Abstract:
An apparatus for determining the location of a wall outlet on wallboard prior to the wallboard being permanently secured includes a body portion that is releasably secured to the outlet box and a plurality of outwardly facing marking pins that form divots in the wallboard when it is temporarily placed in position over the outlet box. After forming the divots and removing the wallboard, the apparatus is then replaced in the divots to show the location of the outlet box on the wallboard from the position of the markings. The apparatus can be traced to show a cutting line for forming an opening in the wallboard to accommodate the outlet box.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/172,173, filed Dec. 17, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention generally relates to marking wallboard for properly locating openings for outlet boxes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for marking wallboard including a body with protruding marking pins and a periphery defining a template for marking an opening to accommodate an outlet box. 
     2. Discussion 
     In modern construction practice, wallboard of many different types are installed to provide a wall surface. Additionally, openings must be provided in the wallboard for electrical, phone, computer or television outlets that are installed in the walls. In order to provide access to previously installed outlet boxes for the placement of fixtures, it is necessary to cut box-fitting openings in the wallboard. The operation of cutting box-fitting openings requires precise measurements to properly locate and achieve a desired result. Currently, the process of locating openings is achieved by a series of measurements. This process is costly in terms of time and labor. Additionally, a plurality of measurements can often lead to errors in marking. An error in marking and subsequent cutting of an opening often causes the wallboard to be disposed of at great cost. 
     The present invention provides a device that properly locates openings in wallboard at the time of installation of the wallboard without taking measurements. Further, the present invention provides a template for marking the relative location of an installed wall outlet box on an uninstalled sheet of wallboard. Alternatively, the template marks the relative location of a multiple gang outlet on an uninstalled sheet of wallboard. Preferably, the present invention provides an apparatus that allows repeatable installation of an outlet box at a desired distance from the wall members. 
     The locating and template apparatus according to the present invention provides a body that releasably attaches to an outlet box. The body defines a template and a plurality of outwardly facing marking pins to permanently mark the outlet box location on the wallboard for effectively and accurately determining the location of the outlet box with respect to the installed position of the wallboard. 
    
    
     Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the locating and template apparatus according to the present invention shown in relation to the elements of the preferred application; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the locating and template apparatus of FIG. 1 in a preferred application according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the locating and template apparatus of FIG. 2, including a wallboard being marked according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wallboard of FIG. 3 illustrating divots made during use of the locating and template apparatus of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the wallboard of FIG. 4 illustrating the marking of an opening to be removed by tracing an outline of the locating and template apparatus according to the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the installed wallboard and outlet box according to the preferred application of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the locating and template apparatus including a depth gauge according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of the locating and template apparatus of FIG. 7 in a preferred application according to the invention; and 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate use of the locating and template apparatus according to the invention for marking wallboard. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is a template  10  including a generally rectangular body  12  with an aperture  14  defining an open interior. Preferably, the aperture  14  is large enough to accommodate the face of an outlet or switch therethrough. The body  12  is a generally planar member defined by longer sides  12 A, 12 B joined at their opposite ends by shorter sides  12 C, 12 D, as well as a front surface  24  and a rear surface  26  (not shown). Located near each corner of the generally rectangular body  12  is an aperture  18  with a stud  16  installed therein. The stud  16  may be fixedly or threadedly attached to the body  12  through aperture  18 . If threaded, aperture  18  preferably includes a threaded interior surface for securing stud  16 . The stud  16  further includes a marking pin  20  proximally located near front surface  24  and a locating peg  22  proximally located near rear surface  26 . Additionally, rear surface  26  includes a channel  28  in short sides  12 C, 12 D providing clearance over typical mounting flanges of switches and outlets, as illustrated best in FIG.  2 . 
