US3334556A

US3334556A - Ground covering for athletic and playing areas

Info

Publication number: US3334556A
Application number: US493981A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles A Owen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-10-08
Filing date: 1965-10-08
Publication date: 1967-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-08

Description

Aug. 8, 1967 c. A. OWEN 3,334,556

GROUND COVERING FOR ATHLETIC AND PLAYING AREAS Filed Oct. 8, 1965 I NVENTOR.

5 CHARLES A. OWEN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,334,556 GROUND COVERING FOR ATHLETIC AND PLAYING AREAS Charles A. Owen, Belmont, Calif. (1660 Lexington Ave., San Mateo, Calif. 94402) Filed Oct. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 493,981 2 Claims. (Cl. 94-7) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ground covering for athletic and playing areas applied over and supported on a prepared granular base, said covering comprising (a) coarse sand that will not pack or blow and will allow Water to drain therethrough; (b) planer mill cuttings of wood shavings to form a springy base; and (c) an oil-base product free of asphalt to hold the sand and wood cuttings together, keeping them from blowing.

An object of the invention is to provide a ground covering that will form a springy base in an athletic or playing area, which is adapted for use by individuals and teams, the covering being designed so that water will drain there through and at the same time the ingredients of the covering will not blow away or soil the clothing of the persons using the area.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ground covering of the character described which may be readily handled and placed in position on the area to be covered with facility and ease,

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features Will be set forth in the appended claims.

Drawing For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the view is an isometric illustration of a portion of an athletic or playing area having my ground covering applied thereto, a transverse portion being shown in vertical section.

While I have shown and will describe only the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description Referring now to the drawing in detail, the athletic or playing area A is first provided with a ballast layer B of coarse sand, the mesh of which is suflicient to prevent packing thereof so that water will readily drain therethrough. This ballast layer is disposed on the underlying ground C, andthe latter may define a pit into which the ballast sand is placed. If desired, a crib D of boards, or the like, may be provided around the perimeter of the area A. The ground covering layer E forming the subject matter of this invention is placed on the top of the ballast sand and forms a safe surface for athletes and players using the exercising equipment F, if the latter is provided, it being noted that some athletic and playing areas may be used without such equipment. When the latter is used, it may take the form of any conventional playground or exercising devices now provided for playgrounds for individuals of various ages.

As to the ground covering layer B, it is composed of the following ingredients and approximate proportions:

1 cubic yard of coarse sand, such as Olympia sand No. 2

or sand of this coarseness. 2 to 3 cubic yards of planer mill cuttings (redwood, birch,

3,334,556 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 The foregoing ingredients should be mixed together thoroughly, preferably by a tumbling action, in order that the sand, planer mill cuttings and the oil base product are mixed properly. After the desired amount of sand and planer mill cuttings or shavings are mixed together, the oil-base product should be applied in a forced fine spray state while the three ingredients are being mixed. The sand and mill cuttings should be in a dry state when they are initially intermixed.

Only coarse sand, such as Olympia No. 2 or the equivalent coarseness of sand can be used as it will not pack or blow and will allow water to drain through readily as Well as mixing readily with the oil-base product. Fine sand has a tendency to pack and will readily blow in a wind. Also, fine sand does not allow good drainage or a good mixture with the wood mill cuttings and oil-base product. On the other hand, if the sand is too coarse it would likewise not mix with the mill cuttings and oil-base product and would defeat the purpose of a mixture of the type intended.

As mentioned above, I do not wish to be limited to the use of Olympia sand No. 2, but it is well suited for my purpose and consists of washed sand particles having approximately the following characteristics:

Mesh of screen:

Percentage of volume No. 4 to No. 8 3 No. 8 to No. 16 14 No. 16 to No. 30 40 No. 30 to No. 50 31 No. 50 to No. 10 No. 100 to No. 200 1 No. 200 and finer 1 It is well understood that mesh refers to the number of openings per linear inch. In the foregoing table, it will be seen that the major proportion (57%) of the sand has a mesh between No. 4 and No. 30.

Moreover, Wood cuttings, or any other wood product in any form other than planer mill cuttings or shavings will be either too fine or too coarse for the correct mixture desired. This means that if the shavings: or mill cuttings are too fine they will blow, or if too coarse the individuals using the athletic or playing area A will pick up splinters. These planer mill cuttings or shavings are as follows: The planer mill blade should be set at A2" to in order to receive the correct cuttings size.

In the search for a suitable oil-base product which would mix readily with the sand and cuttings, it was necessary to find an oil that had thin liquid and deep penetrating qualities to hold the sand and cuttings together, keeping them from blowing. Also, it was required that the oilbase product have a high flash point (temperature at which the inflammable material will flash in air) so that the mixture will not ignite accidentally, for instance, when a lighted match or cigarette is thrown into the ground covering layer E, or cause spontaneous combustion. Moreover, the oil-base product should have a pale color so as not to soil the clothing or skin of the individuals using the athletic or playing area A.

