WO1998040582A1

WO1998040582A1 - Roof application and seam sealing method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1998040582A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/004444
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin J. Rotter
Original assignee: Rotter Martin J
Priority date: 1997-03-11
Filing date: 1998-03-05
Publication date: 1998-09-17
Also published as: AU6544998A; CA2284178A1

Abstract

A method and apparatus for adhering a layer of roofing material (15, 16, 18, 20) to a roof substrate (22) or to another layer of roofing material (15) is provided. The method includes: (a) providing a layer of roofing material (15) with an underside (16a, 18a, 20a) which is adapted to contact a roof substrate (22) or at least a portion of a previous layer of roofing material (16, 18, 20); (b) providing one of an electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonically activated adhesive arrangement (26) on or as a part of at least one of a portion of the underside (16a, 18a, 20a) of the roofing material (15, 16, 18, 20), at least a portion of the roof substrate (22) or at least a portion of a previously installed layer of roofing material (16, 18, 20) on the roof substrate (22); (c) positioning the layer of roofing material (15, 16, 18, 20); (d) discharging electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy (26); and (e) bonding at least a portion of the layer of roofing material (15, 16, 18, 20).

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION Roof Application and Seam Sealing Method and Apparatus

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for applying roofing systems without mechanical fasteners, sealing overlapping seams in roofing systems, as well as for inter-layer adhesion between shingles or layers of a roofing system, and more particularly, to a method utilizing electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy to activate an adhesive arrangement which is part of or provided on at least a roofing system to create a bond with a roof substrate or overlapping portions of the roofing system. The presently known method of applying certain types of commercial roofing materials, such as singly ply rubber or reinforced bitumen, is to unroll the roofing material on the roof substrate using overlapping or butted seams between adjacent sheets of material. The roofing material is fastened in position using mechanical fasteners, such as nails. Typically, the nails have large diameter heads or include washers for distributing the load on the roofing and sealing the nail head to prevent leakage through the roof around the nail.

The current method of sealing the overlapping seams in many roofing systems is to use a propane torch with a hand held nozzle which is placed in proximity to the overlapping seams. The roofing material melts and fuses along the edge sealing the adjacent overlapping sheets of material together. Generally, a second person with a fire extinguisher is required on the roof during seaming in order to prevent fires. Alternatively, an electric heat gun is used. However, this is only effective for a seam width of about two inches, and the effectiveness of the heat gun can be dramatically influenced by atmospheric conditions, such as wind.

Another known method of making seams is to use a two sided adhesive. However, talc which is present on both sides of the roofing material to keep the material from sticking together while it is in roll form, must be cleaned from the areas which will be contacted by the adhesive. This is a cumbersome and time consuming process, and it is often difficult to obtain uniformly clean surfaces in order to create a good seam. For sealing butt seams between sheets or strips of a single ply roofing material, a strip of seam sealing material is required which is located over the seam and sealed in position as part of the roof system. This also requires scrubbing the seam area to remove talc from the roofing material in the seam area to ensure that a good bond is achieved. Built-up roofs (BUR's) are also used. BUR's generally refer to roofs which are built-up, for example, from a layer of tar, a layer of insulation, a second layer of tar, and finally, an outer waterproof membrane. The outer membrane is held in place by the layer of tar beneath it.

One drawback to the currently utilized sheet roofing installation techniques is that the roofing material is punctured by the mechanical fasteners used for installation. Although self sealing nails are used, this provides a potential leak point due to poor sealing, which can occur immediately after installation if the fastener is defective or improperly installed, or may occur at any time after installation due to changes in temperature of the roofing material, corrosion, or shifting of the roofing substrate.

Another problem with some of the prior known systems is that the known method of sealing roof seams is a fire hazard, since the roof structure underneath the roof material can catch fire. Additionally, for single ply roof installations using an adhesive or hot tar, the adhesive or tar can also catch fire. These known methods require lifting heavy equipment on the roof, including a propane gas tank for the propane torch, which often must be replenished during the course of sealing the seams in a large roof. Other seaming methods using adhesives are also problematic. As a result, generally the seams in the current single ply roofing systems are not uniform, and poor seams are the number one source of failure for such roofs.

