Patent Abstract:
A device for spacing, bracing and leveling tiles during installation on a ceiling substrate, comprises a, spacer and a bracer having a threaded substrate penetrating screw to releasably engage with the substrate for bracing and leveling tiles. The spacer and bracer are made of rigid material to support the weight of tile. The spacer carries at least one spacer ridge that when placed between tiles will create an equal distance between adjacent tiles. When the screw is inserted through a hole defined in the spacer and screwed until a first surface of the spacer frictionally contacts an exposed surface of the tile, the spacer will secure the tile and prevent a ceiling tile from falling until an adhesive dries.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Professional and amateur installers of floor, wall and ceiling coverings that include ceramic tile, marble, granite, slate and other material commonly use spacers to create an equal distance between adjacent tiles. They also use an assortment of devices to level the tiles, which when leveled correctly will produce an even surface without lips across the entire surface area. 
     Laying or installing tile is a skilled craft. Professional and amateur tile installers can find the process of spacing and leveling tiles difficult and time consuming. And because of gravity, installing tiles on ceilings can be even more complex and dangerous for both professional and amateur installers. Without the proper tools and skill set, installation results can be inconsistent, unpredictable and non-repeatable. These are some of the reasons that installers do not commonly install tiles on ceilings, particularly above showers and bathtubs. 
     Leveling, which is the art of installing tiles so the tiles are flush with all adjacent tiles, is one of the most difficult aspect of installing tiles. Spacing, which is the process of ensuring that each tile has the same distance between each adjacent tile, is easy, even for amateurs. There are many different types and sizes of spacers on the market to choose from. The cross spacer and variations thereof, is the most commonly used to create an equal distance between adjacent tiles during the installation process. An installer can easily obtain spacers of almost any thickness that would provide the spacing that he/she would want between adjacent tiles. A known limitation of cross spacers is that their design, similar to a “+” makes them useful primarily on floors and walls. By taping each in place, the spacer could be used to space tiles on a ceiling. However, without a bracing device that retains the newly placed tiles in place the tiles will pull away from the ceiling and fall if an installer attempted to use a cross spacer for anything other than a spacing device on ceiling tile installations. The tiles will pull away from the ceiling because most commonly used adhesives are not strong enough to hold tiles securely in place until the adhesive dries. Although this problem has existed for many years, the market is absent a commercially viable solution that keeps spacers and tiles from falling when installing tiles on ceilings. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,139,119 to Heidenreich (1915) is a toy top that could be useful as a crude form of a spacer. But the cost to use this toy as a spacer would be prohibitive and impractical. It comprises no features that would enable it be used as a tile spacer and as a bracing device. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,031,684 to Berger (1936), the cross spacer, is the most prevalent spacer type in use today. However, its primary usefulness is that of providing even spacing between tiles on floors, walls and tabletops and the like. It has no design features that would enable it to be used as a ceiling tile spacing and bracing device. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,495 to Walston (1957), a Glass Building Block Aligner could not possibly be used as a spacer or a bracer when installing ceiling tile in that it is not structurally capable of doing so. It aligns glass blocks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,125 to Gussler Jr. (1983) discloses a system for aligning uneven thickness panel sections of floors, walls, ceilings and flat surfaces. Gussler&#39;s invention enables even alignment of uneven panel members using the floor as base support. The invention requires insertion of the device underneath material which must be in direct contact with panel members to create lift and alignment. The device must be set in a bonding compound until it has dried. This system would not be useful for installing ceramic tile, marble tile, granite tile and other hard material on a ceiling. This system has no design features that would prevent the ceiling tile from falling to the floor. 
     Another invention, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,142 to Rieck (1990), discloses a deck spacing tool that appears to comprise a vertically extending blade with a pair of horizontally extending arms. It provides spacing during the installation of deck boards. This tool could not possibly be used to install ceiling tiles in that there is no apparatus to prevent the tiles from falling to the floor. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,534 to Tayshanjian (1994) is a derivative of the Berger type spacer of 1936 that is primarily used on floor surfaces or vertical walls. The ordinary purpose of this embodiment is that of a spacer. The spacer has no design features that hold tile in place during a ceiling tile installation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,745 to Kawai (1996), floor panel support leg and double floor, apparently is useful for installing floors. There is no practical use of this invention to install ceiling tile in that it neither provides spacing nor an apparatus that would prevent a ceiling tile from falling before the adhesive dries. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,799 to Kowalski (1997), is a device and process for mounting tiles of varying thickness is an embodiment of the 1936 Berger spacer. This embodiment could not be used when installing ceiling tile in that it has no apparatus to prevent the tile from falling to the floor. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 0,466,380 to Dickson (2002) is an ornamental design for a ceramic wall and floor tile laying guide that has no practical application for the installation of ceiling tile. Dickson&#39;s invention has no features that would space or brace ceiling tiles and prevent the tiles from falling to the floor. 
