" "Our tear-off machine with the roof remover has helped us the most," says Doug Griffith of Griffith Roofing, Beaverton, Oregon. "It's a real labor and back saving piece of equipment." As an added benefit, there are several attachments that can be purchased separately and used in conjunction with the tear-off machine making it a multi-functional piece of equipment. The power broom attachment offers right and left angle positions for windrowing gravel and the tooth blade attachment is used to remove nails from base sheet or shingles. There is even a felt-slitting blade. Though, it is the roof remover attachment that is the most common and is said to remove up to 30 squares of built-up roofing and insulation per hour. "On the demolition portion of a job, it cuts our labor costs in half and saves about 25% on overall job costs," concludes Griffith. "
actually, if they can prove they thought of it first, and had taken steps to progress the invention, i believe you would find yourself in a losing legal battle.
as i understand it, one of the best ways to protect your invention is to make it public. gives you the documentation you need.
I would think so, too. There are wheeled tear-off bars (without the power propulsion) available for light duty jobs and I suppose they would work fine on shallow sloped shingled roofs.
I know this doesn't address your question about a powered device to remove shingles..but I assume you have tried the device that looks like a flat shovel with teeth on the front that is designed for removing roof shingles. A friend told me that it really helped in his roof removal. I've never used one myself but noticed it in the hardware dep't at Sears and suggested it to my friend. He was in his 70's and a former farmer and had never heard of it either. Tom.
When we tore off the roof on my grandmother's house 20-some years ago, my brother made a couple stripping tools by welding pipe nipples to sharpened pieces of old car leaf springs. Looked crude as hell, but worked rather well. Slide under an edge, rock it back, and the shingle popped right off in most cases, nails and all. Never seen a commercial tool with the same configuration, but I haven't looked real hard.
There are such animals for flat roofs. I once worked with someone using one, I was not impressed. It cut the fasteners, but left the shank sticking out. We had to go back and knock all the sharp shanks down.
I did roofing for about 20 some years. We used tools by AJC, nice tools and they are made locally here in Ohio. Al Crookston started the company, he was a fellow roofer I knew b/4 he became rich. Now a very large manufacturer for roofing tools. You should be able to pick up a _Shing-Go_ Shovel_ at your local lumber supplier or roofing supply. The 47" with fiberglass handle runs about $50. The rip blades are replaceable and run about $11, but they would last the occasional roofer a life-time. We replaced the rip blades b/4 every season, the rip blade catches the fastener head and you just push down on the shovel. Also, they don't come with a protective skid plate, _buy_ one because it will save the shovel from breaking because the heal of the shovel sees a lot of use. Skid plate just bolts on and only costs about $6, well worth the money. Here's a link.
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Union Tools also makes shingle rippers. I used these b/4, but like the AJC better. You should be able to find these at your local stores also.
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