APPARATUS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF CARPET

Abstract

A device for installing carpet or other similar flooring material includes a base which is attached or mounted to a floor or other surface on which carpet is to be laid. The base incorporates a number of gripping members that are formed from the base and provide a secure manner in which carpet is held in place by the installation device. The device may be configured to accommodate a wide range of carpet textures and thicknesses, as well as the use of carpet padding.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/794,480, filed Apr. 24, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Wall-to-wall carpeting is typically installed by stretching the carpet to a suitable tightness, securing the carpet at the floor-wall intersections or joints by way of a carpet tack strip, and then trimming the carpet to the floor dimensions. The tack strips are commonly thin, narrow, wooden boards through which tacks or small nails for securing the carpet are driven. The strip is attached (usually by nailing) to the floor around the perimeter of the room with the points of the carpet securing tacks or nails facing up. The stretched carpet is then forced downward over these tacks or nails so that the carpet is thereby gripped and held in place. These carpet tack strips suffer from a loss of functionality when the floor surface does not accommodate ordinary nails for attachment of the strips to the floor (e.g., concrete), or when the selected carpet is of a thickness and/or texture that is not optimum for the size of the holding tacks or nails of the tack strip. This disclosure describes a carpet installation strip that addresses the previously described shortcomings.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a carpet installation device incorporates a base from which carpet grippers are formed. The installation device is configurable with respect to the dimensions and orientation of the grippers so as to accommodate carpet or similar flooring material in a secure fashion. The installation device also incorporates indicia that aids in the mounting of the installation device to the surface over which carpet is to be laid.

Further objects, embodiments, forms, benefits, aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure may be obtained from the description, drawings, and claims provided herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carpet installation device in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carpet installation device shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a portion of such device in greater detail.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational cross-sectional view of a carpet installation environment illustrating the use of the carpet installation device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a carpet installation device in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, illustrating an alternate design.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a carpet installation device 10 having a base 12 from which a number of gripping members 14 are formed. Gripping members 14 are illustratively shown as being partially punched or stamped from base 12. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2, a representative gripping member 14 is illustratively shown as being triangular in shape, with sides 16 and 18 of the triangular gripping member 14 being punched or stamped through base 12. The remaining side 20 of gripping member 14 is not punched, cut, or stamped through base 12, but instead provides a bending edge for gripping member 14. Edge 20 may be scored or slightly dented, if desired, to aid in bending gripping member 14 along edge 20. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, gripping members 14 are shown as being bent back from base 12, such that the tip or point 22 of gripping members 14 are raised from base 12. FIG. 1 illustratively shows the openings 24 that are left in base 12 when gripping members 14 are raised or bent from base 12.

Also shown in FIG. 1 are attachment indicia or indicators 26 which show recommended locations for attaching device 10 to a floor or surface to be carpeted. The method of attaching device 10 is typically by driving nails through base 12 at the location of indicators 26, but may be by other attachment mechanisms, such as screws or staples. Indicators 26 may be merely printed or marked on base 12 of device 10, but they may also incorporate an indention or scoring, or be completely cut through base 12 to facilitate easier nailing or attaching of device 10 to a floor or other surface. Indicators 26 are illustratively spaced to provide a sufficiently secure attachment of device 10 to the surface on which device 10 is to be mounted.

