Floor transition piece and method of installing same

A floor transition piece is provided for spanning between first and second floorings having vertically offset top surfaces, such as a wood flooring and a vinyl flooring. The transition piece comprises an elongated body having a transition surface for extending between the vertically spaced top surfaces of the floorings when the piece is installed. The body includes structure for interlocking with one of the floorings, which may include a tongue or groove when utilized with wood floorings comprising a plurality of slats interlocked by a tongue-and-groove arrangement. Moreover, the body presents a recessed surface configured to be spaced from and at least partly overlie the top surface of the other flooring so as to present a gap therebetween, when the transition piece is installed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to a floor transition piece for 
spanning between first and second floorings having vertically offset top 
surfaces, such as a wood flooring and a vinyl flooring. More particularly, 
the present invention concerns a floor transition piece having a recessed 
surface that partly overlies the relatively lower flooring but is spaced 
thereabove so that the transition piece does not contact the second 
flooring. The present invention further concerns a transition piece 
including a removable protective sheet for temporarily covering a portion 
of the relatively lower flooring (e.g., during finishing of the upper 
flooring), and a method for installing the same. 
2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
A home or building often includes a variety of floorings such as vinyl, 
wood, linoleum, carpet, tile, etc. Because different floorings typically 
present relatively offset heights (i.e., the top surface of one flooring 
is spaced vertically from the top surface of another flooring), a 
transition piece must be installed at the juncture between adjacent 
floorings to present a surface extending generally between the vertically 
offset top surfaces of the floorings. Of course, it is desirable to 
provide an inexpensive transition piece that is simple to install, yet 
spans between adjacent floorings in an aesthetically pleasing manner. 
However, conventional floor transition pieces present several problems. For 
example, transition pieces usually do not accommodate for relative 
expansion and contraction of the floorings. Particularly, floor transition 
pieces are often secured to both floorings such that relative shifting of 
the floorings may be restricted or cause damage to the transition piece. 
With respect to floorings adhesively attached to an underlying surface 
(e.g., vinyl or linoleum floorings), a number of conventional floor 
transition pieces rest against the edge of the flooring which often 
results in detachment of the flooring from the underlying surface (i.e., 
so-called "puckering" of the flooring), which will be described further 
hereinbelow. Wood flooring transition pieces are particularly problematic 
as it is often desirable to finish the transition piece along with the 
wood flooring. However, as will be further indicated below, finishing of 
traditional wood flooring transition pieces is difficult and often causes 
damage to the adjacent flooring. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Responsive to these and other problems, an important object of the present 
invention is to provide a floor transition piece for spanning between 
adjacent floorings presenting vertically offset top surfaces, wherein the 
transition piece has a simple, inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing 
construction. Another important object of the present invention is to 
provide a floor transition piece that accommodates for relative shifting 
between the adjacent floorings. It is also an object of the present 
invention to provide a floor transition piece that does not cause 
"puckering" of a flooring adhesively attached to an underlying surface. An 
additional important object of the present invention is to provide a floor 
transition piece particularly configured for use at the juncture between a 
wood flooring and a flooring adhesively attached to an underlying surface. 
Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide a 
floor transition piece for use with wood flooring, wherein the floor 
transition piece includes a removable protective sheet to partly overlie 
the adjacent flooring for providing a temporary covering, and a method for 
installing the same. 
According to these and other objects apparent from the following 
description of the preferred embodiment, the present invention concerns a 
floor transition piece for spanning between first and second floorings, 
wherein the top surface of the first flooring is spaced vertically above 
the top surface of the second flooring. The transition piece comprises an 
elongated body having a transition surface for extending between the 
vertically spaced top surfaces of the floorings when the piece is 
installed. The body includes structure for interlocking with the first 
flooring, which may include a tongue or groove when utilized with wood 
floorings comprising a plurality of slats interlocked by a 
tongue-and-groove arrangement. Moreover, the body presents a recessed 
surface configured to be spaced from and at least partly overlie the top 
surface of the second flooring so as to present a gap therebetween, when 
the transition piece is installed. 
