas the cutout areas of the shingles on the sides of the central areas are single-layered, similar to that as described in detail in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,812, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] The difference in the thickness of the finished shingle causes a hump or ridge along the central area of the bundle that becomes progressively higher as the number of shingles in the bundle is increased. When multiple shingle bundles are stacked on a pallet, the humps amplify themselves and can cause such problems as instability of the stacked bundles, high contact pressures on the bundles at the intersections of the overlapping bundles, and unsightly pallet build-up. The high contact pressures caused by the weight of the stacked bundles on lower stacked bundles can cause shingle deformation and sticking between individual shingles.

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved shingle which lies flat when stacked with other similar shingles, thereby reducing humping when the shingle is stacked with others of the shingle.

[0007] Further, in certain types of shingles it is especially desired that the shingles define a sufficiently wide area, often known in the industry as the "nail zone", where the nail penetrates both layers of a laminated shingle as described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,265 to Malarkey, which is incorporated herein by reference. A wide nail zone makes installation of roofs using such elaborately laminated shingles more efficient and secure. It is especially desired that the shingles define a nail zone that allows the installers to have some latitude in the nail placement. Because the nails installed in each course of shingles on a roof are covered by the succeeding course of shingles installed on the roof, the nail zone must exist above the cutouts in the overlay sheet, but must reside below the top of the underlay to capture both layers.

[0008] As noted above, it is preferred that the nail zone includes both the overlay and underlay layers, so the installed nails penetrate both layers. Because of the humping issue described above, typically the underlay is less than half the height of the overlay so within a bundle of shingles, adjacent shingles are stacked so as to nest the single layer in the headlap area against the double layer of an adjacent flipped shingle, resulting in a relatively consistent thickness along the width of the stacked shingles. However, due to the relatively short distance between the top of the cutout between the tabs of the overlay and the top of the underlay in the prior art shingle, the nail zone is typically narrow, as described in detail in Malarkey '265.

[0009] Malarkey '265 attempts to address the narrow nail zone issue by providing a wider underlay with asphalt removed from a portion of the underlay, to minimize the thickness in the overlap area of stacked shingles within a bundle. Unfortunately, Malarkey still creates extra thickness in the center of the shingle. Because each shingle has this extra thickness, when stacked in a bundle of shingles, this cumulative excess thickness continues to create a humping issue for the bundle, similar to that described above. Additionally, Malarkey requires the asphalt to be removed from the underlay in this area, which creates manufacturing issues.

[0010] As such, there is also a need for d shingles where the underlay portions have a width that is at least about 50%, or greater, in width as the width of the overlay portion and which is simple to manufacture. This greater width of the underlay portion, however, exacerbates the problems of humping in stacks of shingles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention relates to a d roofing shingle for at least partially covering a roof deck surface. The shingle includes at least one shingle overlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; at least one shingle underlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; and at least one shingle spacer sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface. The shingle underlay sheet is aligned, and in certain embodiments, laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet. The at least one shingle spacer sheet is secured to, and in certain embodiments, laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet is held in a spaced apart and parallel relationship to the roof deck surface. The upper edge of the shingle overlay sheet and the upper edge of the shingle spacer sheet can be aligned in various configurations. Also, in certain embodiments, the shingle underlay sheet and the shingle spacer sheet are laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the lower edge of the shingle spacer sheet and the upper edge of the shingle underlay sheet define a gap therebetween.

[0012] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a bundle of roofing shingles for at least partially covering a roof deck surface. The bundle comprising a plurality of shingles includes at least a first shingle and at least a second shingle where at least one of the pluralities of roofing shingles is stacked upon another of the plurality of roofing shingles.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the upper edges of the overlay sheet and spacer sheet of the at least first shingle are aligned with the upper edges of the overlay sheet and spacer sheet of the at least second shingle. Also, in certain embodiments, each shingle has the shingle underlay sheet and the shingle spacer sheet laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the lower edge of the shingle spacer sheet and the upper edge of the shingle underlay sheet define a gap therebetween.

[0014] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of reducing humping of a bundle of roofing shingles when one or more roofing shingles are stacked with others of the roofing shingles. The roofing shingles are useful for at least partially covering a roof deck surface, the bundle comprising a plurality of shingles including at least a first shingle and at least a second shingle. The shingle includes at least one shingle overlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface. The shingle underlay sheet has an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface. At least one shingle spacer sheet has an upper edge, a lower edge a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface. The shingle underlay sheet is secured to, and in certain embodiments, laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet. The at least one shingle spacer sheet is laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet is held in a spaced apart and parallel relationship to the roof deck surface. The method includes providing the shingle overlay and the shingle underlay; aligning the shingle underlay with the shingle overlay, and aligning the at one spacer sheet with the shingle overlay. In certain embodiments the method includes a step of aligning the spacer sheet with the overlay sheet by aligning the upper edge of the shingle overlay sheet and the upper edge of the spacer sheet.

[0015] Other advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a shingle manufacturing operation capable of making shingles having a spacer sheet of material therein.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view of another shingle manufacturing operation capable of making shingles having a spacer sheet of material therein.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a shingle, partially in phantom and partially broken away, having a spacer sheet of material therein.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a plan view of an overlay sheet of the shingle shown in FIG. 3.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a plan view of an underlay sheet of the shingle shown in FIG. 3.

[0021] FIG. 6A is a perspective view, partially in phantom, of a shingle, having a spacer sheet of material therein.

[0022] FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a prior art shingle.

[0023] FIG. 6C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shingle of FIG. 6A.

[0024] FIG. 7 is a schematic side elevational view of another embodiment of a shingle having a spacer sheet of material therein.

[0025] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one method for stacking shingles.

[0026] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another method for stacking shingles.

[0027] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another method for stacking shingles.

[0028] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another method for stacking shingles.

[0029] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another method for stacking shingles.

