Line holders for masonry work and the like

A relatively thin, stiff, flat guide line holder or “trig” for accurately supporting and positioning intermediate portions of tautly stretched guide lines such as are used by bricklayers and stone masons in laying courses of bricks, blocks and stones during the erection of masonry walls has a centrally located body portion, and an integrally formed, forwardly projecting guide line support portion. During use, the body portion is positioned atop a flat surface of a wall being erected to support the line holder at a desired height to be met by masonry elements added to the wall, with the support portion projecting forwardly beyond a front surface plane of the wall being erected. Passage formations defined by the support portion open downwardly through a bottom surface of the support portion at two spaced locations along the front surface plane when the line holder is properly positioned. Slot formations defined by the support portion provide a track, or tracks, along which a loop of the guide line can be moved into the passage formations so lengthy portions of the guide line located on opposite sides of the loop can extend along the front surface plane in opposite directions away from the line holder when the guide line is drawn taut at the desired height.

REFERENCE TO CONCURRENTLY-FILED DESIGN APPLICATION

Reference is made to a design patent application entitled MASON'S GUIDE LINE HOLDERS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES filed concurrently herewith by the inventor hereof, issued Jun. 14, 2011 as U.S. Design Pat. No. D639,683, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to line holders of a type used by bricklayers and stone masons to support intermediate portions of tautly stretched guide lines along which courses of bricks, blocks and stones are to be laid in proper alignment as walls are built. The line holder, also known as a “trig,” positions an intermediate reach of a guide line, also known as a “trig line,” to correspond with a top surface height at which, and the location of a front surface plane along which, bricks, blocks and stones are to be accurately laid as masonry walls are erected.

Over the years, a variety of line holders or trigs have been proposed, some being more complexly configured than others, and some being more difficult to employ than others. An unduly complex and clumsy to employ trig line holder intended to support an intermediate reach of a trig line is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,453—which has gained little acceptance due to its complexity and relatively high cost of manufacture, and its lack of ease of use.

A much simpler trig line holder formed from a folded metal strip that has gained a reasonable degree of acceptance is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,387—but provides a design employing overlying components that are difficult to separate when a trig line must be inserted between the overlying components to put the holder into use. Drawbacks commonly encountered with this form of line holder are the ease with which it quickly becomes bent beyond being reused, and the loosening of its grip on guide lines—both of which problems are commonly encountered after relatively few uses of this line holder.

A simpler, repeatedly reusable, easier-to-employ line holder or “trig” has long been needed. The line holder or trig of the present invention cleverly addresses, and is quite well suited to fill, this long-standing need.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides line holders or trigs of simple, compact and lightweight construction, that are inexpensive to manufacture, that are repeatedly reusable without likelihood of becoming bent or otherwise being damaged during normal use, and that are conveniently carried in a bricklayer's or stone mason's pocket so as to be ready for use when needed. If one should be lost, the low cost of a replacement is negligible.

Of primary importance is the accuracy with which line holders or trigs embodying the invention are capable of reliably supporting and positioning a guide line, without introducing even an error that corresponds to a thickness of the material from which the line holder or trig is formed.

Some embodiments preferably take the form of a relatively thin, stiff and substantially flat member that has a centrally located body portion and a forwardly projecting guide line support portion. The body portion is positionable atop a flat surface to support the line holder at a proper height to be met as masonry elements are added to a wall. When the line holder is properly positioned, the forward line support portion defines a pair of passages that open downwardly in a front surface plane of the wall along which added masonry elements are to extend. Slot formations defined by the support portion permit a loop of guide line to be introduced into the passages so the guide line can be supported by the line holder when the guide line is stretched tautly in opposite directions along the front surface plane of the wall and at the proper height.

In some embodiments, a line holder includes a thin, elongate, generally rectangular member having two side-by-side passages that extend through the member at locations spaced short distances from one end surface of the member, having a single passage extending through the member at a location spaced a short distance from an opposite end surface of the member, having a pair of side-by-side slots each communicating with a different one of the side-by-side passages and extending through the one end surface, and having a single slot communicating with the single passage and extending through the opposite end surface.