In this respect, the transition piece does not contact the second flooring, 
which eliminates the risk of "puckering" when the piece is used with a 
flooring adhered to an underlying surface. The entire recessed surface is 
preferably configured to be spaced from the second flooring so as to 
accommodate relative shifting between the floorings. 
A protective sheet may be removably attached to the recessed surface to 
project outwardly from the transition surface. Accordingly, the protective 
sheet may be removed immediately after the transition piece has been 
installed or, if desired, after finishing of the transition piece and/or 
first flooring. The sheet consequently serves to protect the underlying 
portion of the second flooring during finishing of the transition piece 
and/or first flooring. The present invention also concerns a method of 
installing a floor transition piece including a step of removably 
attaching such a protective sheet to the transition piece. 
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from 
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the 
accompanying drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIG. 1, the home or building construction selected for 
illustration includes a subfloor 10 and spaced first and second floorings 
12 and 14 supported on the subfloor 10. A floor transition piece 16, which 
is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention 
and which will be described in detail hereinbelow, is provided for 
spanning between the first and second floorings 12 and 14. As a matter of 
interest, the juncture between the first and second floorings 12 and 14 
will often occur at a doorway between adjacent rooms of the home or 
building. 
In the illustrated embodiment, the subfloor 10 comprises a plurality of 
laterally spaced floor joists 18 and a panel 20 supported on the upper 
ends of the joists 18. As those ordinarily skilled in the art will 
appreciate, each joist 18 is usually formed of a wood plank referred to as 
a "two-by-ten", while the panel 20 is commonly formed of three-quarter 
inch plywood. However, the principles of the present invention are equally 
applicable to various other subfloor constructions. For example, the 
inventive transition piece 16 may also be used on a subfloor comprising 
only the spaced floor joists or a subfloor formed of a material other than 
wood. 
The first flooring 12 is a conventional wood flooring comprising a 
plurality of wood slats 22 supported on the top surface of the panel 20 
and interlocked by a well known tongue-and-groove arrangement. 
Particularly, each slat 22 includes a longitudinally extending groove 24 
defined along one side thereof and a longitudinally extending tongue 26 
projecting laterally from an opposite side of the slat 22. When the 
flooring 12 is installed, the tongues and grooves of adjacent slats 
register with one another in a conventional manner to interlock the slats. 
Typically, the slats 22 are secured to the subfloor 10 by adhesives, such 
as glue, and/or mechanical fasteners, such as nails. The slats 22 
cooperatively present a substantially flat and horizontal top surface 28 
of the wood flooring 12. 
The second flooring 14 has a top surface 30 that is spaced vertically below 
the top surface 28 of the wood flooring 12. In the illustrated embodiment, 
the second flooring 14 comprises a vinyl sheet 32 defining the top surface 
30 and a suitable underlayment 34 for supporting the vinyl sheet 32 on the 
panel 20. In the usual manner, the vinyl sheet 32 is adhered to the 
underlayment 34, and the underlayment 34 is in turn fixed to the panel 20 
by suitable means such as adhesive or mechanical fasteners. 
Because the wood and vinyl floorings 12 and 14 are spaced from one another 
and their top surfaces 28 and 30 are vertically offset, it is important 
that the home or building construction be provided with structure for 
joining the floorings in an aesthetically pleasing, simple and inexpensive 
manner. Obviously, if structure is not provided to span between the 
floorings, the gap defined therebetween exposes the unsightly underlying 
subfloor 10 and presents potential risks for injury. In the past, adjacent 
floorings such as the wood and vinyl floorings illustrated herein have 
been joined several different ways. 
Turning to the prior art device shown in FIG. 8, a wood flooring A and 
vinyl flooring B have been installed on a subfloor C in a much closer 
condition than the floorings 12 and 14 show in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this 
instance, a semicircular-shaped transition piece D formed of so-called 
"base shoe" material is provided at the juncture between the wood and 
vinyl floorings A and B to cover the gap defined therebetween and to 
provide an arcuate transition surface E extending between the top surfaces 
of the floorings. The transition piece D is typically secured to both 
floorings A and B, which clearly presents a problem with respect to 
relative shifting of the floorings caused by, among other things, relative 
rates of thermal expansion and contraction. Further, the transition piece 
D is commonly formed of wood and is consequently finished along with the 
wood flooring A. Because the transition piece D rests directly against the 
top surface of the vinyl flooring B, a protective material cannot be 
placed therebetween such that sanding and/or coating of the transition 
piece D often damages the flooring B. 