     Dual spacing width tile spacers, U.S. patent publication 2004/0060184 to Shilo (2004), U.S. patent publication 2004/0250435 to Fiore (2004), U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,926 to Kirby (2007), U.S. patent publication 2007/0227025 to Venture (2007), adequately spaces tiles on walls, floors and tabletops, but do not have design features to support the installation of ceiling tile and prevent the tiles from falling to the floor. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,093 to Sturino (2008) spaces tiles and has an apparatus that adjusts the height of tiles. Sturine&#39;s invention is useful for laying tiles on floors, walls and tabletops, as does U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,802 to Tavy (2009); neither has design features to support the installation of ceiling tile and prevent the tiles from falling to the floor. 
     Similar inventions, U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,100 to Kufner (2009) adequately spaces and levels tiles, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,700 to Blankenship (2010), enables the installation of tiles on floors, walls and tabletops, but neither have features that would prevent tiles from falling to the floor when installing tiles on a ceiling. 
     Installers have in the past used crude processes to painstakingly secure tiles to ceilings. For example, after an installer attaches a bonding substrate to a ceiling to which adhesives or other bonding substances will adhere to, the subsequent process becomes more difficult. Next, installers apply their desired adhesive to a back surface of tile and while holding tile in one hand with the adhesive facing upward, push the tile onto the bonding substrate, twist and slide slightly into place to create a bond and suction. This crude process theoretically holds tiles in place until the adhesive has dried. This process is performed repeatedly until the entire surface area has been covered. However, many of the tiles will pull away from the ceiling because the adhesive is the only element keeping the tiles to the ceiling. Therefore, the use of a spacer becomes impractical, and even spacing between adjacent tiles becomes a problem. It is possible to tape a spacer between each tile, but that process is impractical and very time consuming. Another problem with this crude process is that there is no reasonably simple way to level the tiles. This method creates additional work for the installer, requires more time and increases the level of difficulty to complete the job. The results of using this method are inconsistent, unpredictable and hazardous. The danger is that one or more tiles could suddenly fall from the ceiling. The stickiness of the adhesive used and the force of suction are the only elements holding the tiles to the ceiling. As a result it becomes difficult for an installer utilizing this method to achieve consistently even spacing between adjacent tiles and to prevent lip-outs. There does not appear to be prior art devices that simultaneously spaces and braces tiles during installation on a ceiling. 
     Another crude method of installing tiles on a ceiling include the application of an adhesive to the back of tiles, pushing them to the bonding surface, aligning the tiles and then placing a pole or long stick underneath each tile to hold the tiles in place until the adhesive dries. While this method can hold the tiles in place and prevent them from falling, the inherent problem with this method is that the results will be inconsistent. The added cost of acquiring poles, sticks or other long straight objects makes this method expensive and very time consuming. In addition, leveling the tiles with equal spacing between adjacent tiles will be difficult and impractical. 
     This embodiment solves a recurring installation problem that previously had not been solved. This embodiment solves the problem by enabling installers to easily install tiles on ceilings that securely hold, spaces and levels tiles. It comprises a simple, very inexpensive, reusable device that improves consistency, saves time and reduces the cost of installing tiles on ceilings. It can also be used for tile installations on floors and walls as well. Thus, this embodiment will produce predictable and repeatable results. 
     SUMMARY 
     A Bracer Spacer provides professional and amateur tile installers with a simple tool that space, brace and level tiles during installation on ceilings, and also space and level tiles on floors and walls. For ceiling tile installations the Bracer Spacer comprises a spacer and a bracer that when used together will thereby prevent tiles from falling from the ceiling. This embodiment makes the ceiling tile installations quicker, safer, consistent and predictable. 
