U.S. patent number RE46,177 [Application Number 14/700,201] was granted by the patent office on 2016-10-11 for method of manufacturing a shingle with reinforced nail zone.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC. Invention is credited to Russell L. Ault, James S. Belt, D. Greg Hendershot, Barry M. Lewis, Stephanie A. Rinne, John Scowden, Michael S. Ugorek, Donn Vermilion.
United States Patent |
RE46,177 |
Vermilion , et al. |
October 11, 2016 |
Method of manufacturing a shingle with reinforced nail zone
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a roofing shingle includes applying an
asphalt coating to a substrate to define an asphalt coated sheet,
the asphalt coated sheet including a headlap portion and a tab
portion. Reinforcement material is applied .[.from a spool.]. to
the asphalt coated sheet, wherein the reinforcement material is
.[.wound in a waywind pattern on the spool.]. .Iadd.payed out from
a roll.Iaddend.. The reinforcement material is then secured to the
headlap portion of the asphalt coated sheet. .Iadd.Prior to
applying the reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet,
the reinforcement material has a first width. The method further
includes shrinking the reinforcement material to a second width
narrower than the first width upon securing the reinforcement
material to the headlap portion..Iaddend.
Inventors: |
Vermilion; Donn (Newark,
OH), Rinne; Stephanie A. (Granville, OH), Ugorek; Michael
S. (New Albany, OH), Scowden; John (Gahanna, OH),
Lewis; Barry M. (Newark, OH), Hendershot; D. Greg
(Columbus, OH), Ault; Russell L. (Newark, OH), Belt;
James S. (Utica, OH) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC |
Toledo |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Owens Corning Intellectual Capital,
LLC (Toledo, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
1000001883588 |
Appl.
No.: |
14/700,201 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
13193868 |
Jul 29, 2011 |
8430983 |
Apr 30, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B
37/144 (20130101); E04D 1/26 (20130101); B32B
37/12 (20130101); B32B 37/12 (20130101); Y10T
156/1089 (20150115); Y10T 156/1089 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
E04F
13/16 (20060101); C09J 5/02 (20060101); B32B
37/12 (20060101); E04D 1/26 (20060101); B32B
37/20 (20060101); C08J 5/12 (20060101); B29C
65/52 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
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Jul 1986 |
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CA |
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2176391 |
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Sep 1994 |
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CN |
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50002937 |
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Jan 1975 |
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JP |
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WO 2007019399 |
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Feb 2007 |
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WO |
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2007108846 |
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Sep 2007 |
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WO |
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2008052029 |
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May 2008 |
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WO |
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Other References
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|
Primary Examiner: Xu; Ling
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Calfee, Halter & Griswold
LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of manufacturing a roofing shingle comprising: applying
an asphalt coating to a substrate to define an asphalt coated
sheet, the asphalt coated sheet including a headlap portion and a
tab portion; applying reinforcement material .[.from a spool.]. to
the asphalt coated sheet, wherein the reinforcement material is
.[.wound in a waywind pattern on the spool.]. .Iadd.payed out from
a roll.Iaddend.; and securing the reinforcement material to the
headlap portion of the asphalt coated sheet; wherein .Iadd.prior to
applying the reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet,
.Iaddend.the reinforcement material .[.on the spool.]. has a first
width, the method further including shrinking the reinforcement
material to a second width narrower than the first width upon
securing the reinforcement material to the headlap portion.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement
material is formed from woven material.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein .Iadd.the roll
comprises a spool, wherein .Iaddend.the spool has a width of at
least about 10.0 inches and the wound reinforcement material has an
outer diameter of at least about 19.0 inches.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein an initial weight of
the reinforcement material on the spool is greater than about 30
lbs.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement
material has a thickness within the range of from about 3 mils to
about 20 mils.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement
material has a thickness within the range of from about 5 mils to
about 15 mils.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement
material has a thickness of about 9.5 mils.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first width is
within the range of from about 1.125 inches and about 1.25
inches.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second width is
about 1.0 inches.
10. A method of manufacturing a roofing shingle comprising:
applying an asphalt coating to a substrate to define an overlay
sheet including a headlap portion and a tab portion; securing an
underlay sheet to the overlay sheet such that a region of the
underlay sheet overlaps a region of the headlap portion of the
overlay sheet; applying reinforcement material .[.from a spool.].
to the overlay sheet, wherein the reinforcement material is
.[.wound in a waywind pattern on the spool.]. .Iadd.payed out from
a roll.Iaddend.; and securing .Iadd.the .Iaddend.reinforcement
material to the headlap portion of the overlay sheet; wherein
.Iadd.prior to applying the reinforcement material to the overlay
sheet, .Iaddend.the reinforcement material .[.on the spool.]. has a
first width, the method further including shrinking the
reinforcement material to a second width narrower than the first
width upon securing the reinforcement material to the headlap
portion.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the reinforcement
material is formed from woven material.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein .Iadd.the roll
comprises a spool, wherein .Iaddend.the reinforcement material
initially on the spool has a weight within the range of from about
30 lbs, to about 40 lbs.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein .Iadd.the roll
comprises a spool, wherein .Iaddend.the reinforcement material
initially on the spool has a weight within the range of from about
65 lbs, to about 75 lbs.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the reinforcement
material has a thickness within the range of from about 3 mils to
about 20 mils.
15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first width is
within the range of from about 1.125 inches and about 1.25
inches.
16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second width is
about 1.0 inches.
17. A method of manufacturing a roofing shingle comprising:
applying an asphalt coating to a substrate to define an asphalt
coated sheet, the asphalt coated sheet including a headlap portion
and a tab portion; applying reinforcement material .[.from a
spool.]. to the asphalt coated sheet, wherein the reinforcement
material is .[.wound in a waywind pattern on the spool.].
.Iadd.payed out from a roll.Iaddend.; and securing the
reinforcement material to the headlap portion of the asphalt coated
sheet .Iadd.by pushing the reinforcement material into an asphalt
coating of the asphalt coated sheet.Iaddend., wherein .Iadd.prior
to applying the reinforcement material to the overlay sheet,
.Iaddend.the reinforcement material .[.on the spool.]. has a first
width, the method further including shrinking the reinforcement
material to a second width narrower than the first width upon
securing the reinforcement material to the headlap portion.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the reinforcement
material is formed from woven material.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first width is
within the range of from about 1.125 inches and about 1.25
inches.
20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second width is
about 1.0 inches.