Another conventional method of joining adjacent floorings is shown in FIG. 
9. In this depiction, the space defined between the wood flooring AA and 
the vinyl flooring BB is generally the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 
2. Placed at the juncture between the floorings AA and BB is a 
conventional floor transition piece DD having a longitudinal groove EE for 
receiving the tongue FF projecting laterally from the wood flooring AA. It 
will be noted that the transition piece DD is canted relative to the 
floorings such that its bottom surface does not rest flatly against the 
subfloor CC. Instead, the transition piece DD has one edge of its bottom 
surface contacting the subfloor CC and the opposite edge of its bottom 
surface contacting the top surface of the vinyl flooring BB. Although not 
illustrated, it will be appreciated that when the transition piece DD is 
first installed the bottom surface thereof rests against the edge of the 
vinyl sheet GG. As those ordinarily skilled in the art will understand, 
such a conventional installation results in significant loads being 
exerted against the edge of the vinyl sheet GG which often causes 
detachment of the sheet GG from the underlayment HH. Such a phenomenon is 
often referred to as "puckering" of the vinyl sheet, as indicated above, 
and is clearly illustrated in FIG. 9. Similar to the conventional floor 
transition piece shown in FIG. 8, the transition piece DD is preferably 
formed of wood and therefore presents the same risk of damage to the vinyl 
sheet GG caused by finishing the piece DD and/or wood flooring AA. 
FLOOR TRANSITION PIECE 16 
Returning to FIGS. 1-6, the present invention addresses these and other 
concerns by providing a floor transition piece that overlies but does not 
contact the top surface 30 of the vinyl flooring 14. In the illustrated 
embodiment, the transition piece 16 comprises an elongated body presenting 
a generally flat bottom surface 36 and a generally opposite transition 
surface 38. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface 36 engages 
the panel 20 of the subfloor 10 to support the transition piece 16 
thereon. The transition surface 38 is configured to extend generally 
between the top surfaces 28 and 30 of the wood and vinyl floorings 12 and 
14, respectively, when the transition piece 16 is installed. Particularly, 
the transition surface 38 includes a generally flat portion 38a, which is 
coplanar with the top surface 28 of the wood flooring 12, and an arcuate 
portion 38b, which curves downwardly from the flat portion 38 to the top 
surface 30 of the vinyl flooring 14. 
The transition piece 16 further includes structure defined along one side 
of the body for interlocking with the wood flooring 12. In the illustrated 
embodiment, this structure comprises a pair of longitudinally extending, 
spaced apart projections 40 and 42 defining a groove 44 therebetween for 
receiving the tongue 26 projecting laterally from the adjacent slat 22 of 
the wood flooring 12 (see FIG. 2). However, the interlocking structure may 
alternatively be constructed as a tongue (not shown) projecting laterally 
from the side of the transition piece 16, if the adjacent slat is provided 
with a groove rather than the illustrated tongue. Furthermore, the 
interlocking structure need not be limited to the same tongue-and-groove 
arrangement of the wood flooring 12; that is, it is entirely within the 
ambit of the present invention to provide the transition piece 16 with 
various other interlocking means. It will also be noted that the lower 
projection 42 is rounded, for purposes which will subsequently be 
described. 
The elongated body forming the transition piece 16 further presents a 
recessed surface 46 having one section 46a projecting inwardly from the 
transition surface 38 and a relatively perpendicular section 46b 
projecting upwardly from the bottom surface 36. As perhaps best shown in 
FIG. 2, the recessed surface 46 defines a recess configured to receive the 
vinyl flooring 14 when the transition piece 16 is installed. Moreover, the 
horizontal section 46a of the recessed surface is configured to overlie a 
portion of the vinyl flooring 14 but is spaced from the top surface 30 of 
the flooring 14 so as to define a small gap 48 therebetween (see FIG. 2). 
