Patents Assigned to Tile, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5989636
    Abstract: A decorated ceramic floor tile is disclosed, comprising a clay tile substrate, an initial glaze layer applied to the tile substrate, and a high-fired glazed decal image applied to the tile such that the decal extends substantially at least to the edges of the initial glaze layer around the entire perimeter of the tile substrate. A ceramic floor having a substantially continuous decorative image thereon, comprising a plurality of ceramic floor tiles of the invention also is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Imagine Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael M. Wine
  • Patent number: 5782526
    Abstract: A leg assembly for a table having a support assembly made up of upper and lower plates and a plurality of leg sleeves secured to these plates, a plurality of legs are receivable into each of the leg sleeves and extend downwardly from them. Seat posts are secured to the bottom ends of each leg. Each seat post has a seat base and a seat plate mounted thereto. Seats are secured to seat plates on each seat post. A table top is secured to the upper plate of the support assembly. The entire leg assembly is securable to the ground by fastening the seat base to the ground surface. The leg assembly can be shipped in pieces to be assembled on site and is compatible with a variety of table tops and seats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Wausau Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: David P. Ott
  • Patent number: 5693395
    Abstract: A decorated ceramic floor tile is disclosed, comprising a clay tile substrate, an initial glaze layer applied to the tile substrate, and a high-fired glazed decal image applied to the tile such that the decal extends substantially at least to the edges of the initial glaze layer around the entire perimeter of the tile substrate. A ceramic floor having a substantially continuous decorative image thereon, comprising a plurality of ceramic floor tiles of the invention also is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Imagine Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael M. Wine
  • Patent number: 5595698
    Abstract: A method of making the tile dispenses wet concrete having two different colors into a partitioned pug box for disposition onto opposite sides of a pallet, so that, the two different colors reside on opposite sides of the pallet in side-by-side relation. The wet concrete is metered and compressed by a roller and shaped by a slipper to provide the concrete tile with a desired cross-sectional shape, following which the concrete is then chopped by a knife assembly to form the individual tiles with desired edge configurations. The concrete is cured and then removed from the pallets to form the completed tiles. The method may be incorporated into a continuous process in which a succession of the pallets are passed by a conveyor beneath a making head assembly containing the partitioned pug box and the roller and slipper and then beneath a knife assembly to form a succession of the concrete tiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Nicholas, Scott W. Fechner
  • Patent number: 5549513
    Abstract: A roof structure, which has a plurality of concrete tiles arranged in overlapping rows on a roof support structure, is provided with a roof ventilation device for venting the underside of the roof support structure. The device receives and integrates with a plurality of shortened tiles in an upper row so as not to disturb the appearance and continuity of the roof structure. A hollow upper portion of the roof ventilation device forms part of a ventilation path which extends from outside the roof structure to one or more apertures in the roof support structure and has a plurality of baffles disposed therein for preventing entry of rain water. A length of mesh mounted within an inside portion of the roof ventilation device at the back of the upper portion prevents entry of insects, vermin and debris, while foam strips mounted on the mesh seal the space above tiles in a lower row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Thomas, Anthony F. Gillett
  • Patent number: 5406766
    Abstract: A concrete tile of integral, one-piece construction has left side and right side portions of different coloring which extends through the entire thickness of the relatively thin, generally planar tile. An upper surface of the tile has a groove therein which separates the differently colored left side and right side portions. The left and right side portions have different lengths, providing the tile with a stepped front edge. A method of making the tile dispenses wet concrete having two different colors into a partitioned pug box for disposition onto opposite sides of a pallet, so that the two different colors reside on opposite sides of the pallet in side-by-side relation. The wet concrete is metered and compressed by a roller and shaped by a slipper to provide the concrete tile with a desired cross-sectional shape, following which the concrete is then chopped by a knife assembly to form the individual tiles with desired edge configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Nicholas, Scott W. Fechner
  • Patent number: 5341617