Additionally, for other types of seams, a great deal of preparation time is required for the seams since the talc coating has to be manually scrubbed from the underside of the roofing material in the seam area in order to insure proper bonding. BUR's are more expensive to construct than some of the other known types of roofs, since they are built up layer by layer, generally using hot tar.

In other known roofing systems, such as asphalt shingles, the shingles include an adhesive strip which bonds the courses of overlapping shingles together after the shingles are installed. However, for roofs that are installed in the winter, often the roof does not become hot enough to activate the adhesive to bond the courses of shingles together. This can result in shingles becoming dislodged or broken in storms or high winds since the thin flexible shingles are not adhered together.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the present invention provides a method for adhering a layer of roofing material to a roof substrate or to another layer of roofing material. The method includes:

(a) providing a layer of roofing material with an underside which is adapted to contact a roof substrate or at least a portion of a previous layer of roofing material;

(b) providing one of an electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonically activated adhesive arrangement on or as a part of at least one of a portion of the underside of the roofing material, at least a portion of the roof substrate or at least a portion of a previously installed layer of roofing material on the roof substrate; (c) positioning the layer of roofing material on the roof substrate or on at least a portion of the previously installed layer of roofing material;

(d) discharging electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy over at least a portion of the layer of roofing material in proximity to the adhesive arrangement to activate the adhesive arrangement; and

(e) bonding at least a portion of the layer of roofing material to at least the portion of the roof substrate or at least the portion of the previously installed layer of roofing material on the roof substrate with the adhesive arrangement.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for adhering a layer of roofing material to a roof substrate or to another layer of roofing material using an adhesive arrangement. The apparatus includes a moveable support and an electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator mounted to the moveable support. An energy guide is located adjacent to the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator which is adapted to direct energy for activating the adhesive arrangement at the layer of roofing material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiment of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawing an embodiment which is presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a single-ply roof being applied to a portion of a roof structure utilizing the method and apparatus in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a first preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention taken along lines 2-2 in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention taken along lines 3-3 in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of a second embodiment of a roof being installed utilizing the method in accordance with the present invention for a single ply roofing system;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fully adhered single ply roof being installed on a roof structure in accordance with the method of the present invention utilizing a second preferred embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the fully adhered single ply roof shown in Fig.6 taken along lines 7-7 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view through a shingle roof showing adhesive strips which are activated by the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 to inter-connect the shingles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The word "right", "left", "lower" and "upper" designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same elements throughout, there is shown in Fig. 1 a system 10 in accordance with the present invention for adhering a layer of roofing material 15 to a roof substrate 22 or to another layer of roofing material 15. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the system 10 is being used to create a seam 14 between adjacent partially overlapped layers or strips 16, 18, 20 from a single ply roofing system. However, as described in detail below, the system 10 can be used to adhere a layer of roofing material 15 to a roof substrate to create a fully bonded roofing system, as well as to create butt joints between abutting layers or strips 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15, or to activate adhesive portions on shingle roofs during cold weather to create inter- shingle connections, as shown in Fig. 8.

As shown in Fig. 1 , the system 10 includes an apparatus 12 for adhering a layer or layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 to a roof substrate 22 or to another layer 116, 18 of roofing material 15 using an adhesive arrangement 26. In the first preferred embodiment, the apparatus 12 is preferably used to seal seams 14 between adjacent sheets 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15. The layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 are provided with an underside 16a, 18a, 20a (20a being shown in Fig. 1, and 16a and 18a being shown in Figs. 4 and 5) which are adapted to contact a roof substrate 22 or at least a portion of a previous layer 16, 18 of roofing material 15.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 are applied to a poured concrete substrate 22. However, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that the roofing material 15 may be applied to other substrates, such as a frame roof 70 with plywood decking 72 as shown in Fig. 8, plank roofing, or insulating material may be used, if desired.

