Patent Publication Number: US-7222435-B1

Title: Self measuring workpiece

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field 
   This invention provides a novel and unique measurement system for application to a large variety of workpieces such as vinyl siding and components thereof including corner post, J-channel, F-channel, fascia, undersill and the like, soffit-panels, or manufactured wood or sheet metal or plastic products such as plywood sheets, plastic or metal guttering and roofing and the like. 
   2. Prior Art 
   Heretofore, cutting workpieces such as those mentioned above to size on the job has involved the time consuming steps of placing the workpiece, which typically is several, e.g., 10 to 20 feet in length, on a table or other flat support, taking up a tape measure and hooking the end thereof to an end of the workpiece, extending the tape measure out along the workpiece without dislodging the hook end thereof from the workpiece, marking on the workpiece the desired cut point, removing the tape measure from the workpiece, retracting the tape measuring, replacing the tape measure at its storage place, placing the workpiece in a position on the support to be cut on the mark, and cutting the workpiece. 
   The time involved in carrying out these steps does not, at first glance, appear as a significant time expenditure, however, for example, for a typical days vinyl siding work on a large home, the cutter operator will use a tape measure hundreds of times and easily expend an hour or so each day in just measuring and marking. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention eliminates such wasteful time expenditure by providing a workpiece of any size or shape with its own ruler (linear dimension) markings, for example along one or more edges thereof such that the cutter operator need only to cut on the mark already on the workpiece as it is called out by the siding installer, e.g., “thirteen feet, one and one quarter inches”. 
   The invention an thus be summarized as an elongated construction workpiece having a viewable surface and adapted to be cut to a measured length or width at a work site, wherein said workpiece is provided on said viewable surface, preferably adjacent one or more of its edges with linear measure markings whereby a desired length or width of the workpiece can be cut accurately without the need for a tape measure or the like. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be understood further from the drawings herein and description wherein structural portions are not drawn to scale and are enlarged for clarity, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a top surface view of a vinyl siding panel with the present linear measure markings in one inch increments (for purposes of clarity) provided along a portion of its longitudinal nailing flange; 
       FIG. 2  is an end view of the panel of  FIG. 1  showing a portion of an upper overlapping panel which obscures the markings; 
       FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5  and  6  are end views of various shapes of vinyl siding or other construction components having an edge nailing flange which can be provided with the present linear measure markings; 
       FIG. 7  is a view as in  FIG. 1  showing an inset left edge and linear dimension numbering. 
       FIG. 8  shows portions of a building structure with vinyl siding (enlarged for clarity) affixed thereto in accordance with the present invention with portions of the siding broken away for clarity; and 
       FIG. 9  shows an alternate placement of the markings. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to the drawings and with particular reference to the claims herein, shown is a typical vinyl siding panel  10  as it comes from the factory having the cross-section configuration shown enlarged for clarity in  FIG. 2  and a viewable outer surface  12 , an upper portion  14 , a lower portion  16 , a left end edge portion  18  and right end edge portion  20 . Nailing apertures  22  are typically provided in a nailing flange  24  integral with portion  14 . 
   The present linear measure markings generally designated  26  are marked on surface  12  by any means such as stamping, embossing, printing, stick-on tape measure, or the like in easily readable form such as the black ink printing on conventional tape measures, and are detailed as desired, e.g., starting at zero with any desired incremental distance markings such as 1/64″, 1/32″, 1/16″, ⅛″, or ¼″ increments, along the entire length of the workpiece such as a 150 inch long siding panel, from either left or right, or both. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , it is preferred that the markings be placed on a portion of the workpiece which will be covered over with portions of an adjacent workpiece during the siding installation, such as flange  24  being covered over by the lower portion  16  of an upper adjacent vinyl siding panel. It is noted that for siding panels wherein the nailing flanges does not extend all the way to the end edge, e.g.  18 , of the panel, the linear dimension numbering can invisibly start at said edge but the viewable printing on the flange will pick up inwardly of said edge as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
   Further with reference to the claims, the present invention further comprises the combination of a building structure  28  having an exterior wall  30  of, e.g., plywood sheets, with vinyl siding panels  10  affixed thereto in a generally vertical successive manner, wherein each said panel has upper portion  14  with a longitudinally extending nailing flange  24 , wherein linear dimension markings  26  are provided on said nailing flanges substantially the full lengths thereof, and wherein said panels are affixed to said wall by nailing said flanges thereto. As shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein said upper portion  14  of each said panel is provided with a longitudinally extending first shoulder  32 , wherein a lower portion  16  of each said panel is provided with a longitudinal extending second shoulder  33 , interlocked with the first shoulder of an adjacent panel and wherein the lower portion  16  of each successive upper panel overlies the nailing flange and markings of the adjacent lower panel. 
   The markings can, of course, be in any language, of any character style, of any color and placed on any visible, viewable portion of the workpiece, but along an edge thereof which will become covered over is usually the preferred location. An ink print roller would be a preferred way to apply the markings whereby during manufacture of the workpiece the print could be rapidly and automatically applied to the workpiece. 
   This invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications will be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.