U.S. patent application number 09/944870 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-07 for carpet securement strip and method of use thereof.
Invention is credited to Jenkins, Richard, Moore, Travis.
Application Number | 20020026690 09/944870 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9898686 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020026690 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moore, Travis ; et
al. |
March 7, 2002 |
Carpet securement strip and method of use thereof
Abstract
A carpet securement strip comprising a substrate (14) having
gripper pins (13) and a projection component (12) of a touch and
close system for securing a fibrous backing (18) of a carpet (26)
to the substrate (14) at a height suitable for underlay (24) to lie
between the carpet (26) and the floor (22) and a method of using
such a strip for fitting a carpet (26) to a floor (22). A method of
fitting a carpet (26) to floors, e.g. stairs, one step (50) at a
time, using the carpet securement strips The gripper pins 13
prevent early engagement of the fibrous backing (18) of the carpet
(26) with the projection component (12) of the carpet securement
strip.
Inventors: |
Moore, Travis; (Dumfries,
GB) ; Jenkins, Richard; (Nuttingham, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Curtis H. Castleman
The Gates Corporation
MS: 31-4-1-A3
900 South Broadway
Denver
CO
80209
US
|
Family ID: |
9898686 |
Appl. No.: |
09/944870 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/16R |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/14 20150115;
A47G 27/06 20130101; A47G 27/0462 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/16.00R |
International
Class: |
B65D 067/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 1, 2000 |
GB |
0021515.2 |
Claims
1. A carpet securement strip comprising an elongate substrate
having a first planar surface for contact with the floor and a
second planar surface substantially parallel to the first surface,
which second surface carries gripper pins and a projection
component of a touch and close system.
2. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
projection component is provided with strips of different
projection densities extending along the length of the carpet
securement strip.
3. A carpet securement strip according to claim 2, wherein the
projection density of the projection component is graduated across
the width of the material.
4. A carpet securement strip according to claim 2, wherein a first
strip of the projection component has a projection density higher
than a second strip.
5. A carpet securement strip according to claim 4, wherein the
first strip of the projection component extends over between 50 and
75% of the width of the material.
6. A carpet securement strip according to claim 4, wherein the
first strip of the projection component has a projection density of
more than 80 projections per cm.sup.2.
7. A carpet securement strip according to claim 4, wherein the
second strip of the projection component has a projection density
of less than 70 projections per cm.sup.2.
8. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate has a generally rectangular cross section.
9. A carpet securement strip according to claim 8, wherein a
chamfered edge is provided on the substrate.
10. A carpet securement strip according to claim 9, wherein the
acute edge of the chamfer is rounded.
11. A carpet according to claim 4, wherein the lowest density strip
is adjacent the chamfered edge.
12. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate has a generally "C" section, the foot portion of the "C"
being longer than the arm portion, the "C" section defining an open
channel for receiving a carpet edge, the gripper pins and the
projection component being provided on the channel facing surface
of the foot portion.
13. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate has a generally "I" section, with the two feet portions
being longer than the two arm portions, the "I" section defining
two open channels each for receiving a carpet edge, the gripper
pins and the projection component being provided on the channel
facing surface of each of the foot portions.
14. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
projection component is integrally formed with the substrate.
15. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
projection component is laminated onto the substrate.
16. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, formed by
extrusion, embossing or moulding of the projection component.
17. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate is formed of a stiff material, such as metal, plastics,
fibreglass, or composites thereof.
18. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate has a substantially hollow section.
19. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate is formed from wood.
20. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein nails
are provided in the substrate for securing the substrate to a
floor.
21. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
substrate is provided with external grooves in the first planar
surface.
22. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
projection component has mushroom type projections.
23. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
projection component has a projection density between 25 and 400
projections per cm.sup.2.
24. A carpet securement strip according to claim 1, wherein the
combined thickness of the substrate, any adhesive and a base of the
projection component has substantially the same thickness as the
underlay to be used.
25. A method for fitting a carpet with a fibrous backing to a
floor, the method comprising the steps of: providing the carpet
securement strip of any preceding claim, and a carpet with a
fibrous backing; affixing the carpet securement strip to a floor;
laying the carpet onto the floor over the carpet securement strip;
and pressing the carpet, and hence the fibrous backing, into
engagement with the gripper pins and the projection component on
the carpet securement strip.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the carpet is fitted with
underlay between the carpet and the floor.
