US3156957A

US3156957A - Floor mat and method of making the same

Info

Publication number: US3156957A
Application number: US156383A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert C Moeckel
Original assignee: Life Management Inc
Current assignee: Life Management Inc
Priority date: 1961-12-01
Filing date: 1961-12-01
Publication date: 1964-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-17

Description

Nov. 17, 1964 MQECKEL 3,156,957

FLOOR MAT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed D60. 1., 1961 Ema-l |2 12 |2 I412 11 1| 1| 11 {lo 1111111111111111111111 ll II II II II II II H H II II 1111111111111111111111 11 1111 11 1111111111 1|1| 1111111111111111111111 #111111 11111111111111 ll/ll H H II H II H H H H II ,1111 111111L1|1 1|1J11|1 1 3O 32 3 3 :El CE E 24 I I I II H H II H II II (I H II l IO |2 |2 ELIE;- E as 28 ,16 ,28 1o 1% 14 g 14 EIE E /|O C I40 1 28 141 INVENTOR. ROBERT C. MOECKEL BYWMVUMAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,156,957 FLQOR MAT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Robert C. Moeelrel, Fort Wayne, Ind, assignor to Late Management, Incorporated, Fort Wayne, End, a corporation of lndiana Filed Dec. 1, 1961, Ser. N 156,383 9 Claims. (til. 20--'18'.3)

The present invention relates to a floor mat and method of making the same, and more particularly to a fioor mat constructed almost entirely of rubber strips uniquely shaped to be inseparably interlocked together.

Conventional fioor mats fabricated of rubber-like strips of material are bound or held together in a variety of different ways. In one structure, binding wire is used to lock the transverse mat strips together and also to bind the edges of the mat. In another construction, the individual rubber-like strips are provided with half-notches shaped complementary so as to be engageable with each other to thereby form a co-planar structure in which the crossing strips lie substantially in the same plane.

These prior art structures have been found to be deficient in a number of respects. wire bindings and reinforcements, such wires are subject to rusting and corrosion which make them unsuitable for a variety of uses, one such use being in a chemical plating factory where acids and chemicals which attack the wire are used. Thus, such mats have a very short Wearlife when used in a plating or the like plant.

In other instances, it is desired to have a mat fit a particular sized floor or surface, and for this purpose it is necessary to prefabricate the mat to the exact size needed. The reason for this requirement is that such mats are normally provided with edge bindings such that after the mat has been cut to size it must be provided with such a binding.

In the mats utilizing notches which interfit with each other to provide a coplanar structure, it has been found that the crossing strips which form the mat quite easily become separated either through usage or from being laid over irregular surfaces. This, of course, is not desirable inasmuch as it provides a rough surface over which persons may trip and fall or which will become damaged quite early in the wear-life thereof due to the fact that certain strips are raised higher than others.

In any event, the present invention is intended to overcome certain of the prior art difficulties and to provide a mat structure composed of rubber-like strips wherein the latter are inseparably interlocked together and in being so interlocked do not require the use of any fasteners, bindings or wire reinforcement.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mat formed of rubber-like strips which extend transversely to each other, these strips being self-interlocking so as not to require the use of any metallic fasteners, bindings, or wire reinforcement.

It is another object of this invention to provide a methed for fabricating the mat of the preceding object in a manner that is facile, economical and eificient.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining thern'will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with .the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of one mat embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

In the mats which utilize FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary illustration taken substantially along section line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of the notched strip used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration showing one step in the method of fabricating the invention; and

FIG. 6 is another enlarged fragmentary illustration showing another step in the method of fabricating this invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the floor mat there illustrated includes a plurality of first elongated strips 10 and a second plurality of elongated strips 12 which extend transversely to the strips 19. These strips preferably are formed of rubber; however, any material of rubber-like constituency having similar elastic properties which permit the material to be stretched will Sui-lice for the purposes of this invention.

The

strips

10 and 12 are formed differently, as will now be explained. However, both strips 19 and 12 are identical (in the illustrated embodiment) in the respect of being of rectangular cross-section and of substantially the same size.

All of the strips 1%, one such strip being shown in FIG. 3, are provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 14 which preferably are formed midway between the

strip edges

16 and 18 as shown. These apertures 14 are preferably square or rectangular in shape with the corners thereof being rounded or provided with radii for a purpose which Will become apparent from the following description.

