Construction tool and method of use

• US 6,293,028 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lance Sylvia
• Original Assignee: Lance Sylvia
• Inventors: Sylvia, Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEJESUS, LYDIA M
• Application Number:
  US09/207,312
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 334/15, 334/16, 334/17, 336/13, 336/45, 338/09, 334/64, 334/74, 334/85, 335/62, 334/94, 336/791, 334/21, 334/23, 334/24, 334/25, 334/26, 334/67, 334/71
• US Class Current: 33/613
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 21/1891 Cut-marking templates for rafters; Templates used for assembling building frameworks
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/08 extensible
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B5/24 takes precedence

Abstract

A construction tool and method for its use in laying out stud marks. 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.

Claims

1. An adjustable tool for laying out stud marks on the rafter of a pitched roof and the sill beneath the rafter so that the marks on the rafter for each stud are vertically aligned with the corresponding stud marks for that stud on the sill, wherein the stud marks on the sill are at a predetermined center-to-center spacing and the stud marks on the rafter are at a center-to-center spacing greater than said predetermined spacing, comprising:

an elongated measuring member;

measurement gradations on the measuring member in a range of dimensions that begin with a predetermined minimum dimension representative of the center-to-center spacing of the stud marks on a sill and continue with greater dimensions representative of the center-to-center spacing of the stud marks on a rafter;

first and second stud-marking members mounted on the measuring member in longitudinally spaced relation therealong and extending transversely outwardly therefrom, the second marking member being mounted for movement lengthwise of the measuring member toward and away from the first marking member between a retracted stop position of minimum center-to-center spacing between the marking members equal to said predetermined minimum dimension and extended positions of greater center-to-center spacing between the marking members including said greater dimensions;

an indicator associated with the second marking member registering with the gradations and indicating the spacing between the marking members at the positions of the second marking member; and

conversion indicia that displays, for various roof pitches and said predetermined center-to-center spacing on the sill, the center-to-center spacing of the stud marks on the rafter that enables said vertical alignment of corresponding stud marks on the sill and rafter.

2. The tool of claim 1,

wherein a fastener interconnects the second marking member and the measuring member and is adapted to retain the second marking member in fixed relation to the first marking member.

3. The tool of claim 1,

wherein the measuring member has opposite end portions;

wherein the first stud-marking member is a center marking member fixed to the measuring member intermediate the end portions thereof;

wherein there are a pair of second stud-marking members connected to the measuring member at opposite ends of the center marking member;

wherein the measurement gradations are on the measuring member on each side of the center marking member between the center marking member and the respective second marking members; and

wherein there are a pair of indicators individually associated with the second marking members and individually registering with the gradations on its side of the center marking member.

4. The tool of claim 3,

wherein there are mounting members individually connected to the second marking members and slideably connected to said opposite end portions of the measuring member;

and

wherein each mounting member has an end edge constituting the indicator on its side of the center marking member and alienable with the measurement gradations on its side of the center marking member to indicate the spacing between the center marking member and the respective second marking member.

5. The tool of claim 4,

wherein the measuring member has a center portion that has a predetermined width and that has opposite end edges;

wherein the opposite end portions extend endwardly from the end edges of the center portion and have widths less than the center portion;

wherein the mounting members are slideably attached to said opposite end portions with the end edges of each mounting member being opposed to the end edge of the adjacent opposite end portion, the end edge of each mounting member being thereby movable between said retracted position with said opposed end edges being in engagement and said extended positions with said opposed end edges in spaced relation, the spacing between the center marker member and each second marker member being equal to said predetermined center-to-center spacing when the corresponding opposed end edges are in said retracted position.

6. The tool of claim 1,

wherein the conversion indicia is on one of the members.

