This invention relates to improvements in molding strips having a concealing curved surface providing a smooth finish at a junction between flooring material and a wall. Background Art

In laying carpet, linoleum or other flooring materials, it is customary to use a finishing member at the intersection of the flooring material with a wall for hiding the raw edges of the flooring. Finishing members in the form of elongated flexible coves or molding strips of rubber, linoleum, polyvinylchloride or similar resilient materials, providing a vertical back portion that abuts the wall and an outwardly and downwardly extending skirt or flange portion that provides a smooth concave transition to the flooring, are well known. Examples of such molding strips are set forth in U.S. Patents 2,300,084; 3,549,471 and 3,638,374; and UK Patent Specification 379,593. Such moldings ordinarily come with a skirt portion connected at the bottom of the base portion in the manner of a flexible toe (see, e.g., U.S. Patent 2,300,084). For the molding shown in U.S. Patent 3,638,374, a skirt portion in the form of a lightly tapered, flexible flap of softer composition than the back portion is connected integrally at a forwardly projected point to an intermediate shoulder of a stepped front surface of the back portion.

In laying conventional thin flooring materials, such as 1/8" to 1/4" (3.18 mm to 6.35 mm) linoleum tile or sheet flooring, wallbase molding strips are often applied after the flooring so that the skirt portion presses down onto the flooring at a feathered leading edge a slight distance away from the wall. However, because later application of the base risks damaging carpet with adhesive, conventional carpet practice is to apply the wallbase molding before installation of the carpet. This necessitates either the lengthy and tedious proper positioning of a bottom end skirt member at the right level above the floor, or the use of the flexible flap, intermediate located skirt-type molding strip disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,638,374, so that the carpet edge can be securely and snugly tucked under the molding strip skirt.

While proper positioning of the flexible flap molding strip may not be a problem, installation is nevertheless cumbersome because of the amount and degree of flexing required. Moreover, its awkward configuration and nonuniform composition makes manufacture more costly. In addition, the same such strip is not useable for both carpeting and linoleum or similar thin floor covering because of the variation in thickness of those flooring materials. Carpeting requires approximately 1/2" (12.7 mm) clearance below the leading edge of the skirt and the floor under which to tuck a carpet; linoleum flooring requires only about a 1/4" (6.35 mm) clearance. Accordingly, different molding strip configurations have been developed for thinner flooring and thicker flooring. Disclosure of Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a wallbase molding strip of integral uniform composition having a vertical back portion with a substantially flat front surface, and an outwardly and downwardly extending skirt portion connected at an intermediate point to the front surface. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wallbase molding strip useable as a wall interface for both thick and thin flooring materials.

In one aspect of the invention a molding strip is provided having integral vertical back and skirt portion of like composition, with the skirt portion extending outwardly and downwardly from a substantially flat front surface of the back portion along a line intermediate its top and bottom edges. In another aspect of the invention, the molding strip includes means for facilitating the optional and selective folding of a lower part of the back portion forwardly to reduce the vertical dimension of the back portion below the skirt, so that the molding can be used with the bottom part in vertical position for tucking thicker flooring materials underneath the strip or with the bottom part folded for receiving thinner flooring materials. In a preferred embodiment, discussed in greater detail below, a V-shaped recess running the full length along a rear surface of the strip below the point at which the skirting joins the vertical portion provides a self-hinge arrangement for folding the bottom part of the vertical portion, when desired.

Brief Description of Drawings

Embodiments of the invention have been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, of an improved wallbase molding strip in accordance with the present invention; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary, vertical sections showing the strip of Fig. 1 being utilized at a wall juncture with thick and thin flooring materials, respectively.

Throughout the drawings, like elements are referred to by like numerals. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

As shown in Fig. 1, an elongated wallboard base molding strip 10 of conventional water impervious, flexible resilient rubber, linoleum, polyvinylchloride or other molding strip materials has a vertical back portion 12 having a rounded top edge 14 and a straight bottom edge 15. A flange or skirt portion 16 projects outwardly and downwardly from a line lengthwise intermediate the top and bottom edges 14, 15 of an otherwise substantially flat front surface 17 of the back portion 12. A recess in the form of a V-shaped score line or notch 18 extends lengthwise along a second line intermediate the top and bottom edges 14, 16 at a point approximately one-half way between the first line and the bottom edge 15. The top edge 14 is curved to a sharp rear line 20 and may be conventionally, resiliently prestressed in a rearward direction to fit tightly against a wall surface and accommodate slight irregularities in that surface. The purpose of the curvature of the edge 14 is to provide a pleasing, smooth and continuous transition from the forward surface 17 of the strip 10 back to the wall against which it abuts.

