US3293764A - Construction gage - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1966 Filed March 16, 1964 Dec. 27, 1966 A. w. BORN 3,293,764

CONSTRUCTION GAGE Filed March 16, 1964 2 SheSJS-Sheet 2 ZIA INVNTOR www ATTORNEY United States Patent() 3,293,764 CONSTRUCTION GAGE Albert William Born, 440 Pine St., Brea, Calif. 91502 Filed Mar. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 352,264 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-194) This invention relates to a gage useful in the construction industry, and more particularly, to a construction gage which may be lused to align trim to openings such as doorways, Windows, and the like, in buildings such as homes, apartments, oices, and the like.

In the present day construction industry, mass production is used almost exclusively to reduce the time of construction and limit construction cost to a minimum. A great number of time saving devices have been applied to many phases of the construction, both in the preliminary and finishing phases of carpentry. However, some of the iinish work has left much to be desired, especially with regard to the arrangement of finish trim to openings such as doorways, closets, windows, and the like.

Trim used in doorway openings and the like is essentially a strip of decorative wood placed in spaced relation to a doorway opening and window openings along both sides and top meeting in an angular joint, preferably at 45, to provide a finished appearance to the opening. In the past, a carpenter must measure the trim and cut it angularly before arranging it on the opening. Some dithculty has been experienced by carpenters attempting to accurately locate the trim with relation to the opening and position it in spaced relation to the opening while keeping it parallel along its entire length. In essence, the trim must be positioned in two directions, and also be properly positioned such that the trim to which it is mated is accurately positioned. In the past, the eyeball method was frequently used in which the accuracy of the position is dependent upon the skill of the craftsman placing the trim in place. Another more tedious but accurate method is to measure individually each trim and position it according to pencil marks placed upon the opening by the carpenter. Thus, it is readily apparent that the previous method of attaching trim to openings have been at best left to the ingenuity of the individuals involved, which then balance the cost allocated to the installation of the trim versus the quality of the trim and its aesthetic appearance visible to the buyer of the newly constructed residence or building.

- In acco-rdance with my invention, I have eliminated the undesirable features of the prior art methods of installing trim within newly constructed buildings. In using my invention, I have determined that the time for installing the trim has been drastically reduced and has in some installations been so successful that the similar trim may be installed in one-third of the time previously required for any of the methods used by skilled craftsmen in installing such types of trim. One feature of my invention is a 'gage having an arrangement which allows a carpenter with little experience to install trim in a minimum of time with a high quality appearance.

Briefly, my invention is a construction gage which has a pair of side rails resiliently connected together such that it may be snapped upon a door jam and retained in place. Gaging surfaces are disposed on the side rails such that the trim may be gaged in two directions and the angular portion of the trim is properly positioned such that the abutting pieces of trim will also be accurately positioned with relation to the opening in the wall. An alternative embodiment provides a gage which both acts as a saw guide and an alignment gage.

Other features and advantages of my invention will become apparent when considering the following specification and the drawings in which:

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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a construction gage constructed in accordance with my present invention and positioned upo-n a door jam;

FIG. 1A is an elevation of a residential doorway opening with construction gages according to my invention arranged to support and gage a length of trim prior to its permanent attachment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of a construction gage according to my invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment of the construction gage illustrated in FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is a cross sectional View of the gaging surface and saw guide of the gage illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. l, a construction gage 10 includes a pair of L-shaped side rails 11 and 12 resiliently linked'together by the bridging bars 13, such that the gage 10 may be resiliently retained within the opening which is designated by the numeral 14, and this opening is indicative of an opening in a doorway or window or the like.

The side rails 11 and 12 are symmetrical one to another, each having corresponding surfaces such that the rails may be used as gaging devices on opposite sides of the opening 14. The rail 11 has a first gaging surface 15, which abuts the horizontal portion of the opening and limits the upward movement of the gage 10 when positioned vertically as illustrated in FIG. l. A second gaging surface 16, disposed at right angles with relation to gaging surface 15, is in spaced relation therewith, and is used for abutting a length of trim T. An angular gaging surface, preferably positioned at 45 with relation to surface 16, is designated by the numeral 17 and provides a surface for the horizontal location of the trim T. Thus, it is readily apparent that the gaging surface 16 provides the distance A, such that the trim T may be positioned in spaced relation equal to the vertical distance A with relatio'n to the opening 14. The angular surface 17 positions the trim T a distance B with relation to the opening 14, and horizontally locates the trim T.

Similar numerals as designated with relation to the side rail 11 are indicated on the side rail 12 with the addition of the prime number, since it is evident that the side rails 11 and 12 are symmetrical in all respects.

