US3303624A

US3303624A - Removable tile and fastener assembly

Info

Publication number: US3303624A
Application number: US362037A
Authority: US
Inventors: Swain Ernest
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-04-23
Filing date: 1964-04-23
Publication date: 1967-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1967 E. SWAIN 3,303,624

REMOVABLE TILE AND FASTENER ASSEMBLY Filed April 23, 1964 III I 1'2 32 1. ls fls F I G 4, INVENTOR Ernest Swain BY/ hw 64mm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,303,624 REMOVABLE TILE AND FASTENER ASSEMBLY Ernest Swain, 41 Dollard Drive, North Babylon, N.Y. 11703 Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 362,037 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-496) This invention relates generally to tile matrix installations and more particularly to a tile removably associated with a stationary tile assembly, the function of said removable tile being to permit access to valves, dampers, wiring and the like positioned rearwardly of the tile matrix superposed with respect to a ceiling, floor or wall surface.

The instant invention is essentially directed to the provision of fastening means employed in combined relation with a removable tile whereby coaction therewith of any spline utilized between abutting tiles may be accomplished notwithstanding variation of configuration or of the dimensional character of the spline involved.

An object of the present invention is to provide a removable tile having a rotatable button partially extending outwardly of the exposed surface thereof, whereby manual rotation of said button will effectuate release or securement of said tile with respect to stationary tiles disposed adjacently thereto.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a button fastener which may be readily applied to a conventional tile thus rendering said tile removable with respect to a plurality of stationary tiles.

A further object of the present invention is to provide fastening means rotatably mounted upon a movable tile, said means being engageable with the spline of an adj acently disposed coplanar abutting tile, said engagement being elfectuated inwardly of the reverse surface of said removable tile.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrorn, or may be learned by practice of the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the structure defined and pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described. The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a coplanar tile matrix installed as a covering for a ceiling surface, one tile thereof being removable and being identifiable by dint of the button projecting therefrom;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the removale tile and fastener assembly secured with respect to a stationary tile;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational cross-sectional view of the invention taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating the novel fastening means pressingly engaging the base portion of the spline member interposed therebetween;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational crosssectional view of the removable tile and fastener assembly secured between adjacent coplanar stationary tiles, the spline members shown therein being modifications of the spline member shown in FIGURES 2 and 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of the button type fastener means preferably utilized in the fulfillment of this invention. a

It will be understood that the foregoing general objectives and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, FIGURE 1 shows the removable tile and fastener assembly designated generally by numeral 1, said assembly being secured to and coplanar with

stationary tiles

2 and 4, other stationary tiles being included to complete a section of a tile matrix covering a ceiling surface.

As seen in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the removable tile 1 is disposed between a pair of coplanar, spaced,

stationary tiles

2 and 4, said tiles having obverse and

reverse surfaces

6 and 8, respectively, and end walls 10 and 12 disposed at opposite ends thereof, said end walls of said stationary tiles having channels or grooves 14 similarly provided lengthwise thereof, each said channel having upper and

lower walls

16 and 18, respectively, disposed in spaced, parallel relation. It will also be observed that end wall 12 of said removable tile is similarly provided with a groove 14. As shown, the reverse surface 8 of said removable tile 1 is provided with a cutaway portion 20, adjacent the end wall 10 thereof, said cut-away portion having a base 22 parallel with respect to reverse surface 8 and coplanar with respect to the lower wall 18 of said channels, a portion 24 of said base 22 extending the length of the end wall 10* of said removable tile to thereby provide a flange defined by the portion '24 and the end wall 10 (see FIGURES 2 and 4).

With further reference to FIGURE 4 and to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be observed that passage 26 disposed through said removable tile 1, provides communication between said base 22 and said obverse surface 6, fastening means or button 28 specifically, being rotatably mounted therewit'hin. Y

Button 28 as shown in exploded form in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, is preferably comprised of coaxially disposed stud portion 30, neck portion 32, shoulder portion 34 and head portion 36-, said stud portion being rectangular of cross-section as illustrated in FIGURE 2. As disclosed in FIGURES 3 and 4, said head portion 36 is adapted to extend outwardly of said obverse surface 6 of said removable tile, said shoulder portion 34 being contiguous and slidalble with respect to said obverse surface. 1

Flat straight arm member 38 having a rectangular opening 40 disposed therethrough inwardly of end 42 thereof,

is removably secured to said stud portion 30 by speed nut 44 or other suitable means and is, accordingly, adapted to rotate therewith when head portion 36 of button 28 is manually rotated. As seen in FIGURE 3, the lower surface 46 of arm member 38 is coplanar with respect to base upper wall 16.0f channel 14 and parallel with respect to said base 2 of said cut-away portion 20. Accordingly, arm member 38 is adapted to rotate in a plane disposed intermediate said obverse and

reverse surfaces

6 and 8, and by dint of such rotation is pressingly engageable with tongue portion 47 of spline member 48, said tongue portion being removably receivable within channel 14 of stationary tile 2, a portion thereof being adapted for superposition with respect to portion 24 of said It will be appreciated that tongue portion 47 of spline member 48 is receivable within abutting channels of respective tiles as shown in FIGURE 1, to thereby retain said tiles in the form of a coplanar matrix, said tongue portion of said spline member having upper and

lower surfaces

50 and 52, respectively, adapted for seating engagement with said upper and

lower walls

16 and 18, respectively, of said channels 14.

