US1249209A

US1249209A - Floor or ceiling plate.

Info

Publication number: US1249209A
Application number: US2798015A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Russell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1915-05-14
Filing date: 1915-05-14
Publication date: 1917-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1934-12-04

Description

W. A. RUSSELL.

FLOOR 0R CEILING PLATE. APPLICATION FILED MAY I4, 1915- Patented M0. 4, 1917.

'WILLIAM A., RUSSELL, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

FLOOR on CEILING PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patenteol Dec. a, 19W.

Applieation filed May 14, 1915. Serial No. 27,980; i

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM AzRnssnLli,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, countyof Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor or Ceiling Plates, fully described and represented in the following specification and the aocom: panying'drawings, forming a part of the same. I y I This invention relates to certain improvementsin'floor or ceiling plates.

Floor and ceiling plates are now generally employed for surrounding radiator pipes, water pipes or other pipes which are exposed in a room to conceal the hole in the floor or ceiling through which the pipe passes. To enable the plates tobe positioned about the pipe, the plates aremade in two parts which, in the constructions now generally used, are either provided with two latches for locking the parts together, or pivotally united at one end and provided with a latch at the other. In such floor and ceiling plates it is desirable and has become customary to formtheplate so that the eXposed surface ofthe plateis perfectly smoothand plane,

such characteristics producing a neater and I morefinished appearance, the latches and the pivot by which the two parts are secured together being concealed'withinthe plate.

Where the plates are pivotally secured together at two of their ends, itfrequently happens that through carelessness of work- II men or for other reasons, the pivot point is broken .and the plate rendered useless, or it becomes sprung so that the surface of the plateat the pivotal point is not flush, one

of the parts of the plate being raised above the otherythus; presenting an unsightly appearance and renderingthe plate of no use.

It is the special object of the invention to provide an improved hinge construction inplates of the above mentioned class which are'secured together at one'point by a swingingconnection and secured at another point by a latch or other suitable locking device, the hinge being constructed so as to obviate breakage as far as possible andtostand firm while the plate is being put in place and under conditions of use, so that the surface of thelplate will be smooth and unbroken and-give the desired neatIappearance.

For a full understanding ofthe invention,

reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which I I Figure 1 is a bottom view of a floor plate embodving the invention and showing the platein position around a pipe;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4: are detail sectional views taken on lines 33 and .lr-l, respectively,

of Fig. l and Fig. 5 is abottom view of the plate in its open position and readyto be placed alt-out.

a pipe; I

Referringnow to these drawings,the improved plate comprises two members 1, 2, generally semicircular in shape and concave, as shown in Fig. 2, thls concave being provided to afford a space for the latchor other locking device and hingeconstruction hereinafter referred to, so that they are concealed. The members 1, 2 areinteriorly formed by turning or bending a piece of metal to form the exterior flange i and an interior pipe-encircling flange 5, and the metal when so-bent is cutstraight across, forming thetwo members 1, 2. The pipe- 0 encircling flange 5 is at suitable I intervals formed with downwardly extending prolongations orlegs" 6,-which enter the hole I around the pipe and frictionally engage the pipe wall, as shown in Fig. 2, and hold the plate firmly in position.

The two membersof the plate are adapted to besuitably locked together as by cooperating' latch elements which may consist, as shown, ofthespring tongue 7 carried by the member 1, thistongue cooperating with the locking piece 8 which is carriedbythe f member 2 and provided with a locking slot9. The tongue? and the locking piece 8 are secured on the inner side of the members, and in the particular construction shown are integral with supports 10, one for each mem her, which are secured to the members, preferably by welding. thereto. These parts are I thus concealed when the plate is in position. The two plates 1, 2 are united at their other ends by a hinge, by which the plates are firmly secured together and at the same time may have a swinging movement with respect to each other, so that the plates can be swungon the hinge to separate them Ito enable them to be placed in position about a pipe. While this hinge may vary some- .tion.

what in construction, it is so formed as to effectually prevent the hinge from being broken, or distorted, so that one of the plates will be raised above the other, as is frequently the case where a simple pivot is em ployed, as in certain prior constructions. This hinge will, furthermore, be of such character that the plates will have a swinging movement toward and away from each other, so that they may be separated sufficiently to permit them to be placed in posi- W'hile the particular construction of the hinge may be somewhat varied, one of the plates 1, 2 will be provided with a hingeplate or tongue which will engage a suitable member on the other plate with a swinging or sliding movement and will be held in firm engagement with such other member in both the open and closed positions of the plate, so as to provide in either of such positions of the plates, a strong, rigid structure.