.Iadd.21. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the
reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet comprises
applying the reinforcement material to an upper surface of the
asphalt coated sheet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.22. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the
reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet comprises
applying the reinforcement material to a lower surface of the
asphalt coated sheet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.23. The method according to claim 10, wherein applying the
reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet comprises
applying the reinforcement material to an upper surface of the
asphalt coated sheet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.24. The method according to claim 10, wherein applying the
reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet comprises
applying the reinforcement material to a lower surface of the
asphalt coated sheet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.25. The method according to claim 17, wherein applying the
reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet comprises
applying the reinforcement material to an upper surface of the
asphalt coated sheet..Iaddend.
.Iadd.26. The method according to claim 17, wherein applying the
reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet comprises
applying the reinforcement material to a lower surface of the
asphalt coated sheet..Iaddend.
Description
.Iadd.RELATED APPLICATION.Iaddend.
.Iadd.This application is a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 8,430,983,
issued Apr. 30, 2013, titled METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SHINGLE WITH
REINFORCED NAIL ZONE, the entire disclosure of which is fully
incorporated by reference herein..Iaddend.
BACKGROUND
Asphalt-based roofing materials, such as roofing shingles, roll
roofing, and commercial roofing, are installed on the roofs of
buildings to provide protection from the elements, and to give the
roof an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Typically, the roofing
material is constructed of a substrate such as a glass fiber mat or
an organic felt, an asphalt coating on the substrate, and a surface
layer of granules embedded in the asphalt coating.
A common method for the manufacture of asphalt shingles is the
production of a continuous sheet of asphalt material followed by a
shingle cutting operation which cuts the material into individual
shingles. In the production of asphalt sheet material, either a
glass fiber mat or an organic felt mat is passed through a coater
containing hot liquid asphalt filled with limestone to form a
tacky, asphalt coated sheet. Subsequently, the hot asphalt coated
sheet is passed beneath one or more granule applicators which
discharge protective and decorative surface granules onto portions
of the asphalt sheet material.
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," in order to make installation of roofs
using shingles, such as laminated shingles, more efficient and
secure. One or more lines or other indicia painted or otherwise
marked longitudinally on the surface of the shingle may define such
a nail zone. It is especially desired that the shingles define a
nail zone that guides installers in the placement of nails.
Additionally, shingles may experience lift in high wind situations.
This lift may be exacerbated if the shingle tabs are not sealed or
adhered to the shingle below. Therefore, there is also a need for
shingles that have a sufficiently high nail pull-through value so
that the installed shingles have improved performance in high wind
situations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present application describes various embodiments of a method
of manufacturing a roofing shingle. One embodiment of the method of
manufacturing a roofing shingle includes applying an asphalt
coating to a substrate to define an asphalt coated sheet, the
asphalt coated sheet including a headlap portion and a tab portion.
Reinforcement material is applied .[.from a spool.]. to the asphalt
coated sheet, wherein the reinforcement material is .[.wound in a
waywind pattern on the spool.]. .Iadd.payed out from a
roll.Iaddend.. The reinforcement material is then secured to the
headlap portion of the asphalt coated sheet. .Iadd.Prior to
applying the reinforcement material to the asphalt coated sheet,
the reinforcement material has a first width. The method further
includes shrinking the reinforcement material to a second width
narrower than the first width upon securing the reinforcement
material to the headlap portion..Iaddend.
In another embodiment, the method of manufacturing a roofing
shingle includes applying an asphalt coating to a substrate to
define an overlay sheet having a headlap portion and a tab portion.
An underlay sheet is secured to the overlay sheet such that a
region of the underlay sheet overlaps a region of the headlap
portion of the overlay sheet. Reinforcement material is applied
.[.from a spool.]. to the overlay sheet, wherein the reinforcement
material is .[.wound in a waywind pattern on the spool.].
.Iadd.payed out from a roll.Iaddend.. The reinforcement material is
then secured to the headlap portion of the overlay sheet.
.Iadd.Prior to applying the reinforcement material to the asphalt
coated sheet, the reinforcement material has a first width. The
method further includes shrinking the reinforcement material to a
second width narrower than the first width upon securing the
reinforcement material to the headlap portion..Iaddend.
In a further embodiment, the method of manufacturing a roofing
shingle includes applying an asphalt coating to a substrate to
define an asphalt coated sheet, the asphalt coated sheet including
a headlap portion and a tab portion. Reinforcement material is
applied .[.from a spool.]. to the asphalt coated sheet, wherein the
reinforcement material is .[.wound in a waywind pattern on the
spool.]. .Iadd.payed out from a roll.Iaddend.. The reinforcement
material is then secured to the headlap portion of the asphalt
coated sheet. .[.The.]. .Iadd.Prior to applying the reinforcement
material to the asphalt coated sheet, the .Iaddend.reinforcement
material on the spool has a first width, the method further
including shrinking the reinforcement material to a second width
narrower than the first width upon securing the reinforcement
material to the headlap portion.
Other advantages of the method of manufacturing a roofing shingle
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following
detailed description, when read in light of the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of an apparatus for
manufacturing shingles according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a laminated
shingle having reinforcement material in accordance with the
invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the front of the laminated shingle
illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the back of the laminated shingle
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a second embodiment of
a laminated shingle having reinforcement material in accordance
with the invention.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic elevational view of a portion of
the laminated shingle illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.
FIG. 7 is schematic elevational view of a spool of reinforcement
material in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention will now be described with occasional
reference to the illustrated embodiments of the invention. This
invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should
not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein,
nor in any order of preference. Rather, these embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough, and will
convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The
terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for
describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be
limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the
invention and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an,"
and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of
ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction
conditions, and so forth as used in the specification and claims
are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term
"about." Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical
properties set forth in the specification and claims are
approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties
sought to be obtained in embodiments of the present invention.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting
forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the
numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as
precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently
contain certain errors necessarily resulting from error found in
their respective measurements.
As used in the description of the invention and the appended
claims, the term "asphalt coating" is defined as any type of
bituminous material suitable for use on a roofing material, such as
asphalts, tars, pitches, or mixtures thereof. The asphalt may be
either manufactured asphalt produced by refining petroleum or
naturally occurring asphalt. The asphalt coating may include
various additives and/or modifiers, such as inorganic fillers,
mineral stabilizers, non-polymers, and organic materials such as
polymers, recycled streams, or ground tire rubber. Preferably, the
asphalt coating is a filled-asphalt that contains asphalt and an
inorganic filler or mineral stabilizer.
As used in the description of the invention and the appended
claims, the term "longitudinal" or "longitudinally" is defined as
substantially parallel with the machine direction.
