Abstract:
A parking lot painting template for determining the location of successive parking stall stripes or curb stripes accurately and subsequently painting a straight line in the desired location includes a main member, a rail member, and a pair of curb members. The main member and the rail member combine to form a frame which is of a length corresponding to the width of the parking stalls such that a user may align an end of the main member with a stripe and accurately determine the proper location of the next stripe. The main member and the curb members combine to form a frame designed to slide securely along a corner edge such as an existing curb and accurately paint in the proper location.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present invention was first described in a notarized Official Record of Invention on Apr. 14, 2010, that is on file at the offices of Montgomery Patent and Design, LLC, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to marking devices, and in particular, to parking lot and curb painting template. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The proper tool saves time, saves money, produces a higher quality job, reduces damage to equipment, and provides for increased safety of workers. One (1) situation where proper tools are important is that of parking lot painting. Most parking lots are randomly shaped areas that require a meticulous layout to fit in the most vehicles in a safe manner. Additionally, areas around handicapped spots, walkways, or no parking zones are typically painted with a series of parallel hash lines in a repeating fashion. This layout typically requires two (2) people to complete and can take as much time as an entire parking lot. 
     While various painting machines, line stripers, or other templates are conventionally available for marking and painting parking lots and curbs, none of these devices offer the flexibility to simply and efficiently paint a smaller number of lines or areas at a low cost. The most common devices are large and expensive paint striping machines which may not be an option for smaller lots or touch up work since appropriately sized templates are unavailable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor has therefore recognized the aforementioned inherent problems and lack in the art and observed that there is a need for a device for quickly and easily laying out and painting parking lot spaces and parallel hashed lines in parking lots without the inefficiencies as described above. In accordance with the invention, it is an object of the present disclosure to solve these problems. 
     The inventor recognized these problems and has addressed this need by developing a parking lot painting template that allows for parking lot and space layout in a manner which is easy, effective, and much faster than conventional methods. The inventor has thus realized the advantages and benefits of providing a device having a generally “C”-shaped main member having an elongated center portion and a pair of parallel arm portions. Each arm portion is disposed on an opposing end of the center portion and includes at least one (1) fastener. An elongated rail member is removably coupled to the pair of arm portions by the fasteners. The rail member includes a pair of rail slots disposed on opposite ends for insertingly receiving the pair of arm portions. When a rail member is coupled to the main member, the open space between the main member center portion and the rail member defines a liner parking lot painting area. 
     A pair of curb members is also provided and each is removably coupled to the pair of arm portions by the fasteners. Each of the curb members includes a generally “L”-shaped member having a leg portion with a curb slot for receiving the arm portion and a downwardly perpendicular foot portion for contact with a vertical surface of the curb. When the pair of curb members is coupled to the main member, the open space between the main member center portion and the curb vertical surface defines a curb painting area. 
     Furthermore, the described features and advantages of the disclosure may be combined in various manners and embodiments as one skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The disclosure can be practiced without one (1) or more of the features and advantages described in a particular embodiment. 
     Further advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of a parking lot painting template  10 , according to a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a main member  20 , according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is an opposing perspective view of the main member  20 , according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a rail member  30 , according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the rail member  30  depicted as engaged with the main member  20 , according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a single curb member  40 , according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a single curb member  40 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of each curb member  40  depicted as engaged with the main member  20 , according to the preferred embodiment. 
       
         
           
                 
               
                 
                 
               
             
                 
                     
                 
                 
                   DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
               
                 
                     
                 
               
            
             
                 
                   10 
                   parking lot painting template 
                 
                 
                   11 
                   parking lot 
                 
                 
                   12 
                   side walk 
                 
                 
                   13 
                   curb 
                 
                 
                   14 
                   parking line 
                 
                 
                   15 
                   vehicle 
                 
                 
                   20 
                   main member 
                 
                 
                   21 
                   elongated portion 
                 
                 
                   22 
                   arm portion 
                 
                 
                   23 
                   spring return button 
                 
                 
                   24 
                   main member slot 
                 
                 
                   30 
                   rail member 
                 
                 
                   31 
                   rail body 
                 
                 
                   32 
                   rail slot 
                 
                 
                   33 
                   rail aperture 
                 
                 
                   35 
                   painting area 
                 
                 
                   40 
                   curb member 
                 
                 
                   41 
                   leg portion 
                 
                 
                   42 
                   foot portion 
                 
                 
                   43 
                   curb aperture 
                 
                 
                   44 
                   curb slot 
                 
                 
                   45 
                   curb painting area 
                 
                 
                     
                 
               
            
           
         
       
