Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02598999 2012-10-05
TILE ALIGNMENT AND LEVELING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING SAME
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to the field of laying and leveling tile and slabs.
More particularly,
the invention is directed to a device for aligning and leveling adjacent tiles
as they are laid in
floors, walls, countertops, or the like.
Tile has become a popular decorative and functional article for use in floors,
walls,
countertops, and the like. Both professional tile installers and do-it-
yourselfers spend a great
deal of time aligning and leveling tiles as they are being placed on a
substrate's surface.
Proper alignment and leveling of each tile is important for a number of
reasons. One reason
is that if one tile is improperly placed, the error will continue in adjacent
tiles such that the
installation will be unacceptable and the tiles will
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have to be replaced and/or ground and polished until the tiles are level or
flat. In
addition to aesthetic reasons for properly laying tile, a level surface is
essential in tile
floors so that people do not trip and fall on unevenly laid tiles. Replacing
or otherwise
correcting errors in tile installation takes time that adds to the total cost
of the tile
installation.
Laying and leveling tile can be difficult because many substrates are uneven,
such as the ground substrate when laying tile for an outdoor patio. In this
case, it can
be difficult to raise the low areas of the substrate with mortar or other
objects so that all
the tiles are level. Further, tiles can shift and sink into mortar as the
mortar dries. It is
therefore necessary to continually monitor newly laid tiles as the mortar
dries to ensure
that they remain level. If some of the tiles begin to sink into the mortar, it
can be
difficult to raise the sinking tiles without disturbing the adjacent tiles.
Tile installers have used a variety of methods to maintain quality tile
installation
while completing the installation process as fast as possible. One basic
method uses
markings on the substrate surface. Marking the installation surface requires
the mortar
to be carefully applied such that the marks remain visible. Although this
technique aids =
in the alignment of the tiles, it does not keep the tiles level as they are
laid in the mortar.
Further, the use of.this marking technique increases the amount of time
required for the
installation which results in increased cost.
Another device used for laying and leveling tile is a frame designed to space
tiles
an appropriate distance. This type of frame is typically a fixed grid which is
designed
for a specific tile size. The disadvantage of this type of device is that it
is a fixed size
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which requires a professional installer to carry multiple frames in order to
be capable of
installing any tile size. A further disadvantage of this type of frame is that
it is only
capable of installing one type of tile at a time.
Another device used to lay and align adjacent tiles is a spacer such as the
one
described in U.S. Patent Number 6,625,951 (McCarthy). The spacer disclosed in
this
patent provides a square edge for properly aligning adjacent tiles at right
angles, and a
height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the tiles relative to the
mortar
surface. One problem with this device is that it is difficult to set multiple
spacers to the
same height which often results in an uneven tile surface. A related problem
with this
device is that the adjustment means does not allow the height of the tiles to
be adjusted
after the tile is laid because the height adjustment means is located under
the tile after
the tile is laid.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient and inexpensive tile leveling and
alignment device that allows for the vertical adjustment of tiles relative to
each other
after the tiles have been laid in the mortar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a tile leveling and alignment device for
use
in installing tiles on substrates such as floors, walls, countertops, or the
like. The
invention comprises a top plate and a bottom plate. The plates are combined
with a
shaft that extends from the bottom plate through the top plate so that the top
plate is
movable along the length of the shaft. A typical first step in laying tile is
the application
of a setting bed, such as a cement or mortar compound, to the substrate
surface.
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Thereafter, the tiles can be placed in the setting bed. During these steps the
bottom
plate of the present invention is positioned in the setting bed beneath the
tiles so that
the shaft extends upward between adjacent tiles. The bottom plate is
preferably
positioned so that it is in contact with more than one tile. The shaft extends
from the
bottom plate upward between adjacent tiles and is combined with the top plate.
The
-top plate is movably combined with the shaft so that after the tiles are laid
in the setting
bed on top of the bottom plate, the top plate is moved toward the tiles until
the tiles are
between and in contact with both plates. The device preferably comprises a
locking
assembly to prevent the top plate from moving once it has been properly
positioned.
