Patent Publication Number: US-7908761-B2

Title: Shake jig for installing shake siding

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a novel shake jig which facilitates installing shake siding to a building while ensuring that the bottom edges of each shake, in a horizontal row, are properly aligned with one another in a substantially horizontal plane and precisely spaced from the previously install row of horizontal shakes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A variety of different mechanisms and techniques are currently utilized by carpenters and/or installers when installing shakes, such as cedar shakes and the like, to a side of a building. One common technique is the use of a “snapped” horizontal chalk line extending from one edge of the building to the opposite edge of the building which is used as a guide when installing the shakes to the building. After a horizontal row of shakes is installed on the building using the “snapped” chalk line as a guide, another chalk line is then “snapped” to the side of the building for the next row and so forth until the entire side of the building has been sided with the shakes. This process is repeated for each side of the building. Such technique, although very accurate, is a quite cumbersome and time consuming and generally slows down installation process for the shakes to the building. 
     While there are a variety of other methods and processes which are known and utilized to assist with installing shakes to the siding of a building, none of them, heretofore, have been relatively simple and easy to use while also reducing the installation time and effort while still, at the same time, assisting reliable installation of shakes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above noted drawbacks associated with the prior art techniques. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a shake jig which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to utilize while, at the same time, provides accurate and reliable installation of shakes to a side of a building. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a shake jig which is easy to insert between adjacent overlapped horizontal rows or layers of installed shakes so as to facilitate reliable retention of the shake jig to a wall of a building while also being easy to remove from the adjacent rows or layers of shakes, following installation of a desired section of shakes. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shake jig with an adjustability feature which provides the installer with the ability to compensate for any unevenness of the shakes, the building and/or any other imperfections which are prevalent in a building or structure and hinder accurate installation of shakes to a building. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to permit adjustment of the relative position of the ledger shelf, relative to the shake shelf, to compensate for any unevenness of the shakes, the building and/or any other imperfections which are prevalent in a building or structure. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to substantially double the installation speed of shakes, by using the shake jig, while still maintaining accurate installation of the shakes. 
     The present invention also relates to a shake jig for assisting with installation of shakes, the shake jig comprising: a base member supporting an adjustable member and a releasably fastener facilitating releaseable retention of the adjustable member in a desired relative position with respect to the base member; the base member having a shake shelf for abutting against a surface of a shake to prevent further insertion of the base member, between an installed topmost shake and an at least partially overlapped shake, and facilitate desired alignment of the shake jig with respect to the installed topmost shake; and the adjustable member having a ledger shelf for engaging with a ledger board and retaining the ledger board in a desired horizontal orientation with respect to the shake shelf and assisting with installation of shakes. 
     The present invention also relates to a system for installing shakes on a building, the system comprising: a ledger board; a shake jig for assisting with installation of shakes, the shake jig comprising: a base member supporting an adjustable member and a releasably fastener facilitating releaseable retention of the adjustable member in a desired relative position with respect to the base member; the base member having a shake shelf for abutting against a surface of a shake to prevent further insertion of the base member, between an installed topmost shake and an at least partially overlapped shake, and facilitate desired alignment of the shake jig with respect to the installed topmost shake; and the adjustable member having a ledger shelf for engaging with the ledger board and retaining the ledger board in a desired horizontal orientation with respect to the shake shelf and assisting with installation of shakes. 
     The present invention also relates to a method of installing shakes to a building via a ledger board and first and second shake jigs with each of the first and the second shake jigs comprising a base member supporting an adjustable member and a releasably fastener for facilitating releaseable retention of the adjustable member in a desired relative position with respect to the base member; the base member having a shake shelf for abutting against a surface of a shake to prevent further insertion of the base member, between an installed topmost shake and an at least partially overlapped shake, and facilitate desired alignment of the shake jig with respect to the installed topmost shake; and the adjustable member having a ledger shelf for engaging with the ledger board and retaining the ledger board in a desired horizontal orientation with respect to the shake shelf and assisting with installation of shakes, the method comprising the steps of: inserting a leading end of the first shake jig between an installed topmost shake and an at least partially overlapped shake; inserting a leading end of the second shake jig between another installed topmost shake and another at least partially overlapped shake such that the first shake jig is spaced from the second shake jig; supporting the ledger board on the ledger shelf of each of the first and the second shake jigs; arranging shakes to be installed on a top surface of the ledger board; and securing the shakes, arranged on the top surface of the ledger board, to the building. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of the shake jig according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a side left elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a side left elevational view showing engagement of the shake jig with both a shake and a ledger board; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along section line of  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view along section line of  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2  showing a further embodiment for guiding the adjustable member; 
         FIG. 6  shows a pair of spaced apart shake jigs supported by a pair of installed shakes with a ledger board being supported by and extending between the pair of shake jigs with a row of shakes, to be installed, resting on a top surface of the ledger board; and 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic side left elevational view showing engagement of the shake jig between a pair of adjacent overlapped rows of shake with a ledger board being supported by the ledger board. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 1-3 ,  5  and  5 A, a detailed description concerning the various components of the shake jig  2  will now be provided. As can be seen in those Figures, the shake jig  2  generally comprises a base member  4  which supports and adjustable member  6  which is movable/slidable relative to the base member  4 . A releasable fastener, e.g., a wing nut or nut  8  secured to a threaded shaft  9 , facilitates releasably securing of the adjusted position of the adjustable member  6  relative to the base member  4 . 
