Tool for removing cedar roofing material

Abstract

There is provided a tool for removing cedar roofing material. The tool has a handle with a first end and a second end which is spaced-apart from the first end. The second end of the handle is inclined. The tool includes a blade having a base portion connected to the second end of the handle. The blade has a proximal end which is adjacent to the base portion of the blade. The blade has a distal end which is spaced-apart from the base portion of the blade. The blade is arcuate-shaped between its proximal end and its distal end. The base portion is angled relative to the proximal end of the blade.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tool for removing cedar roofing material, the tool comprising:
 a handle having a first end and a second end which is spaced-apart from the first end, the second end of the handle being inclined; and   a blade having a base portion connected to the second end of the handle, a proximal end which is adjacent to the base portion, and a distal end which is spaced-apart from the base portion, the blade being arcuate-shaped between its proximal end and its distal end, and the base portion being angled relative to the proximal end of the blade.   
     
     
         2 . The tool as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the base portion of the blade is angularly spaced-apart from the proximal end of the blade by an angle which is obtuse. 
     
     
         3 . The tool as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the handle has a top and a bottom which is spaced-apart from the top, the top and the bottom of the handle extending from the first end to the second end of the handle, and wherein the proximal end of the blade is aligned with and extends from the bottom of the handle. 
     
     
         4 . In combination, a cedar roof having spaced-apart roof strapping and cedar roofing material connected thereto, and the tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the blade of the tool has a width that is equal to or less than the distance between respective ones of the roof strapping. 
     
     
         5 . In combination, a cedar roof having a plurality of spaced-apart rafters and the tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the blade has a length extending from its proximal end to its distal end that is greater than the distance between respective ones of the rafters. 
     
     
         6 . In combination, a plurality of cedar shingles or shakes, and the tool as claimed in  claim 1 , each of said cedar shingles or shakes having a width, and wherein the blade has a length extending from its proximal end to its distal end that is greater than the width of two of said cedar shingles or shakes. 
     
     
         7 . The tool as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the handle has a length extending from its first end to its second end and wherein the blade has a length extending from its proximal end to its distal end, the length of the blade being longer than the length of the handle. 
     
     
         8 . The tool as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the blade is shaped to extend across and remove a course of said cedar roofing material at a time, each course comprising two or more of cedar shingles or shakes aligned in a row. 
     
     
         9 . The tool as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the blade is elongate, thin and substantially rectangular in shape and the distal end of the blade is tapered and wherein the tool further includes a gripping member connected to and extending substantially perpendicular from the first end of the handle. 
     
     
         10 . The combination as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the distance between respective ones of the roof strapping is substantially equal to a spacing in the range of two to four inches. 
     
     
         11 . The combination as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the width of the blade is substantially equal to or less than two inches. 
     
     
         12 . The combination as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the distance between respective ones of the rafters is substantially equal to a spacing in the range of sixteen to twenty-four inches. 
     
     
         13 . The combination as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the length of the blade is equal to or greater than twenty-four inches. 
     
     
         14 . A tool for removing cedar roofing material, the tool comprising:
 a handle having a first end and a second end, the second end being spaced-apart from the first end by a first distance; and   a blade having a proximal end connected with the second end of the handle and having a distal end, the distal end of the blade being spaced-apart from the proximal end by a second distance, the blade being arcuate-shaped between its proximal end and its distal end, the second distance being twice the first distance.   
     
     
         15 . A method of using an elongate tool to remove cedar roofing material from a roof having a plurality of spaced-apart rafters, and a plurality of spaced-apart roof strapping connected to and extending perpendicular to the rafters, the cedar roofing material connecting to the roof strapping, the tool having a handle and a blade connected to the handle, the method comprising:
 inserting the blade of the tool between respective ones of the strapping; and   raising the handle of the tool upwards when the blade of the tool abuts one of said rafters, the tool causing the cedar roofing material to be removed thereby.   
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  15  further including:
 inserting the tool between adjacent ones of the roof strapping at a location adjacent to a first one of the rafters; and 
 raising the handle of the tool upwards when the blade of the tool abuts a second one of the rafters, the second one of the rafters being adjacent to and spaced-apart from the first one of the rafters. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , the blade of the tool having an angled base portion, and the method further including:
 abutting at least some of the cedar roofing material so raised and removed with the angled base portion of the blade, causing the cedar roofing material so raised and removed to tumble forwards towards further cedar roofing material to be removed.   
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , the blade of the tool having a tapered end, and the method further including, after the inserting step:
 penetrating said one of the rafters with the tapered end of the blade and using the tapered end of the blade as a pivot point for raising the tool upwards thereafter.   
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , the tool having a gripping member connected to and extending perpendicular from the handle, and the method further including:
 during the inserting step, lowering the tool so that the gripping member is in a substantially vertical position; and   within the raising step, raising the tool until the gripping member is in a substantially horizontal position.   
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , the method further including providing the blade of the tool with a width that is equal to or less than the spacing between respective ones of the strapping and a length that is greater than the spacing between respective ones of the rafters.