Tool for removing shingles from a skip sheet roof

Abstract

A tool for removing shingles from a roof having skip sheeting comprises a lifting blade connected to a first end of a shaft, a handle attached to a second end of the shaft, and a fulcrum bar attached at a preferred vertical distance from a bottom surface of the lifting blade to a side of the shaft. A length of the fulcrum bar is selected to enable the fulcrum bar to rest on a top surface of two or more adjacent sheeting boards in a roof having skip sheeting. A position of the fulcrum bar on the shaft enables placement of the lifting blade between adjacent sheeting boards and below a back surface of a shingle.

1 . A tool for removing a shingle from a roof having skip sheeting, comprising:
 a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a gripping portion for a hand near said first end of said shaft;   a fulcrum bar attached perpendicularly to said shaft; and   a lifting blade joined to said second end of said shaft.   
   
   
       2 . The tool of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 said fulcrum bar further comprising a rotation axis and a length;   said lifting blade further comprising a top side;   said shaft further comprising a side;   a vertical separation distance between said rotation axis of said fulcrum bar and said top side of said lifting blade; and   an obtuse angle between said side of said shaft and said top side of said lifting blade.   
   
   
       3 . The tool of  claim 2 , wherein said vertical separation distance has a value in a range from 0.6 inch (15.9 millimeters) to 4.0 inches (101.6 millimeters). 
   
   
       4 . The tool of  claim 3 , wherein said obtuse angle has a value in a range from 120 degrees to 150 degrees. 
   
   
       5 . The tool of  claim 4 , wherein said lifting blade further comprises a front end having a wedge shape. 
   
   
       6 . The tool of  claim 5 , wherein said roof having skip sheeting comprises at least two sheeting boards having an intervening separation distance and said length of said fulcrum bar is greater than the intervening separation distance between sheeting boards. 
   
   
       7 . The tool of  claim 6 , wherein said shaft and said first lifting blade are joined by welding. 
   
   
       8 . The tool of  claim 6 , wherein said shaft and said first lifting blade are formed as one piece having a bend angle between said top side of said lifting blade and said side of said shaft, and said bend angle corresponds to said obtuse angle. 
   
   
       9 . A tool for removing a shingle from a roof having skip sheeting, comprising:
 a shaft having a first end, a second end, a side, and a gripping portion for a hand near said first end;   a fulcrum bar having a length and a rotation axis, wherein said fulcrum bar is attached halfway along said length of said fulcrum bar perpendicularly to said shaft;   a first lifting blade having a first end, a second end, a first surface having an edge in common with an edge of said first end of said first lifting blade, a second surface having an edge in common with an edge of said second end of said first lifting blade, and an obtuse angle between a portion of said first surface near said first end of said first lifting blade and a portion of said second surface near said second end of said first lifting blade;   a second lifting blade having a first end, a second end, a first surface having an edge in common with an edge of said first end of said second lifting blade, a second surface having an edge in common with an edge of said second end of said second lifting blade, and an obtuse angle between a portion of said first surface near said first end of said second lifting blade and a portion of said second surface near said second end of said second lifting blade; and   a vertical separation distance between said rotation axis of said fulcrum bar and said second surface of said first lifting blade, wherein said first and second lifting blades are joined to said fulcrum bar.   
   
   
       10 . The tool of  claim 9 , further comprising a separation distance between said first lifting blade and said second lifting blade, wherein said roof having skip sheeting comprises a sheeting board having a width, and said separation distance between said first lifting blade and said second lifting blade is greater than the width of the sheeting board. 
   
   
       11 . The tool of  claim 10 , wherein said first lifting blade comprises at least two pieces joined by welding and said second lifting blade comprises at least two pieces joined by welding. 
   
   
       12 . The tool of  claim 10 , wherein said first lifting blade is formed as one piece having a bend angle, said first and second surfaces of said first lifting blade are portions of the same curved surface, said second lifting blade is formed as one piece having the same bend angle as said first lifting blade, said first and second surfaces of said second lifting blade are portions of the same curved surface, and said bend angle corresponds to said obtuse angle. 
   
   
       13 . A tool for removing a shingle from a roof having skip sheeting, comprising:
 a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a side;   a handle having a first end and a second end connected to said shaft near said first end of said shaft;   a first hand grip connected to said first end of said handle;   a second hand grip connected to said second end of said handle;   a lifting blade having a first end, a second end, and a top surface, wherein said second end is wedge-shaped and said first end of said lifting blade is joined to said second end of said shaft;   a fulcrum bar having a first end and a second end attached about halfway between said first end of said fulcrum bar and said second end of said fulcrum bar perpendicularly to said shaft;   said fulcrum bar further comprising a rotation axis passing through said first end of said fulcrum bar and said second end of said fulcrum bar;   a vertical separation distance between said rotation axis of said fulcrum bar and said top surface of said lifting blade; and   an angle between said side of said shaft and said top surface of said lifting blade, wherein said angle is an obtuse angle, said roof having skip sheeting comprises a sheeting board having a thickness, and said vertical separation distance between said rotation axis of said fulcrum bar and said top surface of said lifting blade is greater than the thickness of the sheeting board.   
   
   
       14 . A method for removing shingles from a roof having skip sheeting comprising:
 inserting a lifting blade on a shingle removal tool into a gap between two adjacent sheeting boards in the roof;   positioning a fulcrum bar on the shingle removal tool above an upper surface of at least two adjacent sheeting boards;   positioning an upper surface of the lifting blade against a bottom surface of a shingle to be removed from the roof;   manually applying a force against a handle of the shingle removal tool in the direction of the outer surface of the roof, causing the shingle removal tool to rotate about an axis through the fulcrum bar and causing a surface of the lifting blade to press against the bottom surface of the shingle; and   increasing the amount of manual force applied against the handle of the shingle removal tool until the shingle is removed from the roof.