     As can be seen if  FIG. 3 , a first section of the base member  4  is generally L-shaped and comprises an elongate clamping leg  10  which has a slight bend or camber  11  along its length adjacent a leading end  14  thereof, the purpose of which will become apparent in view of the following description. Due to the bend or camber  11  of the clamping leg  10 , once the clamping leg  10  is inserted between an installed topmost shake  20  and an at least partially overlapped shakes  20 ′—as described below in further detail—the camber  11  of the clamping leg  10  is forced into a substantially planar configuration (see  FIG. 7 ) and this straightening of the clamping leg  10 , in turn, assists the clamping leg  10  with generating sufficient friction and/or pressure, between the topmost shake  20  and the at least partially overlapped shakes  20 ′ so as to securely retain the shake jig  2  in its installed position, between such pair of partially overlapped shakes  20 ,  20 ′, during use of the shake jig(s)  2 . 
     To further assist with securely retaining the shake jig  2 , between the topmost shake  20  and the at least partially overlapped shakes  20 ′, a plurality of protrusions or gripping features  12  are formed on an outwardly facing surface  15  adjacent a leading end  14  of the clamping leg  10 . The plurality of protrusions or gripping features  12  facilitate retention of the shake jig  2  in the installed position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Preferably between two to about twenty or so separate spaced apart protrusions or gripping features  12  are provided on the outwardly facing surface  15  of the clamping leg  10 . The plurality of protrusions or gripping features  12  only project a small distance, e.g., between about 0.005 of an inch to about 0.250 of an inch and more preferably about 0.063 inches or so, from the outwardly facing surface  15  of the clamping leg  10  so as not to hinder insertion of the shake jig  2 , between the topmost shake  20  and the at least partially overlapped shakes  20 ′, but still assist with secure retention of the shake jig  2 . 
     The opposite end of the clamping leg  10  terminates in a sharp substantially right angle bend and this bent section of the base member  4  forms a shake shelf  16  which facilitates abutting the shake jig  2  against a lower downwardly facing surface  18  of the topmost installed shake  20 , of a pair of partially overlapped shakes  20 ,  20 ′, following installation of the shake jig  2  in the position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     A generally J-shaped section  22  is integrally formed with and interconnects the shake shelf  16  with a substantially planar support leg  24 . The support leg  24  extends generally parallel to a lower section of the clamping leg  10 , adjacent the shake shelf  16 , but is spaced therefrom by a distance of about ¾ of an inch to about 1 and ¾ of an inch or so and more preferably is spaced therefrom by about 1¼ of an inch or so from one another. Such spacing of the support leg  24  from the clamping leg  10  must be sufficiently to allow a topmost shake  20  as well as a coarse or ledger board  26  to be located therebetween (see  FIGS. 4 and 7 ) while still captively retaining those two components in a secure but releasable fashion. A U-shaped finger grip  28  is formed in the lower portion of the J-shaped section  22  which facilitates removing or withdrawing the shake jig  2  from the installed position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  following installation of a desired section of shakes to the side of the building. 
     A remote end  30  of the support leg  24  has an elongate slot  32  (see  FIG. 2  for example) formed therein and this elongate slot  32  receives one component of the releasable fastener, e.g., the threaded shaft, a bolt or a screw  9 , for example. The elongate slot  32  permits sliding movement of the threaded shaft, a bolt or a screw  9  within and along the slot  32 , the purpose of which will become apparent in view of the following description. The elongated slot  32  generally has a length of between ⅛ of an inch to about 1 inch or so and more preferably has a length of between ⅜ of an inch to about ¾ of an inch or so. 