The strips 12, one such strip being shown in FIG. 4, are provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of notches 2t] and 22, respectively, which are essentially square or rectangular in shape and which extend inwardly toward each other from the

opposite edges

24 and 26, respectively. The

notches

20 and 22 are in transverse alignment, and they terminate short of each other to define Web portions 28, these web portions being an integral part of each strip 12.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, when these .strips 12 are assembled to the strips 10, the web portions 28 intimately fit into the respective apertures 14 with the sides of the notches 2d and 22 engaging the opposite sides of the strip 14 In forming the

notches

20 and 22, the width dimension thereof is preferably made equal to the thickness dimension of the strip 10 such that when the

strips

10 and 12 are fastened together, the sides of the notches 2d and 22 will intimately engage the opposite sides 343 and 32 of the strip it As shown more clearly in FIG. 1, the finished mat has all of the strips lil arranged in spaced-apart parallel relation with all of the apertures 14 being transversely aligned. Thus, all of the strips 12 which are fitted into the apertures ll l extend in directions which are at right angles to the strips It In fabricating the mat of FIGS. 1 and 2, the followdng described procedure is followed. It will have been recognized up to this point that the cross-sectional size of each aperture 14 is substantially smaller than the crosssectional area of each strip 12. This being true, it is not possible to insert the strips 12 into the apertures 14 unless the latter can be enlarged or the strips 12 made smaller. In FIGS. 5 and 6 is illustrated one method by which the strip 12 may be inserted through the aperture 14. As the first step in the procedure, the strip 10 is stretched in a longitudinal direction so as to elongate the aperture 14 to a form as indicated by the reference numeral 14a. When this is done, the strip 12 is inserted through the elongated aperture lea until the notches 2i) and 22 as well as the web portion 28 become registered therewith. With the strip 12 in this position, it is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 6. While the strip 12 is in this position, the stretching force exerted on the strip It) is released, thereby permitting the aperture 14a to reduce to the size of the aperture 14 in which the web portion 28 is intimately gripped or surrounded. The aperture 14 preferably is of the same size as the cross-section of web portion 28. Thus assembled, the strips and 12 become firmly interlocked together and cannot be separated without destroying the mat unless the procedure of assembling is followed in reverse.

While the invention has been shown in connection with the

strips

10 and 12 being orthogonally related, it will at once be apparent to the person skilled in the art that almost any geometric pattern for the strips may be used. For example, the strips 10 may be arranged as concentric circles and the strips 12 as radii of the circles. Also, triangular patterns may be used wherein the strips 1% and 12 cross at angles other than 90.

It will at once become apparent that mats may be fabricated to almost any size and then cut to fit the outline of a fioor surface on which it is to be laid. This mat requires no fasteners, bindings or wire reinforcement of any type; hence, the mat may be used in any environment in which rubber or rubber-like material is not attached but wire or metallic parts are attached. Mats rnade according to this invention are quite versatile as to the end usagesthereof, and these will appear as obvious to a person skilled in the art.

In a preferred mat design, the

edges

16 and 24 of the

strips

10 and 12, respectively, lie in a common plane as do the

edges

18 and 26. While the notches 2t and 22 have been specified as being square or rectangular in shape, they may be of some different shape which may either intimately engage or not engage at all the

sides

30 and 32 as may be desired in the final design.

An alternative method in the assembly of the mat is to stretch into elongated form the notched strips 12 instead'of the apertured strips 10. In doing so, the strips 12 are stretched suificiently to reduce the cross-sectional size thread thereof to a size smaller than the apertures 14 in which condition the stretched strip 12 is merely threaded through the respective apertures 14 until the notch pairs 29, 22 come into registry therewith. The stretching is thereupon released permitting the notches and 22 to straddle the respective strips 1%. Of course,

the strip 12 will have to be rotated ninety degrees to the position shown in FIG. 6 either before-or after the stretching has been released.

