Roofing system and roofing tile
The present invention provides an improved roofing tile and roofing tile system that simulates the appearance of wood shake and has an improved strength to weight ratio. One embodiment of the roofing tile system includes two unique tile profiles, an “A” profile and a “B” profile, wherein tiles having an “A” profile are alternately or randomly installed adjacent tiles having a “B” profile to simulate the appearance of wood shakes. In addition, each roofing tile is formed of a clay material and includes ribs that extend normally from a lower face of the tile, which improves the strength to weight ratio of each tile. Furthermore, each tile includes touch points that extend from the a face of the tile to engage receiving portions on a tile positioned vertically adjacent to the tile, which prevents the tiles from moving relative to each other.
Latest Patents:
This application claims priority from provisional U.S. Application No. 60/573,708 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing and Installing Improved Roofing Tiles,” which was filed on May 20, 2004 and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates in general to roofing, and particularly relates to the use of lightweight yet structurally sound clay material roofing tiles that simulate wood shake roofing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the field of roofing, it is well known to use wood shakes as roofing elements. Typically, the wood shakes are installed in an overlapping manner to divert water. However, wood shakes have disadvantages, including their flammability and their tendency to leak after sufficient weathering. Nevertheless, consumers have shown a preference towards wood shakes due to their desirable appearance.
Roofing elements that simulate wood shakes and are comprised of nonflammable materials, such as concrete, metal, or clay (sometimes called “terracotta”), have become known. However, roofing elements made to date with these alternative materials present additional disadvantages. For example, roofing tiles made of concrete or clay tend to be heavy, weighing between 8 and 11 pounds per square foot, making them unsuitable for remodeling or re-roofing roofs that previously used lighter roofing elements, such as wood shakes or asphalt roofing tiles. In addition, previous attempts to reduce the weight of the concrete or clay tiles significantly have resulted in a reduction in the flexural strength of the tiles. Furthermore, known concrete and clay roofing tiles are categorized as a lower grade of building material because of their inability to provide adequate protection for severe climate weathering. For example, known tiles are typically characterized as having a Grade 1 Weathering Index of less than 500 (see ASTM C1167-96, Table 1).
As another example, metal pressed roofing tiles tend to be limited to shapes with identical contours on both the top and bottom surfaces. Further, tiles made with alternate materials, such as concrete and metal, have a tendency to rub against one another during shipping, causing unwanted scratching and chipping on the surfaces of the tiles.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide roofing elements that simulate wood shakes and have improved weathering capabilities and an improved strength to weight ratio.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention overcomes deficiencies of the prior art by providing an improved roofing system and roofing tile that simulate the appearance of a wood shake roof and have improved weathering capabilities, an improved strength to weight ratio, and improved packing, or shipping, characteristics. One embodiment of the roofing tile system includes tiles having one or two unique profiles, an “A” profile and a “B” profile, that are alternately or randomly installed adjacent each other to simulate the appearance of wood shakes. Each tile having an “A” profile has a uniform cross-section throughout the body of the tile, and each tile having a “B” profile has a depressed center portion and two raised side portions throughout at least a portion of the body of the tile, wherein the two raised side portions have substantially the same cross-section as the tiles having an “A” profile.
In addition, each tile includes a plurality of ribs that extend from a lower face of the tile. By positioning the plurality of ribs on the lower face of the tile below portions of the tile that have reduced flexural strength, the weight of each tile is reduced while the strength of each tile is maintained. The width of each rib may also be varied along the length of the rib to provide additional strength to portions of the tile that have reduced flexural strength.
Furthermore, each tile includes upper touch points that prevent the tiles from moving relative to each other when vertically stacked together and lower touch points that provide a headlap alignment guide for the next-laid course in a roofing installation. The upper and lower touch points extend from the lower face of the tile and seat adjacent to upper and lower touch surfaces, respectively, on a tile positioned vertically adjacent to the tile.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a roofing system that includes roofing tiles that have one of at least two profiles. In one embodiment, a portion of the tiles has an “A” profile, and a portion of the tiles has a “B” profile. When the tiles having an “A” profile are installed alternately or in a random fashion with tiles having a “B” profile, the tiles simulate the appearance of a wood shake roof, as shown in
Tile Structure
The body 36A includes a left portion 23A, a right portion 24A, and a center portion 22A that extends between the left portion 23A and the right portion 24A, as illustrated in
As shown in
The upper 250A and lower ridge 251A further define an intermediate channel 255A that provides a water channel for wind driven rain. The intermediate channel 255A diverts the rain to the edges of the left side of the tile 20A and into channel 26A of engagement member 25A or to the right side of the tile 20A and off of downwardly directed ledge 30A of engagement member 29A. Channels 26A, ledge 30A, and engagement members 25A, 29A are discussed below in relation to
In addition, apertures 260A, 261A for receiving fasteners are provided in the upper 250A and lower ridges 251A, respectively. Fasteners are engaged through the apertures 260A, 261A to secure the tile 20A to the roof. As shown in
As shown in
The ribs 301A, 303A, 305A are substantially evenly spaced, providing superior strength when the tile 20A is subjected to flexural strength testing or actual field conditions, such as exposing the tiles to foot traffic. In addition, the secondary ribs 305A and the center structural rib 303A vary in width such that the width of each rib 305A, 303A increases adjacent portions of the tile 20A that have a reduced flexural strength. For example, as shown in
The number and structure of the ribs may vary depending on the size, aesthetic design, and intended use of the tile. Accordingly, the concepts of varying the width and length of the ribs and strategically positioning the ribs to support the tile where the flexural strength may be compromised are within the scope of this invention.