[0030] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another method for stacking shingles.

[0031] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternate shingle according to the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of two shingles from FIG. 14 in an installed position.

[0033] FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of two shingles from FIG. 14 in a stacked position.

[0034] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Composite shingles, such as asphalt shingles, are a commonly used roofing product. Asphalt shingle production generally includes feeding a base material from a roll fed downstream and coating it first with a composite material, then a layer of granules. The base material is typically made from a fiberglass mat provided in a continuous shingle membrane or sheet. It should be understood that the base material can be any suitable support material.

[0041] The composite material, such as an asphalt material, is added to the continuous shingle membrane for strength and improved weathering characteristics. The composite material can be any suitable material, preferably low in cost, durable, and resistant to fire. The layer of granules is typically applied with one or more granule applicators, such as pneumatic blenders, to the asphalt material covering the continuous shingle membrane. The pneumatic blender is a type of granule applicator known in the art. The granules shield the asphalt material from direct sunlight, offer resistance to fire, and provide texture to the shingle. The granules can be colored in a way known in the art, preferably before being applied to the asphalt coated continuous shingle membrane. The granules are preferably applied to the continuous shingle membrane in color patterns to provide the shingles with an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0042] The description and drawings disclose an improved laminated shingle and a method for making the improved shingle. Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 10 for manufacturing a roofing shingle having a spacer sheet of material. The illustrated manufacturing process involves passing a continuous sheet of shingle mat 12 in a machine direction (indicated by the arrows) through a series of manufacturing operations. The shingle mat 12 may move at any acceptable speed. In certain embodiments, the shingle mat 12 preferably moves at a speed of at least about 200 feet/minute (61 meters/minute), and typically at a speed within the range of about 450 feet/minute (137 meters/minute) to about 800 feet/minute (244 meters/minute).

[0043] In a first step of the manufacturing process, the shingle mat 12 is payed out from a roll 14. The shingle mat 12 can be any type known for use in reinforcing asphalt-based roofing materials, such as a nonwoven web of glass fibers. The shingle mat 12 is then fed through a coater 16 where an asphalt coating is applied to the shingle mat 12. The asphalt coating can be applied in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the shingle mat 12 is submerged in a supply of hot, melted asphalt coating to completely cover the sheet with the tacky coating. However, in other embodiments, the asphalt coating could be sprayed on, rolled on, or applied to the shingle mat 12 by other means. Typically, the asphalt material is highly filled with a ground stone filler material, amounting to at least about 60 percent by weight of the asphalt/filler combination.

[0044] The resulting asphalt-coated sheet 18 is then passed beneath one or more granule dispensers 20 for the application of granules to the upper surface of the asphalt-coated sheet 18. FIG. 1 shows two granule dispensers 24 and 26, although any suitable number of granule dispensers may be employed. The granule dispensers 24 and 26 can be of any type suitable for depositing granules onto the asphalt-coated sheet 18. One suitable granule dispenser is a granule blender of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,581 to Burton et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference, in its entirety. For example, the granule blender 24 can be used to deposit accent color granules on the asphalt-coated sheet 18, and the granule blender 26 can be used to apply background granules, thereby defining a granule covered sheet 40. A preferred technique for assuring a generally sharp demarcation between zones of different colors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,647 to Grubka et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0045] After being treated with the granules, the asphalt-coated sheet 18 can then engage a slate drum 44 to temporarily invert the granule-covered sheet 40, thereby assisting in gravity removal of the excess granules.

[0046] In one exemplary embodiment illustrated, the continuous granule-covered sheet 40 is fed through pull rolls 78 that regulate the speed of the granule-covered sheet 40 as the granule-covered sheet 40 moves downstream. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the pull rolls 78 is driven by a motor (not shown). The granule-covered sheet 40 is preferably then fed through a rotary pattern cutter 52. The rotary pattern cutter 52 preferably includes a bladed cutting cylinder 54, and a backup roll 56.

[0047] The pattern cutter 52 also cuts, or divides, the granule-covered sheet 40 into a continuous underlay sheet 66 and a continuous overlay sheet 68. The underlay sheet 66 is directed to be aligned beneath a lower portion of the overlay sheet 68. As shown in FIG. 1, the underlay sheet 66 is routed on a longer path than the path of the overlay sheet 68. In this exemplary embodiment, a further set of rolls 76 feeds a continuous sheet of spacer material 64 beneath a portion on the overlay sheet 66 to form a continuous laminated sheet 70, as will be further explained in detail below.

[0048] Further downstream, the continuous laminated sheet 70 is passed into contact with a rotary length cutter 72 that cuts the laminated sheet 70 into individual laminated roofing shingles 74. It will be understood that alternate embodiments of the apparatus 10 and the method of manufacturing roofing shingles according to the invention are contemplated.

[0049] In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the pattern cutter 52 cuts, or divides the granule-covered sheet 40 into a continuous underlay sheet 66, a continuous overlay sheet 68, and a continuous strip of spacer sheet 64.

[0050] A layer of adhesive (not shown) may be applied to a rear surface of the overlay sheet 68 by an adhesive applicator roll 148. The layer of adhesive causes the underlay sheet 66 and the spacer sheet 64 to adhere to the overlay sheet 68 to form the continuous laminated sheet 70. In a preferred embodiment, the overlay sheet 68, the underlay sheet 66 and the spacer sheet 64 are joined at a pair of joining rolls 140.

