US2311590A - Scored wallboard - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1943. H. FEDER 2,311,590

SCORED WALLBOARD Filed June 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. 16, 1943. FEDER 2,311,590

SCORED WALLBOARD Filed June 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 16, 1943 2,311,590 SCORED WALLBOARD Harry Feder, Jackson Heights, N. Y.,

Barclay Manufacturing Co. Inc.,

assignor to New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,954

13 Claims.

This invention relates to scored wallboard and more particularly to wallboard which is scored or grooved and covered with a coating material to simulate a tiled wall or other surface design.

Scored wallboard has heretofore been made by cutting grooves in fibrous base sheets and coating the surface of the grooved base sheet with a suitable paint, lacquer or enamel material. The enamel coating of such tileboard as heretofore made has had a decided tendency to wear away at the mortar simulating grooves or joints when subjected to normal wear or variations in heat, cold, moisture and dryness normally present in locations where such grooved wallboard is installed. This wearing or scaling of the enamel adjacent the grooves may be attributed to a number or combination of causes. For example, where sharp edges or bends are present in or adjacent the grooves the enamel coating will spread relatively thin thereover, presenting weak points along which the enamel coating wears off. Further, the coating is often less securely bonded within or adjacent the groove areas than along the fiat surfaces of the wallboard, so that the enamel coating is weakest and less secure at the very points where the strongest bond is desired.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved decorated wallboard wherein the grooves thereof closely simulate the mortar joints of well laid wall tile and which grooves comprise a series of rounded or curved surfaces which join one another and the fiat surfaces of the base material in smooth and rounded curves free from any definable bends or edges.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved decorated wallboard having grooves defined by curved surfaces to which an enamel coat- Gil ing is firmly cemented and bonderized to present a coating thickness at the grooves which is greater than the enamel coating applied to the flat sur-z.

' faces of the board.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved decorated wallboard presenting smoothly curved grooves simulating mortar joints having multiple enamel coatings covering the original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a section of my improved wallboard showing portions thereof as they appear at various stages of manufacture from the wallboard base to the finished product;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through the baseboard material prior to treatment thereof, this section being taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is anenlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through the baseboard material showing a primer coat applied thereto, as it appears when viewed along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through the wallboard, showing the cross-sectional shape of the grooves which are cut into the base material, this view being taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the wallboard after the bonderizing material has been applied to the bottom of the groove and adjacent the shoulder portions thereof, this view being taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. Bis an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view through the wallboard as viewed along line 5-6 of Fig. 1, this view showing the finishing layer of the selected paint, lacquer or enamel applied thereto; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the finished wallboard as it appears when viewed along the line (-1 of Fig. 1, show ing the striping applied to the bottom area of the groove.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings and the specification.

In the manufacture of tileboard, a base sheet is selected which has substantial strength and which presents a face surface which is substantially smooth, level and is free from warps, waves or other surface irregularities. While there are numerous fiberboard .and sheet products available which can be used for this purpose, the material commonly used is a board made from pressed fiberboard which is hard, dense and grainless having a high finish on the surfacing side thereof. This base material commonly used is approximately only one-eighth of an inch thick, which thickness is amply sufilcient for the manufacture of tiieboard, although base material of greater thickness may be employed. As shown in the drawings, this base sheet I is so made as to present a top surface 2 which has a high finish and is substantially smooth and level and substantial free from surface waves, undulations or irregularities. Th'e finishing paints, lacquers or enamels, as will hereinafter be more fully described, are applied to the finished surface 2 of the base sheet. The opposite surface 3 of the base sheet, which is to be positioned adjacent the wall to which the board is applied, may present a surface roughness so that adhesives or like materials applied thereto will firmly bond and secure the tileboard to the wall to which it is to be applied. a

A primer coat I is first applied to the finished surface 2 of the baseboard illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, as step b. This primer coat may comprise a urea or phenolic resin mixed with a suitable pigment, a volatile solvent and resin oil. The pigments used in the primer coat preferably have a color which corresponds to the color of the finish coat later applied and the primer coat is so constituted as to be quick drying and may contain appropriate drier material. It is important that the primer coat be so compounded and applied that it will become tenaciously bonded to the surface 2 of the base material. The primer coat 8 penetrates the surface of the board and fills any surface depressions in the board surface 2. The primer coat is deposited in a thin film and does not measurably increase the board thickness.

