Abstract:
The lap siding installation tool is a reusable tool that allows one person to easily handle and install horizontal lap siding on the side of a house or other similar structure. The preferred embodiment of this invention is a simple squared “Z” shaped bracket with spring mechanism that will grip the lower edge of the siding board to be installed. The upper part of the tool provides a “ledge” or “lip” on the backside of the board which will rest on the upper edge of a previously installed board. This “ledge” is in a defined position above the lower edge of the siding board to be installed such that a consistent overlap of the boards is maintained per the lap siding manufacturer&#39;s specifications. The board is then fixed to the structure in two (2) places along its upper edge, normally by nails or screws. The tools can then be easily removed by pulling outward on the lower edge of the board a small distance allowing the tools to be pulled downward off of the board.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/197703 filed Apr. 18, 2000. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    This invention relates to the installation of horizontal lap siding boards on buildings and, more particularly, to a tool used by one person to assist with the proper placement of the siding board that is being installed.  
           [0005]    A common means to face a house or similar structure is by using horizontal lap siding. That is, a means of using generally straight, flat wood boards (or in recent years composite and fiber cement planks) and affixing them to a framed structure in horizontal rows where each board or plank overlaps the board or plank below it. Without an aid or tool, teams of workers, usually two per team, have to measure, place and hold the board in place, with the proper overlap, and then fasten the board to the structure. This is generally still the preferred means to install lap siding on homes. While numerous types of devices and tools have been invented to aid in the installation of lap siding onto a building while maintaining a preferred overlap dimension, none have proved very popular to use.  
           [0006]    Prior art show devices that attach to or grips the frame of the structure, then allows the new board to be placed onto or into it, which is then affixed to the structure. Examples of this art would be U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,909 issued to Singleterry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,175 issued to Stiles and U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,184 issued to Krueger. While the inventions did allow one person to hang siding, the tools were cumbersome and required a significant amount of time to install. The end result was that productivity was not significantly increased.  
           [0007]    Other tools were developed that would hook over the top of a previously installed board and provide a temporary base that the new board could be supported on while being fastened to the structure. Examples of this style of art would be U.S. Pat. No. 2,511,083 issued to Small and U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,799 issued to Frantello. The primary drawback to this type of tool was that after the board was fastened to the structure, the tool would have to be moved all the way to the ends of the board to be retrieved. If the end of the board abutted to a window or other obstruction, removal was difficult.  
           [0008]    Building upon the simple concept in the previous paragraph, new inventions were made that appeared to overcome their predecessors&#39; shortcomings. In these cases, the tool would be hooked over the top of the board in place, and a new board placed onto the tool. The board would be fastened to the structure and then, by manipulating some mechanical device on the tool, the bottom of the board could be pulled away from the structure and the tool was withdrawn. Examples of this style of art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,100 issued to Wheeler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,392 issued to Defino and U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,767 issued to Colavito. Depending upon how much of the tool was hooked over the previous board, when the new board was being placed, the tool could be inadvertently knocked off the board. In this case the worker would have to retrieve the tool, put it back into place and start again. Further, these tools would be more complex to manufacture due to the incorporated release mechanism, thus they would be more costly.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,346 issued to Sickler defined a tool that was to have been easier to retrieve when the board was installed and simple to manufacture. However, because it only rested on the top edge of the previously installed board, it was very easy to dislodge when attempting to fit the new board into it. This would then require that the workman put down the board he was trying to work with, retrieve the tool and start again.  
           [0010]    There are numerous other examples of art, using the same general concepts of tools or devices which would be attached to or grip the structure or previously installed board in order to provide support and lap gauge for the new board to be installed. But for one reason or another, they have not found widespread popularity with the workers installing lap siding.  
