Transportable rig mat module and assembly

Claim 2

1 . A rig mat module for bearing weight and distributing the weight on a surface, the rig mat module comprising: a top plate and a bottom plate, each plate having an exposed surface, an interior surface and a perimeter edge, and the plate being disposed in parallel alignment with the interior surfaces of the plates juxtaposed to define a grating space between them; a spacer grate disposed within the grating space, the spacer grate contracting and fixed to the interior surfaces of the top and bottom plates; and an edge binder disposed to engage and support the perimeter edges of the plates.

Claim 3

2 . The rig mat of claim 1 , wherein the spacer grate comprises: a plurality of grating bars disposed in a parallel spaced relationship to each other; a plurality of cross-rods disposed in a parallel spaced relationship to each other and in perpendicular relationship to the grating bars, the cross-rods passing through and attached to the grating bars to fix the spaced relationship of fie grating bars.

Claim 4

3 . The spacer grate of claim 2 , wherein each grating bar has a length, a width and a height, with the width and the height defining the cross-section of the grating bar and the length defining the dimension of the grating bars that are in parallel with each other.

Claim 5

4 . The spacer grate of claim 3 , wherein the grating bars have a width and a height defining the cross-section of the grating bar that is substantially oblong.

Claim 6

5 . The spacer grate of claim 3 , wherein the width of the grating bar is about 0.5 to about 1.0 inches and the spaced relationship of the grating bars is about 2-times to 20-times the width of the grating bar.

Claim 7

6 . The spacer grate of claim 3 , wherein the spaced relationship of the grating bars is about 2-times the width of the grating bar.

Claim 8

7 . The spacer grate of claim 3 , wherein the width of the grating bar is about 0.6 inches.

Claim 9

8 . The spacer grate of claim 3 , wherein the height of the grating bar is about 1.0 to about 2.0 inches.

Claim 10

9 . The spacer grate of claim 3 , wherein the height of the grating bar is about 1.5 inches.

Claim 11

10 . The spacer grate of claim 2 , wherein the grating bars are pultruded grating bars.

Claim 12

11 . The spacer grate of claim 2 , wherein the grating bars comprise a plurality of rod apertures passing through a surface of the grating bar perpendicular to the width of the grating bar, the rod apertures having a thickness and disposed in alignment for closely passing the cross-rods therethrough.

Claim 13

12 . The spacer grate of claim 2 , wherein each cross-rod comprises two spacer-rods separated by a wedge-rod.

Claim 14

13 . The cross-rod of claim 12 , wherein the spacer-rod has an outer engagement surface and an inner flat surface, the outer engagement surface having spaced engaging means for engaging the grate bar where the cross-rod passes through the rod-aperture and the inner flat surface for slidably interfacing with the wedge-rod.

Claim 15

14 . The cross-rod of claim 13 , wherein outer engagement surface of the spacer rod includes a plurality of notches, for closely engaging the thickness of the rod-aperture as the cross-rod passes through the grate bar, the notches being spaced apart to fix the spaced relationship of the grating bars.

Claim 16

15 . The cross-rod of claim 12 , wherein the wedge-rod has two similar opposite interface surfaces for slidably contacting the two spacer-rods and two similar opposite curvilinear surfaces disposed to closely passing through the rod-apertures and for separating the spacer-rods apart.

Claim 17

16 . The cross-rod of claim 15 , wherein the wedge-rod is adhered at the two interface surfaces to the two spacer-rods and the spacer rods are adhered to the grating bars where the cross-rod passes through the grating bars.

Claim 18

17 . The rig mat of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling means for holding the perimeter edge of the rig mat adjacent to the perimeter edge of an adjacent rig mat.

Claim 19

18 . The rig mat of claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom plates have a substantially rectangular configuration and are fixed to the spacer grating using at least one means selected from the group consisting of: fasteners and adhesives.

Claim 20

19 . The rig mat of claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom plates are constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of: wood, plywood, sheet plastic and sheet laminate, and the exposed surface of the plates is selected from the group consisting of: a traction surface, a stippled surface and a smooth surface.

