Patent Application
20220381034
The present invention relates to a roofing shingle delivery device for supporting a pallet on a peaked roof, and more particularly a pair of brackets adapted to support the pallet on the peaked roof.
In the roofing industry, bundles of roofing shingles are loaded onto wooden pallets by the manufacturers of such shingles. A loaded pallet is typically 36″×48″ and weighs up to 4,000 lbs. The pallets are then transported by truck from a warehouse to the building site. At the building site, the loaded pallets are then lifted by a conveyor, crane or fork-lift to the roof. Usually, the loaded pallet is supported by the crane or the like above the ridge of the roof and the shingles are unloaded on either side of the pallet by an unloading crew on the roof who stack the shingles on the roof on both sides of the ridge.
The unloading operation is time consuming and labor intensive. Moreover, when ice or snow is present on the roof, it is not safe to have an unloading crew on the roof. Roofers are continually faced with the problem of supporting bundles of shingles on a sheeted roof where the weight of the load of shingles may be in the order of 1000 to 4000 pounds. In the past, the practice has been to use the bundles of shingles themselves when laid on either side of the ridge to form the base for a horizontal platform, for example, of plywood to provide a stable platform for storing further bundles of shingles thereon. This has drawbacks including potential stability problems.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a roofing shingle delivery system for supporting a pallet on a peaked roof. The roofing shingle delivery system includes a pair of brackets adapted to support the pallet on the peaked roof. Each of the pair of brackets includes a horizontal upper member. Each of the pair of brackets includes a first lower supporting brace and a second lower supporting brace. The first lower supporting brace and the second lower supporting brace are arranged to be disposed directly on opposite sides of the peaked roof, respectively.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a roofing shingle delivery system for supporting a pallet on a peaked roof. The roofing shingle delivery system includes a pair of brackets adapted to support the pallet on the peaked roof. Each of the pair of brackets includes a horizontal upper member comprised of an upper platform, having first and second ends, each with vertically extending lips, and a strut. Each of the pair of brackets includes a first lower supporting brace secured below the first end of the upper platform and a second lower supporting brace secured below the second end of the upper platform. The first lower supporting brace is comprised of a first vertical section, an angled section, and a second vertical section, and the second lower supporting brace is comprised of a first vertical section, an angled section, and a second vertical section. The first lower supporting brace and the second lower supporting brace are arranged to be disposed directly on opposite sides of the peaked roof, respectively.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a roofing shingle delivery system for supporting a pallet on a roof. The roofing shingle delivery system comprises a pair of adjustable brackets adapted to support the pallet on the peaked roof. Each of the pair of adjustable brackets include an upper member, a first lower support brace pivotally mounted to the upper member and a second lower supporting brace pivotally mounted to the upper member so that the first lower support brace and the second lower support brace are arranged to be seated on opposite sides of the roof. First and second struts are mounted to pivotally connect the upper member to the first lower support brace and to the second lower support brace. A first support member is pivotally connected to the upper member and pivotally connected to the first lower support brace and a second support member pivotally connected to the upper member and pivotally connected to the second lower support brace.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a roofing shingle delivery system for supporting a pallet on a roof. A pair of adjustable brackets are adapted to support the pallet on the peaked roof. Each of the pair of adjustable brackets include an upper member. A first lower support brace is pivotally mounted to the upper member and a second lower supporting brace pivotally mounted to the upper member so that the first lower support brace and the second lower support brace are arranged to be seated on opposite sides of the roof. First and second struts mounted to pivotally connect the upper member to the first lower support brace and to the second lower support brace. A first support member pivotally connected to the upper member and pivotally connected to the first lower support brace and a second support member pivotally connected to the upper member and pivotally connected to the second lower support brace. An angle X between the first and second support brace can be adjusted by changing the length of the first and second support members.
The structure, operation, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures (Figs.). The figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Certain elements in some of the figures may be omitted, or illustrated not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The cross-sectional views may be in the form of “slices”, or “near-sighted” cross-sectional views, omitting certain background lines which would otherwise be visible in a “true” cross-sectional view, for illustrative clarity.
In the drawings accompanying the description that follows, both reference numerals and legends (labels, text descriptions) may be used to identify elements. If legends are provided, they are intended merely as an aid to the reader, and should not in any way be interpreted as limiting.
In the description that follows, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention. Well-known processing steps are generally not described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obfuscating the description of the present invention.
