US3740913A

US3740913A - Lock groove tile

Info

Publication number: US3740913A
Application number: US00166402A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Musser
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-07-27
Filing date: 1971-07-27
Publication date: 1973-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-26

Abstract

A lock groove tile of generally square outline having tongues on two adjacent sides and grooves on the other two adjacent sides for interlocking with adjacent tiles. A metal sheet is secured to the wall to be tiled and the sheet has edges adapted to cooperate with the respective tongues and grooves of the tiles to support the edges of the groups of tiles. In a modified form of the invention a metal strip is formed to interfit with a row of tiles and has a finished chrome strip covering the edges of the tiles.

Description

United States Patent Musser 1 June 26, 1973 LOCK GROOVE TILE Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Carl D. Friedman [76] Inventor: Jennie E. Musser 5988 Martinus St.,

Route 2 HaSIeuZMiCh 48840 Alttorney-Alexander B. Blair, Elton H. Brown, Jr. et

a [22] Filed: July 27, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 166,402

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 52/387, 52/593 [51] Int. Cl E04f 13/08 A lock groove i of generally Square outline having [58] Fleld of Search 52/387, 392, 386, tongues on two adjacent sides and grooves on the other 52/384 485i 593? 273/1535 two adjacent sides for interlocking with adjacent tiles. A metal sheet is secured to the wall to be tiled and the [56] References and sheet has edges adapted to cooperate with the respec- UNITED STATES PATENTS tive tongues and grooves of the tiles to support the 2,202,568 5 1940 Worden 52/387 edges of the groups of tiles In a modified form of the 2,335,303 11/1943 Olsen invention a metal strip is formed to interfit with a row 3,378,973 4/1968 Tudor-Pole 52/716 X of tiles and has a finished chrome strip covering the 3,357,146 12/1967 Gartrell 52/593 X edges of the tiles 3,579,941 5/1971 Tibbals 52/593 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 Claim 10 Drawing Figures 746,409 0/1933 France 273/1535 1 LOCK GROOVE TILE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tile system for tiling a wall without the use of mortar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the invention a metal strip is provided interfitting with 1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS F 16.1 is a plan view of thetile system;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of the tiles shown partially broken away and in section for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a smaller tile used as a border;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a horizontal sectional view partially broken away of the metal plate forming part of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the referencenumeral indicates generally a tile system constructed in accordance with the invention. v

The tile system 20 includes a relatively flat metallic backing plate 21 having one edge 22 formed as a molding with a tongue 23 extending inwardly thereof for reasons to be assigned. A molding 24 is formed on the opposite edge of the plate 21 and has a groove 25 formed therein for reasons to be assigned The bottom edge 26 of the metal plate 21 corresponds to the mold- 5 ing 22 and has a tongue similar to the tongue 23 extending therealong.

The metal sheet 21 is adapted to be secured to the wall to be tiled by means of a plurality of screws 27.

A plurality of tiles 28 each has a tongue 29 and a tongue 30 formed on adjacent meeting edges thereof with the opposite adjacent edges having a groove 31 and a groove 32 formed therein. The tiles 28 are positioned on the metal plate 21 with the groove 32 engaged with the tongue 23 along the bottom of the metal plate 21 and the groove 31 engaged with the tongue 23 along one side edge thereof. Additional tiles are placed against the metal plate with each tile interlocking with the adjacent portion of the metal plate or the'adjacent portion of an adjacent tile until the metal plate 21 is completely covered with tiles 28.

Small tiles 28' but otherwise identical to the tiles 28 are fitted into a smaller metal plate at the top of the plate 21 as a top border for the wall.

In FIG. 6 a metal trim strip 33 is shown between a pair of tiles 28 with the trim strip having a tongue portion 34 and a groove 35 to interfit with the respective tongue and groove of the tile 28.

In FIG. 9 a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein metal plates 21 are provided having strips 33' secured thereto to form a backing for the tiles 28.

-It should be understood that the tiles 28 may in addition be glued or otherwise fastened to the metal sheet and if desired may be secured directly to a wall using molding to cover the tongues and grooves along the edges.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wall tile system comprising a large flat metal plate detachably secured to a wall, a molding strip integrally secured to one side edge and one bottom edge of said plate and extending perpendicularly outwardly of said plate with said molding strips having a tongue extending in a plane parallel to said plate and spaced outwardly from said plate, a third molding strip integrally formed on the opposite side edge of said plate and extending perpendicularly outwardly of said plate and having a groove formed therein, a plurality of tiles supported on said plate, each of said tiles having a tongue extending outwardly from adjacent meeeing edges and a groove formed in the opposite meeting edges with said grooves engaging the tongues in the molding edge of said plate or the tongues of adjacent tiles to completely interlock said tiles with each other and with said metal plate, a plurality of border tiles substantially smaller than the tiles secured to said plate secured to said wall above said plate, an elongate strip having a tongue on one side and a groove on the other engaged between a pair of tile rows and coextensive therewith and an elongate chrome decorative strip mounted coextensively on said first named strip for covering the juncture between said rows of tiles.

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