Apparatus for cutting shingles

An apparatus for cutting shingles having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the first longitudinal edge being continuous, the shingle further including spaced rain grooves extending inwardly from the second longitudinal edge, said apparatus being for cutting shingles into a six-sided shape for use in a ridge cap, said apparatus comprising:

• a base having a flat, shingle-receiving surface, said base including a back stop for placement thereagainst of the continuous first longitudinal edge of a shingle to align the shingle in position for cutting;
• a lever arm having a first end and a second end, the second end having a handle portion;
• pivot means for pivotally mounting the first end of said lever arm to said base, said lever arm being movable between a first position adjacent the single-receiving surface;
• a blade support attached to said lever arm;
• a pair of blades secured to said blade support and having cutting edges facing away from said blade support, said blades being positioned in diverging relationship to one another, each blade having a first end and a second end, the first ends being positioned closer to one another than the second ends, said blades diverging in the direction away from the first end of said lever arm, the second ends of said blades being spaced apart the same distance as the spacing between adjacent rain grooves of a shingle;
• and
• alignment means for aligning a shingle on said base to have said blades contact the shingle with the second ends adjacent the spaced rain grooves of the shingle and with the first ends extending adjacent the continuous longitudinal edge of the shingle,
• said base including a pair of grooves positioned to receive the cutting edges of said blades when said lever arm is in the second position adjacent the shingle-receiving surface of said base,
• said lever arm having a first position displaced from the shingle-receiving surface to permit placement of a shingle on said surface, said lever arm having a second position with the cutting blades extending into the grooves, whereby a shingle placed on the shingle-receiving surface of said base is cut by said blades by movement of said lever arm from the first position to the second position.