Patent Abstract:
A decking system that consists of a clip that complements a slot in deck planks to securely fasten the deck planks to a substrate such as deck or floor joists, masonry, concrete, wood or any other substrate. Generally, the clips fit into slots cut or formed into the side deck surface boards or alternatively into a keyhole on the bottom of the plank. In one of the preferred embodiments a series of clips are fastened to the substrate with a fastener such as a screw. The clips mechanically grip the plank to secure the plank to the deck joists. Ridges and/or nubs on the clips reduce the occurrence of rot or discoloration of the planks.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to construction, and more particularly, to a decking assembly and a method to construct a deck. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Several designs for decking systems have been designed in the past. None of them, however, include clips with tabs that frictionally fit into corresponding slots on the edge of planks or in keyholes on the underside of planks. 
         [0005]    No other decking system designed in the past is as well suited for installations where the area adjacent to the footprint of the deck is limited. The present invention provides a cutout feature on the edge of the plank to facilitate the clip engaging into the plank. 
         [0006]    None of the existing decking systems have ridges and nubs on clips to more securely hold planks to deck frame assembly. Said ridges also provide a gap between the clip and plank that reduces the risk of rot or discoloration of the plank. 
         [0007]    Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0283122 by Roy Burgess, Et. Al. However, it differs from the present invention because the Burgess application does not provide a clip with multiple fasteners, does not provide a clip with ribs or nubs and does not provide periodic cutouts or keyholes in the plank to facilitate engagement of the clip to the plank. 
         [0008]    Another reference teaching a decking technology is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,398 issued to Karl Gregory. However, it differs from the present invention because the Gregory patent does not provide a clip with multiple fasteners, does not provide a clip with ribs or nubs and does not provide periodic cutouts or keyholes in the plank to facilitate engagement of the clip to the plank. 
         [0009]    Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is one of the main objects of this invention to provide a decking system comprising a plurality of adjoining planks, each having a first side and an opposing second side, a top surface and a bottom surface, at least one of said opposing sides of each deck member having a slot therein, a plurality of clips each having a trunk and a head sized and configured so that said trunk is disposed between adjoining planks and said head is disposed into said slot in side of said planks and a substrate onto which said clips are affixed. In an alternate embodiment said clips have one or more parallel bores that terminate on the upper end off center on the upper side of said head and on the lower end in the center of the bottom side of said trunk. In another alternate embodiment the edges of the head of said clips have tabs and the slot in said planks have a complimentary profile to receive said tabs. In yet another embodiment the slot on said plank has intermittent cutouts on the bottom side of said slot dimensioned to fit over the head of said clips. In another embodiment said clips have ridges and/or nubs on said trunk and/or the underside of said head. In another embodiment the head of said clip is made of metal and the trunk of said clip is made of plastic. 
         [0011]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a decking system comprising a plurality of adjoining planks, each having a first side and an opposing second side, a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of each deck member having a keyhole slot therein, a plurality of clips each having a trunk and a head sized and configured so that said head is disposed into said keyhole slot and a substrate onto which said clips are affixed. 
         [0012]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a decking system comprising a plurality of adjoining planks, each having a first side and an opposing second side, a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of each deck member having a slot therein, a plurality of clips each having a trunk and a head sized and configured so that said head is disposed into said slot and a substrate onto which said clips are affixed. 
         [0013]    It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a decking assembly and method of installing said decking assembly. 
         [0014]    It is another object of this invention to provide a decking assembly that securely holds plank to the deck substrate. 
         [0015]    It is still another object of the present invention to provide a decking assembly that reduces the visibility of decking hardware on the finished deck. 
         [0016]    It is another object of this invention to provide a decking system that permits the easy replacement of individual planks. 
         [0017]    It is an object of this invention to provide a decking system with a clip that reduces the occurrence of rot and discoloration of the plank. 
         [0018]    It is an object of this invention to provide a decking system that can be installed in a confined area. 
         [0019]    It is another object of this invention to provide a decking system that reduces the possibility of fasteners backing-out and thereby reduces a hazard to a user. 
         [0020]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide such an assembly that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness. 
         [0021]    Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  shows an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is an elevation view of a series of clips and planks. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a cross section of a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a deck clip. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a deck clip attached to a substrate. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  represents a perspective view of an alternate embodiment a clip. 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the bottom side of the clip shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of the bottom side of the deck clip shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 9A  is a perspective view of the bottom side of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0032]      FIG. 9B  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0033]      FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0034]      FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of plank used with the clip shown in  FIG. 10A . 