[0051] The position of the shingle overlay sheet 68 is synchronized with respect to the position of the shingle underlay sheet 66 and with respect to the shingle spacer sheet 64. Preferably, the synchronization includes comparing a sensed occurrence (e.g. the beginning) of any two suitable portions of a shingle. The synchronizing of the position of the continuous overlay sheet 68 with respect to the continuous underlay sheet 66 may be done approximately randomly. The synchronizing of the position of the continuous overlay sheet 68 with respect to the continuous underlay sheet 66 may also be done according to a pattern. Synchronization can also be accomplished by sensing discrepancies in the desired relative positions of the sheets 66 and 68, and increasing or decreasing the underlay pathway distance, either in response to the sensed error signals or in response to other signals. It is to be understood that various devices can be used to synchronize and to re-establish registration once a change in synchronization is required, and that such devices are within the contemplated scope of the present invention. For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,521,076 B1, 6,692,608 B2 and 6,748,713 B2 are fully incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. An error in synchronization includes instances where the pattern is not positioned as desired. Various other rollers, not shown, can be used to change the length of the underlay pathway and/or spacer material pathway. In the event at least one or more of the underlay, the overlay and/or spacer material are mated using an offline process, the re-establishment of synchronization could include speeding up or slowing down one of more of the overlay sheet 68, the underlay sheet 66, and/or the spacer sheet 64. In a preferred embodiment, combining rolls 160 are provided downstream from the joining roll 140. The combining rolls 160 can be operated to press the continuous shingle overlay sheet 68 together with the continuous shingle underlay sheet 66 and the spacer sheet 64 to form the continuous laminated sheet 70. The continuous laminated sheet 70 is then cut into shingles 74 by a length cutter 72.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, a shingle 200 has a longitudinal axis A-A, and includes a spacer sheet 202, shown in the cutaway portion. The shingle also has an overlay sheet 204 and an underlay sheet 208.

[0053] It is within the contemplated scope of the present invention that the spacer sheet 202 can be applied to the shingle overlay 204 at any suitable time in the process for manufacturing the shingles. For example, the spacer sheet 202 can be applied to the shingle overlay sheet 204 concurrently with application of the shingle underlay sheet 208 to the shingle overlay sheet 204, before application of backdust, or off-line after the laminated sheet 70 has been cut into the individual roofing shingles 74.

[0054] It is to be understood, that in certain embodiments, the spacer sheet 202 is formed from the coated web material that is used to form the overlay sheet 204 and the underlay sheet 208. In certain other embodiments, the spacer sheet 202 can be made of any suitable material, preferably low in cost, flexible, durable, and resistant to fire, such as any material known for use in asphalt-based roofing shingles. For example, scrap roofing material, asphalt-based film, foamed asphalt (similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,358, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), and polymeric foam such as polyurethane foam, can be used to form the spacer sheet 202. Additional materials which could be used for the spacer 202 include tape, cardboard, paper, rubber, shoddy, jute, wood, and any other natural or man-made material which fills the void between shingles, and which does not impart undesirable properties to the shingle. One skilled in the art appreciates that further processing, such as additives or coatings, may be required to overcome shortcomings of these materials (for example fire resistance or durability), but these will not be described here in detail. Accordingly, one skilled in the art will understand that any suitable material can be used to form the spacer sheet 202. If the spacer sheet 202 has granules, it can be attached either granule side up or granule side down.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6A, the spacer sheet 202 has a top surface 240 and a rear surface 242. The spacer sheet 202 also defines an upper edge 244 and a lower edge 246.

[0056] The overlay sheet 204 has a top surface 250 and a rear surface 252. The overlay sheet 204 also defines an upper edge 254 and a lower edge 256.

[0057] The underlay sheet 208 has a top surface 260 and a rear surface 262. The underlay sheet 208 also defines an upper edge 264 and a lower edge 266.

[0058] At least a certain portion of the top surface 260 of the underlay sheet 208 is fixed to the rear surface 252 of the overlay sheet 204 in a known manner. In certain embodiments, the lower edge 266 of the underlay sheet 208 is coterminous with the lower edge 256 of the overlay sheet 204. Likewise, the top surface 240 of the spacer sheet 202 is preferably fixed to the rear surface 252 of the overlay sheet 204. In certain embodiments, the upper edge 244 of the spacer sheet 202 is generally aligned and coterminous with the upper edge 254 of the overlay sheet 204.