It will be further appreciated that the spline member may assume alternate forms, as shown, e.g., in FIGURE 4 wherein a modified spline member 54 is seen comprised entirely of tongue portion 47, cement 56 being utilized to fasten the stationary tiles to wall or ceiling surface 58, this construction and fastening means being in lieu of the Z-bar arrangement according to FIGURE 3.

Thus, as aforestated and as specifically shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, arm member 38 shown in solid line illustration is pres-singly engaging a port-ion of the upper surface 50 of the tongue portion 47 of the spline member, the disengaged position of said arm member being shown in broken line illustration and designated by numeral 38'.

Washer 60, interposed between said straight arm member 38 and base 22 of said cut-away portion serves as a bearing surface facilitating the rotational movement of said button and arm member.

Hence, it will be apparent that rotation of said arm member into pressing engagement with said spline member will secure the removable tile within the tile matrix, while rotation of said arm member out of such engagement will permit the withdrawal of said removable tile therefrom thus permitting access to the area therebehind.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the forms, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which as generally stated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects set fort-h, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims:

What is claimed is:

1. In a tile assembly for covering a surface, the combination comprising a pair of coplanar, spaced, stationary tiles and a removable tile disposed therebetween and in coplanar relation therewith, said tiles having obverse and reverse surfaces and end walls disposed at opposite ends thereof, said end walls of said' stationary'tiles having channels similarly provide-d lengthwise thereof, each said channel having upper and lower walls disposed in spaced, parallel relation, the reverse surface of said removable tile having a cut-away portion adjacent one of the end walls thereof, the other end Wall thereof having a channel provided lengthwise thereof, said cut-away portion having a base parallel with respect to said reverse surface and coplanar with respect to the lower wall of said channels, a portion of said base extending the length of'said one of said end walls, a passage through 'said removabletile providing communication between said base and said obverse surface, a button rotatably mounted within said passage, said button having coaxially disposed st-ud, neck, shoulder, and head portions, said stud being rectangular 2. In a tile assembly for covering a surface, the combination comprising a pair of coplanar, spaced, stationary tiles and a removable tile disposed therebetween and in coplanar relation there-with, said tiles having obverse and reverse surfaces and end walls disposed at opposite ends thereof, said end walls of said stationary tiles having channels similarly provided lengthwise thereof, each said channel having upper and lower walls disposed in spaced, parallel relation, the reverse surface of said removable tile having a cut-away portion adjacent one of the end walls thereof, the other end wall thereof having a channel provided lengthwise thereof, said cut-away portion having a base parallel with respect to said reverse surface and coplanar with respect to the lower wall of said channels, a portion of said base extending the length of said one of said end walls, a passage through said removable tile providing communication between said base and said obverse surface, a button rotatably mounted within said passage, 9. first portion of said button extending outwardly of said obverse surface of said removable tile and a second portion of said button extending outwardly of said base portion thereof, a hat arm member removably secured to said second portion and adapted to rotate therewith, said arm member extending laterally of said second portion, the lower surface of said arm member being coplanar with respect to the upper wall of said channels and parallel with the base of said cut-away portion, spline members removably receivable lengthwise of said channels, a portion of a respective spline member being receivable within abutting channels of respective tiles, said spline members having upper and lower surfaces adapted for seating engagement with said upper and lower walls, respectively, of said channels, said rotatable arm member being adapted to pressingly engage a portion of the upper surface of the spline member extending without the channel of a stationary tile to thus retain said spline member against the portion of said base extending the length of said one of said end walls of said removable tile to thereby relation with said stationary tile.

3. In a tile assembly for covering a surface, a removable tile having obverse and reverse surfaces and end of cross-section, said head portion being adapted to extend outwardly of said obverse surface of said removable tile,

said shoulder portion being contiguous with said obverse surface thereof, a hat arm member having a rectangular opening disposed therethrough inwardly of one end thereof, said arm member being removably secured to said 'stud and adapted to rotate therewith, said arm member extending later-ally of said stud, the lower surface of said arm member being coplanar with respectto the upper wall of said channels and parallel'with the base of said cut-away portion, spline members removably receivable lengthwise of said channels, a portion of a respective spline member being receivable Within abutting channels,

of respective tiles, said spline members having upper and lower surfaces adapted for seating engagement with said upper and lower walls, respectively, of said channels,

said rotatable arm member being adapted to pressingly engage a portion of the upper surface of the spline member extending without the channel of a stationary tile to thus retain said spline member against the portion of said base extending the length of said one of said end walls of said removable tile to thereby removably retain said removable tile in end wall abutting relation Wi h Said stationary tile. i

