U.S. patent number 3,894,376 [Application Number 05/425,252] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-15 for roofing material and method of laying same.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Windarama Shingles System, Inc.. Invention is credited to Eugene L. Shearer.
United States Patent |
3,894,376 |
Shearer |
July 15, 1975 |
Roofing material and method of laying same
Abstract
A shingle unit, a method or system of applying the shingle units
to a roof or siding and the roof or siding thus produced. The
shingle unit includes rectangular under and over sheets hingedly
connected along a common edge for pivotal movement between a
face-to-face position and an extended co-planar position with the
over sheet and under sheet being longitudinally offset to define an
overhang portion of the over sheet and an extension portion of the
under sheet. Adjacent shingle units are aligned with the overhang
portion of one shingle unit in face-to-face abutting relationship
with the extension portion of an adjacent shingle unit to define
exposed gaps between the over sheets or adjacent units. The under
sheet or each shingle unit is fastened to the underlying supporting
surface along the hinged edge while the sheets are in the extended
position and the over sheet is then folded to the face-to-face
position to cover and conceal the fasteners. The free edges of the
over and under sheets lie beneath the shingle units in the next
adjacent course or row and are fastened to the underlying surface
by the fasteners securing the next adjacent row. A series of
successive courses or rows of shingle units are placed and fastened
with each successive row having units are placed and fastened with
each successive row having the lower edges of the shingle units
therein overhanging the upper edges of the units in the previously
laid row to cover the entire surface with a double thickness of
material.
Inventors: |
Shearer; Eugene L. (Englewood,
CO) |
Assignee: |
Windarama Shingles System, Inc.
(Denver, CO)
|
Family
ID: |
23685786 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/425,252 |
Filed: |
December 17, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/518; 52/545;
52/748.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D
1/22 (20130101); E04D 1/34 (20130101); E04D
1/2963 (20190801); E04D 2001/3491 (20130101); E04D
2001/3423 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04D
1/34 (20060101); E04D 1/22 (20060101); E04D
1/12 (20060101); E04d 001/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/518,519,520,521,545,551,553,747,748,528,529 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Faw, Jr.; Price C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burton, Crandell & Polumbus
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A shingle unit adapted to be laid with other like shingle units
in establishing a surface covering system comprising:
a generally rectangular under sheet having a bottom edge;
a generally rectangular over sheet selectively positionable in
face-to-face relationship with the under sheet and having a bottom
edge in substantial alignment with the bottom edge of said under
sheet, said over sheet being offset along its length relative to
said under sheet to define an overhang portion of the over
sheet;
the end of said sheet opposite from the overhang portion thereof
having a tab portion extending away therefrom against which the
overhang portion of an adjacent shingle can abut to establish an
exposed gap between over sheets of adjacent shingle units;
hinge means formed by a strip of cloth material impregnated with an
asphalt tar material bonded to said over and under sheets adjacent
the bottom edges thereof connecting said under sheet to said over
sheet along said bottom edges thereof whereby a course of said
shingle units can be laid in overlapping relationship with a
portion of the under sheet of one shingle unit lying beneath the
overhang portion of the over sheet of an adjacent shingle unit;
and
an elongated spacer strip releasably connected along an edge
thereof to the under sheet at a location spaced from the bottom
edge of the under sheet and adapted to be removed from the under
sheet and secured in a position along and adjacent to the bottom
edge of the under sheet between the under sheet and the over sheet
to increase the thickness of said hinged connection
therebetween.
2. The shingle unit of claim 1 further including a notch in the
bottom edge of said under sheet in substantial alignment with the
tab portion of the over sheet.
3. The shingle unit of claim 1, wherein said tar impregnated strip
of cloth material extends along said under sheet beyond the end of
said over sheet which has the tab portion thereon to define a hat
sealing connection portion along which the overhang portion of the
over sheet of an adjacent shingle unit can be connected to the
under sheet.
4. The shingle unit of claim 1 wherein said spacer strip has a
roughened surface and a relatively smooth surface and wherein said
relatively smooth surface is in face-to-face relationship with the
under sheet when the spacer strip is positioned along the bottom
edge of the under sheet.
5. A surface covering system adapted to be secured to a support
surface, comprised of a plurality of shingle units as defined in
claim 1 said shingle units being disposed in overlapping courses
with each course having aligned shingle units whereby the overhang
portion of one unit is positioned in face-to-face relationship with
the extension portion of an adjacent unit, and the bottom edges of
the shingle unit in each course overlying an upper edge of the
shingle units in an adjacent course of shingle units.
