GB2312687A - Floor fixing - Google Patents

Abstract

A fixing (1,6) for a floor has a base and an upstanding leg. The leg terminates in a tongue which is received in a long recess provided in the side of a floor panel. The base has two rectangular through holes and two circular through holes. The fixing is particularly useful for fixing parquet flooring, especially for outdoor use, as it does not damage the surface of the panels.

Description

FLOOR FIXING DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a fixing for floors, and particularly to a fixing for wooden floors.

Every day, there is an increasing tendency to install wooden parquet floorings outdoors due to the extraordinary aesthetic effect which such flooring affords.

Among the places where this type of parquet flooring is most usually installed are gardens, terraces and swimming pools and the advantages which such floorings offer over conventional surfacings are: - The enjoyment of perfect drainage of water in garden areas and around swimming pools.

- Absorption of less heat than constructed floors, which means there is no problem when walking on them barefoot.

- Levelling out of slopes on terraces and patios with no need to change the slopes needed for drainage.

- Creation of walkways and terraces in order to avoid walking on grassed areas and also in order not to be dirtied by muddy soil.

Nevertheless, faced with these advantages, certain drawbacks still arise in their connection by virtue of the way they are laid.

Conventional outdoor platforms or parquet flooring are laid on battens to which they are fixed by nails or screws.

Between each panel, a free space is left to allow expansion of the wood due to changes in temperature and humidity.

Platforms installed with these fixings never have a completely smooth surface since the points at which the screws are located are slightly depressed. The problems which beset current outdoor platforms or parquet floors are linked with those points. These points, over and above constituting a non-aesthetic element, have a propensity to cause splintering since at the moment the panel is perforated and the screw is placed, the initial smooth and polished surface is broken, thereby creating a weakened zone. The weakened zone, by the action of expansion and contraction of the wood, and the stress to which the surface will be subjected, can cause slight cracks which become progressively larger until they constitute dangerous splinters which are the main cause of accidents on installations of this type where there are many occasions when people are in the habit of walking barefoot.

As a solution to the aesthetic problem, in some cases, the heads of the screws are covered by small cylindrical wooden plugs which result in an extraordinary increase in costs and the time it takes to lay the flooring so that this is not a very viable solution. Also, it is normal for the plugs to jump out of their seatings after a short time.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fixing for a floor, the fixing having a base and an upstanding leg, the leg terminating in a tongue, the base having at least one rectangular through hole and at least one circular through hole.

There may be two rectangular through holes positioned at or towards opposite ends of the base and two circular through holes positioned substantially centrally of the base.

The fixing is preferably U-shape having two legs projecting from one side of the base, each leg terminating in a tongue, said tongues facing outwardly away from each other.

For an edge floor panel, the fixing is preferably L-shape having one leg projecting from the base, the leg terminating in a tongue.

The or each tongue may lie in a plane substantially parallel to the base.

The present invention also includes flooring comprising panels, each panel having an upper surface and side edges, at least one of the side edges having a recess; and, a plurality of fixings as described above, the fixings being fixed to respective battens, each tongue being received in a recess in a panel, thereby securing the panels to the battens.

The panels may be wooden panels for parquet flooring.

The fixings are can be fixed to the battens by staples passing through the or each rectangular through hole or by nails or screws passing through the or each circular through hole.

The novel method of fixing exterior wooden floors has resolved the aforesaid problems, its use producing completely smooth and uninterrupted surfaces which have no weak points likely to result in splinters.

The fixing disclosed consists of a U-shaped member the ends of which are outwardly orientated and which at its base has a group of four perforations distributed as follows: two rectangular perforations at the ends and two circular perforations at the centre. This member is secured to the battens by means of a staple gun in which case the rectangular perforations will be used, or by nails or screws in which case the circular perforations will be used. By means of this member, the panels will be associated with or fixed to the battens and so provide a completely smooth surface which has no screw heads but which has the appropriate expansion joints.

A wooden platform set up with the fixing according to the invention is installed as follows.

As a first step, a starting piece is used which consists of an L-shaped profile with the end doubled over inwardly like a tongue and which is fixed to the batten through its perforations, using screws or staples.

