Abstract: A method and device for dispensing granules in a pattern on a moving sheet, the device having: a granule source; a pattern roll, the pattern roll having a hollow interior and cylindrical outer surface comprising: a granule transfer zone; and an opening to the hollow interior, the method comprising: providing a flow of granules from a granule source directed toward the cylindrical outer surface of the pattern roll; rotating the pattern roll about a longitudinal axis through a granule transfer cycle comprising: a receipt portion wherein the granule transfer zone receives granules from the granule source; a retention portion wherein granules are retained in the transfer zone while the pattern roll rotates; and a release portion wherein granules dispensed onto the moving sheet; capturing a bypass flow of granules that flow through the opening into the hollow interior; and recycling the bypass flow of granules.

Abstract: A method and device for dispensing granules in a pattern on a moving sheet, the device having: a granule source; a pattern roll, the pattern roll having a hollow interior and cylindrical outer surface comprising: a granule transfer zone; and an opening to the hollow interior, the method comprising: providing a flow of granules from a granule source directed toward the cylindrical outer surface of the pattern roll; rotating the pattern roll about a longitudinal axis through a granule transfer cycle comprising: a receipt portion wherein the granule transfer zone receives granules from the granule source; a retention portion wherein granules are retained in the transfer zone while the pattern roll rotates; and a release portion wherein granules dispensed onto the moving sheet; capturing a bypass flow of granules that flow through the opening into the hollow interior; and recycling the bypass flow of granules.

Abstract: A laminated shingle resistant to fastener-head pull-through. The shingle includes an upper layer having a tab portion and a headlap portion, and a shim extending below the tab portion and part of the headlap portion. The part of the shim behind the tab portion forms, with the headlap portion, a dual thickness nailing zone. Since roofers sometimes drive fasteners such as roofing nails through the shingle behind the nailing zone, resulting in only a single layer available to resist fastener-head pull-through, a reinforcing tape which can have reinforcing strands is adhered to the bottom of the headlap portion immediately behind the rear edge of the shim. This effectively increases the size of the nailing zone without incurring the bulk, weight and cost of increasing the size of the shim.

Abstract: A method of making algae-resistant shingles in which the algae-inhibiting material, usually a copper compound, is applied only to larger granules, instead of being applied to a full size range of granules. Use of the larger granules only, as algae-resistant granules, significantly increases the percentage of surface area of algae-resistant granules for releasing algae-inhibiting material and also reduces the material consumption of the algae-inhibiting material during production of the algae-resistant granules, thus substantially reducing cost.

Abstract: A method of making algae-resistant shingles in which the algae-inhibiting material, usually a copper compound, is applied only to larger granules, instead of being applied to a full size range of granules. Use of the larger granules only, as algae-resistant granules, significantly increases the percentage of surface area of algae-resistant granules for releasing algae-inhibiting material and also reduces the material consumption of the algae-inhibiting material during production of the algae-resistant granules, thus substantially reducing cost.

Abstract: A method of making algae-resistant shingles in which the algae-inhibiting material, usually a copper compound, is applied only to larger granules, instead of being applied to a full size range of granules. Use of the larger granules only, as algae-resistant granules, significantly increases the percentage of surface area of algae-resistant granules for releasing algae-inhibiting material and also reduces the material consumption of the algae-inhibiting material during production of the algae-resistant granules, thus substantially reducing cost.

Abstract: A shingle formed from a base sheet, with a layer of polymer modified asphalt coating the top of the base sheet, and a layer of conventional oxidized asphalt, free from polymer additives, coating the bottom of the base sheet. Both layers preferably directly contact the strands of the base sheet for good adhesion. This improves the strength, flexibility and ultraviolet resistance of the shingle, while reducing the cost as compared with a shingle which utilized only polymer modified asphalt, and in addition it increases the stiffness of the shingle as compared with one using only polymer modified asphalt.

Abstract: A shingle formed from a base sheet, with a layer of polymer modified asphalt coating the top of the base sheet, and a layer of conventional oxidized asphalt, free from polymer additives, coating the bottom of the base sheet. Both layers preferably directly contact the strands of the base sheet for good adhesion. This improves the strength, flexibility and ultraviolet resistance of the shingle, while reducing the cost as compared with a shingle which utilized only polymer modified asphalt, and in addition it increases the stiffness of the shingle as compared with one using only polymer modified asphalt.