           [0035]      FIG. 10C  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a clip used with the plank shown in  FIG. 10B . 
           [0036]      FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0037]      FIG. 11B  is a perspective view of plank used with the clip shown in  FIG. 11A . 
           [0038]      FIG. 11C  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a clip used with the plank shown in  FIG. 11B . 
           [0039]      FIG. 12A  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0040]      FIG. 12B  is a perspective view of plank used with the clip shown in  FIG. 12A . 
           [0041]      FIG. 12C  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a clip used with the plank shown in  FIG. 12B . 
           [0042]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the bottom side of an alternate embodiment of a plank. 
           [0043]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the bottom side of an alternate embodiment of a plank. 
           [0044]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0045]      FIG. 15A  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of plank used with the clip shown in  FIG. 15 . 
           [0046]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of the bottom side of an alternate embodiment of a plank. 
           [0047]      FIG. 16A  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0048]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the bottom side of an alternate embodiment of a plank. 
           [0049]      FIG. 18  is a plan view of the bottom side of the plank shown in  FIG. 17 . 
           [0050]      FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the bottom side of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
           [0051]      FIG. 20  is a cross-section of a perspective view of the clip shown in  FIG. 19 . 
           [0052]      FIG. 21  shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a clip. 
           [0053]      FIG. 22  shows a cross sectional perspective view of the deck clip shown in  FIG. 21 . 
           [0054]      FIG. 23  shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a deck clip. 
           [0055]      FIG. 24  is an elevation view of a series of clips and planks. 
           [0056]      FIG. 25  shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a clip. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0057]    Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention, a decking system, as shown in  FIG. 1  is generally referred to with numeral  10 , it can be observed that it basically includes a plurality of clips  204  that attach planks  206  to a plurality of joists  202  which act as a substrate. 
         [0058]    In a typical installation a deck frame assembly  200  is constructed to support planks  206 . The deck frame assembly  200  is comprised of, inter alia, a plurality of joists  202  that are attached at each end to a girder  210  by a fastener  208  to form a unitary frame. Said fastener  208  may be a nail, screw, bolt, hanger or other fastener or adhesive. A plurality of clips  204  are attached to the top side of said joists  202 . In the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 1  said plank  206  slides onto the clips  204  to hold the plank  206  securely to the joists  202 . Clips  204  on a joist  202  are typically spaced apart a distance complimentary to the width of the planks  206 . 
         [0059]    Said plank  206 , in this embodiment or any of the following embodiments, is typically is made of natural wood and also could be made of any of a wide variety of natural woods, engineered wood products, composite boards, synthetic boards, polymer boards, metal, stone, masonry, glass or any other suitable solid material. 
         [0060]      FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention where end-clips  222  and clips  226  interface with planks  220 . The shape of the edge of the plank  220  is formed to complement the shape of the head of the end-clips  222  and clips  226  and firmly hold the plank to the deck frame assembly  200  as shown in  FIG. 1 . In one possible configuration of the invention the end-clip  222  secures the plank  220  on the edge of the frame assembly  200  and the clips  226  are utilized between planks  220 . Both the end-clips  222  and the clips  226  are secured to a joist by a fastener  224  such as a screw, nail, bolt, adhesive or other fastener. 
         [0061]      FIG. 3  shows a fastener  246 , in this example a screw, penetrating a clip through a bore  248  that passes through the head  240  and trunk  244  of the clip. Optionally, the top side of the bore  248  is countersunk to permit the head of the fastener  246  to be flush with the top surface of the head  240 . 
         [0062]    Now referring to  FIG. 4  where a clip  264  is shown attached to a joist  260  with a fastener  262 . Said clip  264  is oriented on said joist  260  to permit the longer dimension of a plank  206  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) to be oriented perpendicular to the longer dimension of the joist  260 . Said fastener  262  may be a screw, nail, bolt, adhesive or other fastener. 
         [0063]    Referring to  FIG. 5  where an embodiment of a clip is shown that comprises, inter alia, a trunk  100  and a head  102 . Extending through the height of the trunk  100  and head  102  is a bore  104 . The bore  104  is dimensioned to receive a fastener, such as a screw, nail, bolt or other fastener. Optionally, there are ridges  106  formed integrally with the vertical surface on the side of the trunk  100 . Said ridges  106  act to maintain an airspace between the trunk  100  and a plank (not shown in  FIG. 5 ). Said ridges  106  may also improve the frictional grip the trunk  100  has with plank (not shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0064]    The clip shown in  FIG. 5 , or any of the variations and embodiments of the clip, may be made out of a wide variety of rigid or semi-rigid materials. A preferred material for many applications is a single piece of synthetic polymer or metal. For some applications it may be preferable to fabricate the clip shown in  FIG. 5  from multiple materials such as, for example, a synthetic trunk  100  and a metallic head  102 . 
