IMPROVEMENTS IN PARQUET FLOORING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of" IMPROVEMENTS IN
PARQUET FLOORING." A communication from abroad by Samuel Porter
Groocock, of New York City, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARQUET FLOORING."
This Invention is an improvement in that species of ornamental flooring produced
by the art of marquetry.
In order to give the tesselated flooring the desired firmness, solidity, and per-
manency, and at the same time avoid the use of thick blocks or pieces which would
greatly increase its cost, it has been the practice to connect the blocks or pieces by
tongue and groove, and to lay them upon a foundation composed of numerous
wooden strips or timbers, or, more commonly, of a plastic cementitious material.
The various imperfections or objectionable features of these and allied modes of
laying marquetry floors have led to the development of the present Invention, which
consists in forming composite flooring pieces or sections of a number of wooden
blocks of the desired and requisite sizes, shapes, and colors, and a backing of
asphalte, the two parts being firmly united by a dovetail or equivalent connection,
as herein-after described. A flooring piece so made up is handled, transported, and
laid in much the same manner as tiles are, so that the labor, time, and expense
ordinarily incident to laying marquetry floors are considerably lessened.
In constructing a flooring piece or section composed of blocks of various sizes
and colors, according to this Invention I first cut out the several blocks in the
ordinary manner, but in place of providing them with the ordinary tongue and
groove, which considerably increases the cost of the flooring, I simply glue the
sides of the pieces together, and then by the aid of suitable machinery I cut one or
more dovetail grooves across the entire composite piece or section at one operation.
The requisite quantity of asphalte heated sufficiently to impart a good degree of

page_text: plasticity is then poured over the back of the piece, and allowed to cool, when it
will closely adhere and assume the hardness and rigidity necessary to form a firm
backing or support for the blocks, and bind them together in one solid piece. In
such case the asphalte enters the dovetail grooves cut in the flooring piece, thus
forming tongues. In some instances I cut a plain or central angled groove in
place of a dovetail.
As a modification of this mode of connection I may insert double dovetail wooden
strips in the several grooves of the section, in which case the portion of the strip
projecting from the back will be firmly imbedded in the asphalt.
Another mode of connection is to dispense with grooving the back of the piece,
and attach a dovetail wooden strip to the same by means of screws, the strip being
imbedded in the asphalte as in the other case.
To form the tesselated or marquetry flooring the pieces or sections composed of
the wooden blocks and asphalte backing are laid upon a plastic bed of cementitious
material. This operation may be effected with accuracy, ease, and dispatch, and
the floor has all the qualities held desirable in this class of ornamental work,
among which are great solidity, firmness, and durability, capacity to resist attacks
of wood borers and rodents; to prevent unhealthy exhalations from the earth
permeating the apartment from below; also very slight capacity of the flooring to
absorb moisture, and absence of swelling, warping, or shrinking of the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
December 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARQUET FLOORING." A communication from
abroad by Samuel Porter Groocock, of New York City, United States of America.
This Invention relates to the species of ornamental flooring produced by the art
of marquetry.
In the manufacture and application of ornamental or tessellated wood floors the
common practice is first to combine a given number of the pieces of ornamental
woods into sections of square or other form, said sections being of such size and
weight as may be found most convenient for transportation and handling. The
completed sections are then ready to use for flooring, which is prepared by placing
the sections together upon the surface of the ground or floor where they are to
remain.
To give the parts composing the sections or squares of tessellated flooring the
desired firmness, solidity, and permanency it has been the practice to connect the
several blocks or pieces of wood of which the several sections are composed at the
edges by tongues and grooves, which is a troublesome and expensive method, and
to lay the sections upon a foundation composed of numerous wooden strips or
timbers, or more commonly of plastic cementitious material.
According to the present Invention I dispense with the use of the tongues and
grooves in the edges of the several pieces that compose the flooring sections, and in
preparing said sections I simply glue the plane edges of the several pieces together,
which is quickly and economically effected. I then cover the back or under side
of the section thus formed with a thick layer of hot asphaltum or other suitable
cementitious material, which applied backing should be of such a nature as to
adhere firmly to the back or under surface of each piece of wood or other material
used in the section, and the said applied backing should also when cool or set be so
stiff as to firmly hold in place and bind together the said several pieces, and prevent
them from warping or springing out of place. The said sections or squares thus
prepared constitute an improved and complete article of manufacture of great

