US3335536A

US3335536A - Multilayer floor covering with releasable securing means

Info

Publication number: US3335536A
Application number: US346263A
Authority: US
Inventors: Goldwin C Mccord
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-02-20
Filing date: 1964-02-20
Publication date: 1967-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-15

Description

Aug. 15, 1967 C, MccoRD 3,335,536

MULTILAYER FLOOR COVERING WITH RELEASABLE SECURING MEANS Filed Feb. 20, 1964 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7% 54 70 A INVENTOR. 75 Goldman C. McCord SZOne, Afferma, uffrrez'steff Jammer V270/nys Aug. 15, 1967 Q Q MCCORD 3,335,536

MULTILAYER FLOOR COVERING WITH RELEASABLE SECURING MEANS Filed Feb. 20, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig-5 A' E :f-E

Q W YW Jaz INVENTOR. Goldxa fr C. McCord Stof/e, Ncrman, urmenser jammer lw'wqys 3,335,536 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 ice 3,335,536 MULTILAYER FLOOR COVERING WITH RELEASABLE SECURING MEANS Goldwin C. McCord, 5127 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, ru. 60632 Filed Feb. 20, 1964, Ser. N0. 346,263 6 Claims. (Cl. 52-410) The present invention relates to oor coverings and more particularly to floor coverings of the type generically called carpeting.

Carpeting may Abe classed in two broad categories, namely, wall-to-wall carpeting, and rugs which are smaller than the iioor upon which they are used. For the purpose of definition in this specification, the term wallto-Wall c-arpeting will be used to cover the Vcarpeting which is tacked down or otherwise permanently fastened to the lloor surface, and as the name implies, covers the entire floor of the room. Rugs of predetermined size, such as 8 feet by l2 -feet or 8 feet iby 8 feet, to cite examples, are purchased in a ready-to-use condition and cover only a portion of the floor. Rugs or carpets falling into either of these categories are subject to a number of common problems in varying degrees. Two major problems are difliculty in cleaning and localization of wear.

Even rugs which are removably laid on the floor have these objections. Further the entire floor is not covered with such rugs, a feature considered undesirable by the modern housewife. Such rugs are bulky and diicult to clean on the floor without professional attention, gener-ally by the use of brushes and rubbing action. To more fully clean such rugs, they must be removed Afrom the floor and sent to a commercial rug cleaning establishment which has special-purpose rug cleaning machinery. Such rugs `also are only capable of being placed in two or four orientations within the room depending on the shape of the rug and the room. For example, with an 8 foot by 12 foot rug, the longitudinal axis of the rug must ordinarily be placed along the longitudinal axis of the room. Thus, when a section of rug is located to be subjected to considerable Wear, this section may not be readily placed in a position to minimize the wear. In fact, most of the Wear on rugs occurs toward the center and the edges remain in good and unworn condition. Thus no amount of periodic turning of the rug can reduce the wear on the rug center area. The same situation is true where a stain is embedded in the rug. The rug is not capable of much movement to positions allowing the stain to be hidden.

The previously described conditions pertain to Wall-to- Wall carpeting in an even greater degree. The carpet, once installed must be cleaned on location with shampoos and scrubbing action applied manually or by machine operated lbrushes. Ground-in dirt can not readily be removed in this manner and there is no way of equalizing the wear on the carpet. Thus, quite frequently, the section of carpet subjected to most Wear is worn out, while the remainder of the carpet is comparatively unworn. The same is true of carpets which have been stained badly. The entire carpet must be replaced to cure the damage to one small section.

The present invention has been devised to resolve these problems. Thus, the present invention provides a carpet which may be fitted from Wall-to-wall or in set sizes, which is readily removable for cleaning "by such methods as the coin-operated dry cleaning machines currently prevalent, and which may be shifted about to equalize the wear on all sections of the carpet.

To elect these features, the present invention has as an object to provide a carpet which may cover the floor surface of the room yfrom wall to wall, and which is readily removable in small easily-handled sections Which are convenient for cleaning.