As used in the description of the invention and the appended
claims, the terms "shingle blow off" or "blow off" are defined as
the occurrence of installed shingles being forced off a roof deck
when the installed shingles are subjected to high winds. Also, the
term "shingle blow through" or "blow through" are defined as the
situation that occurs when a nail has been driven too deeply into
the shingle and the nail head penetrates through at least the
shingle overlay.
As used in the description of the invention and the appended
claims, the term "wet" or "wet out" is defined as the ability of
sealant or adhesive to flow and/or reflow over a surface to
maximize bond strength based on a larger contact area.
As used in the description of the invention and the appended
claims, the term "waywind" is defined as fibers, or strips of
material or fabric that are collected, applied to, or wound on a
spool or bobbin in a pattern that changes the angle of the material
relative to the longitudinal axis of the spool.
Composite shingles, such as asphalt shingles, are a commonly used
roofing product. Asphalt shingle production generally includes
feeding a base material from an upstream roll and coating it first
with a roofing asphalt 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 may be any suitable support material.
Composite shingles may have a headlap region and a prime region.
The headlap region may be ultimately covered by adjacent shingles
when installed upon a roof. The prime region will be ultimately
visible when the shingles are installed upon a roof.
The granules deposited on the composite material shield the roofing
asphalt material from direct sunlight, offer resistance to fire,
and provide texture and color to the shingle. The granules
generally involve at least two different types of granules. Headlap
granules are applied to the headlap region. Headlap granules are
relatively low in cost and primarily serve the functional purposes
of covering the underlying asphalt material for a consistent
shingle construction, balancing sheet weight, and preventing
overlapping shingles from sticking to one another. Colored granules
or other prime granules are relatively expensive and are applied to
the shingle at the prime regions. Prime granules are disposed upon
the asphalt strip for both the functional purpose of protecting the
underlying asphalt strip and for providing an aesthetically
pleasing appearance of the roof.
The performance of an installed shingle, such as in high wind
conditions, may be enhanced by reinforcing the nail zone of the
shingle. By reinforcing the nail zone, the occurrence of nail blow
through during shingle installation may be reduced. Reducing the
occurrence of nail blow through advantageously reduces the
possibility of a roof leak if water travels under the shingle tab.
A reinforced nail zone also improves the efficiency of the shingle
installer by reducing the likelihood of nail blow through when the
shingle is weakened due to high temperatures, such as when the roof
or shingle temperature is above about 120 degrees F., or when nail
gun air pressure is too high. The reinforced nail zone may also
provide a defined and relatively wide area in which the installer
may nail. Advantageously, the reinforced nail zone will increase
the force required to pull a nail through the shingle, thereby
reducing the likelihood of shingle blow off.
The nail zone may also be used as the bonding substrate area or
bonding surface for tab sealant bonded to the underside of the tabs
of the overlay sheet. The nail zone may provide an improved bonding
surface for tab sealant.
It is known that most debonding energy, such as is generated
between the tab sealant and the bonding surface is due to
viscoelastic loss in the tab sealant as it is stretched during
debonding. Further, the polymer modified asphalt sealants typically
used as tab sealants on shingles may lose their viscoelastic
characteristics when the temperature drops to 40 degrees F. or
below.
Advantageously, the use of woven or non-woven fabric to reinforce
the nail zone and to define the bonding surface for tab sealant has
been shown to improve or retain debonding loads of polymer modified
asphalt sealants relative to shingles without a reinforced nail
zone at relatively low temperatures, such as temperatures below
about 40 degrees F. This relatively strong debonding load between
woven or non-woven fabric and modified asphalt sealants, including
polymer and non-polymer modified asphalt tab sealants, occurs
because the woven or non-woven fabric mechanically bonds to the
sealant. For example, mechanical attachment occurs as the polymer
modified asphalt sealant flows around individual filaments and
fiber bundles within the woven or non-woven fabric during bonding.
The energy required to debond the polymer modified asphalt sealant
from the woven or non-woven fabric is increased or comparable to
the energy required to debond the polymer modified asphalt sealant
from a shingle without a reinforced nail zone. Because the tab
sealant is reinforced with the filaments and fiber bundles within
the woven or non-woven fabric at the interface between the polymer
modified asphalt sealant and the woven or non-woven fabric, the
interior of the sealant becomes the weakest portion of the
bond.
An additional advantage of using woven or non-woven fabric to
reinforce the nail zone is that the fabric may be installed during
shingle production. During shingle production, the woven or
non-woven fabric may be pushed into the hot, filled-asphalt
coating, such that some of the filled-asphalt bleeds up and around
the individual fibers and fiber bundles of the fabric. This creates
a positive mechanical bond between the fabric and the shingle
substrate. Further, the filled-asphalt that bleeds up and into the
fabric aids in forming a bond between the tab sealant and the
shingle because the filled-asphalt diffuses into the tab sealant.
When installed on a roof, this creates a robust continuous path for
the transfer of debonding loads from the tab above to the nail in
the shingle below.
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an
apparatus 10 for manufacturing an asphalt-based roofing material
according to the invention. The illustrated manufacturing process
involves passing a continuous sheet of substrate or shingle mat 11
in a machine direction 12 through a series of manufacturing
operations. The mat 11 usually moves at a speed of at least about
200 feet/minute (61 meters/minute), and typically at a speed within
the range of between about 450 feet/minute (137 meters/minute) and
about 800 feet/minute (244 meters/minute). The sheet, however, may
move at any desired speed.
In a first step of the manufacturing process, the continuous sheet
of shingle mat 11 is payed out from a roll 13. The shingle mat 11
may be any type known for use in reinforcing asphalt-based roofing
materials, such as a nonwoven web of glass fibers. Alternatively,
the substrate may be a scrim or felt of fibrous materials such as
mineral fibers, cellulose fibers, rag fibers, mixtures of mineral
and synthetic fibers, or the like.
The sheet of shingle mat 11 is passed from the roll 13 through an
accumulator 14. The accumulator 14 allows time for splicing one
roll 13 of substrate to another, during which time the shingle mat
11 within the accumulator 14 is fed to the manufacturing process so
that the splicing does not interrupt manufacturing.
Next, the shingle mat 11 is passed through a coater 16 where a
coating of asphalt 17 is applied to the shingle mat 11 to form a
first asphalt-coated sheet 18. The asphalt coating 17 may be
applied in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the
shingle mat 11 contacts a supply of hot, melted asphalt 17 to
completely cover the shingle mat 11 with a tacky coating of asphalt
17. However, in other embodiments, the asphalt coating 17 could be
sprayed on, rolled on, or applied to the shingle mat 11 by other
means. Typically, the asphalt coating is highly filled with a
ground mineral filler material, amounting to at least about 60
percent by weight of the asphalt/filler combination. In one
embodiment, the asphalt coating 17 is in a range from about
350.degree. F. to about 400.degree. F. In another embodiment, the
asphalt coating 17 may be more than 400.degree. F. or less than
350.degree. F. The shingle mat 11 exits the coater 16 as a first
asphalt-coated sheet 18. The asphalt coating 17 on the first
asphalt-coated sheet 18 remains hot.