[0059] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the overlay sheet 204 also includes a headlap portion 212 and a tab portion 216. The headlap portion 212 terminates at the upper edge 254 while the tab portion terminates at the lower edge 256. The tab portion 216, for the illustrated overlay sheet 204, includes five tabs 220, although any suitable number of tabs 220 may be employed. The headlap portion 212 and the tabs 220 may include one or more granule patterns. As shown in FIG. 4, the tabs 220 can optionally have different widths along the longitudinal axis A-A, such as the illustrated widths W1, W2, and W3. The widths W1, W2, and W3 are first widths. Likewise, the tabs 220 may be of differing heights, such as the illustrated heights H1, H2, and H3. The tab portion 216 also defines one or more cutouts 224. The cutouts 224 include widths along the longitudinal axis A-A. These widths may be the same widths as the widths of the tabs 220, or may have different widths.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, the underlay sheet 208 likewise includes a headlap portion 228 and a tab portion 232. In the embodiment shown, the height of the underlay sheet 208 is greater than half the height of the overlay sheet 204. As defined herein, the height of the overlay sheet 204 is generally the distance extending from the upper edge 254 to the lower edge 256. It is also within the contemplated scope of the present invention that other shingle configurations can be practiced with the present invention, including, for example, a configuration where the underlay sheet 208 has a height that is substantially the same height as the overlay sheet 204 less the height of the spacer sheet 202. In yet other embodiments, the underlay sheet 208 has a height that is approximately half the height of the overlay sheet 204. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention enables the manufacture of shingles having a higher coverage ratio; i.e. the headlap portion may be smaller than the tab portion, as shown in FIG. 3; however, this is not essential to the practice of the invention, as a shingle may comprise a variety of laminated configurations, such as that illustrated in FIG. 6A.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6B, a prior art shingle includes an overlay 550 with a cutout 524 extending from the bottom edge 556 of the overlay to an upper edge 531 of the cutout. The underlay 508 extends from the bottom edge 556 of the overlay to the top edge 564 of the underlay, the top edge extending no further than the median axis M'-M' of the shingle to accommodate bundling of the shingles in a back to back manner, as described above. While FIG. 6B illustrates the underlay extending to the median axis, such is not the industry practice, since manufacturing variation would cause the underlay to extend beyond this point; and as such FIG. 6B illustrates an unrealistic condition, as it is too extreme. Accordingly, the maximum nail zone of the prior art shingle, indicated as "N'", extends from the upper edge 531 of the cutout 524 to the upper edge 564 of the underlay, while the actual nail zone is somewhat less in practice, as the installer must nail between the upper edge 531 of the cutout and the upper edge 564 of the underlay to ensure that two layers are secured, and to ensure the nail heads are covered by the next course of shingles.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 6C, a shingle according to the present invention may enjoy a much wider maximum nail zone N (as well as actual nail zone), since the upper edge 264 of the underlay 208 may extend beyond the median axis M-M of the shingle. In fact, the instant invention may enable higher coverage ratios for the shingles, since the installer may be able to leave a larger portion of the shingle exposed, and/or the cutouts may extend further toward the upper edge of the shingle, e.g. as shown in FIG. 3.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3, the underlay sheet 208 preferably includes at least one shadow patch 236. The underlay sheet 208 also preferably includes a headliner shadow 238, which is part of the shadow patch 236. A portion of the shadow patch 236 is uncovered, and therefore visible through the overlay cutouts 224 after the underlay and overlay are laminated together. In certain embodiments, the shadow patch 236 is darker or denser in pattern than the pattern of the tabs 220 which the shadow patch 236 borders. A portion of the shadow patch 236 is covered with the tab 220 to leave a remainder portion 235 of the shadow patch 236 uncovered by the tab 220. As shown, the remainder portion 235 has a vertical portion 237. The vertical portion 237 of the remainder portion 235 is positioned approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A. Also, the height H1 of certain tabs, shown here as tab 234, is less than the height of the underlay 208, and preferably less than half the height of the overlay 250. The remainder portion 235 has a horizontal or longitudinal portion 239. The longitudinal portion 239 of the remainder portion 235 is positioned approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A. It is to be understood that synchronization of the overlay sheet 204 and the underlay sheet 208 does not require that each shingle look the same since the appearance of the shingles may vary. For example, the position of the shadow patch 236 and the position of the tab 234 can be synchronized in any suitable manner. Also, the synchronizing of the position of the shadow patch 236 and the tab 234 may be done approximately randomly. The synchronizing of the position of the shadow patch 236 and tab 234 may also be done according to a pattern. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention can be practiced with shingles having other arrangements, and that such arrangements are within the contemplated scope of the present invention.

[0064] In certain embodiments, it is desired that the spacer sheet 202 have approximately the same thickness as the underlay sheet 208 such that the stacking of multiple shingles will not cause any humping or bending of the bundle of shingles. As defined herein, "thickness" is generally the distance between the top surface and the rear surface. By these examples, it is understood that the spacer sheet 202 can have any appropriate cross-sectional shape, such as, for example, square or rectangular, or alternatively could comprise any appropriate shape, such as a series of longitudinal beads, so long as the spacer sheet 202 provides the necessary functions as described herein. In certain embodiments, the spacer sheet 202 preferably comprises a single continuous piece of material extending the full width across the shingle overlay sheet 204. It is also within the contemplated scope of the present invention, however, that the spacer sheet 202 can be comprised of a series of short sections spaced along the rear surface 252 of the overlay sheet 204 (the sections being short in either the longitudinal or lateral dimensions).

[0065] When the shingle members 200 are stacked into bundles, the spacer sheet 202 maintains the overlay sheet 204 in a generally planar, or horizontal, position with respect to a flat supporting surface on which the shingle may be placed. The shingle underlay sheet and the spacer sheet are laminated to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet is held in a spaced apart and parallel relationship to a supporting surface on which the laminated roofing shingle is laid.

[0066] The result is a bundle of shingles that have little or no undesirable bending or flexing of the shingles when placed in a stack. Further, the stack, or bundle, of shingles shows no humping or flexing. That is, the top of the shingle bundle has a much more planar top surface than would be the case for shingles not employing the spacer sheet 202 of the invention. Preferably, the top of the bundle is substantially straight and even.

[0067] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the shingle overlay sheet 204 defines a first thickness x, and preferably, has a generally uniform thickness. The shingle underlay sheet 208 defines a second thickness y and, preferably, has a generally uniform thickness. The spacer sheet 202 defines a third thickness z, and, preferably, the spacer sheet 202 has a generally uniform thickness. The third thickness z of the spacer sheet 202 is preferably substantially equal to the second thickness y of the underlay sheet 204 such that the overlay sheet 204 is maintained in a substantially planar position when the shingle is itself planar, or in a horizontal position. That is, the upper edge 254 and the lower edge 256 of the overlay sheet 204 are in a spaced apart and parallel relationship with respect to one another. When the laminated roofing shingle 200 is disposed on a substantially planar supporting surface, such as a building roof deck, the shingle underlay sheet 208 and the spacer sheet 202 maintain the shingle overlay sheet 204 in a spaced apart and parallel relationship to the supporting surface. As shown in FIG. 7, the spacer sheet 202 may fill the entire area from the top of the underlay sheet 208 to the top of the overlay sheet 204.