         [0065]    Now referring to  FIG. 6  where the bottom side of the clip in  FIG. 5  is shown. In this view said ridges  106  are shown in more detail. On the bottom side of said head  102  are optional nubs  108 . The nubs  108  promote airflow and grip between anything coming into contact with the head  102 . The interior of the trunk  100  may optionally have a cavity  112  to lighten the clip and reduce the material necessary to construct the clip. A rib  110  may span the width of the trunk  100  to add strength and rigidity to the clip. The rib  110  may also be traversed by a bore  104  dimensioned to accept a fastener as pass through the clip from the top to the bottom and into a substrate. Any of the various embodiments of the clips as shown in the following figures may optionally also include a cavity and rib similar to the cavity  112  and rib  110  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0066]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show an alternate embodiment of a clip that is comprised of, inter alia, a trunk  118 , a head  116 , tabs  114 , bores  120 , nubs  124  and ridges  122 . Said bores  120  pass through the head  116  and through the bottom surface  126  of the trunk  118 . Optionally, the upper end of the bore  120  me be counter sunk to permit a fastener to be flush to the surface of the head  116 . Each of the outer edges of the head  116  has a tab  114  to enhance the engagement of the tab  114  with a plank. The bottom surface of the head has raised nubs  124  and the side walls of the trunk has ridges  122  that, inter alia, hold a plank apart from the clip to provide drainage, airflow and an improved frictional grip. 
         [0067]      FIG. 9A  shows the bottom side of an embodiment of a clip comprising, inter alia, a trunk  164 , a head  166  and bores  162 . The trunk  164  has a bottom surface  160  where said bores  162  terminate. Said bores  162  are dimensioned to accept a fastener such as a screw, bolt, nail, adhesive or other fastener. For some decks it may be preferable for the clip to have a single bore instead of the two bores  162  shown in  FIG. 9A . Any of the clips described above or below may have one or two bores dimensioned to accept a fastener. 
         [0068]    Now referring to  FIG. 9B  where an alternate embodiment of a clip is shown comprising, inter alia, of a trunk  182 , a head  180  and a bore  184 . The bore  184  passes through the trunk  182  and head  180 . Said bore  184  is dimensioned to accept a fastener such as a screw, bolt, nail, adhesive or other fastener. 
         [0069]      FIG. 10A  shows an embodiment of a clip  300  comprised of, inter alia, a head  302 , a trunk  308  and a bore  304 .  FIG. 10B  shows a portion of a plank  310  with a slot  312 . The clip  300  in  FIG. 10A  is typically used in conjunction with the plank  310  with slot  312  shown in  FIG. 10B . In typical use a fastener is placed through the bore  304  on the clip  300  to secure the clip  300  to a substrate such as the joist  260  in  FIG. 4 . The edge of the head  302  engages into the slot  312  to hold the plank  310  to a joist. The height of the trunk  308  is dimensioned to position the head  302  at the same height as the slot  312 .  FIG. 10C  shows an embodiment of an end-clip comprising a trunk  400 , head  408  and bore  406 . The end clip shown in  FIG. 10C  can be used where a plank such as the example in  FIG. 10B  is only placed on one side of the end-clip and the head  408  engages slot  312 . 
         [0070]      FIG. 11A  shows an embodiment of a clip  330  comprised of, inter alia, a head  332 , a trunk  342 , a tab  334 , a tab  340  and bores  338 .  FIG. 11B  shows a portion of a plank  346  with a slot  348 . The clip  330  in  FIG. 11A  is typically used in conjunction with a plank  346  with a slot  348  shown in  FIG. 11B . In typical use fasteners are placed through the bores  338  on the clip  330  to secure the clip  330  to a joist such as the joist  260  in  FIG. 4 . The edge of the head  332  and the tab  340  engage into the slot  348  to hold the plank  346  to the joist. Tab  334  engages into another section of plank  346 . The height of the trunk  342  is dimensioned to position the head  332 , tab  334  and tab  340  at the same height as the slot  348 .  FIG. 11C  shows an embodiment of an end-clip comprising a trunk  434 , head  420 , tab  428  and bores  432 . The end-clip shown in  FIG. 11C  can be used where a plank such as the example in  FIG. 11B  is only placed on one side of the end-clip and the head  420  and tab  428  engage slot  348 . 
