Abstract:
The present invention is a light weight decorative wood beam system. The wood beam system is comprised of at least two wood beam pieces. The wood beam pieces each have a bottom plate and two vertical plates that form a three-sided, hollow box. Each wood beam piece comprises an end with a male dado and an end with a female dado. The male and female dado ends fit over each other to create a shiplap joint. Anchor plates are fastened into a building surface and support the wood beam system. Because the wood beam system is light weight, it does not require a special anchoring system to support the real wood beams.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to the field of woodworking. More specifically, the present invention is a system of lightweight real wood beams used as ornamentation on or in a structure. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Currently, if an individual wishes to install real wood beams on a ceiling or other surface of a building, the individual must ensure that the building structure is capable of supporting the weight of the real wood beams. If the building is being newly built, there must be proper support structures included in the frame of the building. Additionally, if the building is pre-existing and the real wood beams are being added into the building, the individual must make sure that the proper support structures exist or that they are added to the building. This can be an expensive and time consuming process. 
         [0003]    Various techniques have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,415 (Hull), U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,624 (Cornell), U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,171 (Frederiksen), U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,234 (Rosner), U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,606 (Hanson), U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,213 (Butterfield), U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,311 (Meyers), U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,377 (Beckmann), U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,159 (Pennypacker), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,800 (Meyers) to overcome the problems with installing real wood beams in buildings. However, these disclosures suffer from one or more of the following disadvantages. First, the above patents use composite material such as Styrofoam, particle board, plastic, etc. instead of real wood to reduce the weight of the beams. This distracts from the aesthetic appeal of the beams and their overall quality. Second, because these beams are made of composite material, they are easily damaged. Third, the materials used to make these composite beams do not provide enough strength to support any other fixtures that an individual may want to hang from the beams. 
         [0004]    As such, it is desirable to provide a light weight wood beam that can be hung from any surface without attaching it to the frame of the building. The present invention provides a hollow beam that is made of real wood, yet is light enough to be coupled to any building surface. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is a wood beam system that is light weight and easily attaches to any type of building surface. The wood beam system is created by coupling two or more wood beam pieces together and fastening the pieces to anchor plates that are attached to a surface of a building. One feature of the invention is that the wood beam pieces are constructed of real wood with a hollow center. Because the wood beam pieces are hollow, they are lightweight and easy to install, yet maintain the aesthetic appeal of real wood beams. 
         [0006]    The wood beam system is comprised of a first beam piece, a second beam piece, and an anchor plate. The anchor plate is coupled to the surface of a building, and the first beam piece and the second beam piece are positioned over the anchor plate. The first beam piece and the second beam piece are coupled together and to the anchor plate such that the first beam piece and the second beam piece engage the building surface to which they are coupled. 
         [0007]    The primary object of this invention is to provide a real wood beam system that will easily attach to any building surface. 
         [0008]    A further object of this invention is to provide a real wood beam system that is light weight. 
         [0009]    A still further object of the invention is to provide a real wood beam system that can support other fixtures. 
         [0010]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a real wood beam system that has a hollow center where electrical wiring can be run. 
         [0011]    The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its structure and its operation together with the additional object and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the wood beam system when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art or arts. If any other meaning is intended, the specification will specifically state that a special meaning is being applied to a word or phrase. Likewise, the use of the words “function” or “means” in the Description of Preferred Embodiments is not intended to indicate a desire to invoke the special provision of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 are sought to be invoked to define the invention(s), the claims will specifically state the phrases “means for” or “step for” and a function, without also reciting in such phrases any structure, material, or act in support of the function. 
         [0012]    Moreover, even if the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 are invoked to define the inventions, it is intended that the inventions not be limited only to the specific structure, material or acts that are described in the preferred embodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materials or acts that perform the claimed function, along with any and all known or later developed equivalent structures, materials, or acts for performing the claimed function. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  shows an end view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of the joint between the first beam piece and the second beam piece in the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  shows a cross section end view of the beam system with an anchor plate coupled to a surface of a building structure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4B  shows a cross section end view of the beam system coupled to the anchor plate and engaged to the surface of a building structure. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of two beam pieces coupled together in the preferred embodiment of the beam system. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with straps covering the joints. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of a first beam piece of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a second beam piece of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of the preferred embodiment of the beam system  100 . As seen in  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  5 , the beam system  100  comprises a first beam piece  200 , a second beam piece  300 , and an anchor plate  400 . These pieces combined together create the beam system  100  disclosed. Preferably, the first beam piece  200  and the second beam piece  300  are made of real wood and are coupled together, as shown in  FIG. 3 , using a shiplap joint  210  at the connection point. 
         [0023]    In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first beam piece  200  further comprises a bottom plate  220  and two vertical plates  230 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 . The bottom plate  220  has a first edge  223  and a second edge  225  that are mitered. The two vertical plates  230  both include a top edge  233  and a bottom edge  235 . Only the top edges  233  of the vertical plates  230  are mitered in the preferred embodiment. The first edge  223  of the bottom plate  220  is coupled to the top edge  233  of the first vertical plate  230 , and the second edge  225  of the bottom plate  220  is coupled to the top edge  233  of the second vertical plate  230 . The mitered edges  223  and  225  of the bottom plate  220  and the mitered edges  233  of the two vertical plates  230  allow the coupled edges to form a 90° angle such that a hollow box with three sides is formed as depicted in the cross-section views of  FIGS. 1 ,  4 A, and  4 B. 
