STACKING BAR FOR ROOFING ELEMENTS
Various embodiments of the invention provide a roofing element that has improved stacking characteristics. According to various embodiments, roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof are provided, and each roofing element includes a body portion that defines one or more batten lugs and/or weather bars and at least one stacker bar that corresponds with each batten lug or weather bar. The batten lugs, weather bars, and the stacker bars extend outwardly from a lower surface of the roofing element, and each stacker bar includes a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces that extend between the lower surface of the stacker bar and the lower surface of the body portion. The tapered surfaces are adapted for urging the upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from the lower surface of the roofing element.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/864,226 filed Nov. 3, 2006 and entitled “Roofing Tile Providing Multiple Tile Shapes or Appearance of the Same,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/821,259 filed Aug. 2, 2006 and entitled “Improved Roofing Tile and Roofing Tile System,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWhen concrete roofing elements, such as field tiles and trim tiles, are manufactured, they may be stacked together onto a pallet, and then wrapped for shipment to a customer. The process of stacking the roofing elements may be done by hand or by an auto-packer for automatically stacking the roofing elements adjacent each other, for example. Some auto-packers operate by moving roofing elements from a conveyor onto a pallet or onto an existing stack of roofing elements. When stacking the roofing elements onto one another or during shipment, the portions of one roofing element may be nicked, broken, or otherwise damaged by another roofing element stacked above or below the roofing element. In particular, portions of the roofing element that project from a surface of the body of the roofing element, such as batten lugs and weather bars, tend to be particularly susceptible to breakage. Thus, a need in the art exists for a roofing element design that prevents breakage of the roofing element during the packing and/or shipping process.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONVarious embodiments of the invention provide a roofing element that has improved stacking characteristics. In particular, according to various embodiments, a plurality of roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof are provided wherein each of the roofing elements includes (1) a head end, (2) a nose end, and (3) a body portion extending between the head end and the nose end. The body portion has an upper surface and a lower surface that is opposite the upper surface, and the body portion defines one or more batten lugs substantially adjacent the head end and at least one stacker bar adjacent each batten lug. The batten lugs and the stacker bars extend outwardly from the lower surface. Each stacker bar includes a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces that extend between the lower surface of the stacker bar and the lower surface of the body portion. The tapered surfaces are adapted for urging the upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from the lower surface of the roofing element and the batten lugs. In a particular embodiment, each stacker bar is positioned substantially below an engaging surface of the corresponding batten lug. In yet another embodiment, a stacker bar is positioned substantially horizontally adjacent the engaging surface of the corresponding batten lug.
According to various embodiments, each stacker bar is elongated and includes a head end, a nose end, a first side edge, and a second side edge. The head end of the stacker bar is adjacent the corresponding batten lug, the nose end is opposite the head end, and the first and second side edges extend between the nose end and the head end of the stacker bar. The lower surface of the stacker bar tapers in height relative to the lower surface of the body portion such that the height of the stacker bar is greater toward the head end of the stacker bar than the nose end of the stacker bar. In one embodiment, a tapered surface extends from the first side edge of the lower surface of the stacker bar to the lower surface of the body portion, and in yet another embodiment, a tapered surface extends from the second side edge of the lower surface of the stacker bar to the lower surface of the body portion. In yet another embodiment, a tapered surface extends from the nose end of the lower surface of the stacker bar to the lower surface of the body portion. In a particular embodiment, all of the above described tapered surfaces may be defined by the stacker bar.
According to various embodiments of the invention, a plurality of roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof are provided, and each of roofing elements element includes (1) a head end, (2) a nose end, and (3) a body portion extending between the head end and the nose end. The body portion defines a profile having at least one arcuate portion and has an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface is opposite the upper surface, and the body portion defines at least one stacker bar adjacent the arcuate portion. Each stacker bar extends outwardly from the lower surface and includes a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces that extend between the lower surface of each stacker bar and the lower surface of the body portion. The one or more tapered surfaces are adapted for urging the upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from the lower surface of the roofing element.
