GB2254867A - Add-on board edging - Google Patents

Abstract

Add-on board edging comprising an angled edge piece 40 adapted to butt against a mating angled edge piece 30, these edge pieces usefully containing apertures 50, 52 by which they may be securely fixed, preferably simultaneously, both together and to the supporting joists. The mating portions 48, 38, can be ribbed or corrugated to inhibit relative sliding movement under load changes, to limit squeaking of the boards. The board edging and the board to which it is affixed, floorboarding for instance, can be lifted, without damage to the board, to access services hidden below the board(s); the recess 32 and the protrusion 42 may be used to attach the edging to the tongue and groove respectively of known floorboard or chipboard equivalent. <IMAGE>

Description

BOARD EDGING FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to board edging, and relates in particular to an add-on board edging allowing the easier removal, undamaged, of an in-place fitted board.

The fitted board to be removed undamaged will typically be one of a number secured side by side to joists or equivalent to form a surface covering, for instance a floor, wall or ceiling.

We see the most likely application of our invention to be for floorboard edging, and for convenience terms such as "upper" and "lower", and "lift" and "laid" will hereinafter be used to refer to the appropriate surfaces for (horizontally) laid floorboards.

With the use of our invention a fitted floorboard can be lifted, undamaged, for access to services (electricity cables and the like) located below the floorboard, whereafter that same floorboard can be replaced; conscientious workers will not need to provide a replacement floorboard, others will not be tempted to re-use a board which has been damaged and weakened during prior removal to access the services below, whilst homeowners will find it easier personally to lift and replace the floorboard, for instance whilst checking that there is adequate insulation around underfloor central heating pipes. The following description and explanation will for convenience therefore be directed to floorboard edging.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Floorboards are traditionally rectangular, and it is common practice for them to be laid with their longer sides perpendicular to the supporting joists; usually several boards may need to be removed to access the underfloor services, since these services are normally laid to run parallel to (and between) the joists. Once the first floorboard has been lifted, it is often relatively simple to lift and remove the other floorboards.

DISCLOSURE OF THE PRIOR ART One known method of floorboarding comprises laying planks of wood side by side across the supporting joists until the floor area is completely covered. Fitted flat-edged planks however often tend to squeak when a neighbouring (butted) plank moves, for example when weight is redistributed (as by a person moving about the room). Users therefor often prefer planks with mating tongue and groove edge formations, since with neighbouring planks interlocked by such formations the tendency to squeak is often reduced or even avoided. When laid in position, the floorboards typically are nailed or screwed to the supporting joists, but continuously supported floating floors are known wherein the boards are not individually fixed, for instance to a sub-floor, but are located in position by their own weight and by the perimeter skirting.

Whilst it is difficult to lift undamaged a floorboard closely butting a similar floorboard, it is even more difficult to lift a floorboard interlocked with its neighbouring floorboard by a tongue and groove formation; furthermore it is not normally possible to lift an interlocked floorboard without destroying the integrity of the board, since it is usually necessary to saw through either the tongue and groove formation or the body of the board; if the formation is sawn through the interlock feature is destroyed, and if the body is sawn through the board is rendered unfit for service.

Many house builders now prefer as floorboards to use chipboard panels, rather than wood planks. The chipboard panels are typically 2400mm by 600mm, of thickness 18mm or 22mm, with either a square edge, or a tongue or groove formation or profile, along all four edges. Lifting such a panel, without damaging the panel, is even more difficult than lifting a plank, since larger sections of flooring have individually and collectively to be lifted and removed (for access to the concealed services), and most chipboard is weaker and so more likely to be damaged during removal than a plank, which typically is of wood cut from a tree.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION We propose an improved board edging to allow a board to be removed, and re-used.

Thus according to one feature of our invention we provide board edging comprising an edge piece having a board engagement portion and an opposed mating portion, the mating portion being shaped to permit the edge piece to be located in mating engagement with a cooperating edge piece for a neighbour adjacent board. The mating engagement is adapted to be broken by movement of one edge piece upwardly relative to the other i.e perpendicular or substantially so to the plane of the floor covering and thus of the adjacent boards.

Usefully the edge piece is of a rigid plastics material.

Preferably the edge piece has spaced-apart apertures through the mating portion whereby securement means can hold the mating portion in engagement with the mating portion of a cooperating edge piece for another board; each securement means will thus pass through a respective aperture and into an aligned aperture in the mating portion of a corresponding edge piece with which it is to cooperate, and preferably the securement means can pass also through the aperture in the corresponding edge piece additionally to secure the edge pieces and thus the boards to a (floorboard) joist.