page_text: endurance and value, and ready for transportation and immediate use. They may
be applied to walls, floorings, or other parts of buildings or objects with great
facility; for example, for floorings it is only necessary to nail the sections down
upon the common floor. But a preferable method is to spread a hot coating of
asphaltum or other cement upon the floor, and lay the prepared backed specimens
thereupon, whereby the several sections become firmly attached to the floor, and a
strong, durable, and waterpoof ornamental flooring is the result.
Another method which I adopt for binding the several pieces of which each
section or square is composed is as follows:-After the several pieces of wood have
been first glued into sections or squares, as before described, I submit the under
surface of the said sections to the action of suitable cutters, by which I form grooves
across the said under surfaces under some part of every one of the pieces composing
the section, and I fill the said grooves with strengthening strips or binders in such
a manner as to firmly lock and bind together the various pieces or parts of which
the section is composed.
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing is a perspective view of one of these
composite flooring pieces or sections.
Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section on line x, x, in Figure 1, representing the
grooves which are cut in the under side of the composite flooring piece or
section.
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on line y, y, in Figure 1, of a composite
flooring piece or section, shewing binders or stiffeners placed in the grooves.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent modifications of the Invention.
Figures 7 and 8 represent composite flooring pieces or sections composed chiefly.
of wood, but having ornamental stone tiles combined with the wood.
Figure 9 is a cross section on line 2, 2, in Figure 7.
A indicates the composite flooring piece or section composed of wood blocks of
various forms, sizes, and colors. In constructing the same I first cut out the several
blocks b in the ordinary manner, but in place of providing the edges of the blocks b
with the ordinary tongues and grooves, which considerably increases the cost of the
flooring, I form a composite piece or section by simply gluing the edges of the
Beveral blocks b together, and then by any suitable and convenient method I cover
the back of the glued section with a thick coating or backing of asphaltum B or
other cementitious material of such a nature that it will become stiff, and will also
strongly adhere to the backs of the several pieces of wood, and bind them together
and hold them rigidly in their places, and prevent them from warping or other
displacement. The asphalte or cement backed flooring pieces or sections thus
prepared are now ready for use, and form a distinctive, durable, and valuable article
of manufacture.
Another method for binding the said pieces after they have been glued into
squares or sections as described is as follows:-By the aid of suitable machinery I
cut grooves a, preferably of dovetailed shape, across the entire composite flooring
piece or section A in such positions as will permit locking the blocks b together by
the binders to ensure the greatest solidity. Into the several grooves of the com-
posite flooring piece or section A. I insert dovetail wooden strips c, or a binder or
stiffener of other suitable material, which by passing through the grooves of the
blocks b at several points holds them firmly together. The composite flooring
pieces or sections A thus made (see Figure 3) may be secured to the floor by nails
or screws or by embedding them in asphalte or other cementitious material previously
laid on the floor, or the said sections A may be separately backed with cementitious
material previous to being laid on the floor in the usual manner.
A modification of the Invention is shown in Figure 4, and consists in backing
the grooved composite flooring piece or section A with a layer of asphalt B, which
fills the grooves a, and constitutes a binder or stiffener.
Composite flooring pieces or sections made in this manner may be secured to the
floor by first spreading a thin layer of hot asphaltum upon the floor, and then
pressing the said sections down upon the floor.

page_text: Instead of backing each section separately with cement, as above stated, the
cement may be first spread in mass over the floor, and the sections may then bo
embedded in the cement, which should be in a warm and plastic condition so that
the cement will fully enter the grooves of the sections so as to bind and hold the
several parts of the sections, as before described.
Another modification of the Invention is shown in Figure 5, which consists in
attaching dovetail strips d in lieu of the grooves to the under side of the several
pieces composing the composite flooring piece or section by means of nails_or
screws, and then backing the whole section with asphalt, as before described. The
strips d in this case serve to bind and strengthen the parts composing the flooring
piece or section.
Another modification is represented in Figure 6, which consists in placing double
dovetail strips c¹ in the grooves in the under side of the section, and in backing the
section with asphalt, as before described.
In Figures 7 and 8 another feature of the Invention is represented, which consists
in combining ornamental stoneware tiles e with a portion of the wood sections, so
as to produce additional variegated ornamental effects. This I accomplish by leaving
open spaces in the composite flooring pieces or sections when they are manufactured,
which openings correspond in size to the tile to be inserted, and when the said
sections are locked or laid in the asphalt or cement the tiles e are placed in their
position in the said sections, where they are retained by the adhesion of the
cement or asphalt. Sections composed of single blocks of wood, as well as the
composite flooring pieces or sections, may be grooved, stiffened, and fastened, and
laid in the manner herein described.
I would have it understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the materials
here specified, nor to the exact form, size, or position of any of the parts herein
mentioned, as they may be varied to suit the constructor without departing from
this Invention:
I have herein described the said sections as applicable to flooring purposes, but it
is obvious that the same may be applicable to the wainscoatings and ceilings of
apartments, doors, and other portions of buildings and other objects.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. I claim as an improved article of manufacture an asphalt or cement backed
flooring piece or section prepared ready for use, substantially as herein described.'
2ndly. A flooring piece or section for marquetry flooring formed of one or more
pieces arranged in a suitable design or pattern, and provided with binding grooves
in the under side thereof for receiving a binder of wood or other suitable material,
substantially as herein shown and described.
3rdly. The combination with the flooring piece or section, having grooves a, of a
binder c, substantially as shown and described.
4thly. The combination with the under surface of the flooring piece or section of
the dovetail binding strips d, substantially as described.
5thly. The combination with the composite flooring piece or section of ornamental
tiles, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
J