Abstract:
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.

Description:
REFERENCE TO CONCURRENTLY-FILED DESIGN APPLICATION 
     Reference is made to a design patent application entitled MASON&#39;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&#39;s or stone mason&#39;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&#39;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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portion of a brick wall being erected, with a guide line shown extending along a linear path adjacent a front surface plane of the wall at a desired height to be met by bricks being added to the wall, with an intermediate portion of the guide line being supported and held properly in position by a line holder or “trig” embodying features of the invention that, in turn, is held in place by an overlying brick; 
         FIG. 2  is a vertical cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale, as seen from a plane indicated by a line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a relatively thin, stiff and substantially flat line holder or “trig” depicting one form that can be taken by the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view on a still more enlarged scale, as seen from a plane indicated by a line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4  and showing how a guide line loop preferably extends through passages and across the top of a central portion of the line holder of  FIGS. 3 and 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view showing the guide line loop ready to be inserted along a track defined by slots formed in a forward end region of the line holder of  FIG. 3 , with a spare brick ready to be lowered onto a central body portion of the line holder to retain the line holder in position atop a flat upper surface of the masonry wall under construction; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the guide line loop inserted through the slots into side-by-side passages of the line holder shown in  FIG. 6 , with the spare overlying brick lowered onto the central body portion of the line holder to retain the line holder in place atop the flat upper surface of the masonry wall; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing bottom surface portions of the line holder together with brick portions that engage top and bottom surfaces of the line holder to sandwich and clamp the line holder in position, and showing how the guide line loop exits from two bottom openings defined where the side-by-side passages open through the bottom surface of the front portion of the line holder, wherefores the guide line extends tautly in opposite directions along a linear path adjacent a front surface plane of the wall being erected; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a pair of spaced portions of a brick wall being built, showing how a pair of the rear end portions of two of the line holders of  FIG. 3  may be utilized to support an intervening portion or reach of guide line at a desired level at the same height as a flat upper surface of the wall on which the two line holders are supported to indicate a height to be matched by bricks being added to the wall; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing a first step in a three-step procedure for properly installing a guide line reach through the side-by-side slots of a front portion of the guide line holder of  FIG. 3  and into the associated side-by-side passages formed through the front portion, with the view showing the line holder turned on edge to receive the guide line reach in an upper one of the two slots; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 10  showing a second step in the three-step procedure, depicting how the line holder may be turned clockwise to cause the guide line reach to extend across a top surface of a central part of the line holder; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view similar to  FIGS. 10 and 11  showing a third step in the three-step procedure, depicting how the guide line reach may be passed through the second of the side-by-side slots and into the second associated passage as the line holder is turned to extend substantially horizontally; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of a first alternate form that can be taken by the front portion of the line holder of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a top view of a second alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 15  is a top view of a third alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 16  is a top view of a fourth alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 17  is a top view of a fifth alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 18  is a top view of a sixth alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 19  is a top view of a seventh alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 20  is a top view of an eighth alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 21  is a top view of a ninth alternate form thereof; 
         FIG. 22  is a top view of a tenth alternate form thereof; and, 
         FIGS. 23 and 24  are cross-sectional views as seen from planes indicated by lines  23 - 23  and  24 - 24 , respectively, in  FIG. 22 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a brick wall being built or erected is indicated generally by the numeral  40 . A front surface plane of the wall  40  is indicated by the numeral  50 . A guide line drawn taut to extend along a linear path  61  closely adjacent the front surface plane  50  of the wall  40  at a desired height to be met by bricks being added to the wall  40  is indicated by the numeral  60 . 
     A left end region  70  of the guide line  60  may be supported by any of a variety of conventional guide line holders  80 , 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 line  60  (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 portion  65  of the guide line  60  is supported by a line holder  100  that preferably embodies features of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the line holder  100  is a one-piece, flat, thin, elongate, generally rectangular strip  105  that can be thought of as having three portions, namely a centrally located, relatively lengthy body portion  110 , a relatively stubby front end region referred to as a dual-passage guide line support portion  120 , and a similar, relatively stubby rear end region referred to as a single-passage guide line support portion  130 . As is clearly depicted in  FIG. 3 , and as will shortly be explained in detail regarding this embodiment, the front end region  120  has only two passages  140 ,  142  formed therethrough accompanied by a pair of corresponding slots  170 ,  172  communicating therewith, and the rear end region has only a single passage  144  formed therethrough accompanied by a single slot  174  communicating therewith. 
