US3208095A - Carpet binder bar and replaceable cap - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 28, 1965 H. J. HILL 3,208,095

CARPET BINDER BAR AND REPLACEABLE CAP Filed Aug. 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 III g2 g4 1/ r HERVE C]; H744,

INVENTOR.

BY MS Jrrofiuegs HZR/Q/s, 18/501,; .IEUSSELA ffismg Sept. 28, 1965 H. J. HILL 3,208,095

CARPET BINDER BAR AND REPLACEABLE CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 11, 1961 14. 14- C 2, I PM K 2; )dl/ "Hj WHY; 3/

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INVENTOR.

BY #15 ArrORWegS United States Patent 3,208,095 CARPET BINDER BAR AND REPLACEABLE CAP Harvey .l. Hill, Monterey Park, Calif., assignor to Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 130,837 6 Claims. (Cl. 16-16) This invention relates to a carpet binder bar adapted to be secured to a floor or other supporting surface for receiving, retaining, and concealing the edge of a carpet. It is an improvement on the carpet binder bar disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 593,457, filed June 25, 1956, now Patent No. 2,995,769.

Conventional carpet binder bars usually include a substantially flat base provided with nail holes along its length to receive nails for securing the base to a floor, having upwardly extending prongs upon which a carpet edge can be impaled, and an upwardly extending flange along one edge which, after the carpet edge is impaled on the prongs, can be bent downwardly to clamp, retain, and hide the raw carpet edge.

Such conventional carpet binder bars have a number of structural and functional deficiencies and disadvantages, and it is a primary object of this invention to remedy the same, as will appear hereinafter.

It is commonly necessary to secure such a binder bar to a concrete floor, and this is conventionally done with standard concrete nails. Such nails are preferably quite short in length, and it is very diflicult for a workman to grasp the top of a short nail securely and still permit him to start the nail into the concrete by hammering. It is an object of this invention to obviate this difficulty by filling, or partially filling, the nail holes of a carpet binder bar with a relatively soft and tacky substance into which the point of a nail can be inserted with the fingers of a hand to an initial nailing position in which the nail is retained by such substance, permitting the workman to start and finish the nailing without gripping the nail with his fingers.

Conventional binder bars commonly have a downturned flange at the rear edge to engage the floor and space the base of the bar partially or wholly from the floor. Upon nailing such a bar to a floor the base of the bar is usually bent down in the center adjacent the nail holes so that it is upwardly concave, which forms a slight ridge along the rear of the bar and creates a localized area of undesirable Wear on the carpet thereabove. It is a further object of this invention to obviate such disadvantage by providing means for insuring that after nailing the major portion of the base of the binder bar will be a substantially parallel to the floor, eliminating such localized wear area.

In the conventional binder bar, the carpet edge normally lays flat on the base portion up to the inner face of the downwardly bendable flange, the latter having only a narrow width and overlying only a small amount of carpet edge with the result that upon being bent down the flange does not always adequately secure the carpet edge against displacement. Another object of this invention is to improve the holding effect of the bendable flange by forming the base portion of the binder bar, adjacent the flange, so as to guide and retain a wider edge of carpet beneath a bendable flange of given width.

Conventional binder bars normally have a bendable flange providing a carpet securing edge of small area, which will dig into and even cut the carpet if the flange is hammered downwardly too vigorously by the workman, as frequently occurs. Another object of this invention is to reduce the tendency of the edge of the flange to dig into and cut the carpet by providing on the edge of the flange a relatively large contact area for better gripping of the carpet.

