Aesthetic, self-aligning shingle for hip, ridge, or rake portion of a roof

Abstract

There is provided a hip, ridge, or rake shingle, which includes a shingle panel and at least one rigid back member. The shingle panel has a substantially planar lower surface. The at least one rigid back member has a length substantially the same as or greater than the length of the shingle panel. The rigid back member is attached to the substantially planar lower surface of the shingle panel. The rigid back member includes a step in thickness in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the substantially planar lower surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rigid back member. In addition, the thickness of the rigid back member at the high level of the step is greater than the thickness of the rigid back member at one of its ends. There is also provided an asphaltic adhesive including from about 62% to about 99% by weight of an asphalt cement; from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a first thermoplastic having a glass-transition temperature in the range from about 190° F. to about 260° F.; and from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a second thermoplastic having a glass-transition temperature in the range from about −55° F. to about 0° F.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A hip, ridge, or rake shingle comprising: 
 a shingle panel having a substantially planar lower surface and an upper surface; and    at least one rigid back member having a length substantially the same as or greater than the length of said shingle panel and attached to said substantially planar lower surface of said shingle panel, said at least one rigid back member having a step in thickness in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to said substantially planar lower surface and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said at least one rigid back member, the thickness of said at least one rigid back member at the high level of said step being greater than the thickness of said at least one rigid back member at an end of said at least one rigid back member.    
     
     
         2 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said shingle panel is composed of an asphalt material and said upper surface of said shingle panel includes a granular material thereon.  
     
     
         3 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 2 , wherein said shingle panel further comprises a rubberized material.  
     
     
         4 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 3 , wherein said rubberized material is a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer.  
     
     
         5 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rigid back member includes a trapezoid-shaped base and a plurality of walls extending from said base, said walls having a step in height in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to said base and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said at least one rigid back member, said step in height of said walls providing said step in thickness of said at least one rigid back member.  
     
     
         6 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of walls includes first and second sets of walls disposed on opposite sides of and perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of said at least one rigid back member.  
     
     
         7 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 6 , wherein each wall in said first set of walls and a corresponding wall in said second set of walls are offset from each other along the longitudinal center axis of said at least one rigid back member by an amount greater than the width of each wall.  
     
     
         8 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 5 , wherein said base includes corrugations on the surface to be attached to said substantially planar lower surface of said shingle panel.  
     
     
         9 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 5 , wherein said base includes a slit along its longitudinal center axis for facilitation of folding of said at least one rigid back member.  
     
     
         10 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said step is capable of interlocking with an end of a shingle which is substantially identical to said hip, ridge, or rake shingle.  
     
     
         11 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rigid back member includes channels formed therein communicating between a side of said at least one rigid back member and an area near the longitudinal center axis of said shingle panel, whereby when said shingle is installed on a ridge vent roof, said channels allow ventilation of the roof to the outside environment.  
     
     
         12 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 11 , wherein said channels are arranged in a zig-zag or herringbone pattern.  
     
     
         13 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 11 , wherein the width of the openings of said channels along the sides of said at least one rigid back member is less than or equal to ¼ inch.  
     
     
         14 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 11 , wherein said at least one rigid back member includes a trapezoid-shaped base and a plurality of walls extending from said base, said plurality of walls forming said channels.  
     
     
         15 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 14 , wherein said at least one rigid back member includes a plurality of pins extending from the longitudinal edges of said base.  
     
     
         16 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rigid back member includes a planar base surface that is attached to said substantially planar lower surface of said shingle panel, a surface inclined with respect to said planar base surface, and a surface parallel to said planar base surface; and wherein said step in thickness of said at least one rigid back member is formed at the juncture of said inclined surface and said parallel surface.  
     
     
         17 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 16 , wherein said at least one rigid back member includes cavities formed therein.  
     
     
         18 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rigid back member is composed of an injection-molded thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         19 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 18 , wherein said thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting essentially of polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), ethylene-mythylene-acrylate (EMAC), neoprene, and polychlorosulfonated polymer (Hypalon).  
     
     
         20 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one rigid back member further includes from about 40% to about 70% filler by weight.  
     
     
         21 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 20 , wherein said filler is selected from the group consisting essentially of limestone, gypsum, aluminum trihydrate, cellulose fiber, and plastic polymers fiber.  
     
     
         22 . The hip, ridge, or rake shingle of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rigid back member is composed of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of molded recycled tire rubber, metal, and wood.  
     
     
         23 . An asphaltic adhesive for use with roofing material, comprising: 
 from about 62% to about 99% by weight of an asphalt cement;    from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a first thermoplastic having a glass-transition temperature in the range from about 190° F. to about 260° F.; and    from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a second thermoplastic having a glass-transition temperature in the range from about −55° F. to about 0° F.    
     
     
         24 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , comprising from about 1% to about 7% by weight of said first thermoplastic and from about 1% to about 7% by weight of said second thermoplastic.  
     
     
         25 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , wherein said first thermoplastic is a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer.  
     
     
         26 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 25 , wherein said styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer has a butadiene/styrene ratio in the range of about 68/32 to about 84/16, a block polystyrene in the range from about 30% to 32%, and an oil content in the range of from about 4.5 phr to 5.5 phr.  
     
     
         27 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , wherein said second thermoplastic is a styrene-isoprene-styrene block polymer.  
     
     
         28 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , wherein said second thermoplastic is a latex having a molecular weight in the range of about 100,000 to about 100 million atomic units.  
     
     
         29 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 28 , wherein said latex comprises a styrene-butadiene rubber polymer.  
     
     
         30 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 29 , wherein said styrene-butadiene rubber polymer comprises from about 62% to about 70% polymer solids in water, has a pH in the range of about 5.25 to about 10.5, and has a monomer ratio of butadiene to styrene in the range from about 74/26 to about 78/22.  
     
     
         31 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , wherein the grade of said asphalt cement is AC-30 or below.  
     
     
         32 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , further comprising from about 0.1% to about 2.5% by weight of one or more cross-linking agents.  
     
     
         33 . The asphaltic adhesive of  claim 23 , further comprising from about 0.1% to 5.0% by weight of amine.  
     
     
         34 . A method of producing an asphaltic adhesive, comprising the steps of: 
 heating an asphalt cement to a temperature of between 325° F. to 375° F.;    mixing into said asphalt cement a first thermoplastic having a glass-transition temperature in the range from about 190° F. to about 260° F.; and    mixing into the blend of said asphalt cement and said first thermoplastic a second thermoplastic having a glass-transition temperature in the range from about −55° F. to about 0° F.; wherein said blend of asphalt cement, first thermoplastic, and second thermoplastic comprises from about 62% to about 99% by weight of said asphalt cement; from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of said first thermoplastic; and from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of said second thermoplastic.