6. The surface covering system of claim 5, wherein the over sheet
of each shingle unit in a course of shingle units are spaced to
define exposed gaps therebetween.
7. The surface covering system of claim 6, wherein the shingle
units in each course are staggered relative to the shingle units in
an adjacent course so that each shingle unit in one course overlaps
a pair of shingle units in an adjacent course.
8. The surface covering system of claim 7 wherein said shingle
units are each secured to said surface by fasteners passing through
the under sheet adjacent its bottom edge and through the underlying
overlapped shingle unit adjacent the upper edge of the overlapped
shingle unit.
9. A method of covering a surface with a plurality of shingle units
as defined in claim 1 comprising the steps of:
placing a first shingle unit on said surface so that the under and
over sheets are in the extended position,
positioning the elongated spacer strip adjacent the bottom edge of
the under sheet,
fastening the bottom edge of the under sheet and spacer strip of
the first shingle unit to the surface,
pivotally moving the over sheet into its face-to-face position
relative to the under sheet,
placing a second shingle unit adjacent to said first shingle unit
so that the bottom edges of the under sheets are in alignment and
so that when the under and over sheets of the second unit are in
face-to-face relationship, the over sheet of the second unit
overlies the extension portion of the first unit and is slightly
spaced form the adjacent end of the over sheet of the first unit to
define a gap therebetween,
positioning the elongated spacer strip of the second shingle unit
adjacent the bottom edge thereof,
fastening the bottom edge of the under sheet and spacer strip of
the second shingle unit to the surface,
successively placing the fastening additional shingle units as with
the second shingle unit until an entire row of shingle units have
been fastened to the surface, and
successively placing and fastening additional rows of shingle units
as with the first row, with each successive row having the bottom
edges of the over and under sheets of the units therein overlying
the upper edges of the units in the previously laid row until the
desired portion of the surface is covered by the shingle units.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein each of said successive rows of
shingle units are fastened to said surface by driving fasteners
through the bottom edge of the under sheet of the units in that row
as well as the upper edges of the shingle units in the next
preceding row as the fasteners are driven into said surface.
11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of
positioning each of said shingle units in the successive rows so as
to overlie a pair of adjacent shingle units in the next preceding
row.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to surface-covering systems
and more particularly relates to a shingle unit, a method of
applying same and the surface covering resulting therefrom, the
shingle units finding particular but not necessarily exclusive
utility for use in the roofing of building structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cedar shake shingles have long been one of the more desirable roof
covering materials primarily because of their thickness which
presents a thick butt or shadow line between courses or rows of
shingles. The quality of cedar shake shingles, however, has
recently been declining while the price has been rising so that
their commercial appeal has somewhat subsided.
The so-called composite shingles which are made of an asphalt
material impregnated with crushed mineral grit on one surface has
always been more economical to use as roof covering but have not
had the thick butt lines presented by cedar shake shingles and for
this reason have not provided the attractive appearance demanded by
a large segment of the purchasing public. Roofing materials have
been devised for concealing the fastening nails, examples of which
are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,596,272, of G. M. Jordan, U.S. Pat
No. 1,667,185 of W. E. Bartels, and U.S. Pat. No. 855,757 of Crabbs
and Pendery.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a
new and improved shingle unit which presents a thick and windproof
butt or shadow line.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a double
thickness shingle unit which presents a butt or shadow that is of a
thickness presenting a desired improved appearance to the roof.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a covering
for roofs and the like which embodies a plurality of overlapping
composite shingle units which are positively interconnected and
defining windproof butt lines of double thickness so as to create
an attractive and desirable appearance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a
composition shingle unit which can be laid in horizontal courses
having a selected exposure area between butt lines of adjacent
courses thereby allowing variations in aesthetic appearance.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a
method of covering a surface with a roof covering of the above
character in which horizontally adjacent shingle units may be
positioned in overlapping interconnected relationship with each
successive horizontal row laid in overlapping relationship with the
previously laid row and connected thereto in a manner such that
each shingle unit is fastened to the underlying substructure with
hidden fasteners.
Othe objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention
will become more apparent as the description proceeds taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The shingle unit of the present invention is of double thickness to
present a thick butt line and has been designed so that the butt
line of each shingle unit is completely wind resistant. The design
is also such that the shingle units can be quickly and easily laid
in overlapping horizontal courses or rows with each shingle unit
within a course overlapping the adjacent shingle unit in the course
to establish a durable unified covering for large surfaces such as
the side walls or roofs of building structures.
