Patent ID: 7413374

Claim:
An overlapping and secured mat system for temporary support structures comprising: a plurality of uniformly sized rigid mats; along at least one side and one end of said mats, the perimeter of said mats being recessed upward from the bottom of said mats to form an upper lip with said upper lip having a top side and a bottom side; at least one opposite side and opposite end of said mats are recessed downward from top of said mats to form a lower lip with said lower lip having a top side and bottom side; the distance to which said mat edges are recessed to form said lips being substantially the same thus allowing for the overlapping of said upper lips and lower lips about the edges of said mat with respective like lower lips and upper lips of other like mats when placed adjacent thereto for joining therewith by which said overlapping mats form a generally flat continuous top and bottom surface; at least one finger projection located on the bottom side of the upper lip with said finger projection having a front edge, a back edge, and a bottom side with said front edge of the finger projection extending out from upper lip's vertical plane and the bottom side of said finger projection extending from the bottom side the upper lip's horizontal plane; the lower lip of said mat has at least one hole disposed therein; said hole is sized to allow insertion of said at least one finger projection when said upper lip of said mat overlaps lower lip of other like mats; said hole has a front wall located nearest to the lower lip's edge, two side walls and an upper back wall and lower back wall; said lower back wall of the hole is recessed toward the central body of mat forming a recess having a top wall; said recess is sized to allow insertion of the front edge of the finger projection securing by material interference the front edge of the finger projection within the recess of the hole.