Panelling system formed from panels defined by tongue and groove strips

Abstract

A panelling system preferably for floors is defined by a series of panels each formed of a plurality of tongue and groove main floor plank strips arranged side edge to side edge and cut to a common length with a tongue along one cut edge and a groove along the other. At the edges are attached edge strips formed also from the flooring planks with tongue and groove and fastened together to form a common panel member for transportation and installation. The outwardly facing edge of each edge has a tongue or groove for mating with a groove or tongue of a next adjacent panel. The strips are fastened by a corrugated fastening plate bridging the junction or by pins from the rear or by a bonded sheet material on the rear.

1 . A panelling system comprising:
 a plurality of panel members for locating on a supporting surface generally edge to edge in an array to at least partly cover the supporting surface;   each panel member having a front surface for defining an exposed surface of the panelling system, a rear surface for engaging the supporting surface and four side edges;   each panel member comprising a plurality of main strips arranged side edge to side edge to form a rectangular panel body having four sides including a first pair of parallel sides and a second pair of parallel sides, a first dividing strip and a second dividing strip;   each dividing strip extending along a respective one of the first pair of parallel sides so as to define a first inner side edge engaging the panel body and a second exposed outer edge;   wherein the outer edge of the first dividing strip has a tongue therealong and the outer edge of the second dividing strip has a corresponding groove therealong;   wherein a first one of the second parallel sides has a tongue therealong and a second one of the second parallel sides has a corresponding groove therealong;   wherein at least one of the dividing strips includes a portion thereof projecting beyond an edge of the panel body;   and wherein the dividing strips and the main strips are fastened together to form a common panel member for transportation and installation.   
   
   
       2 . The panelling system according to  claim 1  wherein the dividing strips of the panel members are arranged with the portion of at least one of the dividing strips of each panel member projecting beyond the main strips of the respective panel member such that, when four of the panel members are assembled into the system with the main strips of one panel member at right angles to the main strips of each next adjacent panel and with one of the dividing strips between the main strips of each panel member and the next so as to form a rectangular area at a junction between corners of the main strips of the four of the panels; the rectangular area defined at the junction between said four of the panels is filled by said portion of said at least one dividing strip. 
   
   
       3 . The panelling system according to  claim 2  wherein each of the dividing strips has an end portion which projects beyond the end of the respective main strips and the end portions are shaped to cooperate to fill the rectangular area. 
   
   
       4 . The panelling system according to  claim 3  wherein each end portion is shaped to form diagonal end edges at an angle to the respective side edge. 
   
   
       5 . The panelling system according to  claim 4  wherein one end edge of each end portion has a tongue and an opposed end edge of each end portion has a groove. 
   
   
       6 . The panelling system according to  claim 4  wherein the end portions of the dividing strips meet at the junction between four of the panel members with the apexes in contact at a center of the rectangular area. 
   
   
       7 . The panelling system according to  claim 4  wherein the end portions of the dividing strips have the end edges thereof in the front surface chamfered such that the dividing strips when butting have a chamfered groove at the front surface. 
   
   
       8 . The panelling system according to  claim 1  wherein the dividing strips and the main strips are fastened together by a plurality of pins each inserted at a butting edge between one strip and a next adjacent strip through the rear surface at a groove on one side of the butting edge and extending into a tongue in the groove with a front end of the pin terminating at a position spaced from the front surface. 
   
   
       9 . The panelling system according to  claim 8  wherein each pin is inclined at an angle to a plane containing the butting edge so as to pass through the plane. 
   
   
       10 . The panelling system according to  claim 8  wherein each main strip is fastened to each next adjacent strip by a plurality of the pins at spaced positions along the main strips and each dividing strip is fastened to the main strips by a plurality of the pins at spaced positions along the dividing strip. 
   
   
       11 . The panelling system according to  claim 1  wherein the dividing strips and the main strips are fastened together by corrugated joining plate members each plate member bridging a butting line between the strips so as to have a part of its length in one strip and a part of its length in a next adjacent strip and each plate member engaged into the strips through the rear surface thereof such that a height of the plate member extends into the thickness of the strips, each joining plate member being shaped with a series of corrugations spaced along its length with each corrugation extending through the height of the plate member. 
   
   
       12 . The panelling system according to  claim 11  wherein the plate member is formed of a plastics material which can be cut by a cutting blade when the strips are cut. 
   
   
       13 . The panelling system according to  claim 11  wherein the strips are formed of a base layer and a hard wood covering layer on the front surface and wherein the height of the plate members is such that the plate members extend from the rear surface into the base layer and do not reach the covering layer. 
   
   
       14 . The panelling system according to  claim 1  wherein the strips are formed of a base layer and a hard wood covering layer on the front surface. 
   
   
       15 . A panelling system comprising:
 a plurality of panel members for locating on a supporting surface generally edge to edge in an array to at least partly cover the supporting surface;   each panel member having a front surface for defining an exposed surface of the panelling system, a rear surface for engaging the supporting surface and four side edges;   each panel member comprising:
 a plurality of main strips arranged side edge to side edge; 
 each main strip having a tongue along one side edge and a corresponding groove along an opposed side edge; 
 so that the main strips are connected side by side by interconnection of the tongues and the grooves; 
 wherein first ends of the main strips lie in a first common line and second ends of the main strips lie in a second common line; 
 wherein the main strips have an exposed tongue along the first common line for co-operating with a groove of a next adjacent panel and an exposed groove along the second common line for co-operating with a tongue of a next adjacent panel, 
 and wherein a first main strip at one side of the main strips has a tongue along the first main strip and a second main strip at an opposed second side of the main strips has a groove along the second main strip; 
 a first dividing strip extending along the tongue of the first main strip; 
 a second dividing strip extending along the groove of the second main strip; 
 wherein each of the dividing strips has a front surface of the dividing strip to define with the front surfaces of the main strips the front surface of the panel; 
 wherein each of the dividing strips has a tongue along one side edge and a corresponding groove along an opposed side edge; 
 wherein the first dividing strip has the groove thereof engaged with the tongue of the first main strip; 
 wherein the second dividing strip has the tongue thereof engaged with the groove of the second main strip; 
 wherein at least one of the dividing strips includes a portion thereof projecting beyond an edge of the panel body; 
 and wherein the dividing strips and the main strips are fastened together to form a common panel member for transportation and installation. 
   
   
   
       16 . A panelling system comprising a plurality of panel members each formed from a plurality of side by side strips which are fastened together to form a common panel member for transportation and installation, each panel member having a front surface for defining an exposed surface of the panelling system and a rear surface for engaging a supporting surface;
 wherein the strips are fastened together by corrugated joining plate members;   each plate member bridging a butting line between the strips so as to have a part of its length in one strip and a part of its length in a next adjacent strip and each plate member engaged into the strips through the rear surface thereof such that a height of the plate member extends into the thickness of the strips, each joining plate member being shaped with a series of corrugations spaced along its length with each corrugation extending through the height of the plate member.   
   
   
       17 . The panelling system according to  claim 16  wherein the plate member is formed of a plastics material which can be cut by a cutting blade when the strips are cut. 
   
   
       18 . The panelling system according to  claim 16  wherein the strips are formed of a base layer and a hard wood covering layer on the front surface and wherein the height of the plate members is such that the plate members extend from the rear surface into the base layer and do not reach the covering layer. 
   
   
       19 . The panelling system according to  claim 16  wherein the base layer is plywood. 
   
   
       20 . The panelling system according to  claim 16  wherein strips are connected side by side by a tongue and groove connection with the plate member bridging the tongue and groove and extending into the strips on each side of the tongue and groove interconnection.