           [0011]    The present invention provides a different approach to this problem by taking the focus away from the previously installed siding board and focus instead on the new board to be installed. This is accomplished by providing a means to temporarily provide an indexing ledge on the backside of the board to be used for support and lap gauging. The advantages of this concept will become known by reference to the drawings herein and the following description.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The present invention is directed to allow one person to easily handle and install horizontal lap siding on the side of a house or other similar structure. The preferred embodiment of this invention is for a pair of tools that will grip the lower edge of the siding board to be installed and provide a “ledge” or “lip” on the backside of the board which will rest on the upper edge of a previously installed board. This “ledge” is in a defined position above the lower edge of the siding board to be installed such that a consistent overlap of the boards is maintained per the lap siding manufacturer&#39;s specifications. The board is then fixed to the structure in two (2) places along its upper edge, normally by nails or screws. The tools can then be easily removed by pulling outward on the lower edge of the board a small distance allowing the tools to be pulled downward off of the board.  
           [0013]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of this invention are as follows.  
           [0014]    It is an object of this invention to simplify the steps to install lap siding, thus increasing productivity.  
           [0015]    It is another object of this invention to provide a set of reusable tools that are used on the piece of siding that is being installed, as opposed to a device that is first installed on a previously installed board or on the structure which will then support the board to be installed.  
           [0016]    It is further an object of this invention to provide a simple means to maintain a consistent overlap of the siding boards per manufacture&#39;s specifications.  
           [0017]    It is further an object of this invention to provide a tool that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture with minimal components.  
           [0018]    It is a final object of this invention to provide a tool that is easy to use, such that one person can install lap siding on the side of a structure.  
           [0019]    To achieve the foregoing and other objects a spring assisted device for aiding a person in placing lap siding boards onto a building has been invented. The primary embodiment of the invention includes: (1) a “Z” shaped elongated member (bracket) which will support and gauge the board overlap; (2) a spring system that will provide the means to hold item 1 to the board; and (3) a means to fix item 2 to item 1. Using two of these devices enables one person to install lap siding with a consistent overlap onto a building. The devices are affixed onto the board to be installed by pulling the spring trap system away from the bracket and slipping the device onto the bottom of the board such that the bracket is on one side and the spring trap system is on the opposite side, whereby the spring system is released and the device is held to the bottom edge of the board. In this manner, the tool cannot be easily dislodged from the board during installation. With a pair of these tools installed in the same manner, the upper ledges of the “Z” shaped member will protrude perpendicularly outward from the backside of the board. The board is then raised above a previously installed board and lowered onto the upper edge of the board so as to come to rest on the protruding edges of the tools. The person can then fix the upper edge of the board to the structure frame. When the upper edge of the board is fixed, the lower edge of the board is pulled a short distance away from the underlying board that has been overlapped, and the tools are pulled down and off of the board being placed. With the tools removed, the remainder of the board is fastened to the structure framing and the tools are ready to be used again. 
       
    
    
       [0020]    Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    The accompanying drawings, together with the descriptions, serve to illustrate the embodiments of the invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is a side view of the invention as it would be attached to the lower edge of a siding board.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 is a side view of the invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a front view of the invention.  
         [0026]    FIGS.  5  to  8  illustrates, from a side view, the sequence of how the invention is used to assist with the installation of a lap siding board.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a tool embodying various features of the invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a tool embodying various features of the invention.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 11 is a side view of another alternate embodiment of a tool embodying various features of the invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of a tool embodying various features of the invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 is a side view of yet another alternate embodiment of a tool embodying various features of the invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of yet another alternate embodiment of a tool embodying various features of the invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in use. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0034]    Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, the preferred embodiment of the lap siding installation tool of the present invention is depicted by reference T 1 . A lap siding installation tool T 1  is comprised of an indexing support bracket  10 , a board trap assembly  20  and a trap pin  30 .  
         [0035]    In the preferred embodiment, the indexing support bracket  10  is formed into a squared “Z” when viewed from the side (FIG. 3). A bracket face  14  of the indexing support bracket  10  is a substantially vertical member and of a fixed length that is equivalent to the desired overlap of the siding boards. An indexing ledge  12  is the horizontal member that extends out from the top of and perpendicular to the bracket face  14 . The indexing ledge  12  can also be depressed a couple of degrees from horizontal to provide for better stability in use which would mean that the angle formed by the indexing ledge  12  and the bracket face  14  would be less than 90 degrees. The width of the indexing ledge  12 , that is the distance between the outer edge and the bracket face  14 , is approximately the same as the thickness of the siding board to be installed S 1 . A board support shelf  16  of the indexing support bracket  10  is a horizontal member that extends out from the bottom of and perpendicular to the bracket face  14  and is of sufficient length to support a board S 1  and allow for the anchoring of a board trap assembly  20 .  
