Floor construction for an animal enclosure and method of making same

Abstract

A lightweight floor construction for an animal enclosure defined by a plurality of channel members arranged in parallel spaced relation and fastened together by associated connector clips which engage the channel members solely at their lower ends. The channel members are then supported on an associated supporting structure.

I claim: .[. 
     
       1.  A floor construction for an animal enclosure comprising, a plurality of inverted substantially U-shaped channel members arranged in parallel spaced relation, each channel member having a bight defining a load-carrying surface and a pair of downwardly extending side walls terminating in inwardly directed fastening flanges, a plurality of connector clips fastening said channel members together, each connector clip having a base portion and sets of upwardly and outwardly extending fastening legs, each leg defining a laterally outwardly open recess which receives an associated fastening flange therewithin, and each given channel member having resilient means providing a normal resiliency therefor and holding its fastening flanges embraced within an associated set of recesses defined by the associated fastening legs and in grasping contact against the associated fastening legs so that each given channel member is fastened in position and supported by the fastening flanges at its lower end engaging said connector clips..]. 
     
     
       2. A floor construction as set forth in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.in which each of said fastening flanges has a substantially planar bearing surface arranged roughly parallel to said load-carrying surface, and the bearing surfaces on said fastening flanges assuring that each channel member is capable of carrying a comparatively large load. .[. 
     
     
       3.  A floor construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said channel members are of substantially identical construction and the spacing between channel members is substantially less than the width of each load-carrying surface..]. 
     
     
       4. A floor construction as set forth in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.in which each of said channel members has a plurality of projections extending from the top of its load-carrying surface, said projections assuring animals may be easily supported on said load-carrying surface in a non-skidding manner. 
     
     
       5. A floor construction as set forth in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.in which each of said connector clips has a predetermined number of sets of fastening legs and upon fastening a corresponding predetermined number of channel members thereagainst an easily handled floor panel is thus defined, said floor construction having a plurality of panels thus defined supported alongside each other, and further comprising at least one connector clip having at least a pair of sets of fastening legs provided thereon said one connector clip having one of said pair of sets of fastening legs fastened against a channel member of a first panel and the other of said pair of sets of fastening legs fastened against a channel member of a second panel to thereby fasten said first and second panels together to comprise said floor construction. 
     
     
       6. A floor construction .[.as set forth in claim 3.]. .Iadd.for an animal enclosure comprising, a plurality of inverted substantially U-shaped channel members arranged in parallel spaced relation, each channel member having a bight defining a load-carrying surface and a pair of downwardly extending side walls terminating in inwardly directed fastening flanges, a plurality of connector clips fastening said channel members together, each connector clip having a base portion and sets of upwardly and outwardly extending fastening legs, each leg defining a laterally outwardly open recess which receives an associated fastening flange therewithin, and each given channel member having resilient means providing a normal resiliency therefor and holding its fastening flanges embraced within an associated set of recesses defined by the associated fastening legs and in grasping contact against the associated fastening legs so that each given channel member is fastened in position and supported by the fastening flanges at its lower end engaging said connector clips; in which floor construction said channel members are of substantially identical construction and the spacing between channel members is substantially less than the width of each load-carrying surface, and .Iaddend.in which each of said channel members has its downwardly extending side walls arranged in a converging manner so as to define a downwardly diverging passage between each immediately adjacent pair of channel members, each passage enabling animal wastes to be easily conveyed downwardly therethrough to provide a floor construction having optimum cleanliness. 
     
     
       7. A floor construction as set forth in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.in which each of said fastening legs is roughly L-shaped having a vertically extending leg portion and a horizontally outwardly extending leg portion cooperating to define an associated recess and further comprising an inclined cam surface defining the top surface of said horizontally extending leg said cam surface being inclined outwardly in the same direction as an associated recess, and each of said given channel members being easily installed in position against an associated connector clip merely by urging its fastening flanges against cam surfaces of associated fastening legs causing the lower ends of its side walls to be spread apart by the action of said cam surfaces and said normal resiliency causes the fastening flanges to snap beneath the associated fastening legs upon clearing the lower ends of the cam surfaces. 
     
     
       8. A floor construction as set forth in claim 7 and further comprising a cooperating inclined cam surface defining the terminal lower end portion of each fastening flange, each cooperating cam surface being inclined from the bottom surface of its associated fastening flange upwardly toward the center of its channel member. 
     