In some embodiments, a line holder includes a thin, flat, relatively stiff member having a centrally located body portion postponable atop a horizontal surface at a desired height, and a forwardly projecting guide line support portion adapted to extend forwardly from the front surface plane 1) to define passage means configured to open downwardly through a bottom surface of the support portion at two side-by-side locations along a path extending at the desired height adjacent the front surface plane, and 2) to define slot means communicating with the passage means and configured to permit insertion of the loop into the downwardly opening passage means so the loop is supported by the line holder when the guide line is drawn taut in opposite directions extending along the path.

In some embodiments, a line holder includes a stiff, flat strip having an end region that defines two side-by-side passages extending through the strip at locations spaced a relatively short distance from an end surface of the end region, and that defines two side-by-side elongate slots each having a slot portion located adjacent to and communicating with a different one of the passages, with the slots extending in a length direction to open through the end surface, and with the passages having widths measured transverse to the length direction that are greater than are widths of slot portions located adjacent to and communicating with the passages.

In some embodiments, a line holder includes a stiff, flat, elongate strip having two side-by-side passages extending through the strip at locations spaced substantially equidistantly from an end surface of the strip, wherein the passages each communicate with a different one of two slots extending through a thickness of the strip and in a length direction to open through the end surface, wherein the openings are transversely wider than are portions of the slots located adjacent to and communicating with the openings.

In some embodiments, a line holder for supporting and positioning an intermediate reach of a mason's guide line when drawn taut to extend away from the line holder in opposite directions along a linear path at a desired height within a front surface plane of a wall being built, includes a thin, stiff, elongate member having a centrally located body portion postponable atop a horizontal surface at the desired height, and having a guide line support portion formed integrally with and projecting forwardly from the body portion 1) to define passage means opening downwardly through a bottom surface of the support portion at two locations along the linear path within the front surface plane, and 2) to define slot means communicating with the passage means and opening through an edge surface of the elongate member to provide a track that can be followed when inserting a loop of the reach into the passage means to depend through the bottom surface at said locations.

In some embodiments, a line holder is formed as a stamping from a thin, stiff, flat, elongate strip of metal having one and opposite end regions that define one and opposite end surfaces, respectively, having two side-by-side passages extending through a thickness of the one end region, having a single passage extending through a thickness of the opposite end region, with separate slots extending through the thickness of the one end region from each of the side-by-side openings and through the one end surface, and with another slot extending through the thickness of the opposite end region from the single passage and through the opposite end surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, a brick wall being built or erected is indicated generally by the numeral40. A front surface plane of the wall40is indicated by the numeral50. A guide line drawn taut to extend along a linear path61closely adjacent the front surface plane50of the wall40at a desired height to be met by bricks being added to the wall40is indicated by the numeral60.

A left end region70of the guide line60may be supported by any of a variety of conventional guide line holders80, examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D-347,798, D-198,813, 6,412,184, 5,479,713 and 2,585,160, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, or by other conventional techniques well known to those skilled in the art. Likewise, a right end region of the guide line60(not shown) may also be supported by a conventional guide line holder such as is disclosed in the patents just mentioned, or by other conventional techniques well known to those skilled in the art. An intermediate portion65of the guide line60is supported by a line holder100that preferably embodies features of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, the line holder100is a one-piece, flat, thin, elongate, generally rectangular strip105that can be thought of as having three portions, namely a centrally located, relatively lengthy body portion110, a relatively stubby front end region referred to as a dual-passage guide line support portion120, and a similar, relatively stubby rear end region referred to as a single-passage guide line support portion130. As is clearly depicted inFIG. 3, and as will shortly be explained in detail regarding this embodiment, the front end region120has only two passages140,142formed therethrough accompanied by a pair of corresponding slots170,172communicating therewith, and the rear end region has only a single passage144formed therethrough accompanied by a single slot174communicating therewith.

Novelty resides in the combination of the central body portion110and the uniquely configured front support portion, for previously proposed line holders have not provided such features; and, novelty resides in providing the central body portion110together with the odd combination of front and rear end regions120,130, respectively, that are capable in functioning in different ways to serve different guide line support needs found in different masonry wall erection applications, as will be explained later herein.