         [0036]    In the preferred embodiment, a trap anchor  18  is formed by stamping an upside down “U” out of a small center section of the board support shelf  16 , located at the furthest edge away from the bracket face  14 . The inside diameter of the trap anchor  18  is larger than the diameter of a trap pin  30 . The orientation of the trap anchor  18  is such that the trap pin  30  is held parallel to the board support shelf  16 . The indexing support bracket  10  can be manufactured by cutting and stamping metal strips, machining a block of material suitable for this use, formed by casting and machining material that is suitable for this use or extrusion and machining a material suitable for this use. In the later three cases, the trap anchor  18  would take the form of a “D” laid over on its flat side with a hole through it of a diameter larger than the diameter of a trap pin  30 .  
         [0037]    Referring now to a board trap assembly  20 , in the preferred embodiment this assembly takes the form of a modified double torsion spring. As such, we will describe one half of the board trap assembly, as the other half is a mirror image. A spring coils  22  comprised of several windings has an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of a trap pin  30 . A spring reaction lever  24  is the outer most component of the board trap assembly  20  and provides the spring reaction against the outer most edge of the board support shelf  16 . The spring wire emerging from the inside of the spring coils  22  runs essentially straight for a short distance and then is formed into a board trap  26  which is a concave curve back towards the spring coils  22 . From the board trap  26  the wire extends straight as a trap extension  28 . A trap grip  29  is bent perpendicular to the trap extension  28  and out of plane with the axis of the spring force, thereby connecting the two mirror halves of the double torsion spring known as the board trap assembly  20 .  
         [0038]    A trap pin  30  is used to fix the board trap assembly  20  to the indexing support bracket  10 . The board trap assembly  20  is positioned to the indexing support bracket  10  with the convex surface of the board trap  26  in contact with the bracket face  14  and positioning each set of spring coils  22  on either side of the trap anchor  18  and with the spring reaction levers  24  in contact with the outer most edge of the board support shelf  16 . As this is done, trap pin  30  is passed through the first one spring coils  22 , the trap anchor  18  and then the mirror spring coils  22 . The trap pin  30  is of sufficient length that some of the trap pin  30  extends out passed each spring coils  22 . The trap pin  30  can be constructed as a solid rod or a hollow tube of suitable material that will hold the parts of the lap siding installation tool T 1  together.  
         [0039]    Referring to FIG. 2, which shows a side view of the lap siding installation tool T 1  installed on a board to be installed S 1 . The board trap  26  is pulled away from the bracket face  14  allowing the board to be installed S 1  to be inserted between the board trap  26  and bracket face  14 . When the lower edge of the board to be installed S 1  comes to rest on the board support shelf  16 , the board trap  26  is allowed to come back to rest against the lower outside face of the board to be installed S 1 . The lap siding installation tool T 1  is now held onto the board to be installed S 1  with spring tension pinching the back and front faces of the board to be installed S 1  between the bracket face  14  and board trap  26 . The lower edge of the board to be installed S 1  rests on the board support shelf  16 . The indexing ledge  12  protrudes from the back face of the board to be installed S 1 .  
         [0040]    Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 8, a sequence in the use of the lap siding installation tool T 1  to assist in the installation of lap siding is illustrated. The first step, depicted in FIG. 5, is to install the tool T 1  onto the board to be installed S 1 . This is accomplished by pulling the board trap  26  back away from the bracket face  14  a sufficient distance to allow the tool T 1  to be placed on the lower edge the board to be installed S 1 . The tool T 1  is positioned in such a manner as the lower edge of the board to be installed S 1  rests against the board support shelf  16  of the indexing support bracket  10 . The bracket face  14  is flat against the backside of the board to be installed S 1  and the indexing ledge  12  protrudes out perpendicular from the backside of the board to be installed S 1 . When the board trap  26  is released, the board trap  26  comes in contact with the front side of the board to be installed S 1  and thus “grips” the board to be installed S 1  between the bracket face  14  and the board trap  26  using spring tension of the board trap assembly  20 .  
