Flooring system

Claim 2

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a first substantially rigid layer including a plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a first plurality of parallel courses overlying said foundation, a plurality of resilient pads affixed to said first elongate sheets and disposed between said first rigid layer and said foundation, a layer of resilient material overlying said first rigid layer, a second substantially rigid layer including a second plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a second plurality of parallel courses over said resilient layer, a third substantially rigid layer including a third plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a third plurality of parallel courses over said second rigid layer, and a plurality of floorboards overlying said third rigid layer.

Claim 3

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein adjacent ones of said individual sheets are spaced from one another such that limited displacement can occur among said ones of said sheets within said first, said second and said third layers.

Claim 4

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein a plurality of seams are formed between adjacent ones of said sheets in each rigid layer and said sheets are oriented such that said seams in said second rigid layer are skewed relative to said seams in said first rigid layer and such that said seams in said third rigid layer are skewed relative to said seams in said first and said second layers.

Claim 5

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said resilient layer comprises a plurality of elongate strips oriented substantially perpendicularly to said seams in said first layer.

Claim 6

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said resilient pad is affixed to said first layer.

Claim 7

A flooring system in accordance with claim 1 wherein a plurality of said resilient pads are disposed between said first layer and the foundation and said resilient pads are respectively affixed to the overlying one of said sheets in said first layer.

Claim 8

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a first rigid layer including a plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a first plurality of parallel courses overlying said foundation, a plurality of resilient pads affixed to said first elongate sheets and disposed between said first rigid layer and said foundation, a layer of resilient material overlying said first rigid layer, a second rigid layer including a second plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a second plurality of parallel courses over said resilient layer and arranged such that said second plurality of parallel courses is oriented in skewed relationship to said first parallel courses, a third rigid layer including a third plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a third plurality of parallel courses over said second rigid layer such that said third parallel courses are oriented in skewed relationship to each of said first and second parallel courses, and a plurality of floorboards overlying said third rigid layer.

Claim 9

A flooring system comprising a foundation, a first rigid layer including a plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a first plurality of parallel courses overlying said foundation, a plurality of resilient pads affixed to said first elongate sheets and disposed between said first rigid layer and said foundation, a layer of resilient material overlying said first rigid layer, a second rigid layer including a second plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a second plurality of parallel courses over said resilient layer and arranged such that said second plurality of parallel courses is oriented in skewed relationship to said first parallel courses, a third rigid layer including a third plurality of elongate sheets arranged in a third plurality of parallel courses over said second rigid layer such that said third parallel courses are oriented in skewed relationship to each of said first and second parallel courses, and a plurality of floorboards overlying said third rigid layer.

Claim 10

A flooring system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said layer of resilient material comprises a plurality of elongate strips oriented substantially perpendicularly to said parallel courses of said first rigid layer.

Claim 11

A flooring system in accordance with claim 7 wherein, in each of said first, said second and said third rigid layers, said elongate sheets are spaced from one another so as to facilitate limited displacement relative to one another.

Claim 12

A flooring system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said sheets of said third substantially rigid layer are fastened to underlying sheets of said second substantially rigid layer.

Claim 13

A flooring system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said resilient pads are spaced from one another and are affixed to overlying sheets of said first rigid layer.

Claim 14

A flooring system comprising a founduation, a first substantially rigid layer comprising a plurality of first substantially rectangular elongate sheets each including an upper surface, an undersurface, a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges arranged in end to end alignment over said foundation such that said long edges of adjacent ones of said first sheets are co-linear with one another, a plurality of resilient pads affixed to said undersurfaces of said first sheets and disposed between said first sheets and said foundation, a resilient layer comprising a plurality of elongate strips of resilient material disposed over said first substantially rigid layer and arranged such that each of said strips is oriented substantially perpendicularly to said long edges of said first sheets, a second substantially rigid layer comprising a plurality of second substantially rectangular elongate sheets each including an upper surface, an undersurface, a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges arranged in end-to-end alignment over said resilient layer such that said long edges of adjacent ones of said second sheets are co-linear with one another and are skewed relative to said long edges of said first sheets, a third substantially rigid layer comprising a plurality of third substantially rectangular elongate sheets each including an upper surface, an undersurface, a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges arranged over said rigid layer in end-to-end alignment and oriented such that said long edges of adjacent ones of said third sheets are co-linear with one another and are skewed relative to said long edges of said first and second sheets, and a plurality of floor boards disposed over said third substantially rigid layer.

Claim 15

A flooring system comprising a founduation, a first substantially rigid layer comprising a plurality of first substantially rectangular elongate sheets each including an upper surface, an undersurface, a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges arranged in end to end alignment over said foundation such that said long edges of adjacent ones of said first sheets are co-linear with one another, a plurality of resilient pads affixed to said undersurfaces of said first sheets and disposed between said first sheets and said foundation, a resilient layer comprising a plurality of elongate strips of resilient material disposed over said first substantially rigid layer and arranged such that each of said strips is oriented substantially perpendicularly to said long edges of said first sheets, a second substantially rigid layer comprising a plurality of second substantially rectangular elongate sheets each including an upper surface, an undersurface, a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges arranged in end-to-end alignment over said resilient layer such that said long edges of adjacent ones of said second sheets are co-linear with one another and are skewed relative to said long edges of said first sheets, a third substantially rigid layer comprising a plurality of third substantially rectangular elongate sheets each including an upper surface, an undersurface, a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges arranged over said rigid layer in end-to-end alignment and oriented such that said long edges of adjacent ones of said third sheets are co-linear with one another and are skewed relative to said long edges of said first and second sheets, and a plurality of floor boards disposed over said third substantially rigid layer.

Claim 16

A flooring system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said first, said second and said third substantially rectangular sheets are formed of a wood-product material.

Claim 17

A flooring system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said layer of resilient material comprises a plurality of elongate strips of said resilient material oriented substantially perpendicularly to said long edges of said first sheets.

Claim 18

A flooring system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said resiliant material is polyethylene foam.

Claim 19

A flooring system in accordance with claim 12 wherein each of said resilient pads comprises an open-cell rubber pad.

Claim 20

A flooring system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said resilient material is polyethylene foam.

Claim 21

A flooring system in accordance with claim 17 wherein each of said resilient pads is an open-cell rubber pad.