[0068] In certain embodiments, the underlay sheet 208 and the spacer sheet 202 are aligned with, and in certain embodiments, laminated to the rear surface 252 of the overlay sheet 204 such that the lower edge 246 of the spacer sheet 202 and the upper edge 264 of the underlay sheet 208 define a gap 270 therebetween, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6C. It will be understood however, that the gap 270 is not required. For example, the underlay sheet 208 and the spacer sheet 202 can be secured to the rear surface 252 of the overlay sheet 204 such that the lower edge 246 of the spacer sheet 202 and the upper edge 264 of the underlay sheet 208 are secured to one another, as illustrated in FIG. 7. One skilled in the art appreciates that the gap 270 should be optimized such that the shingles are not damaged during shipment and so the bundle stacks in an appropriate manner. It should be noted that while the figures illustrate a two-layer shingle, these principles apply similarly to other configurations not shown, such as tri-layer shingles.

[0069] Referring now to FIGS. 8-13, in another aspect, the present invention relates to stacks, or bundles, of shingles, and in yet another aspect, to methods for stacking at least one of the roofing shingles upon another of the roofing shingles where the stacked roofing shingles define a bundle of the roofing shingles.

[0070] FIG. 8 shows first shingle 200 and a second shingle 200'. For ease of illustration the second shingle 200' will be numbered with the same corresponding numbers, marked as prime numbers, as the first shingle 200. Thus, second shingle 200' is stacked secured to the first shingle 200 such that the rear surface 262' of the underlay sheet 208' and the rear surface 242' of the spacer sheet 202' face the top surface 250 of the first shingle 200. The first and second roofing shingles 200 and 200' are further stacked such that the lower edges 256 and 266 of the first roofing shingle 200 are aligned with the lower edges 256' and 266' of the second roofing shingle 200'.

[0071] For the purpose of defining the relationship of the shingles shown in the figures, the relative position of the shingles of FIG. 8 will be considered "parallel"; FIG. 9 will be considered "rotated"; FIG. 10 will be considered "mirrored face to face"; FIG. 11 will be considered "rotated face to face"; FIG. 12 will be considered "mirrored back to back"; and FIGS. 13 and 16 will be considered "rotated back to back". While it is generally preferred that every other shingle is packaged as shown in these figures, it is foreseeable that a bundle could have any or all combinations of these arrangements to facilitate manufacturing (flipping of shingles) and/or packaging considerations (bundle density, stability, handling) and/or installation preference.

[0072] FIG. 9 shows an alternative method for stacking shingles where the first and second roofing shingles 200 and 200' are stacked such that the lower edges 256 and 266 of the first roofing shingle 200 are aligned with the upper edges 244' and 254' of the second shingle 200'. The second shingle 200' is stacked adjacent the first shingle 200 such that the rear surface 262' of the underlay sheet 208' and the rear surface 242' of the spacer sheet 202' face the top surface 250 of the first shingle 200.

[0073] FIG. 10 shows another alternative method for stacking shingles where the first shingle 200 is stacked upon the second shingle 200' such that the top surface 250 of the overlay sheet 208 faces the top surface 250' of the second shingle 200'. The upper edges 244 and 254 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the upper edges 244' and 254' of the second shingle 200'. The lower edges 256 and 266 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the lower edges 256' and 266' of the second shingle 200'.

[0074] FIG. 11 shows yet another method for stacking shingles where the first shingle 200 is stacked upon the second shingle 200' such that the top surface 250 of the overlay sheet 208 faces the top surface 250' of the second shingle 200'. The upper edges 244 and 254 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the lower edges 256' and 266' of the second shingle 200'. The lower edges 256 and 266 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the upper edges 244' and 254' of the second shingle 200'.

[0075] FIG. 12 shows still another method for stacking shingles where the first shingle 200 is stacked upon the second shingle 200', and where the rear surface 242 of the spacer sheet 202 and the rear surface 262 of the underlay sheet 204 face the rear surface 242' and the rear surface 262' of the underlay sheet 204'. The upper edges 244 and 254 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the upper edges 244' and 254' of the second shingle 200'. The lower edges 256 and 266 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the lower edges 256' and 266 of the second shingle 200'. It will be appreciated that the spacer sheets 244 and 244' fill a vertical gap between the shingles.

[0076] FIG. 13 shows still another method for stacking shingles where the first shingle 200 is stacked upon the second shingle 200' where the rear surface 242 of the spacer sheet 202 and the rear surface 262 of the underlay sheet 204 face the rear surface 242' and the rear surface 262' of the underlay sheet 204'. The upper edges 244 and 254 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the lower edges 256' and 266' of the second shingle 200'. The lower edges 256 and 266 of the first shingle 200 are aligned with the upper edges 244' and 254' of the second shingle 200'. It will be appreciated that the spacer sheets 244 and 244' fill a vertical gap between the shingles, and likewise if there were a third shingle shown in FIG. 11 above or below the shingles illustrated, at least one of the spacer sheets would fill a gap between two of the shingles.

[0077] FIGS. 14-16 show another embodiment of stackable shingles that incorporates certain concepts of commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,221, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In this embodiment, the shingle 200 includes an overlay sheet 204, underlay sheet 208, and spacer sheet 202 as described above. Preferably, the underlay sheet 208 extends under the tab portion of the overlay sheet 204, and the spacer sheet 202 is provided under the headlap portion of the overlay sheet 204 as described above. In this embodiment, the underlay sheet 208 preferably extends over one half the height of the overlay sheet 204. Furthermore, spacer sheet 202 defines a first thickness depth "X", and, preferably, the spacer sheet 202 has a generally uniform thickness.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 14, the thickness "X" of the spacer sheet 202 is preferably greater than a second thickness "Y" of the underlay sheet 204. Accordingly, the spacer sheet 202 serves as an alignment mechanism as shown in FIG. 15, wherein a course of first shingles 200 is secured to a roof deck (not shown), and a subsequent course of shingles 200' is installed above the first shingles 200'. As shown, the lower edge 246' of the spacer sheet 202' of the second shingle 200' abuts against the upper edge 254 of the first shingle 200. As such, the second shingle is aligned with the first shingle. As shown in FIG. 16, the shingles of this embodiment are preferably packaged, or stacked, in a manner similar to that described in FIG. 13, such that two stacked shingles will have a substantially constant thickness. The stack shown in FIG. 16 has a void area 300 between the shingles in instances where the spacer sheet 244 is less than half the height of the shingle 200. Furthermore, the spacer sheet 244 is preferably coextensive with the top edge 254 of the shingle, but may not be so if additional features are desired, such as an interlock between the bottom of the spacer sheet and the top of the shingle in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 9B of the '221 patent. As noted above, the spacer sheet 244 may be a continuous sheet, or may include cutouts and/or may comprise any other form, such as discrete pieces or a series of beads.