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In accordance with the invention, the best mode is presented in terms of a preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 8 . However, the disclosure is not limited to a single described embodiment and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the disclosure and that any such work around will also fall under its scope. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present disclosure, and only one particular configuration may be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     In accordance with the invention, the present disclosure describes a parking lot painting template (herein described as a “device”)  10 , which provides for accurately painting a straight line on a parking lot  11  or on a curb  13 . The device  10  is utilized in a parking lot  11  to paint parking lines  14  which separate parked vehicles  15 . The device  10  is also utilized on a sidewalk  12  to paint a curb  13 . The device  10  allows a user to determine and accurately create successive markings as desired through a stenciling technique. The device  10  is utilized with painting equipment such as, but not limited to: spray paint, rollers, brushes, or the like. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an environmental view of the device  10  is disclosed. The device  10  assists in the layout of lines, dashes, or the like in parking lots  11 , crosswalks, and similar parking or no-parking areas. The device  10  includes a main member  20 , a rail member  30 , and a pair of curb members  40 . The main member  20  and the rail member  30  are utilized jointly to create parking lines  14 . The main member  20  and the curb members  40  are utilized jointly to paint curbs  13 . The device  10  is preferably fabricated from aluminum, yet other lightweight and durable materials may be utilized without limiting the scope of the device  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of the main member  20  and  FIG. 3 , an opposing perspective view of the main member  20  are disclosed. The main member  20  has a generally “C”-shape which includes an elongated portion  21  and a pair of arm portions  22 . The arm portions  22  are integrally molded to opposing ends of the elongated portion  21  in a perpendicular orientation. An upper surface of each arm portion  22  includes a plurality of aligned digit-operated spring return buttons  23  which provide for the engaging to and securing of the rail member  30  and curb members  40  (see  FIGS. 5 and 8 ). The spring return buttons  23  correspond to the desired thickness of the parking line (see  FIG. 5 ). The spring return buttons  23  extend parallel with each arm portion  22 . Each spring return button  23  may be devices such as spring steel or a helical spring which are molded into an upper surface of each arm portion  22 . The spring return buttons  23  include a spring disposed within an interior of the main member  20  and engage internal surfaces to provide an upwardly directed force to the spring return button  23  in order to protrude beyond a top exterior surface of the main member  20 . The main member  20  is depicted as having a hollow elongated portion  21  and arm portions  22 , which decreases the weight of the main member  20 . The hollow body of the main member  20  is for illustration purposes only it can be appreciated that the main member  20  can also include a solid body without limiting the scope of the device  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a perspective view of the rail member  30  and  FIG. 5 , a perspective view of the rail member  30  engaged with the main member  20  are disclosed. The rail member  30  has a linear rail body  31  which provides an extension to the main member  20  provides the template for at least one parking line  14 . A rail slot  32  is located at each end of the rail member  30  perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rail member  30 . Each rail slot  32  includes a generally rectangular aperture suitably sized to receive and engages the arm portions  22  of the main member  20 . The length of the rail member  30  corresponds to the length of the main member  20  such that the rail slots  32  are aligned with the arm portions  22 . The rail slots  32  include dimensions which are slightly larger than the dimensions of the arm portions  22 , such that the arm portions  22  slidingly insert into the rail slots  32 . The rail member  30  is preferably fabricated from a material similar to the main member  20 . 
     The rail member  30  also includes a pair of rail apertures  33  which is located on an upper surface of opposing ends of the rail member  30  through to each rail slot  32 . Each rail aperture  33  insertingly receives a relative, corresponding spring return button  23  to secure the rail member  30  to the main member  20  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). When the rail slots  32  engagingly receive the arm portions  22 , the spring return buttons  23  insertingly engage the rail aperture  33  to create a generally rectangular painting area  35 . The painting area  35  is utilized as the stencil template for a user to paint the parking line  14 . The width of the painting area  35  is customized by positioning the pair of rail apertures  33  to engage a particular pair of spring return buttons  23 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , perspective views of the curb member  40  and  FIG. 8 , a perspective view of the curb member  40  engaged with the main member  20  are disclosed. The pair of curb members  40  is utilized with the main member  20  to create a stencil which can be placed upon a curb  13  for painting “L”-shaped lines. Each curb member  40  includes a leg portion  41  and an integrally molded foot portion  42  perpendicular to the leg portion  41 . The curb members  40  are fabricated from a material similar to the main member  20 . The leg portion  41  includes a generally rectangular curb slot  44  located on an end to slidably engage the arm portion  22  of the main member  20 . A curb aperture is located through an upper surface of the leg portion  41  adjacent to an edge. The curb slot  44  has dimensions slightly larger than the dimensions of the arm portion  22  to slidingly receive the arm portion  22  such that the spring return button  23  engages a respective curb aperture  43  which secures each curb member  40  to the main member  20  (as shown in  FIG. 8 ). With each leg portion  41  attached to each arm portion  22 , the foot portions  42  are oriented downwardly relative to the leg portions  41  and engage the vertical surface of the curb  13 . The exposed area between the arm portions  22  and curb members  40  created a curb painting area  45  which can then be painted. 
     The foot portion  42  are illustrated as having a hollow body, however, it can be appreciated that the foot portion  42  can also include a solid body without limiting the scope of the device  10 . 
     It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After initial purchase or acquisition of the device  10 , it would be installed as indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The method of installing and utilizing the device  10  as a line painting device may be achieved by performing the following steps: positioning the main member  20  on a level surface; slidably engaging the rail slots  32  to the arm portions  22  and locking to a desired position via engaging the spring return buttons  23  with the rail apertures  33 ; placing the main member  20  and rail member  30  on a desired location; and, painting parking lines  14  via applying paint between the painting area  35 . 
     The method of installing and utilizing the device  10  as a curb painting device may be achieved by performing the following steps: positioning the main member  20  on a level surface; slidably engaging the leg portions  41  on the curb members  40  to the arm portions  22  and locking to a desired position via engaging the spring return buttons  23  with the curb apertures  43 ; placing the main member  20  and curb member  40  on a desired location curb  13 ; and, painting the curb  13  via applying paint between the curb painting area  45 . 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit to the precise forms disclosed and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain principles and practical application to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.