     With continued reference to FIG. 2, the template  10  is shown in its preferred application, aligned with a box  30 , including an electrical plug  29 , for example. The box  30  is well know in the art for providing a receptacle to facilitate access to the ends of electrical, cable, phone and computer wiring. The preferred orientation of template  10  is positioned so that back surface  26  is proximate to the box  30 . The locating pegs  22  of studs  16  are positioned at the interior corners of the box  30 , while marking pins  20  face outwardly from the box  30  for marking a box location, as best shown in FIG. 3, to accurately mark the location of box  30  on wallboard  38 . The channel  28  accommodates the mounting flanges of the electrical plug  29 , for example, when using the template  10  to mark boxes  30  having such devices therein. The box  30  is attached to a stud  36  by nails  33  and  33 ′ located in guides  32  and  34 . The template  10  is located over the open end of box  30  with marking pin  20  of studs  16  facing away from box  30 . The wallboard  38  is located so that a back surface  35  is positioned adjacent to the front surface  24  of the template  10 . A normal force F n  is applied to surface  39  of wallboard  38  causing marking pin  20  of studs  16  to create divots  40  on a back surface  35  of wallboard  38 . 
     After force F n  is applied, the wallboard  38  is removed to reveal the divots  40  created by the marking pins  20  on the back surface  35  of wallboard  38 , as best illustrated in FIG.  4 . The location and configuration of divots  40  mark the location of the outlet box  30  on the wallboard  38  after the wallboard is installed. After the wallboard  38  is removed from adjacent the outlet box  30  and template  10 , the template  10  is removed from the outlet box  30  and placed on the back surface  35  of wallboard  38  so that the marking pins  20  register in the divots  40 , as shown in FIG.  5 . After the template  10  (shown hidden in FIG. 5) is located on surface  35  of wallboard  38 , a writing utensil  2  may be used to trace the perimeter of the template  10  to indicate the portion of wallboard  38  to be removed. Once the marked portion is removed, the wallboard  38  is installed over the box  30  as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     A second preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 7 utilizes the same principles as the embodiment described above with an additional feature. A bracket  52  has been attached to longer side  12 B of body  12  via fasteners  54  and  56  to provide a depth gauge for installing a box similar to box  30 . Bracket  52  is an angle including a segment  52 A disposed generally perpendicular to a segment  52 B at a corner  52 C. The fasteners  54 , 56  are preferably slidably located in slots  50  formed in segment  52 B to adjustably locate the bracket  52 , and thus the template  10 , relative a stud  36 . The fasteners  54 , 56  may include a releasable fastener to facilitate adjustment of the bracket  52  relative the template  10 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate how the bracket  52  enables the template  10  to locate box  30  at a predefined depth relative stud  36 . This is useful for properly mounting the outlet box  30  to the stud  36 , whereby the open end of the outlet box  30  extends at least partially into the opening in the wallboard  38  formed by the removed portion. The template  10  with bracket  52  is used by positioning the back surface  26  of the body  12  to abut box  30  at its open end, as detailed in FIG. 8. A side  35  of box  30  is located along a side  62  of stud  36  and positioned so that segment  52 A of bracket  52  rests on front face  60  of stud  36 . The slots  50  of the bracket  52  allow a user to properly locate the box  30  relative to the stud  36 , which is particularly useful for properly mounting the outlet box  30  for different thickness wallboards  38 . 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate an additional use for the present invention. In many construction situations, a single electrical box will accommodate multiple switches, plugs, etc., for convenience and aesthetic purposes. In this way, a series of electrical switches, for example, can be placed adjacent one another in a single box. The preferred embodiment of the present application allows for efficient locating and marking of such a multiple-gang electrical box. Consistent with the prior teachings of the present invention, the template  10  is positioned in the box  30  to correspond to a single switch, plug, etc. Once in place, as before, the template  10  is used to impress divots  40  on the back surface of the wallboard  38 . These divots  40  mark the location of the single switch, plug, etc. in the multiple-gang electrical box. Once the location of the first gang is marked on the back of the wallboard  36 , the template  10  may be used to locate the opening in the wallboard  38  to accommodate additional plugs, switches, etc. To accommodate the additional plugs, switches, etc., the template  10 ′ must be positioned such that the studs  16  that marked the divots  40   a  are located in the divots  40   b  of FIG.  9 A. The template  10  is then pressed into the wallboard  38  to leave a new pair of divots  40   c , as shown in FIG. 9B, that show the wallboard opening required for a second plug, switch, etc. By using the template  10 ″, the studs  16  that marked divots  40   a  and registered in divots  40   b  to form divots  40   c  can be positioned in divots  40   c  to form additional divots  40  as needed. Accordingly, the aforementioned method can be used to mark the wallboard opening for two, three, four or more plugs, switches, etc. in a single outlet box  30 . 
     While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the description of the appended claims.