Various other embodiment of the invention provide a plurality of roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof, and each roofing element includes (1) a head end, (2) a nose end, and (3) a body portion extending between the head end and the nose end. The body portion has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the lower surface is opposite the upper surface. The body portion defines one or more weather bars that are disposed substantially adjacent the nose end and at least one stacker bar disposed adjacent each weather bar. The weather bars and the stacker bars extend outwardly from the lower surface. Each stacker bar includes a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces that extend between the lower surface of the stacker bar and the lower surface of the body portion, and the tapered surfaces are adapted for urging the upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from the lower surface of the roofing element and the weather bars. In a particular embodiment, each stacker bar is positioned substantially below a lower surface of the corresponding weather bar, and in another embodiment, each stacker bar is positioned substantially above a lower surface of the corresponding weather bar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various embodiments of the present invention overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing an improved roofing system and roofing element. For example, according to one embodiment, a roofing element includes a plurality of tapered surfaces that urge the surfaces of vertically stacked elements away from each other to prevent breakage of portions of the element when the element is stacked and shipped and subjected to loads.
Structure of the Tiles
Various embodiments provide roofing elements (e.g., field tiles and trim tiles) that have improved stacking characteristics. In particular, in one embodiment, a field tile includes a head end, a nose end, a body portion that extends between the head end and nose end, an upper surface of the body portion, and a lower surface opposite the upper surface that defines one or more batten lugs substantially adjacent the head end of the tile and at least one stacker bar that corresponds to each batten lug. The stacker bar and the batten lug extend outwardly from the lower surface of the tile. In addition, the stacker bar includes one or more tapered surfaces that extend from the lower surface of the tile toward a lower surface of the stacker bar. The tapered surfaces are adapted for urging an upper surface of a lower stacked tile away from the lower surface of the tile. In one embodiment, the stacker bar is positioned substantially below an engaging surface of the batten lug, and in another embodiment, the stacker bar is positioned horizontally adjacent the engaging surface of the batten lug.
When the upper surface 17 of a first tile that is stacked vertically adjacent a second tile moves relative to the lower surface 28 of the second tile, the upper surface 17 of the cap portion 11 and the pan portion 12 of the first tile are urged by the stacking bars 40 and/or the tapered side surfaces 39 of the batten rest 35 to move away from the lower surfaces 32 of the batten lugs 30, thus preventing any unwanted breakage of the batten lugs 30. In addition, as shown in
In a further embodiment, as shown in
The tile 100 further includes an upper surface 117 that is exposed when installed on a roofing surface and a lower surface 118 that is positioned adjacent the roofing surface when installed. In addition, the tile 100 includes a head end 120, a nose end 119, and a body portion 111. One or more apertures extend through the head end 120 are adapted to receive fasteners to secure the tile to the roof, if required.
As shown in
In addition, as shown in
Furthermore, according to the embodiment shown in
According to one embodiment of the invention, the transitions between (a) the lower surface 118 of the tile 100 and the side surfaces 145 of the stacking bars 140 and (b) between the side surfaces 145 and the lower surface 144 of the stacking bar 140 may have radii of between about 2.5 mm and 9 mm. In addition, the width w of the lower surface 144 of each stacking bar 140 adjacent the nose end 142 of the stacking bar 140 is between about 3 mm and 6 mm.
In a particular embodiment, which is shown in
In another embodiment, which is shown in
Similarly, various other embodiments of the invention may include tiles having a substantially flat profile, such as the embodiment shown in
Furthermore, in one embodiment, the lower surface 328 defines one or more weather bars 355 that are substantially adjacent the nose end 319 and at least one stacker bar 360 adjacent each weather bar 355. The weather bars 355 and the stacker bars 360 extend outwardly from the lower surface 328. Each stacker bar 360 includes a lower surface 361 and one or more tapered surfaces 362 that extend between the lower surface 361 of the stacker bar 360 and the lower surface 328 of the body portion 321, and the tapered surfaces 362 are adapted for urging the upper surface 317 of a vertically stacked roofing element 300 away from the lower surface 328 of the roofing element 300 and the weather bars 355. In the embodiment shown, each stacker bar 360 is positioned substantially above an inner surface 365 of the corresponding weather bar 355. Alternatively, in another embodiment (not shown), each stacker bar is positioned substantially below a lower surface of the corresponding weather bar.