     The mating releaseable fasteners, e.g., the threaded shaft, the bolt or the screw  9  and a mating nut or wing nut  8 , for example, facilitate securing the adjustable member  6  to an inwardly facing surface  34  of the support leg  24  at a desired relative position. The end  36  of the adjustable member  6 , normally located adjacent the generally J-shaped section  22 , has a sharp substantially right angle bend which forms a ledger shelf  38  that extends inwardly toward and generally parallel to the shake shelf  16 , but is spaced therefrom by a small distance so as to permit relative sliding movement between the ledger shelf  38  of the adjustable member  6  and the shake shelf  16  of the base member  4 . The opposite end  40  of the adjustable member  6  extends generally parallel to the support leg  24  and terminates in a curvature which curves outwardly, away from the clamping leg  10 , and this curved end forms a gripping area  41  for a finger of an installer to assist with adjusting the relative position between the adjustable member  6  and the base member  4  as well as facilitates insertion of a ledger board  26  on the ledger shelf  38 . 
     The adjustable member  6  can either support a threaded rod or shaft  9  affixed to a sufficiently flat head  42  with the threaded rod or shaft  9  extending through a bore (not separately labeled) in the adjustable member  6 , or alternatively threaded rod or shaft  9  can be fastened, e.g., welded, to an outwardly facing surface  44  of the adjustable member  6  with this threaded rod  10  being aligned with and extends through the elongate slot  32  and thereby facilitate adjustment of the adjustable member  6  and the base member  4 . 
     To assist with guiding the adjustable member  6  to and fro along the support leg  24 , of the base member  4 , so that a longitudinal axis of the adjustable member  6  remains substantially aligned and parallel with a longitudinal axis of the support leg  24  of the base member  4  and the ledger shelf  38  remains substantially parallel to the shake shelf  16 , a section of the support leg  24  may be provided with at least one and more preferably a pair of spaced apart guide grooves, recesses and/or protrusions  46  while the adjustable member  6  is provided with one or more mating guide protrusions, grooves and/or recesses  48  (see  FIG. 5 ). Alternatively, as can be seen in see  FIG. 5A , one or both lateral sides of the adjustment member  6  may partially wrap around  58  either one or both opposed lateral sides of the support leg  24  to assist with guiding the adjustable member  6  along the support leg  24 . 
     Preferably, as can be seen in  FIG. 2 , an outwardly facing surface of the support leg  24  of the base member  4 , along the elongate slot  32 , is provided with measurement scale or grid  60  while the adjustable member  6  carries an index finger or pointer  62 , which cooperates with the measurement grid or scale  60 , to display the relative position of the ledger shelf  38  with respect to the shake shelf  16  with a “0” position indicating that the shake shelf  16  and the ledger shelf  38  are precisely aligned with one another. The U-shaped finger grip  28 , of the lower portion of the J-shaped section  22 , ample space so that both the ledger shelf  38  and a portion of the ledger board  26  may be at least partially accommodated within the U-shaped finger grip  28  during use of the shake jig  2 . 
     Use of the Shake Jig 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 , installation and use of the shake jig  2  will now be described. When use of the shake jig  2  is desired, the operator grabs a first shake jig  2  and inserts the leading end  14  of the clamping leg  10  between a topmost shake  20  and a shake  20 ′ positioned adjacent but installed below and at least partially overlapped by the topmost shake  20  such that the leading end of the clamping leg  10  is sandwiched between those two adjacent shakes  20 ,  20 ′. The bend or camber  11  of the clamping leg  10 , as well as the one or more plurality of protrusions or gripping features  12  facilitate retention of the shake jig  2  in the installed position between the two adjacent shakes  20 ,  20 ′ as shown in  FIG. 7 . It is to be appreciated that the shake jig  2  is generally inserted sufficiently far so that the bottom lower downwardly facing surface  18  of the shake  20  abuts against the shake ledge  16 . This ensures positioning and proper alignment of the shake jig  2  with the topmost shake  20 . 