A continuous strip of a reinforcement material 19, as will be
described in detail herein, may then be payed out from a roll 20.
The reinforcement material 19 adheres to the first asphalt-coated
sheet 18 to define a second asphalt-coated sheet 22. In a first
embodiment, the reinforcement material 19 is attached to the sheet
18 by the adhesive mixture of the asphalt in the first
asphalt-coated sheet 18. The reinforcement material 19, however,
may be attached to the sheet 18 by any suitable means, such as
other adhesives. As described in detail below, the material 19 may
be formed from any material for reinforcing and strengthening the
nail zone of a shingle, such as, for example, paper, film, scrim
material, and woven or non-woven glass fibers.
The resulting second asphalt coated sheet 22 may then be passed
beneath a series of granule dispensers 24 for the application of
granules to the upper surface of the second asphalt-coated sheet
22. The granule dispensers may be of any type suitable for
depositing granules onto the asphalt-coated sheet. A granule
dispenser that may be used is a granule valve of the type disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,147 to Aschenbeck. The initial granule
blender 26 may deposit partial blend drops of background granules
of a first color blend on the tab portion of the second asphalt
coated sheet 22 in a pattern that sets or establishes the trailing
edge of subsequent blend drops of a second color blend (of an
accent color) and a third color blend (of a different accent
color). For purposes of this patent application, the first color
blend and the background granules are synonymous. The use of
initially applied partial blend drops to define the trailing edge
of subsequent blend drops is useful where accurate or sharp leading
edges are possible, but accurate trailing edges at high shingle
manufacturing speeds are difficult.
As is well known in the art, blend drops applied to the
asphalt-coated sheet are often made up of granules of several
different colors. For example, one particular blend drop that is
supposed to simulate a weathered wood appearance might actually
consist of some brown granules, some dark gray granules, and some
light gray granules. When these granules are mixed together and
applied to the sheet in a generally uniformly mixed manner, the
overall appearance of weathered wood is achieved. For this reason,
the blend drops are referred to as having a color blend, which
gives an overall color appearance. This overall appearance may be
different from any of the actual colors of the granules in the
color blend. In addition, blend drops of darker and lighter shades
of the same color, such as, for example, dark gray and light gray,
are referred to as different color blends rather than merely
different shades of one color.
As shown in FIG. 1, the series of dispensers 24 includes four
color-blend blenders 26, 28, 30, and 32. Any desired number of
blenders, however, may be used. The final blender may be the
background blender 34. Each of the blenders may be supplied with
granules from sources of granules, not shown. After the blend drops
are deposited on the second asphalt-coated sheet 22, the remaining,
uncovered areas are still tacky with warm, uncovered asphalt, and
the background granules from the background blender 34 will adhere
to the areas that are not already covered with blend drop granules.
After all the granules are deposited on the second asphalt-coated
sheet 22 by the series of dispensers 24, the sheet 22 becomes a
granule-covered sheet 40.
In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcement material 19
includes an upper surface to which granules substantially will not
adhere. Granules may therefore be deposited onto substantially the
entire second asphalt-coated sheet 22, including the material 19,
but wherein the reinforcement material 19 includes an upper surface
to which granules substantially will not adhere.
The granule-covered sheet 40 may then be turned around a slate drum
44 to press the granules into the asphalt coating and to
temporarily invert the sheet so that the excess granules will fall
off and will be recovered and reused. Typically, the granules
applied by the background blender 34 are made up by collecting the
backfall granules falling from the slate drum 44.
The granule-covered sheet 40 may subsequently be fed through a
rotary pattern cutter 52, which includes a bladed cutting cylinder
54 and a backup roll 56, as shown in FIG. 1. If desired, the
pattern cutter 52 may cut a series of cutouts in the tab portion of
the granule-covered sheet 40, and cut a series of notches in the
underlay portion of the granule-covered sheet 40.
The pattern cutter 52 may also cut the granule-covered sheet 40
into a continuous underlay sheet 66 and a continuous overlay sheet
68. The underlay sheet 66 may be directed to be aligned beneath the
overlay sheet 68, and the two sheets may be laminated together to
form a continuous laminated sheet 70. As shown in FIG. 1, the
continuous underlay sheet 66 may be routed on a longer path than
the path of the continuous overlay sheet 68. Further downstream,
the continuous laminated sheet 70 may be passed into contact with a
rotary length cutter 72 that cuts the laminated sheet into
individual laminated shingles 74.
In order to facilitate synchronization of the cutting and
laminating steps, various sensors and controls may be employed. For
example, sensors, such as photo eyes 86 and 88 may be used to
synchronize the continuous underlay sheet 66 with the continuous
overlay sheet 68. Sensors 90 may also be used to synchronize the
notches and cutouts of the continuous laminated sheet with the end
cutter or length cutter 72.
In a second embodiment, the reinforcement material may be attached
to a lower surface (the downwardly facing surface when viewing FIG.
1) of the mat 11, the first asphalt coated sheet 18, the second
asphalt coated sheet 22, or the granule-covered sheet 40, as shown
at 19A and 19B in FIG. 1. The reinforcement material 19A and 19B
may be attached to the mat 11, the first asphalt coated sheet 18,
the second asphalt coated sheet 22, or the granule-covered sheet 40
by any suitable means, such as hot, melted asphalt, other
adhesives, or suitable fasteners. In such an embodiment, the
reinforcement material 19A and 19B may be attached to the lower
surface of the nail zone of either of the overlay sheet 68 or the
underlay sheet 66, thereby reinforcing and strengthening the nail
zone as described herein.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, a first embodiment of a
laminated roofing shingle is shown generally at 74. In the
illustrated embodiment, the shingle 74 has a length L and includes
the overlay sheet 68 attached to the underlay sheet 66 and has a
first end or leading edge 74C and a second end or trailing edge
74D. In the illustrated embodiment, the laminated roofing shingle
74 has a length L of about 39.375 inches. Alternatively, the length
L may be within the range of from about 39.125 inches to about
39.625 inches. The shingle 74 may also be manufactured having any
other desired length. The shingle 74 also includes a longitudinal
axis A. The overlay sheet 68 may include a headlap portion 76 and a
tab portion 78. The headlap portion 76 may include a lower zone 76A
and an upper zone 76B. The tab portion 78 defines a plurality of
tabs 80 and cutouts 82 between adjacent tabs 80.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tab portion 78 includes four
tabs 80, although any suitable number of tabs 80 may be provided.
