AU2014101374A4 - Decking Ply - Google Patents

Abstract

A plywood strip or board made of 6-12 plies, being 60-90mm wide and 18-42mm thick, is suitable for decking after preservative treatment. The board is optionally reeded on one face and made of rubber tree timber. 2014-11-17,C:\Users\Sharene\Doments\SPECIFICATIONSjtminnpat2.uipd,5 Th2

Description

1 TITLE OF INVENTION Decking Ply TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention concerns decking boards supplied by the timber industry for the construction of decks. BACKGROUND [0002] Such boards are commonly made from hardwood 60-90mm wide, 16mm thick and 900 2700mm long. When these become unobtainable boards made from finger jointed shucks of wood butted side by side are substituted. As these are manufactured from timber components they are straight and tend to be easier to lay as a deck where parallel positioning is important for the finished appearance of the deck. Even a slight bow renders the board troublesome for decking. [0003] The stripey look of such boards is unacceptable to some customers and there is incentive to seek a board of acceptable appearance but with dimensional reliability and straightness. [0004] The board's surface may deteriorate in appearance due to wear, extreme weather, impacts from dropped tools, scratching by animals and the like. Replacement of the board is wasteful if the plies are otherwise sound. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0005] This product aspect of the invention provides a plywood decking board made with 6-12 plies which have been pressure treated with timber preservative with a top face made of a tropical hardwood ply, 3-5mm thick. 2014-1-17,C:\UsersShadene\Doicments\SPECIFICATIONSjm innpat2pd.1 2 [0006] The plies are made from veneer cut from logs of plantation species, for example rubber trees, Batu, Yellow Balau, Meranti or Merbau. [0007] The thickness may be 18-42mm. Advantageous Effects of Invention [0008] 1. The straightness of the boards simplifies construction of the deck. [0009] 2. If the conditioning of the top face diminishes, it can be restored by sanding. [0010] 3. The sides of the board can be moulded or profiled to comply with brackets or specialised decking locators. [0011] 4. The supply of raw timber is plentiful because the source of the logs is rubber trees which no longer yield sap and are economically a loss to the plantation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0012] One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0013] Figure 1 is a perspective of a fragment of a board. [0014] Figure 2 is a perspective of the fragment in Figure 1 inverted to show the reeding. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0015] Referring to the drawings, a log of Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is immersed and rotary cut or sliced into 1.85mm veneer sheet. The sheet is wound and transferred to a pressure vessel where it is impregnated at superatmospheric pressure with lion-toxic type wood 2014-1 1l-17,C:\Users\Shadene\Documents\SPEClFICATIONS\jlmrinnpat2.npd,2 3 preservatives. The sheet is dried and fed to a plywood forming station where it is coated with adhesive, laid 8 plies deep in suitable grain direction and pressed to forn sheets 20mm thick. The top face ply 2 is 3mm thick and made of merbau. The cured sheets are sawn into strips 4 just over 90mm wide. The lower face 6 is reeded. Both faces 2, 6 and sides 8, 10 are sanded to give a strip 20 x 90mm with 15 grooves in the bottom face. Margins 12 are 9mm wide. [0016] The strips are suitable as decking boards and may be coated with natural and synthetic finishes normally applied to decking. The overall impression of the visible grain is the longitudinal grain of the log. If the appearance of the top face needs restoring it is removed, sanded and returned to the deck or sanded in situ. [0017] It is to be understood that the word "comprising" as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word "comprising" does not exclude the addition of other elements. [0018] It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. These modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention. 2014-11-17,C:\Uers\Shadiene\Documents\SPECIFICATIONSminnpat2.wpd3

Claims (5)

1. A plywood strip or board made with 6-12 plies which have been pressure treated with timber preservative with a top face made of a topical hardwood ply, 3-5mm thick.

2. A plywood strip as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the thickness is 18-42mm.

3. A plywood strip as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the width is 60-90nm wide.

4. A plywood strip as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the plies are made of Hevea brasiliensis.

5. A plywood strip as claimed in any one of Claims 1-4, wherein the top face is merbau.

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