US2287653A - Floor covering tile - Google Patents

Description

June. 23, 1942. B. J. WALKER 2,287,653

Patented June 23, 1942 FLOOR COVERIING T'ILE' Bernard J. Walker, Islington, Mass., assigno' to Bird & Son, Inc., East Walpole, Mass., a corpo'ation o! Massachusetts Application December 6,1940, Serial No. 368,'175

3 Claims.

This invention relates to flexible, hard surfaced floor covering, such as linoleum and the like, and more particularly to such covering in the form of tile, to methods for covering a floor with such tile, and to decorative floor covering formed therewith.

In covering floors with linoleum and other materials of a similar nature, it is a common practice to form part or all of the covering from' a plurality of small Squares or tiles of the covering material by cementing the tiles individually in edge-abutting relation to the sub-floor. Byemploying two or more groups of tiles of contrasting surface coloration,' decorative effects may be produced in a wide variety of patterns according to the manner in which the differently colored tiles are arranged on the floor.

To accommodate this practice, most floor covering manufacturers supply their covering material in the `form of tiles as well as in large patterned sheets, making the tiles, for reasons of economy in manufacture, by cutting large webs of finished covering material into small Squares of uniform size, usually'9x9 inches or 4 x4 inches. By cutting a number of difierently colored webs in this manner, a variety of tiles in different colors is' produced. These tilesare then boxed according' to color and size 'and shipped to the dealers where theindividual purchaser selects colors and quantities according to the pattern which he wishes to produce and the floor area to be tiled. i

Interesting and pleasing patterned floor coverings are sometimes produced by the use of tiles of two diflerent sizes as' well as of contrasting colors by laying the smaller tiles each within a surrounding group of the larger tiles of a different color. The making of a floor covering in this manner is, however, a difficult task for the layer, particularly if the smaller tile are laid at a diagonal to the larger tile, involving complex staggering or trimming of the larger tile, difficult edge matching work, etc.,'and is highly skilled work considerably more expensive than the laying of a floor covering with tile of uniform size.

I have found that very effective and pleasing patterns can be produced by the use of tiles, some or all of which are provided with an inner design of contrasting colorfrom that of the surrounding borders. With such tile of uniform size it is possible to produce pattern'ed floor coverings similar to those made by interspersing large and small tile as just described without the difliculties and expense involved in that method. But the manufacture of such designed' tile by any previously known method would be relatively difficult, time-consuming and costly as compared with the standard. single coloration tile. Moreover, for the covering manufacturers to supply such designed tile in the necessary color va'ities for combination and blending with the standard single coloration tile would involve complication of and heavy increase in tile stocks of the manufacturers and their dealers.

^Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to provide decorative floor covering 'tile having contrastingly colored inner design and surrounding borders, and to overcome the above mentioned difficulties which would prevent quantity production and 'widespread use of such tile. More specifically, one object of the invention is to provide novel tile of hard surfaced, flexible floor covering, each tile comprising a border portion and a removable cut-out portion within and of the same coloration as the border portion which are adapted tobe handled and laid as a unit, the removable cut-out portions of tile of contrasting color, however, being readily mutually interchangeable to form tile having a contrastingly colored inner design and surrounding border upon their surface, or the cut-out portion of one tile may be removed, re-oriented and replaced, with the resultant advantage here- 'inafter referred to. Another object of the invention is to provide such tile which can be made as easily and at the same cost as the standard, one parttile of uniform coloration, and which can be packaged, shipped and displayed at no greater cost. These and other objects and ad vantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing more particular description and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ,of a novel tile of the invention in the form in which it is supplied to the purchaser;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pair of difierently colored tile of the invention with the cut-out portion of each tile unit removed for exchange to provide tiles having contrastingly colored inner design and surrounding border;

-Fig. 4 is a plan view of a segment of sub-floor and of a set of tiles of the invention of two different colors, some of which have been cemented to the floor, with cut-out portions of differently colored tiles exchanged, and others of which are awaiting application to the floor.

In making floor covering tile in accordance with the invention, I preferably utilize large webs of finished, flexible, hard surfaced floor covering of any usual type which includes, as indicated in Fig. 2, a colored, hard wearing surface layer o which maybe linoleum .mix or the like of sub*- stantially uniform coloration throughout its surface, and a softer,- more plastic base l2 which may be the usual asphalt impregnated burlap or felt or the like.

' The finished web of covering material is cut in any convenient manner into individual tile of the same size and shape, each of which has, as shown in Figsf. 1 and 2, a border portion M and within said border portion but completely severed therefrom a removable cut-out portion !6, the cut-out portions IG of the tile being all of the same size and shape. It will further be noted that the cut-out portion IE is symmetrical about both its horizontal axis and its vertical axis. Preferably, thetiles are formed from the' web in a single cutting operation by pressing the web between platens provided with knives which simultaneously'cut through the web around the margins of the-border portions l4 and around the margins of the inner portions !6. V

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the portions IE, though`completely severed from the border portions, are not removed from within the border portions'during the cuttting. I have found that, provided the cut around the margins of the portions IG is' made with a thin, sharp edge, these portions tend to adhere at their edges to the inner cut edges oi the border portions sufficiently to remain in place therein under the normal stresse's incident to packaging, shipment and display of ,the tile, although they may be readily separated from the margin portions by pressure of the fingers. This self adherence of the severed central and border portions of the tile units, which is apparently due mainly to the general re'silience of the material ,which causes the severed edges to spread into mutual frictional engagement as the sharp cutting edge is withdrawn from between them, and is, aided somewhat by the slight stickiness of the base composition, is an important feature ofthe invention -since it renders unnecessary any separate handling .and packaging of the centers and borders of each tile or the provision of any means for holding these parts together under normal conditions of handling. It is thus possible for the manufacturer to make and package these novel tile units at no increased expense as Compared with the standard one part tile.