Generally the upper edge or surface of the edge piece will be designed so as not to stand proud of the board in use. The mating portion will preferably be at an angle of 45 degrees (to the vertical when the board edging is in use as floorboard edging).

If to be used to connect board edges which are disposed parallel to a joist, an edge piece will be selected preferably to be of a width (i.e. in the angle direction) less than that of the joist by which it is supported, whereby when the edging is lying along a joist, at least part of the edge piece of the adjacent board can also rest upon and be directly supported by the joist.

In a preferred embodiment the combined width of the mating edge pieces will be less than the width of the joist, so that the boards themselves will also be directly supported on the joist(s); however we do not exclude only the board edge pieces being so supported, in order indirectly to provide joist support for the boards. We also forsee an embodiment wherein only one edge piece will be supported on the joist, with the mating edge piece being carried on (above) this one edge piece.

According to a further feature of our invention, we provide a surface covering comprising at least two boards, one of the said boards having a first board edge piece, the other of said boards having a second board edge piece, the first and second board edge pieces being in mating engagement. Preferably the edge pieces are held in locking engagement by a releasable locking means. In one embodiment the board edge pieces are identical in form, but reversed in position.In another embodiment the board edge pieces have respective interfitting male and female portions with which the releasable locking means cooperates; preferably the mating portions are linear but oppositely angled e.g. at 45 degrees to the vertical in use, with the board engagement portion of one board edge piece including a tongue shaped to inters it within the groove in a board, and with the board engagement portion of the other board edge piece including a groove shaped to inters it about the tongue of an adjacent board.

Thus the board edge pieces are sandwiched in use between the two adjacent boards. A board edge piece can be secured (as by adhesive) to its associated board, or be removably mounted thereon.

For a pair of boards with a respective tongue and groove formation, preferably the board with the tongue formation will be the one first lifted, with its fitted (female) board edge piece being the upper edge piece in use. Preferably each board will have a continuous board edge piece along one long side (which includes a tongue), and a continuous board edge piece along the opposed long side (which includes a groove), though intermittently-spaced edge pieces can be provided, with the spaces therebetween otherwise filled.

Thus we provide and disclose an angled edge piece to butt against a mating angled edge piece, these edge pieces usefully containing apertures by which they may be securely fixed, preferably simultaneously, both together and to the supporting joist(s). The mating portions desirably will be ribbed or corrugated to inhibit relative sliding movement under load changes, to limit squeaking of the boards, and to ensure that the upper surface or edge of a board edge piece is flush with the upper board surface or at least does not stand proud thereof.

Such edge pieces can be fitted to boards of current profiles, by the board manufacturer, or the house builder, or the home owner. In particular the edge pieces can have engagement portions shaped to suit the various proprietary tongue and groove profiles. Alternatively the edge pieces can be shaped with flat engagement portions, and so be fitted to straight-edged boarding, for example as a retro-fit to boards from which the tongue and groove profile has been removed for access on a previous occasion. The strength of the joint that such an edge piece with a flat engagement portion makes with the board may be increased by a lip formed upon the edge piece to fit under the board.If the floorboards are staggered, then each two linearly displaced adjacent floorboards have their respective edge pieces (adjacent the end butting position) supported by and/or secured to a single length of an edge piece of the adjacent board.

An advantage of our invention is that that the same securement means can be used both to hold a board to a joist and to maintain the mating portions of cooperating edge pieces in firm engagement, as may be needed to inhibit relative movement between adjacent floorboards when one of the floorboards is supporting an intermittent weight, as when a user is walking over the floor.

It will be understood that with the use of our add-on board edging, for instance selected so that the mating portions both have projecting tongues, the board manufacturer has available a wider range of edge formations. In this specific example all the boards, or at least their long sides, can be grooved, with consequent economies of scale in production, and less likelihood of the (exposed) board tongue formation being damaged in transit or during storage.

We also provide a method of lifting a covering member which includes the steps of fitting an edge piece to the covering member, and of then raising the edge piece and thus the member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the following schematic drawings in which: Fig.l is a perspective partial view of a floorboard arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention, also with some boards laid; Fig.2 is a section of one embodiment of edging pieces according to the invention; Fig.3 is a part-section view of board edging parallel to a joist, with the board edging and adjacent boards directly supported by the joist; and Fig. 4 is a perspective partial view of a flat edged floorboard with another embodiment of edge piece.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS In the arrangement illustrated in Fig.l, floorboards 2,3 are laid upon joists 4 in linearly displaced fashion; typically (but not shown) there will for alternate floorboard rows be a shorter "end floorboard" to provide the staggered or linearly displaced cross-joints (at 5) in the conventional manner.

