Roof tile apparatus and methods of making and use

Abstract

Novel rigid tile, rigid tile apparatus, methods of making and use are disclosed. One embodiment includes a method of mounting rigid tile with a nail gun providing a protruding nail tip used as a nail passage or depression finder in the rigid tile. Another embodiment includes a metal rooftile having at least one fastener passage having pre-formed spacer section extending from the upper surface of the metal rooftile to space a fastener head or end from the upper surface of the metal rooftile. Yet another embodiment provides a unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles. A tile bottom-side covering sealing bent T-trim can be utilized to cover open underside areas of a right rooftile. A novel installation method and rigid rooftile installation kit can utilize embodiments of the structures and methods stated above and, as desired, yet additional structure such as differently structured rigid rooftile components and trim components of differing shapes and sizes as desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A metal rooftile comprising in combination:
 a metal rooftile body section having an upper side and a lower side;   at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the metal rooftile body section and extending through the lower side of the metal rooftile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the metal rooftile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal rooftile body section by the spacer section.   
     
     
         2 . A rigid rooftile comprising in combination:
 a rooftile body section having an upper tile section intermediate a first and second opposed side, each side extending downwardly from the trapezoidal upper tile section;   an upwardly extending U-channel extending from and along the first side of rooftile body section; and   
       wherein rooftile body section has:
 an upper side and a lower side; and 
 at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the rooftile body section and extending through the lower side of the rooftile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the rooftile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal rooftile body section by the spacer section. 
 
     
     
         3 . A unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles comprising:
 a unitary section having a plurality of rigid tiles rooftile body sections integrally formed within the unitary section, each rooftile body section having an upper tile section intermediate first and second opposed sides, each side extending downwardly from the upper tile section;   an upwardly extending U-channel extending from and along the first side of rooftile body section.   
     
     
         4 . The metal rooftile of  claim 1  wherein:
 the rooftile body section has a trapezoidal upper tile section intermediate a first and second opposed body section side, each side extending downwardly from the trapezoidal upper tile section; 
 an upwardly extending U-channel extending from and along the first side of rooftile body section. 
 
     
     
         5 . The metal rooftile of  claim 4  wherein the upwardly extending U-channel has a trapezoidal central section intermediate a first and second opposed U-channel side. 
     
     
         6 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 2  wherein the upwardly extending U-channel has a trapezoidal central section intermediate first and second opposed U-channel sides. 
     
     
         7 . The unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles of claim of  claim 3  wherein rooftile body section has:
 an upper side and a lower side; and 
 at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the rooftile body section and extending through the lower side of the rooftile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the rooftile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal rooftile body section by the spacer section. 
 
     
     
         8 . The metal rooftile of  claim 4  wherein each upper tile section also has:
 an upper side and a lower side; and 
 at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the rooftile body section and extending through the lower side of the rooftile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the rooftile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal rooftile body section by the spacer section. 
 
     
     
         9 . The metal rooftile of  claim 4  wherein each upper tile section has a trapezoidal periphery including the first and second opposed sides. 
     
     
         10 . The unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles of  claim 7  wherein each upwardly extending U-channel has a trapezoidal central section intermediate a first and second opposed U-channel side. 
     
     
         11 . The metal rooftile of  claim 5  wherein each upper tile section has:
 an upper side and a lower side; and 
 at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the rooftile body section and extending through the lower side of the rooftile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the rooftile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal rooftile body section by the spacer section. 
 
     
     
         12 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 6  wherein each upper tile section has:
 an upper side and a lower side; and 
 at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the rooftile body section and extending through the lower side of the rooftile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the rooftile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal rooftile body section by the spacer section. 
 
     
     
         13 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 2  wherein the rigid rooftile comprises metal. 
     
     
         14 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 6  wherein the rigid rooftile comprises metal. 
     
     
         15 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 11  wherein the rigid rooftile comprises metal. 
     
     
         16 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 12  wherein the rigid rooftile is a metal rooftile. 
     
     
         17 . The unitary ganged set of rigid tiles of  claim 4  wherein each rigid rooftile is a metal rooftile. 
     
     
         18 . The unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles of  claim 7  wherein each rigid rooftile is a metal rooftile. 
     
     
         19 . The unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles of  claim 10  wherein each rigid rooftile is a metal rooftile. 
     
     
         20 . The rigid rooftile of  claim 2  wherein the rigid rooftile consists essentially of metal.