NZ576868A - Device and a method for back blocking edges of boards - Google Patents

Abstract

A device and a method for back blocking edges of boards is disclosed. The device includes a substantially planar body having at least one support surface for supporting a board. The body has a ridge extending across the surface of the planar body to facilitate positioning of two boards against the ridge. The support surface has a depression proximate to, and substantially parallel to, a first side surface and a second side surface of the ridge.

Description

10057267327* ;57 6 8 6 8 ;10 ;PATENTS FORM NO. 5 ;Fee No. 4: $250.00 ;PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;15 ;DEVICE AND METHOD FOR BUILDING INSTALLATION ;We Kevin Donald Muirson and Lynette Kathleen Muirson, New Zealand ;Citizens of 3 Ilex Place, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand and Gary 20 Wayne Muirson and Julie Elizabeth Muirson, New Zealand Citizens of 7 ;San Jose Rise, Howick, Auckland, New Zealand ;25 ;hereby declare the invention for which We pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;DEVICE AND METHOD FOR BUILDING INSTALLATION STATEMENT OF CORRESPONDING APPLICATIONS ;5 This application is not based on any corresponding applications. ;TECHNICAL FtELD ;This invention relates to a device and method for building installation. Particularly, although not exclusively, this invention relates to a device and method for installing dry wall boards. ;10 Background Art ;The most common type of boards used in the building industry in the construction of walls and ceilings are dry wall boards made from Plaster of Paris and wrapped in a heavy paper liner. Such boards are generally planar in construction and rectangular in shape. As a result of their manufacturing process dry wall boards have tapered edges on 15 opposing sides and square cut (butt) edges on the other two opposing sides. The tapered edges are commonly used in horizontal joins such as roof-facing and/or floor facing and the butt edges are commonly used in vertical joins in walls. ;Due to the size restrictions of standard dry wall board it is frequently necessary to join two adjacent dry wall boards between framing members. In order to prevent movement 20 of adjacent dry wall boards due to their normal expansion or contraction, as a result of settling of a building after the construction process (which can cause cracking or ridging at the join) it is necessary to secure the edges to one another. This method is ;2 ;known as "back blocking". For adjacent butt edge joins a recess needs to be created which can be concealed with plaster or tape. ;Where the joined edges of the adjacent dry wall boards are square cut (or "butt" ends) the join can be difficult to conceal and can result in a poor finish to the wall or ceiling. 5 Further if a framing member to which the dry wall boards are attached is twisted (which often happens where wood framing gets wet and subsequently dries) then the resulting butt joins can be even more difficult to conceal. ;To overcome this problem a number of back blocking devices which enable a seamless butt join to be produced and prevent ridging have been developed. ;10 US 5,799,458 discloses a plate on which dry wall boards can be aligned and the butt ends supported and fixed to the plate. A centre crease in the plate enables the dry wall board long edges when attached to the plate to angle inwardly toward the centre crease of the plate so that a recess forms about the join on the front face of the wall. Thus the join can be concealed by filling in the resulting recess with plaster or similar. 15 However a major disadvantage with this device is that it can be difficult to align the edges of adjacent dry wall boards quickly and efficiently along the centre crease which can result in misalignment and a poor finish to the join. ;US 4,237,669 and US 4,392,336 disclose a back blocking system including three to four angled brackets. Screws are used to secure the brackets to the dry wall board and 20 pull them towards each other. In doing so they create the necessary recess where the adjacent boards meet. A disadvantage of such systems is that they are time consuming to install and the flanges of the brackets generally over lap the framing member causing the dry wall boards to be forced outwards away from the wall which can make it difficult to secure the butt ends of the adjacent boards to the brackets. ;Further tapered edges of dry wall boards cannot be back blocked using this system as the tapered edges are too weak to withstand the bending required. ;The only known method of securing tapered edges of dry wall boards involves using an additional piece of dry wall board as a reinforcing member, securing this to the roof 5 and/or wall facing side of a first dry wall board, screwing in the first dry wall board to the ceiling rafters with reinforcing member attached and attaching a second dry wall board into the reinforcing member. The technique of back blocking tapered joins involves a considerable amount of labour. Consequently many builders do not back block which leads to the inevitable cracking and cost / time wastage. ;10 US 3,675,383 discloses elongate clips into which the dry wall board butt ends can be slidably inserted at an angle to enable the resulting join to be concealed. The disadvantage with this device is that different thicknesses of dry wall board can require different clips. Further the metal edge of the clip is exposed on the finish side of the join which can be difficult to conceal with tape or joint compound (such as plaster). ;15 It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. ;All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, ;20 and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country. ;Throughout this specification, the word "comprise", or variations thereof such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. ;5 Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only. ;Disclosure of Invention ;According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for back blocking edges of boards