The embodiment of the line holder100shown inFIG. 3has a top surface102, a bottom surface104, a forward end surface106, a rearward end surface108, and substantially parallel extending left and right edge surfaces112,114. Two side-by-side passages140,142are formed through the front end region120of the line holder100at locations spaced identical short distances from the forward end surface106. A single passage144is formed through the rear end region130of the line holder100at a location spaced a similar short distance from the rearward end surface108. Each of the passages140,142,144extends substantially vertically through the line holder100so as to open at one end through the top surface102, and at the other end through the bottom surface104.

Turning toFIG. 4, where the passages140,142open through the top surface102, the side-by-side passages140,142define side-by-side openings150,152, respectively. Where the passages140,142open the bottom surface104, the side-by-side passages140,142define side-by-side openings160,162, respectively. Where the solo passage144opens through the top and bottom surfaces102,104, the passage144defines top and bottom surface openings154,164, respectively.

Referring again toFIG. 3, a pair of side-by-side slots170,172communicate with the side-by-side passages140,142, respectively, and open through the forward end surface106. Similarly, a slot174communicates with the passage144, and opens through the rearward end surface108.

InFIGS. 1,2and6-8, the line holder100is shown in a proper position to enable the front end support portion120to support an intermediate reach65of the guide line60extending along and closely adjacent to the front surface plane50of the wall40at a height to be met by new bricks being added to the wall40. When positioned as shown inFIG. 2, the line holder100is held in place by a spare brick45turned on edge and resting atop the central body portion110to clamp the central body portion110into firm engagement with the flat, upwardly facing wall surface75—which causes the bottom surface104of the line holder100to extend at the desired height to be met by bricks being added to the wall40.

When the line holder100is positioned as shown inFIGS. 1,2and6-8, the front support portion120projects forwardly from the front surface plane50of the wall40, and the bottom surface openings160,162open downwardly adjacent the front surface plane50(as is best seen inFIG. 8) so that, when a loop62of an intermediate reach65of the guide line60(such as is shown inFIG. 6) is inserted through the slots170,172and into the passages140,142(as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8), portions of the loop62are caused to exit through the bottom surface openings160,162adjacent the front surface plane50at spaced locations so that, as the guide line60is drawn taut, lengthy portions or reaches63,64of the guide line60(that extend away from the intermediate portion or reach65supported by the line holder100) are caused to extend in opposite directions (along a path designated by the numeral61inFIGS. 7 and 8at a desired height to be met by bricks that are added to the wall40) away from the bottom surface openings160,162at locations adjacent the front surface plane50of the wall40and at the same height as the bottom surface104of the line holder100. As a result, the intermediate reach65of the guide line60is supported by the line holder100at a height to be met by new bricks as they are added to the wall to advance the erection of the wall40.

WhatFIG. 9shows is how the rear end region130of the line holder100ofFIG. 3can be put to use. Depicted inFIG. 9are spaced-apart left and right portions41,42of a brick wall40that is being built or erected. The depicted wall portions41,42have flat top surfaces75that (in the same manner that the flat top surface75shown inFIGS. 6-8underlies and supports a central body portion110of the line holder100shown inFIGS. 6-8) underlies and supports the central body portion110of a left line holder100atop the surface75of the left wall portion41, and underlies and supports the central body portion110of a right line holder100atop the surface75of the right wall portion42. Spare bricks46,47laid atop the left and right line holders100, respectively, hold the left and right line holders100in position atop the flat surfaces75of the left and right wall portions41,42just as a spare brick45laid atop the line holder100shown inFIGS. 7 and 8holds the line holder100in place atop the flat surface75of the wall portion40shown inFIGS. 7 and 8. Rear portions130of the left and right line holders100shown inFIG. 9are positioned to project forwardly beyond a front surface plane50of the portions41,42of the wall40in the same manner that the front portion120of the line holder100shown inFIGS. 6-8projects forwardly beyond a front surface plane50of the wall portion40shown inFIGS. 6-8).