     
       9. A floor construction as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said connector clips has its base portion and its fastening legs formed as one integral part by an extrusion process. 
     
     
       10. A floor construction as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said connector clips has a base portion of extended length, having said sets of said fastening legs extending upwardly therefrom at predetermined intervals and formed as an integral part of said base portion by punching and forming means. 
     
     
       11. A floor construction as set forth in claim 6 in which each of said connector clips has its base portion formed as a separate elongated strip and said fastening legs are formed separately and fixed to said strip at predetermined intervals, each set of fastening legs for a channel member being provided as a single unit having a substantially U-shaped configuration and a pair of horizontal legs extending from vertically arranged legs of said unit so that each horizontally arranged leg defines an associated one of said recesses therebeneath, and each U-shaped unit being fixed to said elongated strip by fixing the bight thereof against said elongated strip. 
     
     
       12. A method of making a floor construction for an animal enclosure comprising the steps of, arranging a plurality of substantially U-shaped channel members in parallel spaced relation and in an inverted position, each channel member having a bight defining a load-carrying surface and a pair of downwardly extending side walls terminating in inwardly directed fastening flanges, fastening said channel members together by fastening each immediately adjacent pair of channel members to associated connector clips, each clip having a base portion and sets of upwardly and outwardly extending legs with each leg defining a laterally outwardly open recess adapted to receive an associated fastening flange therewithin, said fastening step comrpising the steps of spreading the lower ends of the side walls of an associated channel member at a location adjacent a set of fastening legs, relatively moving the associated channel member and associated connector clip together, and allowing the normal resiliency of the associated channel member to return its side walls to their initial positions with its fastening flanges being received within the associated set of recesses defined by the fastening legs so that the associated channel member is supported by the fastening flanges at its lower end engaging each connector clip, and supporting said plurality of channel members as fastened together by said connector clips on associated supports to define said floor construction. 
     
     
       13. A method as set forth in claim 12 in which said fastening step comprises fastening a predetermined number of said channel members together with a plurality of connector clips to define an easily handled floor panel and comprising the further steps of placing a plurality of said panels alongside each other on said supports to define said floor construction. 
     
     
       14. A method as set forth in claim 13 in which said clips are initially fastened in position adjacent opposite ends of each panel and comprising the further step of axially sliding a clip along its associated channel members to fasten the channel members together near the central portion of each panel. 
     
     
       15. A method as set forth in claim 13 in which each connector clip is made from an elongated section of stock material comprised of a base portion having sets of fastening legs extending upwardly therefrom at predetermined intervals, and comprising the further step of cutting said elongated section to define a clip having a predetermined number of sets of fastening legs and thus define the width of a particular panel. 
     
     
       16. A method as set forth in claim 13 and comprising the further steps of attaching said panels together with connector clips to provide said floor construction having greater structural stability and provide a predetermined spacing between adjacent panels. 
     
     
       17. A method as set forth in claim 12 in which said step of spreading the lower ends of the side walls of an associated channel member apart comprises spreading said lower ends apart with an associated tool. 
     
     
       18. A method as set forth in claim 12 in which each of said fastening legs of each connector clip is roughly L-shaped having a vertically extending leg portion and a horizontally outwardly extending portion cooperating to define an associated recess and each fastening leg further comprises an inclined cam surface defining the top surface of its horizontally extending leg portion said cam surface being inclined outwardly in the same direction as an associated recess, and said fastening step comprises placing each fastening flange against an associated cam surface and said step of relatively moving the associated channel member and connector clip together comprises forcefully urging said associated channel member and connector clip together causing the lower ends of the side walls of the associated channel member to be spread apart by the action of said cam surfaces and said normal resiliency of said associated channel member causing the fastening flanges to snap beneath the associated fastening legs upon clearing the lower ends of the cam surfaces. 
     
     
       19. A floor construction comprising, a plurality of inverted substantially U-shaped channel members arranged in parallel spaced relation, each channel member having a bight defining a load-carrying top surface and a pair of downwardly extending side walls arranged in a converging manner and terminating in inwardly directed fastening flanges, a plurality of connector clips fastening said channel members together, each connector clip having a base portion and sets of upwardly and outwardly extending fastening legs, each leg defining a laterally outwardly open recess which receives an associated fastening flange therewithin, each given channel member having resilient means providing a normal resiliency therefor and holding its fastening flanges embraced within an associated set of recesses defined by the associated fastening legs and in grasping contact against the associated fastening legs so that each given channel member is fastened in position and supported by the fastening flanges at its lower end engaging said connector clips, and said converging side walls of each channel member assuring that each immediately adjacent pair of channel members has a downwardly diverging passage defined therebetween by an associated set of side walls which assures easy drainage therethrough. 
     