The headlap portion 76 and the tabs 80 may include one or more
granule patterns thereon. Each cutout 82 has a first height H1. In
the illustrated embodiment, the cutout 82 has a first height H1 of
about 5.625 inches. Alternatively, the first height H1 may be
within the range of from about 5.5 inches to about 5.75 inches. In
the illustrated embodiment, the cutouts 82 are shown as having the
same height H1. It will be understood however, that each cutout 82
may be of different heights. A line B is collinear with an upper
edge 82A of the cutouts 82 and defines an upper limit of an exposed
region 84 of the underlay sheet 66. In the illustrated embodiment,
the height of the exposed region 84 is equal to the first height
H1, although the height of the exposed region 84 may be any desired
height. In a shingle wherein the cutouts 82 have different heights,
the line B may be collinear with an upper edge 82A of the cutout 82
having the largest height. In the illustrated embodiment, the
overlay sheet 68 has a second height H2.
The reinforcement material 19 has a width W of about 1.0 inch.
Alternatively, the width W may be within the range of from about
0.75 inch to about 1.5 inches. Additionally, the width W may be
within the range of from about 0.5 inch to about 2.0 inches. The
reinforcement material 19 may be disposed longitudinally on the
headlap portion 76. In the illustrated embodiment, the
reinforcement material 19 extends longitudinally from the first end
74A to the second end 74B of the shingle 74 within the lower zone
76A of the headlap portion 76. A lower edge 19A of the
reinforcement material 19 may be spaced apart from the line B by a
distance D1. In the illustrated embodiment, the distance D1 is
about 0.25 inch. Alternatively, the distance D1 may be within the
range of from about 0.125 inch to about 0.375 inch. The distance D1
may however, be of any other desired length. For example, if
desired, the reinforcement material 19 may substantially cover the
entire headlap portion 76 of the overlay sheet 68. It will be
understood that the reinforcement material 19 need not extend from
the first end 74A to the second end 74B of the shingle 74, and may
be disposed in one or more sections or portions on the shingle
74.
The reinforcement material 19 defines a reinforced nail zone 98 and
may include text such as "NAIL HERE .circle-solid.", as shown in
FIG. 2. It will be understood, however, that any other text or
other indicia may be included on the reinforcement material 19. It
will also be understood that the reinforcement material 19 can be
provided without such text or indicia. These indicia on the
reinforcement material 19 ensure that the reinforced nail zone 98
may be easily and quickly identified by the shingle installer.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the underlay sheet
66 includes a leading edge 66A and a trailing edge 66B and has a
third height H3. In the illustrated embodiment, the height H3 of
the underlay sheet 66 is about 6.625 inches. Alternatively, the
height H3 may be within the range of from about 6.5 inches to about
6.75 inches. The underlay sheet 66 may also be manufactured having
any other desired height.
In the illustrated embodiment, the third height H3 of the underlay
sheet 66 is equal to about one-half the second height H2 of the
overlay sheet 68. The overlay sheet 68 and the underlay sheet 66
thereby overlap to define a two-layer portion of the laminated
shingle 74 and a single-layer portion of the laminated shingle 74.
More specifically, a region of the underlay sheet 66 overlaps a
region of the headlap portion 76 of the overlay sheet 68, thereby
defining a two-layer portion and a single-layer portion of the
laminated shingle 74 within the headlap portion 76. At least a
portion of the reinforcement material 19 is adhered to the
single-layer portion of the laminated shingle 74. Alternately, the
third height H3 of the underlay sheet 66 may be greater than
one-half of the second height H2 of the overlay sheet 68. This
relationship between the underlay sheet 66 and the overlay sheet 68
allows the reinforcement material 19 to be positioned such that a
reinforced nail zone is provided at the two-layer portion of the
laminated shingle 74.
Referring now to FIG. 4, a back side of the laminated shingle 74 is
shown. If desired, a continuous strip of release tape 94 may extend
longitudinally and may be adhered to an upper surface of the back
side of the laminated shingle 74 adjacent and parallel to a
trailing edge 74D of the laminated shingle 74. The release tape 94
is positioned such that it will be opposite the tab sealant 96 when
the laminated shingles 74 are stacked, such as when packaged for
shipment. The release tape 94 may be spaced a distance D1 from the
trailing edge 74D of the laminated shingle 74. In the illustrated
embodiment, the release tape 94 is spaced about 0.125 inches from
the trailing edge 74D of the laminated shingle 74. Alternatively,
the release tape 94 may be placed at any desired location on the
back side of the laminated shingle 74, such that the release tape
94 contacts and covers the sealant 96 when a plurality of the
laminated shingles 74 are stacked in a bundle, such as for
shipping.
A discontinuous bead of tab sealant 96 may extend longitudinally
and may be adhered to a lower surface of the back side of the
laminated shingle 74 adjacent and parallel to a leading edge 74C of
the laminated shingle 74. The tab sealant 96 may be spaced a
distance D2 from the leading edge 74C of the laminated shingle 74.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tab sealant 96 is spaced about
0.5 inches from the leading edge 74C of the laminated shingle 74.
Alternatively, the tab sealant 96 may be spaced within the range of
from about 0.375 inch to about 0.625 inch from the leading edge 74C
of the laminated shingle 74. In the illustrated embodiment, the tab
sealant 96 includes segments 96S having a length 96L of about 3.0
inches. Alternatively, the tab sealant segments 96S may have a
length 96L within the range of from about 2.25 inches to about 4.25
inches. The tab sealant segments 96S may be spaced apart a distance
96D. In the illustrated embodiment, the tab sealant segments 96S
are spaced about 1.0 inch apart. Alternatively, the tab sealant
segments 96S may be spaced within the range of from about 0.25 inch
to about 1.5 inches apart.
The tab sealant segments 96S may have a width 96W. In the
illustrated embodiment, the tab sealant segments 96S have a width
96W of about 0.5 inch. Alternatively, the tab sealant segments 96S
may have a width 96W within the range of from about 0.375 inches to
about 0.675 inches. The tab sealant segments 96S may also be
applied having any other desired width. In the illustrated
embodiment, the tab sealant segments 96S have a thickness of about
0.035 inch. Alternatively, the tab sealant segments 96S may have a
thickness within the range of from about 0.028 inches to about
0.050 inches. The tab sealant segments 96S may also be applied
having any other desired thickness. It will be understood that the
bead of tab sealant 96 may be applied as a continuous bead of
sealant.