The plates support the tiles so that adjacent tiles remain level even if the
substrate
material is not level. In other words, the plates keep the tiles level
relative to the
adjacent tiles, not relative to the substrate surface. It is not even
necessary that the
bottom plate be in contact with the substrate in order for the device to
achieve a level
tile surface. The plates hold the tiles at the same height so that corners
and/or edges of
the adjacent tiles remain level in the setting bed as the setting bed dries
and cures.
After the setting bed dries, thereby securing the tiles to the substrate, the
shaft is
separated from the bottom plate leaving the bottom plate beneath the set
tiles. The top
plate and the portion of the shaft above the separation point are released
from the set
tiles allowing the top plate to be reused in subsequent tile setting and
leveling
procedures.
In addition to the tile leveling feature described above, the preferred
embodiment also comprises a tile spacer means for aligning adjacent tiles. The
tile
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Spacer means is comprised of one or more vertical fins extending from the
surface of the
plates toward the tiles, i.e. the fins are on the lower surface of the top
plate and/or the upper
surface of the bottom plate. The fins are adapted to be placed between
adjacent tiles so that
adjacent tiles in communication with the fins are properly aligned.
In accordance with an aspect, the invention therefore provides a device for
laying and
leveling tiles, the device comprising: a shaft having an upper portion and a
lower portion; a
bottom plate combined with the shaft lower portion; a top plate having an
opening which is
adapted to receive the shaft, the top plate having an upper side and a lower
side; and a
locking assembly having an opening adapted to receive the shaft, the lower
side of the top
plate having two spacer fins adapted for insertion between adjacent tiles.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention also provides a device for
laying and
leveling tiles, the device comprising: a shaft having an upper portion, a
lower portion, and a
plurality of surface features; a bottom plate combined with the shaft lower
portion; a top
plate having an opening which is adapted to receive the shaft, the top plate
having an upper
side and a lower side; and a lock assembly having an opening adapted to
receive the shaft,
wherein the locking assembly has at least one locking tongue which is adapted
to interfere
with the surface features on the shaft so that the locking assembly is movable
in a first
direction along the shaft but not in a second direction along the shaft, the
lower side of the
top plate having two spacer fins adapted for insertion between adjacent tiles.
In accordance with a further aspect, the invention also relates to a method
for laying and
leveling adjacent tiles using a device having a shaft with a bottom plate
secured thereto and a
top plate having an upper side and a lower side, the top plate being threaded
onto and
movable along the shaft, the method comprising: applying a setting bed to a
substrate
material; placing the bottom plate in the setting bed; placing at least two
tiles over the bottom
plate so that the shaft extends upward between the tiles; moving the top plate
downward
along the shaft until it is in contact with tiles, the lower side of the top
plate further
comprising spacer fins which are placed between the adjacent tiles; leveling
the tiles using
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the device; allowing the setting bed to dry; and removing the top plate and
the shaft from the
bottom plate.
A plurality of devices of the present invention can be simultaneously used
between numerous
tiles being laid on a substrate so that all the tiles on the substrate are
level and aligned relative
to each other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to an embodiment of the
present
invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device of Figure 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower side of the top plate showing the
spacer walls;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the upper side of the top plate;
FIG. 5 is a perspective cut away view of the upper side of the top plate
showing the locking
tongues and tongue release;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wall-tile embodiment of the invention
wherein the shaft is
threaded;
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FIG. 7 is an elevational view of an embodiment wherein the bottom plate is
shaped like a stair step to accommodate tiles of different thicknesses;
FIG. 8 is an elevational view of an embodiment wherein the top portion of the
shaft is thicker than the bottom portion of the shaft;
FIG. 9 is an elevational view showing an embodiment wherein the top plate is
separate from the locking assembly; and
FIG. 10 is a prospective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 wherein the
top
plate is combined with the locking assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a tile 18 alignment and leveling device. The device
can
be used to align and level tiles 18 that are being secured to any suitable
substrate,
including floors, walls, and countertops. It should be noted that words used
in this
specification such as upper, lower, top, and bottom, are relative to the
device as it is
shown in FIG. 2 with the top plate 10 above the bottom plate 12.
