Abstract:
A marking tool comprising bottom, base and top polyhedral shaped portions integrally joined such that the top and bottom portions are skewed with respect to each other and the base, such that a plurality of selected spaced distances are defined between adjacent walls of the top and bottom portions relative to walls of the base portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/879,125 filed Jan. 8, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a tool for allowing a carpenter or other craftsmen to quickly and accurately mark distances from an edge and, in particular to a marking block having a base with a polyhedral shape and smaller top and bottom portions having the same polyhedral shape but of a smaller size and offset with respect to the base. 
     Carpenters, such as cabinet makers, must make frequent and accurate dimensional measurements to provide a guide as to where to make a cut with a saw, where to drill, where to place pulls or handles and the like. Many of these measurements are in the range of one sixteenth of an inch to one inch in one sixteenth with increments in the American system using inches or in one tenth of a centimeter increments in systems using the metric system. 
     It is often difficult to accurately measure such short and precise measurements with a tape measure or rule and when using such a device, multiple marks must be made and a line drawn between them to provide a guide line. Further, prior art measuring devices, such as tape measures and rulers with positioning slides, are often difficult to uniformly position or to use in getting highly repetitive and accurate measurements. 
     Consequently, it is desirable to have a tool that allows a carpenter to very quickly and easily position a guide line or mark, a desired distance from the edge of a board or other material being worked. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A carpentry marking block that includes three preferably integrally joined portions, including a central or base portion, a top portion and a bottom portion that are stacked or positioned on top of one another. 
     The central portion has a polyhedral cross section with uniform wall lengths and a uniform height. The polyhedral cross section is chosen with respect to the particular system of measurement to be used. In the United States the polyhedral cross section will normally be chosen to be octagonal which provides sixteen measurements of a given incremental increase relative to each other. However, if only measurements in one eight increments are desired, the center portion may be square or, if measurements in one thirty second of an inch increments are required, the center portion may be hexadecahedral (16 sided). Furthermore, if a device is desired for use with the metric system, a pentahedral shape may be utilized. 
     The top portion and lower portion are each of uniform height and have a cross section that has the same shape (that is, for example, octagonal of uniform side length), as the central portion, but is smaller in maximum width as compared to the central section. For example, if the central portion has a maximum width of nine inches, is octagonal, and the measurements to be made by the tool are to be in one sixteenth inch increments, then the top portion is one inch shorter in width than the base portion or eight inches and the bottom portion is one and one eight inches shorter in width or seven and seven eights inches. 
     Furthermore, the top portion is positioned so as to have a first edge one sixteenth of an inch from one of the center portion edges and a second adjacent edge at three sixteenths of an inch from the next center portion edge. This positions all of the distances between the edges of the top portion and center portion at distances sequentially of 1/16, 3/16, 7/16, 11/16, 15/16, 13/16, 9/16 and 5/16 of an inch from one another. The bottom portion is positioned so that one edge of the bottom portion is one eight of an inch from one edge of the center portion with the next adjacent edge of the bottom portion being one fourth of an inch from the corresponding center portion edge. This provides spacing sequentially of ⅛, ¼, ½, ¾, ⅞, ⅝ and ⅜ of an inch between sides of the top and base portion. Preferably, the tool is constructed from a single integral block of high quality plastic, aluminum, magnesium, wood or other suitable material; however, it is also foreseen that the tool portions can be constructed separately and fixedly joined together by glueing, using screws or the like. 
     In use a dimension that a carpenter wishes to mark from an edge of a work piece is selected and an associated outer wall of either the top or bottom portions that is associated with the selected dimension is abutted against the edge from which the measurement is to be made. The associated outer wall of the center portion is then located at the appropriate distance which can be marked with a pencil, stylus or the like. 
     OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the objects of the invention are: to provide a carpentry marking tool that allows a user to quickly and very accurately position a line or mark a desired distance from an edge of a board or other structural component; to provide such a tool having a center or base and smaller top and bottom portions all having a uniform polyhedral shape wherein the top and bottom portions are offset with respect to the base and each other, such that each edge of the top and bottom portions is a specific and different distance from a corresponding base edge; to provide such a tool that is easy to use, inexpensive to produce and especially well adapted for the intended use thereof. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a marking tool in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the tool shown being used to mark a dimension on a board using a pencil. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the tool. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the tool. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
     Shown in the drawings is a marking tool generally designated by the reference numeral  1 . The tool  1  indicates a central, middle or base portion  5 , a top portion  6  and a bottom portion  7 . 
     The base portion  5  is of uniform height throughout and has an octagonal cross section (in a horizontal plane) that has eight uniform side surfaces  10 . The base portion  5  has a maximum width that is indicated by dimensional arrow identified by the letter A. 
     The top portion  6  is also of uniform height throughout and has an octagonal cross section that has eight uniform side surfaces  12 . The top portion has a maximum width that is indicated by the dimensional arrow identified by the letter B. The dimension B is less then the dimension A. In the illustrated embodiment the tool  1  is designed to allow a user to measure in one sixteenth inch increments. As is seen, the top portion  6  is skewed (that is, not centered) relative to the base portion  5 . A first side wall  15  of the top portion is spaced one sixteenth of an inch from a first side wall  16  of the base portion  5 . A second side wall  17  of the top portion is spaced three sixteenth of an inch from a second side wall  18  of the base portion. Progressing around the tool  1 , the walls are sequently spaced seven sixteenths, eleven sixteenths, fifteen sixteenths, thirteen sixteenths, nine sixteenths and five sixteenths of an inch apart all of which are set in position by placement of two adjoining walls  15  and  17 , as the top portion width B is one inch less then the base portion width A. 
     The bottom portion  7  (see  FIG. 3 ) is similarly skewed, but slightly different in that the bottom portion  7  has a maximum width indicted by the reference arrow that is identified by the arrow C that is one and one eighth inch less than base width A. One side  20  of the bottom portion  7  is spaced one eight of one inch from one side  21  of the base  5 . A second adjacent side  22  of the bottom portion  7  is spaced one fourth of an inch from an adjacent side surface  23  of the base portion. Subsequent side spacings are one half, three fourths, seven eighths, five eighths and three eighths inches. Visual indicia  25  and  26  are preferably applied to visible sides of the top portion  6  and bottom portion  7  adjacent the corresponding spacing to provide a user with a visual indication of the width of the spacing. 
     Shown in  FIG. 2  is the tool  1  being utilized to mark a board  30 . In particular, a selected wall  31  of the bottom portion  7  is abutted against a side  33  of the board  30  that meets with a top  35  of the board  30  at an edge  34 . The base portion  5  then has a wall  37  that is spaced from the wall  31  the length of a base surface  38  and provides an edge  39  in engagement with the board surface  35 . The user then marks along the edge  39  with a pencil  40  (as is shown) or similar instrument. If a long line is desired on the board  30 , the tool  1  can be moved along the edge  34  in concert with the pencil  40 , so as to mark the line. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.