Abstract:
The present invention is directed to an improved wooden flooring system for use with flatbed trailers used in the commercial trucking industry. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a plurality of reinforced, domestically grown, wooden floorboards that are affixed together in an end-to-end manner using top and bottom joiner plates and fasteners to create a plurality of integrated floor planks to replace costly and increasingly hard to find tropical hardwood flooring for flatbed trailers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an improved wooden flooring system for use with flatbed trailers used in the commercial trucking industry. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of wooden floorboard material is a preferred flooring material used for flatbed trailer flooring. In particular, the surface texture of wooden floorboards provides a desirable friction surface with which cargo and equipment can adhere to, to generally avoid sliding and shifting during transit. The sliding and shifting of cargo is a common problem when steel or metal material is used for flatbed trailer flooring. Trailer manufacturers and trailer repair shops have, in the past, used imported, tropical hardwood as a standard flooring material for flatbed trailers that are typically attached to “18-wheeler tractors” and other large commercial trucks and tractors used in the commercial trucking industry. The strength, stability and durability of imported, tropical hardwood flooring is generally considered to be superior as compared to that of non-reinforced, domestically grown, wood flooring material, which is plentiful in the US. In particular, tropical hardwood flooring is a preferred flooring material due to it&#39;s resistance to damage caused by ultra-violet rays, hot and dry weather, rain, snow, ice and extreme wear and tear. Since flatbed trailer flooring is generally exposed to the outdoor elements, the selection and availability of flatbed trailer flooring material is of great importance. 
     Over time, however, even the best available tropical hardwood flooring will eventually wear out, but it generally out lasts unmodified, non-reinforced domestically grown wood flooring by a significant amount of time. In the past, the preferred varieties of tropical hardwood, for use with flatbed trailers have been readily found in the rain forests of Brazil and other tropical areas throughout the world. Due to the over harvesting of tropical hardwood trees, the clearing of rain forests worldwide, the general decrease in the number of tropical hardwood trees being replanted, the increased difficulty and expense of locating, harvesting and importing tropical hardwood into the US, an alternative, readily-available, cost-effective flatbed flooring material is needed. 
     In the past, the use of unmodified, non-reinforced domestic wood flooring such as oak, pine, hickory, etc., has generally not been satisfactory for use in flatbed trailer flooring since the wear expectancy of this type of wood flooring is much shorter as compared to tropical hardwood flooring. In particular, the use of unmodified, non-reinforced domestic wood for flatbed trailer purposes tends to warp, crack, shrink, deteriorate and break loose from the trailer framing, etc., in a relatively short amount of time as compared to tropical hardwood. Considering that the labor cost of installing a wood floor on a flatbed trailer is the same for both tropical hardwood and domestic wood, and that the labor cost is not an insubstantial factor in replacing the trailer flooring, it would be advantageous to use a less expensive, cost-effective, domestically grown, readily available, improved wood flooring material that approaches the quality standards and wear characteristics of tropical hardwood material. 
     Therefore a need exists to provide a cost-effective, domestically grown, readily available, improved wood flooring system for use with flatbed trailers, eliminating the need for expensive, ever diminishing, tropical hardwood. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an improved wooden flooring system for use with flatbed trailers. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an improved wooden flooring system for use with flatbed trailers wherein the system includes a plurality of domestically grown, metal reinforced, planed, wooden floorboards, wherein the floorboards are connected to each other in an end-to-end manner using joiner plates and threaded fasteners to form a single integrated floor plank. The integrated floor planks can be pre-assembled in desired lengths approximately equal to, or slightly longer than, the length of the trailer frame on which they are to be mounted. With an adequate quantity of pre-assembled, integrated floor planks in inventory, a flatbed trailer can be quickly, efficiently and economically floored, or re-floored as the case may be, using domestically grown, metal-reinforced integrated floor planks, wherein the integrated floor planks generally achieve the quality standards and wear characteristics of a tropical hardwood floor, but are less expensive to use, easier to obtain and do not endanger sensitive rain forests and other tropical areas where tropical hardwood is grown. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and together with a general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and any alternative embodiment given below, serve to explain the principals of the invention. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a skeletal frame of a flatbed trailer. 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the skeletal frame of the flatbed trailer in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of  FIG. 13  wherein the surface of the improved flooring system is flush mounted with respect to the height of the main beams of the flatbed trailer. 