In the illustrated embodiment, wherein the reinforcement material
19 has a width W of about 1.0 inch, the reinforcement material 19
is positioned such that about 75 percent (0.75 inch) of the
reinforced nail zone is positioned over the two-layer portion of
the laminated shingle 74, and about 25 percent (0.25 inch) of the
reinforced nail zone is positioned over the single-layer portion of
the laminated shingle 74. Alternatively, within the range of from
about 62.5 percent (0.625 inch) to about 87.5 percent (0.875) of
the reinforced nail zone is positioned over the two-layer portion
of the laminated shingle 74, and within the range of from about
12.5 percent (0.125 inch) to about 37.5 percent (0.375 inch) of the
reinforced nail zone is positioned over the single-layer portion of
the laminated shingle 74.
Additionally, within the range of from about 50 percent (0.50 inch)
to about 100 percent (1.0 inch) of the reinforced nail zone is
positioned over the two-layer portion of the laminated shingle 74,
and within the range of from about 0.0 percent (0.0 inch) to about
50 percent (0.50 inch) of the reinforced nail zone is positioned
over the single-layer portion of the laminated shingle 74. For
example, a second embodiment of the laminated shingle 174 is shown
in FIG. 5, and includes the underlay sheet 166 and the overlay
sheet 168. The reinforcement material 19 is attached to the overlay
sheet 168 as described above and is positioned such that about 100
percent of the reinforced nail zone 198 is positioned over the
two-layer portion of the laminated shingle 174, and about 0 percent
of the reinforced nail zone 198 is positioned over the single-layer
portion of the laminated shingle 174.
An enlarged schematic view of a portion of the laminated shingle 74
is shown in FIG. 6. As shown, the reinforcement material 19 of the
reinforced nail zone 98 is shown with a nail 90 installed through
the reinforcement material 19 where it is adhered to the
single-layer portion of the laminated shingle 74. The nail 90
extends only through the reinforcement material 19 and the overlay
sheet 68, but a portion of the nail head 92 (left most portion of
the nail head 92 when viewing FIG. 6) extends over the two-layer
portion of the laminated shingle 74. Advantageously, the position
of the reinforcement material 19 relative to the two-layer portion
of the laminated shingle 74 significantly reduces the occurrence of
shingle blow through and significantly increases nail pull through
resistance during installation and wind uplift events such as
occurs during high winds. Even if an installer drives a nail 90
through the upper most portion of the reinforcement material 19
(right most portion of reinforcement material 19 when viewing FIG.
6), as shown in FIG. 6, at least a portion of the nail head 92 will
extend over and engage the two-layer portion of the laminated
shingle 74, and thus be substantially prevented from blowing
through the laminated shingle 74.
The embodiment of the reinforcement material 19 illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3 is a woven material or web woven from polyester
fabric yarns of about 150 denier. Alternatively, the reinforcement
material 19 may be a material woven from fabric yarns within the
range of from about 125 denier to about 175 denier. Additionally,
the reinforcement material 19 may be a material woven from fabric
yarns within the range of from about 100 denier to about 200
denier.
The embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a 150 denier material having a density of about
80 yarns per inch in the warp or machine direction and about 45
yarns per inch in the cross-machine direction. Alternatively, the
reinforcement material 19 may be a woven material having a density
within the range of from about 65 yarns per inch to about 90 yarns
per inch in the warp direction and within the range of from about
35 yarns per inch to about 55 yarns per inch in the cross-machine
direction. It has been shown that 150 denier woven polyester
material having a density within the range of from about 90 yarns
per inch to about 100 yarns per inch in the warp direction and 60
yarns per inch or greater in the cross-machine direction do not
satisfactorily adhere to the adhesive mixture of the asphalt in the
first asphalt coated sheet 18.
The embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 may have a weight of about 2.8 ounces/yard.sup.2.
Alternatively, the reinforcement material 19 may be a woven
material having a weight within the range of from about 2.0
ounces/yard.sup.2 to about 3.5 ounces/yard.sup.2. Additionally, the
reinforcement material 19 may be a woven material having a weight
within the range of from about 1.5 ounces/yard.sup.2 to about 4.5
ounces/yard.
The embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 may also have a thickness of about 9.5 mils.
Alternatively, the reinforcement material 19 may be a woven
material having a thickness within the range of from about 5 mils
to about 15 mils. Additionally, the reinforcement material 19 may
be a woven material having a thickness within the range of from
about 3 mils to about 20 mils. The reinforcement material 19 may
also have having any other desired thickness.
The embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 may further have an air permeability of about 210
cm.sup.3/s/cm.sup.2, measured, for example, in accordance with ASTM
D737. Alternatively, the reinforcement material 19 may be a woven
material having an air permeability within the range of from about
160 cm.sup.3/s/cm.sup.2 to about 260 cm.sup.3/s/cm.sup.2.
Additionally, the reinforcement material 19 may be a woven material
having an air permeability within the range of from about 85
cm.sup.3/S/cm.sup.2 to about 335 cm.sup.3/s/cm.sup.2.
The embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 is formed from polyester fiber. Alternatively, the
woven reinforcement material 19 may be formed from any other
suitable material, such as nylon, KEVLAR.RTM., cotton, rayon, and
fiberglass. It will be understood that the properties and
characteristics, such as weight, density, and air permeability, of
the polyester reinforcement material 19 described above will vary
when the reinforcement material 19 is formed from materials other
than polyester fiber. Further, polypropylene may be used to form
the woven reinforcement material 19 if either the reinforcement
material 19 and/or the first asphalt-coated sheet 18 are cooled so
that the reinforcement material 19 does not melt or shrink when it
contacts the first asphalt-coated sheet. It will be understood that
the embodiments of the woven reinforcement material described
herein may have any desired weave pattern.
It will be understood that the reinforcement material 19 may be
formed as a non-woven mat. In a first embodiment of a non-woven
mat, the non-woven mat may comprise about 10 percent glass fiber
and about 90 percent bi-component polymer fiber, or a glass to
bi-component fiber ratio of 10:90. One example of a suitable
bi-component fiber is a fiber having a polyethylene (PE) outer
sheath and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) core, wherein the
bi-component fibers have a 50:50 by weight sheath to core ratio. It
has been shown that the glass fiber in the reinforcement material
19 helps to ensure dimensional stability of the reinforcement
material 19 when it is cured and when it is applied to a
shingle.
It will be understood that non-woven mats having glass to
bi-component fiber ratios other than 10:90 may also meet or exceed
the desired bond strengths over a range of temperatures. For
example, non-woven mats having glass to bi-component fiber ratios
within the range of from about 5:95 to about 25:75 may also be
used.
