Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02364197 2009-01-09
FOLDED RIDGE COVER AND METHOD OF FABRICATION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to the field of roofing, and more
particularly to preformed asphalt composition roof ridge, hip, and rake
covers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Various types of roofing and, in particular, ridge covers, are
well known in the prior art. In general, the ridge cover selected for use on
a particular roof is selected in conjunction with the shingle or other roof
covering, as part of the roofing system. Consequently, in the following
discussion of the prior art, the considerations in choice of the roofing
system will be described, it being understood that a ridge cover is
generally selected for comparability in appearance and installation with a
complete roofing system. Also, the present invention ridge cover is
particularly advantageous because of its appearance and, therefore, the
following
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discussion of prior art is limited to those applications where appearance is a
substantial consideration.
[0004] Prior art roofing systems include asphalt composition shingles, tile
roofs, rock roofs (decorative rock scattered over an asphalt covered asphalt
composition sheet) and shake roofs. In general, each of these types have
certain features and disadvantages and the choice for any particular
installation is generally a compromise to achieve the desired results. By
way of example, a tile roof may be a very attractive roof, but it is both an
expensive and a heavy roofing material, typically weighing as much as 900
pounds per 100 square feet. The weight of such roofs may require that the
roof structure itself be increased over that which would be used with
another type of roofing material and, consequently, the cost associated with
tile roofs may include an incremental cost due to the increases of structural
requirements in the building itself. Such roofs, however, are both durable
and attractive and are used where these are prime considerations. Also, in
some areas of the country where there is a substantial hazard of fire due to
hot ashes originating from nearby brush fire such roofs are used because
they are fire proof.
[0005] Rock roofs are often used for homes in some parts of the country and
are a reasonable good compromise between cost and appearance. This
type of roof is generally limited to low pitch roofs since the rocks are not
all
physically secured to the underlying asphalt. Also, the rocks tend to
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become scattered with time because of the effects of high winds, heavy
rains or the sweeping effect of branches on neighboring trees and,
therefore, must be replaced or replenished occasionally to maintain the
desired appearance.
[0006] Shake roofs are roofs made up of tapered wooden strips nailed to the
roof much like shingles and are popular in parts of this country because of
their highly attractive appearance and because they esthetically conform to
many types of building construction. This type of roof is somewhat less
expensive than a tile roof and is much lighter, characteristically having
io weights of approximately 450 pounds per 100 square feet. However, such
a roof is not as durable as most other types of roofs since it is subjected to
deterioration from environmental exposure and the individual wooden
members are apt to crack when walked on, and to thereafter leak.
Furthermore, unless specially treated such roofs are highly inflammable and
create a substantial fire hazard whenever the roof may be exposed to hot
ashes originating from a neighboring fire.
[0007] An asphalt composition roof made up of individual shingles is a
relatively durable, light-weight and inexpensive roof. Such a roof may have
a weight of approximately 235 pounds per hundred square feet and is fairly
easily and quickly installed. The asphalt is not easily ignited and fire
resulting from hot ashes falling on the roof is further inhibited by the
granular surface on such roofs. However, this type of roof is a very flat and
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bland type of roof, the shingles having little thickness and distinctive
character to create an attractive appearance. Though such shingles may be
made with a variety of color granules on the surface, thereby creating a
reasonable choice of colors for the final roof, and the individual shingles
create a reasonably attractive pattern on the roof, such a roof is a roof with
pattern and color without dimension, since the individual shingles are only
on the order of one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch thick, and little
depth or dimension is given by the overlap of one shinle by another.
Consequently, though the appearance is the only substantial negative factor
associated with such roofs, they are not commonly used in installation
where considerations of appearance outweigh considerations of cost. The
use of asphalt composition ridge covers fabricated to increase the thickness
of the exposed overlapping end can improve the overall appearance of an
asphalt composition roof by creating a dimensional appearance. An
example of such an asphalt composition ridge cover is provided in U.S.
Patent 6,182,400 issued to the inventors of the present invention.
[0008] Asphalt composition material is prone to cracking when folded.
