Abstract: A laminated shingle simulates a slate roof when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other such that the lower edges of the overlay and underlay members are generally co-linear with each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more generally rectangular-shaped tabs separated by relatively narrow cutouts. In one embodiment, the width of each tab is randomly selected. Preferably, the entire front surface of the underlay member is coated with a layer of relatively dark granules to enhance the slate simulating aspect of the shingle. In another embodiment, the overlay member also includes a layer of relatively dark granules randomly applied to the upper and lower edges of the tabs.

Abstract: A laminated shingle simulates a tiled roof when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more substantially identically shaped tabs with a cutout between each tab. The lower edge of the tabs may have a curving or negative contour. The tabs may taper in width from the butt edge to the lower edge of the headlap portion. The upper edge of the cutouts may have a generally straight contour or a generally curved contour. The lower edge of the underlay member may have a generally straight contour or a portion of the lower edge may have a generally curving contour. The overlay member and/or underlay member may include a darker shading area to enhance the tile simulating aspect of the shingle.

Abstract: A laminated shingle simulates a tiled roof when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more substantially identically shaped tabs with a cutout between each tab. The lower edge of the tabs may have a curving or negative contour. The tabs may taper in width from the butt edge to the lower edge of the headlap portion. The upper edge of the cutouts may have a generally straight contour or a generally curved contour. The lower edge of the underlay member may have a generally straight contour or a portion of the lower edge may have a generally curving contour. The overlay member and/or underlay member may include a darker shading area to enhance the tile simulating aspect of the shingle.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing laminated roofing shingles comprises coating a continuously supplied shingle mat having a width W with roofing asphalt to make an asphalt coated sheet, and subjecting the asphalt coated sheet to one of two subsequent processes. The first process comprises covering the asphalt coated sheet with granules in a first pattern suitable for making laminated shingles with an overlay having tabs and cutouts, where the area of the tabs approximately equals the area of the cutouts, thereby forming a first granule covered sheet. The second process comprises covering the asphalt coated sheet with granules in a second pattern suitable for making laminated shingles with an overlay having tabs and cutouts, where the area of the tabs is substantially greater than the area of the cutouts, thereby forming a second granule covered sheet.

Abstract: A laminated shingle simulates a tiled roof when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more substantially identically shaped tabs with a cutout between each tab. The lower edge of the tabs may have a curving or negative contour. The tabs may taper in width from the butt edge to the lower edge of the headlap portion. The upper edge of the cutouts may have a generally straight contour or a generally curved contour. The lower edge of the underlay member may have a generally straight contour or a portion of the lower edge may have a generally curving contour. The overlay member and/or underlay member may include a darker shading area to enhance the tile simulating aspect of the shingle.

Abstract: A laminated shingle has a rendered shadow design when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more tabs separated by cutouts. The underlay member is coated with a layer of relatively dark granules to form vertically and horizontally-oriented shading areas. In one embodiment, one or both vertical edges of each tab are generally parallel to the vertically-oriented longitudinal axis of the vertically-oriented shading area to expose a portion of the shading area. In another embodiment, the width of each tab is randomly selected and the width of the vertically-oriented shading area is a function of the width of the adjacent tab. In yet another embodiment, the intensity of the shading areas can increase from the bottom to the top of each cutout.

Abstract: A laminated shingle simulates a tiled roof when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlap portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more substantially identically shaped tabs with a cutout between each tab. The lower edge of the tabs may have a curving or negative contour. The tabs may taper in width from the butt edge to the lower edge of the headlap portion. The upper edge of the cutouts may have a generally straight contour or a generally curved contour. The lower edge of the underlay member may have a generally straight contour or a portion of the lower edge may have a generally curving contour. The overlay member and/or underlay member may include a darker shading area to enhance the tile simulating aspect of the shingle.

Abstract: Self-aligning shingle members and self-aligning laminated shingle members. The shingle members have at least an alignment strip on the bottom surfaces which mates and nests with the top edge or corresponding alignment strip on the underlying course of shingles. In one embodiment, each of the shingle members has an alignment strip on the bottom surface which nests with the top edge of the underlying course, creating a self-aligning roofing shingle system which is easier to align and install. In another embodiment, alignment strips are provided on both the top and bottom surfaces of the shingle member and the alignment strip on the bottom surface is adopted to mate and nest with the alignment strip on the top surface of shingle members in the underlying course of shingles. This provides a self-aligning shingle system with the appearance of a three-layer laminated shingle structure. The courses of shingle members can also be interlocked together with appropriately shaped interlocking alignment strips.