Liquid release agent and associated methods of application

Abstract

An asphalt shingle having an asphalt-coated substrate sheet with a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein a liquid release layer is applied on the bottom surface of the asphalt shingle instead of conventional backing particulates. The liquid release layer may help the shingle proceed through the manufacturing machinery without sticking and may prevent the adhesion of the bottom surface of the asphalt shingle to an adjacent shingle in a stack of shingles upon experiencing a pressure up to around four pounds per square inch, a temperature of around eighty degrees Celsius or below. The liquid release agent may also prevent adhesion of adjacent shingles in a stack at various temperature and pressures for at least fourteen days.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing asphalt roofing shingles comprising the following steps: applying a first liquid release agent to the bottom surface of a continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet with an application device, wherein said application device is disposed downstream of an asphalt coater of a shingle manufacturing machine, and upstream of a roller or other component of the shingle manufacturing machine that first contacts the bottom surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet; applying a second liquid release agent to the bottom surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet after applying the first liquid release agent, wherein the first liquid release agent only partially covers the bottom surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate at the time the second liquid release agent is applied; cutting the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet into individual asphalt shingles.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying a film or a fabric to said bottom surface of the asphalt coated substrate sheet prior to applying the first liquid release agent.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first liquid release agent is an alkaline soap.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the alkaline soap comprises potassium hydroxide and coconut oil.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first liquid release agent is a silicone emulsion.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first liquid release agent is comprised of a water-based material.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: coating a top surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet with granules applied to the top surface of said continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet; cooling said continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet as it travels through a plurality of pieces of the shingle manufacturing machine; cutting the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet into individual shingles after said applying the second liquid release agent solution step.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first release agent and the second release agent are the same material.

9. A method for manufacturing asphalt roofing shingles comprising the following steps: applying a first liquid release agent solution to the bottom surface of a continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet with an application device, wherein said application device is disposed downstream of an asphalt coater of a shingle manufacturing machine, and upstream of a roller or other component of the shingle manufacturing machine that first contacts the bottom surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet; forming a first release layer on said bottom surface through the evaporation of a liquid carrier of said first liquid release agent solution; applying a second liquid release agent to the bottom surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet after applying the first liquid release agent, wherein the first liquid release agent only partially covers the bottom surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate at the time the second liquid release agent is applied; cutting the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet into individual asphalt shingles.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of: coating a top surface of the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet with granules applied to the top surface of said continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet; cooling said continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet as it travels through a plurality of pieces of the shingle manufacturing machine; cutting the continuous asphalt coated substrate sheet into individual shingles after said applying the second liquid release agent solution step.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first release agent and the second release agent are the same material.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first liquid release agent is an alkaline soap.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the alkaline soap comprises potassium hydroxide and coconut oil.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like or similar parts in the various views.

(2) FIG. 1 is a partial schematic representation of equipment for manufacturing roofing shingles, the equipment arranged for a process of making roofing shingles which includes the application of a liquid release agent according to the teachings of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation view of one embodiment of a spray nozzle arrangement for use in the equipment of FIG. 1 for applying a homogeneous application of the liquid release agent across a bottom surface of a coated web;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevation view of another embodiment of a spray nozzle arrangement for use in the equipment of FIG. 1 for applying a non-homogeneous application of the liquid release agent across a bottom surface of a coated web;

(5) FIG. 4 is a partial schematic representation of another embodiment of the arrangement of equipment used to manufacture roofing shingles, the equipment the equipment arranged for a process of making roofing shingles which includes the application of a liquid release agent using a roller according to the teachings of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a partial schematic representation of another embodiment of equipment used to manufacture roofing shingles, the equipment arranged for a process of making roofing shingles which includes a second application of a liquid release agent at a second location;

(7) FIG. 6 is an end view of a stack of shingles manufactured according to the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The following detailed description of the present invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the present invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present invention is defined by the appended claims and, therefore, the description is not to be taken in a limiting sense and shall not limit the scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