In this embodiment water pipe 6 and electricity wire 8 run parallel to and between neighbouring joists, and thus will normally be concealed by the completed floorboarding.

As is usual, the short ends 2a,3a of the boards lie respectively along joists 4, to which they can if desired be secured in traditional manner by nails or screws; the joists 4 in this embodiment are of width 50mm and are spaced no more than 400mm apart, with therefore approaching 25mm of the end of each board supported thereon. In an alternative embodiment the joists are spaced 300mm apart. Additional screw holes 7 can also be provided or formed. The boards 2,3 are 2400mmx600mmx22mm chipboard panels, with a continuous two-piece board edging 10 interconnecting the adjacent boards 2,3 at and along their longer sides 2b,3b.

In the embodiment of Fig.l, the board edging comprises separate affixed strips 30,40, separately connected by releasable securement means 20 to underfloor joists; in another embodiment the board edge pieces are also connected by screws 20 to the respective board. The strips 30,40 have an opposed mating face, in this embodiment to provide a butt joint.

In an alternative embodiment as seen in Fig.2 the board edging 10 comprises two edge pieces 30,40 shaped to inters it together, with substantially only upper surface 31 (of edge piece 30) visible in use i.e. edge piece 31 has a part above edge piece 40. Edge piece 40 has a planar lower surface by which it is mounted on a supporting joist 4, and in this embodiment edge piece 30 has a (narrower i.e. left to right as viewed) lower surface for a similar purpose. The edge pieces in use will be directly supported by a joist 4.

In the normal arrangement of Fig.l the edge pieces lie perpendicular to the joists to provide "spaced" intermittent board edging and floorboard support. In the arrangement of Fig.3 the edge pieces lie parallel to a joist, to connect and support the shorter board sides 2a or 3a, though such connection will normally be additional to (rather than instead of) the "long side" arrangement of Fig. 2.

Thus for the floor covering such as that of Fig.l, the edge pieces 30,40 are fitted respectively to two proprietary floorboards (such as floorboards 2,3), with these floorboards having respective tongue and groove profiles along the floorboard longer sides 2b,3b.

Although the floorboard manufacturer may provide only a simple tongue and groove edge profile, the traditional tongue and groove mating surfaces may be given a more complex form (often unique to a particular floorboard manufacturer), and designed so that contact between adjacent boards is made only at chosen surfaces, these surfaces being selected to achieve maximum support of one board for another, but with minimum tendency to squeak. For such manufacturers, the respective surfaces of the edging pieces 30,40 (such as surfaces 39,44) can be made of similar profile.

In the embodiment of Fig.2 rear groove 32 is defined by an upper rearwardly extending limb 33 and a lower rearwardly extending limb 34, joined by a face 35; groove 32 is positioned so that upper surface 31 in use will be flush with (in the same plane as) the upper surfaces of adjacent floorboards 2,3. Limb 33 terminates at surface 39 and is of greater length than limb 34, and as viewed in Fig.2 has its inner surface 36 at a smaller angle to the horizontal than the inner surface 37. Displayed or visible (in use) upper surface 31 is provided on this female edging piece 30, above the groove 32.

Male edge piece 40 has tongue 42 with a surface 43 at a smaller angle to the horizontal than its surface 44, the surfaces being joined by face 45. Surface 43 is of greater extent than surface 44.

Rear groove 32 defines a board engagement portion, as does tongue 42. Edge piece 30 has a mating portion defined by surface 38; edge piece 40 has an opposed mating portion defined by surface 48. Surface 38 extends rearwardly from upper surface 31, so that this upper surface 31 can be of large dimension in the left to right direction i.e. as viewed in Fig.2, and to overlap in use the opposed mating surface 48.

The mating surfaces 38,48 are preferably at 45 degrees as viewed in Fig.2, and preferably include surface corrugations (not shown) to prevent relative surface slippage, both to maintain upper surface 31 in the plane of the upper surfaces in use of floorboards 2,3 and to inhibit sqeaking or similar noises which might otherwise occur on relative (floorboard) movements. In alternative embodiments the surfaces are at an angle other 45 degrees, and are not planar or substantially so. The surface corrugations can be continuous or intermittent, and can be in the form of ribs and cooperating slots.

In this embodiment edge piece 30 has a pre-formed through aperture 50; edge piece 40 has a pre-formed through aperture 52.