The skirt or lip 16 is tapered to a feather edge 21 and contoured with an upper concavity 22 to provide a smooth and continuous, aesthetically pleasing transition from the upper surface of the overlapped flooring material (see Figs. 2 and 3) to the surface 17 of the strip 10. The tapering of the portion 16 is done in accordance with well-known principles to provide increased flexibility to the leading edge of the portion 16 that

assists in tucking flooring materials beneath the skirt. The concavity 22 has a slope that decreases continuously from the back portion 12 toward the edge 21, and a similar convexity is provided on the skirt lower surface. The composition of the skirt 16 and location of edge 21 are chosen so that standard flooring materials can be inserted beneath edge 21 without noticeable change in curvature and with only minimum distortion during installation.

In its preferred form, the strip 10 including back portion 12 and skirt portion 16 is formed as an integral member of uniform composition by continuous extrusion through a die, or similar well-known method of fabrication. The top edge 14 and bottom edge 15 are preferably parallel, and parallel to the line of joinder between the portion 16 and the portion 12 and to the recess 18.

The recess 18 extends the full length of the strip 10 and serves in the manner of a self-hinge to permit the optional bending of the bottom part 23 of the back portion 12 located between the recess 18 and bottom edge 15 forwardly along the recess 18 as a hinge line. This brings the part 23 from a vertical position in line with the remainder of the back portion 12 (as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1) , to a horizontal position (shown in dot-dashed lines in Fig. 1) bent 90" forward from the vertical. The vertical port of the back portion 12 located below the skirt 16 serves as a spacer to properly position the strip 10 at the right height above the floor during installation. This forwardly foldable feature of the base 23 of the portion 12 enables the vertical dimension of the portion 12 below the skirt 16 to be optionally reduced, simultaneously lowering the normal elevation of the leading edge 21 of the skirt 16 above the base of the strip 10 to accommodate thinner flooring, without changing the curvature contour of the skirt.

Fig. 2 shows the strip 10 of Fig. 1 utilized with the bottom part 23 in its vertical position in line with the remainder of the back portion 12, as a molding strip to hide the edges of a thick flooring material such as carpeting 24. In a typical application, the strip 10 is cemented with its back surface in abutment with a wall 19 and its bottom edge standing on the subflooring. The added flexibility of the skirt portion 16

permits the cut edge 25 of the carpeting 24 to be snugly and securely brought under the curved contour of the skirt, as shown. Fig. 3 shows the same strip 10 utilized for hiding the rough edges of intersection of a thin floor material, such as linoleum floor covering 26, which requires the skirt 16 to reach a lower elevation above the floor subsurface than the carpeting 24 shown in Fig. 2. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the self-hinge 18 permits the bottom part 23 of the strip 10 to be folded 90° in the forward direction, thereby lowering the normal elevation of the skirt 16.

The installation shown in Fig. 3 contemplates that the strip 10 is secured to the wall 19 before the flooring 26 is installed, Thus, as shown the edge of the flooring 26 can be snugly received between the upper surface of the folded part 23 and the part of the lower surface of the skirt 16 adjacent the leading edge 21. It will be appreciated, however, that the flooring 26 can be spaced appropriately out from the wall 19 by an amount equal to the width of the folded portion 23, so that the strip 10 can be installed following installation of the flooring 26. Alternatively, the notch 18 can be used as a cutting line, if desired, and the bottom part 23 removed completely. In either case, the same strip 10 is available for use over either the thick flooring or the thin flooring.

A preferred material for the strip 10 is a uniform composition of polyvinyl chloride. Suitable dimensions of the strip 10 for use with conventional flooring materials are a width or height "A" of 2 1/2" (63.5 mm), 4" (101.6 mm) or 6" (152.4 mm) . A skirt line distance "B" above the subfloor or vertical bottom edge 15 of the strip 10 of 1/2" (12.7 mm), a recess 18 line distance "C" above the subfloor of 1/8" (3.18 mm) or 1/4" (6.35 mm), and a width "D" from the back surface 19 of the back portion 12 to the leading edge 21 of the skirt 16 of 1/2" (12.7 mm) . Such dimensioning is suitable for standard conventional flooring needs and provides convenient apron or skirt 16 heights for overlapping both 1/8" (3.18 mm) and 1/2" (6.35 mm) flooring materials. It will, of course, be appreciated that dimensioning and particular configuration of the strip 10 will be varied to suit particular needs and preferences.

Those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will

realize that various other substitutions and modifications to the described embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims below.