Cracking in ridge covers along the fold forming the ridge line is a persistent
problem in asphalt composition ridge covers. It is desirable to provide
asphalt composition ridge covers that are less susceptible to cracking along
the ridge line.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is employed in the fabrication of asphalt
composition ridge covers to create an appearance similar to that of a shake
shingle roof. The invention generally comprises a ridge cover which is
formed by folding a plurality of tabs of a pair of unfolded ridge covers over
one another to create a ridge cover which gradually thickens as one
proceeds from the back of the ridge cover toward the front of the ridge
cover. -
[0010] The first ridge cover is placed on the roof ridge in a normal manner.
The second ridge cover is placed on the first such that the front end is set
back about eight inches from the front end of the first ridge cover. Each
additional ridge cover is deployed in a manner similar to the preceding
ridge cover. The ridge covers appear, at the exposed end, about 5 to 7
times as thick as the conventional asphalt shingle, creating an attractive
appearance by adding a dimensional characteristic to the ridge cover while
maintaining full double coverage. A suitable adhesive may be used to
facilitate installation.
[0011] In the presently preferred embodiment, the increased thickness is _
formed by folding multiple tabs on one end of each of two pieces which are
placed and sized such that when all folds are completed, the desired
thickened end is produced. The two pieces are adhesively joined to maintain
the desired configuration of the folded tabs while leaving the area adjacent
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to the longitudinal centerline free of adhesive. The assembled
ridge cover is bent around a radius along its longitudinal
centerline to form about a ninety degree angle. When the
longitudinal bend is completed, the ridge cover then has the
proper shape for installation on a ridge. A solid filler
material, such as ground rubber particles, may be mixed with the
adhesive so that the adhesive joint increases the thickness of
the assembled ridge cover. The rounded bend at the centerline
fold and the absence of adhesive provides a pliable fold without
stress concentrations. The resulting pre-folded ridge cover is
less susceptible to cracking along the centerline fold.
The shape and construction of the folded ridge cover allows
the folded covers to be economically packed for shipping. One
particular shape of the unfolded cover pieces permits a very
economical cutting of such covers from rectangles of asphalt
composition material of industry standard dimensions.
Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention resides in
a ridge cover comprising:
a generally rectangular first sheet of roofing material
having a first end, a second end, a first edge, a second edge,
and a first central portion having a first longitudinal
centerline;
a first foldable tab integrally formed with the first end
extending from proximate the first longitudinal centerline to
proximate the first edge and folded back upon the first central
portion;
a second foldable tab integrally formed with the first end
extending from proximate the first longitudinal centerline to
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proximate the second edge and folded back upon the first central
portion;
a generally rectangular second sheet of roofing material
having a third end, a fourth end, a third edge, a fourth edge,
and a second central portion having a second longitudinal
centerline, the second longitudinal centerline being adjacent to
the first longitudinal centerline;
a third foldable tab integrally formed with the third end
extending from proximate the second longitudinal centerline to
proximate the third edge and folded back upon the first central
portion; and
a fourth foldable tab integrally farmed with the third end
extending from proximate the second longitudinal centerline to
proximate the fourth edge and folded back upon the first central
portion;
wherein the first and second sheets of roofing material are
bent around a radius along the first and second longitudinal
centerlines.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a drawing of a portion of a building roof
illustrating the appearance of the ridge cover of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of three ridge covers shown in an
exploded view to illustrate the manner in which each ridge cover
is located with respect to another ridge cover.
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[0016] FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the pieces used to fabricate a ridge
cover of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a rectangle of asphalt composition material showing the
layout for cutting multiple ridge covers therefrom.
[0018] FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the unfolded ridge cover of the
present invention.
[0019] FIG. 7 shows the first folds made to the ridge cover of FIG. 6.
[0020] FIG. 8 shows the final fold made to the ridge cover of FIG. 6.
[0021] FIG. 9 is a cross section of a ridge cover during impact forming.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a drawing of three ridge covers in a stacked configuration
for storage or shipping.
[0023] FIG. 1 1 shows the installation of the preferred embodiment of the
ridge cover of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] First referring to FIG. 1, an illustration of the present invention
ridge
cover 24, as installed on a typical roof, may be seen. It is to be understood
that the phrase ridge cover, as used herein, is used in the broad sense to
include hip covers, rake pieces, and the like, and is used merely as a
convenient phrase for identifying all such covers. Such covers may be
applied along a ridge line 20, a hip line 22, a rake line 23, or generally at
any intersection of two roof planes or edge of a roof ptane.
