TITLE

Road Mat

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Current road mat designs are limited to large square or rectangular mats, which are designed to be laid directly onto a ground surface prior to being driven over by vehicles and equipment. These mats see such service in areas where it is prohibitively expensive to develop a full-scale roadway and where access is required and time sensitive, as well as in environmentally sensitive areas where development of a full-scale roadway is simply not feasible due to regulations and/or environmental concerns. The current designs are limited by there ability to provide some form of highly secure mechanical interlocking mechanism to prevent the shifting of the mats while being traversed by heavy equipment. If the mats shift for any reason and become unhinged, substantial damage may occur to the traversing equipment, as well such shifting requires maintenance of the mats, substantially increasing transportation costs. Though some designs exist that provide for a limited interlocking capability they are restricted in both their ability to interlock; to allow for an even surface when placed on undulating sub soils; to allow for load dispersal and weight transfer between the structures and to allow for ease of installation and removal, i.e.: unlocking.

[004] Common road mat designs are mainly large steel and wooden mats that are designed to be laid over the surface to be traversed. Such mats, as noted in prior art contained in Canadian patent # 2348328, generally use a rudimentary L or J shaped reversing or reciprocating style end joint or coupling end, that is easily joined upon placement but provides for very limited and inherently insecure interlocking capability. Such imprecise designs afford numerous difficulties upon removal, this mainly due to the collection of debris in the sloppy or loose mating joints. A further deficit of current designs is the capability for wildlife traversing the mats to become injured due to the substantial joint gaps required and presented by such designs.

[005] Canadian Patent application 2,414,518 describes a road mat with a C style mat end coupling interlock that provides for dynamic coupling of two or more successive mat ends. In some instances where these mats are laid out as ground cover there is a need for coupling of the side members of the mats to prevent unwanted dislocation of the one mat side from another mat side.

[006] The proposed invention provides for an L or J style static mat side coupling mechanism to support the dynamic C style mat end lock system of the earlier invention. The L or J style side coupler providing further protection against unwanted displacement of the mats. The mat side lock as described in the invention has been widely used throughout the industry for many years, however it has never been used in conjunction with the C style dynamic mat end interlock as described in Canadian application 2,414,518.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

[007] Review of the Prior Art

[008] The rudimentary L or J style coupling design has been in use for many years and has been described in numerous patents.

[009] For example, Webster US Patent #3859000 depicts a panel interlocking end with a simple hook or L style end or side feature whereby the retaining lip of one panel interlock, interlocks with the successive, identical panel interlock of panel two. Webster also depicts in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 how numerous such mats or panels can be assembled collectively as a ground cover.

[010] Stasiewich Canadian patent # 2348328 depicts a joint element for interlocking two successive panel ends with a hook or L style end or side feature whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two.

[011] Stasiewich Canadian patent # 2348968 depicts a joint element for interlocking two successive mat ends and the respective mat sides with a hook or L style end and side feature whereby the retaining lips of panel one simply interlock with the reciprocal retaining lips of a panel two.

[012] Huerta US Patent 3564801 depicts a joint element for interlocking two successive panel ends with a hook or L style end or side feature whereby the

retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two.

[013] Sohns US Patent 3397496 depicts an interlocking panel end with a hook or L style hook whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining Hp of panel two.

[014] Clayton et. al. US Patent 3301147 depicts an interlocking panel end with a hook or L style feature forming a retaining lip whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two.

[015] Rowley US Patent 2740167 depicts a hook or L style feature used for interlocking two successive panels. However, none of these L or J style end or side coupling designs have the benefit of the dynamic mat end C style interlock of the proposed invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[016] What is required is a ground cover mat that allows for dynamic end coupling while also addressing the concern of lateral displacement of the mat sides.

[017] According to the present invention there is provided a ground cover mat that includes a rectangular body having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side. A first end C style interlock is provided at a first end of the body

which is adapted to interlock with a second C style end interlock at a second end of a like body. A first side L or J style interlock is provided at a first side of the body which is adapted to interlock with a second side reciprocal L or J interlock at a second side of an adjacent like body. A second side L or J style interlock is provided at the second side of the body which is adapted to interlock with the first side L or J style interlock at a second end of an adjacent like body. The side interlocks as described above prevent the lateral displacement of adjacent mats however they do not provide for dynamic coupling ability.