The horizontal gaging surface 15 provides the upper limit of the movement of the gage 10 and, therefore, aids in the proper disposition of the horizontal gaging surface 16 to provide the distance A when positioning the trim T.

A pair of lugs 18 and 19 are rectangular solids each having a passageway therethrough 18A and 18B, respectively, and are integrally formed `on the side rail 11.

The bridgin-g bars 13 include a pair of hemispherically shaped ends 20 and 21, each having foot portions 20A, 20B and 21A, 21B, respectively, passing through the respective openings in the openings 18A `and 19A in each respective lug 18 and 19. A pair of iCotter keys (not shown) pass through the foot portions 21A and 21B to retain the hemispherically shaped end 21 within the respective lugs 18 and 19. A pair of cotter keys 22 and 23 pass through the extremity of the foot portions 20A and 20B of the end 20, and respectively retain a coil spring 23 and 24, each bearing against an individual washer 25 and 26. Thus, the side rail 11 rnay be resiliently flexed relative to the position of the side rail 12 by the resilient urging of the springs 23 and 24 actin-g between the lugs 18 and 19 and the washers 25 and 26, respectively. A pair of rods 27 and 28 are each fixedly attached to the ends 20 and 21 to form the bridging bars 13 into a cohesive integral unit.

A spring wire finger 29 is retained upon the side rail 11 by a screw 29A and serves to retain the trim T in place against the opening 14.

A notch 60 is formed in the side rail 11 forming .a gaging surface 61 and a second gaging surface 62 is disposed at the extremity of the rail 11. The distance between the gaging surfaces 61 and 62 is equal to the distance A. Thus, the gage 11 can be used at both ends. The two gaging surfaces 61 and 62 are used such that the surface 61 abuts the opening 14 and a section of the vertically disposed trim abuts the second gaging surface 62.

In operation, the construction gage 10, as illustrated in FIGS. l and 5, is resiliently mounted within the opening 14 such that the gaging surface 15 abuts the horizontal portion of the opening 14. The trim T was previously cut to a measured distance which is the horizontal Width of the opening 14, plus two times the distance B gives the finished cut length of the lower portion of the trim T. With the trim marked, the angular portions are cut at 45.

A similar construction gage is also placed von the adjacent vertical portion of the opening 14, such that a pair of gages 10 support the trim T in each corner. The trim T is thereafter positioned upon the gaging surface 16 and 17 on the construction gage 10, and the trim fixedly attached to the opening 14 by such things as nails, screws, or other fastening devices. The gage 10 is thereafter removed, and thereafter the vertical portions of the trim is applied, preferably using the embodiment of my construction gage as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the construction gage 30 includes a pair of side rails 31 and 32 resiliently retained to each other by the bridging bar 13, which is a similarconstruction to the bridging bar illustrated in FIG. 1.

The side rails 31 and 32 are symmetrically disposed, each having a pair of lugs 33 and 34 Iformed thereon which receive the respective foot portions 20A and 20B and 21A and 21B extending from the ends 20 and 21, Irespectively, of the bridging bars 31. Both of the side rails 31 and 32 are formed from angle iron, having an L-shaped cross section with an end portion 35 formed with an upstanding flange 36 abutting the vertical portion of the opening 14. The flange 36 forms a gaging surface for the construction gage 30. An outwardly extending fin 37 disposed at right angles to the flange 36 has a gaging surface 38 formed thereon, which abuts the trim T.

A spring steel finger 39 is attached to the side rail 32 by a screw 39A and is used to retain trim T in place while it is being mounted.

In operation, the construction gage 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 is resiliently mounted upon the opening 14, and the trim T is cut to the proper length as described above and mounted upon the fiush portion of the opening 14. The trim T is abutted against the gaging surface 38 such that the spaced distance C is uniformly positioned along the entire length of the trim T.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, another embodiment of my invention is a construction gage 40 that includes a pair of side rails 42 and 44 resiliently retained by the bridging bars 13. The side rail 44 is L-shaped in cross section and has a pair of integrally formed rectangularly shaped lugs 46 and 48 through which the foot portions 20A and 20B extend therethrough. The bridging bars 13 have been described in full with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, and repetition of their description with regard to the present embodiment Would not lend further information to this disclosure. A combination gage and sawing jig 50 is integrally formed at one end of the side rail 44.

The combination gage and sawing jig 50 includes an angular fiange 52 having a platform 54 formed thereon. A wall 56 is fixedly mounted upon the side rail 44, has mounted thereon an oblique shaped guide 58 fixedly attached thereto by a plurality of screws 60. The guide 58 is positioned in spaced relation to the gaging surface 52.