     In accordance with this embodiment, a bonding substrate is secured to a ceiling. Subsequently, the tile is “back-buttered” with an adhesive and put to the ceiling at the desired location. With the spacer sitting atop the bracer screw, spacer ridges up, the installer places the device to the midpoint edge of the tile being held, align the spacer ridge parallel to the tile, and screw the unit clockwise into the bonding substrate until snug. The screwing process can be done manually by hand, or by using a hand-held screwdriver or a cordless screwdriver. After securing a first side, the opposite side of the tile is secured in the exact same manner. This process is repeated until all of the tiles have been secured to the ceiling. After the adhesive has dried the bracer screw can be unscrewed and the spacer can be removed with it and used again for another project. The hole in the substrate adjacent the tile and caused by the bracer screw is filled with grout during the standard grouting procedure which commonly follows installation of the tiles. 
     Another aspect of this embodiment is to align tiles on walls and floors. In that the need for installers to require various spacing gaps between adjacent tiles, this embodiment is meant to include all spaces greater than one-hundred twenty eighth of an inch. When used as a spacer only, an installer would simply place the spacer between two adjacent tiles and move the tile until snug with the spacer ridge. To level tiles, an installer would simply place the bracer screw in the hole on the spacer, rotate the bracer and its attached threaded screw clockwise into the bonding substrate until the adjacent tiles are level with each other. After the adhesive has dried the bracer screw can be unscrewed and the spacer can be removed with it and used again for another project. 
     Several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: to prevent ceramic tile, slate, marble, granite and other materials being installed on a ceiling from falling, that is very inexpensive, that provides consistent results, that can be used with or without a screwdriver, that saves time during the installation process, that unscrews easily for use again on another project, that can be used on almost any size tile, that will penetrate commonly used bonding substrates, that enables installers to work alone, that requires no additional tools or materials, that enables proper spacing between tiles, that allows tiles to be installed evenly horizontally, that can be easily manufactured, and is cost effective. These and other advantages of one or more aspects will be apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the spacer with two spacer ridges located on opposing sides of a centrally located hole defined in the base of the spacer. 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bracer with a threaded screw, a circular bracer disc and a rectangular shaped curved end bracer grip. 
         FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the bracer with a threaded screw, bracer disc and rectangular shaped curved end bracer grip. Also shown on the bracer grip is a hex screw head with Phillips screwdriver slot. 
         FIG. 2C  is a top perspective view of the hex screw head with Phillips screwdriver slot atop the rectangular shaped curved end bracer grip attached to the bracer disc atop the spacer. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bracer spacer assembled with the spacer in the upright position atop the bracer. The spacer has two spacer ridges located on both sides of a central hole defined in the spacer with the bracer&#39;s threaded screw extending therethrough. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the bracer spacer positioned for installation between two tiles on a ceiling. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the bracer spacer secured between two ceiling tiles held in place with the bracer and spaced with the spacer. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the spacer with two spacer ridges on the spacer base at opposite ends of the spacer. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the spacer with one spacer ridge on the spacer base. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the spacer with a centrally located spacer ridge extending across the entire width of the spacer with a hole in the spacer ridge. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the spacer with one spacer ridge with holes defined in the spacer adjacent each end of the spacer ridge. 
         FIG. 10A  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the bracer. 
         FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the bracer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the spacer  14 . The spacer  14  is approximately 38.1 mm square (1½″) in  FIG. 1  and may be made from high density polyethylene, available from U.S. Plastic Corporation in Lima, Ohio. However, the spacer  14  may also be made of other plastics and hard materials such as polypropylene, wood, iron, steel, and aluminum, compressed cardboard or other similar materials. Molded to the center of the spacer base  16  are two spacer ridges  18 , approximately 1.5875 mm ( 1/16″) thick in the preferred embodiment. The two spacer ridges  18  approximately 4.7625 mm ( 3/16″) high and 12.7 mm (½″) long are located at the middle of the spacer base  16 , separated by a hole  20 . The spacer ridge  18  can range from approximately 0.7938 mm ( 1/32″) to 12.7 mm (½″) wide or greater dependent upon the desired space between adjacent tiles. Between each spacer ridge  18  is a round through hole  20 . The hole  20  has a diameter of approximately 0.3969 mm ( 1/64″) to 12.3031 mm ( 31/64″) or greater dependent upon the size of [a] screw [28] that will penetrate the hole [20]. The threaded bracer screw  28  is slightly smaller than the width of the spacer ridge  18 . 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  shows side perspective and top perspective views of one embodiment of the bracer  22 . The bracer  22  in  FIG. 2A  has a twisting means  26  shown as a bracer grip  26  comprised of high density polyethylene, available from U.S. Plastic Corporation. However, the twisting means bracer grip  26  may also consist of other plastics and hard material such as polypropylene, wood, iron, steel, aluminum, compressed cardboard or other similar materials. The bracer grip  26  is approximately 19.05 mm (¾″) long, 12.7 mm (½″) wide and 12.7 mm (½″) high. Molded into the center of the bracer grip  26  is a threaded bracer screw  28  approximately 50.8 mm (2″) long that penetrates the full length of the bracer grip  26 . Visible from a top of the bracer grip  26  in  FIGS. 2B and 2C  is a hex screw head with a Phillips screwdriver slot  30 . Attached to the bracer grip  26  is a circular shaped bracer disc  24 , approximately 3.175 mm (⅛″) thick with a diameter of approximately 31.75 mm (1¼″) that is greater than the diameter of the threaded screw  28 . The bracer disc  24  is also penetrated by the threaded bracer screw  28 . This embodiment is meant to enable the use of a Phillips type screwdriver for screwing the bracer  22  into a bonding substrate if not screwing with the bracer grip  26 . The threaded bracer screw  28  is comprised of low carbon steel in this embodiment and is available from Armour Screw Company, Elk Grove Village, Ill. Alternative materials for the threaded bracer screw  28  could include stainless steel, brass, nickel alloy, aluminum, alloy or other materials. Screw head  30  can be manufactured to other shapes including round and square. Alternate embodiments for the screwdriver slots [ 30 ] can be manufactured to accommodate flat-headed screwdrivers (not shown) and square headed screwdrivers (not shown). 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the invention assembled with the flat spacer  14  in an upright position atop the bracer  22 . The detailed description of the individual parts of this figure has been previously described. 
       FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the bracer  22  and spacer  14  between two tiles  38 . The tiles  38  are for illustration purposes and are not part of the invention. The detailed description of both the bracer  22  and the flat spacer  14  in this figure have been fully described previously. 
       FIG. 5  shows the bracer  22  and spacer  14  fully engaged and holding two ceiling tiles  38  in place with the threaded bracer screw  28  fully engaged with the substrate underlying the tiles  38 . The detailed description of both the bracer  22  and the flat spacer  14  in this figure has been fully described previously. 
     The manner of using the Bracer Spacer  12  in the installation of tiles  38  to ceilings begins with the installation of a bonding substrate. Using a stud finder, an installer will identify and mark the location of ceiling joists. Once that task has been completed, the installer will measure the length and width of the ceiling that will be receiving the bonding substrate. After the measurements are complete, the installer will cut the bonding substrate to size. The bonding substrate—may now be secured to the ceiling with commonly used construction screws including, wood screws and sheetrock screws. As an extra precaution, the installer should apply an adhesive (such as glue) to one side of the bonding substrate and with the sticky side up, secure that side to the ceiling. This enables the bonding substrate to attach more securely to the ceiling. While holding the bonding substrate in place, the installer should ensure that the screws he/she will use to permanently secure the bonding substrate to the ceiling are aligned so they can be screwed directly into the previously located ceiling joists. Afterwards, the installer can go ahead use the screws to attach the bonding substrate to the ceiling. This important step will allow for the most secure attachment of the bonding substrate to the ceiling. It will also reduce the possibility of the bonding substrate pulling away from the ceiling after tiles  38  have been installed on the bonding substrate. After the bonding substrate has been completely attached, the ceiling is ready to receive tile  38 . If necessary, the installer will cut the preferred tile  38  to the desired dimensions. Once cut the tile  38  is ready to be put to the ceiling. 