         FIG. 4  is an end view of  FIG. 13  wherein the surface of the improved flooring system is slightly taller as compared to height of the main beams of the flatbed trailer. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a milled floorboard which illustrates the planar top surface, the grooved bottom surface and the ship-lapped or stair-stepped edges of the milled floorboard. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an integrated floor plank illustrating the end-to-end joining of two milled floorboards using a top joiner plate, a bottom joiner plate and a plurality of fasteners. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of a first milled floorboard and a second milled floorboard illustrating the upper and lower tenon cuts on the ends of said milled floorboards. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional, side view of the integrated floor plank shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a plurality of integrated floor planks, wherein the integrated floor planks are positioned in a side-by-side manner, but are not illustrated in contact with one another. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the grooved, bottom surface of the milled floorboard and further illustrates the ribs which are to be inserted into the grooves. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the bottom surface of an integrated floor plank illustrating the end-to-end joining of two milled floorboards using a top joiner plate, a bottom joiner plate and a plurality of fasteners. 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded view of an integrated floor plank illustrating the end-to-end engagement of a first, reinforced, milled floorboard with a second, reinforced, milled floorboard, in operative association with a top joiner plate, a bottom joiner plate and a plurality of fasteners. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment improved flooring system installed on to a flatbed trailer, wherein a plurality of the integrated floor planks are in side-to-side contact with one another and have been affixed to the skeletal frame of a flatbed trailer as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 14  is an enlarged view of the preferred embodiment improved flooring system and its engagement to the junior beam of a flatbed trailer. 
         FIG. 15  is an end, perspective view of a milled, reinforced floorboard wherein the ribs have been inserted into the milled grooves of the bottom surface and the floorboard has been tenon cut on the bottom surface of the end of the floorboard to illustrate the counter-sunk step on the bottom surface of the milled floorboard. 
         FIG. 16  is an end, perspective view of a milled, reinforced floorboard wherein the floorboard has been tenon cut on the top surface of the end of the floorboard to illustrate the counter-sunk step on the top surface of the milled floorboards. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The preferred embodiment improved flooring system  10  for use with flatbed trailers  14  is depicted in  FIGS. 3-4 ,  6 ,  8 - 9 , and  11 - 16 .  FIG. 1  illustrates an exposed, un-floored frame  12  of a flatbed trailer  14 . Most flatbed trailer frames  12  include an axial pair of main beams  16   a ,  16   b  and a plurality of radial aligned junior beams  18 . Typically, the main beams  16   a ,  16   b  and the junior beams  18  are constructed of metallic or steel material. Conventional trailer flooring material (not shown) is normally affixed to the junior beams  18  using conventional threaded fasteners (not shown). Although the junior beams  18  are separate and independent members, for purposes of description herein, they can be described in terms of creating three separate linear columns  20 ,  22 ,  24 , upon which the improved flooring system  10  is affixed. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the linear columns  20 ,  22  and  24  of junior beams  18 , are further identified as comprising a center column  20 , a first side column  22  and a second side column  24 . The first side column  22  of junior beams  18  is preferably affixed between and engaged to a first side rail  26  of the trailer  14  and the first main beam  16   a . The second side column  24  of junior beams  18  is preferably affixed between a second side rail  28  of the trailer  14  and the second main beam  16   b . The center column  20  of junior beams  18  is affixed between, and engaged to, the two main beams  16   a ,  16   b .  FIG. 2  depicts an enlarged, end view of the un-floored trailer frame  12  illustrated in  FIG. 1  and further shows the engagement of the junior beams  18  with a bumper  30 , the first side rail  26 , the second side rail  28 , and main beams  16   a ,  16   b  of the trailer  14 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 10  illustrate a milled, floorboard  32 . The milled floorboard  32  is created from a raw or un-milled, stock wooden board (not shown), for example a 2″×8″×10′ or similarly sized wooden board milled from a pine, oak, hickory, etc., tree grown in the U.S. The length of the stock wooden board should be equal to, or slightly longer than, the desired length of the milled floorboard  32 , for example, generally in the range of 8 feet to 12 feet. Additionally, the thickness and width of the stock wooden board (not shown) should be equal to or slightly thicker and/or wider than the desired width and/or thickness of the finished, milled floorboard  32 . 