comprising: ;10 • a substantially planar body comprising at least one support surface for the edge of a board; ;characterised in that the body also comprises: ;• a ridge extending from the plane of the body and substantially intersecting the body to facilitate positioning of adjacent edges of two boards against the ridge and ;15 support of the adjacent edges on the support surfaces either side of the ridge. ;According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for back blocking edges of boards comprising: ;• a substantially planar body comprising at least one support surface for the edge of a board; ;20 wherein: ;5 ;• the body also comprises a ridge extending from the plane of the body and substantially intersecting the body to facilitate positioning of adjacent edges of two boards against the ridge and support of the adjacent edges on the support surfaces either side of the ridge; and ;5 • wherein the support surface comprises a proximate depression on at least one side of, and substantially parallel to, the ridge. ;For the purposes of the specification the term "back blocking" should be understood to describe a method to secure the edges of adjacent boards, such as dry wall board used in the building industry. This term is understood by those skilled in the art. ;10 For the purposes of the specification the term "boards" should be understood to mean panels used in the building industry such as dry wall boards (or "GIB" boards) which are substantially rectilinear having variable length (typically between 2.4 to 4.8 metres) and width (typically 1.2 metres). Dry wall boards are formed from Plaster of Paris and coated in a casing material such as paper. As a result of their manufacturing process dry wall boards 15 have tapered edges on opposing sides and square cut (butt) edges on the other two opposing sides. ;For the purposes of the specification the term "depression" should be understood to mean a curved or linear angled incline from the plane of the at least one support surface of the device. ;20 Preferably, the body is substantially rectilinear in shape. ;Preferably, the body is made from metal; plastic; fibre glass; or rubber. ;Preferably, the ridge divides the body into two portions. ;6 ;More preferably, the two portions are of equivalent size and shape. ;Preferably, the height of the ridge is less than that of the thickness of the dry wall board to be attached. ;Preferably, the depression of each portion of the support surface is at an angle of between 5 -20° and -5° from the horizontal. ;More preferably, the depression of each half portion of the support surface is at an angle of -10° from the horizontal. ;Preferably, the lower surface of the device also comprises at least one marking across the width of the body to enable the body to be easily sectioned at one of the markings to a 10 required length. ;Preferably, the marking is at least one weakened join. ;More preferably, the at least one weakened join is a pre-scored line. ;Preferably, the device for back blocking edges of boards also comprises at least one strip running substantially parallel each side of the ridge. ;15 More preferably, each strip is a tape strip. ;According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for back blocking edges of boards, the method characterised by the steps: ;a. positioning a first board on a first support surface portion of the device so that its leading edge abuts a side surface of a ridge; ;7 ;b. securing a leading edge of the first board to the first support surface portion of the device; ;c. positioning a second board on a second support surface portion of the device so that its leading edge abuts an adjacent side surface of the ridge; and ;5 d. securing a leading edge of the second board to the second support surface portion of the device. ;Brief Description of Drawings ;Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings in which: ;Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the back blocking device of the present invention; ;Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 with adjacent butt edges of two dry wall boards attached; ;15 Figure 3 shows a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention; ;Figure 4 shows a side sectional view of the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3 with adjacent tapered edges two dry wall boards attached; ;Figure 5 shows a plan view of the support surface of the preferred embodiment 20 shown in Figure 3; ;8 ;Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the rear surface of the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3; and ;Figure 7 shows a close up perspective sectional view of the preferred 5 embodiment shown in Figure 3. ;Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention ;Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment for a device for installing the square cut (or butt) edges of boards (in the form of dry wall boards for use in the building industry) generally indicated by arrow 1. The device 1 comprises a 10 substantially planar body 2 with a substantially flat rear surface 3 and a front, substantially planar support surface 4 divided into two equal halves (first support surface portion 4A and second support surface portion 4B) by a raised ridge 5 extending the length of the body 2. The first 4A and second 4B support surfaces facilitate positioning and securing the device 1 to adjacent dry wall boards. This 15 method of use will become apparent from the ensuing description. ;The body 2 is preferably rectilinear in shape and is made from a single piece of extruded planar material which is lightweight and cheap to produce while still providing the necessary rigidity to function as a support surface for the adjacent edges of two dry wall boards. Suitable materials for the manufacture of the body includes sheet 20 aluminium metal in 20-25 gauge or fibreglass which can be cut to the required length and/or width with standard tools such as tin snips or a Stanley knife. Further the material of the body 2 must allow for easy penetration of means to secure the wall ;9 ;boards to the body 2 