Shingle having ribs and a cavity on its underside

A roofing shingle made from a composition comprising an organic, resinous material and an inorganic filler material, the roofing shingle having a structure comprising:

• (a) a top surface forming an upper, headlap portion and a lower, tab portion;
• (b) means defining a cavity under said top surface, said means defining a cavity comprising a first side surface extending downward from said top surface, a second side surface extending downward from said top surface, an upper end surface extending downward from said top surface, and a butt end surface extending downward from said top surface;
• (c) recessed ribs within said cavity under said tab portion extending downward from said top surface;
• and (d) at least one strip in the headlap portion adjacent the upper end having spaced-apart ridges parallel to said two side surfaces for aligning with the recessed ribs of an overlying shingle, and means for receiving fasteners between adjacent ridges.

A roofing shingle made from a composition comprising an organic, resinous material and an inorganic filler material, the roofing shingle having a structure comprising:

• (a) a top surface forming an upper, headlap portion and a lower, tab portion;
• (b) means defining a cavity under said top surface, said means defining a cavity comprising a first side surface, a second side surface, an upper end surface and a butt end surface all extending downward from said top surface, with the headlap portion having an upper end defined by the upper end surface and the tab portion having a lower end defined by the butt end surface;
• (c) a plurality of ribs within said cavity extending downward from said top surface;
• and (d) a grooved break line between and parallel to said first and second side surfaces extending from said upper end to a midpoint between the upper end and the lower end, and a cutout portion between and parallel to said first and second side surfaces extending from said midpoint to said lower end.

A roofing shingle made from a composition comprising an organic, resinous material and an inorganic filler material, the shingle having a structure comprising:

• (a) a top surface forming an upper, headlap portion and a lower, tab portion;
• (b) means defining a cavity under said top surface, said means defining a cavity comprising a first side surface, a second side surface, an upper end surface and a butt end surface all extending downward from said top surface to a common plane;
• and (c) a plurality of ribs within said cavity extending downward from said top surface to the common plane or a point above the common plane;
• wherein the tab portion is divided into a lower tab part extending from a lower end defined by the butt end surface and an upper tab part extending from the lower tab part to the headlap portion, and the headlap portion has an upper headlap part extending from an upper end defined by the upper end surface and a lower headlap part extending from the upper headlap part to the tab portion, where the upper tab part and the lower headlap part have an equal and constant thickness, the lower tab part has a thickness greater than the thickness of the upper tab part and lower headlap part, and the upper headlap part has a thickness less than the thickness of the upper tab part and lower headlap part.

A roofing shingle made from a composition comprising an organic, resinous material and an inorganic filler material, the roofing shingle having a structure comprising:

• (a) a top surface forming an upper, headlap portion and a lower, tab portion;
• (b) means defining a cavity under said top surface, said means defining a cavity comprising a first side surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, a second side surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, an upper end surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, and a butt end surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, said bottom edges of the first side surface, the second side surface, the upper end surface and the butt end surface generally lying in a common plane, wherein the structure has a generally rectangular perimeter defined by said first side surface, said second side surface, said upper end surface and said butt end surface, with the headlap portion having an upper end defined by the upper end surface and the tab portion having a lower end defined by the butt end surface;
• (c) a plurality of ribs within said cavity and extending downward from said top surface, said plurality of ribs including supporting ribs extending from said top surface to said common plane and recessed ribs under said tab portion extending from said top surface to a point above said common plane;
• and (d) at least one strip in the headlap portion for receiving fasteners comprising a nailing strip adjacent the upper end having spaced-apart ridges parallel to said first and second side surfaces for aligning with the recessed ribs of an overlying shingle.

A roofing shingle made from a composition comprising an organic, resinous material and an inorganic filler material, the roofing shingle having a structure comprising:

• (a) a top surface forming an upper, headlap portion and a lower, tab portion;
• (b) means defining a cavity under said top surface, said means defining a cavity comprising a first side surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, a second side surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, an upper end surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, and a butt end surface extending downward from said top surface and having a bottom edge, said bottom edges of the first side surface, the second side surface, the upper end surface and the butt end surface generally lying in a common plane, wherein the structure has a generally rectangular perimeter defined by said first side surface, said second side surface, said upper end surface and said butt end surface, with the headlap portion having an upper end defined by the upper end surface and the tab portion having a lower end defined by the butt end surface, and wherein the tab portion is divided into a lower tab part extending from the lower end and an upper tab part extending from the lower tab part to the headlap portion, and the headlap portion has an upper headlap part extending from the upper end and a lower headlap part extending from the upper headlap part to the tab portion, where the upper tab part and the lower headlap part have an equal and constant thickness, the lower tab part has a thickness greater than the thickness of the upper tab part and lower headlap part, and the upper headlap part has a thickness less than the thickness of the upper tab part and lower headlap part;
• (c) a plurality of ribs within said cavity and extending downward from said top surface, said plurality of ribs including supporting ribs extending from said top surface to said common plane and recessed ribs under said tab portion extending from said top surface to a point above said common plane;
• and (d) at least one strip in the headlap portion for receiving fasteners.