Asphalt composition hip and ridge cover

Abstract

An asphalt composition ridge cover and method of installing the same whereby a decorative appearance somewhat resembling that of a shake roof ridge is achieved. The ridge cover generally is a flat, approximately rectangular piece of asphalt composition roofing material, having a folded portion adjacent the center thereof, thereby forming a region of increased thickness in a central section thereof. When installed, the thickened portions force the ridges to take the appearance of that of a shake shingle or tile roof while maintaining double coverage as required in many installations. Further features such as a self alignment and spacing capability and provision for an unexposed nail are also disclosed. A single coverage ridge cover having these same features is also described.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of roofing, and more particularly to roof ridge and hip covers.

2. Prior Art

Various types of roofing, and in particular, ridge covers, are well known in the prior art and have been manufactured and installed in substantially the same manner for a great number of years. In general, the ridge cover selected for use on a particular roof is selected in conjunction with the shingle or other roof covering, as part of the roofing system. Consequently, in the following discussion of the prior art, the considerations in choice of the roofing system will be described, it being understood that a ridge cover is generally selected for compatibility in appearance and installation with a complete roofing system. Also, the present invention ridge cover is particularly advantageous because of its new and unique appearance and, therefore, the following discussion of prior art is limited to those applications where appearance is a substantial consideration.

Prior art roofing systems include asphalt composition shingles, tile roofs, rock roofs (decorative rock scattered over an asphalt covered asphalt composition sheet) and shake roofs. In general, each of these types have certain features and disadvantages and the choice for any particular installation is generally a compromise to achieve the desired results. By way of example, a tile roof may be a very attractive roof, but it is both an expensive and a heavy roofing material, typically weighing as much as 900 pounds per 100 square feet. The weight of such roofs may require that the roof structure itself be increased over that which would be used with another type of roofing material and, consequently, the cost associated with tile roofs may include an incremental cost due to the increases of structural requirements in the building itself. Such roofs, however, are both durable and attractive and are used where these are prime considerations. Also, in some areas of the country where there is a substantial hazard of fire due to hot ashes originating from a nearby brush fire such roofs are used because they are fire proof.

Rock roofs are often used for homes in some parts of the country and are a reasonably good compromise between cost and appearance. This type of roof is generally limited to low pitch roofs since the rocks are not all physically secured to the underlying asphalt. Also, the rocks tend to become scattered with time because of the effects of high winds, heavy rains or the sweeping effects of branches on neighboring trees and, therefore, must be replaced or replenished occasionally to maintain the desired appearance.

Shake roofs are roofs made up of tapered wooden strips nailed to the roof much like shingles and are popular in parts of this country because of their highly attractive appearance and because they esthetically conform to many types of building construction. This type of roof is somewhat less expensive than a tile roof and is much lighter, characteristically having weights of approximately 450 pounds per 100 square feet. However, such a roof is not as durable as most other types of roofs since it is subjected to deterioration from environmental exposure and the individual wooden members are apt to crack when walked on, and to thereafter leak. Furthermore, unless specially treated such roofs are highly inflammable and create a substantial fire hazard whenever the roof may be exposed to hot ashes originating from a neighboring fire.

An asphalt composition roof made up of individual shingles is a relatively durable, light-weight and inexpensive roof. Such a roof may have a weight of approximately 235 pounds per hundred square feet and is fairly easily and quickly installed. The asphalt is not easily ignited and fire resulting from hot ashes falling on the roof is further inhibited by the granular surface on such roofs. However, this type of roof is a very flat and bland type of roof, the shingles having little thickness and distinctive character to create an attractive appearance. Though such shingles may be made with a variety of color granules on the surface, thereby creating a reasonable choice of colors for the final roof, and the individual shingles create a reasonably attractive pattern on the roof, such a roof is a roof with pattern and color without dimension, since the individual shingles are only on the order of one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch thick, and little depth or dimension is given by the overlap of one shingle by another. Consequently, though the appearance is the only substantial negative factor associated with such roofs, they are not commonly used in installations where considerations of appearance outweigh considerations of cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is employed in asphalt composition ridge covers to create an appearance similar to that of a shake shingle roof. The invention generally is formed by creating a thickened portion near the center of asphalt composition ridge covers. The first ridge cover is placed on the ridge in a normal manner. The second ridge cover is placed such that one end protrudes slightly over the thickened area and the other end extends beyond the top of the first ridge cover, thereby elevating the protruding end of the ridge cover. Each additional ridge cover is deployed in a manner similar to the preceding ridge cover to provide full double coverage. The ridge covers appear, at the exposed end, 5 to 6 times as thick as the conventional asphalt shingle, creating an attractive appearance by adding a dimensional characteristic to the ridge cover while maintaining full double coverage. A suitable cement may be used to allow installation with an unexposed nail, and a folded lip at the exposed end serves as an installation guide.