The invention has as a further object to provide a novel carpet construction in which the carpet sections may be periodically shifted about and secured in new locations, the periodic shifting of the sections allowing equalization of wear on the entire carpet in much the same way that automobile tires are often rotated periodically to equalize the wear on the tires.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a carpet construction formed of sectionalized portions which may be replaced individu-ally as desired.

It is a further object to provide a carpet construction which has integral thereto, a rigid base layer which may Ibe mounted on Worn or irregular floor surfaces to reinforce said surfaces and to provide an adequately rigid oor surface under the carpet.

The present invention utilizes a carpet comprised of a plurality of rectangular carpet strips which are designed to be mounted on a xed under layer. These strips optimally will cover the entire floor area of the room Ibut may be restricted to a predetermined area. The strips are mounted in place so that once installed they are prevented from sliding or other movement. As desired, the sections may be removed from the oor underlayer for periodic cleaning and shifting to other locations on the floor area. The sections, once cleaned, are remounted to the under layer in Whatever location it is desired to shift the sections. The strips individually may be of a size such as 2 `feet by 4 feet which are easily handled for cleaning and easily shifted about.

The under layer includes a rigid base section which may be mounted to the floor permanently, if it is so desired. The under layer base section is formed of panels which are shaped to mutually mesh and to have affixed thereto edges of a number of adjacent carpet strips even though the panels are nominally the same basic size as the carpet strips. This effect is produced by providing l-arge gear tooth-like serrations or indentations in the lborders of adjacent under layer panels to match and interlock into a single continuous surface.

A layer of padding below the carpet is provided by covering the'upper surface of each of these panels of the base section with a panel of padding, such as foam plastic or rubber. The panels of padding are suitably bonded to the base layer and are formed with meshing or interlocking large serrations 4in the edges conforming to those of the panel. Suitable anchoring members extend from the base section for engagement with mating mounting members ailixed to the underside of each of the carpet strips. These mounting members secure the carpet layer to the base layer with the intervening padded layer serving to cushion the carpet. As mentioned, the under layer may be secured to the iloor in a permanent manner by the use of tacks or the like. Thus, the rigid base layer may be constructed of panels of plywood or similar thin, rigid sheet or by the use of skeletal members of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a rug embodying one form of the invention, with the rug partially broken away to show the two layer under layer construction and the upper layer thereof broken away to show the lower layer thereof;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a fragment of the line 2-2 of FIGURE l showing in elevation one type of fastener which may be used herein;

FIGURE 4 is a similar sectional view showing another type of fastener which may be used herein;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are side and front elevations respectively of still another type of fastener which may be used in the present invention;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are front and side elevations respectively of a still further type of fastener usable herein;

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of a base panel which alternatively may be used in the invention; and

FIGURE 10 is a plan view of an alternative under v layer construction which may be used herein.

Now turning to the drawings in detail, there is shown a three layer floor covering, shown exemplarily sized to t an 8 foot by 12 foot area. The principle used is similar for any other size floor covering. The oor covering shown comprises a base layer 10, a padded layer 12 resting on the base layer and a carpet layer 14. The base layer 10 and padded layer 12 may combinedly be called the under layer on which the carpet layer rests and is mounted. Each of these layers is comprised of a plurality of joined members.

The base layer 10 is comprised of a plurality of base panels designated 16. These panels 16 may be fabricated of plywood, masonite, or other rigid, flat material. Each panel 16 is basically rectangular with a plurality of spaced indentations 32 in the opposed sides forming projection portions 26 therefrom. Viewing for example lower left panel 20 in FIGURE 1, this panel may have a longitudinal length of four feet from outer edge 22 to the far parallel edge 24. The transverse length of panel 20 is two feet measured from the outer surface of projections 26. The projections 26 are in the form of regular trapezoids with the shorter trapezoid base 30 integral to the side of panel 20. The indentations 32 between adjacent projections of the panel are also in trapezoidal form and mate with projections 26 of adjacent panels in an interlocking fashion.