FIG. 3 shows a side cross-sectional view of carpet installation device 10 illustratively in place on a floor 28 via nails 30 driven through base 12 at attachment indicators 26. Device 10 is illustratively shown as being butted or positioned flush against a wall 32. The outer edge of base 12, or the edge that is proximal to wall 32, forms the perimeter of the area to be carpeted. As can be seen in FIG. 3, a representative piece of carpeting 34 having a base or binding 36 and pile 38 is shown as being securely held in place by gripping members 14 of device 10 extending through binding 36. Gripping members 14 are shown as having their tips or points 22 facing away from the direction, indicated by arrow 40, that carpet 34 would tend to pull or relax. In this way, gripping members 14 act in the nature of a fishhook barb. This arrangement would be particularly effective, for example, in mounting carpet or other flexible flooring material on a wall or vertical surface. FIG. 3 shows only one illustrative example of carpet installation device 10, and it is of course possible to modify or enhance the features and characteristics of device 10 as needed and/or desired. As a few non-limiting examples, gripping members 14 may be made to be larger or smaller (or variable sizes in the same device 10) to accommodate carpets of different types, thicknesses or textures. The contour of the point or tip 22, and edges 16 and 18 of gripping members 14 may be varied, e.g., from sharp to somewhat rounded, as may be required by the nature and composition of the carpet or other flooring material to be installed. The angle at which gripping members 14 are bent from base 12 may also be varied as may be needed to most effectively secure the selected carpet or flooring material.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a carpet installation device 42 having a base member 44, an orthogonal attachment or mounting member 46, and an elevation member 48. Gripping members 50 extend from base 44 in the same manner as gripping members 14 extend or are bent from base 12. Attachment indicators 52, which may be similar in construction and appearance to indicators 26, are located in, or printed on, mounting member 46. Mounting member 46 provides a means for attaching device 42 to a wall or similar surface that is disposed at an angle (e.g., 90°) from the floor or surface to which carpet is to be installed. Device 42 having mounting member 46 is particularly useful when installing carpeting or other similar flooring material over a cement or other hard-surface floor, where nails or other fasteners would be difficult to drive into place, and where the adjoining wall surface is more acceptable to the placement of nails or other fasteners. Elevation member 48 may be incorporated into the design of device 42, if desired or needed, in order to raise the level of base 44 (and hence gripping members 50) a distance from the floor or carpet mounting surface to accommodate the thickness of carpet padding, for example. As an illustrative example, base 44 may be of the order of 1 inch wide, mounting member 46 is of the order of ½ inches high, and elevation member 48 is of the order of ¼ inches high. Attachment indicators 52 are illustratively shown as incorporating ⅛ inch holes and are spaced 3½ inches apart. Gripping members 50 are illustratively made to be approximately 3/16 inches long and ⅛ inches wide at their base. They are illustratively shown as being bent back from base 44 approximately 60°-70° and spaced approximately ¾ inches from center-to-center along any given row. The rows of gripping members 50 are staggered and spaced approximately 3/16 inches center-to-center between rows. Any number of rows of gripping members 50 may be incorporated into device 42 as desired or needed.

Carpet installation devices 10 and 42 may be made of thin metal, such as aluminum or steel, for example, flexible plastic, or other suitable material that provides the strength and flexibility needed to function as previously described, particularly with respect to the deployment and maintenance of gripping devices 14 and 50. Devices 10 and 42 may also be manufactured in a variety of lengths, and with a variety of width dimensions of bases 12 and 44, mounting member 46 and elevation member 48. Other variations in materials and dimensions may also be made as would be apparent to one skilled in the art.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes, modifications and equivalents that come within the spirit of the disclosure provided herein are desired to be protected. The articles “a”, “an”, “said” and “the” are not limited to a singular element, and may include one or more such elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in the installation of carpet comprising:

an elongated base member incorporating a plurality of gripping members, said gripping members formed, and extending, from said base member at an acute angle from the surface of said base member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said base member comprises a thin metal strip.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said strip comprises aluminum.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said strip comprises steel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said base member comprises a thin plastic strip.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gripping members have a triangular shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein one vertex of said triangular shape is disposed above the surface of said base member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mounting member disposed orthogonal to said base member and extending above the surface of said base member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an elevation member disposed orthogonal to said base member and extending below the surface of said base member.

10. An installation device for flexible flooring material comprising:

an elongated base member having a proximal edge and a distal edge, said proximal edge forming the perimeter of said area in which said flooring material is to be installed, said base member incorporating a plurality of gripping members formed from said base member, said gripping members having a triangular shape with two sides of said triangular shape being separated from said base member and disposed toward said proximal edge, said triangular shape being bent along said third side such that said triangular shape extents above the surface of said base member at an acute angle.