     Novelty resides in the combination of the central body portion  110  and the uniquely configured front support portion, for previously proposed line holders have not provided such features; and, novelty resides in providing the central body portion  110  together with the odd combination of front and rear end regions  120 ,  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 holder  100  shown in  FIG. 3  has a top surface  102 , a bottom surface  104 , a forward end surface  106 , a rearward end surface  108 , and substantially parallel extending left and right edge surfaces  112 ,  114 . Two side-by-side passages  140 ,  142  are formed through the front end region  120  of the line holder  100  at locations spaced identical short distances from the forward end surface  106 . A single passage  144  is formed through the rear end region  130  of the line holder  100  at a location spaced a similar short distance from the rearward end surface  108 . Each of the passages  140 ,  142 ,  144  extends substantially vertically through the line holder  100  so as to open at one end through the top surface  102 , and at the other end through the bottom surface  104 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , where the passages  140 ,  142  open through the top surface  102 , the side-by-side passages  140 ,  142  define side-by-side openings  150 ,  152 , respectively. Where the passages  140 ,  142  open the bottom surface  104 , the side-by-side passages  140 ,  142  define side-by-side openings  160 ,  162 , respectively. Where the solo passage  144  opens through the top and bottom surfaces  102 ,  104 , the passage  144  defines top and bottom surface openings  154 ,  164 , respectively. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , a pair of side-by-side slots  170 ,  172  communicate with the side-by-side passages  140 ,  142 , respectively, and open through the forward end surface  106 . Similarly, a slot  174  communicates with the passage  144 , and opens through the rearward end surface  108 . 
     In  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6 - 8 , the line holder  100  is shown in a proper position to enable the front end support portion  120  to support an intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60  extending along and closely adjacent to the front surface plane  50  of the wall  40  at a height to be met by new bricks being added to the wall  40 . When positioned as shown in  FIG. 2 , the line holder  100  is held in place by a spare brick  45  turned on edge and resting atop the central body portion  110  to clamp the central body portion  110  into firm engagement with the flat, upwardly facing wall surface  75 —which causes the bottom surface  104  of the line holder  100  to extend at the desired height to be met by bricks being added to the wall  40 . 
     When the line holder  100  is positioned as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6 - 8 , the front support portion  120  projects forwardly from the front surface plane  50  of the wall  40 , and the bottom surface openings  160 ,  162  open downwardly adjacent the front surface plane  50  (as is best seen in  FIG. 8 ) so that, when a loop  62  of an intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60  (such as is shown in  FIG. 6 ) is inserted through the slots  170 ,  172  and into the passages  140 ,  142  (as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ), portions of the loop  62  are caused to exit through the bottom surface openings  160 ,  162  adjacent the front surface plane  50  at spaced locations so that, as the guide line  60  is drawn taut, lengthy portions or reaches  63 ,  64  of the guide line  60  (that extend away from the intermediate portion or reach  65  supported by the line holder  100 ) are caused to extend in opposite directions (along a path designated by the numeral  61  in  FIGS. 7 and 8  at a desired height to be met by bricks that are added to the wall  40 ) away from the bottom surface openings  160 ,  162  at locations adjacent the front surface plane  50  of the wall  40  and at the same height as the bottom surface  104  of the line holder  100 . As a result, the intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60  is supported by the line holder  100  at a height to be met by new bricks as they are added to the wall to advance the erection of the wall  40 . 
     What  FIG. 9  shows is how the rear end region  130  of the line holder  100  of  FIG. 3  can be put to use. Depicted in  FIG. 9  are spaced-apart left and right portions  41 ,  42  of a brick wall  40  that is being built or erected. The depicted wall portions  41 ,  42  have flat top surfaces  75  that (in the same manner that the flat top surface  75  shown in  FIGS. 6-8  underlies and supports a central body portion  110  of the line holder  100  shown in  FIGS. 6-8 ) underlies and supports the central body portion  110  of a left line holder  100  atop the surface  75  of the left wall portion  41 , and underlies and supports the central body portion  110  of a right line holder  100  atop the surface  75  of the right wall portion  42 . Spare bricks  46 ,  47  laid atop the left and right line holders  100 , respectively, hold the left and right line holders  100  in position atop the flat surfaces  75  of the left and right wall portions  41 ,  42  just as a spare brick  45  laid atop the line holder  100  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  holds the line holder  100  in place atop the flat surface  75  of the wall portion  40  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . Rear portions  130  of the left and right line holders  100  shown in  FIG. 9  are positioned to project forwardly beyond a front surface plane  50  of the portions  41 ,  42  of the wall  40  in the same manner that the front portion  120  of the line holder  100  shown in  FIGS. 6-8  projects forwardly beyond a front surface plane  50  of the wall portion  40  shown in  FIGS. 6-8 ). 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 9 , a guide line portion  67  overlies an upper surface portion  102  of the left line holder  100  before extending through the rear passage  144  of the left line holder  100  to provide another guide line portion  66  that extends rightwardly along a bottom surface portion  104  of the left line holder  100  toward the right line holder  100 . In a mirror-image manner, a guide line portion  68  overlies an upper surface portion  102  of the right line holder  100  before extending through the rear passage  144  of the right line holder  100  to provide another guide line portion  66  that extends leftwardly along a bottom surface portion  104  of the right line holder  100  toward the left line holder  100 . 