27. The method of claim 25, wherein the floor is stair treads and
risers.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein two pieces of carpet securement
strip are used per step of the stairs.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to fitting carpets, and in
particular a carpet securement strip and method of use thereof.
[0002] Tufted carpets are generally produced by stitching rows of
loops of pile material into a woven primary backing, usually of
polypropylene tape, and then cutting the loop to form two tufts
stitched into the primary backing. The tufts so formed are locked
into position using a coating of latex on the base side.
[0003] Such carpets, and also other types of carpet, can be
finished by way of example in one of two manners. A first manner
requires a secondary backing of an open weave of jute or synthetic
substitute to be adhered to the back of the carpet. This improves
dimensional stability, durability and appearance of the carpet.
Such secondary backed carpets are usually fitted over a separate
underlay consisting of felt, latex foam, bonded tire or
polyurethane crumb or rubber sponge. This underlay provides
cushioning and thereby gives greatly enhanced comfort underfoot,
improved wear and appearance retention.
[0004] Alternatively, in place of the open weave secondary backing,
a needle-felted polypropylene secondary backing, for example, may
be used. Carpets constructed in this second manner will herein be
termed felt secondary backed carpets. The term felt is not to be
limited to animal felt. In this application it includes all loosely
constructed layers of synthetic or natural fibres made by
entangling or matting a fibre batt achieved by needling, with or
without a woven, non woven or film scrim, or by any alternative
process. Conventionally constructed open weave secondary backed
carpets are generally laid over an underlay using the stretch
fitting method as well known in the art. With this procedure,
wooden strips, provided with a plurality of protruding pins, are
fitted around the periphery of a room by nailing and/or adhering
them to the floor. These wooden strips are known as `gripper`. The
underlay is fitted over the whole floor, up to the gripper and the
carpet is then laid on top of this. By impaling the carpet edge
onto the protruding pins, that edge of the carpet is secured over
the flat arrangement provided by the combined gripper and underlay.
The carpet is then stretched away from this secured edge using, for
example, a knee kicker, so that the opposite edge of the carpet can
be secured on the gripper at the other side of the room. The whole
procedure is described in detail in `The Carpet Installation
Manual` published by RBI (Europe) Ltd, MCF Complex, New Road,
Kidderminster, Worcs. The technique has been used for very many
years and gives a neat finish around the room periphery whilst
holding the carpet flat and stable.
[0005] Unfortunately, carpet provided with felt secondary backing
is not always gripped sufficiently tightly by grippers since the
felt secondary backing is often thicker than other types of
backing, and therefore it prevents adequate penetration of the pins
of normal length. Longer pin gripper is also unsatisfactory because
the resilience of the felt forces the carpet away from the pins
when the compression applied during fitting is released, thus
resulting in unreliable fixture.
[0006] A method of fitting felt secondary backed carpets has
therefore been developed in the trade which requires the use of the
projection, tine or stem component of `touch and close` fastener
system tapes (e.g. VELCRO.TM.), of a variety of types as described
in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,183, U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,060
or U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,174 (henceforth referred to as "a projection
component of a touch and close system") according to the receptor
felt layer of the carpet, which tape is adhered directly onto the
floor in place of the gripper. It will be appreciated that this
method can equally be applied to carpets not having felt backs, but
having instead fibrous constructions capable of providing a
multiplicity of loops, or structures achieving the same effect, as
described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,318.
[0007] The cushioning provided by a felt or fibrous backed
secondary carpet is inferior to that which may be provided by a
reasonable quality separate underlay. Use of additional and
separate underlay has therefore been found to be necessary in order
to provide the degree of underfoot carpet comfort demanded by
consumers, in particular since without an additional underlay, the
felt quickly flattens and becomes `boardy`, giving rapid
deterioration of the appearance of the pile layer.
