Wood Floor Gap Jack

Abstract

A flooring installation tool for closing gaps between wooden floorboards by straightening bowed floorboards or bending straight floorboards installed on a sub floor. The main components are: a base, a threaded rod, a main nut, a pushing foot, a push plate; and a pull plate. The tool base is affixed to or abuts a building structure with the pushing foot abutting a bowed floorboard to be installed. The main nut is turned; linear force is exerted closing gaps between the floorboard being installed and a previously installed floorboard. The push plate when placed between the pushing foot and floorboard allows fastening of floorboard in-line with the exerted linear force. To install the last floorboard the pull plate is placed under the base hooking on the edge of the floorboard exerting linear force between the wall and last floorboard closing gaps between floorboards. The pushing foot swivels to self align.

1 .) A flooring installation tool for removing or adding lateral deflection to a wooden floorboard to close gaps between adjacent floorboards by exerting linear force to the edge of a floorboard, comprising:
 a.) a base plate, said base plate having front end and back end, said base plate has a first leg and second leg the length of the said base plate, said legs each having a foot the length of said legs, said legs are parallel and spaced apart sufficient to fit a pushing foot in-between, the top of the said base plate is slotted to allow a bolt to pass through connecting the tool's pushing foot to a pushing bracket, said slot's length provides for linear travel of the tool's said pushing foot, the top of said base plate has a turned up back flange on the back end, said base plate has a turned up front flange on the front end, said feet on the bottom of said first and second legs have holes to secure the base plate to a sub floor with screws or nails,   b.) a main threaded rod, said main threaded rod is attached to said base plate said back and said front flange,   c.) a main threaded nut, said main threaded nut is on the said main threaded rod between said base plate said turned up back flange on the said back end and said base plate said turned up front flange on said front end,   d.) a washer, said washer is slid in front of said threaded main nut on said main threaded rod,   e.) a pushing bracket, said pushing bracket has a top side and a bottom side, said pushing bracket having a hole in the top side is slid onto the said main threaded rod in front of said washer, said pushing bracket has a hole in the bottom side,   f.) a spring, said spring is of sufficient size to fit over the said threaded main rod, said spring is slid in-front of said pushing bracket on said main threaded rod, said spring has a front end and a back end, said spring length and tension is such as to press on said pushing bracket's front side, said spring maintains pressure on said pushing bracket front side, pressure on said pushing bracket maintains pressure on said washer, said washer in turn maintains pressure on said main nut, said back end of said spring abuts the said pushing bracket front side, said front end of said spring abuts said base plate front flange,   g.) a pushing foot, said pushing foot has a top side and a front side, said top side has a hole in it and connects it to said pushing bracket with a bolt,   h.) a bolt, said bolt connects said pushing bracket to said pushing foot through said slot in said base plate,   i.) a front nut, said front nut is screwed on the said main threaded rod in front of said base plate said turned up front flange on said front end,   j.) a back nut, said back nut is screwed on the said main threaded rod behind the said base plate said turned up back flange on said back end,   k.) a snap ring, which snaps on the main threaded nut to hold a wrench in place.   l.) a pull plate having a front end and a back end; said front end is formed with a turned down flange, said back end is formed with a turned up flange.   m.) a push plate which has a front end and a back end said front end has a low profile to abut a tongue and grove floorboard on the tongue edge of the floorboard below or even with the top of the tongue allowing clearance to fasten the floorboard directly in-line with applied linear force.   
   
   
       2 .) The flooring installation tool of  claim 1 , the assembled tool with said pushing foot resting closest to said base plate back end is the starting position for using the tool. The tool's said main nut is turned on said main threaded rod in the direction to move said main nut towards said base plate front end. The said main nut moves forward exerting linear force on said washer. The said washer moves forward exerting linear force on said pushing bracket. Said pushing bracket, said bolt and said pushing foot being all connected as one all move towards said base plate front end. Said spring between said pushing bracket and inside of said the base plate turned up front flange compresses said spring. The total length of the tool increases as measured from said base plate back end to said pushing foot front side. 
   
   
       3 .) The flooring installation tool of  claim 1 , the assembled tool with said pushing foot resting forward and outwardly in relation to said base pate front end is in the finish position when using the tool. Said main nut is turned on said main threaded rod in the direction to move said nut towards said base plate back end. Said spring being in the compressed state exerts linear force on said pushing bracket. Said pushing bracket, said bolt and said pushing foot being all connected as one all move towards said base plate back end. Said pushing bracket exerts linear force on said washer moving said washer towards said base plate back end. Said washer exerts linear force on said main nut. The total length of the tool decreases as measured from said base plate front end to said pushing foot front side. 
   
