Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02234358 1998-04-08
COMBINED MOLDING STRIP AND MOLDING CAPS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fixtures for finishing interior and
exterior surfaces and, in particular, to such surfaces where it is
desired to use a combination of a molding strip and molding caps)
to provide a "finished" surface or appearance to building
strucaures and especially in the interior of buildings, houses,
recreational vehicles, etc. That is wherever molding strips and
caps themselves are normally employed in such structures.
The following U.S. Patents are believed to be representative
of the general state of the art with respect to the combined
molding and molding cap structure forming the subject invention:
(1) No. 850,866 (Clements), entitled "CURBING", discloses a
curbing ledge with longitudinally extending grooves for receiving
cement to secure the curbing to the sidewalk;
(2) Des. No. 51,508 (Plym) illustrates a threshold plate
having a raised, fluted exterior surface;
(3) Des. No. 131,025 (O'Brien) is a design for a conduit with
a fluted curved exterior surface;
(4) Des. 210,821 (Stone) discloses a "Decorative Molding
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Strip" with a "scalloped" surface and including a molding cap
attached to one end thereof;
(5) Des. 211,629 (Massagli) illustrates a "Construction Panel"
with one side beaded and the opposing side having paired fluted
portions;
(6) Des. 269,910 (Johansson) shows a combination articulation
rail and connecting bar for screen walls showing a curved, fluted
surface covering a chambered channel member;
(7) Des. 283,357 (Bancroft) is directed to a "Vent Sill Rail
Extrusion" having fluted surface areas; and
(8) Des. 312,599 (Johnston) illustrates a "Tailgate
Reinforcement" with fluted side surfaces.
'There is a need in the building trades industry for the
combination of a prefabricated molding strip and molding cap and
wherein the versatility of the combined molding strip and molding
cap are increased by providing at least one of the two opposing
sides of the molding strip with a surface of different
configuration, such as fluted channels or beaded ridges. And
wherein each of two molding caps has a structured surface
respectively conforming to the configured surface of the molding
strip that is exposed to view so that one or more of the
prefabricated molding caps can be easily attached to the molding
strip at any preferred location along the longitudinal axis
thereof.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the invention is to provide a
prefabricated two-sided molding strip with one side forming an
attachment surface and an opposing side having a configured surface
and molding caps attachable thereto with a minimum of effort on the
part of the craftsman at the work site.
A primary feature of the invention is to provide a more
versatile prefabricated molding strip with one side surface having
a configured surface of one of several differently configured
shapea such as fluted or beaded ridges and an opposing surface
forming an attachment surface. A molding cap assembly comprises a
respective attachment surface complementing a respective one of the
differently configured side surfaces of the molding strip, whereby
one type of the molding caps is readily attachable and affixed to
the molding strip on the configured surface thereof and at any
desired location along the longitudinal axis thereof.
An advantage of the combined molding strip and molding cap of
the invention is the increased versatility afforded the on site
construction craftsperson in selecting the prefabricated design of
the surface of the molding strip that is exposed to view, while
also .enabling a prefabricated matching molding cap to be affixed to
the selected exposed surface of the molding strip.
Another object of the invention is to provide an easier and
more accurate way of aligning the molding and molding cap with
respect to one another on site.
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Another feature of the invention is that the combined molding
strip and molding cap are automatically aligned with respect to one
another because the molding cap has prefabricated attachment
surface features conforming to the exposed surface features of the
molding strip such that the molding strip and the molding cap are
easily aligned with respect to one another to be engaged in closely
abutting relationship with one another.
Another advantage of the invention is that the molding strip
and the molding cap are readily mated in aligned relation to one
another without the use of any additional aligning tools such as a
carpenter's level or square.
A further object of the invention is that the molding cap of
the invention is readily fastened at different locations along the
longitudinal axis of the molding strip, thereby affording easy
adjustment of the location of the molding cap with respect to the
longitudinal axis of the molding strip.
A further feature of the invention is that the same matched
attachment surface features of the molding cap with the surface
features of the exposed surface of the molding strip also enable
the molding cap to be re-:Located by sliding along the exposed
surface of the molding strip.
