Improvements in Interlocking Tiles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Interlocking Tiles.
I, FRANK FURNESS of 711 Locust Street in the City and County of Phila-
delphia State of Pennsylvania one of the United States of America, Architect do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in tiles made either of rubber, linoleum
or other yielding material and which can be locked one to another. The object
of my invention is to improve the construction of interlocking tiles so as to
overcome the tendency of the joints to work loose or wear away, and to resist
diagonal strains. A further object is to stagger the joints of adjoining rows of
tiles.
A tile made in accordance with my invention can be varied in size when cut by
simply spacing the cutters without having to make new dies or cutters.
A still further object of my invention is to make the tiles overlap as well as
interlock, so that they can be used on ceilings or floors where it is possible to hold
the tiles in place without cement and by concealed fastenings.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my improved tiles.
Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are plan views of two of the tiles detached.
Figure 5 is a view of a strip having sockets for the reception of the tiles.
Figure 6 is a view of a tile similar to that shown in Figure 4, but elongated.
Figure 7 is a plan view of portion of a floor or wall with my improved tile
applied thereto.
Figure 8 is a plan view showing my improved interlocking and overlapping tiles,
secured together.
Figures 9 and 10, are detached perspective views of the tiles shown in
Figure 8.
Figure 11, is a plan view of portion of a floor or wall made up of the tiles shown
in Figures 9 and 10.
Figures 12 and 13, are perspective views of tiles similar to those shown in
Figure 3, but each made in two sections secured together, aud
Figures 14 and 15, are views showing modified forms of the tile shown in
Figures 12 and 13.
A are tiles, quadrangular in the present instance and having heads a at each
corner connected to the body by necks a¹. B are tiles which interlock with the
tiles A and have recesses b at each corner for the reception of a portion of the
body of the tile A. and at the angle are sockets 6' which receive the heads a.
Projections c conform with the necks at of the tile A so that when one tile is
interlocked with another it is impossible in one direction, to draw them apart.
It will be noticed that the tiles A, B, are arranged alternately in parallel lines
and that the lines of separation of the several tiles of one row are not in line with
the lines of separation of the next row. Thus, by this construction, the tiles are

page_text: much more thoroughly interlocked and in no case do the longitudinal dividing lines
cross the lateral dividing lines.
When borders are required, and in fact where strips of rubber or linoleum are
desired instead of individual blocks, the joints between the sections B can be
dispensed with and the sections made in strips, as shown in Figure 5, and where a
finish is to be made at a wall the projections on one side may be dispensed with,
leaving a plain border without joints.
In making the tiles of linoleum or rubber there need be no waste, and the
variegated effect can be made by combining the tiles A of one colour, with the
tiles B of another colour.
The general design can be varied by making the tiles B longer or wider, for
instance as shown in Figure 6, the length of the title can be increased without
increasing the width, or vice versa, thus giving an entirely different effect to the
design.
The tiles A and B, shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, are similar in many respects
to those shown in Figure 1, with the exception that the heads a are only say
about half the thickness of the body of the tile, and the sockets 6' extend through
say only about half the thickness of the tile B₁, two of the heads a of each tile A'
being on the surface, and two at the base, as clearly shown in Figure 10, so that
when the tiles A and B are coupled they not only interlock but overlap, forming
a very secure joint, the effect being clearly shown in Figure 11.
Each tile can be secured by nails or screws driven into the heads or sockets at
the base so that they will be concealed when the other tiles are placed in position.
The tiles can be used to advantage in ceilings and walls as the tiles cannot become
detached one from another, the entire series being interlocked and held in place by
the overlapping portions of the tiles.
As a modified form of the tiles A¹ and B¹, the tiles A and B may be made in
two sections, as shown in Figures 12 and 13; secured together preferably by
cement, and the two sections may be made of different colors, as indicated,
thus making a variegated floor or mat without increasing the stock of tiles on
hand.
In the tiles shown in Figures 12 and 13 each tile is in part a headed tile and
in part a recessed and socketted tile, the heads of each tile entering the recesses
and sockets of the adjoining tiles when the tiles are fitted together.
The same feature is found in the tiles A and B³, shown in Figures 14 and 15,
but in this case the heads and recesses are at the sides of the tiles instead of at
the corners.
It will be understood that while I have shown in the drawings perfectly plain
heads they may be ornamented and the body of the tiles may also be ornamented
when desired.
My invention is especially applicable in connection with tiles made of elastic
or yielding material, as previously described, but in some instances the tiles may
be made of earthenware, porcelain or wood without departing from the essential
features of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is-
1. A tile recessed at the corners and having sockets forming extensions of the
recesses, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the tiles A and B, the tiles A having heads at the
corners, and the tiles B being recessed at the corners and having sockets forming.
extensions of the recesses for the reception of the heads substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. The interlocking and overlapping tiles hereinhefore described, having
projecting heads, and recesses with sockets for the reception of said heads, the

page_text: heads and sockets being partly on or in the faces of the tiles and partly on or in
the backs of the said tiles, substantially as herein before described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.