Apparatus for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof

Abstract

An apparatus for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof. The apparatus comprises a frame and a driver unit coupled to the frame, the driver unit including at least one motor. The apparatus also comprises a stripping unit coupled to the frame. The stripping unit is adapted to lift shingles off from a roof and to extract shingle fasteners out of the roof as the apparatus moves on the roof. The apparatus further comprises a pair of cutters coupled to the driver unit, the driver unit being operative to drive the pair of cutters. The pair of cutters is adapted to cut shingles lifted off from the roof by the stripping unit to produce a strip of shingle material, the strip of shingle material including at least a portion of a first shingle connected to at least a portion of a second shingle by at least one shingle fastener extracted out of the roof by the stripping unit.

1 . An apparatus for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof, said apparatus comprising: 
 a frame;    a driver unit coupled to said frame, said driver unit including at least one motor;    a stripping unit coupled to said frame, said stripping unit being adapted to lift shingles off from a roof and to extract shingle fasteners out of the roof as said apparatus moves on the roof; and    a pair of cutters coupled to said driver unit, said driver unit being operative to drive said pair of cutters, said pair of cutters being adapted to cut shingles lifted off from the roof by said stripping unit to produce a strip of shingle material, the strip of shingle material including at least a portion of a first shingle connected to at least a portion of a second shingle by at least one shingle fastener extracted out of the roof by said stripping unit.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a steering unit coupled to said frame for steering said apparatus on the roof.  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said stripping unit includes a series of teeth adjacent and substantially parallel to each other.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said series of teeth defines a plane at a non-zero angle relative to the roof such as to enable said teeth to reach under and lift shingles off from the roof and extract shingle fasteners out of the roof.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each cutter of said pair of cutters is a rotary cutter, said driver unit being operative to drive said pair of cutters comprising said driver unit being operative to rotate each rotary cutter.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said pair of cutters are spaced apart by a certain distance, the strip of shingle material having a width substantially corresponding to the certain distance between said pair of cutters.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the certain distance between said pair of cutters is such that said stripping unit is positioned between said pair of cutters.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each cutter of said pair of cutters is selectively positionable relative to said frame for selecting a position at which said pair of cutters begin to cut shingles lifted off from the roof by said stripping unit.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said stripping unit is coupled to said driver unit, said stripping unit being coupled to said frame by being coupled to said driver unit coupled to said frame, said driver unit being operative to alternately move said stripping unit between two positions, said stripping unit being adapted to lift shingles off from the roof and to extract shingle fasteners out of the roof as said stripping unit alternately moves between the two positions and said apparatus moves on the roof.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said driver unit being operative to alternately move said stripping unit between two positions comprises said driver unit being operative to reciprocate said stripping unit between the two positions.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said driver unit being operative to alternately move said stripping unit between two positions comprises said driver unit being operative to alternately pivot said stripping unit between the two positions.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said driver unit being operative to alternately move said stripping unit between two positions comprises said driver unit being operative to alternately move said stripping unit between the two positions along a path having a rectilinear portion and a curvilinear portion.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a pulling unit coupled to said driver unit, said driver unit being operative to rotate said pulling unit, said pulling unit in rotation being operative to pull the strip of shingle material away from said pair of cutters.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said pulling unit in rotation being operative to pull the strip of shingle material away from said pair of cutters generates a force for moving said apparatus on the roof.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said pulling unit is operative to guide the strip of shingle material into a specific direction relative to said frame.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said pulling unit includes a plurality of arms adapted to sequentially engage and pull the strip of shingle material as the pulling unit rotates.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said pulling unit includes at least one roller adapted to contact the strip of shingle material, said roller in rotation being operative to pull the strip of shingle material.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a shredding unit coupled to said driver unit, said driver unit being operative to drive said shredding unit, said shredding unit being operative to shred the strip of shingle material.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , further comprising a shingle material collector removably coupled to said frame and adapted to collect shredded material produced by said shredding unit.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one traction wheel coupled to said driver unit, said driver unit being operative to drive said at least one traction wheel to move said apparatus on the roof.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a traction unit coupled to said driver unit, said driver unit being operative to drive said traction unit, said traction unit being operative to move said apparatus on the roof when driven by said driver unit.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 21 , wherein said traction unit comprises a winding mechanism operative for winding a cable relative to said frame, the cable having an end portion adapted to be fixed relative to the roof, wherein winding of the cable by the winding mechanism causes motion of said apparatus on the roof.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 22 , wherein said winding mechanism comprises a drum coupled to said driver unit, said driver unit being operative to rotate said drum so as to wind the cable on said drum.  
   
   
       24 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the motion of said apparatus on the roof causes said stripping unit to exert forces on the shingles and the shingles fasteners causing progressive lifting of the shingles off from the roof and extraction of the shingles fasteners out of the roof.  
   
   
       25 . An apparatus for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof, said apparatus comprising: 
 a frame;    driving means coupled to said frame, said driving means including at least one motor;    stripping means coupled to said frame, said stripping means being adapted to lift shingles off from a roof and to extract shingle fasteners out of the roof as said apparatus moves on the roof; and    cutting means coupled to said driving means, said driving means being operative to drive said cutting means, said cutting means being adapted to cut shingles lifted off from the roof by said stripping means to produce a strip of shingle material, the strip of shingle material including at least a portion of a first shingle connected to at least a portion of a second shingle by at least one shingle fastener extracted out of the roof by said stripping means.    
   
   
       26 . A method for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof, said method comprising: 
 lifting shingles off from a roof and extracting shingle fasteners out of the roof using a stripping unit; and    cutting the shingles lifted off from the roof by the stripping unit to produce a strip of shingle material, the strip of shingle material including at least a portion of a first shingle connected to at least a portion of a second shingle by at least one shingle fastener extracted out of the roof by the stripping unit.