It has been shown that a non-woven mat comprising about 10 percent
glass fiber and about 90 percent bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE
sheath to PET core ratio does not require a binder, as the PE of
the outer sheath melts in the curing oven and bonds the glass, and
polymer fibers together. The embodiments of the non-woven mats
disclosed herein and comprising about 10 percent glass fiber and
about 90 percent bi-component fiber were cured in an oven having a
temperature of about 350 degrees F. It will be understood that if
desired, a coupling agent or bond promoter may be applied to the
fibers within the non-woven mat to enhance bond strength between
the glass, and polymer fibers.
To determine bond strength, five shingles were tested after the
reinforcement material; i.e., the non-woven and woven mats, were
sealed to the shingles per ASTM 6381. The shingles tested included:
(1) control shingles formed with the woven reinforcement material
19, as described above; (2) shingles with a non-woven mats having
bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE sheath to PET core ratio and a
basis weight of about 0.85 lbs/csf; (3) shingles with a non-woven
mats having bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE sheath to PET core
ratio and a basis weight of about 1.0 lbs/csf; (4) shingles with
non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a 25:75 PE sheath to
PET core ratio and a basis weight of about 0.85 lbs/csf; and (4)
shingles with non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a 25:75
PE sheath to PET core ratio and a basis weight of about 1.0
lbs/csf. The tests were conducted at three different temperatures:
72 degrees F., 40 degrees F., and 0 degrees F. As used herein, the
temperatures at which the tests were conducted are referred to as
pulling temperatures.
At a pulling temperature of about 72 degrees F., both the shingles
with the non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE
sheath to PET core ratio and basis weights of about 0.85 lbs/csf
and about 1.0 lbs/csf, and the shingles with woven mats achieved or
were very close to the desired bond strength of about 25 lbs. The
shingles with the non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a
25:75 PE sheath to PET core ratio and a basis weights of about 0.85
lbs/csf and 1.0 lbs/csf did not achieve the desired bond strength
of about 25 lbs.
At a pulling temperature of 40 degrees F., both the shingles with
the non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE sheath
to PET core ratio and basis weights of about 0.85 lbs/csf and about
1.0 lbs/csf, and the shingles with woven mats achieved or were very
close to the desired bond strength of about 15 lbs. The shingles
with non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a 25:75 PE
sheath to PET core ratio and a basis weights of about 0.85 lbs/csf
and about 1.0 lbs/csf did not achieve the desired bond strength of
about 15 lbs.
At a pulling temperature of 0 degrees F., both the shingles with
the non-woven mats having bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE sheath
to PET core ratio and basis weights of about 0.85 lbs/csf and about
1.0 lbs/csf, and the shingles with woven mats exceeded the desired
bond strength of about 8 lbs. Advantageously, the 50:50 ratio mats
with the basis weight of about 0.85 lbs/csf had a higher bond
strength than the 50:50 ratio mats with the basis weight of about
1.0 lbs/csf. The shingles with non-woven mats having bi-component
fiber with a 25:75 PE sheath to PET core ratio and a basis weights
of about 0.85 lbs/csf and about 1.0 lbs/csf did not achieve the
desired bond strength of about 8 lbs.
Over a range of temperatures including 0 degrees F., 40 degrees F.,
and 72 degrees F., the shingles with the non-woven mats having
bi-component fiber with a 50:50 PE sheath to PET core ratio had a
higher bond strength than the shingles with non-woven mats having
bi-component fiber with a 25:75 PE sheath to PET core ratio at both
the 0.85 lbs/csf and the 1.0 lbs/csf basis weights. It is believed
that the increased bond strength is due to increased bonding of the
fibers in the non-woven mat with the larger percentage (50 percent
in the examples discussed above) of PE outer sheath.
It will be understood that non-woven mats having sheath to core
ratios other than 50:50 may also meet or exceed the desired bond
strengths over a range of temperatures. For example, non-woven mats
having sheath to core ratios within the range of from about 40:60
to about 60:40 may meet or exceed the desired bond strengths over a
range of temperatures. It will be further understood that these
non-woven mats may have a basis weight within the range of from
about 0.5 lbs/csf to about 1.5 lbs/csf.
Advantageously, a non-woven mat having bi-component fiber as
described above is sufficiently strong and will not de-laminate
when installed on a roof. The non-woven mat having bi-component
fiber also forms a very strong bond with both the filled-asphalt of
the shingle and the tab sealant. Further, the filled-asphalt of the
shingle will not bleed through the embodiment of the non-woven mat
described above.
In the exemplary shingle 74 illustrated in FIG. 2, the shingle 74
may have a nail pull-through value, measured in accordance with a
desired standard, such as prescribed by ASTM test standard D3462.
For example, the shingle 74 may have a nail pull-through value that
is greater than in an otherwise identical shingle without the
reinforcement material 19.
Improved nail pull-through resistance values have been demonstrated
using a modified version of the nail pull-through test prescribed
by ASTM test standard D3462, wherein the test fixture has an
opening that has been reduced from a 2.5 inch diameter to a 1.5
inch diameter. Using this modified test at a temperature of 72
degrees F., a shingle 74 having reinforcement material 19 formed
from woven polyester fabric may have a nail pull-through resistance
value within the range of from about 39 percent to about 46 percent
greater than in an otherwise identical shingle without the
reinforcement material 19.
When using the modified test at a temperature of 32 degrees F., a
shingle 74 having reinforcement material 19 formed from woven
polyester fabric may have a nail pull-through resistance value of
at least about 25 percent greater than in an otherwise identical
shingle without the reinforcement material 19. Alternatively, when
using the modified test at a temperature of 32 degrees F., a
shingle 74 having reinforcement material 19 formed from woven
polyester fabric may have a nail pull-through resistance value
within the range of from about 25 percent to about 37 percent
greater than in an otherwise identical shingle without the
reinforcement material 19.
Improved nail blow through values have been demonstrated in
shingles 74 relative to otherwise identical shingles without the
reinforcement material 19. To test nail blow through, a shingle 74
was placed on oriented strand board and a nail was driven into the
shingle 74 using an air gun at 130 psi to simulate installation on
the roof, and to replicate any nail blow through damage that may
occur to the shingle 74 during installation with an air gun at 130
psi. The test was conducted at room temperature or at about 72
degrees F. After the nail was driven into the shingle 74, the
shingle 74 was turned upside down, the nail was driven back out of
the shingle 74, and any wood present was removed from the shingle
74 and nail hole. A second nail was inserted in the hole formed by
the first nail and the shingle 74 was tested for nail pull through
resistance using the modified test described above. Using this
method, a shingle 74 having reinforcement material 19 formed from
woven polyester fabric may have a nail pull-through resistance
value within the range of from about 13 percent to about 42 percent
greater than in an otherwise identical shingle without the
reinforcement material 19.
