Impact resistant roofing shingles and process of making same

1. A method of making and applying an impact resistant roofing shingle to a roofing substrate comprising the steps in the sequence set forth:

applying an asphalt coating to a bottom surface of a substrate, the asphalt coating having a first melting temperature; disposing granules on the top side of the coated web; wherein the granules are rock coated with a colored ceramic coating, coal slag and sand; pressing the granules into the coated web;

cooling the coated substrate;

adhering a rubber polymer modified asphaltic adhesive to the asphalt coating, the modified asphaltic adhesive having a second melting temperature;

adhering an impact resistant film to the rubber polymer modified asphaltic adhesive, wherein a laminated substrate is formed and the impact resistant film is a bottom-most layer of the laminated substrate, the impact resistant film providing protective reinforcement against the generation of cracks in the asphalt coated substrate due to impact, the impact resistant film having a third melting temperature, wherein the second melting temperature is higher than the first melting temperature thereby allowing the modified asphaltic adhesive to prevent and seal cracks caused by impact that may develop in the roofing shingle after installation, and the third melting temperature is independent from the first and second melting temperatures;

cutting the laminated substrate into roofing shingles, wherein the roofing shingles have self-sealing properties and impact-resistant qualities; and

applying the roofing shingles to the roofing substrate, wherein the impact resistant film is adjacent the roofing substrate.

2. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third melting temperature is higher than the first melting temperature.

3. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third melting temperature is equal to the first melting temperature.

4. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third melting temperature is lower than the first melting temperature.

5. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said impact resistant film is any class of plastic films that are useful in the manufacture of impact resistant roofing shingles regardless of melting temperature.

6. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

applying a second asphalt coating to a top surface of the substrate; and

layering a plurality of granules on the second asphalt coating.

7. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said impact resistant film is a plastic film.

8. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 said impact resistant film is a latex plastic.

9. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 8 wherein said latex plastic is selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, a polyacrylate and polyvinyl halide.

10. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said impact resistant film is selected from the group consisting of polyamide films and polyester films.

11. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said impact resistant film is a polyethylene terephthalate film.

12. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said impact resistant film is a polyolefin film.

13. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said modified asphalt adhesive may contain an acrylic, a polyurethane or a silicone.

14. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said substrate is a web, a scrim or a felt of a fibrous material.

15. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said substrate is a non-woven glass fiber.

16. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fibrous material is selected from the group consisting of mineral fibers, cellulosic fibers, rag fibers, synthetic fibers and mixtures thereof.

17. The process of making an impact resistant roofing shingle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said asphalt coating is a cooled asphalt.

18. A process for making a roofing shingle comprising the steps in the sequence set forth:

coating a top side and a bottom side of nonwoven web of glass fibers with a bituminous material, the bituminous material having a first decomposition temperature;

disposing granules on the top side of the coated web; wherein the granules are rock coated with a colored ceramic coating, coal slag and sand;

pressing the granules into the coated web;

cooling the coated web thereby solidifying the bituminous material;

coating the bottom side of the coated web with a rubber-polymer-based asphalt, the rubber-polymer-based asphalt having a second decomposition temperature and first impact resistant qualities, wherein the second decomposition temperature is higher than the first decomposition temperature thereby imparting self-sealing properties to the coated web, the self-sealing properties allowing the rubber-polymer-based asphalt to prevent and seal cracks caused by impact that may develop in the roofing shingle after installation;

adhering an impact resistant film to the rubber-polymer-based asphalt, the film having a third decomposition temperature, wherein the third melting temperature is independent from the first and second decomposition temperatures, wherein a laminated web is formed;

drying the laminated web; and

cutting the laminated web into roofing shingles, wherein the roofing shingles have self-sealing properties and first and second impact-resistant qualities.

19. The process for making a roofing shingle as claimed in claim 18 wherein said impact resistant film is selected from the group consisting of polyamide films and polyester films.

20. The process for making a roofing shingle as claimed in claim 18 wherein said impact resistant film is a polyethylene terephthalate film.

21. The process for making a roofing shingle as claimed in claim 18 wherein said impact resistant film is a polyolefin film.

22. A process for making a roofing shingle consisting essentially of the steps in the sequence set forth:

coating a top side and a bottom side of a substrate with asphalt, the asphalt having a first decomposition temperature;

disposing granules on the top side of the coated substrate; wherein the granules are rock coated with a colored ceramic coating, coal slag and sand;

pressing the granules into the coated substrate;

cooling the coated substrate thereby solidifying the asphalt;

coating the bottom side of the coated substrate with a rubber-polymer-based asphalt, the rubber-polymer-based asphalt having a second decomposition temperature and first impact resistant qualities, wherein the second decomposition temperature is higher than the first decomposition temperature thereby imparting self-sealing properties to the coated substrate, the self-sealing properties allowing the rubber-polymer-based asphalt to prevent and seal cracks caused by impact that may develop in the roofing shingle after installation;

adhering an impact resistant film to the rubber-polymer-based asphalt, the film having a third decomposition temperature, wherein the third melting temperature is independent from the first and second decomposition temperatures, wherein a laminated substrate is formed;

drying the laminated substrate;

cutting the laminated substrate into roofing shingles, wherein the roofing shingles have self-sealing properties and first and second impact-resistant qualities.

23. The process for making a roofing shingle as claimed in claim 22 wherein said impact resistant film is a polyolefin film.

24. A method of making and applying an impact resistant roofing shingle to a roofing substrate comprising the steps in the sequence set forth:

coating a top and a bottom of a web with an asphalt;

dispensing inorganic particulates onto the top surface of the web; wherein the inorganic particulates are rock coated with a colored ceramic coating, coal slag and sand;

pressing the inorganic particulates into the asphalt;

cooling the asphalt-coated web;

applying an adhesive to the cooled, asphalt-coated web, the adhesive having a cold flow;

adhering an impact resistant film to the adhesive, the adhesive bonding the impact resistant film to the cooled, asphalt-coated web to form a laminated substrate, the impact resistant film being a bottom-most layer of the laminated substrate, the impact resistant film having a low decomposition temperature;

drying the laminated substrate;

cutting the laminated substrate into roofing shingles, the roofing shingles having self-sealing properties and impact-resistant qualities; and

applying the roofing shingles to the roofing substrate, the impact resistant film being adjacent the roofing substrate,

wherein (1) the impact resistant film provides protective reinforcement against the generation of cracks in the asphalt coated substrate due to impact and (2) the cold flow allows the adhesive to flow into the asphalt at ordinary temperatures so as to prevent and seal cracks caused by impact that may develop in the roofing shingle after installation.

25. The method of making and applying an impact resistant roofing shingle to a roofing substrate as claimed in claim 24 wherein the web is a non-woven web of glass fibers.

26. The method of making and applying an impact resistant roofing shingle to a roofing substrate as claimed in claim 25 wherein the cooling step is performed in a convection cooler.

27. The method of making and applying an impact resistant roofing shingle to a roofing substrate as claimed in claim 26 wherein the impact resistant film is a polyvinyl chloride film.

28. The method of making and applying an impact resistant roofing shingle to a roofing substrate as claimed in claim 27 wherein the adhesive is a rubber polymer modified asphalt.