Powered Shingle Remover

Abstract

A device used to remove surface covering materials such as shingles. The device is comprised of an end handle having a plurality of switches and an anchoring mechanism, a handle shaft with a straight and curved portion, a secondary handle, and a base assembly. The anchoring mechanism can be used to secure the device to its work surface. The base assembly provides the mechanisms to automate the removal of shingles or other surface covering materials fastened using fasteners such as nails. The base assembly includes a blade assembly, a rotary support, a lever, a piston assembly, and a switch valve. The switch valve controls the routing of the fluid supply connected to the device. The device is powered by a supply of air or other fluid from a source such as a compressor.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tool for use in removing surface covering materials, such as roof shingles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Outdoor surfaces are exposed to weather conditions that vary around different times of the year. In many instances, these surfaces need to be covered to provide protection against the environment.

One outdoor surface in particular need of protection is a roof. Roofs are used to protect the interior of a house and other structures from the external environment, and are subject to severe weather conditions. A roof typically has an external water repellent surface covering made from a material that provides a reasonable service life at a reasonable cost. One such covering in widespread use is a bitumen based shingle that can be applied to the roof structure in a simple and efficient manner.

Shingles are formed from strips of material that are arranged in rows across a roof. The shingles are secured by nails to the underlying structure and subsequent rows are arranged to overlap the nails of the previous, lower, row. Shingles can be made from materials such as wood, plastic, composites, metal, fiber reinforced cement, or other materials with the required surface protecting qualities.

However, these surface coverings have a limited lifespan, depending on the material used, and need to be replaced on a regular basis. This requires the shingle and the nail to be removed so a new layer of shingles may be secured to a clean, flat surface.

Traditionally, shovels and forks have been used to remove a shingle by inserting a blade or tine beneath the lower edge of the shingle. The shingle may then be levered vertically away from the substrate to which it is secured to release the shingle. The leverage from the shovel or fork also ideally extracts the nails securing the shingles on the surface and thereby leaves the surface ready for the new shingle.

However, such methods are cumbersome and require a great deal of energy to be expended. Moreover, the shingle itself may tear around the nail, particularly when the shingle has deteriorated with age, leaving the nail in the substrate. Further work is then needed to remove the remaining nails and debris.

In order to reduce the manual labour involved, a number of powered shingle removal tools have been developed. Exemplary patents include U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,439, which a shovel-like device with a blade having slots to engage the body of a nail. The apparatus uses a piston to provide the motive force for removing the shingles. However, the device requires manual operation by inserting the blade into engagement with the nails and pivoting to remove the shingles. As the device needs to be carried at all times and requires a large amount of force to remove the nails it can be understood that it still requires significant manual labour to remove the shingles.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,995 shows a device for removing material, especially roofing material. It consists of a baseplate assembly connected to a shaft member with a guide handle attached. The baseplate includes a blade with teeth capable of being lifted and a piston drive to lift the blade. Actuation of the blade is performed manually after the blade has been positioned.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,377, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,979 similarly show manually operated shingle removal mechanisms using a reciprocating baseplate driven via a piston drive.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,021, U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,444, U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,100, U.S. Pat. No. 7,401,861 U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,503, and application US 2012/0096990 similarly show piston powered shingle removers with a reciprocating blade to remove the shingles and with roller assembly to facilitate movement over the roof. However all of these systems require manual actuation of the shingle removal system. The user must move to one portion of the roof sliding under the shingles, then actuate the removal mechanism, remove the shingles, and then carry on to the next portion of the roof.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,467 shows a shingle removal apparatus with a handle, stripper member, and a drive assembly with a lost motion mechanism. The stripper member moves reciprocally up and down using a crank arm connected to a powered drive assembly. However, in this device the crank mechanism is continuously engaged, thereby consuming significant compressed air, which is used as the source of energy.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,197 shows a roofing material removal device. The device can be pneumatically powered and automatically triggered. The automatic trigger is activated by the user pushing the device forward causing a drive member to push back and come into contact with a plunger. Once activated, a rigid member on the same drive receives an impact from an activated piston. Once the piston impacts this member it pushes forward, and a pulley assembly causes the front blade to lift on a lever raising the roofing material. The mechanism for lifting the blade is very complex and because of the orientation of the blade and drive mechanism for the blade, creates recoil when in use. Not only is this tiring, but the recoil poses a potential safety hazard when used on a roof.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shingle removing device that obviates or mitigates the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for the removal of surface covering materials. The device includes a head having a blade for insertion between the covering material and a substrate. The head is supported for movement across the substrate and the blade is moveable away from the substrate to lift the covering material from the substrate. The blade is moved by an actuator acting in a direction generally normal to the substrate. Operation of the actuator is controlled by a sensor moving with the blade between the covering and substrate and responsive to the force opposing such movement to actuate the actuator.

