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A composite shingle having unitary construction is presented that includes a body shell, a plurality of longitudinal ribs, and a plurality of rib stiffeners. The present composite shingle may also include transverse ribs, a depressed nailing zone, nailing zone ribs, and/or at least one alignment aid

A composite shingle having unitary construction is presented that includes a body shell, a plurality of longitudinal ribs, and a plurality of rib stiffeners. The present composite shingle may also include transverse ribs, a depressed nailing zone, nailing zone ribs, and/or at least one alignment aid. The plurality of rib stiffeners may include a material saving profile. Further, the dimensions of the composite shingle more closely resemble true slate and shake shingles and at least a portion of the outside face of composite shingle may be textured to resemble slate or wood shake shingles. A plurality of assembled composite shingles of the present invention is also claimed as part of this invention. Finally, a method of applying multiple courses of shingles on a roof including the composite shingle of the present invention is presented.

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1. A composite shingle of unitary construction comprising: a body shell including a top surface, a bottom surface, a top end, a butt end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a lap portion, and a tab portion;a plurality of longitudinal ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said

1. A composite shingle of unitary construction comprising: a body shell including a top surface, a bottom surface, a top end, a butt end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a lap portion, and a tab portion;a plurality of longitudinal ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell to a common plane;a plurality of rib stiffeners with a first end and a second end and extending downward from said bottom surface wherein said first end and said second end are formed as a unit with and are connected to said longitudinal ribs and wherein said plurality of rib stiffeners include a material saving profile, wherein said material saving profile includes a midpoint recess depth greater than zero. 2. The composite shingle of claim 1 wherein said plurality of rib stiffeners are orientated in a centered rectangular lattice pattern. 3. The composite shingle of claim 1 wherein said material saving profile is an arched profile. 4. The composite shingle of claim 1 further comprising an alignment aid comprising at least two spacing nibs, a scale, and a laying line. 5. The composite shingle of claim 1 wherein at least said tab portion of said top surface of said body shell is textured to resemble a natural material selected from a group consisting of slate and wood. 6. The composite shingle of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said butt end wall, said first side wall and said second side wall are textured to resemble a natural material selected from a group consisting of slate and wood. 7. The composite shingle of claim 1 further comprising at least one nailing zone identified on said top surface, said at least one nailing zone being a recessed portion of said top surface. 8. The composite shingle of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of nailing zone ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell, said plurality of nailing zone ribs positioned substantially beneath said at least one nailing zone and between said longitudinal ribs wherein said plurality of nailing zone ribs have a rib-to-rib spacing less than a rib-to-rib spacing of said longitudinal ribs. 9. A composite shingle of unitary construction comprising: a body shell including a top surface, a bottom surface, a top end, a butt end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a lap portion, and a tab portion;a plurality of longitudinal ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell to a common plane;a plurality of rib stiffeners with a first end and a second end and extending downward from said bottom surface wherein said first end and said second end are formed as a unit with and are connected to said longitudinal ribs;at least one nailing zone identified on said top surface; anda plurality of nailing zone ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell, said plurality of nailing zone ribs being substantially beneath said at least one nailing zone and between said longitudinal ribs, and wherein said plurality of nailing zone ribs have a rib-to-rib spacing less than a rib-to-rib spacing of said longitudinal ribs. 10. The composite shingle of claim 9 wherein said at least one nailing zone is a recessed portion of said top surface. 11. The composite shingle of claim 9 further comprising an alignment aid comprising at least two spacing nibs, a scale, and a laying line. 12. The composite shingle of claim 9 wherein at least said tab portion of said top surface of said body shell is textured to resemble a natural material selected from a group consisting of slate and wood. 13. The composite shingle of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of said butt end wall, said first side wall and said second side wall are textured to resemble a natural material selected from a group consisting of slate and wood. 14. The composite shingle of claim 9 wherein said plurality of rib stiffeners are orientated in a centered rectangular lattice pattern. 15. A method of applying multiple courses of composite shingles on a roof comprising: providing an underlying shingle;coupling said underlying shingle to said roof to form at least a portion of a first course;laying a first overlying shingle on at least a portion of said underlying shingle said first overlying shingle having a unitary construction and including: a body shell including a top surface, a bottom surface, a top end, a butt end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a lap portion, and a tab portion;a plurality of longitudinal ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell to a common plane;a plurality of rib stiffeners with a first end and a second, end and extending downward from said bottom surface wherein said first end and said second end are formed as a unit with and are connected to said longitudinal ribs and wherein said plurality of rib stiffeners include a material saving profile, wherein said material saving profile includes a midpoint recess depth greater than zero; andcoupling said first overlying shingle to said roof. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein at least said tab portion of said top surface of said body shell of said first overlying shingle is textured to resemble a natural material selected from a group consisting of slate and wood. 17. A method of applying multiple courses of composite shingles on a roof comprising: providing an underlying shingle;coupling said underlying shingle to said roof to form at least a portion of a first course;laying a first overlying shingle on at least a portion of said underlying shingle said first overlying shingle having a unitary construction and including: a body shell including a top surface, a bottom surface, a top end, a butt end wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a lap portion, and a tab portion; a plurality of longitudinal ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell to a common plane;a plurality of rib stiffeners with a first end and a second end and extending downward from said bottom surface wherein said first end and said second end are formed as a unit with and are connected to said longitudinal ribs;at least one nailing zone identified on said top surface wherein said nailing zone is a recessed portion of said top surface; anda plurality of nailing zone ribs extending downward from said bottom surface of said body shell, said plurality of nailing zone ribs being substantially beneath said at least one nailing zone and between said longitudinal ribs, and wherein said plurality of nailing zone ribs have a rib-to-rib spacing less than a rib-to-rib spacing of said longitudinal ribs; andcoupling said first overlying shingle to said roof. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least tab portion of said top surface of said body shell of said first overlying shingle is textured to resemble a natural material selected from a group consisting of slate and wood.