In the first preferred embodiment, the roofing material 15 is a single ply roofing material 15, such as rubber, which is supplied in rolls 24. The layers 16, 18, 20 of the roofing material can be secured to the substrate 22 using mechanical fasteners, such as self-sealing nails, but is more preferably installed using a non-penetrating connection, as explained in more detail below. The layers or strips 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 are positioned on the roof substrate 22 or on at least a portion of the previously installed layer or strip 16, 18. Preferably, adjacent layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 are overlapped by approximately six inches to form the seams 14. An electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy activated adhesive arrangement 26 is provided on or as a part of at least one of a portion of the underside 16a, 18a, 20a of the layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15, at least a portion of the roof substrate 22, or at least a portion of a previously installed strip or layer 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 on the roof substrate 22. The adhesive arrangement 26 preferably includes an adhesive which can be activated directly by exposure to electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy, or may comprise a portion of the roofing material 15 which becomes tacky or sticky in response to exposure to electromagnetic radiation or can be bonded using ultrasonic energy. The adhesive arrangement 26 may also include reflectors 30 for reflecting the electromagnetic radiation to activate the adhesive. In the preferred embodiment, the adhesive arrangement 26 also includes electromagnetic radiation susceptors which generate heat when contacted by electromagnetic radiation, and the adhesive is heat activated. Such adhesives may be tar or asphalt based, as is typical for roofing installations, or may be any other type of adhesive which is activated by heat. The adhesive arrangement 26 may be provided on or be formed as a part of at least a portion of the underside 16a, 18a, 20a of the layers 16, 18, 20 of the roofing material 15, or alternatively, may be formed on the upper side in the seam area. The composition of the roofing material 15 may be changed in order to react to electromagnetic radiation such that the roofing material itself acts as an adhesive.

The rolls 24 of roofing material 15 are preferably provided with strips of microwave reflective material 30, 32 attached along at least one edge of the roll of material, and preferably along both edges as shown in Fig. 1. The microwave reflective material 30, 32 is preferably an electrically conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel having a sufficient thickness to reflect microwaves. The strips of microwave reflective material 30, 32 can also be used to keep preapplied adhesive on one or both edges of the rolls 24 from adhering to the adjacent material while rolled. However, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that any suitable metallic or non-metallic microwave reflective material may be used, and that the reflector may be formed as part of the roof substrate, if desired.

As shown in Fig. 1, one strip of microwave reflective material 30 is preferably peeled off of the roll 24 of roofing material 15 for the overlapping portion of the seams 14 such that the underside 20a of the layer 20 of roofing material 15 on the overlapping portion is in contact with the upper surface of the previously positioned layer 18 of roofing material 15.

In a preferred embodiment, the microwave reflective material is perforated in order to allow the roofing material 15 and the roof substrate 22 to breathe in the seam area 14.

As shown in Fig. 2, electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy (represented as 38) from the apparatus 12 is discharged over at least portion of the layer 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 in proximity to the adhesive arrangement 26 to activate the adhesive arrangement 26. This bonds at least a portion of the layer 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 to at least the portion of the roof substrate 22, or to at least a portion of the previously installed layer 16, 18 of roofing material 15 in the area of the seam 14 on the roof substrate 22 using the adhesive arrangement 26. Preferably, electromagnetic radiation in the form of microwaves 38 are applied to the roofing material 15 in the area of the seam 14, and the microwaves travel through the overlapping layers 16, 18 of roofing material 15 and generate heat in the material or are reflected back by the microwave reflective material 30 to generate additional heat in the sheets of roofing material 16, 18 along the seam 14 to create a seam utilizing the adhesive in the adhesive arrangement 26 or by melting and fusing the roofing material 15 which may form a part of the adhesive arrangement 26 together. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that butt seams can also be formed in a similar manner by abutting adjacent edges of two sheets of roofing material 16, 18 together, and covering the seam with a narrow strip of additional roofing material (not shown), and melting or fusing the adhesive arrangement at the seam together in a similar manner to that described above for an overlapping seam. Referring now to Fig. 4, it is also within the scope of the present invention to attach a microwave susceptor 34 to the microwave reflective material 30, or to include a microwave susceptors 38, as shown in Fig. 5, in at least a portion of the roofing material 15 in the area of the seam 14 as part of the adhesive arrangement 26, to ensure that heat is generated to activate the adhesive or the portion of the roofing material which acts as the adhesive. The microwave susceptors 34 may comprise a thin vacuum metalized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet having a thickness of 50 to 100 Angstroms which generates heat when contacted by microwaves, as shown in Fig. 4. The microwave reflective layer 30 would then also act as a heat reflector, reflecting heat upwardly to melt and fuse the layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 together along the seam 14 or activate a layer of adhesive between the sheets or layers 16, 18 which is arranged in contact with at least a portion of the underside 18a of the layer 18 of roofing material 15 at the seam 14.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 5, conductive particles 39 may be disbursed within the roofing material 15 or a separate adhesive applied to the roofing material 15, at least in the area which is overlapped to form the seam 14 in order to produce a microwave susceptor 34 which generates heat when exposed to microwaves. Conductive particles, such as carbon black, graphite, metal powders or flakes may be formed in the roofing material 15 at least along the edges in order to generate heat, and as noted above, the composition of the roofing material may be changed to act as an adhesive in response to electromagnetic radiation.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that any means for generating heat in response to electromagnetic waves can be provided as part of the adhesive arrangement 26 on, in, or attached to the layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 in the area of the seams 14 in order to generate heat when acted upon by microwaves or any other type of electromagnetic radiation, and that a microwave reflector 30, 32 of any type may be provided beneath, attached to or as a part of the bottom layer 16 of roofing material in the area of the seam 14 in order to reflect microwaves back into the area to be seamed instead of allowing the microwaves to be disbursed. For example, powdered aluminum could be introduced on top of the concrete roof substrate 22 as it is being formed in order to provide a microwave reflector, instead of attaching the microwave reflector 30, 32 to the roofing material 15. Alternatively, the concrete, or the metal support under the layer of roofing concrete along with the concrete may act as a microwave reflector. It will be similarly recognized that depending upon microwave reflective properties of the roof substrate 22 itself, such as foil faced insulating panels, that a separate microwave or electromagnetic wave reflective material may be omitted.