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In such conventional binder bars the bendable flange usually bends along a line adjacent to the floor, which tends to thrust the outer end of the flange toward the other side of the base portion of the bar, and this is undesirable. An object of this invention is to proportion the thickness of the bendable flange and the adjacent part of the base portion of the bar so as to provide a bend line along the bendable flange which is spaced upwardly from the floor, to insure that the outer end of the flange will not thrust outwardly as it is bent downwardly. I prefer to accomplish this by making such adjacent part of the base portion thick relative to the adjacent portion of the bendable flange, to provide such a bend line. This also has the advantage that a carpet stretcher can be bottomed against, and exert substantial pressure against, the binder bar adjacent to said thickened portion of the base, for the purpose of stretching and installing the carpet, if desired, without tending to bend or deform such base portion.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a carpet binder bar in which the bendable flange will bend naturally down and back with relation to the carpet and base, tending to smooth out the carpet between the retaining prongs on the base and the inner Wall of the flange, thus minimizing bubbles or soft spots in the carpet adjacent to the edge of the flange, which-are frequent and unsightly in the use of conventional binder bars.

The conventional binder bar is commonly made of a metal, such as an aluminum alloy or light steel, which contrasts sharply in color with that of the carpet employed therewith, which is unsightly. Also, where such conventional binder bar is made of an aluminum alloy it is commonly anodized to a desired color, but such anodizing tends to wear oil in a spotty pattern during service, which is also very unsightly. An important object of this invention is to provide such a binder bar with a cap of a plastic or other suitable material which can be applied readily to the exterior of the bendable flange of the binder bar, to cover and hide the natural color of the binder bar. Such caps may be made in a variety of colors to blend with that of the carpet employed in a par ticular carpet installation. Such a cap also hides unsightly knife, hammer, and saw marks on the binder bar, which frequently occur during or prior to its installation. Also, with the use of such a cap, short, and otherwise unusable, lengths of binder bar may be laid end-to-end and the unsightly joints covered by a continuous strip of the cap, which is very desirable.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a binder bar and cap in which the cap readily may be attached and secured to the binder bar, without the use of adhesives or any special attachment means, after the binder bar and carpet installation has been completed. I prefer to accomplish this by providing suitable means on the bendable flange of the binder bar adapted to receive suitable mating means on the cap, simply by snapping the cap onto the binder bar flange.

A further object of the invention is to provide sucha cap with a feathered lower edge which will fair into the floor to exclude dirt and other foreign material from beneath the binder bar, to conform to slight unevennesses in the floor, to compensate for surface variations in the binder bar itself, and to exert an upward pressureon the cap assisting the application of it to the binder bar.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a length of carpet binder bar as installed, partly cut away to illustrate the assembly.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken transversely through the binder bar of the invention, on a supporting surface.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a nail in position to be driven.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the binder bar nailed to the supporting surface and a carpet impaled thereon.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the movable flange bent down to clamp the carpet edge.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a cap partially attached to the movable flange.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the finished installation.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a floor F having thereon a conventional carpet pad P, which in turn supports a conventional carpet C. Abutting the carpet pad P and supporting an dge of the carpet C is a carpet binder bar device 10, the details of which are best illustrated in the following figures. the carpet binder bar device 10 is relatively narrow and may be made as long as desired.

Referring to FIG. 2, the carpet binder bar 10 has a generally flat base section 11 having parallel longitudinal first and second edges 12 and 13, the first edge 12 being slightly turned down to provide a support for the base section, and the second edge 13 being substantially turned down to provide a second support for the base section. On the upper surface of the base section 11 are provided upstanding prongs 14 which are spaced apart both transversely and longitudinally of the base section, preferably,

but not necessarily, being punched from the base section as illustrated in FIG. 1, and being adapted to secure a carpet such as C on the base section.

The base section 11 is deformed between its edges 12 and 13 to provide an upwardly opening, nail-receiving groove 16 and a downwardly depending boss 17. Provided along the length of the nail groove 16 is a plurality of spaced nail holes 18 which are substantially vertical and are filled with a mastic substance 19, which may be beeswax or the like. It is to be noted, however, that the nail holes 18 need not be completely filled with the substance 19 as only suflicient of such substance need be in the nail hole to readily receive and retain a nail.

