Patent Application
20230313542
The present invention relates to a floor tapping block. More particularly, the present invention provides a floor tapping block for use in the installation of different types of flooring.
Consumers choose among different types of flooring such as vinyl, laminate, and engineered wood. Different types of flooring present different requirements for installation. The basic principles of flooring installation are well understood, starting with the first row of flooring against a wall and then pressing each subsequent plank against a previously installed plank and again using a tapping block and applying a force to the tapping block via a hammer or mallet.
Examples of the prior art use of tapping blocks for floor installation include U.S. Pat. No. 10,934,725 to Crain Cutter Company granted on Mar. 2, 2021, and U.S. Patent Publication 2020/0102759 to Apt, published on Apr. 2, 2020. The entirety of each of the above two documents are incorporated by reference.
One non-limiting example of a problem with prior art tapping blocks is that if the block has a flat bearing surface and the flooring planks rely on a form of interlocking, such as but not limited to a tongue and groove configuration, there is always the risk of damaging the exposed part of a plank when installing another plank against a previously installed plank.
Prior to the present invention, however, flooring installers who wanted to reduce the risk of damage when installing another plank against a previously installed plank used two different types of tapping blocks. Thus, prior to the present invention, flooring installers did not have the option of a single tapping block that could be used for the installation of various types of flooring such as tongue and groove, or clicklock, and flat or non-interlocking configuration.
The present invention provides an invertible floor tapping block that can be utilized for the installation of various types of flooring.
The invertible floor tapping block includes a first surface for contact with the edge of a first type of flooring plank and a second surface for contact with the edge of a second type of flooring plank. The tapping block includes a removable handle adapted to be installed in an offset position relative to the first and second contact surfaces to provide better balance and leverage during use. The ends or flat outer edges may also be used to push thicker flooring planks together.
The foregoing benefits of the present invention, together with other benefits and advantages that may be obtained by its use, will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings,
The figures should be understood as being for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following, that alternate embodiments of the tapping block, and their use, may be employed without departing from the principles described herein.
A removable handle 24 is provided for the tapping block. The handle includes a base plate 26 which may be formed as a separate part or formed integrally as part of the handle. The handle including the base is generally “D” shaped. A threaded fastener 28 extends through an aperture 30 in the base plate. A knurled knob 32 is provided at one end of the fastener.
The details of the web 22 will now be explained. Referring to
The web 22 includes a threaded recess 52 extending down from the support surface 44 toward the second face 42 to receive the threaded fastener 28. The web first face 40 includes a recess 54 extending toward the side 14 and toward the second face 42.
The second face 42 of the web 22 will now be explained. The second face includes a generally flat support surface 56 extending about ⅔ of the distance from side 14 toward side 16. One end of the support surface 56 includes a downward portion (as viewed in
The web includes a second threaded recess 62 extending up from the support surface 56 toward the first face 40. The web second face 42 includes a recess 64 extending toward side 16 and toward the first face 40.
The provision of each recess 54, 64 results in a thinner portion of the web, from top to bottom, thus reducing the weight of the web.
It should be appreciated that terms such as upward and downward are dependent on the orientation of the web 22 as will be better understood from consideration of all the Figures.
It should be appreciated that the tapping block may be used for all known types of flooring planks such as, but not limited to, flat edged non-interlocking, tongue and groove, and other types of interlocking planks.
Referring next to
Referring next to
The handle is secured to the flat surface (44 or 56) remote from the side (14 or 16) where the hammer or mallet will impact the tapping block. Thus, the handle is offset from the center of the tapping block, when viewed from the end, and is closer to the already-installed planks. This provides the benefit of allowing the weight of the user to be applied vertically on the plank being installed, to maintain the plank being installed as level or flat (when compared to the already-installed planks) as desired. The offset use of the handle also prevents excessive vertical forces from being applied to the plank being installed.
The foregoing is a complete descriptive of one embodiment of a tapping block. Many changes and modifications may be made by those of skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing.