Each shingle unit includes an over and under sheet, preferably of
rectangular configuration, which are hingedly connected along a
common longitudinal edge for movement between a face-to-face
abutting position and an edge-to-edge, extended co-planar position.
The sheets are also longitudinally displaced or offset to define an
overlapping portion of the over sheet and an extension portion of
the under sheet. With this construction, the sheets can be placed
in their extended position upon the underlying surface to which the
shingle units are to be laid, and fasteners, preferably in the form
of roofing nails or the like, driven through the under sheet along
its hinged connection to the over sheet to positively position and
secure the shingle unit to the underlying surface. The over sheet
can then be swung about its hinged connection to the under sheet so
as to be positioned in its abutting face-to-face position relative
to the under sheet to thereby cover the nail fasteners for
aesthetic purposes.
In laying a course or horizontal row of the shingle units, each
shingle unit in the course is fastened to the surface in
longitudinally aligned relationship with the overlapping portion of
each newly added shingle unit overlying the extension portion of
the previously laid shingle unit so that adjacent shingle units are
interconnected. Successive courses or horizontal rows of shingle
units are laid similary to the first row and in an overlapping
relationship with the upper edge of the first row so that each row
is also overlapped and positively interconnected.
The hinged connection of the over and under sheets is preferably
made with an asphalt impregnated fabric strip which is readily
flexible and which is bonded to the connected commmon edges of the
over and under sheets so that the sheets are freely movable between
the aforementioned positions. Additionally, a spacer strip may be
positioned between the over and under sheets along their connected
edges when the sheets are in their face-to-face abutting position
so as to thicken the butt line for aesthetic purposes. The shingle
units are also provided with pre-formed tabs and notches which
facilitate alignment and desired spacing of the oversheets of each
adjacent shingle unit in a horizontal row so that gaps between
horizontally adjacent over sheets are visible to visually separate
the horizontally adjacent shingle units.
When the shingle units have been laid in overlapping horizontal
rows, the entire assemblage of shingle units are interconnected so
as to present thick, windproof butt lines for desirable aesthetic
purposes and so as to comprise a unified surface covering of
interconnected mutually reinforcing shingle units which will
withstand years of outside exposure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building structure with the roof
thereof being covered with the interconnected shingle units of the
present invention;
FIGS. 2 through 4 are enlarged perspective operational views
illustrating the manner in which the shingle units of the present
invention are affixed to a substructure.
FIG. 5 is a further enlarged vertical section taken along line 5--5
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a still further enlarged fragmentary vertical section
similar to FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the same
scale as FIG. 6 with the over and under sheets of the shingle unit
in their positions shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the shingle unit of the present
invention in the position shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the
interconnection of the shingle units in a surface covering
system;
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 further illustrating the
interrconnection of the shingle units in a surface covering
system;
FIG. 11 is an enlarged side elevation illustrating the connection
of overlapping rows of shingle units to the subsurface
structure;
FIG. 12 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing
the connection of overlapping rows of shingle units to the
subsurface structure;
FIGS. 13 through 15 are operational views similar to FIGS. 2
through 4 illustrating the connection of a second embodiment of the
shingle unit of the present invention to a substructure;
FIG. 16 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 16--16 of
FIG. 13;
FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the
hinged connection of the over and under sheets of the shingle unit
shown in FIG. 16; and
FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the
hinged connection of the over and under sheets of the second
embodiment of the shingle unit of the present invention as the
sheets are positioned in FIG. 15.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIG. 1, a plurality of the shingle units 10 of
the present invention are shown laid in horizontal overlapping
courses or rows and affixed to the underlying substructure of the
roof of a house 12. As best seen in FIGS. 2 through 8, each shingle
unit 10 is comprised of a rectangular under sheet 14 and a
substantially rectangular over sheet 16 which are, in the preferred
form, composed of asphalt sheets impregnated on one surface with a
granular grit material so that one surface of each sheet is
roughened and the opposite surface is relatively smooth. The over
and under sheets, 16 and 14, respectively, are hingedly connected
in longitudinally offset relationship by a strip 18 of asphalt
impregnated fabric material which is bonded along the bottom edge
of both the over and under sheets when they are in an abutting
face-to-face position as illustrated in FIG. 4. The hinged strip
18, of course, is conveniently affixed to the over and under sheets
by laying them in an extended co-planar edge-to-edge position, as
illustrated in FIG. 2, so that the hinge strip overlies the
adjacent bottom edges of each sheet on the relatively smooth
surface of each sheet. It is important to appreciate at the outset
that the asphalt impregnated fabric strip 18 will adhere upon
contact with the relatively smooth face of the over and under
sheets but for a secure bond to the roughened surface of an asphalt
sheet, an additional layer of liquid asphalt should be applied to
the roughened surface prior to bonding the hinge strip to the
asphalt sheet. For a purpose to be described more clearly later, a
spacer strip 20, preferably made from the same asphalt material as
the over and under sheets is bonded to the fabric hinge 18 along
the bottom edge of the over sheet with the roughened face of the
spacer strip lying in abutting relationship with the fabric hinge.
