Patent Abstract:
A device having a pair of rails and a pair of guideline holders is provided. The rails are secured to the underside of the roof overhanging a gable. The rails define a slot within which the guideline holders are received. The guideline holders are slideable within the slot and may be releasably secured to any of a number of positions along the rails. A guideline is threaded within and releasably secured by each of the guideline holders.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/294,084 filed on May 29, 2001. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a device and method for arranging bricks on a gable and, more particularly, to a device and method for positioning a guide line at each of a number of levels on a gable. 
     When constructing a bricked-in gable, it is often desirable to lay each course of bricks evenly across the span of the gable. In order to provide of an even course of bricks, a gable lead device or other type of level line is commonly used. Without using some type of guideline, the bricks in each course may be misaligned and uneven. 
     There have been various attempts to provide for a gable lead device for leveling a course of bricks when constructing a gable. An example of such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,042 issued to Carper (“Carper”) on Oct. 12, 1999. This arrangement provides for a pair of clamps, a pair of L-shaped angle irons and a guideline. The angle irons are mounted on the underside of the gable so that a first portion of the iron rests flush with the underside of the gable and an extended portion that extends perpendicularly from the surface of the gable. The clamps are coupled with the angle irons by sliding the extended portion within a channel formed in each of the clamps, and then tightening a screw to secure the clamps to each of the irons. The guideline is then extended between the clamps. 
     Prior art guideline devices suffer from a number of drawbacks and deficiencies. For instance, it is difficult to reposition the clamps on the angle irons. In order to change the position of the clamp on the irons, a user must use one hand to adjust the screw, and use the other hand to slide the clamp into position while holding the clamp on the iron. The use of two hands to position the clamps on the irons is time consuming and inconvenient. Furthermore, the clamp can completely slide off the iron when the clamps are being re-positioned on the irons or if the screw is inadvertently loosened. This leads to further inefficiencies in positioning the guideline. 
     Accordingly, there remains a need for a gable lead device that may be easily and efficiently used to lay an even course of bricks when constructing a gable. The present invention fills these needs as well as various other needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to overcome the above-stated problems and limitations, and to achieve the noted objects, there is provided a gable lead device that may be easily and efficiently used to adjust the position of a guideline when laying a course of bricks to form a gable. 
     In general, a device having a pair of rails and a pair of guideline holders is disclosed. The rails are secured to the underside of the roof overhanging a gable. The rails define a slot within which the guideline holders are received. The guideline holders are slideable within the slot and may be releasably secured to any of a number of positions along the rails. A guideline is threaded within and releasably secured to each of the guideline holders. Preferably, by depressing a single pin, the guideline may move relative to the pin to remove slack from the line when the holders are repositioned. 
     Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention over the prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The objects and features of the invention noted above are explained in more detail with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a bricked-in gable with the gable lead device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the gable device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the gable device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the gable device of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of the gable device of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the gable device of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the gable lead device of the present invention is shown in connection with a gable and designated generally by the numeral  10 . The invention includes a pair of rails  12 , a pair of guideline holders  14  and a guideline  16 . With reference to FIG. 4, each rail  12  include a pair of angle irons  18  and  20 . The angle irons  18 ,  20  have first bars  22 ,  24 , and second bars  26 ,  28  angled normally from the respective first bars. The angle irons preferably have a length of about six feet. The angle irons are secured at a distance from one another to define a slot therebetween by a pair of mounting brackets  30  at either end of the angle irons. The slot is preferably has a width of about one half of an inch. As best shown in FIG. 5, each mounting bracket includes a base plate  32  and a pair of legs  34 ,  36  extending normally from either side of the base plate. Near the midline of the base plate  32  between the sides of the plate from which the legs extend, a pair of apertures  38  are located. On either side of the apertures  38 , the base plate  32  is secured to the first bars  22  and  24  of angle irons  18  and  20 , respectively. Preferably, the brackets  30  are welded to the angle irons. However, the brackets may be integrally formed, attached by nut and bolt fasteners, riveted or otherwise coupled with the angle irons. The angle irons are also secured to one another near the midpoint of each iron by a U-bar  40 . Preferably, U-bar  40  is welded to the edge of the second bars  26  and  28  of either angle iron. The U-bar  40  stabilizes the rails  12  and helps maintain the width of the slot defined between the bars  22  and  24 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a gable  42  and a pair of rakes  44  are shown. The gable  42  is the triangular portion of the endwall of a building. The rakes  44  extend beyond the surface of the gable and run from the ridge  46  (or apex) of the roof and terminate at the eave  48  of the roof. Each rail  12  is secured to the overhang of the roof located between the edge of the surface of the gable  42  and one of the rakes  44 . Specifically, each rail  12  is placed at a specific distance from the gable, and is secured to the underside of the roof by placing screws (not shown) through the apertures  38  of the brackets  30  (FIGS. 3-6) and inserting the screws into the underside of the roof. As more fully set forth below, the upper ends of either rail are preferably located at the same distance from the underside of the ridge  46 . 