[0025] In its simplest form, a ridge cover for an asphalt composition roof can
be an approximately rectangular sheet of roofing material bent along its
centerline to substantially the same angle as the angle formed by the
roofing surfaces where they meet at the ridge line of the roof. In the
description herein and as used in the claims, the phrase "approximately
rectangular" is used to distinguish from round, oval, triangular or other
shapes departing substantially from a rectangular shape, and includes
among other shapes, truly rectangular shapes, four sided shapes wherein
two opposite sides are parallel and the other two sides are somewhat non
parallel so as to define a member having a somewhat tapered width, and a
stepped shape as shown in the Figures herein (see Figures 2 through 7).
Also the asphalt composition roofing material is characterized by a mat or
roving of fibrous material typically saturated with asphalt, and having a
layer of asphalt bonding inorganic granules to the top surface of the roofing
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material. The mat may be an organic mat, or an inorganic mat such as a
fiberglass mat, and the asphalt may have or include a modifier, locally or
throughout, to make the material more flexible, particularly in cold weather,
though one of the features of the present invention is the minimization of
the bending of the ridge cover required on installation, thereby substantially
eliminating the advantage of a flexiblizer. Generally the selection of the
mat material, the granule color, etc. will be coordinated with the same
parameters for the shingles on the roof for overall physical and visual
compatibility.
[0026] It will be appreciated that when any material is bent, the outer
surface
of the bend is placed in tension and the inner surface is compressed. It will
also be appreciated that asphalt composition roofing material is a complex
elastomeric material with non-uniform properties with behavior that is not
accurately described with reference to models based on ideal materials.
Nonetheless, it is known that asphalt composition roofing material is
susceptible to cracking along lines where it has been bent. Cracking may
occur during the bending operation or later when the material ages or is
exposed to adverse conditions. Asphalt composition roofing material -
becomes brittle when cold and it can be virtually impossible to bend without
material failure at temperatures that can be encountered when installing a
roof, particularly if the ambient temperatures is below 50 F. While asphalt
composition ridge covers can be made at the time of roofing installation
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either from specially cut material that is folded by the installer or from
field
shingle material that is cut and folded by the installer, bending and folding
at the time of installation produces ridge covers that are highly susceptible
to cracking along the folds and bends.
[0027] The present invention provides asphalt composition ridge covers that
are less susceptible to cracking along the folds and bends by providing a
ridge cover that is preformed so that only minimal bending of the ridge
cover is required during later installation. There are a-number of aspects of
the inventive ridge cover that are believed to contribute to the improved
characteristics of resistance to cracking. The bend through approximately
90 degrees that forms the ridge line is the most important bend in terms of
overall durability of the ridge cover as a part of the roofing system. The
inventive ridge cover makes this bend around a radius to produce less
tension on the outer surface of the bend. Preferably the bending and
folding are done at elevated temperatures to improve the elasticity of the
material during these operations. Preferably the bending along the ridge
line is done by an impact forming method described below to improve the
characteristics of the material in the bent region. It has been found that a
ridge cover manufactured with a preformed bend according to the invention
exhibits improved durability along the ridge line as compared to other ridge
covers, and particularly as compared to ridge covers that are bent or folded
at the time of installation.
CA 02364197 2001-11-30
[0028] In the description herein and as used in the claims, the phrase "bent
around a radius" is used to mean a bend that is formed such that the inner
surface of the bent material has a substantial radius as compared to the
thickness of the material such that the tension introduced in the outside
surface of the bent material is substantially less than it would be if the
material were bent over a sharp edge. Asphalt composition roofing material
typically has a thickness of about one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch.
A bending radius of one-fourth inch has been found to be satisfactory for
bending ridge covers made from a double thickness of roofing material.