Preferably, the sensor is carried by the blade and projects in advance of the head to determine the opposition to continued movement of the blade.

As a further preference, the sensor is moveable relative to the blade and relative movement between the blade and sensor causes said actuator to lift said blade away from said substrate.

In a preferred embodiment, the head is supported on wheels and a handle assembly extends from the head to permit manipulation of the head on the substrate.

Preferably, the blade is pivotably mounted on the head and the actuator cause pivotal movement of the blade relative to the head.

By positioning the actuator to act in a direction generally normal to the substrate, the forces applied to the covering are reacted by the substrate and do not require the lifting forces to be reacted the operator. The sensor is not subjected to the lifting forces, thereby allowing the sensor to react to the resistance to continued motion and providing a lifting force only when required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shingle removal device;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the device on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the device on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7A is a cross sectional view of the device on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing alternative configurations of a sensor and valve utilised in the control of the shingle removing device;

FIG. 7B is a further cross sectional view of the device on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing alternative configurations of a sensor and valve utilised in the control of the shingle removing device;

FIG. 7C is a further cross sectional view of the device on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing alternative configurations of a sensor and valve utilised in the control of the shingle removing device;

FIG. 7D is a further cross sectional view of the device on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing alternative configurations of a sensor and valve utilised in the control of the shingle removing device;

FIG. 7E is a further cross sectional view of the device on the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, showing alternative configurations of a sensor and valve utilised in the control of the shingle removing device;

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the pneumatic control system used in the device of FIG. 1; AND

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment of a shingle removal device.

The features of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary embodiment of a device for removing a surface covering material from a substrate is shown. The device is referred to as a powered shingle remover 100. The remover 100 comprises a handle assembly 102 connected to a housing referred to as operating head 112. The handle assembly 102 includes an elongate shaft 104 with a linear, straight, section 106 terminating in a curved section 108. The linear section 106 of the shaft transitions into the curved section 108 through a plurality of elbows 120 to define a generally “C” shape lying in a transverse plane. Situated on the linear straight section 106 is a stabilising handle 110, whose position may be adjusted along the linear section 106 to suit the operator using the remover 100.

The handle assembly 102 terminates in a yoke 114 for primary control by the operator. A plurality of switches are located on the yoke 114 for access by the operator including a switch 116 for manual override to allow manual operation of the device 100, and a latch 118 which controls a handle lock mechanism 220 to adjust the angle between the handle assembly 102 and the operating head 112.

The handle assembly 102 also includes an anchoring mechanism 200 which has an anchoring nail 202 slide-able within a boss 224. The nail has an exposed nail head 226 and is naturally biased to have its nail head 226 project from the housing 224 by a spring.

Referring to FIG. 2, the stabiliser handle 110 is situated on the straight portion 106 of the handle shaft 104 and includes a main body 204 which fits over the handle shaft 104 and is secured using a clamping screw 208. The main body 204 is attached to a “D” shaped grip 206, which projects generally orthogonal to the axis of the shaft 104.

The head 112 includes a pair of side plates 210 spaced apart laterally to define each respective side face of the head 112. A central body 212 is positioned between the side plates 210 and covered by a top plate 214.