     When the guide line  60  shown in  FIG. 9  is pulled taut, the guide line portion  66  that extends between the left and right line holders  100  is held by the line holders  100  at a correct height (even with the top surface portions  75  of the left and right wall portions  41 ,  42 ) that is to be matched as bricks are added to the wall  40  at locations (not shown) situated between the left and right line holders  100  that are shown in  FIG. 9  (just as the guide line portions  63 ,  64  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  are held at a correct height to be matched as bricks are added to the wall  40  at locations on opposite sides of the line holder  100  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). 
     What is shown in the sequence of three views provided by  FIGS. 10 ,  11  and  12  are three simple steps that can be followed to properly install an intermediate reach  65  of guide line  60  along tracks defined by the slots  170 ,  172  and into the passages  140 ,  142  to enable the intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60  to be properly supported by the line holder  100 . As is shown in  FIG. 10 , a first step is taken by turning the line holder  100  vertically (i.e., on edge), so that one of the slots  170 ,  172  (in this case, the slot  172 ) is located above the other of the slots  170 ,  172 . The guide line portion  65  to be supported by the line holder  100  is then passed through the upper slot  172  and into the associated upper passage  142 . 
     As is shown in  FIG. 11 , a second step is taken by turning the line holder  100  in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction (in this case, in a clockwise direction as indicated by an arrow  99 ) to bring the unoccupied slot  170  and the unoccupied passage  140  near the guide line portion  65  that is to be supported by the line holder  100 . And, as is shown in  FIG. 12 , a third step is taken by slipping a nearby part of the guide line portion  65  along the slot  170  and into the associated passage  140 —which, with a minimum of fuss causes the guide line portion  65  to be properly supported by the front end region  120  of the line holder  100 , in the manner shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     Although the shape defined by the perimeter of the elongate strip  105  shown in  FIG. 3  is generally rectangular, the exterior shape of the line holder  100  need not always be either elongate or rectangular, which will become more clear as this description concludes with reference to  FIGS. 13-20 . The line holder  100  merely needs to provide a relatively sizable centrally located body portion  110  atop which a spare brick (such as the brick  45  shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  6 - 8 , or the bricks  46 ,  47  shown in  FIG. 9 ) can rest to retain the line holder  100  in position atop a flat wall surface  75 , and needs to provide a front end portion  120  that defines two spaced passages  140 ,  142  that can receive the loop  62  of the intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60 . 
     Likewise, although the passages  140 ,  142  are depicted in  FIG. 3  as being transversely elongate (i.e., elongate in directions paralleling the front surface plane  50  of the wall  40 ); and although the slots  170 ,  172  are shown in  FIG. 3  as being of uniform width along their lengths, as extending parallel to each other and to the length of the line holder  100 , and as extending through the forward end surface  106 , the passages  140 ,  142  need not be transversely elongate in shape; and the slots  170 ,  172  need not be of uniform width along their lengths, nor do they need to extend in side-by-side parallel relationship, nor do the slots  170 ,  172  need to extend parallel to each other or to the length of the strip  105 , nor do the slots  170 ,  172  need to exit through the forward end surface  106  of a line holder that is of generally rectangular configuration. 
     The passages  140 ,  142  (or “passage means” reasonably equivalent thereto) need merely be capable of receiving and retaining the loop  62  of the intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60 ; and the slots  170 ,  172  (or “slot means” reasonably equivalent thereto) need merely be capable of providing a track or tracks along which portions of the guide line loop  62  can be moved into the passages  140 ,  142 . Accordingly, the passages  140 ,  142  (or a reasonably equivalent “passage means”) and the slots  170 ,  172  (or a reasonably equivalent “slot means”) may take a variety of sizes and shapes, and the slots  170 ,  172  may differ in where they exit through an edge surface of the line holder  100 . 