The base section 11 is further deformed adjacent to the first edge 12 to provide a carpet groove 21 which opens upwardly and which terminates in a sloping surface 22,

for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The surface '22 terminates at an upwardly extending clamping flange floor F in its desired position and then a nail 29 is pressed by hand into a temporary position, generally as illustrated in FIG. 3, in which it partially or wholly pierces the substance 19 in its nail hole 18, so as to be temporarily retained in position for hammering by a carpet installation man or mechanic. The nails may then be hammered downwardly through their respective holes, without the necessity of any manual holding thereof, to their final position as illustrated in FIG. 4, so as to securely fasten the binder bar 10 to the floor F. As shown in FIG. 2, the base section 11 is initially transversely bowed upwardly so that the boss 17 is spaced slightly from the floor F. However, as the nails 29 are driven into the floor F to the final position shown in FIG. 4, they flatten out the upper surface of the base section to make the major portion of the upper surface thereof substantially flat and parallel to the floor, the boss 17 limiting the downward movement of the central portion of the base section to insure such resulting flatness. This is very de- As indicated in FIG. 1,

reason to be explained hereinafter.

sirable, as it prevents the major portion of the base section from dishing in around the nail holes and creating a cavity. Also, by spacing the boss 17 upwardly from the plane of the floor or other surface on which the binder bar 10 is initially placed, the binder bar will accommodate itself to unevennesses in the surface.

As is conventional, the carpet pad P is then laid up to and trimmed relative to the carpet binder bar 10, and the carpet C is then laid across the carpet pad and the carpet binder bar. The carpet C is then usually stretched toward the binder bar 10 by the use of a conventional carpet stretcher (not shown), exerting a pull of up to 500 pounds or more on the carpet to accomplish such stretching. When so stretched the carpet is moved downwardly relative to the binder bar 10 to impale the carpet on the prongs 14, as illustrated in FIG. 4, thus effectively retaining the carpet on the carpet bar at one location, following which the power stretcher may be moved down somewhat along the length of the binder bar to stretch another area of carpet, which is then in turn impaled on the prongs 14, the same procedure being pursued from one end to the other of the binder bar.

It is to be noted that between the sloping surface 22 and the first edge 12 the base section 11 is thickened and at the juncture with the clamping flange 23 the latter is also somewhat thickened to provide at the point or area 30 what in effect is an abutment of very rigid design. Just upwardly from the area 30 the flange 23 is relatively thin, to provide a longitudinal bend line therealong the flange, about which the flange bends downwardly to prop erly retain the edge of the carpet therebeneath, which is an important feature of the invention. Also, such thickened portions provide a substantially rigid abutment longitudinally along the line 30 against which a carpet stretcher can be bottomed if so desired. Also, as will be noted from FIG. 5, the edge of the carpet C tends to enter and conform to the carpet groove 21 and is directed upwardly by the sloping surface 22 toward the clamping flange 23. This also is important, as it provides an additional area of carpet beneath the clamping flange so that the latter may more effectively clamp the edge of the carpet as explained hereinafter.

In the final step in the installation, the clamping flange is hammered or otherwise bent downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that shown in FIG. 5 in which the upper edge portion thereof with its wide under surface 27 effectively clamps the edge of the carpet between the flange and the base section 11. It is to be noted that the bending of the clamping flange 23 occurs about a longitudinal bend line or area 31 which is located adjacent to the base section 11, but above the floor surface, and this causes the edge portion 26 to move downwardly and outwardly toward the first edge 12 to effectively clamp the carpet thereunder. It also moves the edge portion 26 further under the upper lip 25 for a The installation as shown in FIG. 5 could be considered complete and ready for normal use, if so desired.

FIG. 6, however, shows a further refinement of the invention, in that a cap member 33 is added. The cap member 33 is formed of a bendable material and is preferably formed of an elastomeric material such as polyvinyl chloride, although any suitable material may be used. As shown in FIG. 6, the cap member 33 is preferably formed to provide a thin central section 34 which is readily benable and thickened end sections 35 and 36, the end section 35 being provided with a depending hook element 37 and .a relatively thin flexible lip 8, the end section 36 also being provided with a depending hook element 39. The cap member 33 is preferably made with a relatively flat upper surface as illustrated in FIG. 6 and may be readily coiled for storage or shipment.