As seen more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 5, each of the side plates 210 has an aperture 216 near its respective top apex with the centres of the apertures 216 aligned on a transverse axis. The apertures 216 are dimensioned to receive a terminal portion 218 of the curved portion 108 of the shaft 104 and allow for the handle assembly 102 to rotate relative to the head 112. The handle assembly 102 may be locked relative to the head 112 using a handle lock mechanism 220, as seen more fully in FIG. 6. A notched plate 604 is carried by the terminal portion of the curved portion 108 adjacent to one of the side plates 210 and a spring loaded piston 600 biased to engage one of the notches. The piston 600 may be moved by air pressure to release the piston from the notch and allow relative movement of the handle and head.

The head 112 is supported by a pair of wheels 232, each of which is connected to a respective one of the side plates 210. The wheels 232 are rotatably supported on an axles 222 secured to the side plates 210, to facilitate movement of the head 112. The side plates 210 project forwardly from the axles 222 and carry spring loaded lift fingers 520 at their forward end that assist in lifting shingles as the head is pushed beneath the shingles. The fingers 520 are located within the side plate 210 and biased to be in the upright position via a spring. Each side plate 210 also has a guide strip 528 at the front of the side plates 210 to act as wear strips for a blade assembly 300.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the head 112 includes a blade assembly 300 which is rotatably mounted to the side plates 210 by a shaft 501 supported at opposite ends on bearings 508. The blade assembly 300 has a trunnion 306 which has a pair of forwardly projecting fingers 304. Each of the fingers 304 supports a blade 500 on parallel links 302 that allow relative fore and aft movement between the fingers 304 and blade 500 but transmit lifting forces from the trunnion 306 to the blade 500. The links 302 have pins 522, 524 at opposite ends to permit limited pivotal movement of the links 302. The blade 500 extends between the side plates 210 and the forward edge of the blade 500 has a series of notches or teeth. The blade 500 is biased to a forward position relative to the trunnion by torsion springs (not shown) acting on the links 502 to provide a resistance to rearward movement.

The trunnion 306 also has a centrally located rearwardly projecting tail 510 that engages an end of a piston rod 310. The piston rod 310 is connected to a piston 512 (FIG. 5) which is slidable in a cylinder 516 formed in the central body 212 and sealed by a top plate 214. The piston 512 and cylinder 516 are components of a reciprocating pneumatic motor, indicated generally at 518, the details of which are shown schematically in FIG. 8.

The pneumatic motor 518 operates on similar principles to those of a pneumatic nailer used to drive nails in to a substrate at high velocity. The piston 512 subdivides the cylinder 516 in to a pair of chambers 520, 522. An accumulator 524 is connected to the closed chamber 520 to store air expelled from the chamber 520 during movement of the piston 512. Air flow to the chamber 522 is controlled by a pressure balanced check valve 526 having a valve member 530 that is slidable in an extension 528 of the cylinder 516. Air pressure from a source, typically a compressor, is fed to both sides of the valve member 530 through conduits 532, 534. A spring 536 biases the valve member 530 in to a closed position in which flow to the chamber 522 is prohibited.

A two position control valve 538 regulates flow through the conduit 534 and is biased to a first position in which flow from the source to the valve member is permitted. The control valve 538 is moveable to a second position against the bias so that air in the conduit 534 is vented to atmosphere. Movement of the valve from the first to the second position is controlled by rod 540 that projects toward the blade 500.

The rod 540 is aligned laterally with a rearward one of the links 302 which has a boss 702 facing the rod 540.

In operation, the configuration of the remover is first adjusted to suit the particular operator. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 when the angle between the handle shaft 104 and base assembly 112 is desired to be adjusted, the brake switch 118 can be activated. Activation of the switch causes deactivation of the air supplied to the piston 600 from the lock fitting 314. This disengages the lock 602 from a hole on the disc 604. This disengagement allows the terminal portion 218 of the handle shaft 104 to rotate. When the desired angle between the handle shaft 104 and base assembly 112 is reached, the brake switch 118 can be released. Releasing the switch 118 reactivates the air supplied to the piston 600 and causes engagement between the lock 602 and the desired hole on the disc 604.