(9) FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of the manufacturing equipment and process 10 for making roofing shingles. The equipment and process 10 uses methods known in the art to manufacture roofing shingles but further incorporates the present invention into the equipment and process 10. Although the manufacturing process 10 illustrated herein FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 may not be representative of the entire process, such processes are sufficient to describe the present invention. In the process 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, a substrate sheet 12 enters the overall apparatus to be coated with hot asphalt. The substrate 12 includes a top surface 14 which is typically coated with a plurality of granular and/or bituminous materials commonly known in the art, wherein the granular and bituminous materials protect the shingle, and consequently the roof, from the physical damage that can be caused by natural occurrences including ultraviolet rays, rain, snow, wind and other elements. The top surface 14 is also known in the art and referred to herein as the exposed surface 14. The surface opposite the exposed top surface 14 is the bottom surface 16 and this is the surface that lies adjacent to the roof surface. The bottom surface 16 is also known in the art and referred to herein as the unexposed surface 16.

(10) The substrate sheet 12 may be composed of any material known in the art or hereafter developed for asphalt roofing shingles, including a fiberglass mat, a polyester mat, or an organic paper mat, such as those made from materials such as recycled cardboard or paper, or a woven or non-woven mat made from a fibrous material such as cellulose fibers, synthetic fibers, mineral fibers and the like, or any mixture thereof. Upon entering the coater 18, hot asphalt is applied to the top of the substrate sheet 12, and the substrate sheet 12 then travels through a pair of top/bottom measuring rollers 20 and 22. In this regard, the asphalt coating may be any asphalt type or mixture known in the art, such as any bituminous material suitable for use as a roofing material, such as asphalts, tars, pitches and mixtures thereof. The measuring rollers 20 and 22 act to ensure that the substrate sheet 12 is of appropriate thickness before being coated by the back coating roller 24. The back coating roller 24 coats the bottom surface 16 of the substrate sheet 12 with hot asphalt. In addition, the asphalt coating may include various additions and/or modifiers such as inorganic fillers, mineral stabilizers, organic materials including polymers and so forth. Once the substrate sheet 12 is coated with asphalt, the substrate sheet 12 is can also be referred to as a coated web 26. While FIG. 1 illustrates one means of applying hot asphalt to the bottom surface 16, it should be appreciated that other methods and processes for such application such as immersion coating, spray application, extrusion coating and the like may be employed when coating the substrate sheet 12 with hot asphalt.

(11) After the hot asphalt is applied, the web 26 moves through a process wherein a blender 28 containing top-surface granules applies a granular surface coating to the top surface 14 of the web 26. The top-surface granules are commonly known in the art and they serve a number of functions including giving the shingles their distinctive appearance, and protecting the asphalt coating from the elements and UV damage. In some instances, a reinforcing film, fabric or layer may also be applied to the bottom surface of the coated web.

(12) At this point in the prior art manufacturing process, a particulate such as sand or talc would normally be applied to the bottom surface 16 of the web 26 in order to prevent the bottom surface 16 from sticking to rollers, drums or other equipment surfaces downstream in the manufacturing process such as the top S-drum 31 illustrated in FIG. 1. The backing particulate also adds weight to the finished shingles. Because of the aforementioned detrimental consequences when sand or other particulates are used to prevent the bottom surface 16 from sticking to a roller or other downstream surface, the present invention incorporates a liquid release agent 32 that is applied to the bottom surface 16 of the web 26 instead of the backing particulate to accomplish this task. Liquid release agent 32 may be an alkaline soap, silicone emulsion, wax (paraffin, carnauba, etc.), wax emulsions (acrylics, polyethylene, or polypropylene), synthetic polymer resins, oil emulsions, or other liquid release agent or water-based solution now known or hereafter developed. In a preferred embodiment, the liquid release agent 32 applied to the bottom surface 16 is an alkaline soap, silicone emulsion, or other water-based solution. In one embodiment, the soap, emulsion or other solution may include a range of solids in percent emulsion therein in the range from about 1% to about 40%.

(13) The liquid release agent may be any industrial alkaline soap having basic properties and an ability to prevent the coated surface of the web from having a high affinity to bond with a roller or other surface associated with the manufacturing equipment. In one embodiment, the liquid release agent is an alkaline soap made by combining lye and an oil. In a preferred embodiment, the lye is potassium hydroxide, which is potash, and the oil is coconut oil.