such as nails or screws. The preferred dimensions of the device 1 are 1200 mm in length and 250 mm in width. ;The lightweight nature of the body 2 allows for easy transport before use and when installed does not add significant weight to the join after securing the edges of dry wall 5 board to the device 1 thereby minimising sagging or shifting to the join. ;The support surface 4 has a roughened surface (such as dimpling; not shown) to prevent slippage of dry wall boards on the support surface 4 after alignment with the ridge 5 and therefore more accurate penetration of securing means through the support surface 4. ;10 The preferred embodiment of the device 1 illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a depression on each side of the ridge 5 (best seen in Figure 2 at the area marked X). The depression is at an angle of between -10° from the horizontal and terminates at the ridge 5. The depth of the depression X is 5 mm. The depression compensates for the lack of a tapered edge of butt edges of adjacent dry wall boards and creates the necessary 15 recess in the resulting join which may later be concealed with tape or Plaster of Paris as known in the art. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other angles of taper may be used, typically in the range -20° and -5° from the horizontal. An angle of taper outside this range can be used however angles of taper greater than -20° would begin to place too greater a stress on the board edges when the edges are secured to the 20 support surface 4 of the device 1 which may result in damage to the boards. In addition, the resulting joint recess would require excessive filler to conceal the join. An angle of taper less than -5° can begin to result in a join recess which cannot be reliably masked and may result in a poor finish to the concealed join. ;10 ;Figure 2 shows a sectional view of device 1 attached to butt edges of adjacent dry wall board butt edges 100 via securing means in the form of screws 400. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other securing means could be used such as nails or adhesives such as resins, glues or plaster. The ridge 5 is preferably 5 mm 5 in height to accommodate a minimum thickness of the dry wall board of 10 mm. In this way the device 1 can be universally used with all standard thicknesses of dry wall board by eliminating the risk of the top surface of the ridge 5 being visible in the finished join. ;Figures 3 to 5 show another embodiment of a device for back blocking tapered edges of dry wall boards (as opposed to butt edges) as generally indicated by arrow 1 A. The device 1A includes body 2A, back surface 3A and ridge 5A. However unlike the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 and 2 in this variant the support surface 4C (in the form of first support surface portion 4D and second support surface portion 4E) does not comprise a depression, but is substantially flat either side of the ridge 5A as the tapered edges of adjacent dry wall boards already form the necessary recess for finishing of the resulting join. The device 1A may include an adhesive strip 6 either side of the ridge 5A to aid in positioning of drywall boards on the support surfaces 4D and 4E before they are secured to the device 1A. These adhesive strips 6 also function as a barrier to moisture entering the adjacent boards from the join. Preferably the adhesive strips 6 are 20 mm wide and run the length of the device 1A. The preferred dimensions of device 1A are 3000 mm in length and 80 mm in width. ;The device 1A may also include a number of regularly spaced holes 600 (shown in Figure 5) in the support surfaces 4D and 4E for securing means 400. The holes 600 may be spaced at a distance of 200 mm. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the 25 art that the strips 6 and holes 600 could also be included on the device 1. ;11 ;10 ;15 ;20 ;Figures 6 and 7 show a number of equally spaced weakened joins in the form of channels 7 across the width of the back surface 3A of the body 2A to enable the device 1 to be sectioned at one of the markings to a required length. Preferably, the distance between each weakened join is 100 mm. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other forms of weakened join may also be used such as perforations. It should also be appreciated that markings may be also be included on the back surface of the device 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 to enable the weakened joins to be more easily seen by the user. ;The devices 1 and 1A are used in a method for back blocking butt or tapered edges of boards respectively, the method comprising the steps: ;a. the positioning a first dry wall board on a first support surface portion (4A or 4D) of the device (1 or 1 A) so that its butt or tapered edge abuts the ridge (5 or 5A respectively); ;b. securing a leading edge of the first board to the first support surface portion (4A or 4D) of the device (1 or 1A); ;c. positioning a second board on a second support surface portion (4B or 4E) of the device (1 or 1 A) so that its butt or tapered edge abuts a side surface of the ridge (5 or 5A); and d. securing the leading edge of the second board to the second support surface portion (4B or 4E) of the device (1 or 1 A). ;The resulting join is then finished according to known methods in the art, such as filling in with a masking agent such as tape or Plaster of Paris (as shown in Figure 2 as 500), sanding back to a smooth seam and covering the board edges 100 and 200 and seam ;with an aesthetic coating such as paint. The devices 1 and 1A are suitable for use with any thickness of dry wall board. ;Thus, the present invention has a number of advantages over the prior art, such as: ;• improved support for fixing of adjacent dry wall boards; ;• universal use with standard thicknesses of dry wall board; ;• improved ease of use in back-blocking butt or tapered edges of dry wall boards; and ;• improved speed in creating a good finish to a join between two fixed adjacent dry wall boards. ;Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. ;13 *