While I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of fabricating a mat of first and second rubber-like strips of the same cross-sectional size and shape, said strips being rectangular in cross-section and having opposite sides and edges, comprising the steps of forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures through the sides of said first strips, arranging said strips such that said apertures, respectively, are transversely aligned, stretching said first strips longitudinally to elongate said apertures to a size that will pass said second strips respectively ltherethrough, forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of notches in said second strips, said notches extending inwardly toward each other from opposite edges of said second strips and terminating short of each other thereby defining web portions therebetween, said web portions having a cross-sectional size substantially equal to said apertures in unstretched form, inserting said second strips through the aligned elongated apertures respectively to a point at which said web portions become registered with said apertures, rotating Cir 4 releasing the stretching of said first strips whereby said apertures collapse onto said Web portions and said notches straddle said first strips.

2. The method of fabricating a mat comprising the steps of forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures in a first plurality of elongated rubber-like strips, forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches in a second plurality of elongated strips, said notches extending transversely of said second strips from one side thereof and terminating short of the opposite side to thereby define Web portions, said web portions having a crosssectional size substantially equal .to said apertures, stretching the strips of one of said first and second pluralities until said second strips will pass through said apertures in said first strips, respectively, inserting said second strips through the apertures of said first strips to a point at whi h said web portions become registered with said apertures, and releasing said stretching until said notches straddle said first strips and said Web portions substantially fill said apertures, respectively.

3. A mat comprising a first plurality of elongated rubber strips, said strips being rectangular in cross-section and having opposite parallel sides, said strips being spaced apart and parallel with all of the sides thereof also being parallel, each strip having a plurality of spaced apart rectangular apertures therein, material of each strip which immediately surrounds said apertures being solid and uninterrupted, the apertures of all said strips being transsaid second strips in said apertures until the sides thereof versely aligned, respectively, a second plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in cross-section to thereby be provided with opposite sides and edges respectively, said second strips having a plurality of longitudinally spaced notch pairs therein, each notch pair comprising two transversely aligned rectangular notches which extend inwardly toward each other from the opposite edges of the respective second strip butwhich terminate short of each other to provide a Web portion of said second strip therebetween, said first and second strips being interlocked together in transverse relationship with said web portions intimately fitting into respective apertures of said first strips and tightly engaging all sides thereof and with said notches straddling and intimately engaging the opposite sides of said first strips respectively, said first and second strips having the same cross-sectional dimensions between said apertures and notches, respectively.

4. A mat comprising a first plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in cross-section and which have opposite sides and edges respectively, said strips being spaced apart and parallel with all of the sides thereof also being parallel, each strip having through the sides thereof and intermediate the edges a plurality of spaced apart, rectangular apertures, the apertures of all of said strips being transversely aligned, respectively, the material ofeach strip which immediately surrounds said apertures being solid and uninterrupted, a second plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in cross-section and which have opposite sides and edges respectively, said second strips each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of notches therein, each pair of notches being in transverse align ment and extending inwardly toward each other from the respective edges of said second strip, each pair of notches terminating short of each other to define a web portion therebetween, said first and second strip being interlocked together, said first strips being transverse to said second strips, said second strip being spaced apart and parallelwith the sides thereof also being parallel, the sides of said first and second strips lying in planes respectively which intersect each other in straight lines which are normal to said edges, said web portions fitting into and tightly engaging all sides of said apertures, re-, spectively, and said notches straddling the sides respectively of said first strips.

5. A mat comprising a first plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in cross-section and whlch have opposite sides and edges respectively, said strips being spaced apart and parallel with all of the sides thereof also being parallel, each strip having through the sides thereof and intermediate the edges a plurality of spaced apart apertures having sides at right angles to each other, the apertures of all said strips being transversely aligned, respectively, the material of said strips immediately surrounding said apertures being solid and uninterrupted, a second plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in cross-section and which have opposite sides and edges respectively, said second strips each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of notches therein, each pair of notches being in transverse alignment and extending inwardly toward each other from the respective edges of said second strip, each pair of notches terminating short of each other to define a web portion therebetween, said first and second strips being interlocked together, said first strips being transverse to said second strips, said second strips being spaced apart and parallel with the sides thereof also being parallel, said web portions fitting into said apertures and tightly engaging all sides thereof, respectively, said notches straddling the sides respectively of said first strips, and each of said web portions having a cross-sectional size and shape which is substantially identical to the sizes and shape of the respective aperture.