         [0041]    Referring now to FIG. 6, the board to be installed S 1  with the tool T 1  attached to it&#39;s lower edge, is placed above the top edge of a previously installed board S 2  already attached to the structure. The board to be installed S 1  is positioned such that the indexing ledge  12  of the indexing support bracket  10  comes to rest on the top edge of the previously installed board S 2 . With this action accomplished, the lower edge of the board to be installed S 1  is at a predetermined overlap with the upper edge of the previously installed board S 2  as defined by the length of the bracket face  14 . The board to be installed S 1  cannot move any further relative to the previously installed board S 2  as the indexing ledge  12  and board support shelf  16  prevent further downward movement of the board to be installed S 1 . The board to be installed S 1  is now ready to be fastened to the structure.  
         [0042]    Referring now to FIG. 7, a nail N (or screw) is used to fasten the upper edge of the board to be installed S 1  to the structure. Once this is performed at two locations spaced apart on the upper edge of the board to be installed S 1 , the lower edge of the board to be installed S 1  is pulled a short horizontal distance out or away from the previously installed board S 2 . The tool T 1  is then removed from the lower edge of the board to be installed S 1  by pulling the tool T 1  down towards the ground.  
         [0043]    Referring now to FIG. 8, following the removal of the tool T 1 , the board to be installed S 1  is then fully fastened by nails N (or screws) to the structure per the manufacturer&#39;s recommendation. This completes the procedure for using the tool T 1 , and this procedure is then repeated for each piece and row of siding boards.  
         [0044]    Referring now to FIG. 15, this drawing shows a perspective view of the tool T 1  in use on the side of a structure. As is shown a pair of the tool T 1  is required to support a board to be installed S 1  on a previously installed board S 2 . The tool T 1  is positioned with the board trap assembly  20  to the outside of the board to be installed S 1  and sufficient spaced apart to provide stability.  
       FIGS.  9  and  10 —Additional Embodiment  
       [0045]    Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, an additional embodiment of the lap siding installation tool of the present invention is depicted by reference T 2 . A lap siding installation tool T 2  is comprised of an indexing support bracket  200 , a trap spring  229 , a trap pin  230  and a board trap  240 .  
         [0046]    In the additional embodiment of the tool T 2 , the indexing support bracket  200  is formed into an elongated squared “Z” when viewed from the side (FIG. 9). A bracket face  214  of the indexing support bracket  200  is a substantially vertical member and of a fixed length that is equivalent to the desired overlap of the siding boards. An indexing ledge  212  is the horizontal member that extends out from the top of and perpendicular to the bracket face  214 . The indexing ledge  212  can also be depressed a couple of degrees from horizontal to provide for better stability in use which would mean that the angle formed by the indexing ledge  212  and the bracket face  214  would be less than 90 degrees. The width of the indexing ledge  212 , that is the distance between the outer edge of the indexing ledge  212  and the bracket face  214 , is approximately the same as the thickness of a siding board. A board support shelf  216  of the indexing support bracket  200  is a horizontal member that extends out from the bottom of and perpendicular to the bracket face  214  and is of sufficient length to support a siding board and allow for the anchoring of a board trap  240 . A bracket lever  217  is a portion of the indexing support bracket  200  that continues from the end of the board support shelf  216  at a slight downward angle.  