Claims (16)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A device for back blocking edges of boards comprising: • a substantially planar body comprising at least one support surface for supporting a board; wherein: • the body also comprises a ridge extending across the surface of the planar body to facilitate positioning of two boards against the ridge; and • the support surface comprises a depression proximate to, and substantially parallel to, a first side surface and a second side surface of the ridge.

2. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body is substantially rectilinear in shape.

3. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the body is made from metal; plastic; fibre glass; or rubber.

4. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the ridge divides the body into two portions.

5. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 4 wherein the two portions are of equivalent size and shape.

6. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the height of the ridge is less than that of the thickness of the board to be attached. 14

7. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the depression of each half portion of the support surface is at an angle of between -20° and -5° from the horizontal.

8. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 7 wherein the depression of each half portion of the support surface is at an angle of -10° from the horizontal.

9. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the lower surface of the device also comprises at least one marking across the width of the body to enable the body to be easily sectioned at one of the markings to a required length.

10. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 9 wherein the marking is at least one weakened join.

11. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 10 wherein the at least one weakened join is a pre-scored line.

12. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the device for back blocking edges of boards also comprises at least one strip running substantially parallel each side of the ridge.

13. A device for back blocking edges of boards as claimed in claim 12 wherein each strip is a tape strip.

14. A method for back blocking edges of boards using a device for back blocking edges of boards comprising: - a body; and - a ridge 15 the method characterised by the steps: a. positioning a first board on a first support surface portion of the device so that its leading edge abuts a first side surface of a ridge; b. securing a leading edge of the first board to the first support surface portion comprising a first depression positioned proximate to, and substantially parallel to, the first side surface of the ridge; c. positioning a second board on a second support surface portion of the device so that its leading edge abuts a second side surface of the ridge; and d. securing a leading edge of the second board to the second support surface portion comprising a second depression positioned proximate to, and substantially parallel to, the second side surface of the ridge.

15. A device for back blocking edges of boards substantially as illustrated in any one of the accompanying figures 1 to 4.

16. A method for back blocking edges of boards substantially as illustrated in any one of the accompanying figures 1 to 4. Kevin Donald Muirson, Lynette Kathleen Muirson, Gary Wayne Murison and Julie Elizabeth Muirson by their Attorneys James & Wells Intellectual Property 16