     With reference to FIG. 5, each guideline holder  14  includes a housing  50 , a bolt  52 , a spring  54  and a pin  56 . The housing  50  is preferably annular and has an inner bore  58  with a radius of one-half inch and an outer radius at the exterior of the housing of about one inch. The inner bore  58  is preferably threaded near the bottom end of the housing. When the holder is assembled as discussed below, as best shown in FIG. 2, the bottom end of the housing  50  contacts the first bars  22  and  24 . When located in proximity to the bars  22  and  24 , the housing is capable of fitting within the area defined by the U-bar  40 . The housing preferably has a textured surface to facilitate gripping of the housing when the gable 
     The bolt  52  is preferably a carriage bolt having a half-inch radius and a length of one and a half inches. The bolt  52  has a transverse bore  60  located proximate its terminal end and preferably having a diameter of about one-fourth of an inch. The shaft of bolt  52  is placed through the slot defined between the first bars  18  and  20 , and through the inner bore  58  of the housing  50 . The base of the shaft preferably has a base section  63  with a squared cross section that fits within the slot between the bars  22  and  24  of the rails. Above the squared section  63 , the bolt has a threaded area with threads matching those of housing  50 . When the surface of the head of the bolt  52  contacts the first bars  18  and  20 , the shaft of the bolt  52  extends beyond the end of the housing  50  so that the transverse bore  60  is cleared from the housing. The bolt  52  also has a longitudinal bore  61  extending along the entire length of the bolt. 
     Pin  56  is preferably a clevis pin having a shaft  62  (with a diameter of about one-fourth of an inch) and a head  64 . A number of apertures  66  are located along the length of the shaft  62 . When the bolt  52  is placed on one side of the rails and through the housing  50  as set forth above, the pin  56  may be placed through the transverse bore  60  in the bolt. The spring  54  is placed about the shaft  62  to bias the pin  56  away from the bolt  52 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 2, the guideline  16  is placed through the longitudinal bore  61  of the bolt  52 . Specifically, once the bolt  52  is placed within the housing  50 , and the pin  56  is placed within the transverse bore  60  of the bolt, the pin  56  is depressed in the direction of the housing  50  so that one of the apertures  66  is aligned with the longitudinal bore  61 . Preferably, when the spring is completely compressed, one of the apertures  66  comes into alignment with the longitudinal housing. By coming aligned when the spring is completely compressed, the alignment may be maintained by merely pressing on the head  64  until the head no longer moves relative to the bolt. Continuing to hold the pin  56  in this position, the guideline  16  is place through the bore  61  and the aligned aperture  66 . Once the guideline is completely threaded through the bore, as shown extended around the first bar  24  of angle iron  20  in FIG. 2, pressure may be relieved from pin  56 . The spring  54  biases the pin away from the bolt  52 . Since the guideline  16  within the bore  61  is being pulled in the direction of the inner radius of the housing  50 , the guideline is held against the housing  61  and cannot slide relative to the longitudinal bore  61 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and discussed below, the EELS guideline  16  is placed through the top of one guideline holder  14 , through the longitudinal bore  61 , around the inner bar  20  (FIG.  2 ), and across to the other guideline holder  14 . 