     The milling steps used to create the milled floorboard  32  includes a first step of planing the stock wooden board to obtain a board having a desired width. A desired width might, for example, be in range of 6-8 inches. A second step would include planing the stock wooden board to obtain a board having a desired thickness. A desired thickness might, for example, be in the range of 1-2 inches. A third step would include planeing the stock wooden board to obtain a stair-step or ship-lapped lateral edge  34  on both lateral edges on the milled floorboard  32 . The size or dimensions of the ship-lapped edges  34  is not critical, so long as the ship-lapped edges  34  remain uniform and consistent. A fourth milling step would include the step of cutting a plurality of continuous, axial grooves  36  in a bottom surface  35  of the milled floorboard  32 . The depth of each axial groove might, for example, be in the range of 0.25-0.75 inch. The preferred embodiment milled floorboard  32  includes at least 2 continuous axial grooves  36 , and preferably includes 3 continuous axial grooves  36 . After the milled floorboard  32  has been appropriately milled to obtain the desired thickness, width, length, the ship-lapped edges  34  and the plurality of continuous axial grooves  36 , a rib  38  is then inserted into each of the axial grooves  36  to reinforce and strengthen the milled floorboards  32 . The ribs  38  may be constructed from metallic material and are preferably constructed from a continuous length of metallic material commonly known as metal “bar stock.” The ribs  38  are received within the grooves  36 , such that an outer edge portion  37  of each rib  38  uniformly protrudes just slightly outwardly from the bottom surface  35  of the milled floorboard  32 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 14 , the outer edge portion  37  of the ribs  38  also provides for a very small air space or gap  39  between a top surface  40  of the junior beams  18  and the bottom surface  35  of the milled floorboard  32 . This gap  39  allows for surface-to-surface contact between the rib  38  and the junior beams  18 , rather than a wood-to-metal contact, thereby adding more stability to the improved flooring system  10  and reducing the opportunity for moisture to accumulate between the top surface  40  of the junior beams  18  and the bottom surface  35  of the milled floorboard  32 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 7 ,  15 - 16 , after the ribs  38  have been inserted into the grooves  36 , the milled floorboards  32  are then milled or processed again to create a tenon cut  42  in a top planar surface  44  of the milled floorboard  32  and also in the bottom surface  35  of the milled floorboard  32 . The tenon cuts  42  can be obtained using well-known milling machinery. The tenon cuts  42 , produce a 90-degree counter-sunk “step”  46  into a top end  48  and a 90-degree counter-sunk “step”  47  into a bottom end  50  of both linear ends of the milled floorboards  32 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  8  and  12 , a top joiner plate  52  and a bottom joiner plate  54  are then inserted into the counter-sunk steps  46 ,  47  of the end-to-end adjoining milled floorboards  32 . The top joiner plate  52  is designed to fit flush within the top surface  44  counter-sunk steps  46  of the tenon cut  42  end portions of two adjoining milled floorboards  32  to provide for a generally smooth flooring surface, upon which to place cargo (not shown). The bottom joiner plate  54  is designed to engage the bottom surface  35  of the counter-sunk steps  47  of the tenon cut  42  end portions of the two adjoining milled floorboards  32 , such that the joiner plates  52 ,  54  are in axial alignment with each other. The joiner plates  52 ,  54  are roughly equal to each other in size and shape, where, for example, each plate  52 ,  54  may be approximately 3 inches long, 6-7 inches wide and the thickness is in the range of between ⅛ inch-¼ inch. Thus the joiner plates  52 ,  54  make up a very small surface portion of the top surface  44  of the milled floorboard  32 . The joiner plates  52 ,  54  could, for example, be constructed of various types of metal, steel, or polymer material. The joiner plates  52 ,  54  also include a plurality of pre-drilled, pilot holes  56 . As further detailed in  FIG. 12 , the pilot holes  56  on the top joiner plate  52  are positioned in such manner that they are in vertical alignment with the pilot holes  56  of the bottom joiner plate  54 . The tenon cuts  42  are made in such a way that when the joiner plates  52 ,  54  are installed in the steps  46 ,  47 , the edges of the joiner plates  52 ,  54  remain in linear alignment with the ship-lapped edges  34 , as more specifically seen in  FIG. 6 . 