As can be seen inFIG. 9, a guide line portion67overlies an upper surface portion102of the left line holder100before extending through the rear passage144of the left line holder100to provide another guide line portion66that extends rightwardly along a bottom surface portion104of the left line holder100toward the right line holder100. In a mirror-image manner, a guide line portion68overlies an upper surface portion102of the right line holder100before extending through the rear passage144of the right line holder100to provide another guide line portion66that extends leftwardly along a bottom surface portion104of the right line holder100toward the left line holder100.

When the guide line60shown inFIG. 9is pulled taut, the guide line portion66that extends between the left and right line holders100is held by the line holders100at a correct height (even with the top surface portions75of the left and right wall portions41,42) that is to be matched as bricks are added to the wall40at locations (not shown) situated between the left and right line holders100that are shown inFIG. 9(just as the guide line portions63,64shown inFIGS. 7 and 8are held at a correct height to be matched as bricks are added to the wall40at locations on opposite sides of the line holder100shown inFIGS. 7 and 8).

What is shown in the sequence of three views provided byFIGS. 10,11and12are three simple steps that can be followed to properly install an intermediate reach65of guide line60along tracks defined by the slots170,172and into the passages140,142to enable the intermediate reach65of the guide line60to be properly supported by the line holder100. As is shown inFIG. 10, a first step is taken by turning the line holder100vertically (i.e., on edge), so that one of the slots170,172(in this case, the slot172) is located above the other of the slots170,172. The guide line portion65to be supported by the line holder100is then passed through the upper slot172and into the associated upper passage142.

As is shown inFIG. 11, a second step is taken by turning the line holder100in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction (in this case, in a clockwise direction as indicated by an arrow99) to bring the unoccupied slot170and the unoccupied passage140near the guide line portion65that is to be supported by the line holder100. And, as is shown inFIG. 12, a third step is taken by slipping a nearby part of the guide line portion65along the slot170and into the associated passage140—which, with a minimum of fuss causes the guide line portion65to be properly supported by the front end region120of the line holder100, in the manner shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.

Although the shape defined by the perimeter of the elongate strip105shown inFIG. 3is generally rectangular, the exterior shape of the line holder100need not always be either elongate or rectangular, which will become more clear as this description concludes with reference toFIGS. 13-20. The line holder100merely needs to provide a relatively sizable centrally located body portion110atop which a spare brick (such as the brick45shown inFIGS. 1,2and6-8, or the bricks46,47shown inFIG. 9) can rest to retain the line holder100in position atop a flat wall surface75, and needs to provide a front end portion120that defines two spaced passages140,142that can receive the loop62of the intermediate reach65of the guide line60.

Likewise, although the passages140,142are depicted inFIG. 3as being transversely elongate (i.e., elongate in directions paralleling the front surface plane50of the wall40); and although the slots170,172are shown inFIG. 3as being of uniform width along their lengths, as extending parallel to each other and to the length of the line holder100, and as extending through the forward end surface106, the passages140,142need not be transversely elongate in shape; and the slots170,172need not be of uniform width along their lengths, nor do they need to extend in side-by-side parallel relationship, nor do the slots170,172need to extend parallel to each other or to the length of the strip105, nor do the slots170,172need to exit through the forward end surface106of a line holder that is of generally rectangular configuration.

The passages140,142(or “passage means” reasonably equivalent thereto) need merely be capable of receiving and retaining the loop62of the intermediate reach65of the guide line60; and the slots170,172(or “slot means” reasonably equivalent thereto) need merely be capable of providing a track or tracks along which portions of the guide line loop62can be moved into the passages140,142. Accordingly, the passages140,142(or a reasonably equivalent “passage means”) and the slots170,172(or a reasonably equivalent “slot means”) may take a variety of sizes and shapes, and the slots170,172may differ in where they exit through an edge surface of the line holder100.

Examples of the many ways in which the passages140,142(or a reasonably equivalent “passage means”), and the slots170,172(or a reasonably equivalent “slot means”) can take on different sizes, shapes and edge surface exit locations are provided inFIG. 13through FIG.24—and yet, the resulting front end portions120of the depicted line holders100can still function in much the same way as has been described in considerable detail in conjunction with FIGS.6-8—so that downwardly opening passage openings position portions of a loop62of a guide line60to be supported to extend along a linear path61closely adjacent a front wall plane50of a wall40being built or erected, and at a desired height to be met by bricks or other masonry elements being added to the wall being built or erected.