Claim 21

20 . A rig mat for bearing and distributing weight on a surface, the rig mat comprising: a top plate and a bottom plate, each plate having an exposed surface, an interior surface and a perimeter edge, and the plates being disposed in parallel alignment with the interior surfaces of the plates juxtaposed to define a grating space between them; a spacer grate disposed within the grating space, the spacer grate further comprising: a plurality of pultruded grating bars disposed in a parallel spaced relationship to each other, each grating bar having a length of at least about 2 feet, a width of about 0.6 inches and a height of about 1.5 inches, with the width and the height defining the cross-section of the grating bar that is substantially oblong, and the spaced relationship of the grating bars is about 2-times the width of the grating bar, and the length defining the dimension of the grating bar that is in parallel with the other grating bars, and having a plurality of rod apertures passing through a surface of the grating bar perpendicular to the width of the grating bar the rod apertures having a thickness and disposed in alignment for closely passing cross-rods therethrough, a plurality of cross-rods disposed in a parallel spaced relationship to each other and in perpendicular relationship to the grating bars, the cross-rods passing through and attached to the grating bars to fix the spaced relationship of the grating bars, and each cross-rod having two spacer-rods separated by a wedge-rod, the spacer-rods having an outer engagement surface and an inner flat surface, the outer engagement surface having spaced engaging means for engaging the grate bar where the cross-rod passes through the rod-aperture, the engagement means being a plurality of notches in the outer engagement surface, for closely engaging the thickness of the rod-aperture as the cross-rod passes through the grate bar the notches being spaced apart to fix the spaced relationship of the grating bars, and the inner flat surface for slidably interfacing with the wedge-rod, and the wedge-rod having two similar opposite interface surfaces for slidably contacting the two spacer-rods and separating the spacer-rods apart and two similar opposite curvilinear surfaces disposed to closely pass through the rod-apertures, an adhesive fixing the inner flat surface of the spacer-rod to the wedge rod and the notches to the grating bar, and the spacer grate contacting and fixed to the interior surfaces of the top and bottom plates; and an edge binder disposed to engage the perimeter edges of the plates.

Claim 22

20 . A rig mat for bearing and distributing weight on a surface, the rig mat comprising: a top plate and a bottom plate, each plate having an exposed surface, an interior surface and a perimeter edge, and the plates being disposed in parallel alignment with the interior surfaces of the plates juxtaposed to define a grating space between them; a spacer grate disposed within the grating space, the spacer grate further comprising: a plurality of pultruded grating bars disposed in a parallel spaced relationship to each other, each grating bar having a length of at least about 2 feet, a width of about 0.6 inches and a height of about 1.5 inches, with the width and the height defining the cross-section of the grating bar that is substantially oblong, and the spaced relationship of the grating bars is about 2-times the width of the grating bar, and the length defining the dimension of the grating bar that is in parallel with the other grating bars, and having a plurality of rod apertures passing through a surface of the grating bar perpendicular to the width of the grating bar the rod apertures having a thickness and disposed in alignment for closely passing cross-rods therethrough, a plurality of cross-rods disposed in a parallel spaced relationship to each other and in perpendicular relationship to the grating bars, the cross-rods passing through and attached to the grating bars to fix the spaced relationship of the grating bars, and each cross-rod having two spacer-rods separated by a wedge-rod, the spacer-rods having an outer engagement surface and an inner flat surface, the outer engagement surface having spaced engaging means for engaging the grate bar where the cross-rod passes through the rod-aperture, the engagement means being a plurality of notches in the outer engagement surface, for closely engaging the thickness of the rod-aperture as the cross-rod passes through the grate bar the notches being spaced apart to fix the spaced relationship of the grating bars, and the inner flat surface for slidably interfacing with the wedge-rod, and the wedge-rod having two similar opposite interface surfaces for slidably contacting the two spacer-rods and separating the spacer-rods apart and two similar opposite curvilinear surfaces disposed to closely pass through the rod-apertures, an adhesive fixing the inner flat surface of the spacer-rod to the wedge rod and the notches to the grating bar, and the spacer grate contacting and fixed to the interior surfaces of the top and bottom plates; and an edge binder disposed to engage the perimeter edges of the plates.