Abstract:
A resilient floor includes a plurality of parallel spaced rows of sleeper assemblies, or substructure members, supported by pads over a base, with a wear layer of floorboards secured to the rows of substructure members. The substructure members include an elongated lower panel with a pair of spaced rows of pads secured along the bottom surface of the panel, and corresponding rows of nailing strips secured to the top surface of the panel, to which the wear layer is secured. The panel may also include an middle row of designations, such as holes, for locating anchors to anchor the panel to the base, if it is desired to anchor the floor. Compared to other resilient floors the substructure members of this invention simplify and reduce installation and handling time, resulting in reduced labor costs. The structure itself also provides high strength and durability, but with reduced quantity and cost of material.
Abstract:
A prefabricated sleeper reduces labor costs associated with installing an anchored, resilient hardwood floor system. The prefabricated sleeper includes an elongated channel, pads located along the channel and an elongated nailing strip supported on the pads within the channel. A plurality of vertical access holes extend through the nailing strip. The pads are removed laterally from the access holes. The access holes enable a fastening gun to be inserted therein and into direct contact with the bottom of the channel to facilitate driving of fasteners through the bottom of the channel and directly into a base below. This prefabricated sleeper is formed by milling an elongated wooden strip to a desired T-shape and then drilling access holes therethrough. Pads are then stapled to the enlarged end of the T-shape, away from the access holes. An elongated sheet of steel is then rolled around the pads and the sides of the nailing strip to form a C-shaped channel thereabout.
Abstract:
A panel-type subfloor assembly for an anchored/resilient floor includes a plurality of elongated panels laid end-to-end in parallel rows along a first direction, the panels having elongated slots formed therein that are oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. For the entire floor, this results in a plurality of aligned rows of elongated slots oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. Each slot cooperates with an elongated fastener, namely an elongated dual flanged channel held by at least one pin. The fastener is positioned within the respective slot and adapted to hold the respective panel to the base along two longitudinal edges of the slots, in a manner that limits upward movement of the panel while permitting downward deflection.
Abstract:
A finger jointed floorboard or laminatable floorboard section of two connected shorter pieces includes a relatively thick upper wear region which may be sanded without exposing the fingers forming the connection, regardless of whether or not the pieces are connected in the same longitudinal and transverse horizontal planes. The structure and orientation of this finger joint allows flooring manufacturers to maximize the yield of typically solid, good quality floorboard material and to reduce installation costs, without adversely affecting the aesthetic quality of the installed floor. In one embodiment, a finger jointed board with a central finger joint is sawed in a horizontal plane through the joint to produce two identical, laminatable floorboard sections. With a thicker starting board having two separate, spaced finger joint connections, sawing along a horizontal midplane produces two identical intermediate boards, each with a centrally located finger joint. Each intermediate board is then sawed through the finger joint connection to produce a total of four laminatable floorboard sections.
Abstract:
An anchored/resilient floor system includes at least one upper flooring layer supported by spaced, parallel rows of attachment strips which are supported above a base by a plurality of compressible pads, the attachment strips being secured to the base at spaced, predetermined positions therealong in a manner which permits downward deflection under loaded conditions but prevents vertical raising of the strips beyond their initial static position. Moreover, the attachment strips are anchored in a manner which does not hold the pads in a precompressed state when the floor is unloaded. Several fastening arrangements provide for anchoring of the attachment strips with these features, including a pin/sleeve construction, a wrapped mesh construction, an angled clip construction and a transverse band construction.
Abstract:
An anchored/resilient floor system includes at least one upper flooring layer supported by parallel rows of attachment members which are supported above a base by a plurality of compressible pads, the attachment members being secured to the base at predetermined positions therealong by a fastener construction which permits downward deflection under loaded conditions but prevents vertical raising of the members beyond their initial static position. The attachment members are anchored in a manner which does not hold the pads in a precompressed state when the floor is unloaded. The fastener construction may include a one, two or three piece construction. The single member fastener construction is particularly suitable for reanchoring or retrofitting an already installed floor at a significantly lower cost than that of installing a new floor, and the one-piece fastener construction also may be adapted for use with a portable floor.
Abstract:
A hardwood floor system has upper and lower subfloors of wooden panels, a plurality of elongated floorboards disposed above the upper subfloor and a plurality of uniformly spaced compressible, deflectable pads supporting the lower subfloor above a base. In free-floating embodiment of the invention, each of the pads includes a glide tip that is slidable with respect to the base. The pads are a compressible material having a flattened truncated first end and a larger second end. Each pad has at least one tab connected to and extending laterally from one of its ends to secure the pad to the floor system. The pad includes an internal hollow volume with a cross sectional area that decreases from an opening at the second end of the pad to a closed end of the hollow volume proximate the first end of the pad. The opening has a cross-sectional area greater than the area of the flattened truncated first end of the pad.
Abstract:
A portable hardwood floor system of interconnected floor sections supported in spaced relation over a substrate includes a plurality of mounts attached to the bottoms of each of the interconnectable sections. Each mount includes a resilient pad to resiliently support the portable floor system above the base and a glide member located below the pad. The glide members are substantially noncompressible under normal floor loading conditions and have a relatively low coefficient of friction with respect to the base. The glide members are slidable on the base to enhance maneuverability in positioning and aligning the interconnectable floor sections, thereby to facilitate interconnection of the sections to form the floor system. The glide members also protect the portable floor section and/or the base and are also sufficiently durable to withstand frequent handling commonly required of a portable hardwood floor system.
Abstract:
A panel-type subfloor assembly for an anchored/resilient floor includes a plurality of elongated panels laid end-to-end in parallel rows along a first direction, the panels having elongated slots formed therein that are oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. For the entire floor, this results in a plurality of aligned rows of elongated slots oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. Each slot cooperates with an elongated fastener, namely an elongated dual flanged channel held by at least one pin. The fastener is positioned within the respective slot and adapted to hold the respective panel to the base along two longitudinal edges of the slots, in a manner that limits upward movement of the panel while permitting downward deflection. The slots are longitudinally and transversely oversized relative to the flanges of the fastener, and preferably each fastener is secured to the base via only a single pin. This promotes self-alignment of fasteners and the floor in response to lateral sheer forces, thereby resulting in floor with a high degree of structural integrity that is able to withstand substantial lateral sheer forces and/or vertically directed forces. An upper wear layer is secured to the panel-type subfloor. Compared to other panel-type anchored/resilient floors, the floor of this invention simplifies and reduces installation and handling time, resulting in reduced labor costs. The structure itself also provides high strength and durability, but with reduced quantity and cost of materials.
Abstract:
A resilient floor includes a plurality of parallel spaced rows of sleeper assemblies, or substructure members, supported by pads over a base, with a wear layer of floorboards secured to the rows of substructure members. The substructure members include an elongated lower panel with a pair of spaced rows of pads secured along the bottom surface of the panel, and corresponding rows of nailing strips secured to the top surface of the panel, to which the wear layer is secured. The panel may also include an middle row of designations, such as holes, for locating anchors to anchor the panel to the base, if it is desired to anchor the floor. Compared to other resilient floors the substructure members of this invention simplify and reduce installation and handling time, resulting in reduced labor costs. The structure itself also provides high strength and durability, but with reduced quantity and cost of material.