Tools

A New Guide Bar Tool

That’s why I came up with a new tool, to further assist the installer(s) in the aligning and fastening process to hold the shingles in a straight line. Otherwise, a long string of shingles would have the tendency to bow down in the middle.

However, even without the use of the new tool, by the use of chalk lines on the roof, all the installer needs to do is, after the line of shingles is laid down on the roof, is to push the shingles up to the line and then affix each shingle to the roof. This arrangement would save time because it would eliminate some of the tiny, little time wasters of setting each and every shingle. That brings us to the new tool(s).

A New Guide Bar Tool

The tool, which would be a straight member of a light weight material, such as, but not limited to, aluminum, and be available in different lengths, such as, but not limited to, 10-16 feet or more, so as to work around objects such as, vent pipes, hips in the roof and dormers, just to name a few, depending on the job. The tool could also include extensions to reach out on either or both sides when needed.

This tool would automatically make the micro adjustment of aligning all the shingles horizontally, all at once at the same time. Whereas, at present, each of these aligning jobs has to be done for each and every shingle.

The new guide bar tool would be suspended from some devices, such as, but not limited to, a chain, cable or strap. Once the supporting chain(s) or strap(s) were attached to the top of the roof and laid going down the roof and the tool attached to them, the long line of connected shingles would be placed on the straight guide bar tool.

Another design of the guide bar would have the attaching arms that are attached to the guide bar be able to slide across the guide bar to any needed location. (not shown)

This would be useful as the bar is used on a hip on a roof. As the guide bar is moved up the roof, and the area being covered is narrowed, the attaching straps would be moved closer to the center and the attaching arms would be moved inward to move with the new locations

These supporting devices would have, either, predetermined distances set so that the tool could be attached at a certain point.

Then, as all the shingles are now affixed to the roof, the tool is un-attach from the supporting straps, moved up six, seven inches or whatever overlap is needed or one predetermined length up-ward, re-attach the tool and repeat the process that would automatically set the overlap of the next row of shingles which, before this, had to be done manually for each and every shingle. of the holding straps.

There would be the need for micro adjustments to the holding bar which could be accomplished by different means.

The shingles that would come in a stack or roll and then un-wound and be placed on the guide bar tool,and straightened. Then, all that the installer would need to do is affix the shingles to the roof.

Or, the guide bar tool could be attached to power winches that the installers would move up and or down by means of buttons on a control box to the next height, as needed.

Other than that, the process would move as fast as the installer could load the line of shingles on the tool, affix them to the roof and move the tool upward as fast as they could.

This would eliminate the need to run measuring tapes down the roof, and drive temporary nails at least two times, one on each side so that they could stretch a chalk line across the roof and snap all the lines. Then go back and remove all the nails.

Next, if the line of shingles is coming off of a roll, a predetermined length of shingles could be cut, either down on the ground, or up on the roof, either way, and placed on the guide bar tool that would automatically set the distance between each shingle by affixing one end of the long line of shingles to the roof and then pulling from the other end, pulling the line of shingles taught.

This would set the distances between each shingle, align the bottom of each shingle in relationship to each other and have multiple shingles put in place, all at once instead of individually. Then the installers affix each shingle in a straight line instead of individually.

When all these jobs are done automatically, all an installer needs to do is go along the line of shingles and affix the shingles to the roof in rapid succession. This speeds up the job because the installer doesn’t need to reach for their tools, they are already in their hand saving even more time.

Because so many little jobs could be accomplished in a smooth even motion, there would be the elimination of many little motions where the installers need to stop, grab, adjust, hold, move. These can now be done seamlessly, greatly reducing the time needed to complete the roofing job or whatever other shingle job that needs to be done.

However, there is often another problem; keeping the installers on the roof.