.A further advantage of the invention is that the position of
the molding cap with respect to the longitudinal axis of the
molding strip is easily and readily altered without the need to
realign the molding cap and the molding strip with respect to one
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another.
Yet a further object of the invention is to pravide a
combined molding strip and molding cap that is made in
essentially flat or curved cross section.
Yet a further feature of the invention is that the
combined molding strip and molding cap of the invention are
produced in either flat or curved cross section, and wherein
the curved cross section is selectable in either 45 or 90
degree radii.
Yet a further advantage of the invention is that the
observable shape of the: combined molding strip and molding cap
of the invention are easily selectable to be flat or curved,
thereby providing a combined molding strip and molding cap
that vary in appearance.
In general terms, the invention provides a combined
molding cap and molding strip wherein a molding strip having
opposed attachment surfaces extends along the longitudinal
axis thereof; a plurality of beaded ridges extends along one
attachment surface of the molding strip and a plurality of
fluted channels extends along the opposed attachment surface
of the molding strip; and at least one molding cap having a
surface including at least one of complementary fluted
channels and beaded ridges for respectively engaging the
beaded ridges and fluted channels of the molding strip so that
the at least one molding cap is in closely abutting
relationship with the molding strip at a desired location
along the longituc.inal axis.
In a preferred ~~«diment the molding strip has a f tat
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mounting surface and an opposed surface including at least one
of fluted channels and beaded ridges, the mounting surface and
the opposed surface extending along a longitudinal axis of the
molding strip; at least one molding cap having a curved
surface complementary to the opposed curved surface with at
least one of complementary fluted channels and beaded ridges
for engaging the beaded ridges or fluted channels of the
molding strip so that the at least one molding cap is in
closely abutting relationship with the molding strip at a
desired location along the longitudinal axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above objects, features and advantages of the
invention are readily apparent from the following description
of preferred embodiments of the best mode of carrying out the
invention when taken in conjunction with the following
drawings, wherein:
Figs. 1-3 are respective front perspective, top and side
views of a combined molding strip and molding cap in
accordance with the invention, and wherein the molding strip
includes a fluted front surface and a flat back surface with
the fluted surfaces of the molding strip being observable, and
with the attachment surface of the molding cap matching the
fluted surfaces of the molding strip;
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Figs. 4-6 are respective perspective front, top and side views
of the same embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1-3, but
with the exposed side of the molding strip including a beaded
surface and the attachment surface of the molding cap matches the
beaded surface of the molding strip;
Figs. 7 shows a front view of a combined molding strip and
molding cap in accordance with the invention wherein the molding
cap includes a rosette-type design in the face thereof:
Fig. 8 shows a cross section along the lines 8-8 of Fig. 7
illustrating the clearance between the depth of the Rosette-type
design and the attachment surface of the molding cap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With respect to Figs 1-3, a first embodiment of the invention
comprises a two-sided molding strip 20 with one fluted surface 21
having longitudinally-extending fluted channels 22, 23, 24 and the
opposing surface 25 having a flat surface for mounting to a desired
ceiling, wall or floor surface. A cove-edged molding cap 40 is
shown mated to the fluted surface 21 of the molding strip 20 by the
engagement of longitudinally extending beaded ridges 22a, 23a, 24a
of the molding cap 40 respectively within longitudinally extending
fluted channels 22, 23,. 24 of the molding strip 20.
Longitudinally-extending ridges 22a, 23a, 24a have a slightly
smaller radius than the radius of fluted channels 22, 23, 24 so
that molding cap 40 is capable of sliding along the length of
molding strip 20 to be fastened at any position along the length
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thers:of. A plurality of molding caps similar to molding cap 40 may
be ai~tached at various and sundry locations along the length of
molding strip 20, for example at the top, bottom and midlength
thereof .
