Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Machine or implement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-16
2001-09-11
Horton, Yvonne M. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Machine or implement
C052S233000, C052S609000, C052S574000, C052S749100, C052SDIG008, C446S115000, C446S125000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286287
ABSTRACT:
FIELD
The present invention relates to converted wood articles and composite wood products made therefrom for use in general construction primarily but not limited to posts, flooring, walls and support beams, the posts and beams being both structural and non-structural, and a method for fabricating such articles and products.
BACKGROUND
The depletion of old growth forest has placed increasing demand within the forest industry for alternative wood products which make better use of old growth and stagnant growth timber and which also provide for greater use of second, third and later generation trees.
Several alternative wood products have emerged in an effort to address some of the needs in the industry. In this respect U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,409 discloses a composite wood product formed from four elongated triangular-shaped wood pieces. The four pieces are joined to form a composite wood product having a cross-sectional outline of a parallelogram and a hollow interior. An alternative embodiment is disclosed where each wood piece has a pair of machined keys to improve yield.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,400 there is disclosed a composite wood product formed from four log parts, each log part having a three sided cross-section forming either right angled sectors and a third curved face or a right triangle. The log parts are assembled into a composite wood product so that their right angles form the corners of a rectangle with a hollow interior which is filled with concrete or other structural enhancing material, Similar examples of this alternative wood structure appear in U.S. Reissue 35,327 and French Patent No. 962589. Other attempts to offer improved composite wood products can be found in French Patent No. 2512729 and German Patent No. 964637.
While the composite wood products disclosed in the above mentioned references provide some improvements to the known art, there remains a continuing need for composite wood products providing additional resistance to shearing forces and impact forces, assembled from converted wood parts having a larger bonding surface and having a higher load bearing capacity without the preemptive need for the structural reinforcing material indicated in the prior art. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide alternative converted wood articles for use in making composite wood products to fulfill the above needs in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a converted elongated wood article of triangular cross-section, having a first longitudinally extending face with rectangular steps whose step surfaces are parallel to a longitudinal extension of the article. A first set of the step surfaces are parallel to and a remaining second set of the step surfaces are perpendicular to a second elongated, planar face. The rectangular steps lie in planes which intersect between the second elongated planar face and a third longitudinally extending face and extend from the second elongated planar face to a third longitudinally extending face.
The second elongated planar face may be at a right angle to the third longitudinally extending face. Alternatively, the third longitudinally extending face may have rectangular steps extending from the second elongated face to the first elongated face. Preferably, the rectangular steps each have equal dimensions and the number of steps on the first face is at least three.
The steps of a converted elongated wood article may have substantially similar or different dimensions. In one embodiment, the number of rectangular steps on a stepped face is three. In another embodiment, at least one face having steps includes corners which lie substantially along a notional straight line.
Further included within the scope of this invention is a method of fabricating a composite wood product by gluing together at least two converted elongated wood articles of triangular cross section, each having a first longitudinally extending face with rectangular steps having step surfaces that extend longitudinally, parallel to a longitudinal extension of the converted elongate wood article. A first set of the step surfaces are parallel, and a second remaining set of the step surfaces are perpendicular to a second elongated, planar face. The steps extend to a third longitudinally extending face, wherein the rectangular steps of one of the converted elongated wood articles are joined in mating abutment to the rectangular steps of another of the converted elongated wood articles forming a joint. The joint is provided only with a sequence of a plurality of rectangular steps starting at the longitudinal edges of the article with a step portion rectangularly disposed with respect to the second elongated planar face.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 35327 (1996-09-01), Sing
patent: 4394409 (1983-07-01), Hertel
patent: 4794749 (1989-01-01), Marcel
patent: 5299400 (1994-04-01), Sing
patent: 964637 (1957-05-01), None
patent: 962589 (1950-06-01), None
patent: 2512729 (1983-03-01), None
patent: 2133117 (1995-11-01), None
Hall Priddy Myers & Vande Sande
Horton Yvonne M.
Synergy Wood Processing Inc.
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