In addition, other roofing elements, such as trim tiles may also include stacker bars. Trim roofing tiles are typically used along the edges of the roof (e.g., rake tiles) and/or along the ridge of the roof and do not typically include batten lugs. An exemplary barrel shaped trim tile 500 according to one embodiment is shown in
The Manufacturing Process
According to various embodiments of the invention, the process of manufacturing the tiles begins by extruding a concrete-based material onto a mold pallet 70 from an extruder. In one embodiment, as shown in
In particular, in one embodiment, such as shown in
In a further embodiment, the mold system further includes cheek bars along each side of the conveyor, and the cheek bars guide the mold pallets 70 through the forming section described above. In a particular embodiment, cheek blocks are coupled to the cheek bars, and the cheek blocks cooperate with the slipper 72 to form the outer edges, or side surfaces, of the engagement members of each tile. For example, in one embodiment, the cheek blocks and the slipper 72 cooperate to form substantially rounded outer edges of the engagement members.
Next, the tile form is heated and cured. In various embodiments, a hot melt wax is then applied to at least a portion of the lower surface of each tile to prevent a lower surface of a vertically stacked tile from scratching or otherwise damaging the upper surface of the adjacent tile. For example, in a particular embodiment, the hot melt wax is applied to weather bars 60 that extend substantially normally from the lower surface of the tile adjacent the nose end of the tile.
After the tiles have been cured and the hot melt wax has dried, the tiles are stacked vertically adjacent each other onto shipping pallets (e.g., wooden pallets). In one embodiment, this stacking process is performed by an automatic palletizer that stacks the tiles vertically adjacent each other and positions them onto the shipping pallet, such as shown in
In addition, in a further embodiment, the mold pallet 70 is sprayed with a friction-reducing material (e.g., oil) prior to the extrusion process, which facilitates the removal of the formed concrete-material from the mold pallet 70. The friction-reducing material has a tendency to pool in indentations defined in the mold pallet 70, such as the indentation that defines the batten lug and the indentation that defines the batten rest, and the pooling can compromise the bonding strength of the concrete-material that makes up the batten lug and batten rest. In one embodiment, to prevent the pooling of the friction-reducing material, a substantially horizontal ridge is defined adjacent the indentation that defines the engagement surface of the batten lug. The horizontal ridge prevents the friction-reducing material from pooling in the indentation that defines the batten lug by redirecting the material to the sides of the tile. In addition, in a further embodiment, a vertical ridge is defined by a bottom surface of the indentation that forms the batten rest. The vertical ridge extends substantially normally from the lower surface of the indentation and substantially along a longitudinal axis of the indentation batten rest, resulting in an indentation in the lower surface of the batten rest. According to one embodiment, the vertical ridge reduces the amount of friction-reducing material that can pool in the indentations in the mold pallet 70 that form the batten lug and the batten rest.
The embodiments of the mold pallet 70, the roller 74, and slipper 72 described above and shown in
It may be seen that various embodiments of the present invention overcome deficiencies in the prior art by providing roofing tiles are less susceptible to breaking during stacking or shipping. While various embodiments of the invention have 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 plurality of roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof, each of said roofing elements comprising:
- a head end;
- a nose end;
- a body portion extending between the head end and the nose end;
- said body portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being opposite said upper surface, and body portion defining one or more batten lugs disposed substantially adjacent said head end and at least one stacker bar disposed adjacent said each of said one or more batten lugs, said batten lugs and said stacker bars extending outwardly from said lower surface,
- wherein each stacker bar comprises a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces extending between said lower surface of each stacker bar and said lower surface of said body portion, said one or more tapered surfaces adapted for urging said upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from said lower surface of said roofing element and said one or more batten lugs.
2. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one stacker bar is disposed substantially below an engaging surface of said corresponding batten lug.
3. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 2 wherein:
- each of said at least one stacker bar is elongated and comprises a head end, a nose end, a first side edge, and a second side edge, said head end adjacent said batten lug, said nose end opposite said head end, and said first and second side edges extending between said head end and said nose end of said stacker bar, and
- said lower surface of said stacker bar tapers in height relative to said lower surface of said body portion such that said height of said stacker bar is greater toward said head end of said stacker bar than said nose end of said stacker bar.
4. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 1 wherein:
- each of said at least one stacker bar comprises a head end, a nose end, a first side edge, and a second side edge, said head end being adjacent said batten lug, said nose end being opposite said head end, and said first and second side edges extending between said head end and said nose end of said stacker bar, and
- a first tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said first side edge of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
5. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 4 wherein:
- a second tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said second side edge of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
6. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 5 wherein:
- a third tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said nose end of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
7. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 4 wherein:
- a second tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said nose end of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
8. The roofing elements of claim 1 wherein hot melt wax is applied to at least a portion of a lower surface of each of said plurality of roofing elements during manufacturing, said hot melt wax being adapted to prevent the lower surface of each of said roofing tiles from damaging an upper surface of a vertically stacked adjacent roofing tile.
9. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 1 wherein stacker bar is disposed substantially horizontally adjacent an engaging surface of said corresponding batten lug.
10. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 1 wherein a first stacker bar is disposed substantially below an engaging surface of said corresponding batten lug and a second stacker bar is disposed substantially horizontally adjacent said first stacker bar, said first stacker bar having a tapered surface extending from said lower surface of said body portion to said nose end of said lower surface of said first stacker bar, said second stacker bar having a first tapered surface extending from said lower surface of said body portion to said nose end of said lower surface of said second stacker bar and a second tapered surface extending from said lower surface of said body portion to said first side edge of said lower surface of said second stacker bar, wherein said first side edge is opposite said second side edge and said second side edge is adjacent said first stacker bar.
11. A plurality of roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof, each of said roofing elements comprising:
- a head end;
- a nose end;
- a body portion extending between the head end and the nose end;
- said body portion defining a profile having at least one arcuate portion and having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being opposite said upper surface,
- said body portion defining at least one stacker bar adjacent said arcuate portion, each of said at least one stacker bar extending outwardly from said lower surface,
- wherein each stacker bar comprises a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces extending between said lower surface of each stacker bar and said lower surface of said body portion, said one or more tapered surfaces adapted for urging said upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from said lower surface of said roofing element.
12. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 11 wherein said at least one stacker bar adjacent said arcuate portion is a first stacker bar, and said body portion further defines:
- one or more batten lugs substantially adjacent said head end, and
- a second stacker bar disposed substantially below an engaging surface of said corresponding batten lug, said batten lugs and said second stacker bars extending outwardly from said lower surface of said body portion.
13. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 12 wherein said first stacker bar is disposed substantially horizontally adjacent said second stacker bar.
14. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 11 wherein:
- each of said at least one stacker bar comprises a head end, a nose end, a first side edge, and a second side edge, said head end of said stacker bar oriented toward said head end of said roofing element, said nose end of said stacker bar being opposite said head end, and said first and second side edges extending between said head end and said nose end of said stacker bar, and
- a first tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said first side edge of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
15. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 14 wherein:
- a second tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said second side edge of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
16. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 15 wherein:
- a third tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said nose end of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
17. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 14 wherein:
- a second tapered surface of said one or more tapered surfaces extends from said nose end of said lower surface of said stacker bar to said lower surface of said body portion.
18. The roofing elements of claim 11 wherein hot melt wax is applied to at least a portion of a lower surface of each of said plurality of roofing elements during manufacturing, said hot melt wax being adapted to prevent the lower surface of each of said roofing tiles from damaging an upper surface of a vertically stacked adjacent roofing tile.
19. A plurality of roofing elements for installing on a sloped roof, each of said roofing elements comprising:
- a head end;
- a nose end;
- a body portion extending between the head end and the nose end;
- said body portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being opposite said upper surface, and said body portion defining one or more weather bars substantially adjacent said nose end and at least one stacker bar adjacent said each of said one or more weather bars, said weather bars and said stacker bars extending outwardly from said lower surface,
- wherein each stacker bar comprises a lower surface and one or more tapered surfaces extending between said lower surface of each stacker bar and said lower surface of said body portion, said one or more tapered surfaces adapted for urging said upper surface of a vertically stacked roofing element away from said lower surface of said roofing element and said one or more weather bars.
20. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 19 wherein each of said at least one stacker bar is disposed substantially below a lower surface of said corresponding weather bar.
21. The plurality of roofing elements of claim 19 wherein each of said at least one stacker bar is disposed substantially above a lower surface of said corresponding weather bar.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 1, 2007
Publication Date: Feb 14, 2008
Inventor: Andrew Truss (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
Application Number: 11/832,328
International Classification: E04F 21/00 (20060101);