Referring toFIG. 13, the forward end portion120of a guide line holder100may have a pair of slot portions171,173that join with a single slot portion175to form a Y-like track or tracks along which portions of a loop62of an intermediate reach65of a guide line60(as depicted, for example, inFIG. 6) can travel to pass into a pair of side-by-side passages141,143that, in this embodiment, are of round cross-section instead of being of elongate cross-section like the passages140,142of the line holder100ofFIG. 3. Corner regions107,108of the end surface106are more rounded than are corresponding corner regions of the line holder100shown in FIG.3—which does nothing to alter how the line holder100ofFIG. 13functions in comparison to the line holder100ofFIG. 3.

Referring toFIG. 14, a pair of slots181,183of a front end portion120of a line holder100are of relatively wide width until they reach choke points191,193located adjacent two elongate passages140,142(which may, in some applications, help to retain portions of a guide line loop62within the passages140,142). The slots181,183have corner region openings117,118that are situated at opposite ends of the end surface106—and still a line holder100is provided that performs well, in substantially the same manner described in conjunction with the line holder depicted inFIGS. 6-8.

Referring toFIG. 15, slots182,184communicate with elongate passages192,194to provide P-shaped openings through the front end portion120of a line holder100.

Referring toFIG. 16, a pair of curved slot portions221,223communicate with a single, centrally located slot portion225before opening into a pair of elongate passages140,142, respectively. The slot branches221,223,225provide a track or tracks along which portions of a loop62of guide line60(such as is shown inFIG. 6) can be moved to deliver a portion of a guide line loop62into the passages140,142where the guide line loop portion62is retained while other portions of the guide line loop exits downwardly through bottom openings of the passages140,142just as described previously in conjunction withFIGS. 7 and 8, to support an intermediate reach65of the guide line60.

Referring toFIG. 17, two relatively wide slot branches221,223join with a relatively thin central slot branch225enabling portions of a guide line loop62to be moved a pair of rounded passages217,219defined by a forward end region120of a line holder100.

InFIGS. 18-20, however, slots170,172that open through different edge surface regions of forward end portions120of line holders100communicate with transversely elongate passages140,142to enable portions of a guide line loop62such as is shown inFIG. 6to travel along slot-defined tracks into the passages140,142to be retained and supported by the associated guide line holders100.

Referring toFIG. 21, a front end portion120of a line holder100is shown that employs passages240,242connected by a C-shaped slot270that does not open through any edge surface of the line holder100. Configurations such are exemplified by the line holder front end portion120shown inFIG. 21provide still another type of approach that can be taken by the present invention to use what can be referred to as “slot means” that communicates with “passage means” to permit a loop62of a guide line60(such as is shown inFIG. 6) to be moved along one or more tracks defined by the “slot means” and into the “passage means” to be retained so the line holder100performs in substantially the same way as the line holder100depicted inFIG. 8.

Finally, referring toFIGS. 22-24, a front end portion120of a line holder100is shown that employs passages140,142and communicating slots170,172that do not extend straight through the line holder100(i.e., not extending perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces102,104, as do the many other slots and passages of the various line holder forms that are shown in other drawing views). Instead, the slots170,172and the passages140,142shown inFIGS. 22-24are inclined relative to the top and bottom surfaces102,104, respectively—as is made clear in the cross-sectional views provided byFIGS. 23 and 24. Slot or passage inclination alterations of this type may also be applied to the various other slot and passage configurations employed by the various other types of line holder configurations disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As those who are skilled in the art will readily understand, line holders100that embody features of the present invention may be formed from a wide variety of materials including but not limited to metals such as steel, tin, brass and aluminum; from plastics materials including but not limited to nylon, thermoplastic materials such as PVC, TPU, PP, TPE and ABS, and the like; and even from organic materials such as strips of wood, bamboo and the like, and other stiff, thin, flat, durable materials, some of which may not even be known at present.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form shown inFIG. 3has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended to protect whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.