Patent Application
20060026908
This invention is directed to shingles which are adapted to be installed in successive courses and are adapted to simulate the look of wood shingles while providing for a comparative ease of installation in regard to setting the spacing of adjacent shingles, the desired exposure and the desired alignment of shingles in subsequent courses. This invention is also directed to a cladding system comprised of separate molded shingles which are adapted to be installed in successive courses and which allow for the installation of the shingles with multiple possible patterns and configurations.
Wood shingles, and specifically cedar shingles and shakes, have been used as a cladding material in home construction for a very long time. They provide a very appealing and rustic looking finish for a home, particularly because of the varying surface texture of the individual shingles due to the natural variations in the grain of the wood. In addition, the typically random widths of wood shingles result in a random pattern of gaps between shingles in adjacent courses, which is an aesthetically desirable feature. Finally, because of their inherently higher material and installation costs, wooden shingles are taken to be a higher end siding or roofing material than vinyl siding or asphalt shingles for instance, and can impart a certain status to the home and the homeowner.
In order to achieve a weatherproof surface, wood shingles are installed with overlapping courses, with the butt end or exposed portion of the subsequent course of shingles covering the head end of the previous course. When wood shingles are installed on a wall as siding, they are typically installed with a maximum exposure equal to the length of the shingle minus two inches divided by two, but when they are installed as roofing, the maximum exposure is typically equal to the length of the shingle minus one inch divided by three. In other words, 16 inch long shingles can be installed as siding with a maximum exposure of 7 inches, while the same shingles can only be installed with a maximum exposure of 5 inches when used as roofing. These installation guidelines ensure that the resulting overlap of subsequent courses of shingles achieves a weatherproof surface for the desired application. In order to achieve the desired exposure during the installation of the shingles, a guide or straightedge, is typically nailed to the wall or the roof, such that when the bottom of the next course of shingles is placed on the top of the guide, the desired exposure is achieved. When one course is completed the guide is moved up, and the procedure is repeated. In order to achieve a weatherproof surface when installing wood shingles, the horizontal, or side to side placement of the shingles is of equal importance to controlling the vertical exposure. Recommended installation practices dictate that wood shingles be installed such that the gap between any two shingles on the current course is offset by at least an inch and a half from any gap between two shingles on the previous course. Recommended practice also includes installing shingles in courses separated by one other course such that the gaps on the first and third course do not line up. The importance of the positioning of the gaps on successive courses of shingles is to ensure a weatherproof surface in addition to preventing the shingles from breaking or splitting when they are fastened in place.
Wood shingles are typically produced with a given length, typically 16, 18 or 24 inches, but as mentioned above, with random widths. Given the fixed lengths, achieving the desired exposure is a matter of choosing a shingle of sufficient length to ensure the recommended overlap of courses (as discussed above) and proper positioning of the guide. However, due to the random widths of the shingles, the proper alignment of the horizontal gaps between adjacent shingles on adjacent courses is much more difficult and time consuming. Specifically, a large percentage of the installer's time is spent searching through bundles of shingles to find a shingle of the appropriate width so that all of the gaps are properly spaced. There is also a fair amount of waste that is due to shingles which are too narrow or shingles which are cut to achieve the required gapping. One way of avoiding the difficulties associated with using random width shingles Is to use shingles that have all been cut to a fixed width. While these shingles can significantly reduce the installation time, there is a substantial premium in material cost, which can substantially exceed the savings in the cost of installation.
While freshly installed cedar shingles and shakes result in a very appealing look, it is typically short lived in comparison to other siding or roofing choices. As cedar shingles or shakes are cut randomly from different trees, the natural variation between shingles which gives them their visual appeal, also causes individual shingles to react to exposure to the elements in different ways. Shingles will expand and contract (primarily in width) when exposed to moisture, with some shingles expanding more than others. This can result in shingles which become cupped, especially if the shingles are installed with too narrow a spacing. Shingles can also bow, curl and split due to variations in the grain of the tree from which the shingle was cut. Wood shingles are also prone to damage from rot, attack by insects and the growth of mildew, moss, fungus, etc., especially in damp environments. Finally wood shingles are prone to damage caused by impacts, as they tend to split along the grain which typically runs the length of the shingle. This is of particular concern for cedar shingle or shake roofs during hail storms.
