Patent ID: 7650700

Claim:
A tile installation spacer, comprising: a disk including opposed parallel first and second surfaces and a center, a circular, circumferential edge encircling the center of the disk, a diameter extending through the center of the disk meeting at the circular, circumferential edge at each end, and a uniform thickness from the first surface to the second surface; a first cylindrical spacer having a proximal end affixed to the first surface of the disk extending away from the first surface of the disk to a distal end, a center, a circular, circumferential outer surface encircling the center of the first cylindrical spacer, and a uniform diameter from the proximal end to the distal end of the first cylindrical spacer extending through the center of the first cylindrical spacer meeting at the circular, circumferential outer surface of the first cylindrical spacer; a second cylindrical spacer having a proximal end affixed to the second surface of the disk extending away from the second surface of the disk to a distal end, a center, a circular, circumferential outer surface encircling the center of the second cylindrical spacer, and a uniform diameter from the proximal end to the distal end of the second cylindrical spacer extending through the center of the second cylindrical spacer meeting at the circular, circumferential outer surface of the second cylindrical spacer; the disk and the first and second cylindrical spacers form a tile installation spacer; the diameter of the disk greater than the diameter of the first cylindrical spacer and the diameter of the second cylindrical spacer; the diameter of the first cylindrical spacer greater than the diameter of the second cylindrical spacer; the tile installation spacer defines an axis extending through the respective centers of the disk and the first and second cylindrical spacers about which the disk and the first and second cylindrical spacers are symmetrical; the first cylindrical spacer having a depth extending outwardly from the first surface of the disk which is a significant fraction of a depth of a tile to be spaced thereby and the first diameter of the first cylindrical spacer equal to a width of an intertile grout line which is intended to separate tiles to be spaced thereby, and the circular, circumferential outer surface of the first cylindrical spacer allowing the first cylindrical spacer to rotate in the intertile grout line separating tiles to be spaced thereby; and the second cylindrical spacer having a depth extending outwardly from the second surface of the disk which is a significant fraction of a depth of a tile to be spaced thereby and the second diameter of the second cylindrical spacer equal to a width of an intertile grout line which is intended to separate tiles to be spaced thereby, and the circular, circumferential outer surface of the second cylindrical spacer allowing the second cylindrical spacer to rotate in the intertile grout line separating tiles to be spaced thereby.