US2699129A - Interlocking shingle - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 11, 1955 H. ABRAHAM INTERLOCKING SHINGLE 2 shets-sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19. 195o INVENToR. Hfiffr ,45km/4M Jan. 1l, 1955 H. ABRAHAM 2,699,129

INTERLoKING SHINGLE Filed Dec. 19. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR. /lfepf Ama/ 1,4m

" BY mma:

United States Patent O IN TERLOCKIN G SHINGLE Herbert Abraham, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Ruberoid Co., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 19, 1950, Serial No. 201,636

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S- 7) This invention relates to interlocking shingles made of exible composition material of the kind commonly known as asphalt roofing, and more particularly to the type of shingles that are substantially T-shaped in form.

An example of such type of shingle is disclosed in Patent No. 2,266,376 of December 16, 1941. However the shingles of that patent are subject to the objections, among other things, that when laid they do not provide a double thickness of material at all points of the roof covering, and that they do not form exposed patterns of symmetrical appearance.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a T-shaped interlocking shingle of novel form and arrangement of parts that overcomes those objections, that elfects a covering of at least two thicknesses throughout the entire roof area with use of a minimum amount of material per square, that forms symmetrical exposure patterns, and that has great resistance to raising or unfastening of its butt and when subjected to high wind pressures or velocities.

I have found that these results may be accomplished by providing a T-shaped shingle having a single step or intermediate portion between its head and shank portions, the height of which intermediate portion is equal to the height or altitude of the angularity of a slit in the shank measured along the side of the shank. The height of the head and shank portions are equal, the height of the shank (distance x) being three times the vertical distance from the butt to the inner end of the slit (distance z), plus the produced or projected vertical height of the slit as measured along the side of the shank (distance In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan View of a preferred form of shingle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of a covering formed of the shingles laid in interlocked relation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the manner in which the shingles are cut;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modied form of shingle; and,

Fig. 5 is a plan View of another modification.

The shingles may be cut from a web or sheet of granule faced roofing material with very little or no Waste depending upon whether or not the head portion of the shingle is formed with an extension or projection along part of its upper edge. In the preferred form illustrated the shingle is provided with such an extension. This permits of cutting a plurality of rows of shingles from a web in such manner that the butts of all the shingles will be cleanly cut and free from granules. Such manner of cutting, shown in Fig. 3, is now well known in the art and entails only a slight waste of material along the longitudinal edges of the web, the waste being indicated by the hatched areas. Where the shingles are cut without the extensions, no waste occurs, but in that case the butts of some of the shingles will have granules over their edges with the result that the butts of all of the shingles cut will not be uniform in appearance.

My improved shingle is T-shaped in form consisting of a head portion 11, an intermediate portion 12, and a shank portion 13. The shank has an oblique slit 14 in each side 15, which slit forms a locking tab 16 at each corner of its butt end. To prevent tearing, the slit may be formed with a slightly enlarged opening at its inner end preferably a circle. The intermediate portion, at each side of the shingle, has a horizontal edge ICC 17 and a vertical edge 18 that together define a step 19, which step forms a corner 20 with the shank. When the shingles are applied the inner ends of the slits 14 of those of one course will lock in the corners 20 of another.

The distance a between the inner ends of the slits 14-14 denes the width of the exposed portion of the shank or butt when laid, and is equal to the difference between the widths of the head and shank portions. The width of the intermediate portion is the mean of those of the head and shank. These relationships are essential to insure proper laying of the shingles in interlocked relation so as to etect double coverage with a minimum of material. In the preferred form of shingle the width of the head is 21AM, the intermediate portion 2a, and the shank ll/za. Within the relationships abovementioned, the widths of the several portions may be proportionately Varied.

The head portion 11 has lower horizontal edges 21, vertical sides 22, and a horizontal upper edge 23. In the form of shingle illustrated, for the reason hereinbefore stated, the upper edge is preferably provided with an extension 24. It is to be understood, of course, that the extension may be omitted since it performs no necessary function insofar as either double coverage, or symmetry of design, when the shingles are laid, is concerned.

On referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that the height of the shank and head portions, represented by the distances x and x', respectively, are equal. The height of the intermediate portion 12, indicated by the distance y', is equal to the vertical distance y, measured along the side 15 of the shank. The distance z from the butt to the inner end of the slit is one-half the distance z' from the corner 20 to the outer end of the slit, or in other words, the height of the shank portion is equal to three times the distance z plus the distance y. The distance z is equal to one-third of the distance x minus the distance y. The length of the edges 17 and 21 is equal. This permits of forming the steps 19 without waste when the shingles are cut in alternately reversed positions. The vertical height y of the intermediate portion is an essential factor in producing the result of double coverage throughout, while the distance z results in forming exposure patterns of symmetrical shape.

In laying the shingles they are applied so that the tabs 16 of those of each course are inserted under the steps 19, and interlocked or interengaged with the corners 20, of adjacent shingles of the next lower course. This effects high resistance to undue raising or disengaging of the butts under winds of high velocities and pressure. When so laid, and nailed as indicated at 25 in Fig. 2, the shingles form a covering having symmetrical appearing exposed portions and that provides at least two thicknesses of material throughout.

The modified form of Fig. 4 differs from the preferred form of Fig. l only in that it omits the extension 24 on the upper edge 23 of the head portion 11. As previously stated, shingles of this form may be cut without any waste but they have the commercial disadvantage that the appearance of the butt edges of all of the shingles will not be uniform in that some will have granules adhering to them while others will be entirely free from granules.

Another modification is shown in Fig. 5. In this instance the edges 27 and 31, which correspond to the edges 17 and 21 of the form shown in Fig. l, are inclined instead of being horizontal. The angle of inclination of the edges 27 and 31 is preferably the same, or substantially the same, as the inclination of the slits 14. The reason for this modication is that it has been found that somewhat greater resistance to wind pressure results when the edges of the locking steps are inclined rather than horizontal. In this case the effective height of the intermediate step is the distance y measured vertically between the projections, on a horizontal plane, of the inner corner 30 of edge 27 and the outer corner 32 of edge 31.

With shingles of the preferred form having an eight inch butt exposure when laid, having a head twenty inches w1de, a shank twelve inches wide, an intermediate portion of sixteen inch width, and having an overall height of eighteen or eighteen and one-half inches, depending on whether or not the shingles have extensions 24 on their upper edges, it requires only about from 246 to 250 square feet of material to cover a square of roof area with at least two thicknesses at all points. It will be noted that shingles of these dimensions, even if cut with the extensions 24, result iu only about four square feet of waste per square It is to be understood that the foregoing dimensions are merely illustrative and uncritical. The critical features of the invention are the form and arrangement and proportionate relationship of parts, herein described and set forth in the claim.

What I claim is:

An interlocking shingle of substantially T-shape, providing at least two thicknesses of material throughout and forming symmetrical exposed patterns when laid, said shingle comprising a head, a shank, and an intermediate portion, the head and the shank being substantially of the same height, the shank having an oblique slit in each side at opposite points, the two slits being of equal length, the inner end of each slit being spaced upward from the lower end of the shank a distance equal to one-half of the distance that its outer end is spaced downward from the intermediate portion, the horizontal distance between the inner ends of the two oblique slits defines the width of exposure of the shank when the shingle is laid in interlocked relation with like shingles, the height of the intermediate portion being equal to the vertical distance between the inner and outer ends of either slit, the width of the head portion being two and one-half times the horizontal distance between the inner ends of the slits, the width of the intermediate portion being equal to twice said horizontal distance, and the width of the shank being one and one-half times said horizontal distance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,558,795 Donahue Oct. 27, 1925 1,934,831 Sweet Nov. 14, 1933 2,050,218 Abraham Aug. 4, 1936 2,266,376 Miller Dec. 16, 1941 2,444,623 Abraham Iuly 6, 1948

Images