As best seen in FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a top plate 10 and a
bottom plate 12 combined with a shaft 14. The plates 10,12 can be made from
any
suitable material, however, they are preferably comprised of plastic with a
metal
reinforcing insert embedded inside the plastic. The metal insert provides
strength and
rigidity to the plates 10, 12 that may be needed for leveling heavy tiles 18
or slabs, while
the outer plastic portion prevents damage to the tiles 18 and does not rust.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the top plate 10 comprises an opening referred to as a
sliding channel 24 which is adapted to receive the shaft 14. The top plate 10
is movable
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along the length of the shaft 14 with the shaft passing through the sliding
channel 24.
The shaft 14 is preferably comprised of plastic, thereby making the shaft 14
semi-rigid.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shaft 14 is square with surface
features 15 on all four of its sides. The surface features 15 of the shaft 14
are further
= described below. The square shape of the shaft 14 allows the locking
assembly 33 to be
combined with the shaft 14 in any of four orientations. This increases
efficiency because
the user does not need to spend time determining the directionality of the
locking
assembly 33 relative to the shaft 14 as the user slides the locking assembly
33 onto the
shaft 14. In alternate embodiments, the shaft 14 has surface features 15 on
only one or
= two of its sides. However, in these embodiments, the user may have to spend
time
determining which side of the shaft 14 aligns properly with the locking
assembly 33. In
addition to a square shape, the shaft 14 can be any other suitable shape, such
as
rectangular as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, or round as shown in FIG. 6
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the device of the present invention
between adjacent tiles 18. A typical first step in laying tile 18 is to apply
a setting bed 20
such as mortar or cement to the substrate surface 22. After the setting bed 20
is applied,
the tiles 18 can be placed in the setting bed 20. In use, the bottom plate 12
of the device
is positioned in the setting bed 20 beneath the tiles 18 so that the shaft 14
extends
upward between adjacent tiles 18, preferably at joint or corner locations. The
shaft 14
extends from the bottom plate 12 upward between the tiles 18 and is combined
with the
top plate 10, which is positioned above the tiles 18. The top plate 12 is
moved along the
shaft 14 toward the tiles 18 until the tiles 18 are in contact with both
plates 10, 12 as
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shown in FIG. 2. The plates 10, 12 hold the tiles 18 at their desired height
so that
adjacent tiles 18 are level regardless of whether the underlying substrate
material 22 is
level. In other words, with the present invention the bottom plate 12 does not
need to
rest on the substrate in order for the tiles 18 to be level. The bottom plate
12 may even
be suspended abOve the substrate as long as at least a portion of the tile 18
is contacting
the setting bed 20 and as long as the tiles 18 are level relative to each
other. The plates
10, 12 hold the tiles 18 at the same height so that corners and/or edges of
the adjacent
tiles 18 remain aligned and level as the setting bed 20 hardens.
Once the tiles 18 are properly positioned, it is important that the top plate
10
does not move upward along the shaft 14. To this end, the device comprises a
locking
assembly 33 combined with the shaft 14 above the top plate 10 which prevents
the top
plate 10 from moving upward along the shaft 14. In some embodiments, the
locking
assembly 33 comprises at least one locking tongue 30 which, together with the
shaft 14,
functions like a commercially available "zip tie." In other words, the locking
tongue 30
allows the locking assembly 33 to move freely in a first direction (downward)
along the
length of the shaft 14, but not in a second direction (upward) along the
length of the
shaft 14. One way to accomplish this is shown in FIG. 1 wherein the shaft 14
has a
plurality of horizontal surface features 15 along its length. These surface
features 15 can
be either indentations or elevated ridges. The locking tongue(s) 30 of the
locking
assembly 33, shown in FIG. 5, are angled and adapted to interfere with the
surface
features 15 to allow movement of the shaft 14 in only one direction. The
surface
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features 15 are preferably close enough together so as to provide a nearly
infinite
adjusiinent for the height of the locking assembly 33.