     In operation, the rails  12  are first secured to the underside of the roof at the appropriate position. Preferably, the lower end of each rail is placed at a position below the desired line of the first layer of bricks. The rails are typically placed at a constant distance of about three and a half to four and half inches from the gable so that the guideline will be in close proximity to the edges of the bricks when the bricks are place on the gable. When the rails are in the proper position, as mentioned above, screws are placed through the apertures  38  and into the underside of the roof. 
     Once the rails are in place, each of the guideline holders  14  are placed at a first position so that the holders  14  are at an equal vertical position relative to the ridge  46 . Specifically, with a small turn of the housing  50  relative to the bolt  52 , the space between the housing and bolt is greater than the first bars  22  and  24 , and the holders are capable of being slid to the first position. When each holder  14  is in the desired position, the housing  50  is turned relative to the bolt  52  so that the housing and bolt are frictionally secured to the rails. A number of marks are placed on the rails to determine the vertical locations of the subsequent line of bricks. Since the rails are typically painted, pencil marks are typically made to indicate the lead line of the subsequent layers of bricks. 
     Before placing the first row of bricks on the gable, the loose end  16   a  (as shown in FIG. 2) extending through one of the place holders is pulled relative to the bolt  52  while depressing the pin  56 . The end may either be manually pulled or a weight (not shown) located on the loose end may pull the guideline taut when the pin is depressed. On the guideline is taut, as shown in FIG. 1, the line is directed directly across the gable  42  and a row of bricks may be layed. As shown in FIG. 2, since the guideline wraps about the inner iron  20 , the guideline is straight across nearly the entire width of the gable, and bricks may be placed at the appropriate orientation at the extreme edge of the gable. 
     Once the first row of bricks is laid, the guideline holders  14  are moved to a second position-a position preferably marked prior to placement of the first row of bricks on the gable. For instance, each layer of bricks may be placed about five and one half inches from the previous layer. Again, the guideline holders  14  are moved by unscrewing the housing  50  relative to the bolt  52  and sliding the holder  14  to the desired position, and tightening the housing to the bolt to maintain the holder at the second position. Once both guideline holders  14  are in the desired position, the pin  52  of one of the holders is depressed and the guideline drawn taut to create a reference line to lay the second layer of bricks. The process continues until the gable is completely bricked in. For larger gables, the rails  12  will be repositioned at least once on the underside of the roof on either side of the gable. 
     The present invention provides a method and device that allows a number of leads to be located quickly and accurately. As the guideline holders are moved from position to position, there is no risk that the holders will disengage the rails. Moreover, since only a slight turn of the housing, and a depression of the pin is required, the guideline holders may be operated by a single person, and may even be moved with only one hand. The rails allow the lineholders to be accurately positioned, and allows the straight guideline to extend from nearly one edge of the gable to another. Also, the rails may be pre-marked by the mason prior to bricking in the gable. In this respect, the mason may determine the number of course or layers needed to complete the gable prior to beginning the process. Thus, the mason can determine if adjustments must be made before reaching the final layers of the gable so that an equal and aesthetically pleasing distribution of bricks may be laid. Also, the gable may be adapted to fit any size overhang and any size of brick. 
     From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. 
     For instance, the rails of the present invention have a one piece bar with a slot defined longitudinal along the bar, and the upstanding second bars of the angle irons eliminated. In another alternatively, the slot may be defined between a pair of circular rails, or rails having any of a number of cross sections. Solid blocks rather than the mounting brackets of the preferred embodiment may be used to secure the rails at either end. Additionally, a number of materials such as sheet metals, wood, and the like may be used for the rails. 
     Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention, and not in a limiting sense.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4