US3522137A

US3522137A - Semi-permanent mosaic

Info

Publication number: US3522137A
Application number: US627201A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robbert De La Rive Box
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-04-04
Filing date: 1967-03-30
Publication date: 1970-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-28
Also published as: GB1161926A; NL6604500A; BE696361A; DE1621765A1; CH459012A; SE349260B

Description

y 1970 R. DE LA RlVE BOX 2,

' SEMI-PERMANENT MOSAIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30. 1967 INVENTOR. Robber'r de la Rive Box MHZ? ATTORNEYS.

July 28, 1970 R. DE LA RIVE BOX 3,522,137

SEMI-PERMANENT MOSAIC Filed March 30. 1967 2 SheetsJ-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Robber? de lo Rive Box BY mw m ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,522,137 SEMI-PERMANENT MOSAIC Robbert de la Rive Box, Norenburg 27, The Hague, Netherlands Filed Mar. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 627,201 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Apr. 4, 1966, 6604500 Int. Cl. B44c 1/28, 3/12 U.S. Cl. 161-37 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Semi-permanent mosaic consisting of mosaic elements having straight lateral faces and corners. At the corners and in some instances at locations intermediate the corners protrusions are provided, which can be attached to protrusions of other mosaic elements by connecting means, which consist of rings surrounding a number of protrusions.

The invention relates to a semi-permanent mosaic, comprising a number of mosaic elements, having right lateral faces perpendicular on their main planes. A similar semipermanent mosaic has been described in the U.S. Pat. 3,178,332.

When applying this known semi-permanent mosaic, the circumferential form of the complete mosaic is determined by a base in which the mosaic has to be laid. At the same time the necessity of possessing such a base leads to an increased cost price. Further serious limitations in the possibilities of the forms and dimensions of the mosaic elements in themselves are present with a certain form of the base. Finally the somewhat bent form of the base limits the possibility of enlarging the mosaic unlimited with predetermined dimensions of the elements.

The invention aims at removing this being bound to the base form of the semi-permanent mosaic, under maintenance of a sufiicient stability of a formed mosaic, whereby composing and again decomposing the mosaic can happen quickly and simply.

The above mentioned purposes are obtained according to the invention by coupling means of the same type being present at least at the edges, which coupling means are lying outside the main plane of the mosaic and 'by connection members cooperating with the coupling means, so that they can effect a connection at the corners between mosaic elements lying against each other with their lateral faces. With the main plane of the mosaic the plane is meant, which is generated when the mosaic elements form together a linked mosaic. With the invention this is a fiat plane.

Without any objection the mosaic according tothe invention can be suspended or put upright.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in that the coupling means comprise protrusions being directed away from the main plane of the mosaic, some limiting planes of which are flush with the lateral faces, which lateral faces intersect at the corner where the protrusion has been mounted, and that the jointing elements around the protrusions are gripping rings.

Another embodiment of the invention which, however, can only be applied in special cases, e.g. when the mosaic also at its backside must have an aesthetically acceptable outward appearance as e.g. with transparent mosaics which are hung before windows, consists in that the coupling means consist of little holes and that the jointing elements contain pins which can be stuck in the little holes, whereby the mosaic elements according to a further elaboration of the invention can have recesses which take up the jointing elements. This can e.g. be

realized such, that the jointing elements consist of circular discs having pins protruding perpendicularly from them and that a recess in the form of a sector of a circle having the same thickness as the discs is mounted on the places where coupling means are desired.

When applying the invention it is not necessary to place the coupling means exclusively at the angular points but they can also be placed along a side. By reason of this the possibility exists of designing also larger mosaic elements and of mounting smaller mosaic elements thereto, when the side of the smaller mosaic elements corresponds with the distance between a corner and a coupling of a larger element that is mounted along a side. In this way a greater freedom in form and dimensions of-the mosaic elements arises and at the same time the possibility of laying larger planes of the mosaic, without building up the latter exclusively out of elementary small arts. p The invention is in the following further elucidated on hand of the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a view obliquely from below of a mosaic element according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows three examples of connection elements to be applied to the type of mosaic element of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a perspective view resp. section of such a connection element;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 schematically show some mosaics which can be made when applying the invention.

In FIG. 1 with 1 a mosaic element is indicated, the main plane of which is present at the upper side and in FIG. 1 is not visible, which element is provided with

side faces

2 and 3 perpendicular to this main plane. At the corners protrusions 4 are present which protrusions have the shape of a rectangular sector of a truncated cone. The

faces

2 and 3 are extended as 2 and 3 at the place of the protrusions and limit the latter at the outer sides.

In FIG. 2 three connecting elements have been drawn. They all have an inner surface 5 in the shape of a (truncated) cone, an end surface 6 and a seizing rim 7. The form in space is more especially visible in FIGS. 3 and 4. The inner wall of these connection elements does not always have a complete cone shape but can also have the shape of a cone sector. So the jointing element according to FIG. 2a is suitable for e.g. the jointing of two protrusions which each have a section shape of a sector of a circle of or three protrusions with each a section sector of 60; those of FIG. 2b e.g. for connecting protrusions which each have a sector of a circle of 60 or of 90 and one of 30 and FIG. 2c shows a circular symmetrical connection element, e.g. for connecting two protrusions with each other which protrusions have a section shape of a sector of a circle of 90 and three with a section shape of a sector of a circle of 60.