In the next operation, designated c, the base sheet I is grooved, which operation is performed after the primer coat 8 has dried. The shape and contour of this groove, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4, forms an important feature of this invention. The shoulder portions 4 of each groove are each defined by a true are of an imaginary circle indicated at B in Fig. 4, whose diameters closely approximate the thickness of the base sheet i. The upper ends of these circular arcs are tangent to the adjacent flat primer filled surfaces 2 of the base sheet so that the arcuate shoulder surfaces 4 merge into the primer filled surfaces 2 in an unbroken line. centers of the imaginary circles G are spaced apart a distance indicated as g which is approximately one and one-half to two times the thickness of the base sheet l. Assuming that the base sheet i is approximately one-eighth of an inch thick, the distance 3! between the center of the imaginary circles 8 would measure from threeslxteenths to one-fourth of an inch, or approximately i of an inch.

The trough portion of the groove is defined by a true are of an imaginary circle 1 whose diameter is approximately that of the imaginary circles Ii and whose periphery is tangent to the circles 6. The center of the imaginary circle 1 is preferably positioned on a level with or slightly above the surface 2 of the base sheet, so that the maximum depth of the arcuate trough portion 5, as indicated by x, will be not greater than and preferably slightly less than the radius of the imaginary circle 1. Assuming that the base sheet I is approximately one-eighth of an inch in thickness, the depth a: of the groove will be not The' trough portion of the groove.

an inch, or approximately A of an inch. It will be noted that the groove as thus formed is composed of three circular arcs of approximately the same radius, which merge into each other in true tangency'. The grooves thus formed will closely simulate in appearance the mortar Joints of a ceramic tile wall when perfectly laid. Due to the accurate tangency of the circular arcs with one another and with the primer filled surfaces 2 of the base sheet I, no edges are presented which would cause the finishing enamel applied thereto to break or deteriorate in use. The grooving operation is performed by means of a suitable grooving tool.

The surfaces of the grooves are then coated with a bonderizing material 9 at step d, as indicated in Fig. 5. This bonderizing material is applied in a manner to fully coat the arcuate surfaces! and I of the groove and overlap the adjacent edges of the primer coat 8. The bonderizing agent may be formed of substantially the same composition as the finishing or enamel coat l0, and preferably contains the same colored pigments. The bonderizing coat 9 is substantially thicker than the primer coat 8 and will tenaciously adhere to the ground arcuate surfaces 4 and 5 of the groove and to the edges of the primer coat 8.

After the bonderizing coating 9 has been applied to all of the grooves in the base sheet, the bonderizing coating is permitted to dry or harden either in the open air or in a drying oven. When dried and hardened, the bonderizing coat 9 will tenaciously adhere to the surface of the grooves and will not chip or crack since all the edges of the groove are smooth and rounded.

In the next step, designated e, the enamel layer I 0 is applied smoothly and evenly to the entire surface of the board. The enamel layer may comprise one or more coat applications. While the finishing coat l0 may'comprise materials such as lacquers and paints which give a hard wear resistant surface finish, enamels are particularly suitable. The enamed coat ill may be compounded from a base of urea or phenolic resin containing the desired coloring pigment and a vehicle comprising volatile solvents and resin oil. Enameling material which has been found to be highly satisfactory for this purpose comprises a mixture of urea formaldehyde of the maleic and hydrid types combined with glycerophthalate and coloring pigment. The bonderizingcoat 9, as heretofore explained, may be formed of the same material and should contain the same coloring pigments as the enamel coat i0. After the enamel coat 10 has been uniformly applied in the manner above described, it is dried and hardened.