     
       20. A floor construction as set forth in claim 19 in which each of said channel members has a plurality of integral projections extending from the top of its load-carrying surface and defining a substantially non-skid surface. 
     
     
       21. A floor construction as set forth in claim 19 and further comprising a cooperating inclined cam surface defining the terminal lower end portion of each fastening flange, each cooperating cam surface being inclined from the bottom surface of its associated fastening flange upwardly toward the center of its channel member. 
     
     
       22. A floor construction as set forth in claim 19 in which each of said fastening legs is roughly L-shaped having a vertically extending leg portion and a horizontally outwardly extending leg portion cooperating to define an associated recess and further comprising an inclined cam surface defining the top surface of said horizontally extending leg said cam surface being inclined outwardly in the same direction as an associated recess, and each of said given channel members being easily installed in position against an associated connector clip merely by urging its fastening flanges against cam surfaces of associated fastening legs causing the lower ends of its side walls to be spread apart by the action of said cam surfaces and said normal resiliency causes the fastening flanges to snap beneath the associated fastening legs upon clearing the lower ends of the cam surfaces. 
     
     
       23. An inverted substantially U-shaped channel member for use in a floor construction comprising, a bight defining a load-carrying surface, a pair of downwardly extending side walls, a pair of inwardly directed fastening flanges each extending inwardly toward the other from the lower edge of an associated side wall, each of said fastening flanges having a substantially planar bearing surface arranged roughly parallel to said load-carrying surface, said bearing surfaces being arranged substantially coplanar and having a sufficient area to assure said channel member is capable of carrying a comparatively large load, and an inclined cam surface defining the terminal lower end portion of each fastening flange, each cam surface being inclined from the bottom surface of its associated fastening flange upwardly toward the center of said channel member, said channel member being made of a resilient material with said inclined cam surfaces enabling said fastening flanges to be cammed outwardly and snapped firmly in position beneath associated fastening legs provided on a connector used to support said channel member. 
     
     
       24. A channel member as set forth in claim 23 in which said downwardly extending side walls are arranged in a downwardly converging manner. 
     
     
       25. A channel member as set forth in claim 23 made by extrusion process and having a plurality of integral projections extending from the top of its load-carrying surface and defining a substantially non-skid surface. .[.26. An inverted substantially U-shaped channel member for use in a floor construction, said channel member comprising a bight defining a top load-carrying surface, a pair of downwardly extending side walls, a plurality of upstanding projections on said bight defining said load-carrying surface as a substantially non-skid surface, and a pair of inwardly directed fastening flanges each extending inwardly toward the other from the lower edge of an associated side wall, said channel member having a width between the lower edges of said side walls which is no greater than the width of said top load-carrying surface, said channel member being made of a resilient material which enables the lower ends of its side walls and hence its fastening flanges to be spread apart at a location adjacent a set of associated fastening legs provided on an associated connector clip used to connect said channel member to an associated structural member and upon releasing said side walls the normal resiliency of said channel member causes its side walls to return to their initial positions with the fastening flanges hooked around said fastening legs so that said channel member is fastened in position and supported in its upright position by the fastening flanges at its lower end engaging 
     
     
        said connector clip..]. 27. A .[.channel member.]. .Iadd.floor construction .Iaddend.as set forth in claim .[.26.]. .Iadd.20 .Iaddend.in which said downwardly extending side walls are arranged in a downwardly converging manner, each of said fastening flanges has a substantially planar bearing surface arrangged roughly parallel to said load-carrying surface, and said bearing surfaces being arranged substantially coplanar and having a sufficient area to assure said channel .[.member is.]. .Iadd.members are .Iaddend.capable of carrying a comparatively large load. .Iadd. 28. A floor construction as set forth in claim 27 in which said grasping is exerted by said fastening flanges toward each other along the plane of said substantially planar bearing surface. .Iaddend..Iadd. 29. A floor construction as set forth in claim 28 which is for an animal enclosure and through whose said downwardly diverging passages animal wastes may be easily conveyed downwardly. .Iaddend..Iadd. 30. A floor construction as set forth in claim 11 in which said channel members are of substantially identical construction and the spacing between channel members is substantially less than the width of each load-carrying surface. .Iaddend.