[0008] Early attempts to fit carpets using touch and close
material, with an underlay, involved a touch and close tape
comprising a thick, yet flexible backing, e.g. so that it can be
coiled. Such tape could not reliably be nailed to the floor due to
its flexibility; it tends to lift between the nails. Therefore it
was attached to the floor using an adhesive. However, inevitably
dust is present when laying carpets. This can cause the adhesive
bond to be less effective, and the bond between the floor or the
tape can fail. Also the flexible backing could, over time, become
compressed, resulting in a channel against the wall that will not
be cleaned by a conventional vacuum cleaner.
[0009] Further, these early attempts used loop-backed carpets. Due
to the ease with which the touch and close material attaches to
such a backing, release cover tape was fitted to the touch and
close tape to prevent attachment until the release cover tape was
removed. With release cover tape, it is not possible to tension or
stretch the carpet in the conventional manner since there is no
temporary hold provided by a covered tape. Only by trimming the
carpet before stretch fitting the carpet can a high quality
appearance be achieved.
[0010] It is also noted that in these early attempts to fit carpets
with an underlay, no gap, or gully, between the wall and the tape
was provided. This is since there was no carpet stretching to be
done (which resulted in an oversize carpet that was to be tucked
into the gap). Without tucking, a high quality appearance is not
generally achieved. Further, tucking allows fast inaccurate
trimming by an unskilled fitter to achieve perfect results because
the cut edge is not visible. If a gap is provided with the prior
art tape, tucking would still not be effective since the tape is
flexible, and would not provide a firm backing for the tucked
edge.
[0011] It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a
means for fitting a carpet that has the feel of a carpet fitted
over underlay, whilst still using felt secondary backed carpets. It
is also an aim of the present invention to provide means for
achieving this using conventional fitting techniques. Such fitting
techniques achieve a very high quality appearance to a fitted
carpet, even when fitted by an unskilled fitter.
[0012] Yet a further problem with the prior art carpet securement
strips, in particular the carpet securement strips fitted with
Velcro type material, is encountered in particular when securing
carpet to stairs. The problem is that carpet, when being pushed
into the stairs, engages the Velcro type material too early thereby
hindering subsequent movement or positioning of the carpet. This
can prevent the carpet from being fitted neatly, i.e. with a
professional finish. It is therefore a further object of the
present invention to provide a carpet securement strip that
facilitates the fitting of carpets, for example with underlays, to
stairs. Using the present invention, it is possible to provide a
high quality appearance for the carpet.
[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention there
is provided a carpet securement strip comprising an elongate
substrate having a first planar surface for contact with the floor
and a second planar surface substantially parallel to the first
surface, which second surface carries gripper pins and a projection
component of a touch and close system. Preferably, the substrate
has a thickness suitable for securing carpet with an underlay
between the carpet and the floor.
[0014] The touch and close material may be provided with strips of
different densities extending along the length of the carpet
securement strip. The projection density of the touch and close
material could also be graduated across the width of the
material.
[0015] A first portion of the projection component preferably has a
projection density of less than a second strip. The first strip
preferably extends over between 50 and 75% of the width of the
material. The first strip preferably has a projection density of
more than 80 projections per cm in the case of mushroom fasteners
with felt backed carpets. The second portion of the projection
component preferably has a projection density of less than 70
projections per cm.sup.2.
[0016] The lowest density strip is advantageously adjacent to an
edge of the securement strip for facilitating lifting of carpet
from that edge for adjustment or replacement of the carpet.
[0017] The substrate may have a generally rectangular or trapezium
shaped section. The substrate is preferably formed from a stiff
material, such as wood, metal, plastics, fibreglass, or composites
thereof. It may be profiled. For example, whereas a wooden
substrate such as the prior art gripper has always been solid to
support gripper pins, the substrate of the present invention could
be formed of a plastics or metal substrate, extruded, cast or
molded with a substantially hollow section with gripper pin
supporting portions provided therealong; plastics and metal can be
stiffer and stronger than wood, and is therefore able to support
nails and gripper pins, despite being substantially hollow.
Further, the non-solid section provides material economy.
[0018] The substrate may be provided with external grooves in its
bottom or first planar surface for enabling an increased bond
strength with an adhesive for application of the carpet securement
strip to ceramic or concrete flooring, for example.