In viewing FIGURE 1, it can be seen that the panels 2l), 34 and 36 which comprise the lower tier in that figure are all identical in shape. In the next tier there are at either end short two-foot by two-foot panels 38 and 40. At their outer edges, these half-sized panels begin with a half length indentation 42 to receive the end half-projection 44 extending from the corner panel 20 and from the third tier end panel 50, which is identical to panel 20.

From the foregoing, it can be understood that two basic panel shapes are required to cover a oor areathe full size panels, such as 20, which have half projections 44 at each corner, and half length panels beginning with half indentations and ending with half projections, such as panel 38. Thus, by starting each intermediate tier with half length panels 38 and ending with an identical half-length panel 40, the remaining panels may be identically constructed in the manner of panel 20.

In one example, the indentations 32 may extend inwardly approximately two inches from the edge of the panel of both types, and the indentation mate therewith. The indentations, of course, are equal or slightly greater in depth than the projections to receive the projections therein with a loose lit.

Each of the panels 16 has bonded, adhered or otherwise secured to its upper surface a section 51 of the layer 12 of padding such as foam rubber, foam plastic or fiber. A suitable thickness for such a layer is 3/8 inch with the padding in its normal or uncompressed condition. The sections S1 of padded material comprising layer 12 each have a surface configuration like the panel to which they are secured, so that by meshing or interlinking a plurality of panels in the pattern set out in FIGURE l an under layer with a rigid base and an upper surface of padding is provided.

On certain of the projections 26, preferably to corner one half projections 44, the padded layer may be provided with a cut out 52, through which `a small section of the base layer 10 is exposed. These notches or cutouts 52 accommodate fastening members 54 which will be described in detail later in this description. These fastening members 54 are affixed to the top of the base layer 10 and extend through the cutouts 52 in the padding to protrude slightly above the top level of the padded layer, as will be explained.

Resting on the padding layer 12 is the carpet layer 14. This layer 14 is comprised of

rectangular strips

60 and 62 of carpet of any of the conventional types such as wool, cotton or synthetic fiber carpets. In the construction disclosed, these strips are of two basic sizes, two foot by four foot, and two foot by two foot. In FIGURE l, there is shown, strip 60 which is square and one half the length `of full length strips 62. Optimally, these strips have a constant identical pattern or surface coloration to match and form a unitary carpet. With a constant surface coloration, as is especially prevalent in wall-to-wall carpeting today, no matching problems arise between adjacent strips; and the only aesthetic requirement is that the gaps or spaces between adjacent sections are minimized to approach the effect of a unitary carpet section. Adjacent the corners and at midpoints along the sides of the carpet strips, mounting members 84 are secured to the underside of the fabric of the carpet layer. These mounting members 84 may take many forms, as will be shown, and mate with a protruding fastening means S4 extending from the under layer to secure the carpet layer to the under layer in a manner preventing relative slipping or creeping of the comparatively small carpet strips.

Now turning to the fastening lmeans 54, it can -be seen in FIGURE l that `these comprise two members mounted in and adjacent to each end half projection 44 along an axis parallel to the transverse axes of the panels 16. The members of each half projection are spaced apart and the distance between the outer mounting members I54 of the two half projections 44 at each end of a given panel is greater than the width of a carpet strip `6l) or 62, while the distance between the inner mounting members along said axis is less than the carpet strip width. The inner fastening members, designated 54A, on any one panel will connect the mating mounting members 84 on `the carpet strip above it. Also, the outer fastening members 54B of each panel mate of the carpet strips of the adjacent panels which rest on the projections 44 of this particular panel. Thus, it can be seen that panel 2l) is connected to the carpet strip 62 directly above it, to the carpet strip 60 above half panel 38 and to a full size carpet strip 62 `above the next full size panel 84. This interlinked fastening construction secures carpet strips firmly to the under layer 10 to inhibit tendency of the carpet to slide or creep.