when the enamel layer has been satisfactorily hardened, the grooves of the base sheet are striped as indicated at step I. The stripe ii is applied to the enamel coating I'll which lies in the This striping material may possess the same composition as the enamel coating ill, except that a coloring pigment of contrasting color is generally contained in the striping material, so that the bottoms of the grooves will reveal the desired line contrast. After the stripe coating II has been suitably hardened, the enameled surface of the base sheet may be rubbed down so as to give the surface a smooth finish and a high polish.

greater than 1 of an inch and not less than %4 of The tileboard as thus formed presents a multiple thickness of enameling lacquer within the trough portion and around the shoulder portions of each groove, as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 7. The initial bcnderizer coat 9 covers not only the trough portion and the shoulders l of each groove but overlaps and is bonded to the edges of the primer coat 8. The bonderizer coat I has an extremely tenacious bond 'with the bottom of. the groove due to the roughness of the surfaces of the groove caused by the tearing effect of the cutting tool. Since the enamel coating in is composed of substantially the same material as the bonderizing coat 9, it merges and integrally unites therewith. The exterior surface of the covering enamel layer I0 is, however, smooth over all areas thereof, including those areas of the enamel layer III which extend into the grooves. Thus a highly attractive and fluished groove surface is attained. The enamel surfaces within and over the shoulders of the grooves are doubly reinforced, producing a groove joint which will actually outlast and outwear the enamel coating covering the fiat surfaces of the board.

It will be further noted that since the grooves are shaped by a series of joined circular arcs which are tangential to one another and to the fiat primer coated surfaces of the board, the bonderizing layer 9 and the finishing or enamel layer l0 may be applied in uniform thickness throughout the trough portion and shoulder portion of the groove and that no sharp bends or-edges are in, each groove having a curved trough portion whose ends join and are tangent. to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into present about which the enamel might break or crack. The grooves as thus formed also present highly polished, finished surfaces which truly simulate in appearance and form the mortar joints of skillfully laid ceramic tile. A highly attractive wall tile is thus produced which will outwear and outlast tileboard heretofore produced.

It will be appreciated that while the thickness of the-primer coat 8, bonderizing coat 9, finishing enamel coat Ill, and the striping coat I I are shown in Figs. 4 to '7 of the drawings substantially thicker in comparison to the thickness of the base sheet I than would normally be the case. in actual practice the coatings have thus been magnified for purposes of illustration only. In actual practice the thickness of each coat is. of course. determined by the character of the coating material employed.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: l

l. A wallboard having a fiat surface provided with grooves therein, the cross-sectional contour of each groove being formed by a series of three tangent circular arcs presenting an arcuate shaped trough portion merging into arcuate shaped shoulder portions which merge into the fiat surface of the wallboard.

2. A wallboard having a flat finished surface with spaced grooves therein, each groove having a curved trough portion whose ends join and are tangent to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to the adjacent flat finished surface of the wallboard whereby the fin shed surface of the wallboard presents only straight and curved surfaces which merge into one another without the presence of sharp bends or edges.

3. A wallboard having a wearing face comprising a fiat surface with spaced grooves there and are tangent to the adjacent fiat surface of the wallboard whereby said wearing face of the wallboard presents only straight and curved surfaces which merge into one another withoutthe presence of sharp bends or edges, a coating applied to the fiat surface, and a coating applied to the trough' and shoulder portions of said grooves which is thicker than the coating applied to said flatsurface.

4. A tileboard comprising a base sheet havin alayer of coating material applied to a finished face thereof, said base sheet having grooves in said face simulative of the mortar joints of a tiled wall, each groove having a curved trough portion whose ends join and are tangent to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to the adjacent finished face of the base sheet, the portions of saidt coating layer in said grooves being thicker than the portions of said coating layer on said finished face of the base sheet.

5. A wallboard having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, the cross-sectional contour of each groove being defined by three joined arcs -of three circles which are of approximately the same diameter and one of which is tangent to the other two, said diameter being substantially equal to the thickness of thewallboard, and said three arcs together defining a curved trough portion whose ends join and are tangent to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to said finished surface of the wallboard.

