`Sadler et al.
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`
`4,624,721
`
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`Nov. 25, 1986
`
`[54]
`
`[76]
`
`METHOD OF USING A ROLL OF
`PERFORATED PLASTIC ROOFING TABS
`
`Inventors: David E. Sadler, 2025 23rd St. SW.,
`Naples, Fla. 33999; Norman A.
`Waiters, 662 93rd Ave. N., Naples,
`Fla. 33963
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 746,135
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`Jun. 18, 1985
`
`Int. Ci.4 ................................................ B32B 7/08
`[51]
`[52] U.S. C1 ......................................... 156/92; 428/43;
`428/220; 428/906
`[58] Field of Search ......................... 428/43, 220, 906;
`156/92
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`3,326,365 6/1967 Neureither et al ................... 428/43
`4,457,964 7/1984 Kaminstein ........................... 428/43
`
`Primary Examiner--Alexander S. Thomas
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Merrill N. Johnson
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A continuous roll of perforated plastic tabs for use in
`stapling roofing paper onto a roof or other building
`panel. Preferably the tabs are 1¼ inches by 1¼ inches
`square and 0.03 inches thick and made of styrene.
`
`2 Claim.~ 4 Drawing Figures
`
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 25, 1986
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`4,624,721
`
`//
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`FAST FELT 2017, pg. 2
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`4,624,721
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`2
`order to facilitate ready separation of a single tab from
`the roll.
`The roll of perforated tabs preferably is wound upon
`an open hub so the roll of tabs can be hung on the belt
`5 of a workman to provide easy access to the perforated
`tabs as needed.
`We have found that use of our perforated styrene tabs
`not only prevents the injuries and jammed staple guns
`often caused by use of the conventional metal discs, but
`10 considerable time is saved and the cost of fastening the
`roofing paper to the plywood panels is reduced.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roll of our perfo-
`15 rated reinforcing roofing tabs.
`FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of our roofing tabs.
`FIG. 3 is a plan view partially broken away of a
`comer of a roof showing two overlapping strips of
`roofing paper stapled to an underlying plywood panel
`20 using our roofing tabs.
`
`FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a strip of
`roofing paper stapled to a plywood panel using one of
`our perforated reinforcing roofing tabs.
`
`METHOD OF USING A ROLL OF PERFORATED
`PLASTIC ROOFING TABS
`
`BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`In the construction of residential houses and other
`buildings having peaked or slanted roofs, the roof, par-
`ticularly in the Sunbelt regions of the United States,
`usually consists of three successive layers of materials.
`First, 4’× 8’ panels of ~ plywood are nailed to the
`wooden roof trusses. Next, the plywood panels are
`covered with overlapping horizontal strips of 36" wide
`btiilder’s felt roofing paper. Finally, the roofing paper is
`covered by shingles of various types depending on the
`style of the building.
`On many construction sites several weeks may elapse
`between the time the roofing paper is laid on the roof
`and when the shingles are installed. Accordingly, the
`roofing paper must be securely fastened to the plywood
`panels to prevent damage by high winds and rain not
`only to the roofing paper and plywood panels but to the
`interior of the building and its contents until the shingles
`are installed.
`Most contractors presently engaged in roof construc-
`tion use air-powered staple guns to staple roofing paper
`onto the underlying plywood panels, but a staple alone
`tends to cut through the roofing paper and thus does not
`provide permanent fastening of the paper to .the ply-
`wood panel. Therefore, some form of reinforcement is
`required between the staple and the roofing paper.
`The item most commonly used by roofing contrac-
`tors to secure stapled paper to the plywood is a 1½"
`diameter tin-plated steel disc 0.015" thick. An air-driven
`staple will pierce this disc and secure it to the paper and
`underlying panel.
`However, these metal discs present a number of dis-
`advantages. To lessen rusting of the discs during stor-
`age, the discs are normally packaged in a bath of oil
`which makes the discs messy to work with and time-
`consuming and difficult to separate. If two or three
`unseparated discs are inadvertently placed on the felt
`paper and an attempt is made to staple them, the staple
`often will fail to penetrate the stacked discs, causing the
`staple gun to jam and/or possibly injure the workman.
`Despite their tin-plating and oil coating, the discs
`often rust before they are used. The discs have a cir-
`cumference which often is sharp and jagged, a source of
`cuts on the hands and fingers of those working daily
`with these discs. Finally, the air-driven staple often
`drives the disc into the roofing paper with such force
`that the sharp edge of the disc is raised up from the
`roofing paper a fraction of an inch, which is sufficient to
`expose the edge as a potentially dangerous "stumbling
`block" for workmen on the roof and a source of cuts on
`the hands and fingers of those who install the shingles or
`other materials after the roofing paper is laid.
`We have invented a simple but unique reinforcing
`roofing tab for use in securing stapled roofing paper
`onto an underlying surface and an improved "package"
`for storing and delivering these tabs to the site where
`they are to be used.
`In their preferred form, our reinforcing roofing tabs
`are made of styrene 0.03" thick and 1,, 1-
`1~ ×14 square.
`The tabs are manufactured, stored and delivered to the
`job site as a continuous roll of approximately 1100 tabs
`with the edges of adjacent tabs closely perforated in
`
`25
`
`30
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the attached drawings,
`tab 11 is made of a plastic material such as styrene pref-
`erably 0.030 inches thick and 1~ inches by 1¼ inches
`square. Two opposing sides 12 of each tab 11 are closely
`perforated to permit quick and easy separation of an
`individual tab from its adjacent tab.
`For convenience in the manufacture, marketing and
`35 storage of a supply of tabs 12, a continuous strip of
`perforated tabs 11 is wound into a roll 10 of preferably
`1100 tabs around a hollow cylindrical core 17 shown in
`FIG. 1. If desired, a thin coating of pressure sensitive
`adhesive may be applied to the upper surface of the strip
`40 of tabs 11 during manufacture to prevent undesired
`separation of roll 10 prior to use of the tabs.
`A roll of perforated tabs such as roll 10 provides a
`convenient "package" of tabs which can be hung from
`the belt or otherwise made readily accessible to a work-
`45 man using a staple gun to secure roofing paper to the
`panels of a roof or other structure.
`Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the use of our roof-
`ing tabs will be explained. Builder’s felt roofing paper
`conventionally is supplied in rolls 36 inches wide. The
`50 plywood panels nailed to the roof trusses are covered
`with horizontally laid strips of roofing paper beginning
`with the lowermost horizontal edge of the roof.
`FIG. 3 shows a corner of roof consisting of plywood
`panel 13 covered with horizontally laid strips 14 and 16
`55 of roofing paper. The upper edge of strip 14 (shown as
`a dotted line) is overlapped two inches by the lower
`edge of strip 16.
`The lower edge of strip 14 is fastened to panel 13 by
`a row of staples 15 spaced six inches apart. Before each
`60 staple is driven into place, one of our perforated styrene
`reinforcing tabs 11 is placed on the roofing paper strip
`14. Then staple 15 is driven through tab 11 and roofing
`paper 14 and into plywood panel 13 as best shown in
`FIG. 4.
`To insure the fastening of the strips of roofing paper
`to the plywood panels, a second row of tabs 11 and
`staples 15 spaced 12 inches apart are laid across the
`center of strip 14 and another row of tabs and staples
`
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`spaced six inches apart is laid along the upper edge of
`strip 14 overlapped by the lower edge of strip 16.
`Being made of a plastic material, preferably styrene,
`our reinforcing tabs do not rust or deteriorate due to
`exposure to intense sunlight, rain or ice as do conven-
`tional metal discs. Since the staples used in roofing vary
`from ~ths to 1 inch across, our 1¼"× 1¼" tabs are large
`enough for use with all commonly used staples and
`provide sufficient reinforcing area over the roofing
`paper to insure that the paper will not tear away from
`the underlying panel even in a high wind.
`The plastic tabs should be at least 0.02 inches and
`preferably 0.03 inches in thickness so that a staple will
`not cut through the tab as it is driven through the roof-
`ing paper and into the plywood panel.
`
`While we have shown and described a preferred
`embodiment of our invention, the invention is limited
`only by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
`We claim:
`5 1. A method of securely fastening a strip of roofing
`paper onto a building panel in which a reinforcing tab is
`placed over the roofing paper before each staple or nail
`is driven through the reinforcing tab and roofing paper
`and into the building panel wherein the reinforcing tab
`10 is taken from a continuous roll of perforated tabs each
`consisting of a square of solid plastic material approxi-
`mately 1¼ inches wide and 0.03 inches thick.
`2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rein-
`forcing tabs are made entirely of solid styrene.
`15 * * * * *
`
`2O
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`25
`
`3O
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`35
`
`4O
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`45
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`5O
`
`55
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`6O
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`65
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`FAST FELT 2017, pg. 4
`Owens Corning v. Fast Felt
`IPR2015-00650