In installation, the hook element 39 is first preferably hooked under the upper lip 25 of the clamping flange 23, following which the cap member is bent downwardly and toward the clamping flange and the hook element 37 is snapped under the lower lip 24 of the flange, to the final position shown in FIG. 7. It is to be noted that before the hook element 39 assumes its final position as shown in FIG. 7 the flexible lip 38 engages the floor F, and, being resilient, resists further movement of the hook element 37 relative to the lower lip 24. A slight additional manual pressure, however, easily seats the hook element 37 relative to the -lip 24, following which the flexible lip 38 tends to retain the cap member in position on the clamping flange. Also as will be noted in FIG. 7, the outer surface of the flexible lip 38 fairs into the floor F to present a sightly and finished appearance and to prevent dirt and foreign material from accumulating under the outer edge of the assembled device. Also as shown in FIG. 7, the cap member 33 substantially covers and hides all of the exposed clamping flange 23 of the binder bar 10 to provide a finished and sightly installation. No adhesive is required to attach the cap member 33 to the clamping flange 23 and the cap member may be readily removed, as desired, in the event that it is desired to take up, for cleaning or otherwise, the carpet C. The cap member 33 may be readily installed or removed without special tools by any unskilled carpet mechanic on the job without disturbing the carpet installation. The cap member also hides any scratches or other unsightly marks on the exterior of the clamping flange 23 which may have accumulated during installation or prior thereto. With the use of such a cap member, the installation mechanic may utilize a number of short sections of the binder bar 10, laid end-to-end, hiding the joints therebetween with the cap member. member, short sections of carpet binder bar less than the width of a doorway are normally useless and are thrown away, as an installation will not be satisfactory if it has exposed abutting sections of binder bar with a joint between adjacent sections.

Although I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not intend to be limited thereto but desire to be afforded the full protection of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a carpet binder bar device, the combination of:

a longitudinally extending base section having first and second downturned parallel edges adapted to support the device on a supporting surface,

said base section being deformed between said edges to provide an upwardly open longitudinal nail receiving groove parallel to said edges and a depending boss extending below said base section,

said base section being transversely bowed upwardly between said edges so that the bottom of said boss is spaced upwardly from the supporting surface when the device is supported thereon by said edges,

said base section being deformable downwardly in response to driving nails therethrough in securing said base section to the supporting surface to a position in which the bottom of said boss engages the supporting surface and a substantial portion of the upper surface of the base section is substantially parallel to the supporting surface;

a plurality of upwardly directed carpetssecuring prongs on the upper surface of said base section and pointed generally toward said first edge; and

a longitudinally extending clamping flange fixed to said base section adjacent said first edge and extending upwardly from said base section and generally towards said second edge,

said clamping flange being transversely bowed and deformable downwardly to secure the edge of a carpet between said flange and said base section.

2. In a carpet binder bar device, the combination of:

Without such a cap a longitudinally extending base section having first and second parallel edges,

the base section being deformed downwardly adjacent to said first edge to provide an upwardly open longitudinal groove;

a plurality of prongs on and extending upwardly from said base section and upon which a carpet can be impaled; and

a clamping flange on said base section adjacent to said first edge and extending upwardly therefrom and generally toward said second edge,

said flange overhanging said groove and being deformable downwardly relative thereto to clamp the edge of a carpet in said groove and between said flange and said base section.

3. In a carpet binder ba-r device, the combination of:

a longitudinally extending base section having first and second parallel edges; and

a longitudinally extending clamping flange on said base section adjacent to said first edge and extending upwardly therefrom and generally toward said second edge,

said clamping flange having upper and lower edges and having an external longitudinal bead adjacent to its lower edge and spaced upwardly from said inner edge to provide a lower hook member, the upper edge of said clamping flange being bifurcated to provide an external bead forming an upper hook member and an internal bead adapted to clamp the edge of a carpet When the clamping flange is bent downwardly.