6. A wallboard having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, the cross-sectional contour of each groove being defined by three joined arcs of three circles which are of approximately the same diameter and one of which is tangent to the other two, said diameter being substantially equal to the thickness of the wallboard with said two circles having their centers approximately in the midline of the wallboard and spaced apart a distance approximately one and one-half to two times the thickness of the wallboard, and said three arcs together defining a curved trough portion whose ends Join and are tangent tocurved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to the finished surface of the wallboard.

7. A wallboard having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, the cross-sectional contour of each groove being defined by three joined arcs of three circles which are of approximately the same diameter and one of which is tangent to the other .two, said diameter being substantially equal to the thickness of the wallboard with said two circles having their centers approximately in the midline of the wallboard, the center of the first named circle being approximately in the plane of the finished surface, and said three arcs defining a curved trough portion whose ends join and are tangent to curved shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into and are tangent to the finished surface of the wallboard.

8. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spaced grooves in a fiat, finished surface thereof, said urface having applied thereto a primer coating, said grooves and the adjacent shoulder portions thereof having a bonderizing coating substantially thicker than said primer coating covering the trough portion and the shoulder portions of each groove and overlapping the adjacent edges of the primer coating, and a finishing enamel coating covering said bonderizing coating and said primer coating.

9. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spaced grooves in a. finished surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints of a tiled wall, said surface having applied thereto a primer coating, said grooves and the adjacent shoulder portions thereof having an enamel coating substantially thicker than said primer coating covering the trough portion and the shoulder portions of each groove and overlapping the adjacent edges of the primer coating, and a second enamel coating of substantially uniform thickness covering said first enamel coating and said primer coating.

10. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof, the finished surface of said base sheet having applied thereto a primer coating, said grooves and the adjacent shoulder portions thereof having an enamel coating thicker than said primer coating covering the trough portion and the shoulder portions of each groove and overlapping the adjacent edges of the primer coating, a finishing enamel coating of approximately' the same composition and color as said first mentioned enamel coating uniformly covering said first mentioned coating and said primer coating, and a stripe coating applied to the second mentioned enamel coating in the trough portion of each groove.

11. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spaced grooves in a fiat surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints of a tiled wall, each groove being formed by three joined curved arcs presenting an arcuate-shaped trough portion merging into arcuate-shaped shoulder portions whose extreme ends merge into layer, and said groove having the trough and shoulder portions thereof covered by an enamel layer substantially thicker than the enamel layer applied to said fiat surface.

12. An improved tileboard comprising a fibrous base sheet having spaced grooves in a fiat surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints of a tiled wall, each groove being formed by three joined circular arcs one of which is tangent to the other two and said other two being tangent to the flat surface of the base sheet, said surface having applied thereto a primer coat and a finishing enamel layer superimposed thereon, said grooves having the trough and shoulder portions thereof covered by a uniform layer of finishing enamel of the same color which is of greater thickness than the enamel layer applied to said flat surface, said last mentioned enamel layer being tenaciously bonded'to the surfaces of the grooves and to the finishing enamel layer applied to the fiat surface of said base sheet.

13. An improved tileboard comprising afibrous base sheet having spaced grooves in a finished surface thereof simulative of the mortar joints of a tiled wall, each groove being formed by three joined circular arcs one of which is tangent to the other two and said other two being tangent to the finished surface of the base sheet, said finished surface having applied thereto a primer coating and a superimposed finishing enamel coating, said grooves having the trough and shoulder portions thereof covered by a plurality A of separately applied finishing enamel coatings of the same color which are tenaciously bonded to the surfaces of the grooves and to one another and the finishing enamel coating applied to the surface of said base sheet, whereby a multiple thickness enamel layer covers the trough portion and shoulder portions of each groove having the flat surface of the base sheet, the fiat surface 40 wearing qualities equal to or greater than the of said base sheet having applied thereto a primer coating and a superimposed finishing enamel coating applied to the surface of the base sheet.

, HARRY FEDER.

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