Molding strip 20 is fastened to any ceiling, wall or floor
surface (not shown) by any of the fastening techniques known to the
building or construction trades, such as nails, staples,
adhesives, etc. with surface 25 being attached to the ceiling, wall
or floor surface in abutting engagement with the structural surface
of the building.
In Fig. 1 molding cap 40 is shown with a plane face 42;
however as is described hereinafter, the molding cap 40 may also
include a Rosette-type design, i.e. a design having three-
dimensional characteristics. Furthermore, molding cap 40 may also
comprise a different style or type of molding cap other than a
"covey edge" type molding cap illustrated herein. The particular
type or design of molding cap only affects the appearance aspects
of th:e invention. The significant critical aspect of the molding
cap is that it have a configured surface capable of "mating" with
the configured surface of the molding strip with which it is
associated.
It is readily apparent that the sliding engagement of the
molding caps) 40 with a molding strip 20 as described above
affords a simple and accur,~te way of automatically aligning and
positioning the molding caps) and molding strip with one respect
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to one another without additional alignment steps such as are
required with conventional molding caps) and molding strips.
Fig. 2 shows the "mate:d" relationship of the fluted channels
2:?, 23 and 24 of side 21 of the molding strip with beaded ridges
2:?a, 23a and 24a of the molding cap 40. The complementary shapes
oi: the flutes and the beaded ridges enables the molding cap 40 to
be slid along the length of molding strip 20 to any desired
position. It is this engagrement capability of the invention that
pz-ovides a significant versatility to the craftsman in situ in
a~~sembling the molding caps to the molding strip that is of
significant importance to the invention.
The following description is taken with respect to Figs. 4-6
wherein the same embodiment. as Figs. 1-3 is illustrated with the
e~,:ception that the molding strip:3~ has beaded ridges 26, 27, 28,
25i, 30a and 31 in the exposed or viewable position, and with another
type molding cap 40a attached to viewable surface 25. In this
second embodiment of the invention, molding cap 40a is of another
type having structural features on mating surface 41 that match the
beaded ridges 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 of surface 25 of molding
strip 30. In this embodimeant, the matching surface features are
fluted channels 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 on molding cap 40a. All
th,e above-described features and advantages of the combined molding
strips and molding caps with. respect to Figs. 1-3 are applicable to
the molding strips and molding caps of Fig. 4-6.
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The molding caps of the invention may be produced with
different patterns on surface 42a of Fig. 4 and also with a three-
dimensional design such as the Rosette-type design 50 as
illustrated in Fig. 7. The Rosette-type design 50 is illustrated
in cross-section in Fig. 8 wherein molding cap 50a is shown mated
with:molding strip 52 and respective concentric rings 54 and 55 are
shown in Fig. 8. The depth of concentric rings 54 and 55 is such
so that there is no interference with the mating of beaded ridges
56, 57, 58, 59, 60 and 61 of molding strip 52 with fluted channels
56', 57', 58', 59', 60' and 61' of molding cap 50a.
It is evident to one of ordinary skill in the carpentry art
that 'the combined molding caps) and molding strip of the invention
as described herein provider a stable mating of the molding caps)
and t:he molding strip because of the amount of direct surface
contact with one another.
The molding caps of the invention are attached to a molding
strip by adhesives, staples or nails as such attachment means are
well known to those skilled in the carpentry art.
It is evident from a consideration of the foregoing
description that, although only a portion of the molding strips are
shown, the molding caps may be attached to portions of the molding
strip other than the portions illustrated in the various drawings.
In that connection it is also evident that the molding caps, once
engaged with the molding strip, may be slid along the surface
thereof until the desired point of attachment is reached, thereby
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providing an easy way to determine the most ideal position at which
to attach the molding cap to the molding strip.
The above description serves only to describe exemplary
embodiments of the best mode of making the combined molding caps)
and molding strips of the invention to demonstrate the features and
advantages of its construction and operation. The invention is not
intended to be limited thereby, as those skilled in the carpentry
art will readily perceive modifications of the above-described
embodiments. Thus the invention is intended to be limited only by
the i:ollowing claims and the equivalents to which the claimed
components thereof are entitled.