In the description that follows, exemplary dimensions may be presented for an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The dimensions should not be interpreted as limiting. They are included to provide a sense of proportion. Generally speaking, it is the relationship between various elements, where they are located, their contrasting compositions, and sometimes their relative sizes that is of significance.
In the drawings accompanying the description that follows, often both reference numerals and legends (labels, text descriptions) will be used to identify elements. If legends are provided, they are intended merely as an aid to the reader and should not in any way be interpreted as limiting.
Pallets are well known in the art, as a cost-effective means of stacking materials for storage, and moving the stacked materials from one place to another by transporting the pallets with a dedicated pallet transporter, for example forklifts or boom trucks. In the context of rooftop construction, pallets are used to store and transport shingles. Roofing shingles are generally packaged in bundles that are stored and shipped on pallets. The pallets may be initially stored at a warehouse, and then transported to the location where rooftop construction is occurring. Pallets loaded with bundles of roofing shingles are transported by trucks from warehouses to the worksites and the individual shingle bundles are hauled up to the roofs by a conveyor or the pallets loaded with the shingle bundles are lifted up by a crane or forklift. It must be noted that the pallets may also be used for accommodating terracotta tiles, slate tiles, rolls of membrane, etc.
In the case of lifting pallets up to a roof by a crane or forklift the individual bundles of shingles are unloaded from the pallets manually by workers and resting the pallet on the rooftop. Traditionally, in cases where the rooftop has an inverted V shape, a pallet cannot be delivered to rest on the rooftop, since a pallet can only be resting on a substantially planar surface. Thus, the upper surface of the rooftop is typically not flat and it is not possible to rest the pallet on the rooftop in a secure manner.
The roofing shingle delivery system 10 is designed to provide is a bracket system to sit directly on the peak of a peaked roof 12. In general terms, a pair of brackets 14 is disposed on the peaked roof of a house where roofing work is being done. It is within the terms of the embodiment that the pair of brackets 14 be interconnected, such as with a supporting brace connected at either end to the brackets. However, as illustrated, the pair of brackets 14 are independent from each other. The brackets 14, comprising the roofing shingle delivery system 10, are designed to support a traditional pallet 16 containing the roofing shingles 18, as shown in
Each of the pair of brackets 14 are made of a rigid material, such as for example metal, wood, plastic, or rigid cardboard. Alternatively, the brackets 14 may be made of a biodegradable material, such as for example a wood species easily biodegradable, a biodegradable plastic or a biodegradable cardboard.
As illustrated in
The horizontal upper members 22 may have any appropriate dimensions to accommodate the pallet 16. Each horizontal upper member 22 is comprised of an upper platform 28, and strut 30 that is disposed directly below and perpendicular to the upper platform. Each of the upper platforms 28 has first and second ends 28a and 28b. There is a vertically extending lip 24a and 24b that extends upward from the edges 23a and 23b of the first and second ends 28a and 28b, respectively. The upward extending lips 24a and 24b are designed to keep the pallet 16 secured in place when placed upon the upper platforms 28 of the brackets 14.
The first lower supporting brace 26 is disposed below the first end 28a of the upper platform 28 and is secured thereto. The first lower supporting brace 26 is comprised of a first vertical section 26a, an angled section 26b, and a second vertical section 26c. The first vertical section 26a and second vertical section 26c are mounted to the strut 30. The first vertical section 26a and the second vertical section 26b are parallel to each other and are joined together with the angled section 26b.
The second lower supporting brace 27 is disposed below the second end 28b of the upper platform 28 and secured thereto. The second lower supporting brace 27 is comprised of a first vertical section 27a, an angled section 27b, and a second vertical section 27c. The first vertical section 27a and second vertical section 27c are mounted to the strut 30. The first vertical section 27a and the second vertical section 27b are parallel to each other and are joined together with the angled section 27b.
The brackets 14 are customizable to be functional on a variety of roofs 12 having various levels of pitch. The angled section 26b of the first lower supporting brace 26 and the angled section 27b of the second lower supporting brace 27 have an angle of X degrees between them. The angle X is adjustable to accommodate various pitches of the opposite sides 12a and 12b of the roof 12. To adjust the angle X, each of the angled sections 26b and 27b may be customized.
For example, the angled sections 26b and 27b may be lengthened or shortened to accommodate the specific pitch of the roof 12. Each of the first lower supporting brace 26 and the second lower supporting brace 27 are disposed relative to the other to form an angle of a range of angles from 0 to 180 degrees, thereby forming a selected angle between the sections 26b and 27b which corresponds to the angle defined by the roof peak 20.