[0029] It has been found that the ridge line bend may be advantageously
formed by an impact forming method. A cross section of a ridge cover 90
made from a double thickness of roofing material 92, 94 is shown during
impact forming in Figure 9. The outer surface 93 of the unbent ridge cover,
which is typically coated with granules such as crushed rock, is supported
on a resilient surface 96, such as a soft rubber block. A tool 98 having the
bending radius is pressed into the ridge cover 90 to bend the ridge cover
along the ridge line 91. Preferably the rubber block 96 is a soft solid rubber
about one inch thick. Preferably the tool 98 is a round steel bar about one-
half inch in diameter. Preferably the tool is pressed into the ridge cover 90
about one-fourth of an inch after the tool makes contact with the inside
surface 95 of the ridge cover 90. It is believed that this impact forming
method of bending is advantageous because the resilient surface 96
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supports the outer granule covered surface 93 and presses the granules
into the outer surface during bending. This may improve the bonding of
the granules to the asphalt composition material 92, particularly if the
material is warm during the impact forming process, which provides a more
durable material along the ridge line 91. It is also believed that the impact
forming supports both surfaces 93, 95 of the material 92, 94 as it is bent to
provide more uniform material properties of the bent region 91 after
bending and thereby reducing discontinuities that cause stress
concentrations that could develop into cracks and failures.
[0030] It will be appreciated that performing ridge covers prior to
installation
allows the ridge covers to be formed from asphalt composition material that
is warmed. Warming softens the asphalt material that impregnates the
fibrous material and improves the pliability of the asphalt composition for
subsequent bending and folding operations. The temperature of the
asphalt composition material is typically elevated to above 150 F.,
preferably to between 180 F. and 220 F., for the bending and folding
operations. It will be appreciated that heating the asphalt composition
material to these temperatures and handling the heated material for
bending and folding at the time of installation would be difficult. Thus
there is a significant advantage to manufacturing and shipping a preformed
asphalt composition ridge cover that requires only minimal bending during
later installation.
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[0031] While an embodiment of the inventive ridge cover may be produced as
described above from a single approximately rectangular sheet of roofing
material with a single bend along the ridge line, such a ridge cover offers no
aesthetic advantage. Embodiments of the inventive ridge cover that provide
a thickened exposed end for an improved appearance are also possible. It
may be seen that the ridge 20, hip 22, and rake 23 in Figure 1 are
characterized by a pleasant physical appearance as a result of the raising of
the outward extending end of the ridge covers to provi~de an appearance
more like a shake roof ridge cover. The manner in which this is achieved in
the preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2, which is a cross section
taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
[0032] Each ridge cover 24 is comprised of a front end portion 26, a middle
portion 28 and a back end portion 30. When folded, the ridge cover is
approximately 11 1/2 inches long and each side of the ridge cover is
1s approximately 4 inches wide. When installed, the front end portion 26 of a
second ridge cover 24 is placed over the back end portion 30 of a first ridge
cover 24 so as to cover the nails 32 used to secure the first ridge cover at
its back end portion 30 to the roof 34. Thus no nails 32 are left exposed.
Typically, the front edge 36 of the second ridge cover 24 is set back
approximately 8 inches from the front edge 36 of the first ridge cover.
Successive ridge covers 24 are installed upward along a ridge 20 in a similar
manner.
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[0033] A perspective of one embodiment of a finished ridge cover 24 is
shown in FIG. 3 clearly illustrating the solid thickened front edge 36 of each
ridge cover. A notch 37 is provided at each corner of the back end portion
30. The function of these notches 37 is partly cosmetic. Without the notch
37, the rear corners of a lower ridge cover would project sideways out from
under the front edge 36 of the next ridge cover up the ridge. The notch 37
eliminates the unappealing projections. The notch 37 also serves as a guide
to the roofer as to how far one ridge cover should overlap the other i.e., the
distance from notch 37 to the front edge 36 is about 8.2 inches. The front
edge 36 of one ridge cover should be installed so that it sits on the lower
ridge cover at the lower end of a notch 37. This notch 37 eliminates the
need for the roofer to measure, gauge or estimate overlap. The resulting
overlap is uniform along the entire ridge 20.
[0034] The thickness of each ridge cover 24 gradually decreases toward the
back end portion 30 where the ridge cover 24 is as thick as a single sheet of
conventional asphalt composition material. A ridge bend 39 in the ridge
cover 24 of approximately ninety degrees is located along the longitudinal
centerline 38 of each ridge cover. The ridge bend 39 gives the ridge cover
24 a pleasing appearance and permits the ridge cover to straddle the ridge
20 of the roof 34 and also lie in contact with the roof on both sides of the
ridge 20. The angle between the two sides of the ridge cover 24 may be
adjusted during installation so that the ridge cover fits closely to the roof.