(14) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the liquid release agent 32 is applied via a spray mechanism such as a sprayer 34. FIG. 2 illustrates one application pattern in which the sprayer 34 may apply the liquid release agent 32 to the bottom surface 16, while FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative application pattern in which the sprayer 34 may apply the liquid release agent 32 to the bottom surface 16. In both embodiments, the sprayer 34 includes one or more nozzles 36 housed in a spray bar or spray manifold 38 associated with sprayer 34. In the application illustrated in FIG. 2, nozzles 36 of sprayer manifold 38 are positioned and located so as to apply the liquid release agent 32 in an even, homogeneous manner. By applying the liquid release agent 32 homogeneously, the bottom surface 16 of the web 26 will be completely and entirely coated with the liquid release agent 32.

(15) In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the nozzles 36 of sprayer manifold 38 are positioned and located so as to apply the liquid release agent 32 in a non-homogeneous manner across the bottom surface 16 of the web 26 such as in lanes, sections, dots, zones or other such patterns. As an example, the spray pattern in FIG. 3 of adjacent release agent 32 applications may be separated by a gap G as shown. In doing so, the bottom surface 16 of web 26 will include a sufficient amount of the liquid release agent 32 to prevent the bottom surface 16 from sticking to a downstream roller or other surface of the manufacturing equipment, while not coating the entire bottom surface 16 with the agent 32, thus avoiding coating certain segments of the bottom surface as desired and possibly adding additional economy or providing one or more desired patterns of exposed portions of the coated web. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bottom surface 16 is not completely coated with agent 32.

(16) In a separate alternative embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 4, the release agent 32 need not be applied via a spray application, but instead, it can be applied by means of a roller 42 in a liquid bath 40 of liquid release agent 32. In this embodiment, the liquid bath 40 is located downstream from the bottom S-drum 30 and the bath 40 is positioned and located such that a portion of a downstream roller 42 always is submerged in the liquid bath 40. Thus, as the roller 42 rotates and completes its circular motion, it passes into and out of the bath 40 thus coating the exterior roller surface with the liquid release agent 32. As the bottom surface 16 of web 26 travels across the top portion of roller 42, the liquid release agent 32 is applied to the bottom surface 16 of web 26 by contact with the roller's outer surface. This process is cyclical and because at least a portion of the circumference of the roller 42 is continuously submerged in the bath 40 and as the roller 42 rotates, the coated outer surface of the roller 42 continuously coats the bottom surface 16 of the web 26 with the liquid release agent.

(17) It is also recognized and anticipated that the liquid bath 40 does not necessarily have to be positioned at roller 42. In an alternative embodiment, liquid bath 40 may be positioned at any roller downstream from coater 18 in the manufacturing process as long as the bottom surface 16 is coated before it makes contact with any roller or other surface. In this regard, note that the process illustrated in FIG. 4 has the web 26 bypassing the top S-drum 31 and, instead, the web 26 is fed directly to roller 42. Still further, an alternative web path is shown in FIG. 4 using dashed lines, which includes the web 26 being fed directly from the bottom S-drum 30 to the top and bottom press rollers 44 and 46 and the liquid bath 40 can be associated with the bottom press roller 46. Still other process configurations are anticipated and envisioned so long as the liquid release agent 32 is applied, via spray or bath, before any contact of the coated bottom surface 16 to any roller or other surface associated with the manufacturing equipment.

(18) In another embodiment of the present invention, subsequent to the initial application of the liquid release agent 32 to the bottom surface 16 of the web 26, either by the spray application or by liquid bath application, the liquid release agent 32 may be applied for a second time prior to the web 26 being cut into individual shingles. In this embodiment, the purpose of the second application is to prevent the individual cut shingles from sticking to each other when packaged in bundles for shipment. This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5 as explained below. It is also contemplated that this invention will require only a single application.