When the edge pieces 30,40 are brought into contact, apertures 50,52 are aligned, and a screw (not shown) is passed through them and into a joist 4, not only to secure edge pieces 30,40 together and thus to secure the respective adjacent boards together but also to secure the edge pieces and boards to the joist. Thus the screw, or equivalent, provides the releasable locking means 60.

In an alternative embodiment apertures 50,52 are formed on site, following laying of the boards 2,3 on the joists.

The edge pieces extend along the longitudinal edges of each neighbouring board, but in an alternative embodiment can extend part way along only with the resulting space between the remainder of the facing board edges either left as a gap or preferably filled, as with a panel projection.

Upon removal of the releasable locking means 60 (in this embodiment a wood screw) holding the edge pieces together, and in this embodiment also securing both edge pieces and thus the neighbouring floorboards to the joists 4, a sharp edged tool such as a screwdriver can be inserted between the mating surfaces (e.g. mating surfaces 38,48 of Fig.2) whereby to lift the upper (female in this embodiment) edge piece 30 and the associated floorboard. It will be understood that the board and/or the edge pieces can be compressed slightly to permit entry of the tool, and that there may not only be tolerance clearances and but also an allowed thermal expansion clearance.However we have found that by use of a screw as the releasable locking means 20,60 the screw can be partly fitted in aperture 50, either directly or partially screwed, whereby the edge piece 30 together with its associated floorboard 2,3 can be easily lifted as the screw is lifted.

In the alternative embodiment of Fig.4, the floorboards or panels have a square long-side face 70, and since neighbouring panels are not interlocked by such edging, cross-joists (not shown in Fig.l) are typically often provided so that each long-side peripheral edge 70 can also lie throughout its length upon a supporting joist.

However, as indicated in Fig.4, the (lower) edging piece 140 (and when interconnected thereto the upper edging piece) itself can provide support between the joists. For additional strength, in this embodiment edging piece 140 has a lip 142 projecting under floorboard panel 2. To avoid the edging piece 140 standing proud, lip 142 is "cut-away" at positions 144, to receive joists 4.

For use with floorboard panels it is preferred that the edge pieces 30,40 of the invention be fitted to half size boards, that is to boards of approximately 1200mm by 600mm, so to allow easier lifting of each board. As above mentioned, edge pieces 30,40 are preferably fitted only to the longer sides or edges of the board, with the shorter sides or edges cut square, though in a less preferred embodiment (as for Fig. 3) all four edges could be fitted with edge pieces.

If the edge pieces 30,40 lie perpendicular to the joists 4, and if the the apertures 50,52 are preformed in the respective edge pieces 30,40, the manufacturer will need to know the spacing of the joists 4, so that as above alternatively the apertures can be formed as required on site, especially for instance if edge pieces 30,40 are of a plastics material.

If the edge pieces are fitted to the longer edges of half size boards, and the joists are spaced 400mm apart, two pairs of respective apertures should preferably be 12.5mm from each end, with two more pairs of apertures 400mm from each end.

In the preferred embodiment of Fig.l the staggered cross-joints created by a shorter end floorboard means that the edge pieces 30,40 each fitted to its respective board, are also staggered.

This leads to greater rigidity of the joints, but means that the preformed apertures may not align if uniformly spaced apart i.e.

where two female edge pieces 30 meet, they will each have an aperture close (12.5mm) to their meeting ends, so that they may both be secured to the supporting joist, whereas the corresponding male edge piece, which does not meet another male edge piece at that position, will have only one aperture to secure it to that joist.

Thus if the boards are to be staggered, as is usual, the male edge piece will need to have additional apertures made within it, usually on site, to correspond to the apertures in the female edge pieces. Alternatively there can be six apertures preformed in each edge piece, spaced for example 12.5mm, 387.5mm, and 412.5mm from each end.

Alternatively, all the apertures 50,52 could be formed on site, with instructions to the user where to locate them i.e. above a joist, and in such a position as to allow the two apertures 50,52 in the respective edge pieces to be aligned. Preferably the upper surface of the edge piece 30 is marked to allow the correct positioning for the apertures when formed on site, as by drilling.

Preferably the edge pieces 30,40 are strips of extruded rigid plastics material e.g. of uPVC, with edge piece 40 having a central recess 46; recess 46 is usefully shaped generally similarly to the corresponding adjacent external surfaces of edge piece 40, and assists the controlled cooling of the plastics material immediately following the extrusion process.

Alternatively the edge pieces can be of metal, particularly of aluminium.