It will be clear that when the mosaic is provided with little holes and the connecting elements with pins, an in principle equivalent system is obtained. A disadvantage is, however, that then always sufiicient little holes must be present at the corners for pressing all pins in them, so that, when e.g. one has to work with mosaic elements with angles on base of 60 and angles on base of 90, twelve pins will be necessary which are displaced over 30 with respect to each other. Another disadvantage is the smaller strength with the same dimension of the connection elements. An advantage is, however, that, by letting the connection elements into the mosaic elements, it is possible to obtain a smooth surface on both sides whereby the connection elements e.g. can be transparent so that they can hardly be noticed any longer.

In FIG. 5 an example of a mosaic has been shown according to the invention with rectangular mosaic elements having one, two resp. three times the surface area of a base square. At distances equalling the side of the base sqruare coupling elements have been mounted. In the center region of the mosaic circular ring members are used and at the edges ring members having an inward section of half a circle.

FIG. 6 shows how when applying the invention also other forms of mosaic elements can mutually cooperate. Here the base element is an equilateral triangle, of which two form a rhomb and three an equilateral trapezium. A regular hexagon contains consequently six of such ele mentary triangle areas.

Finally FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which further more types of elements have been shown with which again the hexagon, the triangle and the trapezium come forward, but at the same time an element forming half such a trapezium and an element which is obtained from such a trapezium by making the trapezium rectangular. It will without more be clear that also rectangles having different dimensions can 'be taken up into the assortment of mosaic elements.

The protrusions have been shown in FIG. 1 as sectors of truncated cones and the jointing rings have at their innerside a corresponding shape. By reason of this a whole is obtained with which the connection rings can easily be mounted. They are lying over their whole heights against the protrusions, which enhances the strength of the connection. The rings preferably are a little bit elastical and owing to that they clamp the protrusions firmly against each other. The rings can simply be removed, either with the fingers or with a pair of tongs.

Owing to the small vertical angle of the cone, where the inner surface of the ring forms part of, the chance of slipping off of the rings is practically nought. Nevertheless it is possible to replace the cone jacket shape of the protrusions at least partly by a cylindrical shape. Especially when the connection members are of somewhat elastical material, it is not even necessary that the inner surface of the rings exactly corresponds with the outer surface of the protrusions. Cylindric protrusion e.g. can cooperate with rings having at least over part of their heights a somewhat conical inner surface.

It is also possible to provide a locking action between the protrusions and the rings e.g. by giving the rings an inner groove and the protrusions a corresponding rib. Then the ring can be shifted over that rib under elastical deformation till the rib falls in the groove of the ring. It stands to reason that the groove can also be provided in the protrusions and the rib on the inner surface of the ring.

Though this seems not to have advantages and the disadvantage that when applying the rings the latter cannot 'be turned any more, for better pressing, it is possible to use instead of the shape of a truncated cone a truncated pyramid shape, whereby the inward section 4 of the connecting rings is a whole or partly regular polygon.

When applying the invention the mosaic elements must contain right side planes, making angles with each other.

It will, however, be clear that e.g. with an edge of a mosaic also elements can be used, which are partly circumscribed by curved side faces.

The invention also comprises mosaic elements suitable for application in the mosaic as described above.

What I claim is:

1. A semi-permanent mosaic, comprising: a plurality of mosaic elements having a main plane and lateral faces perpendicular to the main plane, at least some of said faces being plane faces, the lateral faces intersecting each other at corners by straight edge lines perpendicular to the main plane, said corners having tapered protrusions which have limiting planes flush with the said intersecting lateral faces; and connecting means surrounding and holding in contact the protrusions of the elements engaging each other at the corners.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the section form of the protrusions in a plane parallel to the main plane at each corner is a circle sector having its center on the edge line of the lateral faces.

3. The invention of claim 1 in which the connecting means are rings having a tapered inner wall.

4. The invention of claim 1 in which at least some mosaic elements are provided with further protrusions one limiting plane of which is flush with a lateral face and located intermediate the edge lines limiting said lateral face.

5. A mosaic element for use with similar mosaic elements in combination with connecting means to form a semi-permanent mosaic, comprising: a main plane and lateral faces perpendicular to the main plane, at least some of said lateral faces being plane faces, adjacent plane faces of said element intersecting each other along an edge line perpendicular to the main plane; protrusions at the intersection of two lateral faces, limited by plane faces flush With said intersecting lateral faces and a tapered surface; said protrusions being adapted for insertion into connecting means comprising a ring having a tapered inner wall, together with the protrusions of other similar elements to be held in contact with one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,150,032 9/1964 Rubenstein 161-161 JOHN T. GOOLKASIAN, Primary Examiner M. E. MCCAMISH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 16136, 111 l