In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the increased thickness is formed by slitting and scoring an asphalt composition ridge cover such that it may be folded to provide the increased thickness, while allowing the ridge cover to be shaped so as to be installed on a ridge of a roof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a portion of a building illustrating the appearance of the ridge cover of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top planform view of the ridge cover of the present invention prior to folding along the longitudinal ridge line.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of three ridge covers shown in an exploded view for the purposes of illustrating the manner in which each ridge cover is located with respect to another ridge cover.

FIG. 5 is a planform of an individual ridge cover prior to being folded along any of the fold lines.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a ridge cover taken along the longitudinal ridge line.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ridge cover of the present invention as folded along the longitudinal ridge line prior to packaging.

FIG. 8 is an end view of a plurality of ridge covers of the present invention, as they may be packaged for shipment.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 6, illustrating an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the alternate embodiment for providing single coverage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

First referring to FIG. 1, an illustration of the present invention Ridge Cover, as installed on a typical roof, may be seen. It is to be understood that the phrase Ridge Cover, as used herein, is used in the broad sense to include hip covers and the like, and is used merely as a convenient phrase for identifying all such covers. It may be seen that the ridge 20 as well as the hip 22 is characterized by a pleasant physical appearance as a result of the raising of the outward extending end of the ridge covers to provide an appearance more like a shake roof ridge cover. The manner in which this is achieved in the preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2, which is a cross section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1. Each ridge cover 24 (except the lowest one) in this embodiment is comprised of a first section 26 and a second section 28, integrally connected in the center by a plurality of folds in region 30. For convenience in FIG. 2 in separating the various sections of the various covers, the respective sections 26 and 28 have a letter following the numerical designation so as to better identify the particular cover for which the respective section forms a part thereof. Thus the first ridge cover is identified by section 26a (its section 26a having been removed because it is the lowest cover on the ridge) and a folded region in region 30a. The second cover is identified by sections 26b and 28b coupled by a folded region 30b. Of course further installation proceeds onward up the hip or toward the center or other inward location of the ridge.

Now referring to FIG. 5, the planform of each of the ridge covers before it is folded into the desired form may be seen. In the preferred embodiment, the ridge cover is formed of conventional asphalt composition roofing material characterized by a first layer of asphalt impregnated fibrous material, a second layer of asphalt thereover and a final layer of granules over the layer of asphalt. While any weight material may be used, 90 lb. per square material has been used in the preferred embodiment with most pleasing results.

Rolls of asphalt composition material are cut so as to provide the basic trapezoidal form of the ridge cover before folding, as shown in FIG. 5, which in the preferred embodiment has a width at the narrow end 32 of approximately 6 inches, a width at the wider end 34 of approximately 8 inches, and a total length of approximately 30 inches. The various dashed lines, as will be subsequently more fully explained, represent the ultimate fold lines shown in FIG. 5, identified for purposes of explanation and identification of the relative proportions of the ridge cover. In addition to the basic form shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable when cutting this form to also slice a T-shaped form, generally in the center of the ridge cover, comprised of a longitudinal cut 36 with a transverse slice 38 at one end thereof having a length of approximately 13/8 inches. In these cuts it is not necessary that any material be removed though the cuts should extend through the asphalt composition material, particularly the fibrous base layer thereof, so that in the folding operations to follow the material may readily separate along those cuts. Also, for reasons which will subsequently become apparent, a notch 60 is cut in the larger end of the cover (again removal of material not being required).

In this embodiment, section 26 up to the first fold line 40 is approximately 13 inches long, with second fold line 42 being located approximately 13/8 inches from fold line 40, fold line 44 being located approximately 13/8 inches from fold line 42, and fold line 46 being located approximately 23/8 inches from fold line 44. Accordingly it will be noted that at least in the preferred embodiment the fold lines are unequally spaced, so that the folds do not lay one upon another, but instead are staggered, in part to avoid any problems that might be encountered as a result of the inability to fold the asphalt composition material back upon itself, particularly when folding the material so that the fibrous layer is on the outside of the fold, as the fibrous layer exhibits little ability to stretch during the folding process. The effect of the staggering of the folds may be seen in FIG. 2, by way of example. There is also one additional fold line 48 approximately one-half inch from the larger end 34.