In order to overcome the inherent faults of wooden shingles, building product manufacturers have developed cladding systems for roofing and siding applications, that try to reproduce the look of wooden shingles, but are designed to overcome their deficiencies. Products designed to simulate individual shingles have been produced from a variety of materials, often in molds made from actual wooden shingles. These shingles often incorporate features, such as overlapping sections designed to increase resistance to water penetration, alignment features designed to speed installation, and materials chosen to improve the performance of the shingles (i.e. better impact resistance, weatherability, etc.). These individual shingles are typically designed to be installed with a given exposure and a given pattern, and there is little or no flexibility with regard to the exposure or positioning of shingles relative to each other in subsequent courses.
Recently, manufacturers have turned to producing large panels simulating complete sections of a wall or roof covered with wooden shingles, as opposed to individual shingles, in order to speed installation. These panels typically have features such as tongues and grooves or interlocking tabs along their edges designed to form watertight seals between adjacent panels, rather than relying on overlapping courses, as with wood shingles, to achieve a weatherproof surface. However, due to the fact that these panels are typically molded from thermoplastic resins which exhibit a significant amount of expansion and contraction in the temperature ranges to which the exterior surfaces of most homes are exposed, the panels can buckle due to expansion during hot weather or openings can develop between panels due to contraction during cold weather. Also, the expansion and contraction of the panels can result in an increase or decrease in the size of the gaps between panels, highlighting the gaps between the panel in comparison to the simulated gaps between the individual shingles comprising the panel. The problems associated with expansion and contraction become more significant as the panels increase in size. In addition, while the panels try to capture the random appearance of wood shingles, the randomness usually applies only within a given panel as typically all of the panels are produced with one mold, due to the high cost of the large molds required to produce the panels. The use of a single mold also fixes the exposure between courses of the shingles. Similarly, the panel products do not reproduce the look of individual shingles in that the gaps are merely indentations in the surface of the panel and not separations between adjacent shingles. Due to the intricate nature of the interlocking features on the edges of the panels, they can be difficult to install properly, and if only a small section of any edge of the panel is damaged, the whole panel might be unusable. Finally, large sections of a given panel may be wasted if only a small portion of a panel is required to finish a course.
Therefore it would be desirable to provide a shingle which reproduces the look of wood shingles and incorporates the desirable characteristics of wood shingles, such as their individual appearance and the flexibility in regard to different possible exposures and horizontal alignment, while eliminating the poor weatherability of wood, which causes curling, splitting, rotting, etc. of the shingles, and the time consuming installation which is required, particularly for random width wood shingles. It would also be desirable to provide a shingle with the advantages of currently available manufactured shingles, particularly in regard to the weatherability and impact resistance of the material from which the shingles are produced and the ease of installation, without including their disadvantages, such as the ability to achieve a weatherproof surface without the need for overlapping or interlocking features and the concerns regarding expansion and contraction due to temperature changes of the shingle panel products. It would also be desirable to provide a cladding system which would allow for the simple installation of shingles in various patterns with different exposures and alignment of overlapping shingles in adjacent courses. It would also be desirable to have a cladding system which would allow for the easy installation of shingles of various widths in a variety of patterns
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages in the prior art by providing shingles designed to simulate the look of wood shingles while providing for a comparative ease of installation in regard to setting the desired exposure, the spacing of adjacent shingles and the desired alignment of gaps in subsequent courses of shingles. The present invention also provides a cladding system comprised of separate shingles which can be used to achieve a variety of installation patterns.
The shingle of the present invention is intended to be installed in successive vertically overlapping courses in combination with a plurality of similarly configured shingles. The shingle is generally a slab having a head end, a butt end and an exposure which is defined as the amount of the butt end of a given shingle in a given course that is not covered by overlapping shingles in a subsequent course. The shingle also has an inner and outer surfaces on which are found a plurality of alignment features. The alignment features are arranged such that a number of male alignment features are formed on either the inner or the outer surface and a number of female alignment features are formed in the other surface and the female alignment features are adapted to receive the male alignment features. Further, the alignment features are arranged such that when two shingles are placed horizontally adjacent to each other in a given course with a gap having a predetermined width between them, the male alignment features of the shingles in one course are receivable by the female alignment features in a vertically adjacent course of shingles such that there are at least two different possible exposures and at least two different possible horizontal alignments between overlapping shingles in adjacent courses.