6. A mat comprising a first plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in cross-section and which have opposite sides and edges respectively, said strips being spaced apart and parallel with all of the sides thereof also being parallel, each strip having through the sides thereof and intermediate the edges a plurality of spaced apart, rectangular apertures, the apertures of all said strips being transversely aligned respectively, the material of said strips immediately surrounding said apertures being solid and uninterrupted, a second plurality of elongated rubber strips which are rectangular in crosssection and which have opposite sides and edges respectively, said second strips each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches therein, each notch extending inwardly from the respective edge of said second strip but terminating short of the opposite edge to define a web portion, said first and second strips being interlocked together, said first strips being transverse to said second strips, said second strips being spaced apart and parallel with the sides thereof and also being parallel, the sides of said first and second strips lying in planes respectively which intersect each other in straight lines which are normal to said edges, said web portions intimately fitting into said apertures and tightly engaging all sides thereof, respectively, and said notches straddling the sides respectively of said first strips.

7. A mat comprising a first plurality of elongated rubber-like strips, said strips being spaced apart and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures therethrough, the apertures of said strips being aligned in a direction transverse thereto, the material of said strips which immediately surrounds said apertures being solid and uninterrupted, a second plurality of elongated rubher-like strips each having a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of notches therein, each pair of notches being in transverse alignment and extending inwardly toward each other from the respective opposite sides of said second strip, each pair of notches terminating short of each other to define a web portion therebetween, said first and second strips being interlocked together, said first strips extending transversely to said second strips, said Web portions fitting into and tightly engaging all sides of said apertures, respectively, and said notches straddling said first strips thereby locking said first and second strips together.

8. The method of fabricating a mat of first and second rubber-like strips of the same cross-sectional size and shape, said strips being rectangular in cross-section and having opposite sides and edges, comprising the steps of forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures through the sides of said first strips leaving the material which immediately surrounds said apertures solid and uninterrupted, arranging said first strips such that said apertures, respectively, are transversely aligned, stretching said first stri s longitudinally to elongate said apertures to a size that will pass said second strips respectively therethrough, forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of notches in said second strips, said notches extending inwardly toward each other from opposite edges of said second strips and terminating short of each other thereby defining web portions therebetween, said web portions having a cross-sectional size substantially equal to the size of said apertures in unstretched form, inserting said second strips through the aligned elongated apertures respectively to a point at which such web portions become registered with said apertures, rotating said second strips in said apertures until the sides thereof intersect said edges in lines normal to the latter, and then releasing the stretching of said first strips whereby said apertures collapse onto said web portions and tightly engage all sides thereof and said notches straddle said first strips.

9. The method of fabricating a mat comprising the steps of forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures in a first plurality of elongated rubber-like strips leaving the material which immediately surrounds said apertures solid and uninterrupted, forming a plurality of longitudinally spaced notches in a second plurality of elongated strips, said notches extending transversely of said second strips from one side thereof and terminating short of the opposite side to thereby define web portions, said web portions having a cross-sectional size substantially equal to the size of said apertures, stretching the strips of one of said first and second pluralities until said second strips will pass through said apertures in said first strips, respectively, inserting said second strips through the apertures of said first strips to a point at which said web portions become registered with said apertures, and releasing said stretching until said notches straddle said first strips and said web portions substantially fill said apertures and tightly engage all sides thereof, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 458,804 Great Britain 1936

Claims

3. A MAT COMPRISING A FIRST PLURALITY OF ELONGATED RUBBER STRIPS, SAID STRIPS BEING RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING A OPPOSITE PARALLEL SIDES, SAID STRIPS BEING SPACE APART AND PARALLEL WITH ALL OF THE SIDES THEREOF ALSO BEING PARALLEL, EACH STRIP HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART RECTANGULAR APERTURES THEREIN, MATERIAL OF EACH STRIP WHICH IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDS SAID APERTURES BEING SOLID AND UNINTERRUPTED, THE APERTURES OF ALL SAID STRIPS BEING TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED, RESPECTIVELY, A SECOND PLURALITY OF ELONGATED RUBBER STRIPS WHICH ARE RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION TO THEREBY BE PROVIDED WITH OPPOSITE SIDES AND EDGES RESPECTIVELY, SAID SECOND STRIPS HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED NOTCH PAIRS THEREIN, EACH NOTCH PAIR COMPRISING TWO TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED RECTANGULAR NOTCHES