         [0024]    As seen in  FIGS. 5 and 8 , the second beam piece  300  is constructed the same way as the first beam piece  300 . The bottom plate  320  has a first edge  323  and a second edge  325  that are mitered. The two vertical plates  330  both include a top edge  333  (not shown) and a bottom edge  335 . Only the top edges  333  (not shown) of the vertical plates  330  are mitered. The first edge  323  of the bottom plate  320  is coupled to the top edge  333  (not shown) of the first vertical plate  330 , and the second edge  325  of the bottom plate  320  is coupled to the top edge  333  (not shown) of the second vertical plate  330 . The mitered edges  323  and  325  of the bottom plate  320  and the mitered edges  333  (not shown) of the two vertical plates  330  allow the coupled edges to form a 90° angle such that a hollow box with three sides is formed as depicted in the cross section views of  FIGS. 1 ,  4 A, and  4 B. Further, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the width of the bottom plate  220  and  320  is 8 inches and the width of the vertical plates  230  and  330  is 7½ inches. In an alternate embodiment, the width of the bottom plate  220  and  320  is 5½ inches and the width of the vertical plates  230  and  330  is 5½ inches. 
         [0025]    Further, the first beam piece  200  has a first end  240  and a second end  245 . As seen in  FIG. 7 , the first end  240  of the first beam piece  200  has a male dado  250  cut into the bottom plate  220  and the two vertical plates  230 . Additionally, the second end  245  of the first beam piece  200  has a female dado  255  cut into the bottom plate  220  and the two vertical plates  230 . Similarly, the second beam piece  300  has a first end  340  and a second end  345 , as seen in  FIG. 8 . The first end  340  of the second beam piece  300  has a male dado  350  cut into the bottom plate  320  and the two vertical plates  330 . Moreover, the second end  345  of the second beam piece  300  has a female dado  355  cut into the bottom plate  320  and the two vertical plates  330 . 
         [0026]    The male dado  250  of the first beam piece  200  is coupled to the female dado  355  of the second beam piece  300  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . This arrangement forms the shiplap joint  210 . The shiplap joint  210  is preferred because it allows the beam pieces  200  and  300  to be coupled together on the same plane. Additionally, the beam pieces  200  and  300  overlap and can be further fastened together with glue, nails, etc. or a combination of these types of fasteners. 
         [0027]    When installing the beam system  100  to the surface of a building  500  (usually a ceiling), first the length of the surface  500  must be determined so that the proper number of beam pieces  200  and  300  can be prepared. In the preferred embodiment, the first beam piece  200  and the second beam piece  300  are 48 inches (4 feet) long when coupled together. In order for the first beam piece  200  and second beam piece  300  to be the desired length when coupled together, the male dado  250  on the first beam piece  200  and the female dado  355  on the second beam piece  300  must be cut to the same length dimensions such that they perfectly overlap. In other words, the male dado  250  on the first beam piece  200  protrudes the same length that the female dado  255  on the second beam piece  300  is inset. Because each beam piece  200  and  300  has both a male dado  250  and  350  and female dado  255  and  355 , any amount of beam pieces can be coupled together to fit the dimensions of a specific building surface  500 . The beam pieces at the end of the length of the surface each have one end that is cut flat such that the flat end abuts the end of the surface. In other words, there is only one end with a female or male dado. 
         [0028]    The anchor plate  400 , as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , fits inside the hollow box formed by the beam pieces  200  and  300 . The anchor plate  400  is preferably made of solid wood and is fastened into the surface of a building structure  500  as seen in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . Because the beam system  100  is made of hollowed wood beam pieces  200  and  300 , and is therefore light weight, the anchor plate  400  can be fastened into any type of building surface  500  and still secure the beam system  100 . Specifically, it is not required that the anchor plate  400  be fastened into the frame of a building. As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the anchor plate  400  can be fastened into drywall with drywall screws  410 . 
         [0029]    The anchor plates  400  are placed along the building surface  500  where there will be an intersection point of a first beam piece  200  and second beam piece  300 . Preferably, the anchor plates  400  are fastened into the ceiling with fasteners such as screws or drywall anchors. Once the anchor plates  400  are in place, the first end  240  of the first beam piece  200  is positioned over the anchor plate  400  such that the male dado  250  is over the anchor plate  400  and the bottom edges  235  of the vertical plates  230  engage the ceiling surface  500 . The second end  345  of the second beam piece  300  is also positioned over the anchor plate  400  such that the female dado  355  is fitted to the male dado  250  of the first beam piece  200  and the bottom edges  335  of the vertical plates  330  engage the ceiling surface  500 . Thus, the shiplap joint  210  is created. The first and second beam pieces  200  and  300  are then fastened together with nails. This process is continued across the length of the ceiling. 
         [0030]    During the installation process, wiring can be run through the beam pieces  200  and  300  for fixtures, speakers, alarm systems, etc. Because the beam pieces  200  and  300  are hollow, it is easy to hide wiring for additional fixtures along the ceiling surface  500 . Moreover, fixtures, such as ceiling fans, lighting, etc., can be safely hung from the installed beam pieces  200  and  300  because the anchor plates  400  provide adequate support for additional fixtures. 
         [0031]    Once all of the beam pieces are in place, pre-cut straps  600 , as seen in  FIG. 6 , are wrapped around the joints for added aesthetic value. It is preferred that the straps  600  are made of leather and further fitted with decorative clavos  610  as seen in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0032]    The preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the Description of Preferred Embodiments. While these descriptions directly describe the one embodiment, it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and/or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein. Any such modifications or variations that fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included therein as well. Unless specifically noted, it is the intention of the inventor that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meanings to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art(s). The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention known to the applicant at the time of filing the application has been presented and is intended for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.