In addition to the ability of the ribs 300A to improve the flexural strength of the tiles, the secondary ribs 305A further improve certain manufacturing characteristics. As may be understood, when the tiles 20A are initially produced, they are not completely solidified, and can sag in certain instances, especially in locations that include unsupported spans. The secondary ribs 305A, if they are supported, can provide support to prevent such sagging. Therefore, the secondary ribs 305A provide support for an otherwise unsupported horizontal portion.
In addition to the ribs 300A, the lower face of the tile 20A further includes touch points 307A, 311A. Touch points 307A, 311A are protrusions that extend from the lower face of the tile 20A. In the embodiment of the tile 20A shown in
Lower touch point 307A is positioned transverse across the nose end 33A. When a tile 20A is positioned in the next-laid horizontal course above a lower tile 20A during installation, the lower touch point 307A seats upon the lower touch surface 312A of the lower tile 20A. The lower touch point 307A and the lower touch surface 312A provide a headlap alignment guide for the roofing installers.
In other embodiments, all of the upper touch points 311A can be part of the ribs 300A, all of the upper touch points 311A can be separate from the ribs 300A, the lower touch point 307A can comprise a plurality of protrusions that seat against the lower touch surface 312A, or the tile 20A can include one or more upper touch points 311A.
To facilitate the mounting of tiles horizontally adjacent to one another, the tile 20A also includes an upwardly facing, sidewardly extending engagement member 25A and a downwardly facing, sidewardly extending engagement member 29A, as shown in
The body 36B includes a left portion 23B, a right portion 24B, and a center portion 22B. However, unlike the substantially flat upper face of tile 20A, tile 20B has a depressed center portion 22B, as shown in
Further, as shown in
As shown in
Like the tile 20A, the tile 20B includes an upwardly facing, sidewardly extending engagement member 25B and a downwardly facing, sidewardly extending engagement member 29B, as shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, the tile 20B includes touch points 307B, 3111B that extend from the lower face of the tile 20B and engage upper touch surfaces 312B, 310B, respectively, of a tile 20B stacked below the tile 20B, such as the touch points 307A, 311A and touch surfaces 312A, 310A of tile 20A described above in relation to
The Manufacturing Process
Reference is now made to
A clay composition is extruded from a pugmill/extrusion machine in a column (not shown) and has a moisture content sufficient to provide adequate plasticity. The percentage of moisture content found to be acceptable in one embodiment is 17 to 19%. The extrusion process evacuates substantially all of the air from the clay mixture to discourage delamination. The column is then cut into short lengths to create the bats 13 for pressing.
The press structure includes a rotating drum 10 having a hexagonal cross-section and defining six outwardly directed drum faces. One “A” lower mold cavity 11A and one “B” lower mold cavity 11B are provided on each drum face, totaling twelve mold cavities, to provide an aesthetically pleasing variation on the installed appearance of the tiles, which is discussed above in relation to
As shown in
The wet tiles, on their individual dryer trays, are then sent through a dryer where the moisture content is reduced to less than 4%. The dry “greenware” is then transported to the kiln for firing. The vitrified tiles 20A, 20B, as shown in
Furthermore, because tiles composed of clay may shrink when drying, tiles according to one embodiment of the invention are dimensioned to optimize the strength to weight ratio. The optimized dimensions allow the tiles to be manufactured with more tolerance for distortion while continuing to meet building code specifications for weight.
The Installation Process
Reference is now made to
The tiles are attached to a supporting surface 43 (such as plywood) by nails or other suitable fasteners engaged into apertures 260A, 260B, 261A, 261B. A common eave-riser metal drip edge 42 is used at the bottom of the roof to support the bottom horizontal course of tiles 20A, 20B.
