Patent Publication Number: US-6907675-B1

Title: Bolt hole marker

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The present application is a conversion utility patent application of prior filed provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/384,459 filed May 31, 2002 and titled “Bolt Hole Marker”. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to devices and method of marking the locations of drilling holes in the wall plate to receive and pass bolts which have been cast into the floor slab for attachment of the plate to the slab. 
   BACKGROUND 
   In construction, such as new construction of homes or outbuildings like garages, sheds and the like, it is the common practice to provide a concrete floor slab. To secure the framing for walls, bolts are set into and cast into the slab when the slab is poured at the perimeter of the slab as dictated by the building plans. Often the bolt pattern is not aligned and the bolt sizes are different as per prevailing building codes, architect&#39;s plans or dictates from the structural engineer. 
   A plate, often a 2×4 or 2×6 or 3×4 or 3×6 piece of lumber defining a plate is secured over the bolts to provide a substrate for attachment of sills, wall framework and the like. Holes are drilled in the plate so that it may be placed over the bolts with the bolts passing through the allotted holes. Nuts are then threaded over the bolts to tie the plate to the slab. Since the bolts may not be aligned and of different sizes, the carpenter must measure each bolt size and measure where to place each hole in the plate to pass the bolt pattern. 
   One prior art device and method to make the position measurement, is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , there is a poured slab  10  having along and edge thereof a pattern of bolts  12  (only one shown in  FIG. 1 ) which extend inboard of the edge of the slab. The bolts  12  are arranged along a line however during placement and the pouring of the slab  19  may not be aligned along a straight line. Further the bolts  12  may be of different diameters such that the pattern and size of the holes cannot be accurately predicted. Thus it is required to empirically mark and drill holes in the plate  14  so that the plate  14  may be mounted over the bolts  12  and tightened, with nuts, down to the slab  10 . 
   To mark a plate  14  for the drill holes, straight lines  15   a, b  are marked on the slab  10  on either side of the line of bolts  12  using for example a chalk line. The lines  15   a, b  define the projected margins for the plate  14  to span and be passed over the bolts  12 . The plate  14  (e.g. a 2×4) is then positioned with one edge along chalk line  15   b . A marker  16  having a foot  18  and upstanding handle  20  is placed to position a first end  22  of the foot against the bolt  12  as suggested in FIG.  1 . 
   The marker  16 , according to the prior art, is shown in  FIGS. 2-4 . The foot  18  has a first end  22  and a second end  24 . At each of the first and second ends  22 ,  24  there is an arcuate notch  26  to mate with the bolt  12 . The foot  18  is generally flat having a length of about 9 inches and has upstanding walls  28  to enable the standing carpenter to use his foot to position the marker  16 . Offset and upstanding from the foot  18  is a hollow handle  20 . The handle  20  is 3½ inches from the first end  22  and 5 ½ inches from the second end  24 . Since the notch  26  receives approximately half the diameter of the bolt  12 , the handle  20  would be 3 and 5 inches, respectively, from the center of bolts  12  received in the notches  26 . Disposed within the hollow handle  16  for axial movement is a plunger  30  having at one end a grip  32  and at the other end a pointed tip  34  ( FIGS. 1 and 4 ) configured to impart a mark on the plate  14 . 
   To mark the plate  14 , the plate  14  is positioned along the chalk line  15   b  adjacent the bolts  12  as shown in FIG.  1 . It is assumed in  FIG. 1  that the plate is a 2×4. The marker  16  is positioned, with the tip  34  withdrawn into the handle  16 , to mate the first end  22  with the bolt  12 . In this position the plunger tip  34  is disposed approximately 3 inches from the center of the bolt  12  and aligned with approximately the center of the 2×4 plate  14 . Holding the handle  16 , the carpenter strikes the grip  32  with a hammer to drive the plunger  30  causing the tip  34  to mark the plate  14 . In a similar fashion the carpenter moves down the bolt line marking locations on the plate  14 . The carpenter then notes the diameter of the bolts  12  for each mark and drills the holes. The plate  14  is then position over the bolts  12  passing the bolts  12 . Nuts (not shown) are threaded over the bolts to secure the plate  14  to the slab  10 . 
   If the plate  14  were a 2×6, the carpenter would use the second end  24  thus positioning the tip  34  to be located near the center of the plate  14 . 
   A drawback of the prior art device described above, is that it can only approximate the position on the plate since it is not adapted to handle a wide variety of bolt sizes. The notches  26  are of the same diameter and thus may not be suitable for bolt sizes ranging from ½ inches to 1¼ inches. For particularly large bolt sizes the prior art marker described above may be inappropriate. 
   Another drawback is that the carpenter must hold the grip to draw the plunger and tip into the handle thus making one hand operation almost impossible. 
   There is a need for an improved plate marker which is adapted to overcome the drawbacks noted above. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   There is, therefore, a need for a more precise plate marking device which takes into account different sizes of bolts. 
   There is a also a need for a marker which can size the bolt for the carpenter to note for the drilling of the holes. 
   There is a need for a marker which satisfies the foregoing needs which is inexpensive and easy to use, is durable and can be embodied in a hand-held or stand-up version. 
   There is also a need for a marker which satisfies the foregoing needs which can also accommodate different sizes of plates. 