     One this is achieved, a second shake jig  2  is positioned, in a similar fashion in a spaced relationship to the first shake jig (e.g., between a pair of adjacent shakes  20 ,  20 ′ such that the shake ledge  16  abuts against the respective bottom lower downwardly facing surface  18  of the topmost shake  20  as shown in  FIG. 6 ). Typically the first and the second shake jigs  2  are spaced from one another by a distance of between about 2 feet to about 8 feet or so, depending upon the length of the course or ledge board. A ledger board  26  is then inserted and accommodated between the top most shakes  20  and the adjustable members  6  of the pair of spaced apart shake jigs  2  such that the lower edge of the ledger board  26  abuts with and is supported by the ledger shelf  38  of each of the pair of spaced apart shake jigs  2 . Thereafter, the installer then places a plurality of the shakes  20 ″ to be installed along the top surface  27  of the ledger board  26  and the installer is then able to rearrange and/or reposition the shakes  20 ″ to be installed in a desired order, spacing, position and/or orientation in relation to the previously installed shakes and/or one another in accordance with the conventional siding practice. Once the shakes  20 ″ to be installed, are suitably arranged on the top surface  27  of the ledger board  26 , the installer then nails, screws or otherwise permanently fastens or secures the shakes  20 ″ to be installed to the wall in a conventional manner. 
     Next, the installer removes the ledger board  26  from the pair of spaced apart shake jigs  2  and then places his/her index finger in the finger grip  28 , formed in the lower J-shaped section  22  of each shake jig  2  and tugs in a vertically downward direction so that the clamping leg  10  is retracted and removed from its installed location between the pair of adjacent overlapped shakes  20 ,  20 ′. Once this occurs, the installer then repeats the above procedure by reinserting the first and the second shake jigs  2  in a sufficiently spaced relationship from one another at a different location along the wall of the building being sided, as described above. The process continues until the entire the building is sided with the shakes. 
     It is to be appreciated that the installer will occasionally, e.g., once every three to seven horizontal rows of installed shakes, run a chalk line from one edge of the building to the opposite edge of the building to ensure that the shake jig  2  is operating properly and no modification to the relative position, between the ledger shelf  38  and the shake shelf  16  is required. However, if the chalk line reveals any discrepancy, the installer can then adjust the relative position/orientation of one or both of the adjustment members  6  either to slightly increase or decrease the spacing between horizontal rows of shakes  20  and thereby compensate for any misalignment or installation discrepancies which may have occurred during the installation process. 
     Preferably the shake jig  2  is manufactured entirely from a resilient material such as spring steel, which provides increased resistance to bending and fatigue. It is to be appreciated, however, that alternatively the shake jig  2  can be manufactured from a variety of other materials, other than spring steel, e.g., such as plastic or the like. The important aspect of the shake jig  2  is that it is sufficiently rigid and durable to facilitate retention of the ledger board  26  in a desired horizontal orientation along a side of a building and facilitate support and installation of the shakes  20 ″ to be installed. 
     The shake jig  2  typically has a width of between one-quarter of an inch or so to about five inches or so and more preferably has a width of between about one-half of an inch to about two inches. The shake jig  2  preferably has a thickness of between about 1/32 to about ⅛ of an inches and preferably about a 1/16 of an inch or so. The shake jig  2  typically has an overall length of between about three inches or so to about nine inches or so and more preferably has an overall length of between about five inches to about seven inches or so. 
     Although the releasable threaded fasteners is generally described as being a combination of a bolt and a wing nut  9 ,  8 , it is to be appreciated that a variety of other kinds and types of conventional and well known releasable fasteners can be employed. The important aspect of the releasable fastener is that it allows adjustment of the relative position of the adjustable member  6 , with respect to the base member  4 , while still being able to retain those two members  4 ,  6  in a desired orientation and/or position with respect to one another. 
     The ledger board  26  preferably has a length of between about one foot to about sixteen feet of so and more preferably has a length of about two feet to about eight feet or so. It is to be appreciated that the ledger board  26  can be manufactured from a variety of other materials such as wood, plastic, metal, etc. According to the shown embodiment of  FIGS. 1-7 , the ledger board  26  is generally a wooden plank having a thickness of about three-quarters of an inch or so and also have constant desired width, e.g., a width of between about three inches to about 7 inches or so and preferably a width of about three and one half inches. The important aspect of the ledger board  26  is that the two opposed sides thereof be substantially parallel to one another so as to space any supported shakes  20 ″ to be installed at a desired distance away from the pair of ledger supports carried by the shake jigs  2 . It is to be appreciated that the width of the ledger board  26  determines the spacing of the bottom lower downwardly facing surface  18 , of the set of the shakes  20 ″ to be installed, from the bottom lower downwardly facing surface  18  of the previously installed shake  20 . 
     Since certain changes may be made in the above described shake jig and installation method, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.