[0079] FIGS. 17-20 show other embodiments of stackable shingles. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the spacer strip comprises a connector strip 302 secured to the rear surface 262 of the underlay 208. The connector strip 302 extends along at least a portion of the rear surface 252 of the overlay 204 above the upper edge 264 of the underlay and preferably beyond the median axis M-M of the shingle. Preferably, the connector strip 302 is adhered to the rear surface 252 of the overlay 204 as well. When the shingle is nailed to a roof, the nail will penetrate at least two layers, including the overlay 204 and/or the underlay 208, and the connector strip 302. Accordingly, the maximum nail zone indicated as "N" extends from above the upper edge 231 of the cutout to the upper edge of the connector strip 302, which is above the upper edge 264 of the underlay 208. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to have an underlay 208 which is more than half the height of the overlay to attain a wider nail zone. In one embodiment, the rear surface of the connector strip 302 is provided with a non-stick coating so it can serve as a release tape, thereby assuring that any adhesive provided on a shingle does not stick to an adjacent shingle in a bundle.

[0080] The connector strip 302 may be any material having adequate properties to ensure adhesion to the underlay 208 (with or without additional adhesive), while maintaining sufficient strength at high temperature to not permit the underlay to slip if it were to become delaminated from the overlay 250. Furthermore, the connector strip 302 must be nailable (including not brittle at cold temperatures) and preferably flexible, with proper tensile, tear and elongation properties. It must serve its purpose for the life of the shingle, and do so within the environment to which it will be exposed on the roof. One such material is a polyolefin scrim available from American Profol of Cedar Rapids Iowa.

[0081] In a further alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the connector strip 302 is secured to the shingle as described in the preceding paragraph with reference to FIG. 17, but the connector trip 302 extends along the entire height of the underlay 208 and terminates at the bottom edge 256 of the shingle. In a preferred embodiment, the connector strip 302 comprises a material having the properties described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,994, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As such, the connector strip 302 serves both functions of providing an extended nail zone, as well as improved impact performance as described in the '994 patent. Additionally, the shingle may include a protective coating on the top surface as described in the '994 patent. The connector strip 302 may be applied in a manner similar to that described in the '994 patent, or the connector strip 302 may be adhered to the shingle after lamination is complete.

[0082] FIG. 19 illustrates a further alternative embodiment to that shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, wherein the connector strip 302 extends along the entire height of the shingle, from the bottom edge 256 to the top edge 254.

[0083] FIG. 20 illustrates a further alternative embodiment, where, in a configuration similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 17-19, a connector strip 302 is provided to extend the nail zone. In this embodiment, the underlay 208 is manufactured in a manner similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,608, which is incorporated herein by reference, in that the underlay 208 includes at least one tab 249 under the headlap area, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the '608 patent. Additionally, the present invention includes a connector strip 302 provided between the tabs of the underlay in the headlap area, so as to provide a wider nail zone along the entire length of the shingles. Although not illustrated here, the connector strip 302 of FIGS. 17-20 may be used along with a second strip similar to the strip 202 shown in FIG. 6, if the underlay is desired to be longer, or if the strip of FIGS. 17-20 creates a thickness issue.

[0084] FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate another embodiment of stackable shingles. This embodiment is similar to those described above for FIGS. 7-13, except that the shingle includes a spacer strip 402 being integrally formed in the overlay 204, or attached to the top of the overlay 250 in a hinged manner. In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 21-22, the overlay 204 includes a score line 251 near the upper edge of the shingle. The score line 251 extends along the width of the shingle and permits the spacer strip 402 to be bent from the overlay 204 and tucked below the overlay as shown in FIG. 22. The spacer strip 402 may be adhered in this position. Alternatively, the spacer strip 402 may be bent back to the position shown in FIG. 22 at the jobsite and installed on the roof in this position as part of the headlap area, thereby permitting the shingle to have all the dimensions of a typical shingle, except it may also permit the underlay 208 to extend beyond half the height of the overlay and/or the bundle may be narrower from the upper edge 254 to the bottom, when the lower edge 254 is in the folded position shown in FIG. 22. The score line 251 may be positioned anywhere between the upper edge 254 and half the distance between the upper edge 254 and the upper edge 264 of the underlay 208.

[0085] One skilled in the art will further appreciate that while the spacer strip is described as being secured to the shingles in the above embodiments, the present invention further envisions embodiments where such a strip is merely packaged between shingles, and may comprise any inexpensive material; e.g., scrap shingles, cardboard, foam, etc., packaged in the void created between adjacent shingles. In one embodiment (not illustrated), such materials are disposed at the jobsite, and therefore do not have any significant property requirements other than thickness. In a preferred one of these embodiments, the spacer is twice the thickness of the underlay, and therefore one spacer fills the void between two shingles packaged e.g. as shown in FIG. 12, in place of the above-described spacers 208 and 208'.

