US841998A - Tile flooring. - Google Patents

Description

Np. 841,998. 7 PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

Y L. W; MULFORD. TILE FLOORING. ABPLIOATION FILED M120, 1906.

nu I! 'Nrrnn s'rA'rEs PATENT op nion- TILE FLOORING.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed February 20, 1906- Serial No. 302.003-

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOGAN WILLARD MUL- FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Tile Flooring, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to tiles for covering floors ,walls, or other similar places, and provides a tread which may be employed for surfaces exposed to wear, such as floors, steps, landings, and similar places.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide the tiles with interlocking tongues and recesses, in which the tongues which form a portion of the tile are seated, or to provide recesses in the sides of the tiles in which keyblocks are located to lock the different parts in place. It has also been proposed to form blocks at the corners of the tiles and staggering the joints of the adjoining rows and also. to construct the tiles so that they overlap as well as interlock. It has further been proposed to construct the tile flooring of a metallic base having portions thereof deflected upwardly and the facing material socured thereto, and in some cases a metallic base-plate has been employed on which the facing compound or other material is placed and to which it is secured, said base-plate having projections and recesses adapted to interlock with corresponding projections or recesses either in the base-plate of the adjacent tile or the composition or facing material secured thereto.

My present invention, however, differs widely from these to which I'have referred; and it consists in a novel construction of tile members having apertures or openings therethrough in which the upwardly-extending portions of the locking member are adapted to be seated.

It further consists of a novel construction of a locking member having a plurality of upwardly projecting portions which are adapted to be seated in the openings in different tiles, the top of these projections or studs being preferably flush with the upper surface of the tile. The tiles are recessed on their lower faces contiguous with the openings in the tiles, and in these recesses the base-plate of the locking member is adapted to be seated, so that when the parts are in assembled position both the upper and lower faces of the floor form substantially plain surfaces.

It further consists of a novel construction of apertures having a plurality of inclined walls which form tooth-like projections or are suitably serrated, the upwardly-extending portions of the locking member being adapted to closely engage these walls and prevent any improper movement of the tiles with respect to said locking member,

It further consists of placing in the tile studs of iron, steel, or any suitable wear-resistant materiahthese studs, as seen in Fig. 7, being preferably substantially flush with the upper and lower surfaces of the tile.

' To the above ends my invention consists, broadly, of a novel construction of tiles and a novel construction of a locking member by the employment of which the life ofthe tiles I is greatly prolonged, owing to the even wear to which they are subjected, and in addition the different tiles are held in suitable relation to, each other even when they are nearly worn through. The cost of the flooring is reduced to a minimum,since the tiles themselves may be very readily and cheaply manufactured and may be made of any suitable or desirable material, and since in practice the locking member and the upwardly-projecting portions thereof, which when the parts are in assembled position are substantially flush with the upper surface of the tiles, are preferably made of iron, steel, or other suitable wear-resisting material, the life of the tiles themselves will be prolonged thereby, and, further, there is no liability of the difierent tiles buckling, pulling apart, or becoming separated.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a construction embodying my invention. 2 represents a section on line :1; as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the locking member. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of a construction embodying my invention, the tiles being shown as having a different shape. Fig. 5 represents a plan view of Fig. 4, showing a modified arrangement of tiles. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of another embodiment of my invention, showing a portion of two tiles interlocked and having wearresist ing material inserted therein. Fig. 7 represents a section on line y y, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of another embodiment of a locking member which may be employed, if desired.

therein, as seen at 3 in Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tile, the same being shown in the present instance as having a hexagonal form, although it will be apparent that the contour or shape of the tile employed is immaterial.

2 designates openings extending through the tile 1, the walls of said openings when the parts are in assembled position being serrated or having annular grooves or nicks The tile on its under side is suitably recessed, this recess, as seen at 4, extending from the bottom of this opening to the side contiguous thereto.

5 designates a locking member, which in the present instance comprises a bar or baseplate 6, having at each end locking members 7, extending angularly therefrom, each of said members being provided with a plurality of flanges or projections S, which when the parts are in assembled position closely engage the walls of the openings 2, so that there is no possibility of the tiles becoming separated or buckling, which has heretofore been one of the most serious objections against tile flooring. The connecting-bar or base-plate 6 when the parts are assembled closely engages the recess 4, and the bottom of this connecting member 6 is flush with the bottom surface of the tiles 1, while the top of the locking members 7 are flush with the up per surface of the tiles.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the tiles 9 as having four sides and a locking member employed to secure the tiles together similar to the one already described, it being apparent that the contour or the number of sides given to the tiles may be varied according to the conditions and re quirements of the case and the result which it is desired to obtain, since it is only essential that the tiles have an opening therethrough, such as that seen in Fig. 2, and that the tiles be recessed, as at 4, so that the novel construction of locking member, such as 5, may be seated in said recess and the opening of an adjacent or contiguous tile. The-locking member 5 is preferably made of iron, steel, or some wear-resistant material, and the tiles themselves may be composed of rubber, composition, or any suitable material, and since the upper face of the projections 7 of the locking member 5 are flush with the upper surface of the tiles the latter will wear evenly and will be securely fastened with respect to each other until they are almost worn through.