27. A method of laying out stud marks on construction boards intended for use as the sill and the rafter of a structure having a pitched roof so that corresponding stud marks on the sill and rafter for each stud are vertically aligned and so that each stud will be vertical when erected with its ends located at the corresponding vertically aligned stud marks, the stud marks on the sill to be spaced apart by a predetermined center-to-center dimension and the stud marks on the rafter to be spaced farther apart than said predetermined center-to-center dimension in order that corresponding stud marks will be vertically aligned, the method being performed with the tool defined in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

placing the measuring member along the first of the boards with the marking members overlaying the first board and 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;

placing the measured member along a second of the boards with the marking members overlaying the second board and in said second predetermined spaced relation; and

marking the second board with marks at the adjusted locations of each of the marking members.

7. A tool for laying out stud marks on the sill and rafter of a building having a pitched roof so that stud marks can be marked on the sill and rafter, so that the stud marks on the rafter will be vertically aligned with corresponding stud marks on the sill, and so that studs can be fastened to the sill and rafter at the locations of corresponding vertically aligned stud markings and thereby be in vertical positions, the stud marks on the sill being at a predetermined center-to-center spacing and the stud marks on the rafter being at a center-to-center spacing greater than said predetermined spacing, comprising:

an elongated measuring bar having oppositely extending center portions and opposite end portions extending from the center portions, the end portions being of reduced width relative to the center portions and terminating in end edges;

measurement markings on the end portions of the measuring bar;

a center stud-marking arm attached to the measuring bar in right-angular relation thereto and midway between said opposite end portions;

elongated mounting bars telescopically adjustable slideably attached to the opposite end portions of the measuring bar and being of a width corresponding to the width of the center portions, each mounting bar having an end edge in right angular relation to the opposite end portions of the measuring bar and in opposed relation to its respectively adjacent end edge thereof, each mounting bar being movable from a retracted position with its end edge in engagement with its adjacent end edge of the measuring bar and extended positions with its end edge in spaced relation to its adjacent end edge of the measuring bar;

end stud-marking arms individually attached to the mounting bars in parallel relation to and on opposite sides of the center stud-marking arm and being thereby adjustably mounted on the measuring bar, the marking arms extending outwardly substantially the same distance from the measuring bar, the center-to-center spacing between each end marking bar and the center bar being representative of said predetermined center-to-center spacing when the end edge of its respective mounting bar is in said retracted position;

fasteners releasably interconnecting corresponding end marking arms and opposite end portions of the measuring bar so that the end marking arms can be maintained in predetermined spaced relation to the center stud-marking arm;

a table on one of the arms and the measuring bar that sets forth the relationship among various roof rises and stud spacings on sills and rafters for a given sill stud spacing; and

an indication on one of the arms and the measuring bar that sets forth said sill stud spacing.

8. The tool of claim 7,

wherein each fastener is a bolt extending through each attached mounting bar and opposite end portion and a wing nut on the bolt.

9. The tool of claim 8,

wherein each mounting bar has in elongated slot;

wherein the bolts are secured to opposite end portions of the measuring bar and extend through their respective slots; and

wherein the wing nuts are tightenable against the mounting bars to secure the mounting bars and their respective end stud-marking arms in selected spaced relation to the center stud-marking arms.

10. The tool of claim 9,

wherein a magnetic strip is on one of the bars.

11. A method of laying out stud marks on the sill and rafter boards for a pitched roof using an adjustable layout tool having at least a pair of transverse marking arms attached to a longitudinal measuring bar wherein one of the marking arms is adjustable along the measuring bar relative to the other marking arm, comprising the steps of:

placing the layout tool along a first of the boards with the marking arms 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 arms;

adjusting the spacing between the marking arms to a second predetermined spaced relation to each other depending on the desired spacing between marks to be made along the second board;

placing the layout tool along a second of the boards with the marking arms in said second predetermined spaced relation to each other; and

marking the second board with marks at the adjusted locations of each of the marking arms.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the layout tool has a table that gives the required spacing between the stud marks on a rafter of a particular rise corresponding to the stud spacing on a sill, further including the steps of:

prior to said adjusting step, determining from the table the required spacing between the stud marks on the second board for the rise of the rafters of the building.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein the first board to be marked is the sill and the second board to be marked is the rafter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tool used has indicia thereon for a particular spacing between studs on a sill and wherein the layout tool has a table that gives the required spacing between the stud marks on a rafter of a particular rise corresponding to said particular stud spacing, further including the steps of:

marking the sill before the rafter; and

determining from the table the required spacing between the stud marks on the rafter for the rise of the rafters of the building before marking the rafter.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the tool has a fixed center marking arm and a pair of end marking arms whose spacing from the center arm can be adjusted and releasably secured in the adjusted positions, further including the steps of:

initially adjusting the end marking arms along the measuring bar to the same spacing from the center marking arm in accordance with the spacing of studs on one of the boards;

securing the end marking arms in said adjusted positions;

placing the tool along a first of the boards;

making stud marks along the first board at each of the marking arms;

releasing the end marking arms from their initially adjusted positions;

readjusting the end marker arms along the measuring bar to the spacing from the center marking arm for the spacing of studs on the other of the boards;

securing the end marking arms in their readjusted positions;

placing the tool along a second of the boards; and

making stud marks along the second board at each of the marking arms.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein there is conversion data that gives the required spacing between the stud marks on a rafter of a particular rise corresponding to said particular stud spacing, further including the step of:

determining from the data required spacing for each of the boards.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the data is on one of the bar and the arms, further including the steps of:

referring to the data prior to adjusting the end marking arms and determining from the data the spacing to be set between the marking arms for the stud marks on the rafter relative to the spacing between the stud marks on the sill.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the layout tool used has indicia thereon for a particular spacing between studs on a sill, wherein the layout tool has a table that gives the required spacing between the stud marks on a rafter of a particular rise corresponding to said particular stud spacing, and wherein the tool has a fixed center marking arm and a pair of end marking arms whose spacing from the center arm can be adjusted and releasably secured in the adjusted positions, further including the steps of:

initially adjusting the end marking arms along the measuring bar to the same spacing from the center marking arm in accordance with the spacing of studs on the sill;

securing the end marking arms in said adjusted positions;

positioning the tool along the sill;

making stud marks along the sill at each of the marking arms;

successively repositioning the tool along the sill and making stud marks along the sill at each of the marking arms until the desired number of marks is made on the sill;

releasing the end marking arms from their initially adjusted positions;

readjusting the end marker arms along the measuring bar to the spacing from the center marking arm for the spacing of studs on the rafter in accordance with the rafter spacing as provided in the table;

securing the end marking arms in their readjusted positions;

positioning the tool along the rafter;

making stud marks along the rafter at each of the marking arms; and

successively repositioning the tool along the rafter and making stud marks along the rafter at each of the marking arms until the desired number of marks is made on the rafter.

19. A tool for laying out stud marks on construction elements intended for use as the sill and the rafter of a structure having a pitched roof so that corresponding stud marks on the sill and rafter for a each stud are vertically aligned and so that each stud will be vertical when erected with its ends located at the corresponding vertically aligned stud marks, the stud marks on the sill to be spaced apart by a predetermined center-to-center dimension and the stud marks on the rafter to be spaced farther apart than said predetermined center-to-center dimension in order that corresponding stud marks will be vertically aligned, comprising:

an elongated measuring bar having inner and outer portions and a measuring scale providing measurement subdivisions that represent center-to-center dimensions of the stud marks on the sill and the rafter, the dubdivisions increasing in small increments of said predetermined center-to-center dimension outwardly along the measuring bar from an initial subdivision adjacent to the inner portion representing said predetermined center-to-center dimension to an outer subdivision that represents the center-to-center spacing of the stud marks on the rafter that will achieve said vertical alignment of corresponding stud marks and said vertical positioning of the studs;

an inner marking arm attached to the inner portion of the measuring bar;