[018] In a second embodiment of the ground cover mat utilizing mat end locks as described in Canadian application #2,414,518 and constructed in accordance with teachings of the present invention, there is provided a male and female means on each successive mat for the retention of the first mat side with the reciprocal second mat side, whereby a female engagement means, or slot, of the first mat side is provided for reception of the second mat side male L or J style engagement means. Each successive mat side is being reciprocally placed so that the female engagement means of one mat side is always coupling with the male engagement means of a second mat side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[019] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not

intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:

[020] FIG. 1 Shows the road mat with end locking mechanism, male connector, female connector, support and interlocking kick plate with first end and second end.

[021] FIG. 2 Shows the road mats joined with the reciprocating first end interlocking with reciprocating second end with the male connectors, female connectors, support plate and interlocking kick plates fully interlocked.

[022] FIG. 3 Shows the road mat with the reciprocating ends in mirror image with male connectors, female connectors, support plate and interlocking kick plates, mat top plate and mat bottom plate.

[023] FIG. 4 Shows the road mat interlocked with the male connectors interlocking with the reciprocal female connectors resulting in a smooth top and bottom plate joint.

[024] FIG. 5 Shows the road mat with end locking mechanism, male connector, female connector, support and interlocking kick plate with first end and second end with first side and second side interlocks.

[025] FIG. 6 Shows the road mats joined end to end and side to side with the reciprocating first end interlocking with reciprocating second end with the male

connectors, female connectors, reciprocating first side interlocking with reciprocating second side interlock with support plate and interlocking kick plates fully engaged.

[026] FIG. 7 Shows the road mat with the reciprocating side interlocks in mirror image.

[027] FIG. 8 Shows the road mat with the reciprocating side interlocks fully engaged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[028] The preferred embodiment, a road mat generally identified by reference numeral 110, will now be described with reference to FIGS. I ₅ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

[029] Structure and Relationship of Parts

[030] Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a road mat 110 that includes a mat body 112 with a first end 120, a second end 122. The end locking mechanism 124 is provided at the first end 120 and the second end 122. First end locking mechanism 124 has a male coupling portion 128 and a female coupling portion 130 that extends on the first end 120.

[031] The second coupling end 122 is provided as a reciprocal end to first

coupling end 120 of road mat 110. The second coupling end 122 is produced as a mirror image of first coupling end 120 allowing for interlocking of male ends 128 to female ends 130.

[032] Referring to FIG. 2 showing first mat 110 and second mat 110 are coupled to form a temporary roadway with end locking mechanisms 124 fully engaged with first end 120 coupling with second end 122 to allow for vertical displacement but preventing separation of the ends.

[033] Referring to FIG. 3 the first end 120 is shown with mat 110, top surface 114, bottom surface 116 and mat body 1 Yl with male connector 128, female connector 130, alignment plate 132 and second end in mirror image with mat 110, top surface 114, bottom surface 116 and mat body 112 with male connector 128, female connector 130, alignment plate 132 allowing for interlocking of the first and second ends.

[034] Referring to FIG. 4 the first end 120 and the second end 122 are shown fully interlocked with female couplers 130 fully interlocked with male couplers 128 via alignment plate 132.

[035] Referring to FIG. 5 there is provided a road mat 110 that includes a mat body 112 with a first end 120, a second end 122. The end locking mechanism 124 is provided at the first end 120 and the second end 122. First end locking mechanism 124 has a male coupling portion 128 and a female coupling portion

130 that extends on the first end 120. First side and second side coupling mechanisms 134 and 135.

[036] Referring to FIG. 6 showing first mat 110 and second mat 110 are coupled to form a temporary roadway with end locking mechanisms 124 and side coupling mechanisms 134 fully engaged with first end 120 coupling with second end 122 to allow for vertical displacement but preventing separation of the ends and first side 134 coupling with second coupling side 135 to prevent lateral displacement of the sides.

[037] Referring to FIG. 7 there is provided a mat body 112 with a first side 134, a second side 135. The side coupling mechanism 134 and 135 is provided at the first side 134 and the second side 135.

[038] Referring to FIG. 8 there is provided a mat body 112 with a first side 134 coupler and a second side 135 coupler shown fully interlocked.

[039] Operation

[040] The use and operation of road mats 110 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 8. Referring to FIG. 2, road mats 110 are designed to be laid on ground surface in end to end relation and driven over by motor vehicles. Mats 110 are fully secured together by interlocking couplings 124 and 134 of road mat 110.

[041] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.

[042] It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the claims.