         [0071]      FIG. 12A  shows an embodiment of a clip  360  comprised of a head  364 , a trunk  372 , a tab  362 , a tab  370  and a bore  366 .  FIG. 12B  shows a portion of a plank  382  with a slot  380 . The clip  360  in  FIG. 12A  is typically used in conjunction with the plank  382  with slot  380  shown in  FIG. 12B . In typical use a fastener is placed through the bore  366  on the clip  360  to secure the clip  360  to a joist such as the joist  260  in  FIG. 4 . The edge of the head  364  and the tab  370  engage into the slot  380  to hold the plank  382  to the joist. Tab  362  engages into another piece of plank  346 . The height of the trunk  372  is dimensioned to position the head  364 , tab  362  and tab  370  at the same height as the slot  380 .  FIG. 12C  shows an embodiment of an end-clip comprising a trunk  450 , head  448 , tab  442  and bores  452 . The end clip shown in  FIG. 12C  can be used where a plank such as the example in  FIG. 12B  is only placed on one side of the end-clip and the head  448  and tab  442  engage slot  380 . 
         [0072]    Referring to  FIG. 13 , a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a plank  474  is shown. On the bottom edge  470  is a keyhole  476  that is comprised of an edge  468 , an edge  464 , an edge  482 , an edge  477 , a tab  460  and a tab  462 . Said edges  468 ,  464 ,  482 ,  477  have a height less than that of edge  478  of the plank  474  so that the depth of the keyhole  476  does not extend entirely through the plank  474  and the upper surface  472  remains intact. This embodiment can be best used with a clip such as the clips as shown in any one of  FIG. 9B ,  10 A,  16 A,  19 ,  21 ,  23  or  25  but other clip shapes may also work well in particular decking applications. In a typical installation of this embodiment of the plank  474 , clips such as the clip shown in  FIG. 23  are fastened to joists similar to the configuration in  FIG. 1  of joists  202 , clips  204  and girders  210 . Keyholes  476  are spaced periodically on the bottom edge  470  of the plank  474  at the same distance apart as the joists  202  are spaced apart. The clips  204  are fastened to the joists  202  along the top of the joists  202 . The clips  204  are spaced apart on a joist  202  sufficiently to permit a series planks  474  to be laid side by side in contact with the joists  202 . To secure a plank  474  to the joists  202  the wider part of the keyhole  476  is fit over the head  786  of the clip shown in  FIG. 23 . The plank is then slid so that said tab  460  and tab  462  fit under the head  786  of the clip thereby preventing the plank  474  from lifting away from the joists  202 . To remove or replace any of the planks  474  the individual plank  474  can simply be slid to permit the clip to be removed from the keyhole  476  without the necessity of removing adjacent planks  474 . 
         [0073]    Referring to  FIG. 14 , a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a plank  500  is shown. On the bottom edge  514  is a keyhole  506  that is comprised of an edge  508 , a tab  510  and a tab  512 . Said edge  508  has a height less than that of edge  502  so that the keyhole  506  does not extend entirely through the plank  500  and the upper surface  504  remains intact. This embodiment can be best used with a clip such as the rounded head clips as shown in any one of  FIG. 9B ,  16 A,  23  or  25  but other clip shapes may also work well in particular decking applications. In a typical installation of this embodiment of the plank  500 , clips such as the clip shown in  FIG. 9B  are fastened to joists similar to the configuration in  FIG. 1  of joists  202 , clips  204  and girders  210 . Keyholes  506  are spaced periodically on the bottom edge  514  of the plank  500  at the same distance apart as the joists  202  are spaced apart. The clips  204  are fastened to the joist  202  along the top of the joist  202 . The clips  204  are spaced apart on a joist  202  sufficiently to permit a series of planks  500  to be laid side by side in contact with the joists  202 . To secure a plank  500  to the joists  202  the wider part of the keyhole  506  is fit over the head  180  of the clip shown in  FIG. 9B . The plank is then slid so that said tab  510  and tab  512  fit under the head  180  of the clip thereby preventing the plank  500  from lifting away from the joists  202 . To remove or replace any of the planks  500  the individual plank  500  can simply be slid to permit the clip to be removed from the keyhole  506  without the necessity of removing adjacent planks  500 . 