The fastening members 54 land the mating mounting members may assume a number of suitable forms. In FIGURE 3, there is shown a iirst form. In this form, a flat support member 70 of spring steel or the like is affixed on `the upper surface 72 of the Ibase layer 10 and has secured thereto a stepped cantilevered Abracket 74 of resilient material, such as spring steel, having an arm 78 which extends parallel to the top surface 72 and spaced thereabove a distance suicient to place the bracket upper arm 7S centrally of the padded layer 12. Secured to the bracket arm 78 is a button 80 or male member which extends upwardly from the arm 78. This button 80 is designed to mate with a female member 84 which has an opening 86 sized to receive button 80 and hold it therein. Female member 84 is secured to the underside of t-he carpet strips 60 and 62 adjacent the corners and the midsections aligned with the buttons 80. The 4buttons 80 and female membe-rs 84 may be constructed of plastic or sheet metal. Thus, when the female member 84 is compressed onto button 80, the button is held by spring tension in member 74. Such fasteners in :themselves are quite wellknown in the art and are often called snap fasteners.

A second form of fastener is shown in FIGURE 4. This form utilizes a Wood screw 90, under the head of which is fitted one end of a coiled helical spring 92. The upper end of spring 92 has a button member 94 secured thereto which is spaced -by the sprin-g from the base layer 10. Button member 94 -mates with a female member 84 mounted to the underside of the carpet layer as previously described in connection with FIGURE 3.

In FIGURES 5 and 6 is shown a third form of fastener. A hook 100 is mounted to base layer 10 with the free end of the hook extending toward surface 76 and parallel thereto. An eye loop 102 extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the carpet to .receive the'hook. The eye is secured to the underside carpet fabric and should face in s-uch a manner that the hook 100 may be engaged therein. All the hooks should extend in one direction for the entire carpet section to allow the carpet strips to be detached as desired.

Another form of fastener is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. In this form, a hook 104 which may be similar to hook 100 is employed and aixed to the base layer and extends toward the top surface 76 of the padded layer. A fabric or tape loop 106 depends from the carpet underside to catch the hook.

In FIGURE 9, an alternative for the base layer panels is shown. Panel 110 show is a skeletal frame of flat sheet metal having as its exterior surface shape, projections 112 and indentations 114, shaped similarly to those previously described. The center portion 116 of, each frame is removed to decrease the weight of the base layer and to decrease the .amount of metal used in the base layer. The surface configuration of this panel 110 is the same as that previously described. Also, half-length sheet panels of similar design are employed and constructed with the contour of panel 38. Fasteners 54 are welded or riveted to the upper surface of each panel and suitable holes 111 may be placed about the frame to allow the frame to be affixed directly to the room floor. The comparative shallowness of the lbase panel 110 when covered Vby the layer of padding 12 compensates for the open center areas in each panel and this thickness is unnoticed when a carpet layer is placed on the padding layer.

A still further alternative is shown in FIGURE for the under layer panel construction. r[The under layer panels 120l of both the base layer and the padded layer are made in rectangular form; the padded layer panels 122 end a short distance from the edges of the base panels 120 to allow a metal strip border 126 to be secured to the base layer 122 at the lines of intersection of the base panels 120. These metal strips 126 each have the previously described gear tooth shape and are used at the intersections of lthe rectangular panels to provide the intertting of the panels with the sec-uring members upstanding from the metal strips in the manner described for the embodiment of FIGURE 9. Each metal strip is secured to the edges of the lower layer panels in a tier. 'Iihe projections and indentations are meshed together to lock the under layer together. The use of the serrations allows the strips to be fabricated with t-he fasteners positioned in the projections for connection with the `matting members connected to the under side of the carpet. Thus, on installation, the projections with their mating members are aligned at one end with the `base panels and are spaced apart to mate with the carpet mating members.