In a preferred embodiment of the shingle of the present invention, the alignment features are positioned to yield a horizontal spacing interval such that if vertical slices equal in width to the horizontal spacing interval are successively removed from the shingle starting at the leading edge, then one set of alignment features will be positioned on each slice. In additional preferred embodiments, the male alignment features are formed on the inner surface and the female alignment features are formed in the outer surface, while in other embodiments the female alignment features are formed on the inner surface and the male alignment features are formed in the outer surface. In both of these embodiments the alignment features can be arranged such that there is at least one more row of female than male alignment features and preferably one row of male alignment features and multiple rows of female alignment features. In some embodiments, the alignment features will be a combination of tapered projections and indentations which includes cone shaped alignment features.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the head end of the shingle can have a constant thickness, while the upper surface of the butt end of each shingle is tapered over its full length, with the butt end increasing in thickness from the head end to the bottom edge of the shingle, and the bottom surface of the butt end of each shingle is sloped parallel to the top surface from the bottom edge for a distance equal to the maximum minus the minimum exposure. In additional preferred embodiments, the shingle can have at least one recessed area on the inner surface of the shingle. Furthermore, the shingle can have ribs running the length of the shingle and dividing the recessed area such that when vertical slices are successively removed from a shingle starting at the leading edge, with the width of each slice equal to the horizontal spacing interval, the ribs form the leading edge of the remainder of the shingle as each slice Is removed. In an additional preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shingle has transverse ribs running across the width of the shingle, such that when the shingle is cut along the bottom edge of one of those ribs prior to installation, shingles with different desirable shapes can be produced.
Preferably, the shingles comprising the cladding system of the present invention are molded by injection or compression molding or by thermoforming and the shingles are molded with a pattern on the upper surface of the butt end of each shingle, with the pattern designed to simulate either a wood grain, a sawn wood shingle, a machine grooved wood shingle, a sanded sawn wood shingle, a tapered split wood shake or a slate tile. In addition, the shingles are preferably comprised of a compound comprised of either thermoplastic or thermosetting resins and the compound may also contain processing aids, lubricants, stabilizers, mold release agents, fillers, compatibilizers, coupling agents, colorants, UV stabilizers, flame retardants, impact modifiers, or combinations thereof.
The cladding system of the present invention has a base width as well as a minimum and a maximum exposure for each embodiment. The shingles comprising the cladding system are installed so that the leading edge of the next shingle to be installed is separated by a gap from the trailing edge of the previous shingle in a given course. The nominal width of each shingle is an integer multiple of the base width and is also equal to the actual width of the shingle plus the desired width of the gap between adjacent shingles. Each shingle has a head end, which comprises the portion of the shingle covered by the subsequent course of shingles at the maximum exposure, and a butt end, which comprises the remaining portion of the shingle when the shingles are installed as intended. Each shingle has a plurality of alignment features located on its inner and outer surfaces, with the alignment features on the outer surface of each shingle positioned within the head end of the shingle. The alignment features are positioned to create a horizontal spacing interval and an exposure interval equal to the maximum exposure minus the minimum exposure divided by an integer n. Each shingle comprising the cladding system is installed with one of the group of the minimum exposure, the maximum exposure, and n−1 different fixed exposures between the minimum and maximum exposures separated by the exposure interval. Finally, the shingles are installed such that the gaps between adjacent shingles in successive courses are offset.
In a preferred embodiment of the cladding system of the present invention, n is equal to 1 and each shingle can be installed with only one of the minimum exposure and the maximum exposure. In additional preferred embodiments, the shingles are installed with the same exposure or with at least two different exposures. Furthermore, the shingles comprising the cladding system can all have the same nominal width or in a further preferred embodiment, the cladding system is comprised of shingles having a nominal width of 4, 6, 8 or 10 inches and alignment features that have a horizontal spacing interval of 2 inches, with the shingles being installed such that the gaps between adjacent shingles in successive courses are offset by an integer multiple of 2 inches.
Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments and illustrate various features and designs thereof.
The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
a and 1b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of a shingle of the present invention;
a and 3b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a second preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring an alternate alignment feature configuration;
a and 4b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a third preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring an alternate alignment feature configuration;
a and 5b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a fourth preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring an alternate alignment feature configuration;
a and 6b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a fifth preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring an alternate alignment feature configuration;
a and 7b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a sixth preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring an alternate alignment feature configuration;
a and 8b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a seventh preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring a tapered butt end;
a and 9b show top and bottom views, respectively, of an eighth preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring a recessed area on the inner surface of the shingle;
a and 10b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a ninth preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring a recessed area on the Inner surface of the shingle and vertical ribs;
a shows a bottom view of a tenth preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring two sets of transverse ribs;
b shows a top view of the shingle shown in
c shows a top view of the shingle shown in
a shows a bottom view of an eleventh preferred embodiment of a shingle featuring secondary vertical ribs;
b shows a top view of a shingle which appears as three separate shingles when installed as intended after the shingle shown in
Although the invention will be described in terms of specific embodiments, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions can be made without parting from the spirit of this invention.
a and 1b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of a shingle 2 of the present invention. As can be seen, the shingle 2 shown in
a and 4a show top views of second and third preferred embodiments of shingles of the present invention, while
a and 5b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a fourth preferred embodiment of a shingle 54 of the present invention. While the shingles shown in
For the embodiments discussed above, the alignment features have consisted of a combination of male features on the inner surfaces and female features in the outer surfaces of the shingles configured to receive the male features of shingles from the subsequent course of shingles. As such, in certain preferred embodiments of the shingle of the present invention, the alignment features will be a combination of female features in the outer surface of each shingle and male features on the inner surface of the shingle.
As the shingles of the present invention being contemplated are relatively small in size in comparison to the shingle simulating panel products currently being manufactured, the effects of thermal expansion and contraction should be minimized. However, there still may be concerns regarding expansion and contraction in some circumstances, for instance in roofing applications, where the shingles will be subjected to heating by the sun during the day and rapid cooling at night.
While the embodiments discussed above all describe shingles comprising a slab of constant thickness over its entire length, it may be desirable to have a shingle which is tapered like a wood shingle. However, because of the need to ensure that the alignment features are properly positioned relative to each other when the shingles are installed, a shingle which has a head end with a constant thickness and a tapered buff end is preferred.
As the shingles of the present invention are preferably molded, various additional features can be Incorporated into the shingle to provide additional functionality or other benefits.
a and 10b show top and bottom views, respectively, of a ninth preferred embodiment of a shingle 120 featuring recessed areas 122 on the inner surface 124 of the shingle. In this case the shingle has a plurality of vertical ribs 126 running the length of the shingle from its top edge 128 to its bottom edge 130. The ribs serve two purposes. First, to provide additional support so that the depth of the recessed areas can be increased while maintaining the structural integrity of the shingle, once again saving material. The second purpose of the vertical ribs becomes apparent if vertical slices equal in width to the horizontal spacing interval are successively removed from a shingle starting at its leading edge 132. In this case, the leading edge 134 of each of the vertical ribs 126 forms the leading edge of the remainder of the shingle as each slice is removed. In this way shingles can be cut into narrower width shingles as might be required at the start of a course of shingles while still maintaining the look of a solid shingle. In addition to the vertical ribs 126, sections 136 beneath the female alignment features 138 are not as deeply recessed as in the remainder of the recessed areas 122. In comparison to the shingle 102 shown in
a shows a tenth preferred embodiment of a shingle 142 of the present invention which has been molded with two transverse ribs 144, 146 which run generally across the butt end 148 of the shingle 142. The purpose of the transverse ribs is to allow a shingle to be cut to produce shingles with different shapes while only having to mold shingles with one base shape. As can be seen in
