Abstract:
A gauge assembly holds heater wire adjacent to a surface to be heated. The assembly includes a plurality of elongate elements, with each elongate element having two opposite ends. Each opposite end is pivotably connected to a corresponding opposite end of an adjacent elongate element. At least one of the elongate elements retains at least one corresponding portion of the heater wire.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to gauge assemblies, and, more particularly, to gauge assemblies for holding heater wire. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A gauge can be used to hold a heater wire in place adjacent to a surface that is to be heated by the wire. For example, a gauge which is supported by a ground surface or subsurface can be used to hold a heater wire just below the upper surface of a floor that is to be formed around the heater wire. 
     It is known for the gauge to be formed of strips of sheet metal which are cut to length by the user depending on the dimensions of the floor to be heated. The gauge strips may be formed of steel, for example. Two different strips of the steel gauge are placed on opposite sides of the floor, and the heater wire is intertwined between hooks on the gauge strips, thereby forming a zig-zagging or serpentine pattern. 
     Two linear strips of steel gauge can be arranged such that heater wire held thereby substantially covers a floor having four linear sides or boundaries. However, with a floor having stepped or curved boundaries, it is not possible to arrange two linear strips of steel gauge such that all areas of the floor can be substantially covered by the heater wire held thereby. That is, there will be outer sections of the floor that must be left unheated by the heater wire. Another problem is that cutting strips of steel gauge to length is a fairly difficult and time consuming procedure. 
     The hooks that hold the heater wire are created by cutting through the strip of sheet metal to form three sides of a rectangle. The rectangle is then pushed out of the plane of the metal strip to form a hook, with the fourth, uncut side of the rectangle still being attached to the metal strip. A problem is that the three cut edges of the hook are sharp, and it is known for these sharp edges to cut through the outer layer of insulation of a heater wire hooked thereon. 
     What is needed in the art is a gauge device that enables the heater wire held thereby to cover substantially all of an irregularly-shaped floor surface. What is also needed is a gauge device that does not need to be cut to length. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a gauge device formed of pivotably and detachably connected sections which allow the gauge device to conform to nonlinearities in the boundaries of the floor surface. 
     The invention comprises in one form thereof, a gauge assembly for holding heater wire adjacent to a surface to be heated. The assembly includes a plurality of elongate elements, with each elongate element having two opposite ends. Each opposite end is pivotably connected to a corresponding opposite end of an adjacent elongate element. At least one of the elongate elements retains at least one corresponding portion of the heater wire. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that the gauge assembly can quickly and easily be arranged such that the heater wire held thereby covers substantially all of an irregularly-shaped floor. 
     Another advantage is that a number of sections of the gauge assembly can be easily interconnected to achieve any desired length without the need for cutting. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of the gauge assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged, top view of one of the elongate elements of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, top view of one of the pairs of posts of the elongate element of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the elongate element of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown one embodiment of a gauge assembly  10  holding a heater wire  12  between opposite boundaries  14  and  16  of a floor surface yet to be formed. 
     Gauge assembly  10  includes a plurality of interconnected elongate segments  18 , with a plurality of pairs of retainment devices  20  being attached to each elongate segment  18 . Each segment  18  includes a circular projection  22  (best seen in FIG. 2) at one end  24  and a circular recess  26  at the opposite end  28 . Each projection  22  is pivotably received in the recess  26  of an adjacent segment  18 , thereby interconnecting segments  18  end-to-end. As indicated at  29  in FIG. 4, the bottom surface of end  28  is elevated slightly above the bottom surface of end  24 , thereby allowing an end  24  of an adjacent segment to slip underneath end  28 . Elongate segments  18  are arranged in a first chain  30  adjacent and conforming to non-linear floor boundary  14 , and in a second chain  32  adjacent and conforming to floor boundary  16 . Each segment  18  includes a plurality of throughholes  34  through which a fastener, such as a screw or staple (not shown) may be inserted in order to secure segment  18  to a subsurface  36  (FIG. 4) below the surface to be heated. 
     Segments  18  are formed of an electrically nonconducting material, such as polycarbonate plastic, which is relatively strong, inexpensive, has good mechanical properties, and can be bent. Each segment  18  has an equal length between ends  24  and  28  of between 3 inches and 9 inches, and preferably between 4 inches and 6 inches. Because of this relatively small length as compared to the length of a floor surface to be heated, a number of segments  18  can be joined together such that their total length is approximately equal to the length of the floor surface to be heated. Thus, there is no need to cut away any length of any of segments  18 . 
     As indicated by arrows  38  and  40 , due to the pivotable interconnections between projections  22  and recesses  26 , it is possible to pivot each segment  18  over a 180° range relative to an adjacent segment  18 . The pivoting occurs in a plane parallel to the surface to be heated. This pivotability enables chain  30  to be arranged to conform to and follow the curves and angles of a nonlinear floor boundary, such as boundary  14 . 
     Retainment devices  20  are arranged in pairs  42  along the length of each segment  18 . There is a constant distance  44  of approximately one inch between adjacent pairs of retainment devices  20 . Each retainment device  20  includes a post  46 , a cap  48  and a supporting wedge  50 . A pair  42  of retainment devices  20  define a groove  52  therebetween. Each post  46  includes two radii  54  for engaging heater wire  12 . 
     In use, a user threads heater wire  12  into grooves  52  between a pair  42  of retainment devices  20 . Heater wire  12  is wound back and forth between chains  30  and  32  in a serpentine or zig-zagging path, as partially shown in FIG. 1, substantially covering the entire area of the floor to be heated. Radii  54  allow posts  46  to support and retain heater wire  12  without piercing the outer layer of insulation on heater wire  12 . Caps  48  extend beyond the outer edge of their respective posts  46 , thereby preventing heater wire  12  from slipping off of and out of contact with posts  46 . 
     An electrical processing circuit  56  is connected to the two opposite ends of heater wire  12 . After a floor has been formed over gauge assembly  10  and heater wire  12 , electrical processing circuit  56  applies electrical power to heater wire  12  in order to heat the floor. 
     Elongate segments  18  have been described as being nailed, stapled, or otherwise fastened to subsurface  36 . However, it is to be understood that it is also possible to adhere segments  18  to subsurface  36  using contact cement, for example. The contact cement may be applied to a bottom surface of segments  18  and covered with tape, which may then be peeled off immediately before segments  18  are applied to subsurface  36 . 
     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.