     Once the top joiner plate  52  and the bottom plate  54  are inserted into their respective counter-sunk steps  46 ,  47 , as depicted in  FIGS. 7-8  and  12 , a threaded fastener  60  is then inserted into each of the pilot holes  56  of the top joiner plate  52 . Thereafter, each threaded fastener  60  is then operatively threaded through and penetrates the top joiner plate  52 , the tenon cut  42  end portions of the two adjoining milled floorboards  32  and finally through the pilot holes  56  of the bottom joiner plate  54  to securely attach the linear ends of the two adjoining milled floorboards  32  to form an integrated floor plank  70 . The threaded fasteners  60  could for example be self-tapping, counter-sunk torx tip head screws, having a beveled counter-sunk head to maintain a generally smooth top surface  44  of the milled floorboard  32 . 
     As depicted in  FIGS. 9 and 11 , the preferred embodiment flooring system  10  is constructed from a plurality of reinforced, milled floorboards  32   a ,  32   b ,  32   c , etc., which are affixed to one another in an end-to-end manner to construct the integrated floor plank  70 . The integrated floor plank  70  is preferably constructed to an axial length that is equal to or slightly longer than the length of the trailer frame  12 , upon which it will be installed. The user of the preferred embodiment flooring system  10 , i.e., a flatbed trailer repair shop, a flatbed trailer manufacturer or trailer flooring manufacturer, could, for example, mass produce or purchase and store, a significant quantity of pre-assembled, integrated floor planks  70 , in standard or desired lengths, i.e., 40 feet, 42 feet, 45 feet, 48 feet, 54 feet, etc., and be ready when a flatbed trailer  12  is brought in for flooring, or re-flooring as the case may be, to quickly and efficiently install the preferred embodiment flooring system  10 . By having the ship-lapped lateral edges  34 , the pre-assembled integrated floor planks  70   a ,  70   b ,  70   c , etc., can easily be laid next to one another on the junior beams  18  where the ship-lapped edges  34  contact and engage to one another as they are attached to the junior beams  18  as depicted in  FIG. 13 . In addition to providing for the interlocking lateral engagement of the integrated floor planks  70 , the ship-lapped lateral edges  34  also provide for a generally smooth transition from one integrated floor plank  70   a  to a side adjoining integrated floor plank  70   b ,  70   c , etc. The integrated floor planks  70  are preferably attached to the junior beams  18  of the trailer frame  12  using any number of available wood-to-metal floor fasteners  62 . 
     The combination of the ribs  38 , the top joiner plate  52 , the bottom joiner plate  54  and the threaded fastener  60  serve several purposes, one of which is to add stability to the preferred embodiment improved flooring system  10  to generally prevent the integrated floor plank  70  from warping, twisting, cracking, splitting and otherwise deviating from a generally linear alignment. 
     It will be appreciated that these and other embodiments may be provided for an improved flatbed trailer flooring system  10 , and it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the apparatus might be practiced other than as specifically described herein. Having described the invention above, various modifications of the techniques, procedures and materials will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all such variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims be embraced thereby.