GB2158739A - Decorating shield - Google Patents

Abstract

Edge portions of a floor covering are protected during decorating by removably securing thereover an elongate shield (1) having a drooped leading edge portion (2) such that the extreme edge of the floor covering is shielded by the leading edge portion and the shield overlies an edge strip of the floor covering. The shield is secured using double headed or flanged nails. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Decorating shield The present invention relates to shields for use in protecting floor coverings during decorating and to methods of protecting floor coverings using such shields.

It is often necessary to carry out decorating work on surfaces such as skirting boards which directly adjoin floor coverings such as carpets. If the floor covering is left in place it is difficult to carry out such decorating work without soiling the edge portions of the floor covering during the stages of preparing the surface for decoration such as by washing and rubbing down with abrasive paper, during painting or during fixing wall coverings.

Removal of the floor covering is not always possible and where it is possible it may be a difficult task to remove and replace the floor covering. For instance, fitted carpets are difficult to remove, even more difficult to replace, and when removed are difficult to store.

Small shields are known for use in protecting the glass when painting window frames. These are essentially useless for the purposes of protecting a floor covering during decorating because of their small size and because once they become soiled with paint, this paint tends to be transferred to the floor covering as the shield is moved along, Fur thermore, rubbing down of paint work and similar operations produce dust which will soil floor covering not immediately adjacent the area being worked upon so that a small shield is of no real use.

The present invention provides a method for protecting a floor covering during decorating comprising protecting edge portions of the floor cover ing by removably securing thereover an elongate shield having a dropped leading edge portion sus': that the extreme edge of the floor covering is shielded by the leading edge portion and shield overlies an edge strip of the floor covering.

Preferably, the shield has the form of a minor and a major strip member joined along edges at an obtuse angle, the minor strip member providing the leading edge.

Preferably, the method is employed in connection with protecting carpets. Before commencin decorating, one may secure shields according to the invention along substantially the entire perilDh- ery of the carpet in the room being decorated SID that one is then free to work upon the entire will area, including skirting boards.

As will be described in greater detail thereaftezr, the shields according to the invention can easily be shaped to fit around corners and protrusions st jch as door architraves.

The shields are suitably removably secured tzy nailing or stapling. Screws can be used, but quicker and simpler methods such as nailing and stapling are to be preferred.

Preferably however, one employs a fixing means which is specifically adapted for easy removal ait the end of the decorating process. Preferably, tEle fixing means is adapted to be applied by hammering but is provided with means to limit the depth of insertion of the fixing means to leave a portion accessible for gripping by a removal tool. A particularly preferred example of a fixing means adapted for easy removal is a nail having a double headed or at least having a flange around its shaft intermediate the point and the head to limit the degree of insertion of the nail. When such double headed or flanged nails are employed, a portion of the nail remains sticking up from the shield and can easily be grasped by pincers for removal.

Accordingly, the present invention includes a kit for use in protecting floor coverings during decorating, which kit comprises at least one shield as described above in conjunction with a plurality of fixing members specially adapted for easy removal such as double headed or flanged nails or other fasteners of the kind described.

In addition to protecting the edges of the floor covering, the shields provided according to the invention may be employed as an aid to protecting the remainder of the floor covering. A dust sheet may be laid over the floor covering and edge portions of the dust sheet may be caught under the major part of the shield and thereby secured at the edges of the room. By this means, the floor covering may be effectively sealed beneath a dust sheet.

At the end of the decorating activity, the shields may all be removed and any dust sheet provided may be taken up leaving the floor covering clear of soiling.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment according to the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shield according to the invention and Figure 2 illustrates the manner of shaping the shield around corners; and Figure 3 shows a double headed nail forming part of a kit according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 1, a shield for use in the invention comprises a elongate strip suitably of metal or plastics. The shield cbmprises a major strip portion 1 for laying on the surface of the floor covering. Along a forward edge of the strip member 1 is a minor strip member 2 making an obtuse angle a with the strip member 1.

The angle a is suitably from 110 to 160D and is preferably approximately 135 . Alternatively, the shield may be formed having a curved drooped leading edge.

In either case, the leading edge portion is preferably adapted to cover the upstanding free edge of a carpet and is therefore preferably approximately 2 to 20mm, eg. about 5 to 15mm, must preferably about 12mm, deep. The width of the major strip portion 1 may suitably be from 3 to 10cm eg.

about 5cm.

The shield is made from material of a thickness which can reasonably easily be cut using either scissors or a pair of tin snips or side cutters so that as shown in Figure 2, the major strip 1 may be cut through to the junction with the drooped leading edge constituted by minor strip portion 2 and the minor strip portion 2 may then be bent so that the strip may be bent around either internal or external corners as shown in Figure 2.

The shield may be provided with ready made holes in the major strip 1 for receiving fixing elements such as nails. However, alternatively the major strip member 1 may be sufficiently thin or otherwise easily penetrated that fixings can be driven through any part of the major strip member 1 as desired.

As shown in Figure 3, a preferred fixing for use in the invention is a double headed nail having a flange 3 beneath a head 4 thus providing a stop so that the nail may be driven up to the stop 3 leaving the head 4 upstanding and easily gripped by pincers for removal.

In use, the shield 1 and similar shields may be placed around the entire periphery of the room or other area to be decorated and may remain in place until the decorating has been completed and all coats of paint on the adjacent surfaces, eg.

skirting boards have dried. The double headed nails may then be removed and the shields may be taken up leaving the carpet or other floor covering clean beneath.

The shield as shown in Figure 1 is easily put in place around the edge of the room by holding the shield by the major strip member 1 with the minor strip member 2 approximately vertical and pressing the minor strip member down the edge of a skirting board abutting a carpet and laying the major strip member back on top of the carpet. Because of the obtuse angle between the major and minor strip members of the shield, this forms a Vgroove around the edge of the bottom of the skirting board so that the skirting board may be painted to a level below the line of the carpet without risk of soiling the carpet.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific features of the particular embodiment illustrated, it will be understood that may variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A method for protecting a floor covering during decorating comprising protecting edge portions of the floor covering by removably securing thereover an elongate shield having a drooped leading edge portion such that the extreme edge of the floor covering is shielded by the leading edge portion and the shield overlies an edge strip of the floor covering.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shield has the form of a minor and a major strip member joined along edges at an obtuse angle, the minor strip member providing the leading edge.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a plurality of shields as defined in claim 1 are secured along substantially the entire periphery of a room being decorated.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the shield or shields are secured by fixing means adapted for easy removal at the end of the decorating process.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the fixing means is adapted to be applied by hammering and is provided with means to limit the depth of insertion of the fixing means to leave a portion accessible for gripping by a removal tool.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the fixing means is a nail having a flange around its shaft intermediate the point and the head to limit the degree of insertion of the nail.

7. A method for protecting a floor covering during decorating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A kit for use in protecting floor covering during decorating, which kit comprises at least one shield as defined in claim 1 in conjunction with a plurality of fixing members adapted for easy removal.

9. A kit as claimed in claim 8 wherein the fasteners are double headed or flanged nails.

10. A kit for use in protecting floor coverings during decorating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. A kit as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 further including a dust sheet.