Abstract:
A deck spacer including a grip on the top portion, at least one aperture adjacent the upper portion and a slot formed adjacent its bottom edge to securely fit over a deck joist and allow adjacent deck boards to be easily and consistently spaced from one another during deck construction.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    (Not Applicable)  
         STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    (Not Applicable)  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to the construction of outdoor decking and similar construction wherein it is desirable to achieve a uniform space width between adjacent pieces of lumber or similar building material.  
           [0004]    Well known in the art is the usual method of construction of outdoor wood decks which requires the builder to employ spacing material such as wooden scraps, nails, pencils, and the like to achieve a uniform width between adjacent deck boards. The use of such spacing material is time consuming and often creates inconsistent spacing along the length of the decking boards. This spacing material is further ineffective due to the tendency of these items to fall between the joists during use, thereby requiring the builder to replace the spacing material or “eyeball” the width of the space. Further, removal of these types of spacing material can cause damage to the decking material upon removal of same. All of this, of course, wastes time, increases costs, and can cause inconsistent spacing of the deck boards.  
           [0005]    Further with the increasing use of synthetic lumber material in the industry (e.g., Trex™, Choice Deck™, etc.) consistent spacing between boards become critical, since consistent spacing is typically required by synthetic lumber manufacturers for safety and warranty purposes.  
           [0006]    Known in the art are the following patents which disclose devices which address consistent spacing of boards:  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,497 (Boettcher) discloses a spacer for laying wooden flooring with a space between selected adjacent floor boards and maintaining said boards in a special relationship.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,114 (Vockins) discloses a decking spacer tool adapted for measured fitting between parallel boards prior to securing of the boards to a support.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,399 (Salato, Jr.) discloses a combination protective cover and spacer strip for mounting upon a wooden rectangular beam which supports horizontal planks.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,225 (Phillips) discloses a tool for use in marking, cutting, spacing, and/or securing boards or planks in deck, roof, or fence construction, and the like.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,142 (Rieck) discloses a hand tool for use in placing deck boards on a support structure.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,117 (Tallman) discloses a deck board or like spacer for establishing a predetermined space between a pair of deck boards.  
           [0013]    While these above-referenced prior art patents all disclose devices utilized for providing consistent spacing between boards, and some additionally include some means to aid in removal of the device from the deck, none of these devices provide for a deck spacer that enables the builder to emplace the deck spacer prior to positioning the adjacent deck board, or a deck spacer comprising a lower notch sized to capture a portion of a joist therein, or the combination of one or more apertures and a grip, formed on the upper portion of the deck spacer to allow the same to be quickly emplaced and/or removed from the deck.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    The present invention specifically addresses the deficiencies of prior art spacing devices by enabling the builder to emplace the deck spacer prior to positioning the adjacent board, thereby speeding up the construction process, maintaining consistent spacing between boards, and allowing for easy, fast removal of the deck spacer for subsequent re-use.  
           [0015]    More particularly, the present invention comprises a deck spacer which preferably includes a grip on the top portion thereof to aid in placement and removal of the deck spacer, at least one aperture to aid in the subsequent removal of the deck spacer from a deck, and a tapered slot formed along its bottom edge which slot fits over a conventional 2× and/or 4× joist boards during construction. The slot formed on the bottom edge allows the spacer to securely fit over the deck joist allowing easy placement and removal while alleviating the problem of spacing material falling between joists. The ⅛″ thickness of the deck spacer allows the installer to easily and consistently achieve the required spacing between deck boards as well as expedite the installation process. The deck spacer is preferably made of vinyl or like material which will not mar the boards.  
           [0016]    The present invention provides an efficient means of ensuring a consistent space between deck boards, which at the same time provides for easy removal of the device. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a device which enables the builder to easily obtain a consistent space between deck boards. Thus, the deck spacer of the present invention allows both the novice and the professional to achieve a uniform decking surface with less effort and time.  
           [0017]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a deck spacer which may be emplaced by the builder prior to laying down an adjacent board.  
           [0018]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a deck spacer which securely fits over a joist.  
           [0019]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a deck spacer which allows for the use of multiple spacers to be used together on a single joist to achieve uniform spacing in ⅛ inch increments.  
