Patent ID: 8118345
Filing Date: 2012-02-21
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. An improved flooring system for use with flatbed trailers, comprising: a plurality of metal reinforced, milled floorboards, wherein said floorboards are affixed to one another in an end-to-end manner to form a single integrated floor plank, such that the linear length of the integrated floor plank is approximately equal to the linear length of the trailer for which the integrated floor plank will be used, each of the milled floorboards having a planed top surface and a bottom surface having a plurality of axial grooves milled therein, wherein each of the milled floorboards further include a plurality of pre-cut, ship-lapped lateral edges such that when the lateral edges of the integrated floor planks engage one another on a frame portion of the flatbed trailer, interlocking contact is created between the lateral edges of the integrated floor planks to provide a smooth and generally uniform cargo surface for the flat bed trailer, and wherein each of the plurality of floorboards further include a pre-cut tenon cut on the top and bottom surfaces at the end portions of the floorboards, where the floorboards are affixed to one another to form the integrated floor plank; a plurality of metal reinforcing ribs, wherein a metal rib is inserted into and retained within each of the plurality of grooves in the bottom surface of the milled floorboards, such that an outer edge portion of each metal rib uniformly protrudes outwardly from the bottom surface of the milled floorboard; a top joiner plate, wherein said plate is received within the tenon cut end portions of the top surface of the floorboards, said top joiner plate including a plurality of pilot holes and generally providing a smooth transition from a top surface of a first floorboard to a top surface of a second floorboard and a generally smooth surface transition from a lateral edge of a first integrated floor plank to an adjoining lateral edge of a second integrated floor plank; a bottom joiner plate, wherein said plate is received within the tenon cut end portions of the bottom surface of the floorboards and is in axial and radial alignment with the top joiner plate, said bottom joiner plate including a plurality of pilot holes and providing a generally smooth surface transition from the lateral edge of the first integrated floor plank to an adjoining lateral edge of a second integrated floor plank; and a plurality of threaded fasteners wherein said fasteners threadedly engage and penetrate through the pilot holes of the top joiner plate and further threadedly engage and penetrate the tenon-cut portions of the floorboards and also threadedly engage and penetrate through the pilot holes of the bottom joiner plate to securely attach the linear ends of the floorboards together to form the integrated floor planks.