The shingle remover 100 is then positioned on the roof so the blade 500 can pass beneath one of the shingles. The second handle 110 can be gripped at the gripper 206 and easily lifted. The second handle 110 allows for a means to lift the device 100 from closer to its centre of mass making it easier to transport. The location of the second handle 110 on the straight section 106 of the handle shaft 104 can be adjusted by loosening the fastener 208 using a suitable tool. When the fastener 208 is loosened it allows for the main body 204 to slide on the straight section 106 of the handle shaft 104. When the main body 206 is at the desired location the faster 208 can again be fastened, fastening the main body 204 at the desired location on the straight portion 106 of the handle shaft 104.

With the remover positioned on the roof and connected to a supply of compressed air, the operator manoeuvres the remover 100 by rolling it along the roof on the wheels 232. The blade 500 is introduced between the substrate and the shingle and pushed forwardly to lift the shingle from the roof. The upper edge of side plates 210 and the fingers 520 lift the shingle to allow the body to be advanced.

Initially the remover is conditioned as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7a with the blade 500 biased forwardly and the piston 512 fully retracted in the cylinder 516. In this position, the control valve 538 is in its first position so that air is supplied to opposite sides of valve member 530. The bias of the spring 536 maintains the valve member 536 in a seated position and prevents air from entering the chamber 522. As the device is pushed forward, the blade 500 is subjected to increased resistance, typically by engagement with a nail, and is forced rearwardly relative to the sideplates 210 against the bias of the spring. The links 302 permit the rearward movement and bring the boss 702 into engagement with the rod 540 and displace the rod, as seen in FIG. 7b. The rod 540 acts as a sensor to detect the rearward movement of the blade 500 and operates on the control valve 538 to move it to the second position and vent one side of the valve member 536 to atmosphere. The valve member 536 is unbalanced as air pressure acts on one side only and is moved off its seat to supply pressure to the chamber 522 to act on the piston 512. Air in the chamber 520 is expelled in to the accumulator 524 to allow movement of the piston 512 in the cylinder 516.

The piston 512 moves downwardly in the cylinder 516 and acts on the tail 510 of the trunnion to cause it to rotate on the shaft 501. As the trunnion rotates, it lifts the blade 500 through the links 302 and lifts the nail from the substrate as seen in FIG. 7c. The vertical forces are of course taken by the wheels 232 acting on the substrate. The elongate side plates 210 stabilise the head 112 as the lifting force is applied to enhance the lifting forces applied.

It will be noted that the boss 702 is moved away from the rod 540 as the blade is lifted, allowing the control valve 538 to return to its initial first position. The vent line is closed and the pressure on the valve member 536 balanced so that the valve member is again seated. Air stored in the accumulator 524 returns the piston 512 to its retracted position and allows the trunnion to return. The load is removed from the blade 500 in part through the operation of the fingers 520, which hold the removed shingle away from the substrate. With the load taken on the fingers 520, the nail is held above the substrate and the blade can move forward under the bias of the springs, as seen in FIG. 7d. Once the blade is returned the device enters the configuration shown in FIG. 7e, it can again be advanced to remove additional nails and strip the shingles from the roof.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the curved portion of the handle allows for no obstruction for the shingles as they move atop the base assembly 112. Due to the handle shaft 104 being attached from the side, the shingles can slide above the base assembly 112 and land behind it, leaving the shingles behind as the device 100 continues operating on its set path. This in turn allows for a more systematic method for future cleaning and collection of the shingles.

If the operator wishes to manually operate and cause the lifting of the blade mechanism, the manual override switch 116 can be used. When the manual override switch 116 is activated it acts on the rod 540 to move the control valve 538 to the second position and cause the piston 512 to move down vertically and perform the shingle removal operation previously described.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, when it is desired to secure the device 100 on a surface such as a roof, the anchoring mechanism 200 on the end handle assembly 102 can be utilized. First, the angle between the handle shaft 104 and the base assembly 112 can be adjusted such that the anchoring nail 202 is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the surface. The user then strikes the nail head 226 with a tool such as a hammer, causing the anchoring nail 202 to slide within the housing 224 and be driven into the surface. The anchoring nail 202 can then pulled upon using a tool such as hammer to disengage from the surface. When secured on the surface the anchoring nail 202 inhibits any movement of the device 100. This is particularly advantageous when the device 100 is being used on a sloped surface, such as a roof.

