Patent ID: 7874113

Claim:
A decking system, comprising: two decking boards, each having a top, a bottom, two sides each having a pre-cut biscuit slot, and two ends; a support board; and an anchoring biscuit device for joinder of said decking boards and said support board with a fastener, and wherein: (a) said anchoring biscuit device comprises: (i) an at least partially flat horizontal top element having a center line, opposite side walls, and opposite ends, and a top view footprint shape having a side portion on each side of said center line, said side portions being adapted to be received in said biscuit slots; (ii) a plurality of substantially vertical support members attached to the underside of said top element along said center line of said top element and extending downwardly therefrom for a predetermined length to maintain said top element in a predetermined position during use for joinder of said two adjacent boards and said support board; and (iii) at least one compressive element located on said device, with at least a portion of said compressive element, from a top view footprint, being located away from said center line and away from said vertical support members, and said at least one compressive element being adapted to at least partially collapse under a predetermined compressive force; and (b) said two decking boards are situated adjacent to each other and atop said support board; (c) said side portions of said anchoring biscuit device are inserted in said biscuit slots of said adjacent decking boards; and (d) said anchoring biscuit device is attached by said fastener driven through it to engage said support board, thereby securing and anchoring said adjacent boards and said support board to one another.