As mentioned previously, to obtain a desired bond, it is preferable
that a layer of liquid asphalt be applied to the roughened surface
of the spacer strip 20 before bonding it to the hinge strip 18 to
assure a strong bond.
It will be appreciated that the over sheet 16 is offset
longitudinally of the under sheet 14 and thereby defines an
overhang portion 22 of the over sheet and an extension portion 24
or the under sheet. Furthermore, the over sheet 16 has a tab 26 on
one side edge adjacent the upper edge of the sheet which protrudes
longitudinally away from the end opposite the overhang portion 22
of the over sheet a predetermined distance for a reason to be
explained later. A notch 28 is cut in the bottom edge of the under
sheet 14 in transverse alignment with extension tab 24, the notch
being approximately the same as the width of the tab 26 so that the
tab and the notch will serve to properly align and space
horizontally adjacent shingle units in the roofing assemblage as
will be explained later. It should be noted that the over sheet 16
is slightly narrower than the under sheet 14 whereby the upper edge
of the under sheet extends beyond the upper edge of the over sheet
and, as will become more clear with the description hereinafter,
this arrangement minimizes ripples in the roof which could
otherwise be created. Also, it is important to note that the
asphalt impregnated hinge strip is exposed along the bottom edge of
the extension portion 24 of the under sheet.
Referring again to FIGS. 2 through 4, the shingle units 10 are
affixed to the substructure of the roof by unfolding the first
shingle unit to be affixed so that the over and under sheets
thereof are in the extended co-planar position illlustrated in FIG.
2, and then driving fasteners 30 such as roofing nails, through the
hinged strip 18 at the bottom edge of the under sheet 14 so that
the fasteners 30 will become embedded in the substructure and
thereby positivlely position and fasten the shingle unit to the
substructure. Next, the over sheet 16 is swung as illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4, into overlying face-to-face relationship with the
under sheet 14 and in a position whereby the next horizontally
adjacent shingle unit can be properly positioned and secured in
place.
Refering now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the next horizontally adjacent
shingle unit is positioned so that the overhang portion 22 of the
over sheet 16 overlies the extension portion 24 of the under sheet
14 of the previously laid shingle unit with the outermost edge of
the overhang portion in abutment with the tab 26 on the previously
laid shingle unit. By lining this edge with the notch 28 in the
under sheet of the previously laid unit, an exposed gap is defined
between the over sheets 16 of the adjacent units. It will be
appreciated, when the units are so positioned, that the under
sheets 14 are abutted in edge-to-edge relationship establishing a
continuous base for the over sheets and the overhang portion 22 of
one unit will engage in face-to-face relationship the extension
portion 24 of the adjacent unit whereby the asphalt impregnated
hinge strip 18 on the extension portion will automatically bond
itself on a warm day to the relatively smooth face of the overhang
portion of the one unit thereby interconnecting the overhang and
extension portions of the adjacent units. Next, the over sheet 16
of the shingle unit now being attached is pivoted into its extended
position, FIG. 8, and fasteners 30 are driven through the hinge
strip 18 at the lower edge of the under sheet to fasten the second
shingle unit to the substructure. The over sheet of the second unit
is thereafter pivoted back into its face-to-face relationship with
the under sheet. Successive shingle units are fastened to the
substructure in this manner until a horizontal course or row of the
shingle units has been laid.
The next horizontal row of shingle units is laid in the same manner
and each unit is positioned to overlie the previously laid row a
predetermined amount. This amount of overlap is governed by the
length of the tab 26 on the over sheets whereby the shingle units
in the next row being laid can be positioned so that the bottom
hinged edges of the over and under sheets lie in a horizontal line
including the bottom edge of the tab. Also, preferably each shingle
unit is positioned relative to the shingle unit in the previously
laid row so that it overlaps two shingle units in that row and the
extent to which it overlaps the respective shingle units can be
varied to vary pattern of the completed roof covering.
