Roof tile design and construction

• US 5,974,756 A
• Filed: 04/15/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boral Lifetile, Inc. (Seven Group Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Boral Industries Incorporated (Seven Group Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Burnett, Woods W., Sullivan, Patrick Gene, Schreifels, Walter Arthur, Alvarez, Alfonso V., Smith, Joseph Edward, Hahn, Eric Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Aubrey, Beth
• Application Number:
  US08/843,351
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 52/578, 52/518, 52/519, 52/520, 52/521, 52/526, 52/535, 52/536, 52/538, 52/60, 52/539, 52/590.1, 52/590.2, 52/590.3, 52/591.1, 52/591.4 , 52/749.12, 52/748.1, 52/DIG. 16, 52/746.11, 52/553, 52/554
• US Class Current: 52/553
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/0818 for roughening, profiling, corrugating
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 11/12 for removing parts of the articles by cutting
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 1/16 of ceramics, glass or concrete, with or without reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/307 Combined with preliminary weakener or with nonbreaking cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/325 With means to apply moment of force to weakened work

Abstract

A concrete or other roofing tile is provided which simulates wood shake roofing, and which may be used in either a direct deck or batten configuration. The simulated wood shake configuration includes an angled cut portion by means of a butt treatment, and also includes the use of an elongate medial slot which has a rectangular configuration.

Claims

1. A roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said roof tile when an installed position comprising:

a substantially planar body portion defining an upper surface, a head end and a butt end; and

a plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules each having a generally downwardly-directed tip for contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said support nodules being of differing heights such that when said tips of said plurality of spaced apart support nodules are in contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said substantially upper surface of said planar body portion is at an inclined angle relative to said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, and such that the tile can be installed in an overlapping configuration with other tiles such that said head end can be overlapped and covered by the butt end of an adjacent tile in another course.

2. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roof tile includes a butt treatment including an angled cut portion simulating a wood shake butt cut at an angle.

3. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roof tile includes a brush treatment.

4. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roof tile includes a flashing treatment.

5. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 1, said roof tile further comprising side edge interlocking means for interlocking with another tile installed adjacent to said roof tile.

6. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roof tile includes an aperture to allow a fastener to extend therethrough and attach said tile relative to said substrate.

7. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roof tile includes a longitudinal medial slot.

8. A roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said roof tile when in an installed position comprising:

a substantially planar body portion defining an upper surface, a head end and a butt end;

a longitudinal structural rib extending downwardly from said planar body portion; and

a plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules extending downwardly from said structural rib, said nodules each having a lower, downwardly-directed tip for contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said support nodules being of differing heights such that when said plurality of spaced apart support nodules are in contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said substantially upper surface of said planar body portion is at an inclined angle relative to said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, and such that the tile can be installed in an overlapping configuration with other tiles such that said head end can be overlapped and covered by the butt end of an adjacent tile in another course.

9. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said roof tile includes a butt treatment including an angled cut portion simulating a wood shake butt cut at an angle.

10. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said roof tile includes a brush treatment.

11. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said roof tile includes a flashing treatment.

12. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 8, said roof tile further comprising side edge interlocking means for interlocking with another tile installed adjacent to said roof tile.

13. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said roof tile includes an aperture to allow a fastener to extend therethrough and attach said tile relative to said substrate.

14. The roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface as claimed in claim 8, wherein said roof tile includes a longitudinal medial slot.

15. A roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said roof tile when in an installed position comprising:

a substantially planar body portion defining an upper surface; and

a plurality of structural supporting ribs extending downwardly from underneath said substantially planar body portion,

said substantially planar body portion including a butt treatment including an angled cut portion simulating a wood shake cut at an angle.

16. A roof tile for use atop a flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said roof tile when in an installed position comprising:

a substantially planar body portion defining an upper surface, a head end and a butt end;

a longitudinal structural rib extending downwardly from said planar body portion; and

a plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules extending downwardly from said structural rib and aligned within a row lying substantially along the longitudinal axis of said longitudinal structural rib, said nodules each having a lower, downwardly-directed tip for contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said support nodules being of differing heights, said heights progressing from a shortest height at one end of the row, to a greatest height at the opposite end of said row, such that when said plurality of spaced apart support nodules are in contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said substantially upper surface of said planar body portion is at an inclined angle relative to said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, and such that the tile can be installed in an overlapping configuration with other tiles such that said head end can be overlapped and covered by the but end of an adjacent tile in another course.

17. The tile as claimed in claim 16, wherein said plurality of support nodules comprises three nodules within said row, said nodules including a highest nodule at said one end of said row, a lowest nodule at said opposite end of said row, and an intermediate nodule within said row and intermediate said highest and lowest nodules.

18. The tile as claimed in claim 17, wherein said longitudinal structural rib is a first longitudinal structural rib, and wherein said plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules is a first plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules, said tile further comprising;

a second longitudinal structural rib extending downwardly from said planar body portion, said second longitudinal structural rib having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first longitudinal structural rib; and

a second plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules extending downwardly from said structural rib and aligned within a row lying substantially along the longitudinal axis of said second longitudinal structural rib, said second plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules each having a lower, downwardly-directed tip for contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said second plurality of a plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules being of differing heights, said heights progressing from a shortest height at one end of the row of said plurailty if nodules, to a greatest height at the opposite end of said row of said plurailty if nodules, such that when said second plurality of spaced apart support nodules are in contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said substantially upper surface of said planar body portion is at an inclined angle relative to said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, and such that the tile can be installed in an overlapping configuration with other tiles such that said head end can be overlapped and covered by the butt end of an adjacent tile in another course.

19. The tile as claimed in claim 16, wherein said plurality of support nodules comprises three nodules within said row, said nodules including a highest nodule at said one end of said row, a lowest nodule at said opposite end of said row, and an intermediate nodule within said row and intermediate said highest and lowest nodules.

20. The tile as claimed in claim 16, wherein said longitudinal structural rib is a first longitudinal structural rib, and wherein said plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules is a first plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules, said tile further comprising;

a second longitudinal structural rib extending downwardly from said planar body portion, said second longitudinal structural rib having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first longitudinal structural rib; and

a second plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules extending downwardly from said structural rib and aligned within a row lying substantially along the longitudinal axis of said second longitudinal structural rib, said second plurality of a plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules each having a lower, downwardly-directed tip for contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said second plurality of a plurality of spaced apart structural support nodules being of differing heights, said heights progressing from a shortest height at one end of the row, to a greatest height at the opposite end of said row, such that when said second plurality of spaced apart support nodules are in contact with said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, said substantially upper surface of said planar body portion is at an inclined angle relative to said flat inclined roof tile supporting surface, and such that the tile can be installed in an overlapping configuration with other tiles such that said head end can be overlapped and covered by the butt end of an adjacent tile in another course.