a mounting member longitudinally adjustable mounted on the outer portion of the measuring bar having a measuring indicator alienable with the subdivisions on the measuring bar during such adjustment; and

an outer marking arm attached to the mounting member in opposed spaced relation to the inner marking arm and movable toward and away from the inner marking arm upon longitudinal adjustment of the mounting member along the measuring bar,

each of the marking arms having a pair of adjacent spaced straight edges extending outwardly from the measuring bar, and

the center-to-center distance between the marking arms when the measuring indicator is aligned with the initial subdivision being representative of said predetermined center-to-center dimension and the center-to-center distance between the marking arms when the measuring indicator is aligned with said outer subdivision being representative of said center-to-center spacing of the stud marks on the rafter that will achieve said vertical alignment of corresponding stud marks and said vertical positioning of the studs.

20. The tool of claim 19,

wherein the outer portion of the measuring bar is flat;

wherein the mounting member is channel-shaped, has inner and outer ends, and telescopically slideably receives flat outer portion of the measuring bar;

wherein the outer marking arm is mounted adjacent to the outer end of the mounting member; and

wherein the inner and outer marking arms are coplanar.

21. The tool of claim 20,

wherein the inner portion of the measuring bar is channel-shaped and wider than the outer portion thereof but of substantially the same shape as the mounting member;

and

wherein the inner end of the mounting member engages the inner portion of the measuring bar when the measuring indicator is aligned with the initial subdivision.

22. The tool of claim 19, wherein the tool includes:

a display surface; and

a conversion table on the display surface giving the relationship between the center-to-center distances of stud marks on a sill and the center-to-center distances of stud marks on the rafter for roofs of various pitches.

23. A stool for laying out stud marks for positioning studs against construction elements intended for use as the sill and the rafter of a structure having a pitched roof so that the stud marks on the sill and rafter will be vertically aligned when the studs is erected, the stud marks on the sill to be spaced apart by a predetermined center-to-center dimension and the stud marks on the rafter to be spaced farther apart than said predetermined center-to-center dimension in order that corresponding marks will be vertically aligned, comprising:

an elongated measuring bar having a pair of outer portions extending outwardly from a center portion and measuring scales on each outer portion, each scale having measurement subdivisions on its outer portion of the bar that represent center-to-center dimensions increasing outwardly along its measuring bar form an initial subdivision representing said predetermined center-to-center dimension;

an inner marking arm attached to the center portion of the measuring bar;

a pair of mounting members individually longitudinally adjustably mounted on the outer portions of the measuring bar and thus on opposite sides of the inner marking arm, each mounting member having a measuring indicator alienable with the subdivisions on its portion of the measuring bar; and

a pair of outer marking arms individually attached to the mounting members and thus on opposite sides of the inner marking arm and in opposed spaced relation to the inner marking member,

each of the marking arms having a pair of adjacent spaced straight edges extending outwardly from the measuring bar, and

the center-to-center distance between each outer marking arm and the inner marking arm when its respective measuring indicator is aligned with its respective initial subdivision being representative of said predetermined center-to-center dimension.

24. The tool of claim 23,

wherein the outer portions of the measuring bar are flat;

wherein the mounting members are channel-shaped, have inner and outer ends, and telescopically slideably receive their respective flat outer portions of the measuring bar;

wherein the outer marking arms are mounted adjacent to the outer ends of their respective mounting members; and

wherein the inner and outer marking arms are coplanar.

25. The tool of claim 24,

wherein the center portion of the measuring bar is channel-shaped and wider than the outer portions thereof but of substantially the same shape as the mounting members;

and

wherein the inner ends of the mounting members engage the center portion of the measuring bar when their respective measuring indicators are aligned with their respective initial subdivisions.

26. The tool of claim 23, wherein the tool includes:

a display surface; and

a conversion table on the display surface giving the relationship between the center-to-center distances of stud marks on a sill and the center-to-center distances of stud marks on the rafter for roofs of various pitches.