The mating side rail 42 is shaped similar to the side rail 12 described with relation to the embodiment illus- 4 trated in FIG. 1, and the description of this side rail will not be repeated.

In operation, the lgage is placed upon the openlng as disclosed with relation to FIG. l, such that the gaging surface 62 of the wall 56 abuts the horizontal portion of the opening. A length of trim is inserted behind the gage 40, such that the guide 50 overlaps the trim. In this position, a conventional carpenters saw is pla-ced between the guide 58 and the platform 54, and the trim is sawed to length. In this position, without removing the trim the trim is thereafter nailed or permanently attached to the wall in a conventional manner. Thus, it may be seen that the gage performs both as a gaging device and a saw jig, whereby the trim may be accurately positioned upon an opening in spaced relation to the opening equivalent to the distance E as illustrated in FIG. 4. By virtue of the position of the guide 58 with yrelation to the gaging surface 52, the trim may be cut to length and immediately attached to the wall, which thereby eliminates the redundant steps of marking, cutting, and thereafter gaging the trim in position. Thus, it is apparent that the combination gage and saw jig eliminates steps in the traditional manner of attaching trim to -an opening in a residence, such as a doorway, window or the like.

Once the gage 40 is removed, another piece of trim may be installed in a vertical position as disclosed in regard to the use of the construction gage 10, illustrated in FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A construction gage for positioning trim on a partially finished rectangular doorway opening comprising: a first and second parallel channel shaped side rails,

a first surface formed on the side rails for abutting a corner of the doorway opening,

a second surface being formed on the first side rail and being disposed parallel and spaced from the rail first surface,

a third surface being formed on the first side rail, with the third surface intersecting and being at an angle relative to the second surface,

a pair of spaced lugs being disposed on each of the side rails and extending from each of the rails in the same direction,

a pair of first and second spaced semicircular bridging bars each including a pair of foot portions being disposed at right angles to the semicircular bars and extending in the same direction,

the bridging bars including rods securing the bars together,

the first bridging bar foot portions extending one each through the first spaced side rail lugs and being secured thereto and the second bridging bar foot portions one each extending through the second side :rail lugs and slidable therethrough,

a means for resiliently retaining the second bridging bar upon the second side rail lugs, and

a fiat spring being secured to the first side rails adjacent to the side rail second and third surfaces and the spring serving to retain the trim upon the doorway.

2. A construction gage for positioning trim on a partially finished doorway opening comprising:

a first and second rectilinear spaced yrail members having an L-shaped cross section,

bridging bars fixedly mounted to the first rail member Iand slidably mounted on the second rail member,

means for resiliently retaining the bridging bars in engagement with the second rail member,

a first gaging means for locating the gage within the corner of the doorway disposed on at least one of the rail members,

a second gaging means for locating the trim vertically with relation to the doorway and the means being disposed on the first rail,

a third gaging lmeans for locating the trim horizontally with relation to the doorway and the means being disposed on the first rail, and

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Magnuson 33-194 Aronson.

Erickson 33-194 X Graham 33-197 Songer 33-85 10 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner. S. S. MATTHEWS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 2. A CONSTRUCTION GAGE FOR POSITIONING TRIM ON A PARTIALLY FINISHED DOORWAY OPENING COMPRISING: A FIRST AND SECOND RECTILINEAR SPACED RAIL MEMBERS HAVING AN L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION, BRIDGING BARS FIXEDLY MOUNTED TO THE FIRST RAIL MEMBER AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE SECOND RAIL MEMBER, MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY RETAINING THE BRIDGING BARS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SECOND RAIL MEMBER, A FIRST GAGING MEANS FOR LOCATING THE GAGE WITHIN THE CORNER OF THE DOORWAY DISPOSED ON AT LEAST ONE OF THE RAIL MEMBERS, A SECOND GAGING MEANS FOR LOCATING THE TRIM VERTICALLY WITH RELATION TO THE DOORWAY AND THE MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON THE FIRST RAIL, A THRID GAGING MEANS FOR LOCATING THE TRIM HORIZONTALLY WITH RELATION TO THE DOORWAY AND THE MEANS BEING DISPOSED ON THE FIRST RAIL, AND THE THIRD GAGING MEANS INCLUDING A SURFACE ANGULARLY DISPOSED WITH RELATION TO THE DOORWAY OPENING, AND THE SECOND GAGING MEANS AND THRID GAGING MEANS EACH INCLUDING A SURFACE THEREON WHICH INTERSECT EACH OTHER.

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