To assemble a carpet of the type shown in FIGURE 1, base panels 16 are grouped and may -be laid out on the oor in position. In the arrangement shown, a. tier of full length Ibase layer panels such as 20, 34 and 36 are aligned end to end and tacked down to the floor in the proper location. Other means of securing the base layer panels may be used as desired. Once the lower tier of FIGURE 1 has been secured in place, the next tier may be installed. The next tier has at the opposed ends, the half length panels 38 and 40l and between these panels, two full length panels which are identical to the panels 6 20, 34 and 36. The panels of the second tire are meshet with the secured panels by the `fitting of the indentations and projections, as shown. Succeeding layers are meshed with the second and successive tiers, and are secured in place to complete the coverage of the oor area to be carpeted.

As mentioned previously, each panel of the base layer 10 has adhered or otherwise aflixed thereto a layer ot padding of the same shape as the base layer panels. By securing the vbase layer in place, the padded layer 12 is also secured in place. The padded layer has extending above its upper surface the fastening members 54 which protrude individually through the fastener cutouts in the layer of padding.

Assuming that the fasteners shown in FIGURE 3 have been used, a set of spaced buttons stand above the padding layer 12 from their mounting on the base layer. Naturally, the carpet layer will have secured to its under surface, a set of spaced female snap members 84 positioned to mate with the buttons 80. The carpet strips are rectangular and are -of the same nominal size as the panels on which they are to rest. A full length carpet strip 60 is placed on panel 20 and snapped in place at the corners, the snap fasteners mating to hold the carpet in place. At the `center of the edges of the strip length, the carpet fastening members 84 are mated with the buttons protruding from the adjacent panels 38 and 64 within the indentation 32 in panel 20.

Continuing the progressive carpet laying, the strips are placed on the panels of the same nominal size and are fastened to the panel below and to those adjacent along the center of its edges. This interlinkage lor meshing arrangement of the carpet on a number of panels inhibits the tendency of the carpet strips to slide or creep apart leaving gaps between and further insures a tight intertting of the carpet strips. As a result, there is completed a carpet, resting on and fastened to a solid under layer including a padded layer. The carpet strips are small individually so -that they may be removed for cleaning and once cleaned are returned to position randomly or in any particular order to even the wear on the strips. Once mounted, the carpet cannot slip, is tightly held to minimize spaces between the individual strips, yet the strips may be unfastened when necessary.

To assemble carpets having any of the other types of fasteners would require similar operations, in that the under layer must be secured to the floor and the carpet strips fastened to the many panels of the under layer.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will devise additional embodiments and applications of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the scope of the present invention be not limited by the foregoing disclosure, but only by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A carpet construction for covering a oor section comprising an under layer, said under layer comprising a plurality of meshing relatively rigid panels combinedly covering said floor section, a layer of padding material atiixed to the upper surface of each of said panels to combinedly cover substantially the entire floor section, a plurality of matching carpet strips adapted to rest on said layer of padding to cover the entire floor section, and a plurality of releasable latching means for securing the carpet strips on the under layer, each releasable latching means having a first part mounted on the underside of one of said carpet strips and a second part mating with the first part Iaffixed to the adjacent panel of the underlayer, whereby the releasable latching means fastens the carpet strip to said panels in a manner allowing individual removal -of said carpet strips.

2. A floor covering construction for a floor section, comprising: an under layer and a carpet layer resting on said under layer, said under layer including a rigid layer and a padded layer affixed thereto, said under layer including a plurality of panels, each of said panels saving projections extending from the side edges thereof :o mesh with like projections in the edges of the adja- :ent Vpanels to interlink and combine-dly cover the iloor section, mounting means upstanding from a connection to the rigid base layer within the edge projections, said carpet layer including a plurality of carpet strips each of which rests substantially on one panel of the under layer and also rests on the projections of the adjacent under layer panels, and means extending from each of said carpet strips to engage the mounting means of the panel therebelow and of the panels adjacent thereto to ailix said carpet strips to the under layer.

3. A floor covering construction for a floor section, comprising: the combination of claim 2 wherein the edges of each of the under layer panels has a series of projections and indentations shaped to mesh with the indentations and projections of the adjacent panels and interlink the panels of the under layer into a cohesive layer.