Another way the locking tongue(s) 30 can prevent movement in the upward
direction is shown in FIG. 10 wherein the device comprises one or more
vertical surface
features 17. The vertical surface features 17 are preferably comprised of a
plastic
material similar to the shaft 14 so that the angled locking tongue(s) 30 digs
into the
surface features 17 and does not allow movement in the upward direction. The
locking
tongue(s) 30 could dig into the plastic shaft 14 directly without any surface
features 14,
17; however, the vertical surface features 17 reduce the surface area into
which the
locking tongue(s) 30 must penetrate thereby allowing the locking tongue(s) 30
to dig
deeper and hold better.
As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 9 and 10, the locking tongues 30 may comprise tongue
releases 31. Activation of the tongue release 31 enables the user to release
the locking
tongues 30 from the surface features 15 on the shaft 14 to allow movement of
the
locking assembly 33, and, thus, the top plate 10, in the second (upward)
direction.
One of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the number of locking
tongues 30
can vary depending on the shape of the shaft 14 and the desired holding
strength of the
device. Typically, an increased number of locking tongues 30 allows the
locking
assembly 33 to resist more force. For example, the locking assembly 33 may
comprise
four locking tongues 30 so that there is one tongue 30 on four different sides
of the
. locking assembly 33. This arrangement is preferably for use with a square
shaft 14
having surface features 15 on all four sides. Alternatively, as shown in FIG.
5, the
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locking assembly 33 may comprise more than one locking tongue 30 per side of
the
locking assembly 33.
FIGS. 1,2 and 5 show an embodiment wherein the locking assembly 33 is
combined with the top plate 10 so that the top plate 10 and locking assembly
33 are one
piece. FIGS. 9 and 10 show an alternate embodiment wherein the locking
assembly 33
is detachable from the top plate 10 so that different top plates 10 having
different sized
fins 26 can be used with the same locking assembly 33. In this embodiment, top
plate 10
preferably comprises members 35 which are received by openings (not shown) on
the
underside of locking assembly 33 to hold the top plate 10 together with the
locking
assembly 33 by an interference fit during use.
As best seen in FIG. 3, the lower side of the top plate 10 comprises several
spacer
fins 26 for spacing adjacent tiles 18 a proper and consistent distance from
each other.
The thickness of the spacer fins 26 may vary depending on the desired distance
between
adjacent tiles 18. Similarly, different plates 10, 12 having different sized
spacer fins 26
may be used depending on the desired distance between adjacent tiles 18. The
spacer
fins 26 are preferably rectangular shaped and extend from the edge of the top
plate 10
toward the center of the top plate 10. In the preferred embodiment, the top
plate 10
= comprises four spacer fins 26 when used at the intersection of four tiles
18, and two
spacer fins 26 on either side of the sliding channel 24 when used between two
tiles 18.
Further, it is preferred that the spacer fins 26 extend from the edge of the
plate 10 to the
= edge of the sliding channel 24 to reduce the opportunity for mud or mortar
to seep
through the channel 24. In an alternate embodiment, there are spacer fins 26
facing
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-upward from the upper portion of the bottom plate 12 which serve the same
function as
the above described spacer fins 26.
As seen best in FIGS. 1 and 6, the bottom plate 12 preferably comprises a
plurality of openings 28. The openings 28 allow the setting bed material 20 to
seep
through the bottom plate 12. This seepage allows the setting bed material 20
to bond
with the portion of the tile 18 directly above the bottom plate 12, which
otherwise may
not contact much of the setting bed material 20. Further, the seepage helps to
ensure
that the tiles 18 remain level as forces are applied to the plates 10, 12,
setting bed
material 20, and/or tiles 18 during tightening, leveling, and setting. If the
setting bed
material 20 was not allowed to seep through the bottom plate 12, the setting
bed
material 20 could raise the bottom plate 12 as it dried which would
consequently affect
the level of the tiles 18.