A number of diiferently colored webs of the covering material are subjected to cutting in the manner above indicated to provide a number of groups of the tile which differ only in surface coloration. The tiles are then packaged and shipped to the dealers where they are distributed to the purchaser in sets comprising at least two groups of the tiles of different surface coloration but of the same size and shape and containing removable cut-out portions !6 of the same size and shape, there being usually the same number of tile in each group. The purchaser may then, preparatory to laying the tile, remove the center portions from any or all pairs of tile of contrasting colors and insert them in the corresponding aperture in the contrastingly colored border portion of the other tile of the pair, by this exchange converting the two tiles into designed tiles having contrastingly colored inner design and border portions. In Fig. 3 of the drawing there is shown a pair of the tiles A and A' of contrasting colors from which the cut-out portions IS and IG' have been removed and exchanged for insertion of the portion IS in the differently colored border portion M' of the unit A' and insertion of the portion 16' in the contrastingly colored border portion M of the unit A. Moreover, the cut-out *portions being symmetrical about their horizontal and vertical axes,-a cut-out portion of any one tile may be removed, re-oriented (e. g.,

. shifted around 90) and replaced. This is a valuable attribute where the colored tiles have the customary striations or similar markings, as it can be utilize'd to effect changes in design of the floor covering. In fact, this feature may be advantageously employed with tiles of but one color to produce a floor covering having a new design.

Th'e tile of the invention are secured to the sub-floor by suitable cements in the conventional manner, the cement securing the cut-outs and borders of the units together by bonding both portions firmly to the floor. In Fig. 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated the formation of a patterned floor covering from two groups A and A' of tiles of the invention, the tiles of the two groups diifering only in surface coloration. In the rows of tile B and C which have been cemented to the sub-floor F, the' centers IS of the tiles of group A have been substituted for the centers 16' within the border portions M' of the tiles of group A', and vice versa. The tiles, with exchanged centers, have then been laid in abutting relation with the tiles comprising border portions M and centers IB' alternating with the tiles comprising border portions l4' and centers !6. In the incomplete row D, a tile is about to be made up for application to the floor from a border 14' from a tile of group A' and a cut-out portion IS removed from the previously laid tile of group A.

In making the particular covering indicated in Fig. 4, each of the tile, when laid, is provided with a center portion from a tile of different coloration, but this, obviously, isnot essential, as tile of the invention may be laid in the form in which they are made whereby they will present a uniformly colored surface and may be interspersed with other tile of which the centers have been exchanged to'provide contrastingly colored inner design and border portions, or, as already explained, the cut-out portion of any or each tile maybe removed, re-oriented and replaced to elfect changes in the design of the fioor covering.

It will be apparent that by means of the tile of this invention, effects similar to those obtainable by interspersing large and small one-piece tile of contrasting coloration may be produced without the difficulties and expense involved in that practice-indeed, except for the simple step of exchanging cut-outs, with no more work and cost than is involved in forming a floor covering from standard one-piece tile of uniform size. The patterns produceable with tile of the particular form shown in the drawing resemble those resulting from interspersing large and small tile with their corresponding edges parallel to each other. Obviously, if the edges of the cut-out portions are cut at an angle to the outer edges of the border portions, instead of parallel thereto as shown, the patterns produceable by laying the tile with cut-outs exchanged will resemble a floor covering formed by laying small tile at a diagonal to surrounding larger tile of contrasting color.

Of course, the cut-out portions of the tile need not be square as shown in the drawing, and various other ornamental shapes may be chosen for this portion. Also, the tile may, if desired, be provided with more than one removable, ex-

aas-7,653

* therefrom, said removable portion held against displacement from within said border portion solely by frictional engagement of its marginal edges with the adjacent cut edges of said border portion whereby said removable portion may be readily removed, reoriented, replaced and rictionally held in position while said tile is being laid as an element of floor covering.

2. A system of tile for use in forming a patterned floor covering comprising a plurality of 'individual tile of hard surfaced, flexible covering material such as linoleum and the like, each of said tile having a border portion and a removable central portion symmetrical about its vertical and horizontal axes cut from within said border portion and frictionally engaging the adjacent cut edges of said border portion against dsplacement therefrom, some of said tile having a surface coloration contrasting with that of others of said tile, said removable pcrtions of said tile being of the same size and shape and mutually interchangeable whereby they may be readily removed, reoriented, replaced, or interchanged, and frictionally held in position while laid as elements of patterned floor covering.

3. A system of tile for use in forming a cpatterned floor covering comprising a plurality of individual tile of hard surfaced, flexible covering material such as linoleum and the like, each of said tile capable of being handled and shipped a's a unit and having a border portion and a removable central interior portion symmetrical about its vertical and horizontal axes of the same thickness and surface coloration as the border portion and completely severed from the border portion, said interior portion being held to said border portion sufllciently to withstand displacement therefrom in normal handling solely by frctional engagement of their cut edges, some of said tile having a surface coloration contrasting with that of others of said tile, said removable interior portions of said tile being of the same size and shape and mutually interchangeable in the border portions of said tile.

BERNARD J. WALKER.

Images