         [0047]    In the additional embodiment of the tool T 2 , a trap anchor  218 , of which there are two, is formed by stamping an upside down “U” out of a small section of the board support shelf  216  and bracket lever  217 , located at the furthest edge away from the bracket face  214 . The inside diameter of the trap anchor  218  is larger than the diameter of a trap pin  230 . Each of the two trap anchors  218  are located on opposite ends of the indexing support bracket  200  and on the same axis to hold the trap pin  230  parallel with the board support shelf  216 . The indexing support bracket  200  can be manufactured by cutting and stamping metal strips, machining a block of material suitable for this use, formed by casting and machining material that is suitable for this use or extrusion and machining a material suitable for this use. In the later three cases, the trap anchor  218  would take the form of a “D” laid over on its flat side with a hole through it of a diameter larger than the diameter of the trap pin  230 .  
         [0048]    Referring now to a board trap  240 , a solid part that is either machined from a block of suitable material or an extrusion that is cut to length with a hole through it of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the trap pin  230 . This hole allows the board trap  240  to rotate about the axis of the trap pin  230  and perpendicular to the bracket face  214 . The board trap  240  has a board trap face  242 , which is manufactured with a convex surface that sweeps away from the bracket face  214  as it approaches the board support shelf  216  moving from top to bottom of the board trap  240 . A board trap lever  244  is an extension on the opposite end of the board trap  240  that extends up a short distance at an angle of approximately 35 degrees. A trap access cut-out  219  is made in the board support shelf  216  and bracket lever  217  which allows the board trap  240  to rotate about the trap pin  230  without hindrance by the index support bracket  200 . A trap spring  229  of double torsion spring design provides spring energy to the board trap  240 . A spring reaction lever  224  is the outer most component of the trap spring  229  and provides the spring reaction against the outer most edge of the board support shelf  216 . The spring wire connecting the two spring coils of the trap spring  229  reacts against the underside of the board trap lever  244 .  
         [0049]    A trap pin  230  is used to fix the board trap  240  to the indexing support bracket  200 . The board trap  240  is positioned to the indexing bracket  200  with the convex surface of the board trap face  242  facing towards the bracket face  214 . The trap spring  229  is positioned with a set of coils either side of the board trap  240  and with the spring reaction levers  224  in contact with the outer most edge of the board support shelf  216  and the connecting wire of the trap spring  229  under the board trap lever  244 . The trap pin  230  is passed through the first trap anchor  218 , one trap spring  229  coils, the board trap  240 , the second set of spring coils of the trap spring  229  and then the second trap anchor  218 . The trap pin  230  is of sufficient length that some of the trap pin  230  extends out passed each trap anchor  218 . The trap pin  230  can be constructed as a solid rod or a hollow tube of suitable material that will hold the parts of the lap siding installation tool T 2  together.  
         [0050]    To open the lap siding installation tool T 2  and set on a board to be installed, one would grip the lap siding installation tool T 2  by the bracket lever  217  and the board trap lever  244 . Squeezing the board trap lever  244  towards the bracket lever  217  will cause the board trap  240  to open away from the bracket face  214 . A gap will be formed between the bracket face  214  and the board trap face  242  such that the lower edge of a board to be installed can be inserted between them. Releasing the board trap lever  244  will allow the board trap  240  to rotate towards the indexing support bracket  200 , thus pinching the back face and front face of the board to be installed between the bracket face  214  and board trap face  242 . The lower edge of the board to be installed will rest on the board support shelf The sequence to use this alternate embodiment of the lap siding installation tool T 2  would follow along the same methodology as with the main embodiment of the lap siding installation tool T 1  as shown in FIGS. 5 through 8.  