It can be appreciated that though the specification provided details the use of the device 100 to remove shingles on roofs, it can be utilized on any other surface to remove a surface covering material, such as floor tiles, in the same method of a powered material remover.

The head 112 can be configured to carry different widths of blade 500 as shown in FIG. 9. As can be seen in FIG. 9, the blade 500 is wider than the spacing between the side plates 210. Outriggers 900 and supported on the side plates 210 and support the lateral ends of the blade 500. Fingers 520 are located on the outriggers 900 and have a bar 902 extending between them to provide support across the width of the blade for the removed shingle.

Claims

1. A device for the removal of surface covering material from a substrate, the device comprising: a. a housing supported for movement across the substrate;b. a blade attached to the housing, the blade insertable between the covering material and the substrate;c. a sensor responsive to a force opposing movement of the blade between the surface covering material and the substrate;d. an actuator coupled to the blade to move the blade away from the substrate to lift the covering material from the substrate; and

2. The device of claim 1 wherein upon attainment of the predetermined force the sensor triggers the actuator to move the blade through the extent of its travel to an end position wherein the blade is remote from the substrate and subsequently returns the blade to an initial position wherein the blade is positioned proximal to the substrate.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the blade is movable relative to the head.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the sensor detects the movement of the blade relative to the head.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the blade is pivotally attached to the housing.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the actuator causes pivotal movement of the blade relative to the housing.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the blade engages the sensor as the blade moves relative to the head.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein pivoting of the blade releases the sensor to return to a position sensing no force opposing movement of the blade.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the actuator housed in the housing and is pneumatically powered.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the housing comprises at least one finger situated proximal to the blade, and each of the at least one finger is biased to project generally perpendicular to the housing to support the surface covering material.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the device further comprises an actuating switch coupled to the actuator to manually actuate the actuator.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the housing is supported on wheels and a handle is attached to the housing to permit manipulation of the housing on the substrate.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the handle includes a curved section curved in the transverse plane and proximal to the housing, and a straight section distal to the housing.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the curved section is shaped to permit passage of the surface covering material through the curved section.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the housing includes a pivot assembly to pivotally attach the handle to the housing.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the pivot assembly includes a lock assembly, the lock assembly operable between a locked position, in which relative movement between the housing and handle is inhibited, and a released position in which relative movement between the housing and the handle is permitted.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein a release switch is coupled to the lock assembly to operate the lock assembly between said locked and released positions.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the device further comprises at least one anchor assembly mounted on the handle, the anchor assembly including a fastener operable to secure the device on the substrate.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein a stabilising handle is situated on the straight section of the handle, the stabilising handle projecting generally perpendicular to the handle and away from the substrate, the stabilising handle being adjustable in its position along the handle.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the release switch, the actuating switch and the anchor assembly are integrated into a yoke attached to the handle at an end opposite to the housing.

21. A device for the removal of surface covering material from a substrate, the device comprising: a. a housing supported for movement across the substrate;b. a blade attached to the housing, the blade insertable between the covering material and the substrate;c. at least one finger situated on the housing proximal to the blade, each of the at least one finger biased to extend generally perpendicular to the housing to support the surface covering material; andd. a handle pivotally connected to the housing at the end opposite to the blade.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the housing is supported on wheels and attached to a handle having a curved section curved in the transverse plane and proximal to the housing, and a straight section distal to the housing, the curve section shaped to permit passage of the surface removing material through the handle.

23. A device for the removal of surface covering material from a substrate, the device comprising: a. a housing supported for movement across the substrate;b. a blade attached to the housing, the blade insertable between the covering material and the substrate;c. an actuator coupled to the blade to move the blade away from the substrate to lift the covering material from the substrate;d. a handle pivotally connected to the housing by a pivot assembly at one end to permit pivotal movement of the handle relative to the blade; ande. at least one anchor assembly mounted on the handle, the anchor assembly including a fastener operable to secure the device on the substrate.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein a sensor a sensor responsive to a force opposing movement of the blade between the surface covering material and the substrate, and the sensor actuates the actuator in response to the force.