It is also preferred that the vertical section 46b of the recessed surface 
46 be spaced from the edge of the vinyl flooring 14 so as to define a 
space 50 therebetween. Because the transition piece 16 does not contact 
the vinyl flooring 14, relative shifting of the floorings 12 and 14 is not 
restricted, thereby avoiding the problems noted above with respect to the 
conventional installations. Furthermore, with the transition piece 16 
being disengaged from the vinyl flooring 14, the phenomenon of "puckering" 
of the vinyl sheet 32 is avoided. 
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transition piece 16 may be provided with a 
protective sheet 52 removably attached to the horizontal section 46a of 
the recessed surface 46 so that the sheet projects outwardly from the 
transition surface 38. Preferably, the protective sheet 52 is formed of a 
so-called "single-sided tape" having adhesive coated only on its upper 
side for releasibly adhering the sheet 52 to the transition piece 16. In 
this respect, when the transition piece 16 is installed, the protective 
sheet 52 overlies the portion of the vinyl flooring 14 adjacent the 
transition piece 16 so as to provide a temporary covering. This is 
particularly important when the transition piece 16 is formed of wood, and 
it is desired to finish the transition piece and/or wood flooring 12. In 
other words, the sheet 52 provides a temporary covering for protecting the 
vinyl sheet 32 from damage which may be caused during sanding and coating 
of the transition surface 38. Furthermore, because of the gap 48 defined 
between the top surface 30 of the vinyl flooring 14 and the horizontal 
section 46a of the recessed surface 46, the protective sheet 52 is not 
pinched therebetween and therefore may easily be removed after the 
transition piece 16 is installed (and after finishing of the transition 
piece 16, if desired). 
In use, the wood and vinyl floorings 12 and 14 are installed to define a 
space therebetween for accommodating the transition piece 16. Prior to 
installing the transition piece 16, the protective sheet 52 may be 
removably attached to the horizontal section 46a of the recessed section 
46. While the transition piece 16 is held at a slight angle relative to 
horizontal, the side of the transition piece having the interlocking means 
is slid along the panel 20 of the subfloor 10 toward the wood flooring 12 
until the tongue 26 projecting from the flooring is received within the 
groove 44. It will be appreciated that the rounded outer edge of the lower 
projection 42 assists with guiding the projection 42 under the tongue 26 
during such movement. Thereafter, the transition piece is dropped into 
place so that the bottom surface 36 rests flatly against the subfloor 10. 
Such interengagement between the subfloor 10 and the transition piece 16 
provides a stable and durable installation. The transition piece 16 may be 
secured as it is slid into place by suitable adhesives, such as glue, or 
subsequent to such placement by mechanical fasteners, such as nails. With 
the sheet 52 providing a protective covering for the underlying portion of 
the vinyl sheet 32, subsequent finishing of the transition piece 16 and/or 
wood flooring 12 is unlikely to damage the vinyl sheet. It will be 
appreciated that the sheet 52 also protects the vinyl 32 from damage 
during installation of the transition piece 16. In this respect, removal 
of the protective sheet 52 may occur immediately after installation of the 
transition piece 16 or later once the wood flooring has been finished. 
The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used as 
illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in 
interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious modifications to 
the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set forth, could be readily made 
by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the 
present invention. For example, the transition piece 16 may be formed of 
various materials and utilized with various types of floorings. 
Moreover, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in 
FIG. 7, wherein a transition piece 100 is provided for spanning between 
similar wood and vinyl floorings 102 and 104. The transition piece 100 is 
generally similar to the transition piece 16 shown in FIGS. 1-6, except 
for the shape of the transition surface. Particularly, the transition 
piece 100 presents a transition surface 106 having an arcuate portion with 
a significantly larger radius than that shown in FIGS. 1-6. Further, the 
transition surface 106 and recessed surface 108 do not intersect, as with 
the previous embodiment, but rather a relatively short vertical surface 
110 is defined therebetween. 
The inventor hereby states his intent to rely on the Doctrine of 
Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of the 
present invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing 
from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the 
following claims.