       FIGS.  11  and  12 —Second Additional Embodiment  
       [0051]    Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, a depiction of another alternate embodiment of the lap siding installation tool is presented, herein referred to as T 3 . An indexing support bracket  300  is similarly constructed as the main embodiment with an indexing ledge  312 , a bracket face  314  and a board support shelf  316 . A trap anchor  318 , of which there are two, are smaller than those of the main embodiment and are also located inboard of the outer edges of the board support shelf  316 . A board trap  340  is manufactured as a half pipe section with a pin holder  344  at each end and in line with each other, to act as a hinge on a trap pin  330 . There is a trap anchor cut-out  346  in the board trap  340  to allow the board trap  340  to rotate about the trap pin  330  without interference from the trap anchors  318 . The spring energy for this tool T 3  is provided by a trap spring  320  of a single torsion spring design. The trap spring  320  has a spring reaction lever  324  and a spring trap reaction lever  328 . To assemble the tool T 3 , the board trap  340  is held to the indexing support bracket  300  with the convex face of a board trap face  342  touching the bracket face  314 . The pin holders  344  are located towards the back edge of the board support shelf  316  and on the outboard sides of the trap anchors  318 . The trap spring  320  is inserted in the gap between and in line with the trap anchors  318 . The spring reaction lever  324  rests on the outer edge of the board support shelf  316  and the spring trap reaction lever rests against concave side of the board trap face  342 . The trap pin  330  is inserted through one pin holder  344 , the trap anchor  318 , the trap spring  320 , the second trap anchor  318  and the second pin holder  344 . All components of the tool T 3  are manufactured from metal. The sequence to use this second alternate embodiment of the lap siding installation tool T 3  would follow along the same methodology as with the main embodiment of the lap siding installation tool T 1  as shown in FIGS. 5 through 8.  
       FIGS.  13  and  14 —Third Additional Embodiment  
       [0052]    Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 14, a depiction of another alternate embodiment of the lap siding installation tool is presented, herein referred to as T 4 . This embodiment of the tool does not require any moving parts. The entire tool can be constructed from one piece of steel, or two pieces that are fastened together. As in the main embodiment, an indexing support bracket  400  has an indexing ledge  412 , a bracket face  414  and a board support shelf  416 . In this alternate embodiment of the tool T 4 , the board support shelf  416  can be shorter than in the previous embodiments of the lap siding installation tool. A trap spring  418  extends up a short distance and perpendicular from the outer edge of the board support shelf  416 . A board trap  420  which extends vertically from the trap spring  418  and forms an arc roughly parallel to the bracket face  414 . The smallest gap between the bracket face  414  and the board trap  420  is smaller than the thickness of a siding board, but the distance between the upper most edge of the board trap  420  and the bracket face  414  is greater than the thickness of the siding board. This allows the tool T 4  to clip onto the lower edge of a board to be installed by gripping the lower back face and lower front face of the board to be installed between the board trap  420  and the bracket face  414 . In so doing, the lower edge of the board to be installed will rest on the board support shelf and the indexing ledge will protrude out of the back of the board to be installed. The tool T 4  is manufactured from steel that is sufficiently thin enough to act as a one piece spring clip, yet sufficiently strong enough to support the weight of a siding board. It is along the junction between the board support shelf  416  and the trap spring  418  that a connection can be made where two pieces could be joined to make this tool T 4 . One piece would encompass the indexing ledge  412 , the bracket face  414 , and the board support shelf  416 . The second piece would encompass the trap spring  418  and the board trap  420 . The two parts could be connected to each other by welding or extended tabs from each that are screwed or riveted together. This method of manufacture would allow the different parts to be fabricated from differing thickness of steel suitable for their requirements. The sequence to use this third alternate embodiment of the lap siding installation tool T 4  would follow along the same methodology as with the main embodiment of the lap siding installation tool T 1  as shown in FIGS. 5 through 8.  
         [0053]    From the descriptions above, a number of advantages of the lap siding installation tool become evident:  
         [0054]    a) The tool is used only on the siding board to be installed which keeps the work effort and worker focus on that board.  
         [0055]    b) The tools are small, compact and easy to use.  
         [0056]    c) The tools require no complex manipulation of locking pins, mechanisms during their use.  
         [0057]    d) The tools are constructed by simple manufacturing processes and readily available materials which should keep their cost down.  
         [0058]    e) There is no wasted effort installing aids to a structure.  
         [0059]    f) The tools are not likely to be knocked off during the performance of the work, yet are easy to remove from the work piece.  
         [0060]    Although the description above contains a number of specific embodiments of the invention, these should not construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the board trap could have a more acute internal angle as opposed to sweeping curves, or some parts of the invention could be more square than rectangular, or parts fabricated as two separate components and then joined together by some fashion, etc.  
         [0061]    Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.