[0019] A chamfered edge may be provided on the strip, the upper
corner, or acute edge of which may be rounded. The chamfered edge
can facilitate tucking the edge of the carpet between the skirting
board and the substrate. The rounded edge will both ease fitting of
the carpet, and reduce the wear on the carpet when fitting or
fitted compared to that which would be encountered with a sharper
edge.
[0020] Wooden gripper as known in the art is less susceptible to
the formation of specific profiling since the wood will tend to
flake along the grain lines. However, plywood will tolerate a
chamfered edge and gripper pins can easily be driven through the
wood from the first surface of the substrate after applying the
projection component of a touch and close system to the second
surface of the substrate. Further, wood, especially plywood, is
cheap, widely available and sustainable. Also, the wide use of a
wooden substrate on conventional gripper rods makes the use of wood
familiar with carpet fitters.
[0021] The substrate may also be provided with other sections for
other applications such as under doors or at carpet edges. For
example, an edge strip could be provided in a generally "C"
section, the foot portion being longer than the arm portion and the
"C" section defining an open channel for receiving a carpet edge.
The gripper pins and the close and loop material would be provided
on the channel facing surface of the foot portion. A door strip
could be provided in a generally "I" section. The two feet portions
would be longer than the two arm portions with the "I" section
defining two open channels each for receiving a carpet edge. The
gripper pins and the close and loop material would be provided on
the channel facing surface of each of the foot portions. An edge
strip provides a neat edge to a carpet where it meet a polished
wood floor covering, for example, and a door strip provides a
secure and trip-free joint between two pieces of carpet in a
doorway.
[0022] The projection component of the touch and close system may
be laminated onto the substrate by adhesion or otherwise, but may
be moulded into it integrally by the injection, extrusion,
embossing or similar processes as described for the production of
relatively thin flexible tapes acting as the hook fastener
components as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,310
and U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,060.
[0023] Nails may be provided in the substrate for securing the
substrate to a wooden floor. The nails are driven through the
substrate in the same manner as the gripper pins, but from the
second surface of the substrate to extend outwardly from the first
surface. Preferably the projection component has mushroom type
projections. Typically the projection density will be between 25
and 400 projections per cm.sup.2. However it will be appreciated
that the optimum type and density of projection component depends
on the nature of the receptor felt or fibrous surface and that the
best design will involve a compromise between grab or holding power
on the one hand and the number of successful releases without
receptor disintegration on the other.
[0024] In the embodiment shown, the combined thickness of the
substrate, any adhesive and a base portion of the projection
component touch and close material has substantially the same
thickness as the underlay to be used.
[0025] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method
for fitting a carpet with a fibrous backing to a floor, the method
comprising the steps of: providing the carpet securement strip as
described above and a carpet with a fibrous backing; affixing the
carpet securement strip to a floor; laying the carpet onto the
floor over the carpet securement strip; and pressing the carpet,
and hence the fibrous backing, into engagement with the gripper
pins and the projection component on the carpet securement strip.
Preferably the carpet is fitted with an underlay as well, between
the carpet and the floor.
[0026] The floor may be stair treads and risers. Two pieces of
carpet securement strip are used per step of the stairs. The first
piece is positioned on the step riser, adjacent its base and the
second piece is positioned on the step tread, adjacent its back.
The two pieces are arranged to leave a gap between them for
accepting a tucked fold of carpet. Usually working from the top of
the stairs, for each step in turn, the carpet is fitted as per the
conventional method, i.e. stretching the carpet to fit and engage
the carpet securement strips step by step, driving the fold into
the gap between the two strips of each step. Since the carpet
securement strip not only comprises the projection component but
also gripper pins, the problem of the fibrous backing engaging the
projection component of the touch and close system too early is
prevented since the gripper pins keep the carpet backing away from
engagement with the projections until the carpet is pressed into
place by the fitter.
