Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Intersection of wall to floor – ceiling – roof – or another wall – With revealed embedded protector
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2002-04-02
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Intersection of wall to floor, ceiling, roof, or another wall
With revealed embedded protector
C052S716100, C052S417000, C052S257000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06363673
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a drywall trim piece for installing at an external right angle corner at which two drywall boards meet and which is provided with a bullnose corner bead.
In standard wall board construction practice, an external corner joint, formed where wall board of a first wall surface meets wall board of a second wall surface, may be covered with a protective corner bead. The corner bead is typically made of steel, formed as a single strip held in place against the wall boards of the two wall surfaces by nails or by a thin layer of joint compound between the flanges of the corner bead and the wall surfaces. When the corner bead has been secured in position, joint compound is applied over the flanges of the corner bead and the adjacent wall surfaces to provide a smooth finish.
After the drywall has been installed and finished, baseboard is typically installed along the base of each wall. At external corners, the two strips of baseboard material that meet at the corner are typically mitered to provide a uniform external surface profile up to the point at which the strips meet.
The conventional method of installing corner bead and baseboard is advantageous because it allows fairly wide tolerance on positioning the lower end of the corner bead. As long as the lower end of the corner bead is below the upper edge of the base board, there is no unsightly gap or rough edge. Since the base board is typically at least three inches wide, it is not necessary to cut the corner bead very accurately.
This technique for installation of drywall and baseboard has worked well when the corner bead has a substantially right angle profile because the exterior configuration of the corner bead, after the joint compound has been applied, matches the interior configuration of the baseboard at the corner. Recently, however, bullnose corner bead, in which the corner bead includes, between the planar flanges, an intermediate portion having a radius of curvature as large as one inch, has come into favor. If conventional 450° miters are used in the baseboard material at an external corner provided with bullnose corner bead, there can be an unsightly gap between the exterior of the bullnose corner bead and the strips of baseboard material.
Several techniques have been developed for avoiding the problem created by the difference between the external configuration of the drywall corner and the internal configuration of the baseboard. One technique involves use of a trim piece which provides a transition between the curved exterior surface of the bullnose corner bead and the right angle internal corner of the baseboard. This trim piece is made of a hard synthetic polymer material. At its upper end, the trim piece has a tongue which is shaped and sized to fit under the bullnose corner bead. Just below the tongue, the exterior surface of the trim piece substantially matches the exterior surface of the corner bead. There is then a transition area, about ½ inch high, over which the configuration of the exterior surface changes from one that matches the exterior surface of the corner bead to a right angle, which matches the internal configuration of the baseboard corner. The corner bead is installed at the corner so that its lower end is slightly above the upper edge of the baseboard that is to be used. The trim piece is installed with its lower end resting on the floor and the tongue at its upper end is inserted under the lower end of the bullnose corner bead. The baseboard is then installed and the trim piece provides a smooth transition from the external configuration of the corner bead to the internal configuration of the base board corner.
In practice, the known trim piece is subject to several disadvantages. For example, the lower end of the corner bead must be accurately positioned to within about ¼ inch above the upper edge of the baseboard material. Also, the height of the lower end of the corner bead determines the height of the baseboard and it is costly and inconvenient to use baseboard material of different height. Further, the height of the trim piece depends on the height of the baseboard material and therefore an installer who is working with several different heights of baseboard material must hold several different sizes of trim pieces in inventory, increasing the cost of inventory and giving rise to the danger that the wrong size pieces will be shipped to a particular job site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a trim piece for installing at a drywall external right angle corner at which two drywall boards meet and which is provided with a bullnose corner bead having first and second flanges extending over the two drywall boards respectively and a convexly curved portion joining the first and second flanges, the first and second flanges having respective mutually parallel free edges, said trim piece having first and second ends and comprising an intermediate portion which wraps over the convexly curved portion of the bullnose corner bead and has first and second edges extending parallel to the edges of the flanges of the corner bead and also has first and second ends, first and second leaves attached to the intermediate portion of the trim piece at the first and second edges respectively, and first and second pins projecting from the first and second leaves respectively, the first and second pins being located so that when the trim piece is placed over the corner bead and the leaves are forced against the flanges of the corner bead, the pins are driven into the drywall boards and a flank of each pin bears firmly against a free edge of a flange of the corner bead, whereby the trim piece is held in position relative to the corner bead, and the intermediate portion of the trim piece having an interior surface at said first end matching closely the exterior surface of the corner bead at said first end and an exterior surface which is convexly curved at said first end and is right-angled at said second end and provides a transition from the convex curve to the right angle between said first and second ends.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a trim piece for installing at a drywall external right angle corner at which two drywall boards meet and which is provided with a bullnose corner bead having first and second flanges extending over the two drywall boards respectively and a convexly curved portion joining the first and second flanges, the first and second flanges having respective mutually parallel free edges, said trim piece having first and second ends and comprising an intermediate portion which wraps over the convexly curved portion of the bullnose corner bead and has first and second edges extending parallel to the edges of the flanges of the corner bead and also has first and second ends, and first and second leaves attached to the intermediate portion of the trim piece at the first and second edges respectively, and the intermediate portion of the trim piece having an interior surface at said first end matching closely the exterior surface of the corner bead at said first end and an exterior surface which is convexly curved at said first end and is right-angled at said second end and provides a transition from the convex curve to the right angle between said first and second ends.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5131198 (1992-07-01), Ritchie
patent: 5588629 (1996-12-01), Barnes
patent: 5740642 (1998-04-01), Keonig, Jr. et al.
patent: 5813179 (1998-09-01), Koenig, Jr. et al.
patent: 6050621 (2000-04-01), Martinez, Jr. et al.
patent: 6119420 (2000-09-01), Koenig, Jr. et al.
patent: 6155004 (2000-12-01), Earhart et al.
patent: 6219980 (2001-04-01), Peck, Jr.
Friedman Carl D.
Katcheves Basil
Smith-Hill John
Smith-Hill and Bedell
LandOfFree
Drywall trim piece does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Drywall trim piece, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Drywall trim piece will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2904974