   Toward these ends there is set forth a marker for marking a distance from a bolt to a location on a wooden plate which includes a support mounting a marking tip configured to impart a mark by the plate. Rotatably disposed at least at one end of the support is a gauge the gauge having at least two different sized notches to receive and nest two different sized bolts at a predetermined distance from the marking tip. The carpenter or framer positions the gauge to receive the matching sized bolt which positions the tip for marking the plate. A force is imparted to cause the marker to impart a mark on the plate to mark the location for a hole to pass the bolt. 
   The marker may include pair of spaced marking tips. 
   In an upstanding embodiment the marker has an upstanding handle mounting a a plunger axially slidable through the handle and having said tip at one end. Further the upstanding embodiment may include a rotatable a gauge at the ends of the support. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages will become better appreciated when the same becomes understood with reference to the description, claims and drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of the use of a prior art plate marker; 
       FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the foot of the prior art marker of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the prior art marker of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a side section view of a portion of the prior art marker of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of one embodiment of a marker according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective, partial section view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
   Turning to  FIGS. 5-7  there is shown one embodiment of a plate marker  50  according to the present invention. The marker  50  has a body  52  fashioned from rugged metal or plastic having, in a side view, somewhat of a J-shape to define a flat substrate  54  and an angular arm  56  extending to a handle  58  aligned with the substrate  54  but, in side view, offset therefrom, e.g. above the substrate  54 . Opposite the handle  58  there is disposed a pivot  60  pivotally mounting a rotatable, circular, bolt gauge  62 . 
   As suggested in the drawings, the gauge  62  includes a plurality of different sized, semi-circular notches, shown as five notches  64   a-e , each notch  64   a-e  sized to mate with a different sized bolt. The gauge  62  is fashioned and mounted such the its perimeter is centered about the pivot  60 . The notches  64   a-e  may have the following standard sizes (in inches): ½; ⅝, ¾, 1 and 1¼ or could have other or additional sized notches to accommodate, for example, metric sizes. Associated with each notch  64   a-e  may be an inscription as to the bolt size diameter corresponding to the notch  64   a-e.    
   To register and align the gauge  62  as adjusted at the end of the substrate, a detent mechanism is provided. Thus the gauge  60  is rotated to locate the desired notch  64   a-e  at the end and at that position the detent mechanism snaps the gauge in correct alignment. To change the notch  64   a-e  the user forcibly rotates the gauge  62  about the pivot  60  to release the detent mechanism. 
   Unlike markers according to the prior art, the marker  50  and its gauge  60  provide for precise registry with various sizes of bolts so that the center of the bolt  12  is accurately disposed at the end of the marker  50  at a precise distance from a pair of spaced, pointed, tips  66 ,  68  depending from the underside of the substrate  54 . Further the adjustable gauge  62  accommodates different sizes of bolts. Still further, when registered and mated to a bolt  12 , the gauge  62  tells the carpenter the correct size of the bolt  12  and hence the size of the hole needed in the plate. The tips  66 ,  68  depend from the substrate at 3½ and 5½ inches from the perimeter of the gauge  60 . Since, when the gauge  60  notches  64   a-e  are registered with the matching sized bolt  12 , the center of the bolt  12  is at the perimeter of the gauge  60  and therefore the center of the bolt  12  is 3½ and 5½ inches from the tips  66 ,  68 . 
   The tips  66 ,  68  may be fashioned by bolts  70  passing through the substrate  54  and welded thereto. The ends of the bolts  70  are machined to the tips  66 ,  68 . 
   To use the marker  50 , the carpenter positions the gauge  60  to align the proper notch  64   a-e  with the bolt. With the plate  14  aligned on the chalk line, the carpenter puts the marker  50  against the bolt  12  to register it in its matching notch  64   a-e  locating the appropriate tip  64 ,  66  proximate the center of the plate  14 . With a hammer the carpenter strikes the appropriate bolt  70  to drive the appropriate tip  66 ,  68  into the wooden plate leaving a drill hole mark thereon. The carpenter may also note and write adjacent the mark on the plate the bolt size as indicated by the gauge  60 . This procedure is followed for the other bolts  12 . After marking the carpenter, at the marked locations, drills the appropriate size hole so that the plate  14  may be passed over the line of bolts  12  and secured thereto. 
   Turning to  FIG. 8 , there is shown a standing version of the marker of  FIGS. 5-7 . The marker  100  of  FIG. 8  includes a planar foot  102  having rotatably mounted at each end  104 ,  106  a gauge  60  of the type described above. Located 3½ inches from the distal most perimeter of the gauge  60  at one end  104  and 5½ inches from distal most perimeter of the gauge  60  at the other end  106  is an upstanding, hollow, handle  108 . The foot  102  is at one end of the handle  108  and at the other end is a grip  109 . Disposed through the length of the handle  108  is a plunger  110  having at one end a tip  112  and at the other end a striking cap  114 . Biasing means such as a coil spring  116  disposed between the cap  114  and handle  108  biases the plunger  108  to a position where the tip  112  is withdrawn into the handle  108 . 
   To use the marker  100 , the carpenter positions the gauge  60  to match the bolt  12  and positions the foot  102  with the bolt located in the corresponding notch  64   a-e . Depending on the size of the plate  14 , the carpenter will use the appropriate end  104 ,  106  of the foot. The carpenter then strikes the cap  114  with a hammer to drive the tip into the plate  14  for marking thereof. The carpenter follows the procedure for the other bolts  12 . The handle  108  may be of an axial length to permit the carpenter to stand while aligning and striking the cap  114 . The carpenter or framer may also note in chalk or pencil the bolt size associated with each mark made with the marker.