Patent ID: 6874972

Claim:
A temporary road bed comprising a first flexible mat having an end and a substantially straight longitudinal side, said first mat comprising: a plurality of first support members arranged in a parallel, side-by-side relationship, each of said first support members having a length, a width and an axial face, wherein said length is greater than said width, said first support members further having at least two holes extending transversely through each of said first support members, said first support members being oriented to align said axial face of each support to define said longitudinal side of said mat, and wherein each of said first support members have a first face with a plurality of first recesses having a dimension complementing said first support members, said first recesses being oriented and spaced apart a distance complementing a spacing of said first support members and aligned in a plurality of rows; a plurality of first spacers, where a respective first spacer is positioned between adjacent first support members for spacing said first support members apart a substantially uniform distance, each of said first spacers having a length and a width, said length of said first spacers being less than a length of said first support members, and said first spacers having a hole extending therethrough in a longitudinal direction; a first connecting member extending through said holes in said first support members and said spacers for coupling said first support members and first spacers together, and a second flexible mat overlying said first mat, said second mat comprising a plurality of parallel second support members having a length and a width and having at least two holes extending transversely through each of said second support members, a plurality of second spacers positioned between adjacent second support members for spacing said second support members apart a distance complementing said spacing of said first recesses in said first support members of said first mat, and a second connecting member extending through said holes in said second support members and said second spacers, wherein said second support members have a first face having a plurality of spaced-apart recesses having a dimension complementing a dimension of said first support members of said first mat, said recesses in said first face being spaced-apart a distance corresponding to a spacing of said support member of said first mat and mating with said first recesses of said first support members, said second support members extending in a transverse direction with respect to said first support members.