Asphalt shingle

Abstract

An asphalt roof shingle assembled into a roof covering, presenting repetitive and uniform, geometric patterns. The shingle has an upper headlap portion and a lower visual feature region. The visual feature region includes a first visual feature and first and second transition portions of a second visual feature. The transition portions may be either identical or different in size and configuration. In another embodiment, a plurality of alternating, identically sized and shaped visual features, such as teeth and cutout spaces, is arranged in lineal fashion along the visual feature region. Transition portions of teeth or cutout spaces are located on opposing lateral edges of the tooth portion. When adjacent shingles are installed on a roof structure in abutting relation, laterally adjacent transition portions form a full-size visual feature, such as a tooth or a cutout space. A backing shim may also be provided beneath and substantially co-extensive with the tooth portion, exposing a portion of the backing shim within each cutout space.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An asphalt shingle, comprising: 
 a. an elongated cover piece, said cover piece having an upper headlap portion and a lower visual feature region, said visual feature region including at least two substantially identically sized and configured teeth, said teeth being arranged in lineal relation with an inner cutout space between adjacent said teeth, said cover piece having a median, transverse axis about which said visual feature region on either side of said transverse axis is symmetrical in appearance.    
     
     
         2 . A shingle as in  claim 1 , in which said teeth are trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges.  
     
     
         3 . A shingle as in  claim 2 , in which said inner cutout space between two said teeth is trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         4 . A shingle as in  claim 1 , in which said teeth are trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         5 . A shingle as in  claim 4 , in which said inner cutout space between said teeth is trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges.  
     
     
         6 . A shingle as in  claim 1 , in which said teeth are triangular in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges.  
     
     
         7 . A shingle as in  claim 6 , in which said inner cutout space between said teeth is triangular in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         8 . A shingle as in  claim 1 , in which each of said teeth has an inner side and an outer side, and further including an outer cutout space adjacent each of said outer sides of said teeth, each of said outer cutout spaces being mirror images of each other and respectively approximately one-half the size of said inner cutout space.  
     
     
         9 . A shingle as in  claim 1  further including a backing shim beneath and substantially co-extensive with said visual feature region, and in which said backing shim includes an exposed portion within said inner cutout space.  
     
     
         10 . A shingle as in  claim 9  in which said exposed portion is coated with a textured material.  
     
     
         11 . A shingle as in  claim 9  in which said visual feature region is a first color, and said exposed portion is a second color.  
     
     
         12 . An asphalt shingle, comprising: 
 a. an elongated cover piece, said cover piece having an upper headlap portion and a lower visual feature region, said visual feature region including at least one tooth and two halfteeth, said tooth and said half teeth being arranged in lineal relation with substantially identical cutout spaces on either side of said tooth, each of said half teeth being on opposing sides of said tooth between an outer edge of each of said cutout spaces and a lateral edge of said cover piece, said cover piece having a median, transverse axis about which said lower visual feature region on either side of said transverse axis is symmetrical in appearance.    
     
     
         13 . A shingle as in  claim 12 , in which said tooth is trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges.  
     
     
         14 . A shingle as in  claim 13 , in which said cutout spaces on either side of said tooth are trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         15 . A shingle as in  claim 12 , in which said tooth is trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         16 . A shingle as in  claim 15 , in which said cutout spaces on either side of said tooth are trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges.  
     
     
         17 . A shingle as in  claim 12 , in which said half teeth are mirror images of each other and respectively approximately one-half the size of said tooth.  
     
     
         18 . A shingle as in  claim 12  further including a backing shim beneath and substantially co-extensive with said visual feature region, and in which said backing shim includes an exposed portion within said space.  
     
     
         19 . A shingle as in  claim 18  in which said exposed portion is coated with a textured material  
     
     
         20 . A shingle as in  claim 18  in which said visual feature region is a first color, and said exposed portion is a second color.  
     
     
         21 . An asphalt shingle, comprising: 
 a. an elongated cover piece, said cover piece having an upper headlap portion and a lower visual feature region, said visual feature region including: 
 (i) a first visual feature; (ii) a first transition portion of a second visual feature; and, (iii) a second transition portion of a second visual feature;  
   said first visual feature and said first and second transition portions being arranged in lineal relation along said visual feature region with said first visual feature being between, said first and second transition portions, said first and second transition portions having respective outer edges and being complementary in size and configuration, so that when said outer edges are placed in contingent relation, said first and second transition portions form a second visual feature which is substantially identical in size and configuration to said first visual feature, and vertically inverted in orientation with respect thereto.    
     
     
         22 . A shingle as in  claim 21 , in which said first visual feature is a tooth, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging outer side edges.  
     
     
         23 . A shingle as in  claim 22 , in which said first and second transition portions are cutout spaces, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging inner side edges and parallel outer side edges.  
     
     
         24 . A shingle as in  claim 21 , in which said first visual feature is a cutout space, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         25 . A shingle as in  claim 24 , in which said first and second transition portions are teeth, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges and parallel outer side edges.  
     
     
         26 . A shingle as in  claim 24  further including a backing shim beneath and substantially co-extensive with said visual feature region, and in which said backing shim includes an exposed portion within said cutout space.  
     
     
         27 . A shingle as in  claim 26  in which said exposed portion is coated with a textured material.  
     
     
         28 . A shingle as in  claim 27  in which said visual feature region is a first color, and said exposed portion is a second color.  
     
     
         29 . A shingle as in  claim 21 , in which said first and second transition portions are mirror images of each other and respectively approximately one-half the size of said first visual feature.  
     
     
         30 . A shingle as in  claim 29 , in which said first visual feature is a tooth, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging outer side edges.  
     
     
         31 . A shingle as in  claim 30 , in which said first and second transition portions are cutout spaces, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging inner side edges and parallel outer side edges.  
     
     
         32 . A shingle as in  claim 29 , in which said first visual feature is a cutout space, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         33 . A shingle as in  claim 32 , in which said first and second transition portions are teeth, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges and parallel outer side edges.  
     
     
         34 . A shingle as in  claim 21 , in which said first and second transition portions are asymmetrical in size and shape.  
     
     
         35 . A shingle as in  claim 34 , in which said first visual feature is a tooth, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging outer side edges.  
     
     
         36 . A shingle as in  claim 35 , in which said first and second transition portions are cutout spaces, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging inner side edges and parallel outer side edges.  
     
     
         37 . A shingle as in  claim 34 , in which said first visual feature is a cutout space, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and outwardly diverging side edges.  
     
     
         38 . A shingle as in  claim 37 , in which said first and second transition portions are teeth, trapezoidal in configuration, having downwardly and inwardly converging side edges and parallel outer side edges.  
     
     
         39 . A asphalt roof covering, comprising: 
 a. a first elongated cover piece, said cover piece having an upper headlap portion and a visual feature region, said visual feature region including: 
 (i) a first visual feature; (ii) a first transition portion of a second visual feature; and, (iii) a second transition portion of a second visual feature;  
   said first visual feature and said first and second transition portions being arranged in lineal relation along said visual feature region with said first and second transition portions being located on either side of said first visual feature and having respective outer lateral edges, said first and second transition portions being complementary in size and configuration; and,    b. a second elongated cover piece, identically configured as said first elongated cover piece, in which said first and second cover pieces are installed on a roof structure in longitudinal alignment with adjacent lateral edges in abutting relation, so that said first transition portion for said first cover piece and said second transition portion from said second cover piece, form a second visual feature which is substantially identical in size and configuration to said first visual feature, and vertically inverted in orientation with respect thereto.