         [0074]    Another advantage of the keyhole design as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14  is that the plank may be installed where there is limited area around the deck because the plank need only be slid, for example, a few inches to engage a clip within the keyhole contrasted to sliding the plank the entire length of the plank as necessary for some of the other embodiments of this invention described herein. 
         [0075]    Referring now to  FIGS. 15 and 15A  where yet another embodiment of a clip  558  and a plank  584  combination is shown. Said clip  558  is comprised of, inter alia, a trunk  560 , bores  566 , tab  556 , tab  550 , a head  564  and nubs  552 . Said bores  566  go through the head  564  and trunk  560 . Said bores are dimensioned to accept a fastener such as a bolt, screw, nail or other available fastener. Said bores  566  optionally have a countersink in the end near the head  564  to permit a fastener to fall flush to or below the surface of the head  564 . Said tabs  556  and  550  optionally have a series of nubs  552  comprised of protrusions on the upper edges of tabs  556  and  550  to create a gap and increase the strength of the connection when the clip  558  is engaged into a plank  584 . Optionally ridges may be formed into the trunk  560  similar in form the ridges  106  shown in  FIG. 6 . In a preferred embodiment of the clip  558  the entire clip  558  is made out of a synthetic polymer or plastic. In another preferred embodiment the clip  558  could be made out of metal or a metal alloy. In yet another preferred embodiment the clip  558  has a head  564  of metal and the balance made of a polymer. 
         [0076]    Said plank  584  has, inter alia, an upper surface  570 , slot  578 , tab  586 , roundover  572 , tab  582  and slot  580 . In a preferred embodiment at least two clips  558  are used to secure a plank  584  to a joist. A typical application of this embodiment is shown in  FIG. 1  where the clip  204  and the plank  206  in  FIG. 1  are replaced by clip  558  and plank  584 , respectively. Clips  558  are fastened to the joists  202  and the plank  584  is slid between clips  558  where tab  550  fits under tab  586  and edge  562  fits into slot  578 . Another clip  558  similarly fits into slot  580  and tab  582  on the opposite edge of the plank  584 . Said roundover  572  is primarily cosmetic and may optionally be present on the plank  584 . In a preferred embodiment said plank  584  is constructed of solid wood but may also be made of engineered wood, synthetic material, metal, masonry or other solid material. 
         [0077]      FIGS. 16 and 16A  show another alternate embodiment of a complimentary plank  624  and clip  628 . Said plank  624  is comprised of, inter alia, a bottom surface  622 , tab  620 , tab  614 , top surface  602  and slot  608 . Said slot  608  is formed along the length of the plank  624 . Said tab  620  and tab  614  partially cover the slot  608 . Said clip  628  is comprised of, inter alia, bores  640 , head  638  and trunk  630 . In the preferred application of the clip  628 , a series of clips  628  are fastened to joists similar to the joists  202  in  FIG. 1 . The head  638  of the first clip  628  in the series of clips is slid into the slot  608  of the plank  624  and the trunk  630  is fit between tab  620  and tab  614  to secure the plank  624  to the joist  202 . The plank  624  is successively slid onto subsequent clips  628  to secure the plank  624  to the joists  202 . In one of the preferred embodiments the clip  628  is made of plastic but it could also be effective if made out of any rigid polymer, metal or other solid material or combination of solid materials. 
         [0078]    Now referring to  FIGS. 17 and 18  where an alternate embodiment of a plank  701  is shown that is comprised of, inter alia, a lower tab  704 , an upper tab  710 , a slot  708  and cutouts  702 . Said slot  708  is bounded by the lower tab  704  and the upper tab  710 . In the preferred embodiment the plank  701  is made from wood, engineered wood, polymer, metal or masonry but any other solid material could be utilized. 
         [0079]    The plank  701  is used similar to the deck frame assembly  200  in  FIG. 1  where clips  204  are fastened to joists  202  that are supported by girders  210 . In the preferred embodiment the plank  701  is secured by a clip (for example, the clips shown in any of  FIG. 5 ,  6 ,  9 A,  9 B,  10 A,  16 A or  19 , but any clip with a head complimentary to the slot  708  could be used) to a joist  202 . Said cutouts  702  are positioned periodically on the lower tab  704  and are spaced apart the equal to the distance between the joists  202 . When installing the plank  701  the cutouts  702  are fit over the clips  204  and the bottom surface  700  of the plank  701  rests on to the joists  202 . The plank  701  is slid along the top of the joists  202  so that the head of the clips fit into the slot  708  between the upper tab  710  and lower tab  704 . 