The various folds to be made in the cover of FIG. 5 may readily be made by automatic equipment operating in synchronism with the cutters cutting out the basic form for the ridge cover, in which case the various fold lines 40 through 48 of FIG. 5 may not be marked or otherwise identified on the cover prior to bending. On the other hand, it may be convenient for the fold lines to be identified on the cover before folding by such means as scoring or indenting the granule and asphalt layer so as to define lines of reduced resistance to bending thereby providing the cover with a natural tendency to bend first along those lines. Short slits have also been used to define lines of reduced resistance to bending, though scoring is preferred as it is easily accomplished and removes the granules and some asphalt along predetermined lines, thereby not only defining the fold lines but also tending to avoid material build-up in the fold when the cover is folded with the fibrous layer to the outside of the fold.

In any event, the ridge cover is bent into the form shown at FIG. 6, which is a cross section taken along the longitudinal center line of a folded cover. It will be noted that the large end 34 is bent under to form a forward lip 50, and that the various folds in region 30 are staggered one to another so as to more accurately achieve a build up characterized by the multiple layer thickness of the material. Also it will be noted that the transverse slit 38 is disposed just over the end of the longitudinal slit 36 on fold line 46.

The planform of the folded cover may be seen in FIG. 3. It will be noted that as a result of the combination of the continuous taper of the cover along its length and the multiple folds in the central region, there is a small but definite difference in the width of section 28 and section 26 in the region 30. This could be eliminated by eliminating the taper between fold lines 40 and 46 in FIG. 5, though the step width change is not great, and in fact is preferred, as it tends to insure that section 28 of one cover when installed will at least come to the edges of region 30 of the underlying cover, thereby assuring the best possible visual effect in the finished ridge.

In the preferred embodiment, an adhesive 52 is applied to the undersurface of the larger end of the ridge cover. This adhesive is of the type well known in the art, such as the asphalt seal manufactured by Asphalt Products Oil Corp. of Long Beach, Calif. The adhesive is placed in this region, so that after the ridge cover is in place heat from the sun will cause the adhesive to flow to secure the forward edge of the ridge cover to the top surface of the underlying ridge cover. This avoids the necessity of nailing through the larger end of the ridge cover, and as shall be subsequently explained, allows for installation without using exposed nails. The adhesive 52 should cover a sufficiently large area so as to provide adequate bonding in a manner similar to the bonding typically used for asphalt composition shingles themselves. The adhesive 52 may be applied after the ridge cover is folded to the form shown in FIG. 6 or may be applied to the cover before folding, perhaps even as early as prior to cutting the material into the shape shown in FIG. 5. In that regard, the folds in the ridge cover tend to unfold easily when the cover is warm if not secured in the folded position. Therefor a staple or other securing means may be provided through the folded region 30, or the adhesive may be put on at least some surfaces adjacent the fold lines to secure the material in the folded condition.

Conventional ridge covers are cut and packaged flat and are then bent along the longitudinal ridge line by the installer. This may be done with respect to the present invention also, as bending the ridge cover of the present invention along the ridge line is not significantly more difficult than bending a conventional ridge cover because of the fact that the cover is sliced along the ridge line in any regions having more than one thickness of cover material. However in cold weather, asphalt composition material is difficult to bend, and of course tends to bend about an axis located in the bottom fibrous layer so that the upper layers of asphalt and granules tend to crack and separate, depending upon the extent of the bend. Therefore in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ridge cover is folded along the longitudinal ridge line into the form shown in FIG. 7, and is shipped in that folded condition by bending or folding the ridge cover along the ridge line at the factory. There is little tendency for the asphalt layer and granule layer to crack and separate when bent while warm. Also in order to facilitate bending, the transverse slit 38 allows the resulting corners 56 and 58 to project slightly outward with respect to the portion of section 26 immediately adjacent thereto so that the folded section 26 and folded section 28 may fold into a full 180.degree. fold over their entire length, with the transverse slit 38 providing for local distortion, caused by the accumulation of thickness in the folded region 30. Also the folded lip 50 does not interfere with the longitudinal folding of the cover because of the small slot 60 (FIG. 5) provided in the ridge cover as cut. Folded lip 50, however, in the preferred embodiment, does achieve a first desirable result by providing spacing to hold the region of section 28 covered by adhesive 52 sufficiently apart so that oppositely disposed adhesive coated areas will not touch to cement the ridge cover into the folded position. Of course as an alternate or in addition to the lip 50, wax paper or the like may be placed between the two adhesive coated areas to prevent their adhering to each other, or adhesive and wax coated regions may be disposed on each side of the fold so that when the ridge cover is folded along the ridge line as shown in FIG. 7, the adhesive and wax coated areas of one side of the ridge cover abut the wax and adhesive coated areas, respectively, of the other side of the ridge cover. (Longitudinal strips of adhesive and wax may be used and are easily applied by automatic equipment.) Also, if desired the ridge fold line 54 may be again coated with adhesive (asphalt) and a new layer of granules applied, so that even slight separation of the granules which may occur during the folding will not affect the end product at all. This is done in the preferred embodiment to provide extra protection on the ridge line. However it should be noted that folding the ridge cover at the factory will result in less cracking and separation of the granule layer than is normally encountered when installing prior art ridge covers under cooler conditions, and unfolding to the ridge angle on installation will generally close such cracks.