Afterwards, on the inwardly orientated portion which is folded over like a tongue, there is associated the panel of parquet flooring for which lateral grooves have been provided and into which the tongue is fitted. As the next stage, a normal anchoring or fixing piece (not a starting piece) is taken and one of its two tongues is fitted in the second groove in the panel, after which the anchoring piece is fixed to the batten in the same way as was done with the starting piece. Having reached this point, the first panel is already fixed. Afterwards, the second panel is adjusted on the second tongue on the anchoring piece, after which one proceeds to adjust and fix a second anchoring piece in order to secure the second panel in place.

This operation is repeated systematically until the whole parquet floor has been laid.

It must be pointed out that these anchorages or fixings, in addition to fixing the panels of wood to the battens without damaging the surface which remains completely smooth, substantially simplify the laying of the floor since this can be done by using a staple gun, resulting in more than 50% reduction in the working time.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view and elevation of the main anchoring member or fixing; Fig. 2 corresponds to a plan and elevation of the starting member or fixing; and, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of outdoor parquet panels placed by using the novel fixing devices.

The device or fixing for fixing wooden floorings outdoors is constituted by a U-shaped fixing member 1 with its ends orientated outwardly away from each other in the manner of tongues 2. The tongues 2 are parallel to the base. At its base, there is a group of four perforations, there being two rectangular perforations 3 at its ends and two circular perforations 4 in its centre. This member is fixed to battens 5 by means of staples or screws, in which case the rectangular perforations 3 or the circular perforations 4 respectively are used.

In addition to the fixing member 1 which has been described above, a starting or edge fixing member 6 is provided which consists of an L-shaped profiled member with the end folded over inwards like a tongue 7. The starting member 6 is fixed to the batten 5 by means of rectangular perforations 8 or circular perforations 9 disposed in its base in the same way as they are on the aforementioned member 1.

In any case, the portions which are folded over like a tongue 7 fit into lateral grooves or recesses 10 which are incorporated in the parquet panels 11, which are thus fixed to the battens 5 with no need of any intervention on the surface of the panels 11.

Claims (14)

1. A fixing for a floor, the fixing having a base and an upstanding leg, the leg terminating in a tongue, the base having at least one rectangular through hole and at least one circular through hole.

2. A fixing according to claim 1, wherein there are two rectangular through holes respectively positioned at or towards opposite ends of the base and two circular through holes positioned substantially centrally of the base.

3. A fixing according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fixing is U-shape having two legs projecting from one side of the base, each leg terminating in a tongue, said tongues facing outwardly away from each other.

4. A fixing according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fixing is L-shape having one leg projecting from the base, the leg terminating in a tongue.

5. A fixing according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the or each tongue lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base.

6. Flooring comprising panels, each panel having an upper surface and side edges, at least one of the side edges having a recess; and, a plurality of fixings according to any of claims 1 to 5, the fixings being fixed to respective battens, each tongue being received in a recess in a panel, thereby securing the panels to the battens.

7. Flooring according to claim 6, wherein the panels are wooden panels for parquet flooring.

8. Flooring according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the fixings are fixed to the battens by staples passing through the or each rectangular through hole or by nails or screws passing through the or each circular through hole.

9. Outdoor fixing for wooden floors, characterised by being constituted by a U-shaped member with its ends orientated outwardly in the manner of tongues and which in its base has a group of four perforations including two rectangular perforations at its ends and two circular perforations in its centre.

10. A fixing according to claim 9, characterised in that in the case of the starting fixing, the member consists of an L-shaped profiled member the end of which is bent over inwardly in the manner of a tongue, the said member likewise having rectangular perforations at its ends or circular perforations in its centre.

11. A fixing according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterised in that the members are fixed to battens indiscriminately by means of staples from a staple gun or by screws, the rectangular perforations or the circular perforations respectively being employed for the purpose.

12. A fixing according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the portions which are folded over in the manner of tongues are fitted into lateral grooves incorporated into the wooden panels which are thus fixed to the battens without interfering with their surface.

13. A fixing, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

14. Flooring, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.