Fastener for flooring systems

Claim 2

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent floorboards, each of said floorboards including a generally vertical side including a generally horizontal slot, and a base adjacent said foundation and including therein an opening spaced from said side, a clip including a generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in one of said floorboards, a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one floorboard, and a projection extending outwardly on said base portion, and a fastener in said base portion of said clip for securing said clip to said foundation, said fastener including a head projecting above said base position of said clip and received in said opening in said one of said floorboards.

Claim 3

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projection constitutes a bend in said base portion of said clip, which bend forms a vertically projecting hump which also extends horizontally generally parallel to said vertical portion of said clip.

Claim 4

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said opening in said floorboard base comprises a groove extending generally parallel to said generally vertical side of said floorboard.

Claim 5

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said floorboards each further include a second side opposite said first side, which second side includes a generally horizontal slot, and wherein said clip further includes a second generally horizontal upper portion extending in an opposite direction to said first generally horizontal upper portion and received in said second slot in said second side of another of said floorboards.

Claim 6

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said floorboards each further includes a second opening located in said floorboard base and spaced from said side and spaced from said first opening, and wherein each of said clips further includes a second projection extending outwardly on said base portion and received in said second opening in said floorboard.

Claim 7

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said clips further includes a second projection extending outwardly on said base portion and spaced from said first projection and received in said opening in said floorboard.

Claim 8

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent floorboards extending in serially adjacent parallel relationship to one another and each including a first generally vertical side including a generally horizontal slot, and a base adjacent to said foundation and including a first opening spaced from said generally vertical side of said floorboard, and a second opening spaced from said first opening and said generally vertical side of said floorboard, each of said floorboards further including a second side opposite said first side, which second side includes a generally horizontal slot, and a plurality of clips for fastening said floorboards to said foundation, each of said clips including a first generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said first side of one of said floorboards, a second generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said second side of another of said floorboards, and a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one of said floorboards and including a first projection extending upwardly and received in said first opening in said base of said one of said floorboards, and a second projection extending upwardly and received in said second opening in said base of said one of said floorboards.

Claim 9

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent floorboards extending in serially adjacent parallel relationship to one another and each including a first generally vertical side including a generally horizontal slot, and a base adjacent to said foundation and including a first opening spaced from said generally vertical side of said floorboard, and a second opening spaced from said first opening and said generally vertical side of said floorboard, each of said floorboards further including a second side opposite said first side, which second side includes a generally horizontal slot, and a plurality of clips for fastening said floorboards to said foundation, each of said clips including a first generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said first side of one of said floorboards, a second generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said second side of another of said floorboards, and a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one of said floorboards and including a first projection extending upwardly and received in said first opening in said base of said one of said floorboards, and a second projection extending upwardly and received in said second opening in said base of said one of said floorboards.

Claim 10

A flooring system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first projection constitutes a bend in said base portion of said clip, which bend forms a vertically projecting hump which also extends horizontally generally parallel to said vertical portion of said clip, and wherein each of said clips further includes means for fastening said clip to said foundation and comprising a fastener in said base portion of said clip and including a head projecting above said base portion of said clip and constituting said second projection.

Claim 11

A flooring system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first opening is a first groove extending generally parallel to said first side of said floorboard, and wherein said second opening is a second groove extending generally parallel to and spaced from said first groove and said first side of said floorboard.

Claim 12

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent floorboards extending in serially adjacent parallel relationship to one another and each of said floorboards including a first generally vertical side including a generally horizontal slot, and a base adjacent to said foundation and including an opening spaced from said generally vertical side of said floorboard, said floorboard further including a second side opposide said first side, which second side includes a generally horizontal slot, and a plurality of clips for fastening said floorboards to said foundation, each of said clips including a first generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said first side of one of said floorboards, a second generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said second side of another of said floorboards, a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one of said floorboards and including a first projection extending upwardly and received in said opening in said base of said one of said floorboards, and a second projection extending upwardly in said base portion and spaced from said first projection and received in said opening in said base of said one of said floorboards.

Claim 13

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent floorboards extending in serially adjacent parallel relationship to one another and each of said floorboards including a first generally vertical side including a generally horizontal slot, and a base adjacent to said foundation and including an opening spaced from said generally vertical side of said floorboard, said floorboard further including a second side opposide said first side, which second side includes a generally horizontal slot, and a plurality of clips for fastening said floorboards to said foundation, each of said clips including a first generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said first side of one of said floorboards, a second generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in said second side of another of said floorboards, a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one of said floorboards and including a first projection extending upwardly and received in said opening in said base of said one of said floorboards, and a second projection extending upwardly in said base portion and spaced from said first projection and received in said opening in said base of said one of said floorboards.

Claim 14

A flooring system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said first projection constitutes a bend in said base portion of said clip, which bend forms a vertically projecting hump which also extends horizontally generally parallel to said vertical portion of said clip, and wherein each of said clips further includes means for fastening said clip to said foundation and comprising a fastener in said base portion of said clip and including a head projecting above said base portion of said clip, and constituting said second projection.

Claim 15

A flooring system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said opening is a groove extending generally parallel to said first side of said floorboard.

Claim 16

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent generally rectangular floorboards each including spaced ends having a first length and including a generally horizontal slot, spaced sides having a greater length than said first length, one of said sides including a groove and the other of said sides including a tongue adapted to interfit with a groove in an adjacent floorboard, and a base adjacent said foundation and including therein a recess spaced from one of said ends, and a clip including a generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in one of said floorboards, a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one floorboard, and a projection extending outwardly on said base portion and received in said recess in said one floorboard.

Claim 17

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a plurality of adjacent generally rectangular floorboards each including spaced ends having a first length and including a generally horizontal slot, spaced sides having a greater length than said first length, one of said sides including a groove and the other of said sides including a tongue adapted to interfit with a groove in an adjacent floorboard, and a base adjacent said foundation and including therein a recess spaced from one of said ends, and a clip including a generally horizontal upper portion received in said slot in one of said floorboards, a generally vertical portion, a lower generally horizontal base portion extending between said foundation and said base of said one floorboard, and a projection extending outwardly on said base portion and received in said recess in said one floorboard.

Claim 18

A flooring system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said floorboards each further includes a second recess located in said floorboard base and spaced from said side and spaced from said first mentioned recess, and wherein said clip further includes a second projection extending outwardly on said base portion and received in said second recess in said one floorboard.

Claim 19

A flooring system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said clip further includes a second projection extending outwardly on said base portion and spaced from said first projection and received in said recess in said one floorboard.