The skilled artisan will also understand from the present disclosure that other types of energy waves could be used in a similar manner for creating a bond between adjacent sheets or layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15, such as ultrasonic energy. This can be accomplished through the generation of heat to melt or vulcanize separate layers 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 together, as described above, through the migration of molecules or atoms of one material migrating into the other material, such as in ultrasonic bonding, or also by using a bonding or adhesive agent which is activated by the electromagnetic radiation, or other energy, which is then used to bond or adhere the layers 16, 18 , 20 of roofing material together.

Referring to Figs. 1-3, the apparatus 12 will be described in more detail. The apparatus 12 for adhering a layer 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15 to a roof substrate 22 or another layer 16, 18, 20 of roofing material using an adhesive arrangement 26 includes a moveable support 40. The support 40 is preferably in the form of a housing 41 which is made of an electromagnetic radiation impenetrable material. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the apparatus 12 is for generating microwave radiation, and the housing 41 is made of aluminum or stainless steel to shield the user from microwaves. A handle 42 is preferably provided for the user to operate the apparatus 12.

An electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator, preferably in the form of a magnetron gun 46, is mounted to the moveable support 40. The magnetron gun 46 is used to generate microwaves (represented as 38). Preferably, an energy guide, in the form of a wave guide 48, is located adjacent to the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator which is adapted to direct energy for activating the adhesive arrangement 26 at the layer 16, 18, 20 of roofing material 15.

As shown in Fig. 2, in the preferred embodiment an infrared sensor 50 is provided which senses the temperature of the roofing material at the seam 14. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the magnetron gun 46 can be replaced by other sound or energy wave generating devices, such as an ultrasonic transducer or generator, depending on the type of adhesive arrangement 26 being activated.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, preferably the apparatus 12 includes wheels 54 which move the apparatus 12 on the roof. In the preferred embodiment, a drive motor 56 is provided and is drivingly connected to at least one wheel 54 via a gearbox 58 and a belt 59, and is adapted to drive the wheel to move the apparatus 12 along the roof. Preferably, the gearbox 58 can be engaged and disengaged in order to provide control for the apparatus 12. Preferably, one of the motor 56 and the gearbox 58 provides for variable drive speeds for the driven wheel 54, so that the speed of the apparatus 12 can be changed to suit particular types of roofing materials and/or adhesive arrangements. Preferably, the motor 56 is electric, and the apparatus 12 can be operated to form the seam 14 using only electric power. However, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that the motor could be an internal combustion engine which burns fuel, such as propane, gasoline or diesel, in order to generate power for driving the apparatus, as well as for powering an electric generator such that the apparatus 10 is a self contained unit and can be used in areas where electric current is not available. An operator can control the apparatus 12 by standing behind it. Preferably a rotating brush 44 is located at the front of the apparatus 12 for removing debris from the seam area 14 to ensure a uniform bond along the seam 14. As shown in Fig. 3, preferably the brush 44 is driven by the motor 56 independently of the gearbox 58 via a belt 45 such that the brush rotation speed is not coupled to the speed of forward movement of the apparats 12. However, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that the brush 44 could be omitted, if desired. Preferably, a shroud 59 (shown in phantom lines in Fig. 3) is provided to cover the moving drive components.