[0086] In yet further embodiments (not shown), a spacer sheet is provided below the underlay, and adjacent pairs of shingles are stacked in a back-to-back and rotated relationship (similar to that shown in FIG. 13), so that the bottom surface of a spacer of a first shingle abuts the bottom surface of the facer sheet of an adjacent shingle to enable a flat bundle of shingles as described above. In these embodiments, the spacer sheet is provided in the form of e.g. a strip similar to that described with regard to FIGS. 7, 9 and 21, or in the form of one or more beads. Such beads may comprise a sealant to adhere the bottom of the shingle after it is secured upon the roof; in which case a release tape may be useful on the bottom of the overlay in registration with the bead of an abutting shingle. In the embodiments of this paragraph, the spacer sheet is thus relocated to the rear surface of the underlay adjacent the lower edge thereof, and abutting shingles (within a bundle) look similar to that depicted in FIG. 13, except that the spacer sheet is attached to the underlay 266, instead of the overlay 254 as described above. Thus in these embodiments, the spacer sheet may provide additional thickness (as a trilaminate), or serve as an adhesive on the roof. Alternatively, such a spacer sheet may be removable and discarded at the jobsite.

[0087] One skilled in the art appreciates that while this description and the figures describe the invention with respect to a two-layer laminated shingle, the invention may be applied to a laminated shingle having additional layers, such as a trilaminate shingle. Of course in these instances, the thickness of the spacer sheet is adjusted accordingly, by either providing additional thickness or additional layers of spacer sheets.

[0088] The principle and mode of operation of this invention have been described in its preferred embodiments. However, it should be noted that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its scope.

Claims

1. A roofing shingle comprising: a shingle overlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; a shingle underlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; and at least one shingle spacer sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; wherein the shingle underlay sheet is secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet and wherein the at least one shingle spacer sheet is provided secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet.

2. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the spacer sheet and the top surface of the underlay sheet are substantially coplanar.

3. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the spacer sheet and the rear surface of the underlay sheet are substantially coplanar.

4. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the spacer sheet is formed integral to the overlay sheet and folded below the rear surface of the overlay sheet.

5. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the spacer sheet has a first thickness, and the underlay sheet has a second thickness such that the first thickness of the spacer sheet is greater than the second thickness of the underlay sheet.

6. The roofing shingle according to claim 5, wherein the spacer sheet of a first shingle is secured to the first shingle at a position such that, when the first shingle is installed on a roof, the spacer sheet can be used to align the first shingle upon the roof.

7. The roofing shingle according to claim 6, wherein the lower edge of the spacer sheet of a first shingle is configured to abut an upper edge of an overlay sheet of a second shingle similar to the first shingle to align the second shingle to the first shingle.

8. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the shingle overlay sheet and the upper edge of the shingle spacer sheet are aligned.

9. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the shingle underlay sheet and the shingle spacer sheet are secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the lower edge of the shingle spacer sheet and the upper edge of the shingle underlay sheet define a gap therebetween.

10. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the overlay sheet has a height extending from the lower edge of the overlay sheet to the upper edge of the overlay sheet, the spacer has a height extending from the lower edge of the spacer to the upper edge of the spacer, the underlay sheet has a height extending from the lower edge of the underlay sheet to the upper edge of the underlay sheet, and wherein the height of the overlay sheet is substantially equal to the cumulative heights of the spacer and the underlay sheet.

11. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the overlay sheet has a height extending from the lower edge of the overlay sheet to the upper edge of the overlay sheet, the underlay sheet comprises at least one tab defining a tab height extending from the lower edge of the underlay sheet to a top end of the tab, and wherein the height of the tab portion is at least half the height of the overlay sheet.

12. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the shingle underlay sheet is formed from a first material and the spacer sheet is formed from a second material.

13. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the shingle spacer sheet is selected from a group consisting of tape, cardboard, paper, foam, foamed asphalt, asphalt, cotton shoddy, natural fibers, asphalt coated mat and polymer coated mat materials.

14. The roofing shingle according to claim 13, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises a foam material.

15. The roofing shingle according to claim 14, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises a foamed asphalt material.

16. The roofing shingle according to claim 13, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises a mat coated with an asphalt or polymer material and wherein the spacer sheet provides improved impact resistance.

17. The roofing shingle according to claim 1, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises a connector strip, the spacer sheet being secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet at the upper edge of the spacer sheet and secured to the rear surface of the underlay at the lower edge of the spacer sheet.

18. A bundle of roofing shingles for at least partially covering a surface, the bundle comprising a plurality of shingles including at least a first shingle and at least a second shingle, wherein each shingle comprises: a shingle overlay sheet having an upper edge and a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface, the overlay sheet having a height defined by the distance between the upper edge and the lower edge; a shingle underlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; and at least one shingle spacer sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; the shingle underlay sheet being secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet, and the at least one shingle spacer sheet being secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet, wherein at least one of the plurality of roofing shingles is stacked upon another of the plurality of roofing shingles in the bundle.

19. The bundle of roofing shingles according to claim 18, wherein the upper edges of the overlay sheet and spacer sheet of the at least first shingle are aligned with the upper edges of the overlay sheet and spacer sheet of the at least second shingle.

20. The bundle of roofing shingles according to claim 18, wherein each shingle has the shingle underlay sheet and the shingle spacer sheet secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that the lower edge of the shingle spacer sheet and the upper edge of the shingle underlay sheet define a gap therebetween.

21. The bundle of roofing shingles according to claim 18, wherein each shingle has the shingle underlay sheet defining a tab portion that is at least half the height of the overlay sheet.

22. The bundle of roofing shingles according to claim 18, wherein each shingle has the shingle underlay sheet having a height defined by a distance between the upper edge and the lower edge thereof, wherein the underlay sheet height is greater than half the height of the overlay sheet.

23. The bundle of roofing shingles according to claim 18, wherein each shingle has the shingle underlay sheet formed from a first material and the spacer sheet formed from a second material.

24. The bundle of roofing shingles according to claim 18, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises a foam material.

