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US 6,474,905 B1Granted
Temporary support structure
OwnerClarence R. Smith, Jr., Thomas O. Kelley, Jr. +1inventors
InventorsClarence R. Smith, Jr., Thomas O. Kelley, Jr., Jerry R. Kelley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A temporary support structure for use in soft and environmentally sensitive areas to construct roads and pads to support heavy equipment and the like on rough and normally impassable terrain. Roads and pads are constructed by interlocking a plurality of mats together to build a road or pad of the desired size. Each mat is comprised of two layers of boards made of a material with a shear stress equal to or greater than that of hardwood lumber. The top layer of boards are superimposed over the bottom layer and fastened by bolts, nails, glue, etc. Forklifts, cranes, etc., are used to handle individual mats and to position the mats and lock them together.
Claims11
A mat for a temporary support structures used to construct roads and pads to support heavy equipment, said mat comprising:
- (a) a bottom ply;
- said bottom ply including a first board section having a first end and a second end;
- said bottom ply including a second board section extending parallel to said first board section of said bottom ply;
- said second board section of said bottom ply having a first end positioned conterminous with said first end of said first board section of said bottom ply and a second end positioned intermediate said first and second ends of said first board section of said bottom ply;
- said bottom ply including a third board section extending parallel to said first board section of said bottom ply;
- said third board section of said bottom ply having a first end positioned intermediate said first and second ends of said first board section of said bottom ply and a second end positioned conterminous with said second end of said first board section of said bottom ply;
- said third board section of said bottom ply being aligned with said second board section of said bottom ply;
- said bottom ply having a bottom gap formed between said second end of said second board section of said bottom ply and said first end of said third board section of said bottom ply;
- said bottom ply including a fourth board section extending parallel to said first board section of said bottom ply;
- said fourth board section of said bottom ply having a first end positioned conterminous with said first end of said first board section of said bottom ply and a second end positioned conterminous with said second end of said first board section of said bottom ply;
- said second and third board sections of said bottom ply being positioned intermediate said first and fourth board sections of said bottom ply;
- and
- (b) a top ply;
- said top ply including a first board section having a first end and a second end;
- said top ply including a second board section having a first end and a second end;
- said first board section of said top ply being attached to and extending perpendicular to said first, second and fourth board sections of said bottom ply adjacent said first ends of said first, second and fourth board sections of said bottom ply;
- said second board section of said top ply being attached to and extending perpendicular to said first, third and fourth board sections of said bottom ply adjacent said second ends of said first, third and fourth board sections of said bottom ply;
- said top ply having a top gap formed between said first and second board sections of said top ply;
- said top gap overlying said bottom gap.
16 more elements
A mat for a temporary support structures used to construct roads and pads to support heavy equipment, said mat consisting of a bottom ply and a top ply:
- (a) said bottom ply including a first bottom ply board, a second bottom ply board positioned adjacent said first bottom ply board, a third bottom ply board positioned adjacent said second bottom ply board, and a fourth bottom ply board positioned adjacent said third bottom ply board;
- each of said bottom ply boards being spaced from each adjacent bottom ply board, being of equal length, being of equal width, being arranged parallel to one another, and being offset lengthwise from each adjacent bottom ply board with each end of each of said bottom ply boards staggered lengthwise from each end of each adjacent one of said bottom ply boards;
- and
- (b) said top ply including a first top ply board, a second top ply board positioned adjacent said first top ply board, a third top ply board positioned adjacent said second top ply board, and a fourth top ply board positioned adjacent said third top ply board;
- each of said top ply boards being spaced from each adjacent top ply board, being of equal length, being of equal width, being arranged parallel to one another, and being offset lengthwise from each adjacent top ply board with each end of each of said top ply boards staggered lengthwise from each end of each adjacent one of said top ply boards;
- said bottom and top plies being attached to one another with each of said top ply boards extending perpendicular to each of said bottom ply boards;
- said first end of said first top ply board being positioned over said first end of said first bottom ply board;
- said first end of said second top ply board being positioned over said first end of said second bottom ply board;
- said first end of said third top ply board being positioned over said first bottom ply board a distance from said second end of said first bottom ply board at least equal to the width of said third top ply board;
- said first end of said fourth top ply board being positioned over said second bottom ply board a distance from said second end of said second bottom ply board at least equal to the width of said fourth top ply board.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.