US 6,615,553 B2 · Floor board installation device

Abstract

A floor board installation device comprises a cross bar, a wedge and two pins extending outwardly from the top and bottom sides of, and through, the cross bar. The wedge comprises a top curved edge and a bottom edge including a groove therein. The pins typically are spaced from one another a distance slightly larger than the width of a joist. In use, the cross bar is placed on top of two adjoining joists so that the pins are positioned on either side of a single joist. The other end of the bar merely rests on top of the adjacent joist. A force is then applied to a side edge of the wedge in a direction parallel to the length of the sub floor boards. Due to the rounded shape of the top curved edge and the flat surface of the wedge that contacts the floor board, the wedge will rotate within the cross bar so that the edge of the wedge is flush against the sub floor board and so that the curved surface of the wedge will contact the cross bar at only one point. Accordingly, the force applied to slide the wedge along the cross bar will tend to push the floor boards together.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A board installation device comprising:

a base including an elongate body and first and second pins extending outwardly from said body and being adapted to be received on either side of a support member so as to retain said base in a secured position on a support member;
and
a wedge movably secured to said elongate body and including a board contacting surface and an elongate body contacting surface, wherein said board contacting surface and said elongate body contacting surface define an acute angle therebetween;
wherein said body contacting surface of said wedge includes a cutout region adapted to receive said first pin therein.

1 more element

A method of installing a floor board on two supports, comprising the steps of:

providing a secured floor board secured to two supports;
providing a base including an elongate body having a length greater than a distance separating said two supports;
providing a wedge slidingly secured to said elongate body;
securing said base to at least one of said two supports and adjacent to said secured board such that said wedge is positioned between said elongate base and said secured board;
placing a loose board on said two supports and between said wedge and said secured board;
and
applying a force to said wedge so as to slidingly move said wedge along said elongate body such that said wedge abuts said loose board and moves said loose board into tight fitting contact against said secured board;
wherein said wedge includes a board contacting surface and a curved surface in contact with said elongate body, and wherein said wedge is adapted for pivotal movement with respect to said body such that said wedge contacts said loose board along said board contacting surface and such that said curved surface contacts said elongate body tangent to said curved surface.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Floor board installation device

Life of this patent

Floor board installation device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13