   
       4 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , by placing said pushing foot front side abutting an object and said base plate back end placed abutting a different object turning said main nut in the direction to increase the total length of the tool exerts linear force in both directions on both objects moving either said pushing foot or said base plate whichever is abutting the object with the least resistance and will move the object with the least resistance. 
   
   
       5 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , by fixedly attaching the said base plate to a part of a building structure such as the sub floor with screws or nails through said mounting holes with said pushing foot placed abutting the edge of a unsecured wooden floorboard to be installed turning of said main nut in the forward direction increase the total length of the tool, the pushing foot exerts linear force moving the unsecured floorboard being installed to a tight abutment to a previously installed floorboard straightening or bending the unsecured floorboard closing gaps between the floorboards. 
   
   
       6 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , by abutting the said base plate back end against a stationary object such as a building wall or a board secured to the sub floor, with said pushing foot placed abutting the edge of a unsecured wooden floorboard to be installed turning of said main nut in the forward direction increase the total length of the tool the pushing foot exerts linear force moving the unsecured floorboard being installed to a tight abutment to a previously installed secured floorboard straightening or bending the unsecured floorboard closing gaps between the floorboards. 
   
   
       7 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , by abutting the said pushing foot against a stationary object such as a building wall or a board secured to the sub floor, with said base plate back end placed abutting the edge of a unsecured wooden floorboard to be installed turning of said main nut in the forward direction increase the total length of the tool the base plate back end exerts linear force moving the unsecured floorboard being installed to a tight abutment to a previously installed secured floorboard straightening or bending the unsecured floorboard closing gaps between the floorboards. 
   
   
       8 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , placing said accessory pull plate on top of a unsecured floorboard to be installed with the said turned down flange facing downward hooking over the tongue edge of the unsecured floorboard exerting linear force on the said pull plate back end turned up flange in the direction to move the unsecured floorboard being installed to a tight abutment to a previously installed secured floorboard will straighten or bend the unsecured floorboard being installed to close gaps between the floorboards. To exert linear force on said pull plate with the tool in the starting position said base plate is placed on top of said pull plate with said base plate back end abutting said pull plate back end turned up flange said pushing foot is placed abutting a stationary object such as a building wall. Turning said main nut in the forward direction exerts linear force on the stationary wall and exerts linear force on the pull plate, since the wall is fixed in place the pull plate moves pulling the unsecured floorboard being installed to a tight abutment to a previously installed secured floorboard straightening or bending the unsecured floorboard being installed to close gaps between the floorboards. 
   
   
       9 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , said accessory push plate flat front end has a low profile to abut a tongue and grove floor board resting on a sub floor on the tongue side of the floorboard below or even with the top of the tongue of the floorboard and above the sub floor. With said push plate's flat front end abutting a floorboard to be installed below or even with the top of the tongue of the floorboard, exerting linear force on the back end of the said push plate said push plate moves forward moving the unsecured floorboard being installed to a tight abutment to a previously installed secured floorboard straightening or bending the unsecured floorboard being installed to close gaps between the floorboards. Said push plate provides clearance necessary to hand nail or to use a standard floorboard fastening tool to fasten the floorboard directly in-line with the applied linear force. To exert linear force on said push plate with the tool in the starting position said tool is secured in place to the sub floor with nails or screws. The push plate is placed with the back end abutting the tool's said pushing foot and the push plate's front end abutting an unsecured floor board below or even with the top of the tongue of the floorboard. Turning said main nut in the forward direction exerts linear force on the push plate. 
   
   
       10 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which said main nut is to be turned with any appropriate device. 
   
   
       11 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which said main nut is to be turned with a ratcheting wrench. 
   
   
       12 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which said spring maintains pressure providing enough resistance for a ratcheting wrench to work as intended. 
   
   
       13 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in the alternate in which said washer and main nut are one piece. 
   
   
       14 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which said pushing foot laterally swivels self-aligning the front face of said pushing foot to be parallel to an object it is abutted against eliminating damage caused by pushing with a misaligned tool pushing with only the corner of the pushing foot. 
   
   
       15 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which said main nut has a snap ring on the back end to hold a wrench in place. 
   
   
       16 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which the main nut and main threaded rod are inherently self-locking in position. 
   
   
       17 .) The flooring tool of  claim 1 , in which said main nut positions with linear precision not incrementally. 
   
   
       18 .) The flooring installation tool of  claim 1 , in the alternate the tool's said main nut in the alternate is fixedly to the main threaded rod, said pushing bracket in the alternate has a threaded hole that the main threaded rod is threaded in. Turning said main threaded nut turns said main threaded rod moving said pushing bracket forward. Said pushing bracket, said bolt and said pushing foot being all connected as one all move towards said base plate front end. Said spring between said pushing bracket and inside of said the base plate turned up front flange compresses said spring. The total length of the tool increases as measured from said base plate back end to said pushing foot front side.