After the setting bed 20 dries, and the tiles 18 are secured to the substrate
22, the
user removes the portion of the device that is visible above the laid tiles
18, i.e. the shaft
14, top plate 10, and locking assembly 33. To accomplish this, the shaft 14
comprises a
separation point 16 near the connection of the shaft 14 and the bottom plate
12 as seen
in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the preferred embodiment, the separation point 16 is
structurally
weaker than the remainder of the shaft 14 so that the user can twist the
portion of the
shaft 14 that extends above the tiles 18 and cause the shaft 14 to break at
its separation
point 16. Although the separation point 16 is capable of breaking when
twisted, it is
strong enough so that when force is applied along the lengtl3 of the shaft 14,
the shaft 14
does not break. Once separated at the separation point 16, the bottom plate 12
remains
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below the tiles 18 and is therefore not reusable. The top plate 10 and locking
assembly
33, however, can be removed from the shaft 14 and reused in subsequent tile 18
laying
operations. As discussed above, the shaft 14 is preferably made of a semi-
rigid plastic,
and is preferably square in shape. This square shape and semi-rigid material
allow the
shaft 14 to more easily be broken at its separation point 16.
FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment preferably for use in laying tiles 18 in
wall
substrates 22. This embodiment also comprises a top plate 10a and a bottom
plate 12a
combined by a shaft 14a. In this embodiment, the top plate 10a is preferably
metal with
a plastic or rubber material on the bottom surface of the plate 10a. The shaft
14a in this
embodiment is preferably threaded like a screw. The bottom plate 12a comprises
a
threaded opening into which the shaft 14a is screwed for securing the shaft
14a to the
bottom plate 12a. Preferably, the opening in the bottom plate 12a is reverse
threaded so
that the shaft 14a does not become unscrewed from the bottom plate 12a as the
nut 32
us tightened. Further, preferably, the opening in the bottom plate 12a only
extends
through a portion of the bottom plate 12a (not all the way through) so that
the shaft 14a
is secured to the bottom plate 12a, but does not penetrate or screw into the
substrate 22
beneath the bottom plate 12a.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the top plate 10a is freely movable along
the
length of the shaft 14a. The locking assembly for this embodiment is a nut 32,
preferably a wing nut, which is threaded onto the shaft 14a. As with the above
described locking assemblies 33, the nut 32 prevents upward movement of the
top plate
10a once properly positioned. The plates 10a, 12a are placed on either side of
the tiles
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18 as described in the previous embodiments, and then the nut 32 is tightened
down the
shaft 14a to hold the two plates 10a, 12a snugly on either side of the tile
18. After the
tiles 18 are set in the setting bed 20, the screw/shaft 14a can be unscrewed
from the
bottom plate 12a. This allows the top plate 10a and screw/shaft 14a to be
removed
from the tile 18, while the bottom plate 12a remains underneath the set tile
18.
Alternatively, the screw/shaft 14a can be separated from the bottom plate 12a
by using
a weaker separation point 16 as described in the above embodiments.
FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment that can be used with any of the above
embodiments. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 12 is shaped like two stairs
in that
there are two horizontal portions combined by a vertical portion. The top of
the vertical
portion is preferably where the bottom plate 12 is combined with the shaft 14.
The
purpose of this embodiment is so that the device can be used to lay and level
two tiles
18, 18a of different thickness. This is shown in FIG. 7 wherein the device is
being used
to level tile 18 with thicker tile 18a.
FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment which can be used with any of the above
embodiments wherein the upper portion 14a of the shaft 14 is thicker than the
lower
portion 14b of the shaft 14. The upper portion 14a of the shaft 14 is thicker
so that the
user can better grip the shaft 14 when tightening the top plate 10 against the
tiles 18.
The lower portion 14b of the shaft 14 that extends between adjacent tiles 18
toward the
bottom plate 12 is thinner so that tiles 18 can be placed closer together, if
desired, and so
that it is easier to separate the shaft 14 from the bottom plate 12 in the
embodiment
comprising the separation point 16.
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Having thus described the invention in connection with the preferred
embodiments thereof, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that
various revisions
can be made to the preferred embodiments described herein with out departing
from
the spirit and scope of the invention. It is my intention, however, that all
such revisions
and modifications that are evident to those skilled in the art will be
included with in the
scope of the following claims.
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