The ridge covers are then packaged so as to stand on edge, one beside the other, with the layer thereabove being supported by the thickened regions created by the folds. On installation the ridge covers are removed from the package, opened to the ridge angle and installed in a reasonably conventional manner. It should be noted that even in relatively cool weather the ridge covers will not crack along the ridge line for the reason that they are being opened rather than folded, thereby tending to close rather than open any cracks. Of course the ridge covers may be nailed to the roof through the section 28 adjacent the lip 50. A nail in this region, however, will result in an exposed nail head, as that section of a ridge cover comprises the outer or final cover layer. As an alternate, each cover may be nailed to the roof through the thickened region 30, such as by the use of nails 60. Thus the nail head may be covered by the section 28 of the next cover to be installed, with the adhesive 52 securing section 28 of each cover to the folded region therebelow upon exposure of the assembled ridge cover to the heat of the sun. However, because of the many thicknesses of asphalt composition material in the folded region, the nails are more difficult to drive through this increased thickness, particularly in cool weather. Accordingly each ridge cover may be nailed to the roof just behind the folded region 30, such as by way of example, by the use of nails 62, with the adhesive under the forward end of section 28 of each ridge cover securing that end of the ridge cover in position as previously explained.

Aside from holding the adhesive coated portions of the ridge cover in separation, the folded lip 50 also provides a convenient locating gage. Thus as illustrated in FIG. 4, after the first ridge cover 20a is fastened to the roof, the second ridge cover 20b may be quickly unfolded and placed thereover with the lip 50b locating against the folded edge 70a to accurately align and space the covers. Similarly the next cover 20c is installed with the lip 50c locating against the fold 70b of cover 20b etc. (see FIG. 2 also), with installation proceeding rapidly and accurately along the ridge or up the hip.

Now referring to FIG. 9, an alternate embodiment ridge cover and a cross section similar to that of FIG. 2 illustrating the installation of the alternate embodiment may be seen. In this embodiment there is a single S-type fold in region 130 separating the smaller end section 126 and the larger end section 128, with an additional S-shaped fold in addition to the lip 150 at the larger end 134 of the ridge cover. In this alternate embodiment, adhesive 152 may be used to secure the outwardly extending end of the ridge cover as before, and if the adhesive 152 is applied to the ridge cover before folding it may also form an adhesive to secure the first fold of the S-shaped fold and end 134. In this embodiment slits equivalent to slit 36 and 38 in the central fold region 130 are used, and in addition a notch, such as notch 60 of FIG. 5, is used extending not only through the lip region 150 but also through all parts except the top layer of section 128 so as to allow the easy bending of the ridge cover to the ridge angle. In this embodiment the ridge cover would normally be shipped flat rather than being folded as shown in FIG. 7, as the top of section 128 adjacent end 134 preferably is not slit and the accumulation of thickness thereunder, while allowing the easy bending of the cover to the ridge angle as a result of the slot thereunder, may not be readily bent to the full 180.degree. as shown in FIG. 7. Also, it should be noted that if desired, nailing may be achieved through the folded region 130 somewhat easier than through the folded region 30 of the previous embodiment for the reason that there are only three layers of asphalt composition material rather than the five layers of the previous embodiment.

It will be noted that the specific embodiments of the present invention shown and described herein are characterized by a thickened region approximately midway along the length of the cover and further by the provision of a lip at the larger end of the cover to aid in the placement and location of each successive cover in an installation. The covers further provide for full double coverage through the use of unexposed nails. (Though if desired, section 26 may be eliminated as in FIG. 10 to provide a single coverage cover.) The greatly enhanced visual appearance of the finished roof is achieved in a simple and efficient manner without the use of any additional materials, loose parts, etc., with the covers being readily manufactured by automatic equipment from conventional material in an inexpensive manner. Thus, while separate blocks or wedges of other materials, such as plastic and the like, could be fastened to an otherwise flat ridge cover to build up the thickness, such a cover requires the fabrication of special parts and the accurate placement and fastening of these special parts to the asphalt composition material, thereby resulting in higher tooling costs and higher costs of materials for the manufacturer.

