Tool for marking large flat building material sheets

Details Tool for marking large flat building material sheets Tool for marking large flat building material sheets

1999-05-10

2001-03-13

Bennett, G. Bradley (Department: 2859)

Geometrical instruments

Straightedge type

Rules

C033S032200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06199288

ABSTRACT:

REFERENCE TO PENDING APPLICATIONS
This application is not related to any pending United States or international patent application.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
This application is not referenced in any Microfiche Appendix.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the United States and in many other countries of the world today, large flat sheets of standardized length and width are commonly employed. As an example, for frame construction buildings, that is buildings built from wherein the super structure is primarily of wood, typically employing wood rafters, the roof is formed by first laying down on the exposed spaced apart rafters a sheeting of plywood or particle board. In the United States a typical size plywood sheet used for roofing is 4 feet by 8 feet with a thickness of typically ⅜ inches to ¾ inches. If a roof has a valley or a hip it means that some of the 4×8 foot sheets must be cut at an angle at one end to fit the adjoining hip roof or valley. The angle of cut required is determined by the pitch of the roof or the pitch of the hip which the roof intersects. As subsequent rows of building material sheets are attached to a rafter superstructure, sheets are required to complete a row having the same angular cut although the length of the sheet from the angular cut to a square end will vary for each row.
Typically, in installing sheeting on rafters installers on the roof will measure to determine the length of one edge of a 4×8 foot sheet. A workman can then calculate from existing tables the length of the other edge. A straight line is drawn between the markings on the two edges and the sheating is cut along the straight line so that when in position it will match a hip or valley of the roof.
The same procedure is employed when sheets of standardized building material sheets, such as 4×8 foot sheets are installed vertically on the side of a building. If the building has a gable roof, the vertical sheeting must match the angle of the roof as various sheets are employed the same angle cut is required at the point where the sheeting meets the gabled roof. While tables exist that provide the length differential of the parallel side edges of the 4×8 foot sheets to match valley, hips and gable usages it is time consuming to use tables for marking individual sheets in the construction of the roof or gable since particularly for each roof or gable is the same angular relationship existing from the start to the completion of the roof. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool for use in marking large flat building material sheets in which each sheet has a standardized length and a standardized width and has opposed longitudinal edges to provide dimensional shapes for a series of sheets for completing a roof or a gable.
For background information relating to tools of different kinds used by construction craftsman for providing measurement relationships, reference may be had to the following previously issued U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No.
INVENTOR
TITLE
372,673
Hamilton, Jr.
Lumber Rule
575,671
Watts et al.
Telescopic Measuring Rule
753,886
Jacobs
Ruler
792,212
Heddle
Protractor Gage
825,150
McCartney
Attachment for Carpenters'
Squares
833,168
Keller
Scale Guard and Marker
1,056,206
Norman
Rafter Reckoner
1,074,969
Moore
Combined Level and
Square
1,084,973
Stanwood et al.
Try, Rafter, and Miter
Square
2,763,065
Leidahl
Marking Gage for Rules
3,015,163
Cummings
Square Attachment
3,934,350
Pirnie
Photo Cropping Device
4,462,166
Furlong
Device for Measuring
Lengths and Conforming
Angles
4,648,185
Brandimarte
Leveling Tool
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A tool for use in marking large flat building material sheets as provided. The tool is for use for standardized sheets in which each sheet has a standardized length and a standardized width with opposed longitudinal side edges and opposed longitudinal and parallel side edges and paralleled end edges. The tool of this invention is used to provide a cut line, by marking a pencil line by which each sheet can be dimensionally shaped for installation on a building roof or gable. On a roof, the tool can be used for expeditionally marking standardized sheets of building material to match the requirements of hips and valleys.
The tool is in the form of an elongated bar of length greater than the width of the building material standardized sheets for which the tool is designed. For instance, in the United States a standardized shaped sheet for roofing or siding of a frame constructed building is 4×8 feet, that is a standardized building material is 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. The elongated bar preferably made of metal but which could be made of plastic or fiberglass, has a length exceeding the width of the standardized sheet. In the preferred embodiment the elongated bar has an elongated groove extending for a substantial portion of the length of the bar, the groove being positioned between opposed longitudinal side edges and paralleled to the side edges. The elongated bar has at least one straight edge but preferably straight edges formed by each of the opposed parallel side edges. A first pin is affixed to the bar and in the preferred arrangement is fixed in a permanent location adjacent one end of the bar and therefore is not movable. A second pin is affixed to the bar and extends perpendicular to it, especially since the first pin and the second pin being adjustably variable. In the preferred arrangement, the first pin slides in an elongated groove in the bar and is adjustably positionable as a selected position.
For use with standardized building material sheets such as 4×8 foot sheets, indicia is placed on the elongated bar for positioning the second or movable pin, the indicia for marking hips and valleys for roof sheeting is determined by the pitch of the roof on which the sheeting material is employed. The separate indicia are employed for marking sheeting for vertical mounting on a wall structure to conform to a gable.
The tools is used by placing it flat at the bottom side against the top surface of a standardized sheet of building material. One length for a required sheet is measured along one edge of a building of the standardized sheet. This measured length is made by a workman utilizing a tape measure extending it from a sheet which has been secured to an adjacent valley or hip. This measurement is given to a workman, preferably located on the work surface, the marks are made along one edge of the standardized sheet. The tool of this invention is then positioned on the sheet of building material with one straight edge coinciding with the length marking and with the first and second pins engaging the longitudinal side edges of the building material sheet. The workman then marks the straight edge of the tool. This straight edge marking is used to saw the building material sheet to provide an angular edge to conform to the requirements of a hip or valley. Since the same angular relationship exists for each sheet of building material requiring a cut to match a hip or valley the workman need adjust the setting of the second pin on the tool one time, thereafter subsequent sheets are marked as required without the workman making any calculations or measurements to compensate for the hip or valley of a roof or for the gable when the sheeting material is used for covering a sidewall.
A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description in claims, taken into conjunction with the attached drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 372673 (1887-11-01), Hamilton, Jr.
patent: 450735 (1891-04-01), Conant
patent: 575671 (1897-01-01), Watts et al.
patent: 753886 (1904-03-01), Jacobs
patent: 792212 (1905-06-01), Heddle
patent: 825150 (1906-07-01), McCartney
patent: 833168 (1906-10-01), Keller
patent: 1056206 (1913-03-01), Norman
patent: 1074969 (1913-10-01), Moore
patent: 1084973 (1914-01-01), Stanwood et al.
patent: 1201063 (1916-10-01), Litchfield
patent: 2580263 (1951-12-01), Wooten
patent: 2651333 (1953-09-01), Spinney
patent: 2705029 (1955-03-01), Z

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