Method and apparatus for a construction site flooring system

Claim 1

A flooring system for use as the temporary surface of a construction site and roadway leading thereto and adapted for supporting heavy equipment such as oil well drilling equipment, the flooring system comprising: a plurality of adjacent rows of interlocking flooring units, each unit including a rectangular base section having a first end and an opposed second end, said base formed of a plurality of parallel boards of substantially equal length; a rectangular surface section having a first end and an opposed second end, said surface section attached to and overlaying the base section with the side edges and ends of the surface section aligned with the corresponding side edges and ends of the base section, the surface section formed of a plurality of parallel boards of uniform length interconnected substantially perpendicular to the boards of the base section, the second end of the surface section having at least one open locking slot formed by a pair of upper surface boards and the base section; a locking tab projecting only from the first end of the surface section, the locking tab being aligned with the locking slot of the second end whereby the locking tab of a first flooring unit may be vertically lowered into the locking slot of an adjacent flooring unit to form a portion of the adjacent rows of flooring units; and a top layer overlaying the surface sections of the flooring units, the top layer formed of a plurality of boards.

Claim 4

A method for constructing a reusable flooring system to be used at a construction site and roadway such as an oil well drilling location with a lifting device such as a crane at the site, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of adjacent rows of interlocking flooring units, a single end of each of said flooring units having a locking tab extending from said single end and an open locking slot aligned with the locking tab on the opposed end of each of said units, providing said rows of interlocking flooring units including the steps of engaging the lifting device to a first flooring unit; vertically positioning the first flooring unit with respect to a second flooring unit with the use of the lifting device; vertically lowering the first unit with respect to the second unit and vertically lowering the locking tab of the first unit into the locking slot of the second unit; disengaging the lifting device from the first unit whereby the first flooring unit is interlocked to the second flooring unit; repeating the steps of engaging, vertically positioning, vertically lowering and disengaging while using additional flooring units whereby said rows of interlocking flooring units are formed; and (b) overlaying a top layer to the surface sections of the flooring units, said top layer formed of a plurality of boards.

Claim 5

A method for constructing a reusable flooring system to be used at a construction site and roadway such as an oil well drilling location with a lifting device such as a crane at the site, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of adjacent rows of interlocking flooring units, a single end of each of said flooring units having a locking tab extending from said single end and an open locking slot aligned with the locking tab on the opposed end of each of said units, providing said rows of interlocking flooring units including the steps of engaging the lifting device to a first flooring unit; vertically positioning the first flooring unit with respect to a second flooring unit with the use of the lifting device; vertically lowering the first unit with respect to the second unit and vertically lowering the locking tab of the first unit into the locking slot of the second unit; disengaging the lifting device from the first unit whereby the first flooring unit is interlocked to the second flooring unit; repeating the steps of engaging, vertically positioning, vertically lowering and disengaging while using additional flooring units whereby said rows of interlocking flooring units are formed; and (b) overlaying a top layer to the surface sections of the flooring units, said top layer formed of a plurality of boards.