         [0080]    Referring to  FIGS. 19 and 20  where an alternate embodiment of a clip  744  is shown comprising, inter alia, a trunk  742 , a tab  740 , a tab  746 , cutouts  748  and bores  750 . In this embodiment of the clip  744  the bores  750  are dimensioned to accept a fastener such as a screw, nail or bolt. Said bores  750  pass through the trunk  742  from the side of the trunk  742  under the tab  746  to the bottom surface of the trunk  754 . Said tab  746  has cutouts  748  adjacent to the bores  750  to permit passage of a fastener and a tool to secure the fastener. One of the advantages of the position of the bores  750  is to permit a plank, such as the plank  310  shown in  FIG. 10B , to be laid onto a supporting joist before the clip  744 . In this installation method a plank, for example plank  310 , is laid onto a joist then a first clip  744  is inserted into the slot  312  and fastened to the joist. Then a second plank  310  is laid onto the joist and its slot  312  is pressed into the first clip  744  and a second clip  744  is inserted into the slot  312  on the side of plank  310  opposite the first clip  744  and the second clip  744  is then fastened to the joist to secure the second plank  310 . This method is repeated until the planks  310  cover the substrate. The installation method described above is similar to that shown and described below in  FIG. 24 . 
         [0081]    Now referring to  FIGS. 21 and 22  where the preferred embodiment of a clip  768  is shown that comprises, inter alia, a bore  778 , a trunk  772  and a head  770 . Said trunk optionally includes a series of ridges  776  to provide an airspace between the clip  768  and any plank material. One of the distinguishing features of this clip  768  is that the bore  778  passes through the head  770  off of center and exits through the bottom side of the trunk  772  at or near its center. Similar to the clip  300  shown in  FIG. 10A , clip  768  could have multiple bores  778 , each angled through the trunk  772 . Said bore  778  is dimensioned to accept a fastener  774  such as a screw, bolt, nail or other similar means. Optionally, the upper end of the bore  778  may have a countersink to permit the head of the fastener  774  to fall below the surface of the head  770 . In a preferred embodiment, this clip  768  is made of plastic or metal but could also be made of any durable, rigid material or combination of materials. 
         [0082]      FIG. 23  is an alternate embodiment of a clip that comprises, inter alia, a trunk  782 , a bore  784  and a head  786 . The distinguishing feature that this clip demonstrates is the rounded shape of the head  786  as well as the angular edge  780  of the head  786 . The edge  780  may facilitate the clips engagement into the slot of any of the above-described planks. As in other clips described above, this clip may have more than one bore and/or have the bores at an angle not perpendicular to the surface of the head  786 . 
         [0083]      FIG. 24  is an alternate embodiment of a clip that comprises, inter alia, a trunk  802 , a bore  806  and a head  800 . The distinguishing feature that this clip demonstrates is the rounded shape of the head  800  as well as the angular edge  804  of the head  800 . The edge  804  may facilitate the clips engagement into the slot of any of the above-described planks. As in other clips described above, this clip may have more than one bore and/or have the bores at an angle not perpendicular to the surface of the head  800 . 
         [0084]      FIG. 24  is an illustration of an example of a method to install a deck comprising, inter alia, plank  790 , plank  791 , clip  793 , clip  794 , slot  795 , slot  796 , slot  797  and fasteners  792 . This method is one of the preferred methods used with clips that have bores at an angle not perpendicular to the surface of the head of the clip such as the clips shown in  FIG. 19  or  21 . 
         [0085]    In this installation method a plank  791  is laid onto a joist then the slot  795  is fit into a first clip  794 . Then a second clip  793  is fitted into slot  796  on plank  791  and fastened with fastener  792  to the joist below. Then the next plank  790  is laid onto the joist and its slot  797  is fitted into the second clip  793 . This method is repeated by laying subsequent planks and then clips until the deck is completed. 
         [0086]    Generally, any of the various embodiments of the clips described above in this invention can have one or more bores, any of the shapes of the edges of their head, have ridges and/or nubs, bores can be perpendicular to the head or angular respective to the head and be made out of any of the described materials or combination of materials. Likewise, the planks can be made out of any solid material that can be shaped to have the planks slot interface with the clip. 
         [0087]    The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4