[0001] In spite of the user's interest in its unquestioned aesthetic and resistance qualities,
the wood having fibre pattern disposed orthogonally in respect to the viewable face
has never been used in the production of floors and other similar panellings on a
consistently large scale, owing to the apparently unsurmountable technical difficulties
that it involves. Such difficulties consist above all in the trend - by the fibres
thus disposed - to easily absorb moisture. Other difficulties depend on the fact that
remarkable modifications occur in the dimensional characteristics of the product,
far more pronounced than those occurring in case of fibres traditionally disposed
parallel to the viewable face.
[0002] Until now, the attempts to manufacture overhead floors have led to embodiments consisting
of the mere construction of natural wood blocks of fairly relevant thickness and of
dimensions - as viewed from top - limited within few centimeters. One face of these
overhead fibre pattern elements is glued to the cement foundation, while the opposite
one is intended to form the viewable face; the blocks remain independent of each other,
that is, without connections. These traditional solutions are not intended to counteract
the shrinkage of the wood but, by making use of high thicknesses, an attempt is made
to prevent - as far as possible - the detachment of the blocks, on account of the
precariousness of a glueing between overhead wood and cement.
[0003] The product according to the invention - in order to overcome the drawbacks of the
known constructions - consists, essentially, of a noble layer - that is the layer
intended to form the viewable face - made up of more wood parts having a fibre pattern
being exclusively orthogonal to the viewable face, glued to each other and to a support
provided for the installation. As a result, this construction is able to stabilize
the orthogonal fibre layer which is formed through the glueing on the support.
[0004] Advantageously, an extremely stable wood support is provided, made up of plywood
with three or more layers of rotary-cut veneer, glued to each other so as to compensate
for the respective stresses.
[0005] A support of this kind, very stable in itself, transmits, through the glue assembling
with the components having orthogonal fibre pattern, its own stability to the layer
of elements having orthogonal fibre pattern.
[0006] In a particularly rational embodiment, the layer of the orthogonal -fibre elements
is, if compared to the support thickness, of relatively limited thickness; this makes
the product even more stable.
[0007] The support, usually made of plywood with three or more layers, may be either rigid
or elastic, with male and female joints or even independent, that is, with no devices
for the connection between adjacent elements.
[0008] Among the possible embodiments of the support, provided with characteristics of elasticity,
there are those with supports provided in the previous patent Appl. No. 9456 A/84
of 11 July 1984 and No. 9353 A/85 of 5 March 1985. The present embodiment ensures
many considerable advantages as far as the product flexibility is concerned, which
is a basic condition when glueing a panelling floor to a cement foundation; to all
this, a substantial saving is added as far as the valuable raw material is concerned.
[0009] The drawing shows a possible embodiment of the invention and in particular:
Fig. 1 is a cross-section view of a joint type strip or slat and
Fig. 2 is a perspective view with cutaway parts.
[0010] As shown in the drawing, the "noble" layer 1, intended to form the viewable face
1A (like the trampling surface of a floor) is made up of substantially laminar elements
11 having fibre pattern orthogonal to the main surfaces; these elements 11 are put
close to each other and glued one to another at 13. The layer thus formed is also
glued, through the face opposite to that indicated by 1A, on a support 3 less thick
or thicker than the layer 1. This support 3 is advantageously made up of plywood and
more particularly - according to the drawing - of five layers having cross fibre pattern,
the external ones indicated by 31 and 33 having their fibres in concordant direction,
in a laminar or lath product. The support 3 may exhibit projections 35 and channels
37 for the joint. According to what has been provided in the previous patents, as
above mentioned, the plywood support may have transverse channels 5 in its lower part,
about 2 mm wide or more.
1) Manufactured product for wood floorings, comprising a noble layer (1), that is
a layer intended to form the trampling viewable face, made up of more wood parts (11)
having fibre pattern orthogonal to the viewable face, glued to each other and to a
support (3) predisposed for the installation.
2) Product according to claim 1, wherein the support (3) is made of wood and particularly
made up of plywood in three or more layers (31-35) of rotary-cut veneer glued one
to another so as to compensate for the respective stresses.
3) Product according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the plywood support (3)) made up of
three or more layers (31-35) is more or less rigid or elastic, with possible transverse
cuts (5) formed in the lower bearing surface, with possible male and female joints.
