Abstract:
The invention is a device used to measure and mark floor tile that must be cut to fit around obstructions. A key feature of the invention is that it has removable elements that make it possible to use the device with tile of any size. A second key feature is a plurality of telescoping members that can be extended to varying lengths in order to describe the perimeter geometry that must be duplicated by cutting away a portion of the tile. The invention is compatible with all tile and similar flat floor or wall coverings, such as pavers or carpet squares.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the field of laying floor tile, pavers, and the like. Specifically, the invention relates to devices used to assist measuring and cutting floor tile prior to installation. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Laying floor tile is a craft that requires a great deal of trial and error to master. Tile must be cut to fit around obstacles, such as moulding, doorways, and structural features of the surface to be tiled. Cutting tiles is an inexact technique often requiring repeated attempts to nibble or wet-saw portions of a tile away until the proper shape results. Considerable waste is generated from mis-cut tiles and from tiles that break as a result of repeated manipulations with nippers or a wet saw. This iterative process is also very time-consuming and frustrating for all but the most skilled craftsmen. What is needed, but not found in the prior art, is a universal device that can be used to translate any complex cutting geometry to any size tile so that a single cutting or nibbling step can produce an accurately cut tile for that same geometry. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a device used to measure and mark floor tile that must be cut to fit around obstructions. A key feature of the invention is that it has removable elements that make it possible to use the device with tile of any size. A second key feature is a plurality of telescoping members that can be extended to varying lengths in order to describe the perimeter geometry that must be duplicated by cutting away a portion of the tile. The invention is compatible with all tile and similar flat floor or wall coverings, such as pavers or carpet squares. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an oblique view of the present invention showing all probes extended. 
       FIG. 2  is an oblique view of the present invention showing all probes retracted. 
       FIG. 3  is an oblique view of the present invention showing how individual fingers are connected. 
       FIG. 4  is an oblique view of a finger of the present invention with probe fully extended. 
       FIG. 5  is an oblique view of a finger of the present invention with probe partially extended. 
       FIG. 6  is an oblique view of a finger of the present invention with probe fully retracted. 
       FIG. 7  is an end view of a finger of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of a finger of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of a finger of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10A  is a section view of  FIG. 9  with probe retracted. 
       FIG. 10B  is a section view of  FIG. 9  with probe extended. 
       FIG. 11  is a view of the present invention being used around a corner of a wall. 
       FIG. 12  is a view of the present invention translating the cut line from  FIG. 11  to a tile. 
       FIG. 13  shows the tile with cut line drawn and piece to be removed is hatched. 
       FIG. 14  shows the tile of  FIG. 13  with piece removed. 
       FIG. 15  shows the cut tile of  FIG. 14  installed around a corner of a wall. 
       FIG. 16  is a view of the present invention being used around a column. 
       FIG. 17  is a view of the present invention translating the cut line from  FIG. 16  to a tile. 
       FIG. 18  shows the tile with cut line drawn and piece to be removed is hatched. 
       FIG. 19  shows the tile of  FIG. 18  with piece removed. 
       FIG. 20  shows the cut tile of  FIG. 19  installed around a column. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   With reference to  FIGS. 1 through 20 , marking tool  1  is comprised of one male end finger  5 , a plurality of identical intermediate fingers  3 , and a female end finger  3 . Each of fingers  3 ,  4 , and  5  are in the shape of an elongated, orthogonal, rectangular block. Five surfaces of each type of finger are of particular interest: the four long surfaces comprising the barrel of the block and one short surface on a first end of the block. Features on these five surfaces differentiate the three finger types. Fingers  3 ,  4 , and  5  may be manufactured from wood, plastic, metal, composites or other typical structural materials. 
   Male end finger  5  includes a smooth planar first elongated surface  2 , a smooth planar second elongated surface  22 , and a smooth planar third elongated surface  23 . Second surface  22  and third surface  23  are on opposite sides of male end finger  5 . A fourth elongated surface  21  includes a male dovetail  8  extending from a first end surface  24  of the finger down a portion of the length of fourth surface  21 . In the preferred embodiment, the ratio of male dovetail  8  length to fourth surface  21  length is in the range of about 50% and about 90%. In an alternate embodiment, male dovetail  8  extends down the entire length of fourth surface  21 . First end surface  24  includes a perpendicular bore  25 . Extendable probe  6  is integrally mounted inside bore  25 . Extendable probe  6  can be retracted until flush with first end surface  24 , or probe  6  may be extended in a telescoping fashion. 