4. A carpet construction Vfor covering a section of iioor, comprising an under layer including a plurality of mating panels, said panels each comprising a rigid base layer adapte-d to rest on and cover the door section to be covered, an upper padded layer comprising a plurality of individual members each mounted -on and covering the upper surface of each of said panels, each of said panels being basically rectangular in shape with alternate spaced regular indentations in the edges thereof and spaced regular projections in the edges spaced between the indentations, the indentations and projections of abutting panels positioned to mutually interlock whereby said panels cover the door section; and a carpet layer resting on said under layer, said carpet layer comprising a plurality of matched rectangular carpet strips combinedly covering the floor section, said carpet strips each resting on one panel and on the projections extending' out of the panels adjacent the one panel, and a plurality of releasable latching means spaced adjacent the perimeter of the underside of each of said strips, each of said latching means having one mating portion mounted on a projection of the adjacent panel and another mating portion on the underside of the carpet strip, whereby the carpet layer is removably secured to the under layer in an interlocking manner, said latching means allowing manual detachment of said strips individually from the underlayer.

5. In a carpet construction as claimed in claim 4, said latching means comprising a plurality of finger members extending above said padded layer, and female members mounted on the carpet strip to lockingly receive said finger members in a grasping action which is releasable in response to manual releasing movement.

6. In a carpet construction as claimed in claim 4, said latching means including a spring member mounted between the panel and the one mating portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 741,100 10/1903 Blackman 52-512 1,746,194 2/1930 Johnson 16-4 X 2,346,769 4/ 1944 Lichtor 52-512 X 3,012,919 12/1961 Janney 52-273 3,082,488 3/1963 Nusbaum 52-591 3,120,083 2/ 1964 Dahlberg 52--591 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,032,038 1953 France.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,335 ,536 August l5 1967 Goldwn C McCord error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that t the said Letters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and tha corrected below.

line l for "tire" read tier column 7 Column 6,

ference numeral "2" read l line 14, for the claim re Signed and sealed this 15th day of October 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Ufficer

Claims

4. A CARPET CONSTRUCTION FOR COVERING A SECTION OF FLOOR, COMPRISING AN UNDER LAYER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MATING PANELS, SAID PANELS EACH COMPRISING A RIGID BASE LAYER ADAPTED TO REST ON AND COVER THE FLOOR SECTION TO BE COVERED, AN UPPER PADDED LAYER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS EACH MOUNTED ON AND COVERING THE UPPER SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID PANELS, EACH OF SAID PANELS BEING BASICALLY RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE WITH ALTERNATE SPACED REGULAR INDENTATIONS IN THE EDGES THEREOF AND SPACED REGULAR PROJECTIONS IN THE EDGES SPACED BETWEEN THE INDENTATIONS, THE INDENTATIONS AND PROJECTIONS OF ABUTTING PANELS POSITIONED TO MUTUALLY INTERLOCK WHEREBY SAID PANELS COVER THE FLOOR SECTION; AND A CARPET LAYER RESTING ON SAID UNDER LAYER, SAID CARPET LAYER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MATCHED RECTANGULAR CARPET STRIPS COMBINEDLY COVERING THE FLOOR SECTION, SAID CARPET STRIPS EACH RESTING ON ONE PANEL AND ON THE PROJECTIONS EXTENDING OUT OF THE PANELS ADJACENT THE ONE PANEL, AND A PLURALITY OF RELEASABLE LATCHING MEANS SPACED ADJACENT THE PERIMETER OF THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH OF SAID STRIPS, EACH OF SAID LATCHING MEANS HAVING ONE MATING PORTION MOUNTED ON A PROJECTION OF THE ADJACENT PANEL AND ANOTHER MATING PORTION ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CARPET STRIP, WHEREBY THE CARPET LAYER IS REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE UNDER LAYER IN AN INTERLOCKING MANNER, SAID LATCHING MEANS ALLOWING MANUAL DETACHMENT OF SAID STRIPS INDIVIDUALLY FROM THE UNDERLAYER.