Deck board apparatus and method of making same

Abstract

A method of making a pultruded deck board attachment fastened to a substructure to provide a stiffer and stronger deck board than a wood, wood composite, or plastic deck board, wherein the pultruded deck board attachment, along with any fasteners, is covered and protected with a walking surface that is, in examples, snapped in to place.

1 ) A method of making a decking attachment apparatus comprising the following steps:
 pulling fibrous reinforcements off one or more creels or doffs;   pulling the fibrous reinforcements through one or more guide plates to align with one or more thermosetting resin wet-out baths;   pulling the fibrous reinforcements through the one or more thermosetting wet-out baths, wherein the one or more wet-out baths contain a liquid thermosetting resin matrix to create or form saturated fibrous reinforcements;   pulling the saturated fibrous reinforcements through one or more preformers to consolidate, shape, or form the saturated fibrous reinforcements; and   pulling the saturated fibrous reinforcements through one or more heated dies to cure and harden the saturated fibrous reinforcements;   wherein the decking attachment apparatus is capable of being attached to one or more decking joists on a first side and one or more decking surface capping apparatus on a second side.   
     
     
         2 ) The method of making a decking attachment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 pulling the cured and hardened saturated fibrous reinforcements through one or more pulling system apparatus;   pulling the cured and hardened saturated fibrous reinforcements through or to one or more saws; and   cutting the cured and hardened saturated fibrous reinforcements.   
     
     
         3 ) The method of making a decking attachment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous reinforcements are continuous fibrous reinforcements. 
     
     
         4 ) The method of making a decking attachment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the resin matrix comprises polyester, vinylester, epoxy, phenolic, polyurethane, modified acrylic, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 ) The method of making a decking attachment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous reinforcements comprise one or more of fiberglass, carbon fiber, flax, hemp, aramid, basalt, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 ) The method of making a decking attachment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous reinforcements comprise one or more of unidirectional rovings, unidirectional stitched rovings, continuous filament mat, fiber material, chopped fiber material, woven material, point bonded material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 ) The method of making a decking attachment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous reinforcements are processed in a form of continuous unidirectional rovings, continuous unidirectional stitched rovings, continuous filament mat, continuous woven material, or a combination thereof.