Improvements in cornices

Abstract: Decorative cornice 16 having an outer decorative face and an inner back portion 18 in which there is at least one arc curvature which matches the curvature of the coving 10 to which the decorative cornice is to be affixed.

Description: The present invention relates to cornices and in particular decorative cornices as used in rooms and houses offices etc. Decorative cornices are generally made of fibrous plaster which is a moulded casting plaster reinforced with timber laths and hessian. In some cases the reinforcement may be with glass fibres. In general manufacturers make cornices with their own decorative designs or use traditional designs. Cornices have been used for many years, some of the oldest being in Georgian and Victorian houses. Cornices are used to decorate the portion of a room and to cover up the join between for example the wall and the ceiling. In recent years cornices have not been used because of the expense involved in applying the cornice to a room of for example a recently built house. Nevertheless, the join between the, for example, wall and ceiling needs to be covered to hide the imperfection of construction. In order to do this moulded covings have been developed. These are curved pre-manufactured plaster pieces which fit in the join between, for example, the wall and ceiling providing a curved finish to that join hiding any imperfections in the join. One such coving is disclosed in French Patent Number 1 518 136. Many householders having such coving find that the rather plain nature of the coving is unsatisfactory and wish to replace the coving with a decorative cornice. Heretofore the only method of doing this is to remove the coving and replace it with a decorative cornice. This is an expensive job as removal of the coving often can cause damage to the wall and ceiling necessitating repair before the cornice is installed. There is described in GB 2 190 115A a combination of coving in situ and a decorative cornice according to the precharacterising portion of claim 1. The present invention attempts to overcome the current problems with installation of cornices particularly in ares where coving already exists. According to the present invention there is provided a combination comprising coving in situ and a decorative cornice as claimed in the accompanying claims. In an embodiment there is provided a decorative cornice having an outer decorative face and an inner back portion, the cornice in cross section having a portion including at least one arc of curvature which matched the curvature of a coving to which it is to be affixed. Covings generally come in standard sizes of curvatures and different lengths. In the present invention the important factor is that the cross sectional portion of the cornice matches the outer curvature of the coving. The standard size of coving by girth is generally 100mm or 140mm. Thus the present invention has a cornice which is defined according to those standard sizes such that when the cornice is fitted the coving is converted into a decorative cornice. The cornice insert of the present invention may have various profiles as are common with regard to cornices. For example the profile of the cornice may be Georgian infill, Egg and Dart, Acanthus leaf or Greek key. The cornice of the present invention matches the curvature of the coving at the points of contact and at the point of contact is adhered to the coving by means of tile adhesive or plaster, although this means of adhesion is not limiting. In one embodiment a cross-sectional profile of the cornice of the present invention may match the whole curvature of the coving. However it is preferred that there are two points of contact of the cornice at each extreme of the coving leaving some space behind the cornice between the cornice and the coving. This means that the cross-sectional profile is smaller necessitating reduced weight and the use of less materials in the manufacture of the cornice. The present invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:- Figure 1 shows the present invention in partial cross section Figure 2 shows the present invention in partial cross section with the cornice and coving mated to provide an infill cornice. Figure 1 shows standard coving 10 having for example a girth of 100mm or 140mm. The dotted lines 12 and 14 show the position of the ceiling and wall of a room when the coving is in position. The coving 10 is generally made of plaster lined with paper. The coving once in position is generally painted. The cornice infill 16 of the present invention has two curved portions 18 and 20 and a patterned profile 22 on the outer side. The curved portions 18 and 20 match the curvature of the coving 10. It will be seen that once the cornice 16 is brought into position against the coving 10 the coving 10 is converted into a decorative cornice by means of the profile 22. Figure 2 shows the cornice infill 16 in position in the coving 10 abutted by the curved portions 18 and 20. Tile adhesive or plaster is applied to the coving and the cornice infill 16 is brought into position and held by the adhesive. Any excess is squeezed into the space between the cornice infill 16 and the coving 10. Excess adhesive on the outer portion of the cornice or coving is removed. Although the Georgian infill pattern is shown in the Figures the profile of the cornice infill can be for example Egg & Dart, Acanthus leaf, Greek Key as desired. The cornice infill 16 may be sized to match any coving and is not restricted for use in conjunction with standard coving. The present invention has the great advantage that the coving which may exist in a house or room need not be removed prior to the incorportion of a decorative cornice.

Claims: A combination comprising a coving in situ (10) and a decorative cornice (16), said coving (10) having a main concave outer face, and said decorative cornice (16) having an outer decorative face (22) and an inner back face adapted to be adhesively affixed to the coving (10); characterised in that said cornice (16) is of varying thickness whereby the inner back face of said cornice (16) does not conform to the outer decorative face (22); and said inner back face having in cross section at least one curved attachment portion of convex curvature which matches the curvature of said main concave outer face of the coving (10) at the contact region; whereby the cross section and configuration of the cornice (16) is such that when it is adhesively attached to the coving (10), it forms a decorative infill for said coving (10) which does not completely enclose and conceal said coving (10). The combination of claim 1 in which the outer decorative face (22) has a Georgian infill, Egg and Dart, Acanthus leaf or Greek key. The combination of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein there are two points of contact (18,20) of the cornice (16) on the inner back portion at each extreme of the cornice (16), leaving some space behind the cornice (16) between the cornice (16) and the coving (10). A method of renovating an existing coving in situ (10), said coving (10) having a main concave outer face comprising the step of taking a cornice (16) having an outer decorative face (22) and an inner back face adapted to be adhesively affixed to the coving (10); characterised by the steps of providing a cornice (16) of varying thickness whereby the inner back face of said cornice (16) does not conform to the outer decorative face (22); said inner back face of said cornice (16) having in cross section at least one curved attachment portion of convex curvature which matches the curvature of said main concave outer face of the coving (10) at the contact region; and affixing said attachment portion of the cornice (16) to the concave curvature of the coving (10) whereby the cross section and configuration of the cornice (16) is such that it forms a decorative infill for said coving (10) which does not completely enclose and conceal said coving (10).

Inventors: ROBERTS SANDRA R, ROBERTS, SANDRA, ROBERTS, SANDRA, R.CLASSIC INTERIORS LTD.
Applicants: CLASSIC INTERIORS LIMITED R, R. CLASSIC INTERIORS LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: E04F19
IPC codes: E04F19