It will be apparent that if the tiles themselves are made of a composition which has a smaller amount of wear-resistant qualities than the members 7 said members will serve to preserve the life of the composition, as the members 7 will be worn down in conjunction with the tiles themselves.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown two tiles 10 and 11, the tile 10 having a suitable recess therein in which the tongue 12, extending from the tile 11, is adapted to be seated. 13 designates apertures through the different tiles at suitable points therein, said apertures having therein studs or blocks 14, of steel, iron, or any suitable wear-resistant material, said studs being preferably flush with the upper and lower surfaces of the tiles, although this is not essentialunder all conditions.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a locking member 15, having the connecting-bar 16, from which extends angular studs or lugs 17, the peripheries of which form a substantially plane surface, and when the locking member 15 is in assembled position and the lug 17 seated in the aperture of adjacent tiles the top of these locking-studs 17 would be preferably substlantially flush with the upper surfaces'of the ti es.

In tiles for floors or walls as heretofore constructed there have been several serious objections, chief of which are the cost of completed floor and the liability of its buckling or bending under the strain of constant use either owing to the wear and tear on th( material or to atmospheric or climatic conditions. It will be apparent that by the use of my present construction there is no possibility of the tiles drawing apart either in a vertical or a longitudinal direction. and the looking member will at all times strongly engage the tiles. It will also be apparent that if the walls of the apertures through the tiles form a substantially plane surface when the studs 7, having flanges or projections 8 thereon, such as is shown on the locking member, are forced into said apertures these projections or serrations will closely engage the walls of the apertures, and if the material is composed of a yielding or resilient composition or substance these flanges or booklike projections will be forced into the tiles themselves, so that there will be no danger of the locking member being disengaged from the tiles. I have found it advantageous under certain conditions to employ interlocking tiles, such as is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, said tiles having extending thereinto or therethrough any suitable wear-resistant material, such as 14, so that these blocks 14 will take up the wear on the tiles in a similar manner to the blocks 7 and 17 of the locking members 5 and 15, and although in the present instance I have shown these blocks of wear-resistant materialas being placed near the sides of the tile it is apparent that these may be located as desired throughout the tile, and the number of these blocks may be increased or diminished according to the result which it is desired to attain. It will be further apparent that in both forms of locking members which I have shown the tiles will be secured in proper IGlfilJlOl] to each other in the same manner; but under certain conditions and in conjunction with tiles made of certain material it is advantageous to employ flanges or projections on the lockingstuds, such as is shown in Fig. 3. hile I have spoken of th e locking members and the blocks 14 as being composed of wear-resistant material, it is to be understood that this wear-resistant material may be composed of any substance or material which is harder than the composition or material of which the tiles themselves are composed. It will be further apparent that a flooring constructed of tiles and locking members as herein shown and described may be very readily and cheaply assembled and placed in position.

I have shown in the present instance the locking studs and blocks or other pieces of wear-resistant material as being cylindrical in form; but it is to be understood that these blocks and studs may be of any suitable shape or form and still be within the scope of my invention, and, further, that in some cases instead of employing blocks of wearresistant material inserted in the body por tion of the tile strips, pins, posts, or other forms of this material may be used, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the shape which I have herein shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tile for flooring and the like, of a shape adapted to coincide edgewise when assembled in series, having an aperture extending through the body portion thereof in the direction of its thickness, a filling in said aperture of a harder material than the body portion of the tile, and withmeans integral therewith adapted to interlock a body of such tiles in series.

2. A tile for flooring and the like, adapted to coincide edgewise when assembled in series, and having an aperture extending through the body portion thereof in the direction of its thickness, in combination with means to interlock a body of such tiles in series, said means consisting of a bar having angularly-disposed studs adapted to engage and fill said apertures in adjacent tiles, whereby the upper end of each stud operates to provide a tread surface substantially flush with the tread-surface of the tile.

3. In a device of the character described, tiles having apertures therethrough, the walls of said apertures being serrated, and a locking member having projections thereon adapted to be seated in apertures of different tiles, the upper end of said locking member being substantially flush with the upper sur' face of the tiles.

e 4. A tile for flooring and the like adapted disposed studs at each end thereof adapted to engage said transverse recesses in adjacent tiles.

5. In a device of the character described, tiles having apertures therethrough, and a recess extending from each aperture to the side nearest thereto, a locking member, comprising a bar adapted to be seated in said recess'and having studs extending angularly therefrom, said studs engaging said apertures and the upper face of said studs being substantially flush with the upper surface of the tiles.

6. In a device of the character described, tiles having apertures therethrough, and a recess extending from each aperture to the side nearest thereto, a locking member comprising a bar adapted to be seated in said recess and having studs extending angularly therefrom, said studs engaging said apertures and the upper face of said studs being substantially flush with the upper surface of the tiles and means on said studs for preventing their disengagement with the tiles coacting therewith.

7... A tile for flooring, adapted to be assembled edgewise in series, provided with a plurality of vertical openings extending through the body of the tile, in combination with a metallic locking member havingv a plurality of upright studs adapted to fill said openings in the tile and operating as well to bind together adjacent tiles as to provide a wear-resisting surface flush with the treadsurface of the tile.

8. As a new article of-manufacture, a flooring composed of a series of tiles, coinciding edgewise, each tile having an aperture extending through the body portion in the direction of its thickness, with means to simultaneously interlock the several tiles in the series and to resist wear of the tread-surface thereof, said means consisting of a series of locking members, each comprising a bar having a plurality of studs extending angularly therefrom and adapted to engage and fill the respective apertures in the adjacent tiles and form a flush tread-surface.

LOGAN WILLARD MULFORD.

Witnesses JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS.

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