           [0020]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a deck spacer which has a grip to aid in placement, and removal of the deck spacer from the deck.  
           [0021]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a deck spacer which has one or more apertures for easy removal of the deck spacer from the deck.  
           [0022]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a deck spacer which may be used by the builder as a wedge to cause curved and/or warped boards to move into closer parallel alignment with adjacent boards. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a deck under construction depicting the deck spacer as used in the construction of a deck in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the deck spacer in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a deck under construction showing use of the deck spacer in an actuated position, in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]    Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention and not for purposes of limiting the same, an outdoor deck  10  under construction is depicted in FIG. 1. As is well known, the deck  10  is preferably formed by use of plural floor joists  12  which extend above ground being supported by suitable foundations (not shown). The joists  12  are typically formed from conventional 2× or 4× lumber. Plural deck boards  14  are supported upon the top surface of the joists  12  and are secured thereto via suitable nail or screw fasteners  16  extending through the deck boards  14  and into the joists  12 . As shown, it is preferred that adjacent deck boards  14  be slightly spaced from one another typically in the amount of approximately ⅛ of an inch to allow drainage of water therebetween to allow for swelling of decking material and/or for proper ventilation of the area. The deck spacer  20  of the present invention is utilized to quickly and easily provide a consistent spacing or gap between adjacent deck boards  14 .  
         [0028]    Referring more particularly to FIG. 2, the deck board spacer  20  of the present invention which is depicted in the preferred embodiment is approximately 6 inches high by 4 inches wide and ⅛ inch in width. In the preferred embodiment, the deck spacer  20  is formed from a sheet material such as plastic, rubber, masonite, plywood, composite material or the like. The lower portion of the spacer  20  is provided with a tapered slot  22 , the size of which is at least 1½ inches so as to be received over a conventional 2× joist. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the tapered slot  22  can additionally be formed to accept a conventional 4×, 6× or 8× joist therein. A pair of apertures  24  are provided adjacent to the upper portion of the spacer  20  which are sized to receive a user&#39;s fingers therein. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that a single aperture or slot can additionally be provided in lieu of a pair of apertures  24 . The upper end  30  functions to aid in the positioning and removal of the spacer  20 .  
         [0029]    Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, the use of the deck spacer  20  of the present invention is depicted. When a deck board  14 A is secured to the joists  12  by plural fasteners  16 , one or more deck spacers  20  may be positioned upon the joists  12  adjacent to the edge of the deck board  14 A, as shown in FIG. 3. The spacers  20  may be manually pressed downwardly upon the joists  12  by manipulation of the upper end  30  of the spacer  20  wherein due to the tapered slot  22 , the spacers  20  are captured or retained by friction upon the joists  12  so that they do not inadvertently fall therefrom. An adjacent deck board  14 B may then be positioned upon the top surface of the joists  12  and manually slid in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 3 to contact the spacers  20 . The deck board  14 B may then be firmly pressed against the spacers  20  such that the adjacent edge of the deck board  14 B is spaced from the adjacent edge of the deck board  14 A by the width of the spacer, i.e., a consistent ⅛ of an inch. With the board  14 B being pressed tightly against the spacer  20 , plural fasteners  16 B may be driven through the deck board  14 B to secure the deck board  14 B upon the joists  12 .  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 1, after the deck board  14 B is secured to the joists  12 , the plural apertures  24  formed in the spacers  20  extend vertically above the deck boards  14  such that a user may quickly insert a user&#39;s finger or fingers there within and subsequently manually pull upwardly to remove each of the spacers  20  from the joists  12 . The upper end  30  may be gripped by the user, in addition to use of the apertures  24  for removal of the spacers  20 . Subsequently, the spacers  20  may be repositioned upon the joists  12  for the next adjacent board. In this regard, the upper end  30  of the spacer  20  serves as a convenient hand-hold, enabling the spacers  20  to be rapidly positioned upon the joists  12  as previously described.  
         [0031]    Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as enlarging the deck spacer of the present invention to accommodate a 4× joist, or changing the thickness of the deck spacer to allow for a larger or smaller space between boards or tapering the bottom edge of the spacer to aid in placement when using the spacer as a wedge. Also contemplated herein is forming the deck spacer of extruded or molded material. Thus, the particular combination of parts described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only one embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention.