US708470A - Tile. - Google Patents

Description

A L. FLOW. Patented Sept. 2,' I902.

TILE.

(Application filed Feb. (No Model.) 26, 1902.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

ALFRED L. FLOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM L. WEBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,470, dated September 2, 1902.

Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial No. 95,647. N model.)

T0 at whont it may concern.-

. Be itknown that I, ALFRED L. FLOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tiles for floors, walls, steps, and the like, and has for its object to provide a new and improved construction of this description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view showing one form of tile. Fig. 2 is a view showing a series of such tiles in position. Fig. 3 is a View showing a modified construction.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

My present invention relates particularly to interlocking tiles adapted to be fastened together so as to form a substantially continuous surface.

The tiles may be made of any suitable or desired material, and various colors may be used in making up the surface, so as to secure a great variety of designs.

One of the advantages of my present invention is that I provide the tilesof any given area of a uniform size, each tile having the same surface area, thus giving uniformity and symmetry in making up the designs by means of different-colored tiles. This also greatly cheapens the manufacture and facilitates the laying and secures other advantages.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a tile A, provided with two interlocking projections A and two recesses A The recesses are shaped to receive the interlocking projections. This shape, of course, may be varied; but it should be such that when the tiles are brought in proper relation to each other they are locked together. It will be noted that in this tile the number of recesses and the number of projections are equal. The recesses and interlocking projections are preferably symmetrically located with relation to the edges of the tiles, being preferably at the middle point between the corners. In making up a given surface I use a series of tiles like the one shown in Fig. 1, the tiles being all uniform, and they may be exactly alike, except as for color or other design varying quality. These tiles are then interlocked when brought into proper relation, as shown in Fig. 2, and a surface is therefore formed of like or uniform tiles, each having the same surface area, and hence a symmetrical appearance is obtained. It will be seen that by varying the color of the tiles I may secure any desired design and that this design will present a pleasing and uniform appearance, and hence a balanced effect is insured. This permits me to use one tile, as it were, in making up the surface, thus greatly cheapening the manufacture and facilitating the handling and laying of the tiles. The material from which the tiles are made will of course depend upon the conditions met and the results desired, and it may be an elastic material or a non-elastic material.

In Fig. 3 a tile of difierent shape is shown, the tile being hexagonal. It will be noted, however, that on any given tile the projections Aare equal to the recesses A and that a balanced symmetrical effect is produced. It will also be noticed that only one form of tile is necessary and that the tiles fit together to make up the surface.

It will thus be seen that a large variety of shapes may be used and still a single form used to make the surface in any given instance, and I have not attempted to illustrate the variety of shapes, but have confined the drawings to two distinct shapes for the purpose of illustrating this feature.

It will be seen that by means of my invention I am enabled to make a floor, wall, or other surface of uniform interlocking tiles,so as to get a balanced symmetrical eflect. It is evident, however, that the entire floor or wall area in any given instance is not necessarily made up of the same tiles, but a given area of this surface will be made up of uniform or like tiles.

1 claim 1. A wall, floor or other surface, made up of a series of separate, uniform and interchangeable tiles, having marginal dovetailed recesses and corresponding interlocking projections, one in the middle of each side and alternating around the margin, and both extending through the entire tile thickness, so tending through the entire tile thickness, so that they can be locked together to form a that they can be locked together to form a substantially continuous surface of pieces substantially continuous surface of pieces held together against lateral strain by such held together against lateral strain by such 15 interlocking marginal parts. interlocking marginal parts, the tiles being 2. A Wall, floor or other surface, made up four-sided, with two recesses on opposite marof a series of separate, uniform and interl gins and two projections on opposite margins. changeable tiles, having marginal dovetailed ALFRED L. FLOOD. recesses and corresponding interlocking pro- I Witnesses: jections, one in the middle of each side and DONALD M. CARTER, alternating around the margin, and both eX- I A. S. WEBER.

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