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It is preferred that the ridge cover is fabricated with an angle that is
slightly
more acute than required for the typical roof so that the adjustment is
typically one of opening the ridge cover to a more obtuse angle and thereby
reducing the tension in the outer surface in the area of the ridge bend 39.
This tends to reduce the occurrence of cracking along the ridge bend 39.
The ridge cover 24 is stored and shipped with the approximately ninety
degree ridge bend 39 along the centerline 38. Ridge covers 24 can be
stacked in a nested fashion in alternating directions sa that the front
portion 26 of one ridge cover 24 is stacked on top of the back end portion
30 of the next ridge cover 24. Ridge covers 24 so stacked are largely self
protecting and only minimal additional packaging is required to hold them
together for storage or shipping.
[0035] The detailed cross sectional view of the ridge cover 24 in FIG. 1 1
shows the manner of providing increased thickness at the front end portion
26. The manner of assembly and folding provides for four thicknesses
reducing to three thicknesses at the front end portion 26, two thicknesses
in the middle portion 28 and a single thickness at the back end portion 30.
A smooth curved front edge 36 is also provided by reason of the folding
method disclosed herein.
[0036] Each ridge cover 24 is fabricated from two generally rectangular
pieces of roofing material, a top piece 50 and a bottom piece 60, which may
be seen in plan view in FIG. 4a and 4b. Both pieces 50, 60 have the same
CA 02364197 2001-11-30
general configuration including two foldable tabs 52a, 52b, 62a, 62b, at
one end 56, 66 of the central portion of the piece 50, 60 and a central tab
defined by notches 37a, 37b at the opposite end of the central portion. The
foldable tabs 52a, 52b of the top piece may be joined where they meet
along the centerline in the vicinity of the edge of the roofing material as
shown so that the tabs will not splay outwardly when installed. Each piece
has a central notch 76a, 76b designed to permit folding as later described.
The roofing material may be any generally flat, flexible- material suitable
for
roofing applications including, but not limited to, asphalt impregnated felt
composition, fiberglass materials, rubberized compositions, and
composites with various modifiers to improve flexibility and durability. One
or both pieces of roofing material may have a crushed rock surface.
(0037] The top piece 50 and the bottom piece 60 are cut from the parent
sheet 40. As shown in FIG. 5a and 5b, one particular embodiment of the
invention allows five pieces 50, 60 to be efficiently cut from a parent sheet
40 that is a rectangle of asphalt saturated felt cut to an industry standard
dimension of approximately 13 1/4 by 39 1/4 inches. The minimal waste
material, shown by hatched lines in FIG. 5a and 5b, is cut away, such as_by
die cutting. Fabrication of the ridge cover 24 is preferably carried out with
the asphalt composition roofing 40 at an elevated temperature, preferably
about 200 F., to allow bending without cracking.
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[0038] Adhesive is applied to the underside of the top piece 50 substantially
in the locations shown by cross-hatching 72, 73 in FIG. 6. It has been
found to be desirable not to allow adhesive to extend into the areas
adjacent to the ridge bend 39. It is believed that adhesive in the area of the
ridge bend causes the ridge bend to be less pliable and introduces a stress
concentration at the boundary of the adhesive thereby increasing the
possibility of cracking when the ridge cover is adjusted during installation.
Solid filler particles, such as ground rubber particles, may be added to the
adhesive to increase the thickness of the assembly. A suitable filler can be
made from used vehicle tires, crushed rock, cut scrap roofing material, or
used roofing. One method for adding the solid filler is applying the
adhesive to the piece, spreading solid filler particles over the piece, and
then removing the loose particles. For example, loose particles may be
removed by blowing air on the piece.
[0039] The top piece 50 is then assembled to the bottom piece 60 such that
the sides 58a, 58b, 68a, 68b and notches 37a, 37b of the two pieces 50, 60
are substantially in alignment. The front ends 52, 62 and back ends 54, 64
may or may not be aligned. Preferably the front end 52 of the top piece 50
projects forward from the front end 62 of the bottom piece 60 by
approximately 1 inch so that the front end 62 of the bottom piece 60 is
captured by the front end 52 of the top piece 50. Preferably, the back end
64 of the bottom piece 60 projects rearward from the back end 54 of the
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top piece 50 by approximately 1 inch so that the back end of the ridge
cover is a single thickness of material. In one embodiment of the method of
fabrication, a plurality of top pieces 60 are joined to a like plurality of
bottom pieces 50 and the following folding operations are preferably
completed before individual assemblies are slit apart along the side lines
58, 68 shown in FIG. 5a and 5b.