    Abstract: A roof tile fastening arrangement secures each of a plurality of concrete roof tiles, disposed in side-by-side relation, to a birdstop mounted adjacent the lower edge of a roof support structure, by a plurality of clips extending between and secured to the side edges of the tiles and to the birdstop. Each of the clips has an upper curved lip portion extending over the side edge of an associated one of the tiles. In a first embodiment, each of the clips has a lower hook portion which hooks to a different one of a plurality of drain slots adjacent the base of the birdstop. The clip is made of resilient material and has a curved body portion which may be flexed to facilitate installation of the clip and which then assumes the curved configuration to hold the clip in tension between the side edge of the associated tile and the associated drain slot in the birdstop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Thomas, Paul S. Hensey
  • Patent number: 5323580
    Abstract: A roof tile fastening arrangement secures each of a plurality of concrete roof tiles, disposed in side-by-side relation, to a birdstop mounted adjacent the lower edge of a roof support structure, by a plurality of clips extending between and secured to the side edges of the tiles and to the birdstop. Each of the clips has an upper curved lip portion extending over the side edge of an associated one of the tiles. In a first embodiment, each of the clips has a lower hook portion which hooks to a different one of a plurality of drain slots adjacent the base of the birdstop. The clip is made of resilient material and has a curved body portion which may be flexed to facilitate installation of the clip and which then assumes the curved configuration to hold the clip in tension between the side edge of the associated tile and the associated drain slot in the birdstop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Thomas
  • Patent number: 5077952
    Abstract: A roof tile clip for securing a roof tile to a roof structure has an elongated body portion secured at a lower end such as through a base portion extending from the body portion to the roof structure and a lip portion at an opposite upper end thereof extending over and engaging a side edge of the roof tile. The lip portion is inclined relative to the body portion by an amount approximately equal to the amount of inclination of the roof tile relative to the roof structure to provide a close, relatively conforming fit of the lip portion with the side edge of the roof tile. The clip is made from a single piece of aluminum. The lip portion is further configured to provide a conforming fit over a ridge at the roof tile's side edge, and includes a neck portion an an acute angle to the body portion so as to fit flat against an angled flat surface at the side of the roof tiles, an intermediate portion extending from the neck-portion and a terminal portion extending from the intermediate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Moore
  • Patent number: 4932184
    Abstract: Disclosed is a panel for installation with similar adjacent top, bottom and side panels to form a roof having the appearance of a wooden shake roof. The panel has a generally rectangular panel body with an irregular surface of generally trapezoidal shake-like modules of different heights and widths, which surface is symmetrical only about the lateral center line of the panel. The modules at the ends of the panel body are configured to overlap with an end module of an adjacent side panel. The panel also features a nose flange extending downwardly from the front edge of the panel body which is irregularly configured so that the nose flange bottom edge is adapted to abut the panel body of an adjacent bottom panel. A rear upstand extends upwardly from the rear edge of the panel body and is irregularly configured so that the front surface of the rear upstand is adapted to mate with the nose flange rear surface of an adjacent top panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: Gerard Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Waller
  • Patent number: 4743471
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for the random coloring of concrete roof tiles during the manufacture of such tiles. This enables the tiles to be installed in random fashion and without following any particular sequence. At the same time a roof is achieved which has an aesthetically pleasing random variation of the tile colors and which is absent the displeasing color patterns which often occur when tiles colored by a simple and frequently repeating pattern are not installed in proper sequence. Newly formed concrete tiles are sequentially advanced by a conveyor beneath a base applicator which sprays a base coat of coloring slurry over essentially the entire top surface of each tile. One or more overspray applicators located downstream from the base applicator then spray additional colors over different portions of the top surfaces of the tiles in intermittent, randomly varying fashion so that the color pattern on each tile is essentially unique and is not repeated on any other tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1988
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventor: Peter P. Shills, III
  • Patent number: D281803
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1985
    Assignee: Wausau Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. Miller
  • Patent number: D347483
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Thomas
  • Patent number: D348317
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Monier Roof Tile Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Thomas, Scott W. Fechner
  • Patent number: D393510
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Wausau Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward J. Creske
  • Patent number: D394930
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Wausau Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward J. Creske
  • Patent number: D401641
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Wausau Tile, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. Miller