As shown in Fig. 2, a weighted roller 52 is preferably connected to the moveable support 40 behind the wave guide 48, and presses the two layers 16, 18 of roofing material 15 together to guarantee uniform contact and sealing. Preferably, the weighted roller 52 is rotatably mounted along the same axle as the rear wheels 54, or may be used in place of separate rear wheels 54.

In one preferred embodiment, a controller (not shown) is provided in communication with the motor 56 for moving the wheels 54. The controller is also in communication with the infrared sensor 50. Based on the sensed temperature from the infrared sensor 50 in the seam area 14, the controller controls the speed of the drive wheels 54 to ensure that a uniform temperature sufficient for activation of the adhesive arrangement along the seam 14 is reached. Referring again to Fig. 2, preferably a shield 60 is located along the back of the apparatus 12, and more preferably shields 60, 62 as shown in Fig. 3 are located along the back and sides of the apparatus 12 in order to ensure that electromagnetic radiation does not impinge upon the operator. The rear shield 60 is preferably attached using hinges to allow movement of the shield 60 up and down to maintain contact with the roofing surface. The shields 62 along the sides of the apparatus 12 are preferably made of a flexible electromagnetic radiation absorbing or reflecting material, such as a woven metallic blanket or skirt.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that the apparatus 12 can be modified or changed from the preferred embodiment described above. However, at least an electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator 46 is required. It will be similarly recognized that a hand held apparatus can be provided having a magnetron gun 46, a wave guide 48 and sufficient shielding to protect the operator from microwaves during the adhesive activation process. Preferably, a temperature sensor is also provided to ensure that a sufficient temperature is reached in the area of the seam 14 being formed prior to moving the apparatus onward.

Referring now to Fig. 6, a second embodiment of an apparatus 112 for adhering a layer or layers 116, 118, 120 of roofing material 115 to a roof substrate 122 or to another layer 116, 118, 120 of roofing material 115 using an adhesive arrangement 26, as described above, is shown. The apparatus 112 is similar to the apparatus 12, and similar elements have been identified with like reference numerals with the prefix " 1 ". For example, the handle 142 of the apparatus 112 is similar to the handle 42 of the apparatus 12. A description of the differences between the apparatus 112 in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention and its use and the apparatus 12 in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention follows.

The apparatus 112 is similar to the apparatus 12, except that it has a wider coverage area provided by the wave guide 148 and a more powerful magnetron gun 146. Preferably, the apparatus 112 is used to apply the roofing material 115 having the underside coated with or otherwise provided with the adhesive arrangement 26 to a roof substrate 122 to create a fully adhered roof. The roofing material 115 is preferably made of a material which can be bonded to the roof substrate 122 via the material 115 itself tackifying or becoming sticky on the underside in contact with the roof substrate 122 in response to microwaves such that the roofing material bonds to the roof substrate. Alternatively, the roofing material 124 may be coated with a suitable adhesive which is activated by the microwaves to bond the roofing material 115 to the roof substrate 122. However, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present invention that the adhesive can be activated other types of electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy, depending on the adhesive selected. For concrete roofs, a microwave reflective material may also be incorporated into the substrate, for example, by adding powdered aluminum to the surface of the concrete before it hardens. The roll roofing 124, such as a modified or reinforced bitumen, is then unrolled on the roof substrate. The apparatus 112 is then used to bond the roofing material 115 to the substrate by applying microwaves to the roofing material 115 to generate heat in the roofing material 115 at the interface with the substrate 122. If necessary, microwave susceptors, such as those discussed above, are provided in the roofing material 115 to generate sufficient heat upon contact by microwaves to cause the roofing material 115 to tackify or partially melt to bond the roofing material to the roof substrate or to activate a separate adhesive. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that the roofing material could also be in the form of shingles 74, as shown in Fig. 8, instead of the roll roofing 24, 124. The shingles 74 include a strip of heat activatable adhesive 76 on the underside which can be part of the adhesive arrangement, in combination with microwave susceptors located on the roof substrate