walls disposed at opposite ends thereof, one said end wall having a channel provided lengthwise. thereof, said channel havin upper and lower walls disposed in spaced parallel relation, the reverse surface of said removable tile having a cut-away portion adjacent the other end wall thereof, said cut-away portion having a base parallel with respect to said reverse surface and coplanar with respect to the lower wall of said channel, a portion of said base extending the length of said other end Wall, a passage through said removable tile providing communication between said base and said obverse surface, a button rotatably mounted within said passage, a first portion of said button extending outwardly of said obverse surface and a second portion-of said button extending outwardly of said base portion, a straight arm member removably secured tosaid second portion and adapted to rotate therewith, said arm member extending laterally of said second portion, the lower surface of said arm member being coplanar with respect to the upper wall of said channel and parallel with the base of 7 said cut-away portion.

' able tile having obverse and re'versesurfaces and end walls disposed, at opposite ends thereof, one said end wall having 'a channel provided lengthwise thereof, said channel having upper and lower walls, disposed in spaced :parallel relation, the reverse surface of said removable tile having a cut-away portion adjacent the other end Wall thereof, said cut-away portion having a base parallel with respect to said reverse surface and coplanar with respect to the lower wallof said channel, a portion of said base extending the length of said other end wall, a passage through said removable tile providing communication between said base and said obverse surface,

removably retain said-removable tile in end wall abutting 5 6 fastening means rotattab-ly mounted within said passage, References Cited by the Examiner a straight arm member secured to said fastening means, UNITED STATES PATENTS said arm member extending laterally of said fastening means, the lower surface of said arm member being 1652'548 12/1927 vvlens'el 292202 coplanar with respect to the upper wall of said channel 5 37 K 3 i and parallel with the base of said cut-away portion, rota- ,23 52; giggl tion of said fastening means causing rotation of said arm member. REINALDO P. MACI-IADO, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A TILE ASSEMBLY FOR COVERING A SURFACE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PAIR OF COPLANAR, SPACED, STATIONARY TILES AND A REMOVABLE TILE DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN AND IN COPLANAR RELATION THEREWITH, SAID TILES HAVING OBVERSE AND REVERSE SURFACES AND END WALLS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, SAID END WALLS OF SAID STATIONARY TILES HAVING CHANNELS SIMILARLY PROVIDED LENGTHWISE THEREOF, EACH SAID CHANNEL HAVING UPPER AND LOWER WALLS DISPOSED IN SPACED, PARALLEL RELATION, THE REVERSE SURFACE OF SAID REMOVABLE TILE HAVING A CUT-AWAY PORTION ADJACENT ONE OF THE END WALLS THEREOF, THE OTHER END WALL THEREOF HAVING A CHANNEL PROVIDED LENGTHWISE THEREOF, SAID CUT-AWAY PORTION HAVING A BASE PARALLEL WITH RESPECT TO SAID REVERSE SURFACE AND COPLANAR WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWER WALL OF SAID CHANNELS, A PORTION OF SAID BASE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID ONE OF SAID END WALLS, A PASSAGE THROUGH SAID REMOVABLE TILE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BASE AND SAID OBVERSE SURFACE, A BUTTON ROTATABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID PASSAGE, SAID BUTTON HAVING COAXIALLY DISPOSED STUD, NECK, SHOULDER AND HEAD PORTIONS, SAID STUD BEING RECTANGULAR OF CROSS-SECTION, SAID HEAD PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY OF SAID OBVERSE SURFACE OF SAID REMOVABLE TILE, SAID SHOULDER PORTION BEING CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID OBVERSE SURFACE THEREOF, A FLAT ARM MEMBER HAVING A RECTANGULAR OPENING DISPOSED THERETHROUGH INWARDLY OF ONE END THEREOF, SAID ARM MEMBER BEING REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID STUD AND ADAPTED TO ROTATE THEREWITH, SAID ARM MEMBER EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID STUD, THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID ARM MEMBER BEING COPLANAR WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER WALL OF SAID CHANNELS AND PARALLEL WITH THE BASE OF SAID CUT-AWAY PORTION, SPLINE MEMBERS REMOVABLY RECEIVABLE LENGTHWISE OF SAID CHANNELS, A PORTION OF A RESPECTIVE SPLINE MEMBER BEING RECEIVABLE WITHIN ABUTTING CHANNELS OF RESPECTIVE TILES, SAID SPLINE MEMBERS HAVING UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES ADAPTED FOR SEATING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID UPPER AND LOWER WALLS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID CHANNELS, SAID ROTATABLE ARM MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO PRESSINGLY ENGAGE A PORTION OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SPLINE MEMBER EXTENDING WITHOUT THE CHANNEL OF A STATIONARY TILE TO THUS RETAIN SAID SPLINE MEMBER AGAINST THE PORTION OF SAID BASE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF SAID ONE OF SAID END WALLS OF SAID REMOVABLE TILE TO THEREBY REMOVABLY RETAIN SAID REMOVABLE TILE IN END WALL ABUTTING RELATION WITH SAID STATIONARY TILE.