US1636535A - Shuffleboard construction - Google Patents

Description

SW00 wimp Michael J. fiherrj M. J. SHERRY SHUFFLEBOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 26, 1927 \r i i m I NE 9 w Q J m M v: F N a .N um Q July 19, 1927.-

Patented July 19, 1927.

STATES MICHAEL J. SHERRY, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

SHUFFLEBOARD CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 26, 1927. Serial No. 171,352.

My present invention relates to shuffle board construction.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a shuflieboard construction wherein transversely extending reinforcements or stiifening members are provided of suficient stiffness and so connected to and combined with the Wooden shuflieboard proper as to prevent warping or other transverse distortion of the shufiieboard.

It has long been recognized that the tendency to warp is the greatest defect in the usual good quality shuttlehoards. The standard width of shufiieboard is eighteen inches while its thickness is usually about two inches. This relatively great width especially when the board is made of solid plank extending therfull width of the shutiieboard subjects the board to warping due to the usual variations in the amount of moisture in the air according to the weather. Many of the boards furthermore are placed in basements of clubs or other buildings where there is more than the usual amount of moisture which location further tends to produce transverse warping of the boards not withstanding the use of apparently solid supporting members or frame work for the board. My aim is to overcome the tendency of the shufileboards to warp even under the most severe conditions by providing a considerable number of transversely extending re-inforcing or stiffening members engaging. the bottom surface of the board and of suihe ,cient rigidity to hold the board from warping, the board and the stiifening members being so formed and connected that the board will be absolutely held from warping by its rigid connection to the stiffening members.

A further purpose is to provide a construction of the type mentioned of such form, construction and co-operation' that said reinforcement may be readily applied either to new boards or to old boards and tohave the parts of there-inforcing means simple and strong and economical in cost.

A further purpose is to provide a re-inforcing means and construction of using the same which can be readily used at the center joint of the two planks forminga'board. Such central joint has heretofore been one of the places most subject to warping and the point where warping causes the greatest line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the middle oint portion of a shuffle board embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description it will be seen that my invention is illustrated in. combination with a'shuiiieboard proper composed of the. usual two solid thick planks 5 which maybe of. a

standard width as eighteen inches and of the usual thickness, namely two inches, and of any desired or standard length which is usually about thirty feet in length. The usual end trough 6 is formed by end uprights 7 and end projecting cleats 8 and the usual side troughs 9 are formed by the upright side boards 10 and bottom trough pieces 11.

Spaced about evenly along the full length ofeach of the. shufiieboard planks 5 there are provided transversely extending T-shaped slots 12 extending in from the bottom surface 13 of the shufi'leboard. This Teshaped slot will in practice be made by forming the upright portion 14 thereof first so asto have it extend into the plank about half the thickness of the board. Then the two oppositely ex tending horizontally arranged recesses 15 are milled out at the inner end. of the upright to form the head of the T-shaped slot mentioned. This T-shaped slot extends the full width of the board and its head portion is of a width and height to snugly receive the strong rigid metal bar 16. Spaced along the middle of the bar 16 are asuitable number of vertically arranged screw threaded holes 17.

It will be noticed that the making of the T-shaped slots will leave opposite the upright part of the T and below the recesses 15 two strong oppositely facing tongues 18.

These tongues extend the whole width of the board and project from the remaining solid board longitudinally of the board, that is in the line of the grain of the wood.