     Examples of the many ways in which the passages  140 ,  142  (or a reasonably equivalent “passage means”), and the slots  170 ,  172  (or a reasonably equivalent “slot means”) can take on different sizes, shapes and edge surface exit locations are provided in  FIG. 13  through FIG.  24 —and yet, the resulting front end portions  120  of the depicted line holders  100  can 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 loop  62  of a guide line  60  to be supported to extend along a linear path  61  closely adjacent a front wall plane  50  of a wall  40  being 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 to  FIG. 13 , the forward end portion  120  of a guide line holder  100  may have a pair of slot portions  171 ,  173  that join with a single slot portion  175  to form a Y-like track or tracks along which portions of a loop  62  of an intermediate reach  65  of a guide line  60  (as depicted, for example, in  FIG. 6 ) can travel to pass into a pair of side-by-side passages  141 ,  143  that, in this embodiment, are of round cross-section instead of being of elongate cross-section like the passages  140 ,  142  of the line holder  100  of  FIG. 3 . Corner regions  107 ,  108  of the end surface  106  are more rounded than are corresponding corner regions of the line holder  100  shown in FIG.  3 —which does nothing to alter how the line holder  100  of  FIG. 13  functions in comparison to the line holder  100  of  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , a pair of slots  181 ,  183  of a front end portion  120  of a line holder  100  are of relatively wide width until they reach choke points  191 ,  193  located adjacent two elongate passages  140 ,  142  (which may, in some applications, help to retain portions of a guide line loop  62  within the passages  140 ,  142 ). The slots  181 ,  183  have corner region openings  117 ,  118  that are situated at opposite ends of the end surface  106 —and still a line holder  100  is provided that performs well, in substantially the same manner described in conjunction with the line holder depicted in  FIGS. 6-8 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 15 , slots  182 ,  184  communicate with elongate passages  192 ,  194  to provide P-shaped openings through the front end portion  120  of a line holder  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 16 , a pair of curved slot portions  221 ,  223  communicate with a single, centrally located slot portion  225  before opening into a pair of elongate passages  140 ,  142 , respectively. The slot branches  221 ,  223 ,  225  provide a track or tracks along which portions of a loop  62  of guide line  60  (such as is shown in  FIG. 6 ) can be moved to deliver a portion of a guide line loop  62  into the passages  140 ,  142  where the guide line loop portion  62  is retained while other portions of the guide line loop exits downwardly through bottom openings of the passages  140 ,  142  just as described previously in conjunction with  FIGS. 7 and 8 , to support an intermediate reach  65  of the guide line  60 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 17 , two relatively wide slot branches  221 ,  223  join with a relatively thin central slot branch  225  enabling portions of a guide line loop  62  to be moved a pair of rounded passages  217 ,  219  defined by a forward end region  120  of a line holder  100 . 
     In  FIGS. 18-20 , however, slots  170 ,  172  that open through different edge surface regions of forward end portions  120  of line holders  100  communicate with transversely elongate passages  140 ,  142  to enable portions of a guide line loop  62  such as is shown in  FIG. 6  to travel along slot-defined tracks into the passages  140 ,  142  to be retained and supported by the associated guide line holders  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 21 , a front end portion  120  of a line holder  100  is shown that employs passages  240 ,  242  connected by a C-shaped slot  270  that does not open through any edge surface of the line holder  100 . Configurations such are exemplified by the line holder front end portion  120  shown in  FIG. 21  provide 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 loop  62  of a guide line  60  (such as is shown in  FIG. 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 holder  100  performs in substantially the same way as the line holder  100  depicted in  FIG. 8 . 
     Finally, referring to  FIGS. 22-24 , a front end portion  120  of a line holder  100  is shown that employs passages  140 ,  142  and communicating slots  170 ,  172  that do not extend straight through the line holder  100  (i.e., not extending perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces  102 ,  104 , as do the many other slots and passages of the various line holder forms that are shown in other drawing views). Instead, the slots  170 ,  172  and the passages  140 ,  142  shown in  FIGS. 22-24  are inclined relative to the top and bottom surfaces  102 ,  104 , respectively—as is made clear in the cross-sectional views provided by  FIGS. 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 holders  100  that 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 in  FIG. 3  has 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.