System and method for cutting roofing shingles

A system for cutting shingles from a continuous sheet of material, the system comprising:

• a cylinder;
• a first series of cutting blades mounted on the cylinder with each blade extending for a portion of the circumference of the cylinder and the blades disposed in an end-to-end relationship, the length of each blade being such that, when connected in the end-to-end relationship, the blades extend around the entire circumference of the cylinder;
• a second series of cutting blades mounted on the cylinder and extending parallel to the first series, each blade of the second series extending for a portion of the circumference of the cylinder and the blades of the second series disposed in an end-to-end relationship, the length of each blade of the second series being such that, when connected in the end-to-end relationship, they extend around the entire circumference of the cylinder;
• an additional cutting blade extending over the circumference of the cylinder and adapted to make a continuous longitudinal cut down the center of the sheet to divide the sheet into two portions;
• means for rotating the cylinder while effecting relative translational movement between the cylinder and the sheet so that the first series of blades sequentially engage and cut one of the sheet portions to make a continuous longitudinal cut down the one sheet portion to separate the one sheet portions into two sections, and so that the second series of blades sequentially engage and cut the other sheet portion to make a continuous longitudinal cut down the other sheet portion to separate the other sheet portion into two sections;
• and
• the configurations of at least a portion of the blades being different so that a corresponding number of shingles having different patterns are cut in the sheet upon each revolution of the cylinder.

A method of cutting shingles from a continuous sheet of material, the method comprising:

• mounting a series of cutting blades in an end-to-end relationship on a cylinder so that each blade extends for a portion of the circumference of the cylinder and so that the blades together extend around the entire circumference of the cylinder;
• rotating the cylinder while effecting relative translational movement between the cylinder and the sheet so that the blades sequentially engage and cut the sheet to make a continuous longitudinal cut down the sheet to separate the sheet into two portions;
• and
• the configurations of at least a portion of the blades being different so that a corresponding number of shingles having different patterns are cut in the sheet upon each revolution of the cylinder.

A method of cutting shingles from a continuous sheet of material, the method comprising:

• mounting a first series of cutting blades on the cylinder in an end-to-end relationship so that each blade extends for a portion of the circumference of the cylinder and so that the blades together extend around the entire circumference of the cylinder;
• mounting a second series of cutting blades on the cylinder in an end-to-end relationship so that each blade in the second series extends for a portion of the circumference of the cylinder and so that the blades of the second series together extend around the entire circumference of the cylinder;
• cutting a continuous longitudinal cut down the center of the sheet to divide the sheet into two portions;
• rotating the cylinder while effecting relative translational movement between the cylinder and the sheet so that the first series of blades sequentially engage and cut one of the sheet portions to make a continuous longitudinal cut down the one sheet portion to separate the one sheet portions into two sections, and so that the second series of blades sequentially engage and cut the other sheet portion to make a continuous longitudinal cut down the other sheet portion to separate the other sheet portion into two sections;
• and
• the configurations of at least a portion the blades being different so that a corresponding number of shingles having different patterns are cut in the sheet upon each revolution of the cylinder.