(19) FIG. 5 is a partial schematic representation of the end portion of the manufacturing process illustrating the cutting rollers 48. The shingle may have already been processed through all coating and/or laminating stations for the particular asphalt shingle. After being processed through a plurality of drums, coaters, and/or rollers to prepare the web 26 to include the surfaces necessary to function as a roofing shingle, the web 26 may be cooled in cooling section 50 before entering the cutting rollers 48. Also, before entering the cutting rollers 48, such as just prior to the cutting guide roller 52, the liquid release agent 32 may be applied for a second time. This second application may be a spray application wherein a sprayer 54, substantially similar to the sprayer 34, applies the liquid release agent 32 to the bottom surface 16 of the web 26. As before, the application by the sprayer 54 may be homogeneous as illustrated in FIG. 2, or it may be non-homogeneous as illustrated in FIG. 3. It should be appreciated that the second application may likewise alternatively be a liquid bath application, similar to that described herein with respect to FIG. 4. It should also be noted that applications of the liquid release agent 32 after the first application may likewise take place at alternative or additional locations during the manufacturing process, such as after the cutting process, but prior to stacking the individual shingles. Moreover, the embodiment described above utilizes the same liquid release agent at both applications. However, different release agent formulations or materials may be utilized at the first and second application and performance may be increased through routine experimentation or trial and error.

(20) After the liquid release agent 32 is applied to the bottom surface 16 of web 26, web 26 may be cut and packaged for shipping and storage. When the resultant individual shingles are shipped and stored, they are typically in a stacked arrangement. Environmental conditions experienced by the stacked shingles during storage and shipping have been noted to affect whether adjacent shingles in a stack adhere to each other after stacking. This is likely due to the fact that the asphalt, while a solid at most atmospheric environmental conditions, may become more fluid under certain pressures and/or temperatures or combinations thereof. In addition, the asphalt in the shingle may experience creep or flow when subject to certain pressures or temperatures over certain time durations. In one embodiment of the present invention, the second application of agent 32 to the bottom surface 16 described above may be formulated to render the shingles less likely to stick to each other when stacked and stored under certain environmental conditions.

(21) FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of individual shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in a stack 62 or stacking arrangement. As shown in FIG. 6, individual shingles 60a, 60b, and 60 have the same construction and comprise a respective web layer 26a, 26, and a layer 64 of liquid release agent 32. In one embodiment, the combined application of the layer 64 liquid release agent 32 is applied in a way which respective adjacent shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 resist adhering to each other under certain defined environmental conditions. For example, in one embodiment, the layer 64b the liquid release agent 32 is sufficient to prevent adhesion between an individual shingle 60b to an adjacent shingle 60c in stack 62 when exposed to a pressure of nearly zero up to around four (4) pounds per square inch. Similarly, the temperature at which shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 are stored also influences whether shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 will adhere through the respective separating layer 64 of liquid release agent 32. In one embodiment, the layer 64 of liquid release agent 32 prevents the adhesion of shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 exposed to a temperature of around eighty (80) degrees Celsius or below.

(22) In addition to the above physical conditions individually, an embodiment of the liquid release agent 32 prevents adhesion between adjacent shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 in any combination of the above ranges. Thus, for example, an embodiment of liquid release agent 32 prevents adhesion between adjacent shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 when the shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c are stacked and stored, being exposed to a pressure up to around four (4) pounds-per-square-inch and a temperature of around eighty (80) degrees Celsius or below. In one embodiment, release agent 32 may prevent adhesion between adjacent shingles 60a, 60b, and 60c in stack 62 for at least fourteen (14) days. In a workable embodiment, the layer 64 of liquid release agent 32 prevents adhesion between individual shingle 60b an adjacent shingle 60c when exposed to a pressure of up to around three and six-tenths (3.6) pounds-per-square-inch, when exposed to a constant temperature of around seventy (70) degrees Celsius or below for at least fourteen (14) days.

(23) It is also recognized and anticipated that the present manufacturing process and methods for applying a liquid release agent to the bottom surface of a substrate web material can be utilized with the manufacturing of any type of roofing shingle such as high impact resistant shingles and the like. It is also recognized that a fabric material, films, and other materials and coatings can be applied to both sides of the substrate sheet to achieve any desired final shingle product. It is also recognized that other spraying apparatus or other fluid application apparatus may likewise be utilized to apply the present liquid release agent other than those methods disclosed herein.

(24) From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one that is well adapted to attain all the goals and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the equipment and methods disclosed herein. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of this disclosure. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all disclosures set forth herein or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.

(25) The constructions and methods described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms having and including and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of optional or may include and not as required. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present equipment and method will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.