It will be understood that, if desired, the edge pieces can instead or in addition be fixed to the shorter edges 2a,3a of the board, or alternatively the boards may lie with their longer edges 2b,3b parallel to the joists, with the spacing of the joists chosen by the (house) builder so that each board is supported on three joists, one along each of its longer edges (to which the edge pieces are fitted), and one in between, running under the middle of the board. In both of these embodiments, the edge pieces 30,40 lie along the joists, rather than as in the preferred embodiments, across the joists.

In "shorter-edge" embodiments, with a joist of width 50mm, both board edges, as well as the edge pieces 30,40, will be supported by the joist, with about a lomm overlap for each of the boards 2,3 (since the edge pieces when conjoined by the releasable locking means have in the embodiment of Fig.2 a width of 28mm).

Specifically, following removal of the edging pieces and one board, the neighbouring board can rest on the joist.

Alternatively stated the edge pieces are located above a joist and within the projected area thereof.

In these embodiments also, when the removal of the board is required, each retaining screw for the respective pair of mating edge pieces 30,40 is removed, (and if used screws 7), whereafter a screwdriver or similar sharp bladed tool may simply be inserted underneath the upper lip 31a of female edge piece 30 (i.e. the edge piece having the displayed upper surface 31 in use), and the board lifted up and away from the neighbouring board(s) and thus also away from edge piece 40. It has also been found that a screw (such as screw 60), partially inserted into aperture 50, is, with sufficient sideways pressure, is often of itself sufficient to allow the board to be lifted.

We forsee that the modified board edging will have its greatest use in floorboarding, as described, but could equally well provide access in any area where large sections of boarding are placed together, and where damage is likely during the subsequent removal of one or more of the boards. Usefully the board edging of the invention is located between all neighbouring boards of a floor covering i.e. so that none of the boards butt or interengage directly; but alternatively the edging can be between one pair or selected pairs of boards, or between a board and the skirting, directly over known services which the builder considers might require subsequent board removal as described.

Another valuable application is for the flooring of pre-assembled structures such as house extensions or conservatories, where the location of the services (electricity, water etc) is not known to the flooring pre-assembler (so that for different customers different floorboards may need to be lifted), or where the assembler is called upon by the architect or builder to provide a hatchway at a defined position in an otherwise standard mass-produced floor structure (where only a small "hatch" area need be provided with the edging).

Claims (12)

1. Board edging comprising an edge piece having a board engagement portion and an opposed mating portion, the mating portion being shaped to permit the edge piece to be located in mating engagement with a cooperating edge piece for a neighbouring board.

2. Board edging according to Claim 1 wherein the edge piece is of a rigid plastics material.

3. Board edging according to Claim 1 wherein the edge piece is apertured through the mating portion whereby securement means can hold the mating portion in engagement with a complementary mating portion of a cooperating edge piece for an adjacent board, the securement means being adapted to pass through the said aperture and into an aligned aperture in the complementary mating portion.

4. Board edging according to Claim 3 wherein the securement means can pass also through the aperture in the cooperating edge piece whereby additionally to secure the edge pieces and thus the boards to a support joist for the boards.

5. Board edging according to Claim 1 wherein the mating portion is at an angle of 45 degrees (to the vertical, when the board edging is in use as floorboard edging) and of a width in the angle direction less than that of a suppor joist for the boards, whereby when the edging is lying along a joist, the edging of the adjacent board can also rest upon and be directly supported by the joist.

6. Board edging according any of Claims 3-5 wherein the mating portions have complementary inter-engaging ribs and slots, to inhibit relative sliding movement under load changes.

7. A surface covering comprising at least two boards, one of the said boards having a first board edging piece, the other of said boards having a second board edging piece, the first and second board edging pieces being in mating engagement and positioned betwen the said one and said other of the boards.

8. A surface covering according to Claim 7 wherein the edging pieces are held in locking engagement by a releasable locking means.

9. A surface covering according to Claim 7 wherein the board edging pieces are identical in form, but reversed in position.

10. A surface covering according to Claim 7 wherein the board edging pieces have respective mating surfaces, each with an aperture therein, the apertures being in alignement and with a releasable locking means therein, whereby to retain the board edging pieces in mating engagement.

11. A surface covering according to Claim 10 wherein the mating portions are linear but oppositely angled in use, with the board engagement portion of one board edging having a tongue shaped to inters it with a groove in a board and with the board engagement portion of the other board edging having a groove shaped to interfit about a tongue in an adjacent board, whereby the board edging pieces are sandwiched in use between the board and the adjacent board.

12. A method of lifting a covering member which includes the steps of fitting an edge piece to the covering member, and of then raising the edge piece and thus the member.