4. In a carpet binder bar device, the combination of:

a longitudinally extending base section having first and second parallel edges;

a plurality of prongs on and extending upwardly from said base section and upon which .a carpet can be impaled;

a clamping flange on said base section adjacent said first edge and spaced upwardly therefrom and extending generally toward said second edge,

said clamping flange having lower retaining means on the outside thereof and spaced upwardly a short distance from said first edge and having upper retaining means on the outside thereof and spaced upwardly from said lower retaining means; and

a thin flexible cap member adapted to substantially cover and conform to the outside of said clamping flange and being secured thereto by said lower and upper retaining means, with said cap member being provided at its lower end with a flexible lip adapted to engage a surface upon which a device is disposed and to fair said cap member into said surface.

5. As an article of manufacture, a relatively long and narrow strip of an elastomeric material, having a generally flat outer surface, having a thickened portion at each edge defining hooked under edges and a thinner portion intermediate the edges to provide a readily bendable area, and having a thin resilient lip at one edge extending beyond the adjacent hooked under edge, one surface of said lip being a smooth continuation of the outer surface of the strip.

6. In a carpet binder bar device, the combination of:

a longitudinally extending base section having first and second parallel edges;

a longitudinally extending clamping flange on said base section adjacent to said first edge and spaced upwardly therefrom and extending generally toward said second edge,

said clamping flange having upper and lower edges and having an external longitudinal bead adjacent its lower edge and spaced upwardly from said first edge to provide a lower hook member, the upper edge of said clamping flange being bifurcated to provide an external bead forming an upper hook member and an internal 2,514,335 7/ 50- Owens 16-16 bead adapted tov clamp the edge of a carpet 2,654,909 10/53 Paterson et a1. 16-16 when the clamping flange is bent downwardly; 2,666,354 1/ 54v Dim et a1. 85-23 d 2,736,054 2/56 White 16-16 a thin flexible capvmember adapted to substantially 5 2,787,035 4/57 Konefes 2074 cover and conform to the outside of said clamping 2,849,747 9/58 Karas 16-16 flange, 2,976,537 3/61 Hart 24-36 X said cap member being made of an elastomeric material and provided at its opposite ends with FOREIGN PATENTS downwardly directed hooks adapted to engage 1 Q22r028 5/59 All'stirallarespectively with the lower hook member and 625,853 3/61 ada-. the upper hook member of the clamping flange. 334,046 5/ 60 Great Brltain- OTHER REFERENCES Captive-Screw Assemblies, Nov. 10, 1960.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 1,263,219 4/18 Fischer 85-10 JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner. 1,724,601 8/29 Kelbgg 2074 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., DONLEY J. STOCKING,

1,905,603 4/33 Place. 2,449,904 9/48 Lorraine. Examiners

Claims (1)

1. 6. IN A CARPET BINDER BAR DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF: A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BASE SECTION HAVING FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL EDGES; A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CLAMPING FLANGE ON SAID BASE SECTION ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST EDGE AND SPACED UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND EXTENDING GENERALLY TOWARD SAID SECOND EDGE, SAID CLAMPING FLANGE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EDGES AND HAVING AN EXTERNAL LONGITUDINAL BEAD ADJACENT ITS LOWER EDGE AND SPACED UPWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST EDGE TO PROVIDE A LOWER HOOK MEMBER, THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID CLAMPING FLANGE BEING BIFURCATED TO PROVIDE AN EXTERNAL BEAD FORMING AN UPPER HOOK MEMBER AND AN INTERNAL BEAD ADAPTED TO CLAMP THE EDGE OF A CARPET WHEN THE CLAMPING FLANGE IS BENT DOWNWARDLY; AND A THIN FLEXIBLE CAP MEMBER ADAPTED TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER AND CONFORM TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID CLAMPING FLANGE, SAID CAP MEMBER BEING MADE OF AN ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL AND PROVIDED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS WITH DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED HOOKS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE RESPECTIVELY WITH THE LOWER HOOK MEMBER AND THE UPPER HOOK MEMBER OF THE CLAMPING FLANGE.

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