' The oil-base product is called Base 100 and is a commercial item of Standard Oil Company consisting of a mineral oil free of asphalt. The abbreviations used below are used through the industry as a standard measuring formula, and the selected product has the following characteristics:

(1) Specific gravity: API 26 (API means American Petroleum Institute measurement).

(2) Flash point: At F. equals COC 335 F. (COC means Cleveland Open Cup, and the flash point is the lowest temperature at which the vapor will ignite.)

(3) Viscosity: SSU at 100 F. equals 106 seconds time the oil takes to flow to complete the test. (SSU means Saybolt Seconds Universal.)

(4) Pour point: -45 F. (Lowest temperature at which the oil will pour or flow before becoming a solid.)

(5) Color: ASTM2/NPA Extra Pale. (ASTM-2 means American Society for Testing Materials Item #2. NPA Extra Pale means National Petroleum Association for Measuring Color.)

It is very important that the ground covering layer B should be prepared and placed on top of the ballast layer B of coarse sand, such as Olympia sand No. 2, in order to receive the maximum amount of resiliency, the proper amount of drainage, and for the minimum amount of maintenance cost. The amount of sand under the mixture is determined by the amount of total thickness of the layers B and E. For example, if you desire a total of 8" in thickness with 4" of this mixture in the top layer E, then there should be 4" of sand on the bottom in the layer B as a base.

I claim:

1. Ground covering for athletic and playing areas applied over and supported on a prepared granular base, said covering comprising:

(a) coarse sand, the major proportion of which has a mesh between No. 4 and No. 30, so that it will not pack or blow and will allow water to drain therethrough;

(b) planer mill cuttings of wood shavings to form a springy base;

(c) an oil-base product of thin liquid having deep penetrating qualities to hold the sand and mill cuttings together, keeping them from blowing, the oilbase product consisting of a mineral oil free of asphalt;

(d) the oil-base product being characterized in its properties approximately as follows:

(1) specific gravity: API (American Petroleum Institute measurement) 26;

(2) flash point: At 0 F. equals COC (Cleveland Open Cup) 355 F., the flash point being the lowest temperature at which the vapor will ignite;

(3) viscosity: SSU (Saybolt Seconds Universal) at F. equals 106 seconds time the oil takes to flow to complete the test;

(4) pour point: 45 F., the pour point being the lowest temperature at which the oil will pour or flow before becoming a solid;

(5) color: extra pale;

(e) the sand, imill cuttings and oil-base product being thoroughly mixed together.

2. Ground covering for athletic and playing areas applied over and supported on a prepared granular base, as set forth in claim 1;

(f) and in which approximately the following pro= portions of the ingredients are used:

(1) 1 cubic yard of the coarse sand;

(2) 2 to 3 cubic yards of the planer mill cuttings of wood;

(3) and 30 gallons of the oil-base product.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 175,273 3/1876 Cross 947 602,023 4/1898 Mattern 9420 X 1,600,045 9/1926 Idris et al. 943 1,906,749 5/1933 Grant. 2,350,279 5/ 1944 Hoeffelman 106285 2,856,301 10/1958 Badger 10633 2,858,231 1 0/1958 Watson 106285 3,066,580 12/1962 Alberti 943 3,088,836 5/1963 Garti et a1 943 XR JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. GROUND COVERING FOR ATHLETIC AND PLAYING AREAS APPLIED OVER AND SUPPORTED ON A PREPARED GRANULAR BASE, SAID COVERING COMPRISING: (A) COARSE SAND, THE MAJOR PORTION OF WHICH HAS A MESH BETWEEN NO. 4 AND NO. 30, SO THAT IT WILL NOT PACK OR BLOW AND WILL ALLOW WATER TO DRAIN THERETHROUGH; (B) PLANER MILL CUTTINGS OF WOOD SHAVINGS TO FORM A SPRINGY BASE; (C) AN OIL-BASE PRODUCT OF THIN LIQUID HAVING DEEP PENETRATING QUALITIES TO HOLD THE SAND AND MILL CUTTINGS TOGETHER KEEPING THEM FOR BLOWING, THE OILBASE PRODUCT CONSISTING OF A MINERAL OIL FREE OF ASPHALT; (D) THE OIL-BASE PRODUCT BEING CHARACTERIZED IN ITS PROPERTIES APPROXIMATELY AS FOLLOWS: (1) SPECIFIC GRAVITY: API (AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE MEASUREMENT) 26; (2) FLASH POINT: AT 0*F. EQUALS COC (CLEVELAND OPEN CUP) 355*F., THE FLASH POINT BEING THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE VAPOR WILL IGNITE; (3) VISCOSITY: SSU (SAYBOLT SECONDS UNIVERSAL) AT 100*F. EQUALS 106 SECONDS TIME THE OIL TAKES TO FLOW TO COMPLETE THE TEST; (4) POUR POINT: -45*F., THE POUT POINT BEING THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE OIL WILL POUR OR FLOW BEFORE BECOMING A SOLID; (5) COLOR: EXTRA PALE; (E) THE SAND, MILL CUTTINGS AND OIL-BASE PRODUCT BEING THROUGHLY MIXED TOGETHER.