Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-07
2001-05-15
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S525020, C029S525030, C029S525040, C052S461000, C052S464000, C052S468000, C052S472000, C403S292000, C403S293000, C403S298000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230385
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the mounting of a workpiece with a wedge shaped spline and a divider track. This wedge shaped spline and installation method is particularly useful in the installation of laminate flooring, moldings, and other decorative items.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commercially available laminate flooring generally includes a wear surface glued to a substrate. The wear surface generally is high wear-resistant decorative laminate. The substrate generally is fiberboard or particle board. Each piece of laminate flooring generally has a groove along one end and one side suitable for joining with a tongue along one side or end of an adjacent piece of laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is commercially installed over a pad.
Aluminum divider tracks are commercially used for the installation of flexible molding, such as vinyl molding. This includes the installation of expansion and transition molding, end caps and reducer strips. Divider tracks are affixed to a floor and a rib on the back of the flexible molding is interlocked between a pair of flanges extending from the front of the divider track. Serrations extending along the rib and the interior surfaces of the flanges interlock for resisting the removal of the rib from the flanges. Molding can be installed by interconnecting it with a divider track without penetrating its decorative front surface with a fastening means or otherwise blemishing it.
There is a need in the installation of molding for securely affixing the molding without blemishing its decorative front surface. In the installation of laminate flooring, there is a need for molding covered with laminate that matches the pattern of the laminate flooring. There is a need for a method for installing laminate covered molding that does not blemish its decorative surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been discovered that an elongated wedge shaped spline can be used for joining work pieces in a dovetail joint. The spline is preferably made of extruded rigid material in the shape of a wedge with one or more serrations extending along one or both of the sloping sides of the wedge for interlocking with one or more serrations extending along one or both of the interior surfaces of flanges extending at right angles from the front surface of a divider track. The wedge shaped spline has sufficient width between its sloping slides for spreading the flanges as the wedge shaped spline is forced between the flanges. The wedge shaped spline is wider at its top than at its bottom and can have sides that slope inwardly at an angle of about 2-8 degrees, preferably 2-5 degrees and more preferably about 2.5 degrees.
The wedge shaped spline of this invention can be used in joining a work piece, such as molding, in a dovetailed joint. A divider track having a base support and a pair of spaced apart flanges extending at a right angle from the front surface of the base support is first affixed to a surface. The wedge shaped spline is positioned between and in abutment with the terminal upper portion of the spaced apart flanges. A fan shaped mortise on the back surface of a work piece is positioned over the wedge shaped spline between and abutting the upper portion of the spaced apart flanges. Pressure is applied on the front surface of the work piece for seating the work piece on the divider track, thereby forcing the wedge shaped spline between the flanges and spreading the flanges. The spread apart flanges engage the side walls of the fan shaped mortise for joining the work piece in a dovetailed joint with the divider track.
One or more serrations can extend along the lower portion of one or both of the sides of the wedge shaped spline for interlocking with one or more serrations along the upper portion of the interior upper surface of one or both of the flanges without substantially spreading them for positioning (or staging) the spline in the divider track as the fan-shaped mortise on the back surface of expansion molding is positioned over the wedge shaped spline.
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Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Hughes S. Thomas
Omgba Essama
Premark RWP Holdings, INC.
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