25. A method of reducing humping of a bundle of roofing shingles when one or more roofing shingles are stacked with others of the roofing shingles, the roofing shingles being suitable for at least partially covering a roof deck surface, the bundle comprising a plurality of shingles including at least a first shingle and at least a second shingle, wherein the shingles comprise: a shingle overlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; a shingle underlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; and at least one shingle spacer sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a rear surface; whereby the method comprises: providing the shingle overlay sheet and the shingle underlay sheet; aligning the shingle underlay sheet with the shingle overlay sheet; and aligning the at least one spacer sheet with the shingle overlay sheet, thereby forming the roofing shingle; wherein the at least one shingle spacer sheet is secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the step of aligning the spacer sheet with the overlay sheet further includes aligning the upper edge of the shingle overlay sheet and the upper edge of the spacer sheet.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the shingle underlay sheet and the spacer sheet are secured to the rear surface of the shingle overlay sheet such that lower edge of the spacer sheet and the upper edge of the shingle underlay sheet define a gap therebetween.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further includes stacking a first one of the roofing shingles upon a second shingle, such that the rear surface of the shingle underlay sheet and the rear surface of the spacer sheet of the first roofing shingle face the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet of the second roofing shingle, and wherein the first and second roofing shingles are further stacked such that the lower edges of the overlay sheet and the underlay sheet of the first roofing shingle are aligned with the lower edges of the overlay sheet and underlay sheet of the second roofing shingle.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further includes stacking a first one of the roofing shingles upon a second shingle, such that the rear surface of the shingle underlay sheet and the rear surface of the spacer sheet of the first roofing shingle face the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet of the second roofing shingle, and wherein the first and second roofing shingles are further stacked such that the lower edges of the overlay sheet and underlay sheet of the first roofing shingle are aligned with the upper edges of the overlay sheet and the spacer sheet of the second roofing shingle.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further includes stacking the at least first roofing shingle upon the at least second roofing shingle such that the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet of the first roofing shingle faces the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet of the second roofing shingle, and wherein the first and second roofing shingles are further stacked such that the lower edges of the overlay sheet and underlay sheets of the first roofing shingle are aligned with the lower edges of the overlay sheet and underlay sheet of the second roofing shingle.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further includes stacking the at least first roofing shingle upon the at least second roofing shingle such that the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet of the first roofing shingle faces the top surface of the shingle overlay sheet of the second roofing shingle, and wherein the first and second roofing shingle are further stacked such that the lower edges of the overlay sheet and underlay sheet of the first roofing shingle are aligned with the upper edges of the overlay sheet and spacer sheet of the second roofing shingle.

32. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further includes stacking the at least first roofing shingle upon the at least second roofing shingle such that the rear surfaces of the underlay sheet and the spacer sheet of the first roofing shingle face the rear surfaces of the underlay sheet and spacer sheet of the second roofing shingle, and wherein the first and second roofing shingles are further stacked such that the lower edges of the overlay sheet and the underlay sheet of the first roofing shingle are aligned with the lower edges of the overlay sheet and the underlay sheet of the second roofing shingle.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method further includes stacking the at least first roofing shingle upon the at least second roofing shingle such that the rear surfaces of the underlay sheet and the spacer sheet of the first roofing shingle face the rear surfaces of the underlay sheet and spacer sheet of the second roofing shingle, and wherein the first and second roofing shingle are further stacked such that the lower edges of the overlay sheet and the underlay sheet of the first roofing shingle are aligned with the upper edges of the overlay sheet and the spacer sheet of the second roofing shingle.

34. The method according to claim 25, wherein the shingle underlay sheet defines a tab portion that is at least half the height of the overlay sheet.

35. The method according to claim 25, wherein the shingle underlay sheet is formed from a first material and the spacer sheet is formed from a second material.

36. The method according to claim 25, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises a foam material.

37. At least three roofing shingles comprising: a first, second and third shingle overlay sheet, each overlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, a rear surface and an overlay height defined by the distance between the upper edge and lower edge thereof; a first, second and third shingle underlay sheet, each underlay sheet having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, a rear surface and an underlay height defined by the distance between the upper edge and lower edge thereof, each underlay height being greater than half the overlay height; each shingle underlay sheet being secured to the respective rear surface of a respective one of the shingle overlay sheets adjacent the lower edge of the overlay sheet; thereafter placing the roofing shingles in a bundle and forming a vertical gap between at least two of said shingles; and providing at least one spacer sheet for bridging the gap between said at least two shingles.

38. The roofing shingles of claim 37, wherein the at least one shingle spacer sheet is provided secured to the rear surface of one of the shingle overlay sheets.

39. The roofing shingles of claim 38, wherein each of said shingles comprises a shingle spacer sheet secured to the rear surface of one of the shingle overlay sheets.

40. The roofing shingles of claim 37, wherein the at least one shingle spacer sheet is provided secured to the rear surface of one of the shingle underlay sheets.

41. The roofing shingles according to claim 39, wherein the rear surface of the spacer sheets and the rear surface of the underlay sheets are substantially coplanar.

42. The roofing shingles according to claim 38, wherein the spacer sheet has a first thickness, and the underlay sheet has a second thickness such that the first thickness of the spacer sheet is greater than the second thickness of the underlay sheet.

43. The roofing shingles according to claim 42, wherein the spacer sheet of a first shingle is secured to the first shingle at a position such that, when the first shingle is installed on a roof, the spacer sheet can be used to align the first shingle upon the roof.

44. The roofing shingles according to claim 37, wherein the spacer sheet is removed and discarded when the shingles are installed on a roof.

45. The roofing shingles according to claim 37, wherein the shingle spacer sheet is selected from a group consisting of tape, cardboard, paper, foam, asphalt, foamed asphalt, cotton shoddy, natural fibers, and asphalt coated mat and polymer coated mat materials.

46. The roofing shingles according to claim 45, wherein the spacer sheet is removed and discarded when the shingles are installed on a roof.

47. The roofing shingle according to claim 37, wherein the shingle spacer sheet comprises an adhesive material.