US1028703A - Wooden floor-covering. - Google Patents

Description

G. FULTON.

WOODEN FLOOR COVERING.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 6, 1911.

Patented June 4, 1912.

WITNESSES: q INVENTOR.

-A TTORNE Y.

dotted lines in that figure.

spectlve view showing four sections of the- GEORGE FULTON, 0F WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

WOODEN FLOOR-COVERING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FtLTox; of the city of \Vinnipeg. in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vooden Floor-Coverings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap and durable wood carpet which may be turned out in a variety of artistic patterns and which when laid will be less liable to warp,crack or curl than ordinary marquetry. I

I attain my object by means of the process hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which results in the production of a wooden floor covering .havlng the desired characteristics.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compound .prismatic wooden block. illustrating the first step in the process of forming a floor covering. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a compound slab formed by longitudinally slicing the compound block shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a compound prismatic block formed by cementing together a number of the slabs shown in Fig. "2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a single section of the covering formed by slicing the compound block shown in Fig. 8', as indicated in the Fig. 5 is a perflooring as they are laid together on the floor.

In the drawingslike letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The first step in the production of my flooring is to take a number of slabs of wood A and cement them together to form a compound prismatic block such as shown in Fig. 1. As it is my purpose to produce a patented floor covering certain of the slabs are made of strongly colored wood or else of wood to which the desired color has been given by steam dyeing or otherwise. In order to properly produce the pattern desired it is necessary that a number of prismatic blocks be formed in which the colored slabs are diflerently arranged to produce the necessary variation of pattern. These compound blocks are sliced endwise, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to' produce the compound slabs B shown in Fig. 2. A number of the compound slabs B are then cemented together to produce the compound block' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1911.

Patented June 4, 1912.

Serial No. 619,360. 1

shown in Fig. 3, which block is thus made up of a number of slender prisms of wood all securely cemented together and displaying a pattern whose special figures depends on the special arrangementof the woods in the previous steps of theprocess. The next and most distinctive step in my process is the slicing of the compound prismatic block, shown in Fig. 3, transversely of the block and at an acute angle to the end of the block.

In dotted lines "in Fig. 3 I have illustrated this method of slicing the block. As the result of this slicing I obtain the compound floor sections C, such as shown in Figs. t and 5, in which the sides form right angles with the top and bottom, but in which the ends, though parallel, are not at right angles with the top and bottom.

\Vhile I prefer that the wood shall be all arranged so that the end grain appears at the top and bottom of the floor section C, yet for the purpose of securing variety in the patterns some cross grained wood might be employed in forming the original prismatic blocks, such as shownin Fig. 1.

The flooring is laid in the following manner. A row of floor sections C are laid with the ends suitably matching. Next to it is laid a similar row of sections in a reverse position to the ends of the sections of the adjoining row, and this reversal of the position of the floor sections in alternate rows is carried out all across the floor. The result is to form a look all acrossthe floor, where the sections adjoin transversely of the directionv in which the sections-are laid, as

shown at the left hand in Fig. 5 where a projecting dove-tailed tongue a is shown next to an undercut or dovetailed recess 6, the next adjoining sections presenting the same features in reverse position to engage the tongue and recess respectively. I find that this construction of the flooring makes the floor much less liable to check, warp or curl up. The possibility of securing this advantage is obtained through the diagonal slicing process I have hereinbefore dein the one direction tends also to strengthen the block against disintegration in the other direction.

The finished flooring, owing to the surface presenting the end grain of the \VOOd, is much more durable and softer to the tread than ordinary hardwood or marquetry floors and is capable of taking a very satisfactory finish. As the floors maybe produced in a variety of patterns either with or without a border, very artistic results may be produced, and as the small wooden slabs or blocks from which the original compound block shown in Fig 1 is produced may be obtained much more cheaply than larger sized wood the cost of the flooring is comparable with any other first-class wooden floor covering.

I find it will be most convenient to make each section C represent only part of a pat-- tern so that a plurality of sections, sayfour, will be required to make upa unit of the pattern. I propose therefore, to secure each group of sections C to a backing D (see Fig. 5) preferably of cot-ton or other suitable fabric as an equivalent for the textile fabric leather, rubber paper or any other continuous more or lesspliable substance may be employed. This backing not only unites the parts of each pattern unit but aids materially in laying the flooring as a surfac is provided which takes glue well without the moisture penetrating to and swelling the wood. I

I have referred to the fact that the slabs of wood may be colored by steam dyeing or other suitable process. This enables me to bring up the color of inferior specimens of any wood to look equal to the best and also enables me, by dyeing/cheap woods of ti color of the more expensive woods to produce a party-colored fioor covering of cheap material which will look as well as if made from the choicest hardwoods.

It will be understood, of course, that the finished product is applicable to other purposes than floor covering such as stairtreads, table tops, wainscots and the like;

WVhat I claim as my invention is A floor covering section consisting of an even number of compound slices of wood cut a across the grain and formed with parallel beveled ends, the said slices being arranged in a plurality of rows with their beveled ends inclined in opposite directions in alternate rows, in combination with a continuous backing to which the said slices are cemented.

Dated at Toronto this 3rd day of April GEO. FULTON. Signed in the presence of J. Enw. MAYBEE, KENZIE THoMsoN.

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