In the best constructions, each of the plates 1, 2 will be provided with a hingeplate or

tongue

11, 12, these tongues being arranged to overlap each'other for a substantial distance in the open position of the plates, as shown in Fig. 5, and for substantially their lengths, when the plates are closed. These tongues overlap and have a relative swinging or sliding movement with respect to each other, and to effect this the tongues are preferably formed in the shape of an arc, the curve of the are being the reverse to that of the curve of the plates, as best shown in Fig. 5. These overlapping tongues are held superposed in rigid engagement with each other in any suitable manner. A convenient means for effecting this is that illustrated in which the tongue 12, which in the particular construction shown is the upper one, is formed with integral lugs 13, which are bent so as to extend under the lowerv tongue 11 on each side thereof. The plate 11 is formed with lugs 14- which are bent so as to extend over the upper plate 12. The plates are thus held firmly in engagement with each other. In addition to thus holding the tongues together, the lugs form complementary stops, the lugs 13 engaging with the lugs 14, when the plates 1, 2

are swung open, and prevent the plates from swinging open too far and prevent the tongues from disengaging with each other. If desired, the tongues may be formed with a complementary bead and

groove

15, 16, which act both to strengthen the tongues, which preferably are of light metal, and fur ther act as a guide to cause the tongues to move truly in their arcs when they are given their sliding movement to open or close the plates.

These

tongues

11, 12 may be secured on the inner surface of the plates 1, 2 in any suitable manner. To permit their free sliding movement and to provide a space for the lugs 14, they are offset slightly from the plane of the inner surface of the plates and may be conveniently supported by being formed integral with

bases

17, 18 secured to the inner surface of the respective plates 1, 2 in any suitable manner, and preferably by being electrically welded thereto.

By the construction described a very rigid structure is produced, because of the fact that the tongues are always in firm engagement with each other and are held against any substantial vertical yielding movement, with the result that the hinge is practically free from breakage, and, because of its rigidity, the two plates are held in their proper position and the desired smooth surface to the plates when they are in position is obtained. V

While the invention has been described in its preferred form, it will be understood that certain variations in the form of the tongues, and in the means for holding them rigidly in position, may be made without departing from the claimed invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of semicircular plates formed with a pipe-encircling central opening, two adjacent ends of the plates being provided with cooperating locking, devices and the other two ends of the plates being united by a pair of hinge members having a relative sliding movement and held in engagement with each other in both the open and closed,

positions of the plates.

2. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of semicircular plates formedwith a.

mg movement wlth respect to each other,

and means for holding the tongues in engagement with each other.

3. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of semicircular plates formed with a pipe-encircling central opening, two adjacent ends of the plates being provided with cooperating locking devices and the other two ends of the plates being united by a hinge including a pair of tongues overlapping each other in both the open and closed positions of the plates and having a sliding movement with respect to each other, and integral lugs on the tongues for holding them in engagement with each other.

4. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of semicircular plates formed with a pipe-encircling central opening, two adjacent ends of the plates being provided with cooperating locking devices and the other two ends being united by a hinge including a pair of overlappin tongues rigidly secured to the inner surface of the plates and having integral lugs holding them in engagement with each other, said tongues bemg curved reversely to the curve of the plates and offset from the surface thereof and having a free sliding movement rela tively to each other,

5. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of plates formed with a pipe-encircling opening, two adjacent ends of the plates be ing provided with cooperating locking devices and the other two ends of the plates being united by a pair of hinge members having a relative sliding movement held in engagement with each other in both the open and closed positions of the plates and provided with means for guiding them during their movements.

6. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of plates formed with a pipe-encircling opening, two adjacent ends of the plates being provided with cooperating locking devices and the other two ends of the plates being united by a hinge including a pair of tongues held in overlapped relation with each other in both the open and closed positions of the plates and having a sliding movement with respect to each other, the tongues being provided with complementary bead and groove for guiding them in their movements.

7 A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of plates formed with a pipe encircling opening, two adjacent ends of the plates being provided with cooperating locking devices, bases secured to the inner faces of the plates at their other ends, said bases being each formed with a tongue held in overlapped relation with each other in both the 0 en and closed position of the plates and 'orming a hinge, said tongues having a sliding movement with respect to each other and provided with complementary bead and groove extending substantially the length of the tongues for guiding them in their movement and holding them securely in position.

8. A floor or ceiling plate including a pair of plates formed with a pipe encircling opening, two adjacent ends of the plates being provided with cooperating locking devices, bases secured to the inner faces of the Plates at their other ends, said bases being each formed with a curved tongue held in overlapped relation with each other in both the open and closed position of the plates, and forming a hinge, said curved tongues having a sliding movement with respect to each other and provided with complementary curved bead and groove extending substantially the length of the curved tongues for guiding them in their movements and holding them securely in position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM A. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.