[0027] Although the present invention is particularly suitable for
use on felt secondary backed carpets, i.e. carpets having backing
having the fibres running substantially parallel to the floor, when
fitted, it should be realised that it could be used equally well
with a carpet having other sorts of fibrous backing. For example, a
carpet having an underside with a woven or non-woven textile that
incorporates loop stitching or some other provision which is either
specifically designed to act as a receptor for touch and close
systems, or simply an underside that is able to function in that
manner could be used. The term "fibrous backing" should be
understood to cover felt secondary backing or other backings
providing a fibrous structure which acts as a receptor for
projection component. The touch and close material density is
chosen to allow multiple fixing and release of the tape to the
backing. Also, since gripper pins are provided, the strips can be
used not only with felt backed carpets, but also with ordinary
backed carpets in the conventional manner. The carpet securement
strips of the present invention are therefore universal for all
carpet types, i.e. with or without felt backing and with or without
underlay.
[0028] The present invention shall now be described by way of
example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0029] FIG. 1 shows in section a felt secondary backed carpet and
underlay fitted with the carpet securement strip of the present
invention;
[0030] FIG. 2 shows a piece of substrate with gripper pins and
projection component;
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a piece of substrate with gripper pins and
projection component for use as a door strip; and
[0032] FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views of the present invention
being applied to stairs.
[0033] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a projection component in
the form of a mushroom fastener 12 is adhered to a substrate 14 of
wood, plastic or other suitable material, which is provided with
fixing nails 16 for attaching the substrate 14 to the floor 22 and
gripper pins 13. Alternatively, the substrate 14 may be adhered
directly to the floor 22. For this purpose, one or more grooves may
be provided in the floor facing surface of the substrate 14 to
provide an efficient key for an adhesive. The gripper pins 13 are
driven through the substrate 14 sufficiently deeply such that their
heads are recessed into the substrate 14.
[0034] The substrate 14 is typically of between 5 and 0.5 m length,
of between 10 mm and 100 mm in width and of between 2 and 12 mm in
thickness. It is generally of simple trapezium cross section, i.e.
with a chamfered edge 28. More preferably and conveniently the
substrate 14 is approximately of 1.5 m length, of between 25 mm and
50 mm width depending upon application, and of 5 or 6 mm thickness.
The chamfered face 28 is preferably inclined at an angle of
approximately 70 degrees and arranged to form a raised lip 30 above
the floor 22. The gripper pins 13 are also preferably arranged at
an angle of about 70 degrees, as known in the prior art
conventional gripper rods.
[0035] The mushroom fastener 12 is of a construction well known to
those skilled in the art and is exemplified by products marketed by
Selectus Ltd of Biidulph, Stoke-on-Trent, England or Alfatex Nev.,
Industrie Laan 16, B800 Dienze, Belgium. Other fastener materials
are manufactured by Velcro Limited, Middlewich, CW10 0HS, England
or Gottleib Binder GMBH, Holzerlingen, Germany. Additional
materials are described in British Standard BS 7271:1990, but do
not necessarily need to conform to it. It is of the same width and
length as the substrate 14. The fastener 12 may have between 20 and
1000 mushrooms per cm.sup.2 but preferably has between 40 and 400
depending upon application.
[0036] A less favourable variation is a fastener of the `hook` type
generally used in hook and loop fasteners.
[0037] Adherence of the fastener 12 to the substrate 14 may be
achieved by using a fastener tape pre-coated with adhesive. The
tape can be applied to the substrate 14 on site by the carpet
fitter who will have previously nailed and/or glued the substrate
14 to the floor 22. However, preferably the fastener 12 is factory
applied prior to driving the gripper pins 13 through the substrate.
It is preferable to apply adhesive at the stage of lamination of
the fastener 12 and the substrate 14 since this reduces cost and
higher bond strengths can be achieved. Direct moulding, embossing
or extrusion of the projection component is yet more preferable
since adhesion considerations are overcome, and because two
components of the composite are eliminated, namely adhesive and
separate projection component tape, and since the application step
is avoided, cost is very much lower.
[0038] Nails 16 are provided in the substrate 14 of a suitable type
for the floor 22. In particular, 19 mm ring nails 16 are generally
provided for wooden floors and 19 mm, 25 mm, or 32 mm Slivergrip
Masonry nails are generally provided if the floor 22 is concrete.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that
other fixing methods may be used which would be more desirable
according to the circumstances (e.g. glue to avoid water
pipes/under floor heating).
