Random pattern shingle

Claim 2

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge at least two slots defining at least three tabs including outer tabs and at least one intermediate tab therebetween said outer tabs being of width greater than said intermediate tab the lower edges of at least some of said tabs including said outer tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths one of said outer tabs, at its end adjacent a said intermediate tab, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and the other of said outer tabs, at its end adjacent a said intermediate tab, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in a plurality of said courses being out of vertical alignment with one another.

Claim 3

A strip shingle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shingle contains a vertical center line said slots and said tabs are symmetrically spaced with respect to said center line and said discrete long and short tab lengths are in complementary symmetry about said center line.

Claim 4

A strip shingle as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one of said intermediate tabs is a central tab containing said center line.

Claim 5

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the apperance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge at least two slots defining at least three tabs including outer tabs on said side butt edges and a central tab said outer tabs being of width greater than said central tab the lower edges of at least some of said tabs including said outer and central tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths said central tab having at least one long and one short length portion said outer tab adjacent said short length portion of said central tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and said outer tab adjacent said long length portion of said central tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in a plurality of said courses being out of vertical alignment with one another.

Claim 6

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the apperance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge at least two slots defining at least three tabs including outer tabs on said side butt edges and a central tab said outer tabs being of width greater than said central tab the lower edges of at least some of said tabs including said outer and central tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths said central tab having at least one long and one short length portion said outer tab adjacent said short length portion of said central tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and said outer tab adjacent said long length portion of said central tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in a plurality of said courses being out of vertical alignment with one another.

Claim 7

A strip shingle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said shingle contains a vertical center line said central tab contains said center line said slots and said tabs are symmetrically spaced with respect to said center line said discrete long and short tab lengths are in complementary symmetry about said center line and a junction of said long and short length portions of said central tab is at said center line.

Claim 8

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge at least four slots of equal width defining at least five tabs including outer tabs on said side butt edges, a central tab and intermediate tabs therebetween said outer tabs being of width greater than said central and intermediate tabs and said central tab being of a width greater than said intermediate tabs the lower edges of at least some of said tabs including said outer and central tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths said central tab having at least one long and one short length portion said outer tab adjacent said short length portion of said intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and said outer tab adjacent said long length portion of said intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in said four courses being out of vertical alignment with one another by a distance greater than the width of said slots.

Claim 9

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge at least four slots of equal width defining at least five tabs including outer tabs on said side butt edges, a central tab and intermediate tabs therebetween said outer tabs being of width greater than said central and intermediate tabs and said central tab being of a width greater than said intermediate tabs the lower edges of at least some of said tabs including said outer and central tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths said central tab having at least one long and one short length portion said outer tab adjacent said short length portion of said intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and said outer tab adjacent said long length portion of said intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in said four courses being out of vertical alignment with one another by a distance greater than the width of said slots.

Claim 10

A strip shingle as claimed in claim 6 wherein said shingle contains a vertical center line said central tab contains said center line said slots and said tabs are symmetrically spaced with respect to said center line said discrete long and short tab lengths are in complementary symmetry about said center line a junction of said long and short length portions of said central tab is at said center line one of said intermediate tabs at one side of said central tab is of short length and another of said intermediate tabs at the other side of said central tab is of long length.

Claim 11

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having a center line side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge four slots of equal width symmetrically spaced from said center line defining five tabs symmetrically located with respect to said center line including outer tabs with half width slots on said side butt edges, a central tab containing said center line and a single intermediate tab between said central tab and each of said outer tabs said outer tabs being of generally equal width greater than said central and intermediate tabs said intermediate tabs being of generally equal width and said central tab being of a width greater than said intermediate tabs the lower edges of said tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths in complementary symmetry about said center line of said shingle said central tab having one long and one short length portion of equal width, with the junction of said portions at said center line said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab short length portion being of short length and said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab LONG length portion being of long length said outer tab adjacent said short length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and said outer tab adjacent said long length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said upper unexposed area having alignment marks for aligning said slots in said four courses out of vertical alignment with one another by a distance greater than the width of said slots.

Claim 12

A strip shingle adapted to be laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with adjacent superposed courses laterally offset to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingle having a center line side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge four slots of equal width symmetrically spaced from said center line defining five tabs symmetrically located with respect to said center line including outer tabs with half width slots on said side butt edges, a central tab containing said center line and a single intermediate tab between said central tab and each of said outer tabs said outer tabs being of generally equal width greater than said central and intermediate tabs said intermediate tabs being of generally equal width and said central tab being of a width greater than said intermediate tabs the lower edges of said tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths in complementary symmetry about said center line of said shingle said central tab having one long and one short length portion of equal width, with the junction of said portions at said center line said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab short length portion being of short length and said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab LONG length portion being of long length said outer tab adjacent said short length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length and said outer tab adjacent said long length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said upper unexposed area having alignment marks for aligning said slots in said four courses out of vertical alignment with one another by a distance greater than the width of said slots.

Claim 13

A shingle as claimed in claim 8, wherein said side butt edges have complementary aligning steps.

Claim 14

A shingle as claimed in claim 8 wherein said shingle has a width of about 36 1/2 inches, said outer tabs have a width of about 10 7/16 inches, said intermediate tabs have a width of about 4 1/8 inches said central tab has a width about 7 inches and said alignment marks are at about 6 inch intervals.

Claim 15

A shingle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said slots are about 1/4 inch wide.

Claim 16

A roof covering comprising a plurality of identical strip shingles laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in at least four overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with each superposed course laterally offset by about one-sixth of its width until its center is reached to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingles each having a center line side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge each said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge four slots of equal width symmetrically spaced from said center line defining five tabs symmetrically located with respect to said center line including outer tabs with half width slots on said side butt edges, a central tab containing said center line and a single intermediate tab between said central tab and each of said outer tabs said outer tabs being of generally equal width greater than said central and intermediate tabs said intermediate tabs being of generally equal width and said central tabs being of a width greater than said intermediate tabs the lower edges of said tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths in complementary symmetry about said center line of said shingle said central tab having one long and one short length portion of equal width, with the junction of said portions at said center line said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab short length portion being of short length and said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab long length portion being of long length said outer tab adjacent said short length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length said outer tab adjacent said long length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in said four courses being out of vertical alignment with one another by a distance greater than the width of said slots.

Claim 17

A roof covering comprising a plurality of identical strip shingles laid on a roof with other identical strip shingles in at least four overlapping superposed courses in a predetermined assembly with each superposed course laterally offset by about one-sixth of its width until its center is reached to simulate the appearance of random width and multiple length wood shingles said strip shingles each having a center line side butt edges an upper unexposed area and a lower exposed area with a lower edge each said strip shingle having in said exposed area and said lower edge four slots of equal width symmetrically spaced from said center line defining five tabs symmetrically located with respect to said center line including outer tabs with half width slots on said side butt edges, a central tab containing said center line and a single intermediate tab between said central tab and each of said outer tabs said outer tabs being of generally equal width greater than said central and intermediate tabs said intermediate tabs being of generally equal width and said central tabs being of a width greater than said intermediate tabs the lower edges of said tabs being defined by two discrete long and short tab lengths in complementary symmetry about said center line of said shingle said central tab having one long and one short length portion of equal width, with the junction of said portions at said center line said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab short length portion being of short length and said intermediate tab adjacent said central tab long length portion being of long length said outer tab adjacent said short length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of long length with the remainder of said outer tab being of short length said outer tab adjacent said long length intermediate tab, at its end adjacent thereto, having a narrow width tab portion of short length with the remainder of said outer tab being of long length said slots in said four courses being out of vertical alignment with one another by a distance greater than the width of said slots.