   Female end finger  3  includes a smooth planar fourth elongated surface  21 , a smooth planar second elongated surface  22 , and a smooth planar third elongated surface  23 . Second surface  22  and third surface  23  are on opposite sides of female end finger  3 . A first elongated surface  2  includes a female dovetail groove  7  extending from a first end surface  24  of the finger down a portion of the length of first surface  2 . In the preferred embodiment, the ratio of female dovetail groove  7  length to first surface  2  length is in the range of about 50% and about 90%. In an alternate embodiment, female dovetail groove  7  extends down the entire length of first surface  2 . First end surface  24  includes a perpendicular bore  25 . Extendable probe  6  is integrally mounted inside bore  25 . Extendable probe  6  can be retracted until flush with first end surface  24 , or probe  6  may be extended in a telescoping fashion. 
   Intermediate finger  4  includes a smooth planar second elongated surface  22 , and a smooth planar third elongated surface  23 . Second surface  22  and third surface  23  are on opposite sides of intermediate finger  3 . A first elongated surface  2  includes a female dovetail groove  7  extending from a first end surface  24  of the finger down a portion of the length of first surface  2 . In the preferred embodiment, the ratio of female dovetail groove  7  length to first surface  2  length is in the range of about 50% and about 90%. In an alternate embodiment, female dovetail groove  7  extends down the entire length of first surface  2 . A fourth elongated surface  21  includes a male dovetail  8  extending from a first end surface  24  of the finger down a portion of the length of fourth surface  21 . In the preferred embodiment, the ratio of male dovetail  8  length to fourth surface  21  length is in the range of about 50% and about 90%. In an alternate embodiment, male dovetail  8  extends down the entire length of fourth surface  21 . First surface  2  and fourth surface  21  are on opposite sides of intermediate finger  3 . First end surface  24  includes a perpendicular bore  25 . Extendable probe  6  is integrally mounted inside bore  25 . Extendable probe  6  can be retracted until flush with first end surface  24 , or probe  6  may be extended in a telescoping fashion. 
   The tool is assembled for use by joining male dovetail  8  of male finger  5  with female dovetail groove  7  of an adjacent intermediate finger  4  into an integral assembly. Once firmly assembled in this manner, fourth surface  21  of male end finger  5  and first surface  2  of intermediate finger  4  are in contact with each other over their entire length. Additional intermediate fingers are added as required in the same manner by joining male dovetail  8  of one intermediate finger  5  with female dovetail groove  7  of an adjacent intermediate finger  4 . Finally, in the same manner, the female dovetail groove  7  of female end finger  3  is attached to the male dovetail  8  of the last intermediate finger  5 . 
   A key feature of the invention is that each parallel second surface  22  and third surface  23  on all fingers is exactly one inch in width. Thus, each time a finger is added to the assembly, the assembly grows in width by exactly one inch. The fingers must be assembled so that the overall width of the assembly is equal to the width of the tile. Thus, to accommodate a tile measuring four inches in width, the present invention must be assembled using one male end finger  5 , two intermediate fingers  4 , and one female end finger  3 . To accommodate a tile measuring twelve inches in width, the present invention must be assembled using one male end finger  5 , ten intermediate fingers  4 , and one female end finger  3 . There is no limit to the number of intermediate fingers  4  that can be added to the assembly. 
   Each finger includes a telescoping probe  6 . Each probe is individually extendable. A typical maximum extension distance is twenty inches, corresponding to the typical maximum tile size that is readily available. Thus, twenty assembled fingers with their twenty probes extended describe a square footprint equal to twenty by twenty inches. 
   FIG.  11 – FIG. 15  show a typical use of the present invention. Whole tiles  9  are installed on a floor until a permanent room feature such as wall  10  is approached. For each tile that must be cut, marking tool  1  is first placed upon the floor where the cut tile will ultimately be placed. Probes  6  are extended until they contact wall  10  or reach the maximum tile dimension. With probes  6  still extended, marking tool  1  is next placed upon a whole tile to be cut  11 . The operator  15  uses a pencil or other device  16  to mark an outline  17  of the extended probes  6 , thereby tracing the tile portion to be removed  12 . A cutting device (not shown) can then be employed to make cuts  13  along outline  17 . When the resulting cut tile  11  is placed on the floor, it fits around wall  10 . 
   As shown in FIG.  16 – FIG. 20 , the marking tool  1  of the present invention can also be used to place tile around more complex permanent room features such as column  14 . Ws before, whole tiles  9  are installed on a floor until a permanent room feature, such as column  14 , is approached. Marking tool  1  is placed upon the floor where the cut tile will ultimately be placed. Probes  6  are extended until they contact column  14  or reach the maximum tile dimension. With probes  6  still extended, marking tool  1  is next placed upon a whole tile to be cut  18 . The operator  15  uses a pencil or other device  16  to mark an outline  17  of the extended probes  6 , thereby tracing the tile portion to be removed  19 . A cutting device (not shown) can then be employed to make cuts  20  along outline  17 . When the resulting cut tile  18  is placed on the floor, it fits around column  14 . 
   While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.