22, a previously installed course of shingles 74, or formed as part of each shingle 74. The adhesive 76 is activated by microwaves from the apparatus 12 in order to interconnect the shingles 74.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that microwave reflectors 30, 32 may be omitted from the roof substrate 22 if the substrate itself is microwave reflective. The microwave susceptors 38 may also be omitted from the roofing material 15, 115, depending upon the type of material used, if sufficient heat is generated in response to microwaves. It will be similarly understood that a separate adhesive may be used, depending upon the properties of the roofing material 15, 115, or that he roofing material itself may act as the adhesive portion of the adhesive arrangement 26. If required, the separate adhesive may be provided on the roofing material 15, 115 or may be separately applied to the roof.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept of providing a system which utilizes electromagnetic radiation, such as microwaves, or ultrasonic energy to adhere at least a portion of a roofing system to a roof substrate or a portion of a previously installed layer of a roofing system to attach a roofing system to a roof substrate or form seams in a roofing system. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method for adhering a layer of roofing material to a roof substrate or to another layer of roofing material, comprising:

(d) discharging electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy over at least a portion of the layer of roofing material in proximity to the adhesive arrangement to activate the adhesive arrangement; and (e) bonding at least a portion of the layer of roofing material to at least the portion of the roof substrate or at least the portion of the previously installed layer of roofing material on the roof substrate with the adhesive arrangement.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive arrangement includes a heat activated adhesive material and electromagnetic radiation susceptors which generate heat when contacted by electromagnetic radiation.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the heat activated adhesive material is arranged in contact with at least a portion of the underside of the layer of roofing material.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising providing a magnetron gun for generating microwaves, and wherein the step of discharging electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy further includes generating microwaves using the magnetron gun and directing the microwaves toward at least a portion of the layer of roofing material in proximity to the adhesive arrangement to activate the adhesive arrangement.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing the one of the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonically activated adhesive arrangement on or as a part of at least one of a portion of the underside of the roofing material includes forming the roofing material with at least some electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonically activatable material on the underside.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing the layer of roofing material with the underside which is adapted to contact the roof substrate or at least a portion of the previous layer of roofing material comprises providing asphalt shingles having a strip of heat activatable adhesive on the underside.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing the layer of roofing material with the underside which is adapted to contact the roof substrate or at least a portion of the previous layer of roofing material further includes providing a roll of single ply roofing material, and positioning the single ply roofing material on the roof such that an overlapping seam is created between the single ply roofing material and a previously installed layer of the single ply roofing material, the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonically activated adhesive arrangement is located along the seam, and is activated by electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy to seal the seam.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonically activated adhesive arrangement includes providing an electromagnetic radiation susceptor on at least one of the roof substrate, at least a portion of the roofing material and a separate adhesive layer in contact with the underside of the roofing material.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising generating heat using a microwave susceptor to activate the adhesive arrangement.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of positioning the layer of roofing material on the roof substrate or the previously installed layer of roofing material further includes overlapping a portion of the layer of roofing material on the previously installed layer of roofing material, such that the bonding by the adhesive arrangement forms a seam.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of positioning the layer of roofing material on the roof substrate or the previously installed layer of roofing material further includes butting an edge of the layer of roofing material against an edge of a previously positioned layer of roofing material, and providing a strip of seaming material with the adhesive arrangement beneath the abutted edges, such that the bonding by the adhesive arrangement forms a seam.

12. An apparatus for adhering a layer of roofing material to a roof substrate or to another layer of roofing material using an adhesive arrangement, comprising: a moveable support; an electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator mounted to the moveable support; an energy guide located adjacent to the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator which is adapted to direct energy for activating the adhesive arrangement at the layer of roofing material.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator comprises a magnetron gun, and the energy guide comprises a wave guide.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: wheels located on the moveable support; a drive motor drivingly connected to at least one of the wheels which is adapted to drive the at least one of the wheels to move the apparatus across a roof.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a speed control connected to the drive motor which is adapted to regulate the speed with which the apparatus moves across the roof.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a rotary brush located on the moveable support and drivingly connected to the motor.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the drive motor and the electromagnetic radiation or ultrasonic energy generator are powered by electric current.