     The installer should place the spacer  14  atop the bracer  22  with the spacer ridge  18  facing up. Afterwards, the installer will place the assembled, Bracer Spacer  12 , in a place where he/she can reach it easily with one hand. While holding or placing a tile  38  on a hard surface, the installer will “back butter” the tile  38  and subsequently move the tile  38  to the desired position on the ceiling. Holding the tile in one hand the installer will push the tile  38  to the ceiling to create a bond with the bonding substrate. The adhesive (not shown) applied to a rear surface of the tiles  38  should be sticky enough to hold the tile  38  to the ceiling without any additional upward pressure. However, the installer should still hold the tile  38  in place to prevent it from pulling away from the ceiling. With his other hand, the installer retrieves the bracer  22 , places the bracer  22  immediately adjacent to a middle portion of the tile  38  ensuring that the spacer ridge  18  is aligned parallel to and frictionally contacting the tile  38  being held. The installer then screws the bracer  22  clockwise into the bonding substrate so that the threaded screw  28  penetrates therein until the spacer  14  is snug with the outside/exposed face of the tile  38 . This preferred embodiment enables screwing-in of the bracer  22  to be accomplished without a screwdriver by using the bracer grip  26  or with a hand-held or cordless screwdriver. If placed adjacent to the middle edge of a tile  38 , only one Bracer Spacer  12  will be required per side. Next, the installer will repeat the same steps on the opposite side of the tile  38 . With a spacer  14  on each side of the tile  38 , the tile  38  will remain secured to the ceiling substrate and in frictional contact with the adhesive therebetween. The remaining tiles  38  may thereafter be installed in the same manner until the job is complete and the adhesive dries where upon the spacers  14  and the bracers  22  are threadably removed by unscrewing the bracers  22 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the spacer  14 . Molded to a center of spacer base  16  are two short spacer ridges  18  that are approximately 4.7625 mm ( 3/16″) long. The two short spacer ridges  18  are located at the middle of the spacer base  16 , separated by a hole  20 . The spacer ridge  18  width can range from approximately 0.7938 mm ( 1/32″) to 12.7 mm (½″) wide or greater dependent upon the desired space between adjacent tiles  38 . The spacer ridges  18  can be located centrally anywhere and any length on either side of the hole  20 . Between each spacer ridge  18  is a round hole  20 . The hole  20  has a diameter from 0.3969 mm ( 1/64″) to 12.3031 mm (31/64″) or greater dependent upon the size of the screw  28  that will penetrate the hole  20 . The screw  28  is always slightly smaller than the width of the spacer ridge  18 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the spacer  14  having one spacer ridge  14  approximately 19.05 mm (¾″) long starting at the center of the spacer base  16  and extending to the end of the spacer base  16 . The spacer ridge  18  width can range from approximately 0.7938 mm ( 1/32″) to 12.7 mm (½″) wide or greater dependent upon the desired space between adjacent tiles  38 . A centrally located hole  20  is located at the middle of the remaining half of the spacer base  16 . The hole  20  has a diameter from 0.3969 mm ( 1/64″) to 12.3031 mm ( 31/64″) or greater dependent upon the size of the screw  28  that will penetrate the hole. The screw  28  is always slightly smaller than the width of the spacer ridge  18 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the spacer  14  having one spacer ridge  14  approximately 38.1 mm (1½″) long centrally located starting at one end of the spacer base  16  and extending across to the other end of the spacer base  16 . The spacer ridge  18  width can range from approximately 0.7938 mm ( 1/32″) to 12.7 mm (½″) wide or greater dependent upon the desired space between adjacent tiles  38 . A centrally located hole  20  is located at the middle spacer ridge  18  that goes all the way through the spacer ridge  18  and the spacer base  16 . The hole  20  has a diameter from 0.3969 mm ( 1/64″) to 12.3031 mm ( 31/64″) or greater dependent upon the size of the screw  28  that will penetrate the hole  20 . The screw  28  is always slightly smaller than the width of the spacer ridge  18 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the spacer  14  having one spacer ridge  18  approximately 10 mm (⅜″) at the center of the spacer base  16  and 6.4 mm (¼″) from each end. The spacer ridge  18  width can range from approximately 0.7938 mm ( 1/32″) to 12.7 mm (½″) wide or greater dependent upon the desired space between adjacent tiles  38 . Two centrally located holes  20  are located at the middle of the space adjacent to the ends of the spacer ridge  18 . Each hole  20  has a diameter from 0.3969 mm ( 1/64″) to 12.3031 mm ( 31/64″) or greater dependent upon the size of the screw  28  that will penetrate the hole  20 . The screw  28  is always slightly smaller than the width of the spacer ridge  18 . 
