Connection system for portable flooring

Abstract

At each straight edge of a plywood section which is to be coupled to an adjacent plywood section, one half of a coupling structure is provided and the other half of the coupling structure is provided to the other plywood section which is to be coupled thereto. A system is provided which only requires a single set screw to hold elongated coupling halves together while absolutely preventing warpage or displacement of plywood sections with respect to one another. Thus, a ramp structure is incorporated into a recess which results in the vertical dimension of a tongue substantially matching the vertical dimension of the recess when the coupling halves are coupled together. The ramp structure best facilitates sliding the coupling halves into connection and a single set screw can be advanced to hold the coupling halves together with assurance that no warpage or misaligning will take place.

1 . A coupling system for portable flooring comprising:
 a) a coupling half comprising an elongated body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side;   b) said first side including a first recess configured to receive an edge of a flooring section, said second side including a second recess with an opening at said second side;   c) said second recess having a substantially flat bottom wall and a top wall having a ramp surface reducing a top to bottom dimension of said second recess in a direction from said second recess opening toward said first side.   
     
     
         2 . The coupling system of  claim 1 , wherein said coupling half comprises a first coupling half, and further comprising a second coupling half comprising an elongated body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side, said first side of said second coupling half including a first recess configured to receive an edge of a further flooring section, said second side of said second coupling half including a tongue extending in a direction away from said first side, said tongue configured to be received within said second recess of said first coupling half to couple together said first and second coupling halves. 
     
     
         3 . The coupling system of  claim 2 , further comprising a threaded hole extending downwardly from said top surface of said first coupling half and a set screw received within said threaded hole and having a distal end engaging said tongue proximal of an upwardly angled distal bent end of said tongue to lock said first and second coupling halves together. 
     
     
         4 . The coupling system of  claim 3 , wherein said second recess of said first coupling half extends toward said first side of said first coupling half to an end wall where a vertical dimension thereof is substantially the same as a vertical dimension of said tongue at said bent end, whereby when said first and second coupling halves are coupled together with said tongue received in said second recess of said first coupling half and an end of said tongue adjacent said end wall, said top surfaces of said coupling halves lying in a substantially common plane. 
     
     
         5 . The coupling system of  claim 4 , wherein said tongue includes a straight portion connected to said upwardly angled distal bent end terminating at a tip. 
     
     
         6 . The coupling system of  claim 2 , wherein said first recesses of said coupling halves have serrated upper and lower surfaces and said bottom surfaces of said coupling halves terminate at transitional ramp surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . The coupling system of  claim 6 , wherein said serrated surfaces have serrations with pointed ends angled in a direction away from openings of said recesses, whereby edges of flooring sections within said recesses are retained therein. 
     
     
         8 . The coupling system of  claim 3 , wherein solely a single set screw sufficiently retains said coupling halves together. 
     
     
         9 . The coupling system of  claim 2 , wherein said coupling halves are made of metal. 
     
     
         10 . The coupling system of  claim 2 , wherein said coupling halves are made of plastic. 
     
     
         11 . The coupling system of  claim 2 , wherein said edges of said flooring sections are substantially straight. 
     
     
         12 . The coupling system of  claim 2 , wherein said flooring sections are made from a material chosen from the group consisting of plywood and medium density overlay (MDO). 
     
     
         13 . The coupling system of  claim 1 , wherein said top surface of said coupling half includes an elongated V cross section recess facilitating providing a location to provide a threaded hole to receive a set screw. 
     
     
         14 . A coupling system for portable flooring comprising:
 a) a first coupling half comprising an elongated body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side;   b) said first side including a first serrated recess configured to receive an edge of a flooring section, said second side including a second recess with an opening at said second side;   c) said second recess having a substantially flat bottom wall and a top wall having a ramp surface reducing a top to bottom dimension of said second recess in a direction from said second recess opening toward said first side;   d) a second coupling half comprising an elongated body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side, said first side of said second coupling half including a first serrated recess configured to receive an edge of a further flooring section, said second side of said second coupling half including a tongue extending in a direction away from said first side, said tongue having an upwardly angled bent distal end configured to be received within said second recess of said first coupling half to couple together said first and second coupling halves while maintaining said top surfaces of said coupling halves in a substantially common plane.   
     
     
         15 . The coupling system of  claim 14 , further comprising a threaded hole extending downwardly from said top surface of said first coupling half and a set screw received within said threaded hole and having a distal end engaging said tongue proximal of said upwardly angled distal bent end of said tongue to lock said first and second coupling halves together. 
     
     
         16 . The coupling system of  claim 15 , wherein said second recess of said first coupling half extends toward said first side of said first coupling half to an end wall where a vertical dimension thereof is substantially the same as a vertical dimension of said tongue at said bent end, whereby when said first and second coupling halves are coupled together with said tongue received in said second recess of said first coupling half and an end of said tongue adjacent said end wall, said top surfaces of said coupling halves lying in said substantially common plane. 
     
     
         17 . The coupling system of  claim 16 , wherein said tongue includes a straight portion connected to said upwardly angled distal bent end terminating at a tip. 
     
     
         18 . The coupling system of  claim 15 , wherein solely a single set screw sufficiently retains said coupling halves together. 
     
     
         19 . The coupling system of  claim 14 , wherein said flooring sections are made from a material chosen from the group consisting of plywood and medium density overlay (MDO). 
     
     
         20 . A coupling system for portable flooring comprising:
 a) a coupling half comprising an elongated body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side;   b) said first side including a first recess configured to receive an edge of a flooring section, said second side including a second recess with an opening at said second side;   c) said second recess having an opening at said second side and a substantially flat bottom wall and a substantially flat top wall parallel to said substantially flat bottom wall, said top and bottom walls terminating at an end wall; and   d) an elongated shim having a flat top surface and a bottom surface with a downward slope leading to a straight distal portion;   e) said shim attached to said substantially flat top wall with said downward slope commencing adjacent said opening, thereby narrowing said second recess adjacent said end wall.