[0039] Carpets with underlay 24 may be fitted using the present
invention. The underlay may be of any type such as waffle sponge,
latex foam, bonded polyurethane, tire crumb, or felt. The thickness
of the underlay 24 may typically be from 2 mm to 12 mm, preferably
approximately 8 mm, but should normally be substantially matched in
thickness to the combined thickness of the substrate 14, the
adhesive layer and the thickness of the base backing of the
mushroom fastener 14 to give a professional finish to the fitted
carpet. For example, an 8 mm sponge underlay 24 gives a good
thickness match and a flat overall finish to a carpet 26 when used
with 6 mm 5 ply plywood substrates 14, the difference being the
depth of the adhesive and fastener 12.
[0040] When a carpet 26 is laid over the fastener 12, the mushrooms
are pushed into the fibrous backing 18 of the carpet. Entanglement
takes place and the carpet 26 becomes reversibly fixed to the
substrate 14. The carpet 26 can then be tensioned across the floor
22 conventionally using knee kickers or power stretching
techniques, after which the edge of the carpet 26 is fixed in the
same manner to the substrate 14 at the other side of the floor 22.
The mushrooms are sufficient for holding the carpet during the
stretching. However, the gripper pins 13 provide a ratcheting
effect if long enough to engage into the primary backing 15. The
edges of the carpet 26 are usually trimmed and tucked into a gully
32 formed between the substrate 14 and a skirting board 20, in
conventional manner, to finish the edges. The chamfered edge 28, of
the substrate 14, and therefore the raised lip 30, enhances this
gully 32.
[0041] Installation using the present invention obtains excellent
underfoot comfort, a professional finish prolonged appearance
retention, good carpet stability, and easy, rapid fitting.
[0042] A preferred embodiment of a carpet securement strip 10 that
gives some additional advantages is shown in FIG. 2.
[0043] In order to lift the carpet 26, it was found to be necessary
occasionally to use a tool such as a lever or a similar tool to
obtain an initial loose edge for peeling back the carpet 26 against
the securing force provided by the fastener 12. Moreover, since the
peel forces are high a very high bond strength between the fastener
12 and the substrate 14 is necessary if peeling up of the fastener
12 along with the carpet 26 is to be avoided. A further difficulty
is that during fitting it is necessary to trim the edge of the
carpet 26 whilst the carpet 26 is secured against the fitting
tension so that the edge can be correctly tucked into the gully 32.
For this it is useful to be able easily to peel back the extreme
edge of the carpet 26 without releasing the grip of the carpet 26
overall.
[0044] The embodiment of FIG. 2 achieves this by having two strips
34,36 of projection component 12 across its width each strip 34,36
having a different projection density, i.e. different spacings of
the mushroom stalks 38 (or heat fused loops according to the method
of manufacture). Clearly, three or more strips may be provided if
necessary, or the projection density of the material could be
graduated.
[0045] Across the first strip 34, the projection density, and hence
the fierceness of the `grab` into fibrous receptor material 18 of
the backing of the carpet 26, is high relative to the projection
density of the second strip 36. A preferred projection density is
80 projections per cm.sup.2 in the case of felt backed carpets with
mushroom fasteners. Advantageously, the projection density should
fall within the range of 50 to 150 projections per cm.sup.2. When
the carpet 26 is offered up to the carpet securement strip 10, it
is this first strip 34 that grips the carpet 26 allowing tension to
be applied. Across the second strip 36, the density is less,
typically 25 projections per cm.sup.2 in the case of felt backed
carpets with mushroom fasteners, so that that strip can hold the
carpet 26 to a degree sufficient to hold it in place during normal
use, but no more, so that it will readily release to give an easily
gripped edge to facilitate peeling up when it is required to lift
the carpet 26 for one reason or another. The two strips 34,36
across the width of the carpet securement strip 10 may thus be
referred to as a gripping zone and a holding zone respectively. The
carpet securement strip 10 is fitted to the floor 22 so that the
holding zone the closer zone to the adjacent skirting board 20.
[0046] Preferably the gripping zone occupies between 50% and 75% of
the width of the projection component 12. It will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that a plurality of zones could be used,
or a graduated projection density could be provided. Further, the
effect can be achieved using more than one tape, each of different
projection densities, placed side by side, as opposed to a single
tape having the two projection densities provided thereon.