a shows an eleventh embodiment of a shingle 160 of the present invention in which additional ribs can be used to produce shingles with a different appearance when installed. Shingle 160 has four secondary vertical ribs 162 whose trailing edges 164 are separated from the leading edges 166 of the vertical ribs 168. These secondary vertical ribs 162 run parallel to the vertical ribs 168 and are separated from them by a distance equal to the desired width of the gap between adjacent shingles. The secondary vertical ribs 162 must be longer than the maximum exposure (as indicated by line 170), which means they will end somewhere in the head end 172 of the shingle 160. The reason for the secondary vertical ribs is that when the portion of the original shingle between one or more of the secondary vertical ribs and the adjoining vertical rib is removed, the resulting cut shingle appears to be two or more narrower shingles when the shingle is installed in successive courses with similar shingles. For example, when the portions of shingle 160 between the leftmost and rightmost secondary vertical ribs and the adjoining vertical ribs Is removed, yielding shingle 174 with gaps 176, 178 in the butt end 180 of the shingle, which is shown in
The shingles of the present invention are preferably produced by molding in order to form the desired alignment features. Molding the shingles also allows the various features which have been discussed above to be easily incorporated in a variety of different combinations and configurations. The shingles are molded preferably by either injection molding, compression molding or thermoforming. One additional feature which can be incorporated in the shingles during molding, is a pattern on the upper surface of the butt end of each shingle. Possible patterns include those designed to give the appearance of a wood grain, a sawn wood shingle, a machine grooved wood shingle, a sanded sawn wood shingle, or a tapered split wood shake. While the above discussion has focused on producing molded shingles which simulate wood shingles, it is also possible to produce shingles which simulate the look of slate tiles that incorporate the various features discussed above, particularly the use of the alignment features to ease installation.
As it is desired to reproduce the appearance of wood shingles without the disadvantages associated with the poor weatherability of wood, preferably the shingles of the present invention would be molded from a compound comprising a thermoplastic or a thermosetting resin. Shingles molded from either thermoplastic or thermosetting resins would result in lightweight shingles with substantially improved weatherability in comparison to wood. Various additives could be used in order to achieve other desirable characteristics. For instance, various processing aids, lubricants, stabilizer or mold release agents could be incorporated into the compound to aid in the production of the shingles. Additives such as fillers, compatibilizers, and coupling agents could be used to improve the strength of the shingles or to potentially reduce material costs by replacing higher cost resins with lower cost fillers. Finally, additives which might affect the appearance (colorant, UV stabilizers, etc.) or the performance (flame retardants, impact modifiers, etc.) of the shingles can also be incorporated into the compounds.
When the shingles of the present invention are used together to cover roofs or exterior walls of buildings or structures, the shingles taken together can comprise a cladding system. The cladding system of the present invention consists of shingles which are installed in successive vertically overlapping courses with the leading edge of the next shingle to be installed in a given course separated by a gap of a desired width (i.e. the gap width) from the trailing edge of the shingle previously installed. Additionally, the shingles are installed such that the gaps between adjacent shingles in successive courses are offset. The cladding system has a base width, wherein each of the shingles comprising the cladding system has a nominal width that is an integer multiple of the base width, while the nominal width of each shingle is equal to its actual width plus the gap width. As with the shingles of the present invention, the shingles comprising the cladding system of the present invention have a plurality of alignment features formed on their inner and outer surfaces. The alignment features are positioned to create a horizontal spacing interval and an exposure interval equal to the maximum minus the minimum exposure divided by an integer n. Each shingle comprising the cladding system can be installed with one of the group of the minimum exposure, the maximum exposure, and n−1 different fixed exposures between the minimum and maximum exposures, wherein all of the possible exposures are separated by the exposure interval. For a given embodiment of the cladding system, the shingles may all be installed with the same exposure or several different exposures to from a pattern. Similarly the shingles comprising the cladding system might all have the same nominal width or have a number of different nominal widths. As a result of the multiple possible exposures, the possible variation in the horizontal alignment between overlapping shingles in successive courses and the variation in the width of the shingles, a wide variety of installation patterns can be achieved with the cladding system of the present invention.
While
As used herein, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed as being inclusive and opened rather than exclusive. Specifically, when used in this specification including the claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or components are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.
It is to be understood that while certain embodiments of this invention have been described above, the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification.
