1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hip and ridge shingles for covering the hip and ridge connections on the pitched roof of buildings.
2. Reported Developments
Hip and ridge shingle units are used in the building industry to cover the hips and ridges of various building structures. As such, they are designed with configurations and materials of construction, which allow them to cover angled areas of a roof structure. Several asphalt ridge shingles of various shapes and folding patterns have been proposed for peaks of pitched or gabled roofs to provide for water-impermeability and pleasing appearance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,294 discloses a tapered asphalt ridge cover comprising a plurality of folds perpendicular to, and approximately midway down the longitudinal axis of the ridge cover with a fold at the front and to produce a small lip with asphalt adhesive on the lower surface of the front end. Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,771, discloses a ridge cover with first and second tapered portions in which the cover is formed by folding the unit such that the second tapered portion overlaps the first tapered portion.
Folding of roof ridge shingles tends to create stress and breakage along fold lines especially when the roof ridge shingles are installed in cold weather. U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,711 teaches a ridge cover composed of a particular composition containing a flexibility adhesive in which the roofing sheet is folded back on itself twice in the intermediate portion of the sheet in order to form a thickened portion midway the length of the sheet with inner sections extending forwardly and rearwardly from the thickened portion. The ridge cover further comprises a T-shaped slit extending through the thickened portion of the unit.
The present invention does not utilize folding of the hip and ridge roofing shingles and for that reason cracking or breaking the shingles during cold weather installation is eliminated.
In accordance with the present invention a hip and roof ridge shingle is provided comprising three layers of a base mat laminated together by an asphalt pressure sensitive adhesive material, the top, weather exposed surface of which is covered by inorganic granules embedded in an asphalt coating. The first and second layers are of equal size and, preferably, are of square configuration. Each of the two layers has a head portion and a butt portion. The third layer is laminated to the head portion of the second layer.
The first layer of the laminate is designed to conform to the hip and roof ridge of an underlying roof structure without breaking or cracking. To reduce the stress upon bending, the first layer is a combination layer comprising: two L-shaped portions, each of which have a horizontal top or head portion, and a vertical bottom or butt portion in which the head portions are superimposed on each other and the butt portions are positioned adjacent to each other in such a way that a small discontinuity or gap is formed therebetween. The resulting gap forms an air space that closes once the product is bent in position and installed. The undersurface of the first layer is provided with a self-seal adhesive, covered by a release paper, for attachment to a roof hip or ridge. The top surface of the first layer is provided with lamination adhesives on its head and butt portions to receive and secure the second layer of the laminate.
The second layer of the laminate is equal in size with the first laminate and is superimposed on the first layer of the laminate. It carries at least one strip of lamination adhesive on its head portion to receive and secure the third layer of the laminate.
The third layer of the laminate is approximately equal to the size of the head portion of the laminate. Upon installation of the shingle units on hip and ridge surfaces of a roof this third layer will be covered by at the butt portions of the first and second layers.
The lamination adhesives used between the layers allow the layers to float or slide past each other as the shingle unit is bent over the hip or ridge of a roof. This sliding effect greatly reduces the surface tension present on the layers. The self-seal adhesives on the undersurface of the first layer reduces the blow-off potential. The laminate, preferably, is secured to the roof deck by nailing two standard roofing nails in the head portion, thus, penetrating and securing all three layers.
Examplary adhesives mentioned above include the following:
For a more detailed description of the invention reference is now made to the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference is made to the drawings showing the details of the laminated hip and ridge asphalt shingle of the present invention.
Each of the layers in top and undersurface plan views forming the laminated hip and ridge asphalt shingle of the present invention prior to lamination to each other is described hereunder in connection with
The L-shaped layer 21 has a vertical portion 25, and a horizontal portion 30, both of which are generally designated. The layer is further defined by top end 27 in the horizontal portion, side ends 28 and 29 in the vertical portion, side end 32 in the horizontal portion, and bottom end 31 in the vertical portion 25. The layer is provided with a lamination adhesive well-known as asphalt adhesive, in the top surface thereof: adjacent to bottom end 31 there is a horizontal lamination strip 42 running parallel to bottom end 31, and lamination strip 38 running parallel to side end 32 in the horizontal portion 25. Lamination adhesive strip 42 serves to receive and adhere to the second or middle layer 50, while lamination adhesive strip 38 serves to secure lower L-shaped layer to upper L-shaped layer.
The production of the laminated hip and ridge asphalt shingle of the present invention typically comprises the following steps.
The top surfaces of each of the layers are coated with mineral granules subsequent to which lamination adhesives and self-seal adhesives are deposited thereon as shown in the above-described figures. Lamination adhesives are used on top surfaces of each layer, while self-seal adhesives are used on the back or undersurfaces of the layers. Release tape 39 is used on the back or undersurface of the lower L-shaped layer of the shingle to facilitate packaging. In making the laminated hip and ridge asphalt shingle 10, upper L-shaped layer 20 is superimposed on lower L-shaped layer 21 so that their horizontal portions essentially cover each other. Side end 45 in upper L-shaped layer 20 and side end 28 in lower L-shaped layer 21 do not overlap each other: a gap between the upper and lower L-shaped layers separates the side ends from each other prior to positioning the laminated hip and ridge asphalt shingle on the peak of the roof. This gap allows bending of the layers without the risk of cracking. The gap being of about 0.5 to about 1.5 inches will be closed on bending the layers on the peak of the roof. The release tape 39 on the back side or undersurface of layer 21 allows stacking of the laminated hip and ridge asphalt shingles on top of each other during shipping and installation.
The process of installing the hip and ridge asphalt shingles of the present invention includes the steps of:
Having described the invention in considerable detail, it should be noted that the invention is not limited thereto since alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention.
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/124,336 filed Apr. 17, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,866.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3913294 | Freiborg | Oct 1975 | A |
4835929 | Bondoc et al. | Jun 1989 | A |
5247771 | Poplin | Sep 1993 | A |
5365711 | Pressutti et al. | Nov 1994 | A |
5467568 | Sieling | Nov 1995 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20050005555 A1 | Jan 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10124336 | Apr 2002 | US |
Child | 10910830 | US |