Alternatively, different projection patterns may be used to achieve
the different "grab" strengths since certain patterns "grab" more
effectively than others.
[0047] This feature provides a valuable improvement in fitting in
that the gripping zone secures the carpet 26 against the necessary
fitting tension whilst allowing turn up of the narrow strip of
carpet 26 immediately adjacent to the skirting board 20 for
trimming.
[0048] It will also be realised that the overall grab of the
mushrooms 38 to the fibrous backing 18 is reduced in the holding
zone which reduces in turn the possibility of the substrate 14 to
fastener 12 bond failing during "peel up" of the carpet 26.
[0049] In order for there to be no possibility of confusion during
the installation as to which side of the carpet securement strip is
the gripping zone, colour coding can be used by either using a
striped base for the fastener 12 or alternatively using different
colours for the mushrooms 38 in each zone.
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is a generally "I" section
door strip 40. The door strip 40 has two feet portions 42 and two
arm portions 44 connected by a body portion 46. The two feet
portions 42 and arm portions 44 extend substantially
perpendicularly away from the body portion 46, all the feet and arm
portions 42, 44 being substantially parallel to each other. The two
feet portions 42 are longer than the two arm portions 44. The feet
portions 42, arm portions 44 and body portion 46 form two open
channels on each side of the body portion 46 each for receiving a
carpet edge. A strip of projection component 12 is fitted to the
channel facing surfaces 48 of the feet portions 42, or may be
formed as an integral part of the door strip. The gripper pins 13
may be driven through the feet portions 42 or may be stamped from
the material of the feet portions.
[0051] For an edge strip, only the body portion and a single arm
and foot portion are provided, the arm and foot portions extending
in the same parallel direction away from the body portion to form a
generally "C" section. Often a smoothly shaped section is provided
so that an attractive edge can be provided to a carpet. The
projection component is positioned similarly on the "C" section to
that on the "I" section.
[0052] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a method for fitting a
carpet 26 with a fibrous backing 18 to stairs will be
described.
[0053] The method disclosed requires two carpet securement strips
10 and one piece of underlay to be provided per step 50 of the
stairs. The carpet 26 for fitting to the stairs will preferably
have been attached to the top of the stairs in conventional manner.
In this way, the method of fitting requires the stairs to be fitted
from the top.
[0054] For each step 50 of the stairs a piece of underlay is fitted
to on the tread. Optionally, a piece of underlay can be fitted to
the riser as well, but this increases the amount of underlay
required without any benefit of improved underfoot comfort.
[0055] The two pieces of carpet securement strip 10 are also
applied to the step 50, the first on the tread 56 and the second on
the riser 58, both pieces adjacent the nape 60 of the step 50, with
the underlay 24 only covering that part of the tread 56, and riser
58, extending from the pieces of carpet securement strip 10 away
from the nape 60. The two pieces of carpet securement strip 10 are
positioned sufficiently away from the nape 60 of the step so that a
gap 62 is left between them of sufficient size to allow a fold of
carpet 26 to be tucked between the two pieces of carpet securement
strip 10, as would be conventionally done when using conventional
grippers.
[0056] In order to fit the carpet 26 onto the step 50, working from
the top of the stairs, for each step in turn, the fitter would
stretch the carpet to fit the riser and engage the projection
component and gripper pins on the first piece of carpet securement
strip 10 fitted to the riser with the fibrous backing of the
carpet. The fitter would then, whilst holding the carpet in its
stretched position against the first carpet securement strip with
the bolster 54, engage the projection component and gripper pins of
the second piece of carpet securement strip with the fibrous
backing of the carpet by pressing the carpet against the strip. The
next step 50 could then be fitted. The bolster could be used to jam
a fold of carpet in the gap 62 between the two pieces of carpet
securement strip 10 in conventional manner before moving to the
next step. This would additionally tension the carpet, thereby
improving its appearance. The gripper pins therefore effectively
"blind" the projection component to prevent early engagement of the
carpet backing with the projection components until the carpet is
physically pressed into engagement with the projection components
by the fitter.
[0057] The present invention has been described above purely by way
of example. It should be noted that modifications in detail may be
made within the scope of the invention as defined in the
claims.
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