[0040] The foldable tabs 52a, 52b, 62a, 62b are folded over to form the
thickened end 36 of the ridge cover as shown in FIG. 7a, 7b, and 7c. After
folding, the front edges of the foldable tabs 52a, 52b of the top piece 50
io will be in contact or nearly in contact with the underside of the middle
portion 28 of the bottom piece 60 as may be seen in FIG. 7b. The tabs may
be bent at approximately ninety degrees along two crease lines 66a, 66b
that are spaced apart by some distance, preferably 3/8 to 3/4 of an inch, to
form the front edge 36 of the ridge cover as may be seen in FIG. 7b and 7c.
In the embodiment where a plurality of pieces have been folded while
joined, the pieces are now slit apart to form a plurality of assemblies.
[0041] Finally, the assembly is bent to along the centerline 38, preferably
through approximately ninety degrees, to form the ridge bend 39 as may be
seen in FIG. 8. The ridge bend 39 is formed in substantially the same way
as previously described for the embodiment produced from a single
approximately rectangular sheet of roofing material. The bend is around a
radius, preferably of approximately one-quarter of an inch. Preferably the
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bending and folding are done at elevated temperatures, preferably above
1 50 F. and more preferably between 180 F. and 220 F. Preferably the
bending along the centerline 38 is done by the impact forming method
described above.
[0042] Once the final fold has been made and the ridge cover 24 has taken
on the form shown in FIG. 8, the ridge cover 24 is prepared for shipment
and installation. The unique method of fabrication produces a ridge cover
24 that is substantially rigid and largely self protecting. Finished ridge
covers can be stacked in a nested fashion with the ridge bend 39 of one
ridge cover 24 placed on top of the ridge bend 39 of the ridge cover 24
below as shown in FIG. 10. The ridge covers are stacked with the front
portion 26 of one ridge cover 24 being stacked above the back end portion
30 of the ridge cover 24 below. In this way, the single thickness back end
portion 30 of one ridge cover 24 is protected by the more rigid front
portions 26 of the adjacent ridge covers 24. This arrangement also
produces a straight stack by offsetting the tapers of the ridge covers 24.
With this stacking arrangement, the finished ridge covers are inexpensively
packaged for storage and shipment. It is desirable that the finished ridge
covers be packaged in a manner that protects the ridge covers from
changes in the preformed angle at the ridge line 38.
[0043] The rigidity of the ridge cover 24 created by the double thickness
folded structure allows the ridge covers to be installed by nailing or
stapling
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without use of adhesives. If desired, two regions of adhesive 74 may be
used on the underside of the front end portion 26 as shown in FIG. 1 1. Such
an adhesive 74 may be provided in the fabricated ridge cover by applying an
adhesive 74 that will flow when heated by the sun's warmth to adhere the
front end portion 26 of one ridge cover to the back end portion 30 of an
underlying ridge cover as shown in FIG. 8 and 9. A release film 75 may be
applied to the adhesive 74, such as a release film in the form of a tape. The
essential feature of the release film 75 is that it adhere to and yet be
readily
releasable from contact with the adhesive 74. The release film 75 is used to
prevent the adhesive 74 from adhering to the back end portion 30 of an
underlying ridge cover when in the packed position. The release film 75 is
readily separated from the adhesive 74 prior to installation. Each ridge
cover is secured by nails 32 as shown in FIG. 11. The nails are driven
through the double thickness portion of the ridge cover 24 in the area that
will be covered by the next ridge cover 24. The rear edge 54 of the central
tab portion of the top piece 50 is located about 2 inches to the rear of the
corner of the notches 37 to provide 2 inches of double thickness within
which the nails should be driven.
[0044] There has thus been provided a novel preformed asphalt composition
ridge cover where the bend along the ridge line is formed in a manner that
reduces the susceptibility to cracking. While the description of the preferred
embodiment has been with specific reference to FIGS. 1-1 1, it should be
CA 02364197 2001-11-30
understood that various modifications, additions and substitutions may be
made to the structure and method of the invention without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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