Below each of these T-shaped slots there is placed and held a strong channel bar 19. The flat base 20 of this channel bar straddles the opening in the bottom of the board made by the T-shaped slot and extends on the opposite sides thereof below the tongues 18 and the opposite webs 21hr the'channel bar depend from the base and are of suiiicient thickness and depth to make the chan'nelbar ableto entirely resist any'tende-ncy of the board to warp when the adjacent section of the board is rigidly fastened to the channel bar. 7

The channelbar and board are securely and rigidly attached to each other by a series of headed bolts the shanks of which project up through apertures provided in the base of the channel bar and thereafter extend up through the upright portion ll of the slot and into the aligned screw-threaded holes 17 provided in the flat metal bar 16. It will be seen that these parts may be readily assembled in an obvious manner and that by tightening up the bolts 22 the oppositely disposed strong tongues 18 of the plank 5 will be clamped between the bar 16 and the channel bar 19. The two tongues 18 so clamped to the channelbar extend the full width of the shufileboard. These tongues constitute such a large part of thethickness of the shufiieboard and as they pro ect lengthwise or in the "grain of the board are so stiff that the shufie'board for some distan'c'e in its length each side of the channel bar is absolutely held from warping.

A suflicient number of such channel bars and other cooperating parts will be used and spaced evenly along the length of tlre'shuffieboard as to prevent warping anywhere in the board. In practice I have found that having such a channel bar about every twenty-two inches is sufficient,

The same metal parts which constitute the holding means will be used at the center joint where the two planks 5 meet as shown in Fig. 3. As the ends of the plank are available,'however, for making the horizontal reeesses 15 without first making the upright portion 1 1, the said upright portion of the slot will be dispensed with and simply email semi-circular pockets 23 placed at opposite points in the two planks in proper position to receive therethrough the bolts 22. The

metal holding means will then be applied as already mentioned and will grasp the tongues '18 projecting from the opposite meeting. ends of the two planks of the shuffleboard. It will be seen that the engaged end of each plank will thus be effectively kept fromwarping and furthermore that the two meeting ends'of the planks will be kept versely of the board and with the head'of theT intermediate'the top and bottom of the board and leaving oppositely disposed tongues'adjacent the lower surface of the board a rigid metal bar in the head of said slot; a rigid reinforcing metal member engaging thebottom surface of the board be low said bar and means for rigidly connect- 7 ing said bar and 'said'bottom metal member and clamping said tongues therebetween.

2. A shuflleboard construction consisting of a. wood shufileboa'rd having in the bottom thereof T-shaped slot extendingtransVerse T interniediate the top and bottom of the board and leaving opposite disposed tongues adjacent the lower surface of the board, a "rigid metal bar inthe head of said slot, a

rigid re-inforcing metal member having stiffening depending flanges engaging the bottom surface of the boardbelow said bar and means for rigidly connecting said bar and said bottom metal member and clamping said tongues. therebetween.

'ly of the board andwith thehead of'the k shuilieboard construction consisting' of a wood shuffleboard having in the bottom thereof a T-shaped slot extending trans versely ofthe board and with thehead of the T intermediate the'top and-bottom of the board and leaving oppositely disposed tongues adjacent the lower surface; of the board, a rigid'bar in the head of said slot,

a channel bar engaging the bottom surface of the board belowsaid slot and having its webs depending from the board and headed bolts rigidly connecting-saidchannel bar and said other bar and clamping. said tongues of the board rigidly to said channel bar. I

A shuflleboard constructionconsisting of a wood shufile'board having in the bottom thereof a plurality of spaced T-sha'ped slots extending transversely of the board and with the heads of the Ts intermediate. the

top and bottom of the board. andleaving at "each slot a pair ofoppositely disposed tongues ad acent the lower surface of the. boardya rigid bar in thehead of each T slot, a channel bar engaging the bottom surface of theboaidbelow' each slot and with "its flanges depending below the board and screw-threaded means for rigidly connecting said channelbar and said other bar whereby:.a the tongues of the board arerigidly clamped to said channel bars.

5, A shuffleboard. construction consisting of a Wood shufiileboard having intermediate its top and bottom surfaces a slot extending transversely of the board, a. rigid bar in said slot, a rigld re-inforcing metal member engaging the bottom surface of the board below said bar and means for rigidly oonnecting said bar and said bottom metal memher at a plurality of points and clamping the Wood therebetween to the said bottom mem ber.

In Witness whereof I have aflixed my sig nature this 19th day of February, 1927.

MICHAEL J. SHERRY.

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