US1541130A - Roof and method of forming the same - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1925. 1,541,130

D. FINLEY ROOF AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Fil ed Dec. 19. 1922 INVENTOR. fioz/er fin/6y.

WIT/v5.5.5 H By M-W v fiZ/Mm ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

DOZIER FINLEY,

OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PAEAFFINE GOM- PANIES, INC., 0]? SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ROOF AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME.

Application filed December 19, 1922. Serial No. 607,791.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOZIER FINLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Roof and Method of Forming the Same, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a method of forming roofs with the so-called prepared roofing, that is, roofing comprising sheets of a felt base saturated and coated with as phaltic compositions.

An object of the invention is to provide a less expensive method of forming roofs with prepared roofing than is possible under the usual practice followed at the present time.

The usual practice followed in laying prepared roofing, when the roof is toconsist of several plies of roofing, is to lay one ply of roofing, cover this ply with hot melted asphalt, and immediately apply the next ply of roofing. The hot asphalt is chilled very quickly when in contact with the lead roo ing and consequently, the second ply must be applied very quickly or the asphalt w ll solidify and will not properly bind the plies together. The asphalt is melted in a kettle, usually situated on the street in front of the building and its preparation requires the services of an experienced kettle tender, whose duty is to melt the asphalt and maintain it at the proper temperature. The hot liquid asphalt is then carried to the roof in buckets and is spread on the laid sheets by a mop man. As soon as it is spread, it must be immediately covered with the next ply of roofing and this requires the services of two experienced felt men. The laying of roofs of prepared roofing, as it is at present practiced, therefore requires a gang of not less than four men, all of whom must be experienced, if a good job is to result.

In accordance with the process of my invention, a good job may be done by one man.

When my process is employed, the services of a kettle tender are not required and since the plastic binder which I employ sets slowly, it may be applied to the surface of the laid roofing and exposed to the air for a considerable time before it loses its binding properties, so that one man may spread the binder and subsequently apply the next ply of roofing.

The invention comprises other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full, one form of procedure in applying my method to the formation of a roof of prepared roofing. The roofing may be laid in any desirable manner or arrangement, but

in order to more fully explain my invention, I have shown a preferred arrangement in the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a laid roof, parts thereof being torn away to disclose the construction.

Prepared roofing is generally obtainable in 36 inch widths, and has usually been laid with an expanse of with a two-inch lap, the lap being held by lap. I prefer to lay the roofing, so that a double thickness of roofing is obtained over the whole roof. This requires the lapping of the upper sheet over the nether sheet, for a distance in excess of one-half the width of the sheet, a system which has not usually been followed heretofore on account of the expense of installation. This expense is caused by the necessity of applying the hot melted asphalt binder to the largeportion of the surface of the under sheet which is to be overlapped by the upper sheet. I have provided a method of binding the overlapping areas of the sheets together without the use of the hot melted asphalt and at a cost 34 inches to the weather,

" nailing thru the double thickness at the i which is considerably less than that incurred in the hot melted asphalt process.

I prefer to lay first a strip 2 of roofing, 19 inches wide, along the roof at the eaves, and nail the strip at both its upper and lower edges to the wooden roof sheathing. A second strip 3 of roofing is then laid out so that its lower edge will coincide with the lower edge of the strip 2, and the second sheet is nailed to the roof sheathing along its upper edge. The second strip 3 thus overlaps the first strip 2, for the whole width of the first sheet, thus forming two thicknesses of roofing over the area covered by the first sheet. The second sheet is then laid back, to expose the whole surface of the sheet 2 and the surface of the sheet 2 is coated with an asphaltic compound. This compound is preferably composed chiefly of soft asphaltum cut with a volatile solvent and containing fibi ous material. I have had excellent success with a binder or compound composed of materials pounds California D grade asphaltum; 2 pounds California L grade asphaltum; 1

pints coal oil; p1nt coal tar distillate boiling from approximately 100 C. to 140 (1; pound asbestos fiber screening thruj the surface is coated, the strip 3 is turnedback over strip 2 and pressed tightly against the lower strip, whereby the strips are sealed or cemented together by the compound, which forms a plastic conformable layer 4 capable of closely adhering to the contiguous surfaces of the lapped layers 2 and 3. Ordinary cold cements heretofore used are of low viscosity and are not readily spread. They do not enter into the irregularities of the surfaces which they are intended to unite and such surfaces are united only at high areas which form but a small portion of the Whole, so that the action of the elements to separate the layers is permitted. My plastic material will not flow out of the joint and because it formsa layer of appreciable thickness which completely fills all irregularities of the contiguous surfaces, the sheets are united over their entire abutting areas. The third strip 5 is then laid to expose 17 inches of strip 3, thus overlapping the upper edge of strip 2. The

strip 5 is then nailed in place at-its upperv .edge and laid back to expose the surface of strip 3. which is to be covered thereby. The

'surface of strip 3 which is to be covered by strip5 is then given a coating 6 of the plastic compound, and strip 5 turned back and pressed tightly down against the compound thus cementing the strips 3. and 5 together. These steps are repeated, placing strips 7 8 and so on, until the ridge is reached, and a cap strip may be cemented over the ridge, thus connecting and waterproofing the roof, which has been brought up to the ridge from the two sides.

It is obvious that roofing may be laid according to this method, with any desired amount of overlap, producing different thicknesses of roofing on the roof deck.

The compound set forth above, produces excellent results, but its ingredients may be altered .withoutinterfering with its properties. For instance, blown or oxidized asphalt may be employed instead of the D grade asphalt and rag fiber may be used instead of asbestos fiber. The compound, however, should be semi-liquid or plastic at ordinary temperatures, so that it may be applied without heating and should be slow drying, so that the upper strip may be pressed into place, after the surface of the lower strip has been fully covered. The

volatile solvents evaporate slowly, so that the compound remains plastic for some time, regardless of temperature conditions. The plastic compound is possessed of such adhesiveness as to cement together the superposed strips of roofing even before the volatile solvents have evaporated, so that a tight weather-proof and water-proof bond is formed between the strips immediately the roofing is laid. It is obvious however, that the effectiveness of this bond is enhanced by the subsequent evaporation of the solvents so that ultimately a practically rigid union is formed between the strips. At this time the roofing is substantially a continuous and integral structure thoroughly weather and water-proof.

The compound is also adapted to hold sand or gravel or other mineral on the roof and after the strips have been laid, their exposed surface may, if desired, be coated with the compound and then covered with sand or gravel.

I claim:

The method of forming a roof with strips of smooth surfaced prepared roofing, which comprises laying a strip of roofing, laying a second strip of roofing abovethe first strip and overlapping a predetermined portion of the first strip, securing the second strip to the roof sheathing adjacent its upper edge only, in then laying back the second strip to expose the overlapped surface of the first strip, covering said surface with a layer of a plastic adhesivc'compound having substantially the same temperature as the atmosphere, then turning the second strip back over that portion of the first strip to cover the said compound, and pressing the second strip into the layer ofthe compound to permanently unite the strips.

In testimony-whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DOZIER invLnY.

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