WEDGING MEMBER FOR POSITIONING GEOMETRICAL-SHAPE PANELS

ORGANE DE CALAGE POUR LA MISE EN PLACE DE PANNEAUX AYANT UNE FORME GEOMETRIQUE

English Abstract

IN THE CANADIAN PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
PATENT APPLICATION
entitled : Wedging member for positioning geometrical-shape panels.
Inventor : Jean-Jacques POUTAU
Applicant : Societe Anonyme : TOMECANIC S.A.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention relates to a wedging member for positioning panels
side-by-side, constituted by a star with a plurality of branches,
extending in parallel to a laying plane, and on the side of which
the edges of the panels can rest, whereas holding means are provided
which are integral with said star, and have a height such that
the distance between the end of said means and the lower face
of the star is greater than the thickness of the panels, and have
a first dimension in a first direction which is at the most equal
to the thickness of the branches.
The holding means are constituted by a pin of which a second
dimension is such that said pin can be broken off by oscillating
with respect to its base.
The invention finds an application in the positioning of earthen-
ware tiles.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS :
1. Wedging member for positioning panels of geometrical shape,
side-by-side, leaving a space between two adjacent panels,
such as earthenware tiles, said wedging member being star-shaped,
with a plurality of substantially flat branches extending in
parallel to a positioning plane for the wedging member, and on the
sides of which the edges of said panels can rest, whereas means
for holding the star which are fast with the upper face of said
star, have a height such that the distance between the upper
end of said holding means and the lower face of the star is greater
than the thickness of the panels to be laid, and have a first
dimension in a first direction perpendicular to the sides of a
branch of the star, which is at the most equal to the thickness
of said branch , wedging member wherein said holding means are
constituted by a threadlike pin, of which a second dimension in a
second direction different from the first direction, parallel to
the panel-laying plane and to the sides of one of the branches
of the star, is such that said pin can be broken by oscillating
on to its base.
2. Wedging member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pin is
vertically placed in the central zone where the branches of the
star intersect.
3. Wedging member as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and
second dimensions of the pin are substantially equal.

Description

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The present invention relates to a wed~ing member for positioning
geometrical-shape panels.
For laying tiles in earthenware or in ceramic, it is already
known to use intercalate pieces which are placed between adjacent
panels to ensure regular spacing thereof.
It is known for example to use a wedging member for positioning
panels of geometrical shape, side-by-side, leaving a space between
two adjacent panels, such as earthenware tiles, said wedging
member be;ng star-shaped, w;th a plural;ty of substantially
flat branches extending in parallel to a positioning plane for the
wedging member, and on the sides of which the edges of sa;d panels
can rest.
Such pos;t;oning wedges are of two different types e;ther
they are equipped with means for holding the star which are fast
with the upper face of said star, have a height such that the
distance between the upper end of said holding means and the lower
face of the star is greater than the thickness of the panels to be
laid, and have a first dimension in a first direction perpendicular
to the sides of a branch of the star, wh;ch ;s at the most equal
to the th;ckness of said branch; or they just have no such holding
means.
Wedges equipped with gripping members are removed when the
panels have been la;d and can therefore be used aga;n. But hereto-
fore , the hold;ng means have been const;tuted by a halfmoon-shaped
p;ece, of which the length, measured perpendicularly to said first
d;rect;on, ;s too great for said holding means to be broken at the;r
base. So that, not only can these wedging members be removed after
the panel-lay;ng operat;on, but they must be removed, because th;s
;s the only way to eliminate the prominences which the holding means
create as a result of the external force exerted by the laid panels.
This necessity to remove the holding means can in some cases be
deemed as a disadvantage.
This disadvantage obviously does not exist with wedging members
having no holding means, but which, on the other hand, are not
recoverable. And this results in waste of all used wedging members,
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hence in an increase in panel-laying costs, which may prove yet
another disadvantage.
What is required, in order to overcome the aforesaid dis-
advantages, is a new type of wedging member, equipped with holding
means breakable at the base : then, the user has the choice either
not to break said means which would allow him to remove the clip,
or to break it, even after laying of the panels, which, whenever
required, would avoid removal of the wedging member. In other
words, the user would always have the option.
It is precisely the object of the invention to provide such a
wedging member equipped with holding means such as indicated
hereinabove, and in which said holding means are constituted by a
threadlike pin, of which a second dimension in a second direction
dlfferent from the first direction, parallel to the panel-laying
plane and to the sides of one of the~branches of the star, is such
that said pin can be brokén by oscillating it on its base.
The following advantageous~ dispositionscan also be preferably'
adopted : -
said pin is vertically placed in the central zone where the
' 20 ~ branches of the star intersect ;
the first and second dimensions of the pin are substantially
'$'~ equal.
The main advontage of~a wed~ing member according to the
invention resides in the option which the user has, even after
25 ~ laying'of'the panels, to' remove or~to leave the wedging members in.
~';'$','',''; ~ m~ The invention will be more readily understood on reading the
' P~ following description with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which :~
Figure 1 is a plan view of four ceramic tiles positioned
'30~: by~means of a' wedging member according to the invention, and
Figure 2 is a cross-section along line II-II of Figure 1.
The wedging member illustrated in the figure is used for
; positioning square ceramic tiles.
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It should be indicated at this stage, first that, the wedging
member according to the invention can, in general, be used for
any panels of geometrical shape, and second that the panels are
not necessarily square-shaped. For example, hexagonal or octo-
S gonal-shaped tiles can also be positioned with the clips according
to the invention, the shape of which is of course adapted to
the shape of the tiles.
The figures illustrate the positioning of four ceramic square
tiles 1 on a laying plane 2. The ~edging member used has four
0 branches 3, arranged in star-fashion, at 90 one from the next.
Two lateral edges 4 defining two adjacent sides of the same tile
rest on the sides S of two adjacent branches 3 of the star. Thus,
since the different branches 3 have the same thickness E, there is
a uniform space 6 between two adjacent tiles 1 spaced apart of
1~ a distance equal to E.
A cylindrical pin 7, of diameter D slightly smaller than
thickness E is vertically placed in the central zone 8 of intersec-
tion of the four branches 3. Thus, on the one hand, the pin does
not interfere with positioning of two adjacent tiles 1 against
20 the two sides 5 of one branch, by bringing said tiles closer
according to a first direction F perpendicular to said sides 5
and parallel to the laying plane 2, and on the other hand, the
cross-section of the pin is sufficiently small to allow its angular
oscillation about its base (as illustrated in broken lines in
25 Figure 2), lnside a vertical plane V perpendicular to direction F,
so that after a few oscillations, the pin 7 will break at its
base 9. Thus, in direction G, parallel to the laying plane and
perpendicular to F, the pin has a dimension (D) allowing it to be
broken off.
It should be noted that the pin needs not be cylindrical, it
could for example be prismatic. On the other hand, it has to be
filiform in order to fit inside space 6 defined by the sides 5 of
` ~ two adjacent tiles (direction F) and to be able to break off by
oscillating in another direction G, different from F.
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218
Said pin 7 could, as a variant, be vertically placed elsewhere
than in central zone 8; it is nevertheless obvious that zone 8
remains the most convenient place for the pin 7, if only because
it enables the pulling off of the wedging member in substantially
symmetrical manner.
It is obviously ;mportant for the p;n to be readily accessible
after laying of the tiles 1. To th;s effect, said pin 7 projects
over a height H measured from the laying plane 2? which ;s greater
than the thickness L of the t;les 1.
10 The invention is in no way limited to the description given here-
inabove and on the contrary covers any modifications that can be
brought thereto without departing from its scope or its spirit.
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Representative Drawing