Abstract: A method of making algae-resistant shingles in which the algae-inhibiting material, usually a copper compound, is applied only to larger granules, instead of being applied to a full size range of granules. Use of the larger granules only, as algae-resistant granules, significantly increases the percentage of surface area of algae-resistant granules for releasing algae-inhibiting material and also reduces the material consumption of the algae-inhibiting material during production of the algae-resistant granules, thus substantially reducing cost.

Abstract: A multi-layer laminate shingle has a base layer and at least a second layer above the base layer. At one end of the shingle the base layer projects beyond the second layer while at the other end the second layer projects beyond the base layer. When the shingles are laid in a course along the roof, the projecting end of the second layer overlaps the projecting end of the base layer of the next shingle, forming a shiplap joint over all or substantially all of the width of the shingle, protecting the joint against rain penetration. This shiplap feature allows the headlap to exposure ratio of the shingle to be reduced to less than 1 and even to 0.5 or less, thus reducing the cost of shingles per unit of roof coverage area. If desired, a narrow strip can be adhered to the top of the headlap portion of the shingle or beneath the butt portion of the shingle to emulate the appearance of a costly triple laminate shingle.

Abstract: A method of making multiple laminated shingles from a single sheet of roofing material. When four shingles are to be made, the sheet is cut into five strips, namely first and second double shims, first and second single tooth strips, and a double tooth strip. Each double shim is then laminated below the tooth portion of a single tooth strip and the tooth portion at one side of a double tooth strip, to produce a single lamination strip. The lamination strip is then slit lengthwise and crosscut by a single conventional shingle cutter to produce four sets of shingles across the width of the lamination strip. The process can produce other numbers of shingle sets. In all cases, the various strips needed are, after being cut, reassembled into a single lamination strip so that they can be slit and crosscut by a single standard shingle cutter.

Abstract: A method of making a multi-layer laminated shingle, in which a sheet of roofing material is cut into four strips, namely a shim strip, a first narrow tooth strip, a wide tooth strip, and a second narrow tooth strip, all dovetailing with each other. The shim is then laminated below the wide tooth strip to produce a first lamination. The first lamination is slit lengthwise along its center to produce two half first lamination strips. Each half first lamination strip is then laminated below a narrow tooth strip to produce two three layer lamination strips which are cross-cut into shingles. This enables production of a three layer laminated shingle simply and efficiently. In a modified method, two shim strips are used, one at each side of the sheet of roofing material, each being laminated below the wide tooth strip to produce a first lamination as before.

Abstract: A device is provided for placing sharply demarcated patches on roofing products such as shingles or sheeting without the need for a double layer of asphalt. After the base sheet has been covered with a layer of coating asphalt, granules to form the patch are dropped on the base sheet through a hole in a belt which moves parallel to and just above the base sheet. The moving hole in the belt ensures that the patches will have sharp leading and trailing edges. The belt can have several holes for different size patches, and/or different blends of granules can be applied through the same or different holes. After the patches have been applied, the remainder of the sheet is covered with granules. Alternatively, the granules which drop on the spaces on the belt between the belt openings can be applied to the base sheet to form sharp edged patches, while the granules dropping through the holes in the belt can be removed and collected for re-use.

Abstract: A roofing shingle having a series of closely adjacent areas of granules, the areas being of differing colors. To achieve a sharp visual demarcation between the adjacent areas, narrow slots are formed in the transition areas between adjacent areas of granules. The slots extend substantially the entire height of the portion of the shingle which will be exposed when the shingle is mounted on a roof. Preferably the headlap area of each shingle is coated with dark colored granules which will show through the slots when the shingles are installed, to accentuate the visual demarcation between adjacent differently colored areas of granules.

Abstract: A method of making roofing shingles in several lanes in which, after the asphalt saturated base sheet is covered with a first granule layer, a pattern of asphalt patches is printed on each lane and contrasting color granules are adhered to the patches. Each patch pattern repeats each shingle length but is non-symmetric about the center line of the length of each shingle. When the sheet is cut into shingles, the shingles from each lane have a different patch pattern from the other lanes. The shingles are assembled in bundles containing shingles from at least two lanes and approximately equal numbers of the patch patterns are located on opposite sides of the bundle to make sure the bundle is not tilted. The patch pattern is such that when each shingle is cut into tabs (thirds), at least one and preferably two tabs from each shingle has its center free of patches, enabling the tab to bend over a ridge with less risk of cracking. Preferably no patches are located at the lines where the shingles are cut into tabs.