Geometrical instruments – Gauge – Flooring – floor or wall covering – or molding
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-05
2002-11-19
Bennett, G. Bradley (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Gauge
Flooring, floor or wall covering, or molding
C033S042000, C033SDIG002
Reexamination Certificate
active
06481112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the art of laying floor tiles, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a device which is useful in fitting tiles to be laid on a narrow floor space along a wall.
2. Related Art
In laying floor tiles it is sometimes necessary to cut and lay a series of tiles on a relatively narrow floor space extending along a wall or other obstruction. At present, there are a number of devices for marking or cutting a loose tile to be fit in the narrow floor space. However, the previously designed devices are not designed to hold multiple tiles enabling its user to more speedily complete the job. Previous designs fail to trace the part of the wall immediately joining the floor. Previous devices trace along a part of the wall different from the part which the tile will actually be resting up against. Often times, especially in older structures, there are significant differences between the portion of the wall immediately adjoining the floor and the portion of the wall just above that portion.
In addition to not being able to hold a plurality of loose tiles to be laid, the single tile which previously designed tile marking/cutting devices did hold was often not guided by side portions. Therefore, the user would have to take time to be careful to properly align the tile to be marked or cut. Also, the means of gauging the narrow floor space to be fitted with a tile would lack any guidance, allowing the user to mark or cut a tile based on a portion a wall not representative of the space being measured. In other words, when the gauging means is not guided, the user is able to trace along a portion of the wall which is not directly before the tile marking/cutting device and the narrow space to be measured. Therefore, the more inexperienced the user, the greater the likelihood of error.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tile fitting tool which may be used for quickly and accurately fitting tiles to be laid on a relatively narrow floor space along a wall or like obstruction.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive tile fitting tool which may assist inexperienced persons in fitting floor tiles.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to tile fitting device for use in marking or cutting a tile to permit it to be laid on a narrow untiled floor space disposed between an upright wall surface and confronting outer edge of a plurality of like laid tile on a contiguous tiled floor space. The tile fitting device includes a base and a measuring aid. The base is able to hold a plurality of the tiles, having a bottom portion for resting on the laid tile, a down-turned lip for engaging the outer edge of the laid tile, an upturned lip parallel with the down-turned lip and spaced approximately a tile length therefrom for engaging an edge of the loose tile to be laid, and at least two side walls positioned at right angles to the upturned lip and upwardly extending from the bottom portion, parallel with each other. The tile to be marked is positioned between the side walls and the upturned lip such that the tile rests against the upturned lip and at least one side wall such that at least one side wall extends at a height slightly above the tile to be marked;
The measuring aid provides an edge for use in marking the tile to be marked. The measuring aid includes a central portion for holding the measuring aid, a wall tracing portion generally perpendicularly attached to the central portion, and a tile marking portion generally perpendicularly attached to the central portion, parallel to the wall tracing portion. The down-turned lip of the wall tracing portion rests on the floor and against the wall surface, and the tile marking portion rests on the tile to be marked such that the central portion does not touch the tile to be marked. The tile marking portion, when resting on the tile to be marked, is substantially parallel with the upturned lip. The tile marking portion has sufficient space to move between the side walls of the base such that a user of the device may use a marking utensil to trace along the tile marking portion to make a mark on the tile. The portion of the tile between the mark and the upturned lip of the base will be substantially the exact dimension of the narrow untiled floor space disposed between the upright wall surface and the confronting outer edge of the laid tile, even when the narrow untiled floor space is asymmetrical.
TERMINOLOGY
“Cut” is to cut completely through or to score an object.
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patent: 5471758 (1995-12-01), White, Sr.
patent: 6112424 (2000-09-01), Friend
patent: 6195904 (2001-03-01), Greer
patent: 6412185 (2002-07-01), Mills et al.
Bennett G. Bradley
Graham R. William
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