     The difference in the operation of additional embodiments described in  FIGS. 6-9  is that in  FIG. 8  the threaded bracer screw  28  will be inserted directly through the hole  20  which will also go through the spacer ridge  18 . 
     In  FIG. 9  the spacer  14  has two holes  20  which require two threaded bracer screws  28  instead of one. 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  shows a perspective view of another embodiment of an angled bracer  32 . This embodiment shows a slightly angled bracer  32  with a flat bracer face  34  and a threaded bracer screw  28  extruding the body of the bracer  32 . On the opposite side of the body is a hex screw head with Phillips screwdriver slot  30 . The angled bracer  32  is preferably comprised of high density polyethylene, available from U.S. Plastic Corporation. The angled bracer  32  may consist of other plastics and hard material such as polypropylene, wood, iron, steel, aluminum, compressed cardboard or other similar materials. Molded into the center of the body of the angled bracer  32  is a threaded bracer screw  28  that penetrates the full length of the body of the angled bracer  32 . This embodiment is meant to enable the use of a Phillips type screwdriver for screwing into a bonding substrate when not screwing by using the angled bracer grip  36 . The threaded bracer screw  28  may be comprised of low carbon steel in this embodiment and is available from Armour Screw Company, Elk Grove Village, Ill. Alternate materials for the threaded bracer screw  28  could include stainless steel, brass, nickel alloy, aluminum alloy or other materials. The hex screw head  30  may also be manufactured to other shapes including star, hex and square. Other embodiments for the screwdriver slots may also be manufactured to accommodate a variety of screwdrivers. 
     Using the angled bracer  32  in  FIGS. 10A-10B  is exactly the same as the procedure for using the bracer  22  The difference is in the design. The body of the angled bracer enables the angled bracer to be gripped easily manually. at least one embodiment of my Bracer Spacer  12  provides a simple, safe, predictable, repeatable and economical device that can be used by professionals and amateur installers to assist in the installation of tiles on a ceiling. 
     While the above description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations in the scope, but rather as an exemplification of one (or several) embodiment(s). Many other variations are possible. For example, the bracer and spacer are ideally suited for the installation of ceiling tile; however, the spacer may also be used on floors and walls as a commonly used spacer and when used in conjunction with the bracer as a method to level tiles as well. Installers may use my invention to space adjacent tiles as little as 0.7938 mm (“ 1/32”) apart, or as great as 19.05 mm (“¾”) or larger on big walls and floors, because my inventions can be manufactured in a variety of dimensions. The bracer screw  28  can be specially manufactured and modified to dimensions from. 7938 mm {“ 1/32”} to 19.05 mm (“¾”), or greater, if desired. The spacer ridge  18  can range from 0.7938 mm (“ 1/32”) to 19.05 mm (“¾”), depending upon the distance desired between adjacent tiles. Various shapes of the Bracer Spacer  12  include square, rectangle, triangle, parallelogram, circle or nearly any conceivable shape as long as there is enough material to securely hold the tile  38  being installed The size, shape and color of respective embodiments will not adversely impact the function, nor the intended purpose of this embodiment of the Bracer Spacer  12 . Another versatile aspect of the Bracer Spacer  12  is that it may be made from practically any hard material including plastic, wood, ceramics, steel, iron, compressed paper, aluminum, fiberboard or other materials. 
     If the intent of the installer is to both and simultaneously space and brace ceiling tiles during installation of the tiles as described herein, the elements of my invention are necessary. For example, without a ridge  18 , such a spacer is nothing more than a flat disc which would be useful for bracing tiles and not for spacing tiles. 
     There are many possibilities regarding the positioning of the spacer ridge  18  and the hole  20  on the spacer base  16 . Commonality exists in that at least one hole  20  and one spacer ridge  18  is necessary. There has to be enough room at the end of the spacer  14  that extends away from both the hole  20  and the spacer ridge  18  to hold the tile  38  in place. It is preferred that both the hole  20  and the spacer ridge  18  be centered lengthwise on the spacer  14 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 4