As is shown in
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), hip trim tiles are provided in varying widths. The hip trim tiles are used along the edge of the roof leading up to the ridge of the roof. Two configurations of hip trim tiles may be used according to one embodiment, a “C” configuration and a “D” configuration, wherein the “C” configuration hip trim tile has a width that is less than the width of the “D” configuration hip trim tile. Alternating the use of the “C” configuration hip trim tile and the “D” configuration hip trim tile with each horizontal course will result in the edge portions 35 of each course being offset from the course below or above it. The number of hip trim tile configurations may be greater than two, depending on the needs of the installation.
In addition to including hip trip tiles, one embodiment of the tiling system further includes hip trim starter tiles and ridge trim tiles. Hip trim starter tiles are used on the bottom course at the bottom corners of the roof. The hip trim starter tiles provide a clean finish for the bottom corners of the roof. Ridge trim tiles are installed along the ridge of the roof and overlap the horizontal course of tiles below them.
CONCLUSIONTherefore it may be seen that the present invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by providing roofing tiles which can be produced in mass quantities, yet have the appearance of traditional wood shakes with the structural properties of fired clay. In addition, by having one or more structural support ribs, the tiles have the strength of standard tiles, but weigh significantly less than standard tiles. Furthermore, the present invention provides touch points on each tile that engage receiving portions on a vertically adjacent tile for preventing the relative movement of tiles. While this invention has been described in specific detail with reference to the disclosed embodiments, it will be understood that many variations and modifications may be affected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A roofing tile made of clay material that simulates the appearance of a wood shake, said roofing tile comprising, said roofing tile further comprising:
- a head end;
- a nose end;
- a body intermediate said head end and said nose end;
- a wood grain design on an upper face of said roofing tile adjacent to said body and said nose end; and
- a plurality of primary ribs extending substantially normally from a lower face of said roofing tile and extending along a length of said body from said head end to said nose end;
- a plurality of secondary ribs extending substantially normally from a lower face of said roofing tile and extending along a length of said body, said secondary ribs having a length that is shorter than a length of said primary ribs;
- wherein each of said ribs comprises at least one wide portion and at least one narrow portion, and said wide portion being positioned adjacent one or more portions of said tile having less flexural strength.
2. The roofing tile of claim 1 wherein said body includes:
- a left side portion,
- a right side portion, and
- a center portion disposed intermediate said side portions,
- wherein said center portion has a reduced cross-section from said side portions and wherein a first of said one or more ribs is positioned under a transition area between said left side portion and said center portion, a second of said ribs is positioned under a transition area between said right side portion and said center portion, and a third of said ribs is positioned under a transition area between said head end and said center portion.
3. A roofing tile system for simulating the appearance of a wood shake roof, said system comprising:
- a first roofing tile having a first unique profile, said first roofing tile comprising: a head end, a nose end, and a body, wherein said nose end and said body have a substantially uniform cross-section and include a simulated wood grain design on an upper face of said first roofing tile; and
- a second roofing tile having a second unique profile, said second unique profile being different than said first unique profile, said second roofing tile comprising: a nose end, a head end, and a body, said body including a center portion intermediate a left side portion and a right side portion, wherein said center portion has a reduced cross section than said side portions, and said side portions have substantially the same cross section as said body of said first roofing tile;
- wherein said first tile is installed horizontally adjacent to said second tile.
4. The roofing tile system of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of said first roofing tiles and a plurality of said second roofing tiles, wherein said first roofing tiles are assembled horizontally adjacent to and in an alternating arrangement with said roofing second tiles.
5. The roofing tile system of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of said first roofing tiles and a plurality of said second roofing tiles, wherein said first roofing tiles are randomly assembled horizontally adjacent to said first roofing tiles and said second roofing tiles.
6. The roofing tile of claim 3 wherein said center portion of said second roofing tile has a shorter length than said side portions of said second roofing tile, and said side portions of said second roofing tile have substantially the same length as the body of said first roofing tile.
7. A roofing system comprising a plurality of roofing tiles, each of said tiles comprising:
- a head end having an upper transverse ridge and a lower transverse ridge;
- a nose end;
- a first face comprising at least one first touch point adjacent said head end and at least one second touch point adjacent said nose end, said first and second touch points extending substantially normally from said first face; and
- a second face, said second face being opposite said first face and said second face defining a first touch surfaces adjacent said upper transverse ridge and a second touch surface adjacent said lower transverse ridge;
- wherein, said first touch point of a first tile is adapted for engaging said first touch surfaces of a second tile that is stacked vertically adjacent said first tile to prevent relative movement of said first tile and said second tile, and said second touch point of said first tile is adapted for engaging said second touch surface of said second tile positioned in a below laid-course to align the overlap of said nose end of said first tile with said head end of said second tile.
Type: Application
Filed: May 20, 2005
Publication Date: Nov 24, 2005
Applicant:
Inventors: Scott Beetler (Corona, CA), Eric Angus (Kanwal)
Application Number: 11/134,086