Because there may be substantially no granules in the portion of
the overlay sheet 68 covered by reinforcement material 19, the
weight of the laminated shingle 74 may be reduced relative to an
otherwise identical shingle without the reinforcement material 19.
For example, weight of the exemplary laminated shingle 74
illustrated in FIG. 2, may be reduced within the range of from
about four percent to about six percent relative to the weight of
an otherwise identical shingle having no such reinforcement
material 19. The material and transportation costs may also be
reduced.
As described above and shown in FIG. 1, the continuous strip of
reinforcement material 19 may then be payed out from a roll 20 and
adhered to the first asphalt coated sheet 18. As described above,
the embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 may have a thickness of about 9.5 mils.
Alternatively, the reinforcement material 19 may be a woven
material having a thickness within the range of from about 3 mils
to about 20 mils, and may be too thick to be manufactured and
mounted on a roll in the manner of known PET film.
For example, at typical roofing shingle line speeds, it is
necessary for the reinforcement material to be within the range of
from about 20,000 feet to about 30,000 feet long to maintain
splicing intervals of within the range of from about 15 minutes to
about 30 minutes. Films of about 1.5 mils in thickness are
typically produced on master rolls several feet wide and then slit
to a desired width, such as within the range of from about 1.0 inch
to about 1.5 inches. These slit rolls of film are considered
dimensionally stable and easy to handle.
The embodiment of the woven reinforcement material 19 illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3 may have a thickness of about 9.5 mils. The woven
reinforcement material 19 has compressive and tensile moduli
significantly lower than PET film. Therefore, a 1.0 inch wide roll
of the woven reinforcement material 19 slit from a wide roll in the
manner of PET film is not dimensionally stable and is difficult to
handle. Also, to ensure that splicing intervals at a desired level,
such as within the range of from about 15 minutes to about 30
minutes, the outside diameter (OD) of a 1.0 inch wide roll of woven
reinforcement material 19 would be significantly larger than a 1.0
inch wide roll of PET film due to the increased thickness of the
woven reinforcement material 19.
It has been shown that a length of woven reinforcement material 19
long enough to ensure that splicing intervals are within the range
of from about 15 minutes to about 30 minutes may be provided on a
spool or bobbin onto which the woven reinforcement material 19 has
been applied or wound in a waywind pattern. In a first embodiment,
as shown in FIG. 7, the spool 200 with the woven reinforcement
material 19 installed may have a width W of about 10.0 inches. The
woven reinforcement material 19 may be wound onto the spool 200
with about 20 wraps across the 10.0 inch width of the spool 19,
such that the wound reinforcement material 19 has an outer diameter
of about 19.0 inches. Once wound, the initial weight, i.e., the
weight of the woven reinforcement material 19 before the spool 200
is used in a shingle manufacturing process, is about 35 lbs. In
other embodiments, the spool 200 may hold within the range of from
about 30 lbs. to about 40 lbs. of the woven reinforcement material
19. The spool may have any other desired width W, such as a width
greater of at least about 10 inches. The spool may also hold any
other desired amount of the woven reinforcement material 19, such
as an amount greater than about 30 lbs. Additionally, the
reinforcement material 19 may be wound onto the spool 200 such that
the wound reinforcement material 19 has an outer diameter of at
least about 19.0 inches.
Alternatively, the spool 200 with the woven reinforcement material
19 installed may have a width W of about 12.0 inches. The woven
reinforcement material 19 may be wound onto the spool 200 with
about 24 wraps across the 12.0 inch width of the spool 19, such
that the wound reinforcement material 19 has an outer diameter of
about 22.0 inches. The spool 200 will hold about 70 lbs of the
woven reinforcement material 19. In other embodiments, the spool
200 may hold within the range of from about 65 lbs. to about 75
lbs. of the woven reinforcement material 19. Advantageously, with
about 70 lbs. of the woven reinforcement material 19 on the spool
200, the spool 200 will run within the range of from about 45
minutes to about 60 minutes at a speed within the range of from
about 600 ft/min to about 1000 ft/min before running out of woven
reinforcement material 19 and needing to be changed. It will be
understood that the length of time that the spool 200 will run
before running out of woven reinforcement material 19 will vary
with the thickness of the reinforcement material 19. It will be
further understood that material, such as the woven reinforcement
material 19, that has been applied to a spool in a waywind pattern
may be unwound with little or no tangling.
It will be further understood that typical finishing operations
performed on woven reinforcement material 19 during its manufacture
adds undesirable cost to the woven reinforcement material 19. These
finishing operations may consist of scouring the fabric to remove
chemical processing agents. For polyester reinforcement material as
described above, the polyester fabric may be heat-set when
manufactured to reduce shrinkage when the polyester reinforcement
material is applied to the hot asphalt of the first asphalt coated
sheet 18. If desired, the reinforcement material 19 may be
manufactured without these finishing operations. The reinforcement
material 19 that has not been scoured or heat-set may then be slit
to a width wider than the width desired on the finished laminated
shingle 74 such that it shrinks to the desired width when applied
to the hot asphalt of the first asphalt coated sheet 18.
For example, to achieve a second or installed width of about 1.0
inch on the finished laminated shingle 74, the reinforcement
material 19 may be slit to a first or pre-installed width within
the range of from about 1.125 inches to about 1.25 inches. It will
be understood that the amount of shrinkage of the reinforcement
material during application to the hot asphalt of an asphalt coated
sheet will vary with the material of the reinforcement material 19,
the temperature of the asphalt, and other factors.
If desired, processing chemicals such as lubricants may be applied
to the reinforcement material 19 prior to its application to the
hot asphalt of the first asphalt coated sheet 18. For example, a
long chain saturated hydrocarbon lubricant with surface active
functionality that is compatible with asphalt may aid in wetting
out the fibers within the reinforcement material 19 by reducing the
viscosity of the asphalt at the interface of the reinforcement
material 19 and the asphalt during application of the reinforcement
material 19. Examples of suitable lubricants include tallow amines,
the reaction products of fatty acids with an excess of polyamines,
and imidazalines derived from fatty acids.
Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of a
laminated shingle 74, it will be understood that the reinforcement
material 19 may be attached to any other type of shingle, such as a
single layer shingle.
The present invention should not be considered limited to the
specific examples described herein, but rather should be understood
to cover all aspects of the invention. Various modifications,
equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures and devices to
which the present invention may be applicable will be readily
apparent to those of skill in the art. Those skilled in the art
will understand that various changes may be made without departing
from the scope of the invention, which is not to be considered
limited to what is described in the specification.
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