Square-edged laminated wood strip or plank materials
AssigneeMasonite Corporation
InventorThomas V. Maxwell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Laminated wood strip or plank flooring members are disclosed having adjacent edges of adjacent strip or plank members slightly reverse-beveled, i.e. 2.degree. to 7.degree. from vertical, to tightly fit together to provide precise, flush contact between adjacent upper surfaces of adjacent strips or planks. The strip or plank wood materials are provided in various lengths and various predetermined widths so that the random width and length strip or plank materials can be fitted together to provide a most unexpected and pleasing appearance wherein each adjacent strip or plank member is precisely fitted together and adjacent surface portions are substantially flush, or in contact.
Claims17
A wood strip or plank member having a tongue member extending centrally outwardly from two edges and a groove formed centrally within another two edges wherein at least one edge is a machined edge including a reverse bevel machined in said edge downwardly and inwardly from a major flat surface of said strip or plank member to said extending tongue or groove, said tongued edge and grooved edge machined such that the tongue member of an adjacent strip or plank floats freely within said groove without substantially contacting the internal machine surfaces defining the groove.
A laminated wood flooring member having a major upper surface, a major lower surface and four edges, two of said edges including tongue members extending from said two edges outwardly beyond said major upper surface, and two of said edges including machined grooves therein each of said two tongued edges including a precision-fit edge surface defined by an edge surface lying between an uppermost edge of said tongues and said major upper surface, wherein said major upper surface is substantially horizontal, said precision-fit edge surface is sloped at least 2.degree. from vertical inwardly from said major upper surface toward said tongue member, said tongued edge and grooved edge machined such that the tongue member of an adjacent strip or plank floats freely within said groove without substantially contacting the internal machined surfaces defining the groove.
A method of manufacturing a wood strip or plank member comprising:
- securing together a plurality of wood veneers to form a laminate having cross grained adjacent veneers and a major upper surface;
- machining an edge of said laminate to form a tongue member extending outwardly a predetermind distance from said machined edge;
- machining another edge of said laminate to form a groove in said another edge, said groove machined to receive a tongue member of an adjacent strip or plank member within said groove,
- machining said tongued edge between said tongue and said major upper surface to provide a beveled, precision-fit edge surface between said tongue member and said major upper surface, said precision-fit edge surface sloped inwardly from said upper major surface toward said tongue at an angle of at least 2.degree. inwardly from vertical.
A wood strip or plank member having tongue members extending centrally outwardly from two edges and grooves machined centrally within another two edges, said wood strip or plank member including a precision fit edge surface defined between a major flat surface of said strip or plank member and said tongue or groove, said precision fit edge surface inclined at an angle of at least 2.degree. from vertical from said major surface toward an innermost edge of the tongue or groove whereby said precision fit edge surface contacts an adjacent surface of an adjacent strip or plank member substantially only at said major surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.