A second embodiment of a roofing shingle delivery system 100, as shown in
Each of the pair of brackets 104 are made of a rigid material, such as for example metal, wood, plastic, or rigid cardboard. Alternatively, the brackets 104 may be made of a biodegradable material, such as for example a wood species easily biodegradable, a biodegradable plastic or a biodegradable cardboard.
As illustrated in
Each upper member 112, as shown in
Each of the elongated upper members 112 has a pair of support members 130 and 132 which are secured at a first end 130a and 132a, respectively, to a first end 112a and the second end 112b, respectively, of the elongated upper members 112. Each of the pair support members 130 and 132 is constructed of an elongated strip 134 and 135, respectively, with a plurality of spaced holes 136 and 137 therethrough. A hollow cylindrical tube 138 and 140 are secured to the first end 130a and 132a, respectively, thereof. The hollow cylindrical tubes 138 and 140 receive a bolt 142 and 143, respectively, therethrough, and are secured in place with a nut 144 and 145, respectively, so that the support members 130 and 132 can pivot in the holes 146 and 147 through the walls 120 and 122, with respect to the first end 112a and the second end 112b, respectively, of the elongated upper members 112, as discussed in more detail herein after.
The elongated strips 134 and 135 are received in a rectangular shaped tube 148 and 149, respectively, having a plurality of spaced holes 150 and 151 therethrough. The bottom end 148a and 149a, respectively, has a hollow cylindrical tube 152 and 153 secured thereto for attachment to a first lower support brace 114 and a second lower support brace 116, respectively. The length of the support members 130 and 132 can be adjusted by aligning the holes 136 and 137 in the elongated strips 134 and 135, with the holes 150 and 151 in rectangular shaped tube 148 and 149, respectively, and then inserting a bolt 155 and 157, respectively, therethrough, and securing them in place with a nut 158 and 159 to the lower support brace 114 and second lower support brace 116.
The lower support braces 114 and 116 are each secured at a first end 114a and 116a to the hollow cylindrical tube 126 and 127 at the opposite ends 124b and 125b of the first pair of struts 124 and 125 by a bolt 161 and 163 and nut 165 and 167 through holes 169 and 170 which extend through the sidewalls of the support braces.
The lower support braces 114 and 116 are each secured at a second end 114b and 116b to the hollow cylindrical tube 152 and 153 at the opposite ends 148a and 148b of the support members 130 and 132 by a bolt 170 and 171 and nuts 173 and 175 through holes 177 and 179 which extend through the sidewalls of the support braces.
The angle X between the support braces 114 and 116 can be adjusted by changing the length of the support members 130 and 132. This is easily accomplished by repositioning the elongated strips 134 and 135 within the rectangular shaped tubes 148 and 149. Preferably, the elongated strips 134 and 135 are positioned so that the outward facing surface 114c and 116c of the support braces 114 and 116 are disposed flat against the sides 103a and 103b of the roof 103.
The brackets 104 are customizable to be functional on a variety of roofs 103 having various levels of pitch. The angled section of the first lower support braces 114 and 116 have an angle of X degrees between them. The angle X is adjustable to accommodate various pitches of the opposite sides 103a and 103b of the roof 103. To adjust the angle X, position of the support braces 114 and 116 may be customized.
For example, the length of the support members 130 and 132 can be adjusted by aligning the holes 136 and 137 with the holes 150 and 151 to lengthen or shorten the support members to accommodate the specific pitch of the roof 103. Each of the support braces 114 and 116 are disposed relative to the other to form an angle of a range of angles from 0 to 180 degrees, thereby forming a selected angle which corresponds to the angle defined by the roof peak.
An embodiment of the roofing shingle delivery system 100 is designed to provide is a bracket system to sit directly on the peak of a peaked roof 103. In general terms, a pair of brackets 104 is disposed on the peaked roof of a house where roofing work is being done. It is within the terms of the embodiment that the pair of brackets 104 be interconnected, such as with a supporting brace connected at either end to the brackets. However, as illustrated, the pair of brackets 104 are independent from each other. The brackets 104, comprising the roofing shingle delivery system 100, are designed to support a traditional pallet 106 containing the roofing shingles 108, as shown in
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, certain equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, etc.) the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more features of the other embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.
