Flooring

Aug. 25, 1936.

C. G. BRANSTRATOR

FLOORING

Filed March 26, 1936

2,052,213

<img file="US2052213A_D0001.tif" />

BY

ATTORNEY .

Patented Aug. 25, 1936

2,052,213

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,052,213

FLOORING

Jlem G. Branstrator, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to Branstrator Body Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Indiana

Application March 26, 1936, Serial No. 70,919

Claims. (Cl. 20—6)

This invention relates to improvements in flooring for use in various structures such as vehicle bodies, store buildings, residences and other constructions wherein a rigid floor of great strength is required An object of the invention is to provide a composite floor body of metal and wood or a substitute for wood so formed that the metal and wood constituents of the body sustain each other in their relative positions thus to resist flexure of the floor body when placed under stress as when supporting a heavy load. Another object is to afford a thin floor body capable of sustaining a considerable load when supported only around its margins thus to eliminate the necessity of providing underlying supports intermediate its margins. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:—

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a metallic reinforce for a composite floor structure;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a floor formed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view projected from Fig. 2.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a flat slab of uniform thickness and shaped to correspond with the structure (not shown) in which it is used to form the flooring thereof.

The slab is constituted of a metallic reinforce i formed of thin sheet metal shaped so as to provide parallel channels 2, 3, 4 and 5 and intervening contiguous channels 6, 7 and 8. The channels 2 to 5 inclusive are open at the bottom and the channels 6 to 8 inclusive are open at the top. The vertical walls 8, 10, II, 12, 13 and 14 are common with respect to the corresponding adjacent channels, and the tops 15 of the open-bottom channels lie in a common plane-and also the bottoms 16 of the open-top channels 6, 7 and 8 lie in a common plane spaced from and parallel with respect to the plane of the tops 15.

If desired, the outermost vertical wall 17 of an endmost channel 15 may be provided with a flange 18 that extends in the plane of the bottoms 16 for the purpose hereinafter mentioned. In each of the open-bottom channels 2, 3, 4 and 5 is disposed filling material, preferably constituted of one or more strips of wood 19 that are held compactly in the corresponding channels between the vertical walls thereof, and in each of the open-top channels 6, 7 and 8 likewise is disposed filling material, similarly constituted of one or more strips of wood 20 that are held com pactly in the corresponding channels between their vertical walls. When the channels are thus completely filled, the vertical walls of the channels are confined rigidly between the fillers of the corresponding adjacent channels and are 5 thereby prevented from buckling when the flooring is strained or stressed because of an overload if placed thereon.

In order that the fillers 19 and 20 are more intimately associated with the reinforce, an adhe- 10 sive such as asphalt or similar binding agent is applied so as to enhance permanency between the parts of the fillers themselves and between the fillers and the surfaces of the reinforce adjacent thereto. The slab thus formed is solid and 15 of great rigidity as the vertical walls of the channels, although formed of thin plate metal, are firmly confined between the fillers in the open top and open-bottom channels so that lateral yielding of the vertical walls when the floor is 20 loaded is circumvented and the slab is maintained substantially in its normal plane.

A bottom for the slab is provided which consists preferably of a metallic plate 21 that is secured in place so as to lie against the bottoms of 25 the fillers 19 and bottoms 16 of the open-top channels.

As a means for securing the plate in place fasteners 22, such as nails, or screws, are inserted through the plate into the fillers. Also, if desired, 30 one side of the plate 21 may be provided with a flange 23 that is upturned so as to overlap the outer wall 24 of the adjacent channel (2). This flange is conveniently secured against the reinforce by suitable fasteners 25 that are driven 35 through the flange and outer wall into the filling material. The opposite side of the plate, if desired, is provided with a fold 26 that is clinched over the flange 18, thus to secure the adjacent vertical wall of the reinforce against the adjacent 40 filler and provide a reinforced flange by which to secure the slab to the building structure (not shown).

A cover 27 of any suitable material, such as laminated wood veneer or any other floor sur- 45 facing, is provided for the slab. The cover extends over and lies upon the tops 15 of the openbottom channels and the top surfaces of the fillers 20 in the open-top channels. The cover is secured in place by any suitable means, such as 50 fasteners 28 that are driven through the cover into the underlying filler material, or the fasteners, if desired, may be driven through the cover and the tops 15 into the filler material in the open-bottom channels, as indicated by 29 in Fig. 3. 55

Where practicable, it is desirable to make the reinforce of a single sheet of metal bent so that the open-bottom and open-top channels are formed in alternate arrangement in successive order. Where slabs of considerable breadth are required a number of reinforces may be connected side by side by providing any suitable connecting means (not shown) for their attachment.

In practice, the slabs are preferably prepared to have the required dimensions as to length, breadth and thickness, and shaped to be bodily fitted into place when subsequently installed in the structure where it is to be used.