Geometrical instruments – Gauge – Collocating
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-07
2001-09-25
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Gauge
Collocating
C033S416000, C033S417000, C033S423000, C033S464000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293028
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The framing of a residential house with a pitched roof presents several problems well known to carpenters. One of these problems occurs in framing the end or gable of a pitched roof where vertical studs extend upwardly from a horizontal sill plate to the inclined rafter boards. Before assembling the studs with the sill and the rafters, both the sill and the rafters must be marked with lines indicating where each stud must be nailed in order for the stud to be perfectly plumb in its attachment between the sill and the rafter.
To accomplish this measuring and marking task in the past, a carpenter might use a common tape measure or perhaps a layout tool, or layout stick as it is commonly called, such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,320 to Currie. The layout tool of this patent has an elongated flat header plate and a plurality of shorter, flat branch plates. The branch plates are integral with the header plate, are spaced therealong, and extend outwardly from the header plate at right angles thereto. The discloses branch plates are at various spacings, specifically sixteen inches, twenty-four inches, thirty-two inches, and forty-eight inches from the endmost branch plate.
More commonly, the layout stick that is commercially available and used by many carpenters has these branch plates equally spaced along the header plate on either sixteen inch centers or twenty-four inch centers since these are the most common spacings of studs in residential construction. In any case, the branch plates of known layout sticks are integral with and in fixed space relation along the header plate.
In use of this well known layout stick, the carpenter first places the stick on the sill and marks it with lines indicating where the studs are to be nailed. Insofar as the rafters are concerned, however, the tool loses its utility since the stud marks on the rafter cannot be spaced the same distance apart as the marks on the sill. As will be understood, because of the rise of the roof, the spacing between adjacent studs as measured along the rafter, i.e. the hypotenuse of the triangle, will be slightly greater than the spacing between adjacent studs as measured along the sill, i.e. the base of the triangle. For example, if the studs are spaced along the sill on sixteen inch centers, and if for example the rise of the roof is three inches, the studs must be spaced along the rafter on sixteen and one eighth inch centers. The carpenter must therefor calculate this difference and then use another tool, i.e., a tape measure, to mark the rafters. Apart from the inconvenience, this procedure is prone to error in having to make a calculation after marking the sill and then in having to use a different tool to mark the rafters.
SUMMARY
A construction tool and method for its use in laying out stud marks are provided. The tool is adjustable and is especially suited for laying out stud marks on a rafter of a pitched roof so as to be aligned with the corresponding stud marks on a sill beneath the rafter. The tool includes an elongated measuring member; stud-marking members attached to the measuring member in spaced, transverse relation therealong, at least one of the marking members being adjustable along the measuring member; measurement indicia on the measuring member that enables the spacing between the marking members to be set; and conversion indicia on one or more of the members that sets forth the relationship among various roof rises and stud spacings on sills and rafters. The method involves laying out markings on the sill and rafter boards with the tool including the steps of placing the layout tool along a first of the boards, e.g., either a sill or a rafter, with the marking members in a first predetermined spaced relation to each other depending on the desired spacing between marks to be made along the first board; marking the first board with marks at the locations of each of the marking members; adjusting the spacing between the marking members to a second predetermined spaced relation to each other depending on the desired spacing between marks to be made along the second board; and marking the second board, e.g., either the sill or the rafter depending on which board was first marked. with marks at the adjusted locations of each of the marking members.
An object of this invention is to provide an adjustable layout tool and a method for its use in laying out stud marks in a building construction.
Another object is to facilitate laying out stud marks on sills and rafters of a building with a pitched roof.
An additional object is to minimize the time required to layout stud marks on sill and rafter boards and other construction elements.
A further object is to provide a single adjustable tool for making stud marks on inclined rafters that match corresponding stud marks on the sill under the rafters.
Another object is to provide a single tool for measuring and marking sill and rafter boards that allows either board to be marked first and that is quickly adjustable to mark the other board second.
An additional object is to enable sills and rafters and other construction elements to be simultaneously laid out by using different adjustable layout tools as provided by the subject invention, each tool being adjusted for the specific measurements required.
Yet another object is to reduce error in making stud marks on the rafters of a pitched roof so that they exactly match corresponding stud marks on the sill from which the studs extend upwardly to the rafters.
An additional object is to provide a tool that can easily be adjusted for making stud marks on the rafters of a pitched roof after having made stud marks on a sill so that the marks on the rafters will match those on the sill and so that the studs that support the rafters from the sill will be perfectly plumb.
Still another object is to facilitate the adjustment of a layout tool for making matched stud marks on a sill and rafters of a pitched roof in accordance with the rise of the roof.
A still further object is to provide an adjustable layout tool for laying out stud marks that is durable in construction, dependable to use, economical to manufacture, and compatible with tools commonly used by carpenters for the intended purposes.
A feature of the subject tool is that it is magnetically attracted to the steel framing members to facilitate its use in marking stud locations.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.
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Costello Leo F.
DeJesus Lydia M.
Gutierrez Diego
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