Thus, there has been described herein a hip and ridge cover having greatly enhanced visual appearance, which may be readily manufactured with automatic equipment from conventional asphalt composition roof materials and easily and accurately installed with full double coverage using unexposed nails. Of course, while the present invention has been disclosed and described with respect to two specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be readily made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A ridge cover comprising an approximately rectangular sheet of asphalt composition roofing material having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said sheet including thickening means approximately midway between said first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said sheet including thickening means approxiamtely midway between said first and second ends for increasing the apparent thickness of said sheet to provide a thickened support structure for the first end of an overlapping ridge cover, said ridge cover being folded adjacent its said first end to provide a small closed lip adjacent the lower surface of said cover whereby the lip of a second cover may locate with respect to said thickening means, a layer of asphalt adhesive on at least a portion of the lower surface of said cover adjacent to said first end and said small lip.

2. The ridge cover of claim 1 wherein said ridge cover is tapered between said first and second ends with said first end being wider than said second end.

3. The ridge cover of claim 1 wherein said ridge cover is folded as even number of times about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, whereby said thickening means is comprised of multiple layers of said sheet of asphalt composition roofing material.

4. The ridge cover of claim 3 wherein said sheet of asphalt composition roofing material is scored along at least one fold line prior to folding the sheet.

5. The ridge cover of claim 1 wherein the part of said sheet forming said lip is notched at said longitudinal axis to facilitate bending of said cover about said longitudinal axis.

6. A ridge cover comprising an approximately rectangular sheet of asphalt composition roofing material having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said ridge cover being folded an even number of times about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, each layer of roofing material above a bottom layer having a slit along said longitudinal axis to facilitate bending of said ridge cover about said axis, said folding to provide a thickening of said ridge cover approximately midway between said first and second ends and to provide a thickened support structure for said first end of an overlapping ridge cover, said ridge cover being folded adjacent its said first end to provide a small lip adjacent the lower surface of said ridge cover whereby the lip of a second cover may locate with respect to said thickening.

7. The ridge cover of claim 1 wherein said ridge cover is folded four times about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

8. The ridge cover of claim 7 wherein said folds are staggered so that said folds do not fall one above another.

9. The ridge cover of claim 8 wherein said slit along said longitudinal axis terminates at one end in a transverse slit to facilitate bending of said ridge cover about said longitudinal axis.

10. A ridge cover comprising an approximately rectangular sheet of asphalt composition roofing material having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said ridge cover being folded an even number of times about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis to cause multiple layers of said sheet of asphalt composition roofing material in the fold region between said first and second ends, each layer of said roofing material above a bottom layer being slit along said longitudinal axis to facilitate bending of said ridge cover above said axis.

11. The ridge cover of claim 10 wherein said ridge cover is folded four times about axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

12. The ridge cover of claim 11 wherein said folds are staggered so that said folds do not fall one above another.

13. The ridge cover of claim 12 wherein said slit along said longitudinal axis terminates at one end in a transverse slit to facilitate bending of said ridge cover about said longitudinal axis.

14. The ridge cover of claim 12 wherein said ridge cover is folded adjacent its said first end to provide a small lip adjacent the lower surface of said cover, the part of said sheet forming said lip being notched at such longitudinal axis to facilitate bending of said cover about said longitudinal axis.

15. A ridge cover comprising a generally elongate sheet of asphalt composition roofing material having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said first end being wider than said second end and being notched on said longitudinal axis, said first end being folded under to form a lip adjacent said first end of said ridge cover, said sheet being folded about a first, second, third and fourth axes between said first and second ends to form five layers of roofing material in a folded region between said first and second ends, the four layers of roofing material above the bottom layer of said folded region being slit along said longitudinal axis.

16. The ridge cover of claim 15 wherein the bottom surface of said ridge cover adjacent said lip is coated in at least one region with an asphalt cement.

17. The ridge cover of claim 15 wherein said ridge cover is folded about said transverse axis.

18. The ridge cover of claim 15 wherein said slit joins a transverse slit at one end thereof, said transverse slit being disposed adjacent the end of one of said first through fourth axes to facilitate bending of said ridge cover about a longitudinal axis.

19. A ridge cover comprising a generally elongate sheet of asphalt composition roofing material having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said first end being folded under to form a closed lip adjacent said first end of said ridge cover, said sheet being folded about at least first and second axes adjacent said second end to form multiple layers of roofing material in the folded region, said ridge cover having a bottom surface adjacent to said lip coated in at least one region with an asphalt cement.