The relationship of the shingle unit in each successive row of
units is best illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 wherein it can be seen
that the nail fasteners 30 extend not only through the hinge strip
18 at the lower edge of the under sheet 14 of each shingle unit but
also through the upper edges of the shingle unit in the preceding
row so that each nail fastener anchors the bottom edge of each
shingle unit and the top edges of the shingle unit in the
previously laid row. It should be appreciated that by fastening the
shingle units in this manner, that the butt line or bottom edge of
each shingle unit is fastened to the substructure to prevent the
wind from lifting the bottom edge of the shingle units and thereby
damaging the roof structure. Also, since the over sheet 16 is
positioned to overlie the nail fasteners 30, they are hidden from
view presenting an aesthetically pleasing roof covering.
It will be appreciated that the aforedescribed shingle units are of
double thickness, with the exception of the gaps between adjacent
over sheets, so that the entire roof covering is substantially of
double thickness giving a relatively heavy or bulky appearance.
Furthermore, by utilizing the spacer strip 20 along the hinged
connection of the over and under sheets, the thickness of the
shingle units along the butt line is triple thickness and using
conventional composite roofing material, this butt line can
approximate 3/8 of an inch in thickness thereby approaching the
thickness of conventional cedar shake shingles. It is contemplated
that the under sheet could be enlarged so that it would extend
upwardly beneath the shingle unit in the row immediately thereabove
and be affixed to the substructure by the fasteners in the second
row thereabove. This would establish a long lasting roof covering
of triple thickness.
A completed roof covering can be seen to consist of a plurality of
the previously described shingle units laid in overlapping
horizontal rows with the shingle units in each row overlapping
adjacent shingle units so as to establish a totally unified,
self-reinforcing assemblage which is both water-repellent and wind
resistant. Also, due to the design of the shingle units, each row
of shingle units and each shingle unit in a row is uniformly spaced
to present a neat attractive roof covering. It will be appreciated
from the foregoing description that the roof covering made from the
shingle unit is very quickly and easily laid since the units are
designed to be self-aligned and spaced during assemblage.
A second embodiment of the shingle unit of the present invention is
shown in FIGS. 13 through 18 with like parts having been given like
reference numerals with a prime suffix. In this embodiment, a
substantially rectangular over sheet 16' is again hingedly
connected to a rectangular under sheet 14 by a strip 18' of asphalt
impregnated fabric connecting the over and under sheets along their
bottom edges so that the roughened surfaces of the over and under
sheets are both directed upwardly when the sheets are in their
face-to-face relationship illustrated in FIG. 15. Again, when
affixing the hinge strip 18' to the over and under sheets, a layer
of liquid asphalt is preferably spread along the lower edge of the
under sheet so that the strip will be suitably bonded to the rough
upper surface of the under sheet. In this embodiment of the
invention, the spacer strip 20' is not bonded to the hinge strip
18' along the bottom edge of the over sheet 16' but rather is
releasably bonded to the hinge strip along the uppermost edge of
the under sheet 14' so that it will remain affixed to the shingle
unit 10 while the shingles are being placed in position on the
substructure of the roof but can be torn or released from the hinge
and placed in the position illustrated in FIG. 15. Preferably, when
the spacer strip 20' is positioned as shown in FIG. 13, the
roughened surface is directed upwardly so that the spacer strip can
merely be pivotally swung, FIG. 14, into the position shown in FIG.
15 thereby separating the spacer strip from the hinge strip 18' and
positioning the spacer strip in face-to-face abutting relationship
with the hinge strip and with the roughened surface of the spacer
strip directed downwardly. This orientation of the spacer strip is
preferable since a good bond between the spacer and hinge strips
when they are in the position of FIG. 13, with the smooth surface
of the strip being bonded to the hinge strip, is more important
than a good bond when the spacer and hinge strips are in the
position of FIG. 15 since the nail fasteners 30' will be driven
through the spacer strip and the hinge strip after they have been
positioned as in FIG. 15 to secure the shingle unit to the
substructure and in so doing positively position the spacer strip
relative to the hinge strip.
The shingle units of the second embodiment would be connected as
with the shingle units of the first described embodiment to form a
unified roof structure with shingle units not only overlapping in
each horizontal row, but with each successive horizontal row
overlapping the previously laid row.
It will be appreciated that along the gaps between adjacent over
sheets in a horizontal row that the roof covering is single rather
than double thickness. Accordingly, it is contemplated that the
life of each shingle unit and the composite roof covering could be
extended by adding an additional layer of asbestos, foil, asphalt
composite or the like on top of the under sheet to establish a
double thickness in the gaps and a triple thickness throughout the
remainder of the roof covering.
Although the present invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity, it is understood that the present
disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in
details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit
thereof.
* * * * *