This invention is directed toward tools for accurately setting the placement of workpiece members such as supports and framing members for installation of walls and ceilings. This tool may be removably mounted on another device, such as an electric drill or power driver used in connection with installation of steel framing strips for ceiling drywall. The tool of this invention may be embodied in a three-part attachment for a power driver, e.g., power drill or screw gun, for use when installing parallel elongated strips, such as the metal strips, and when positioning the metal strips parallel to one another on the ceiling joists at a predetermined spacing. This tool also facilitates installation around obstacles such as a ceiling light electrical box.
The invention more particularly concerns a three-part tool in which one part clamps onto a power tool, e.g., screw gun, power nailer, or similar, and has snap-in clamping capability for holding the adjustable length portion. Favorably, a swing-out wire probe is placed at one end of the two-part spacing portion.
In a described embodiment, there is a clamp portion “A” that attaches to the body of the screw gun, and this has a pair of cut flex rings for holding an outer tubular member “B” in which a smaller-diameter inner tubular slide member “C” slides in and out and can be held or clamped in position.
The clamp's part A can be of any of a number of configurations so as to be held securely in place on the drill or screw gun (or other device or tool).
The part B is configured to snap into and out of the clamp portion A. The B part has a swing-out pin at a front end to help in locating the device in a previously installed framing strip. The C part is adjusted in the B part so that the distance from one end to the other of B and C is adjustable to a nominal 12 or 16 inches. The spacing may be outside these settings, although 12 inch and 16 inch spacings are standard.
The spacing tool of this invention may be installed or clamped on the screw gun or other device. The combination places the properly calibrated spacing device right on the screw gun, and avoids having to use a tape rule and pencil to mark the position for the framing strips. A metal device on the back end of the tubular member C helps stabilize the whole attachment while spacing the framing members. This speeds the installation of the framing members, and also ensures that the spacing is everywhere proper.
A practical solution according to the main principles of this invention is disclosed and illustrated herein. The alignment tool is designed to ensure proper and uniform spacing of framing members in a building structure during installation, and permits the installer to place the framing accurately without having to set the power driver down during installation and without having to use a ruler or tape measure to set the location of each framing piece.
This tool includes a bracket that removably attaches to the power tool. A pair of snap-in clamp devices are mounted on the bracket. A generally tubular gauge body is configured to snap-attach into place in the clamp device or devices. The gauge body has a slide member that is slidably disposed within the tubular gauge body and is extendible for a sufficient distance so that the combined length of the tubular gauge body and the extended portion of the slide member at a given length corresponds to the proper spacing of the framing members. Favorably, the slide can be locked in place at that spacing distance. That may involve a slide lock for holding the slide member at that setting.
In a favorable embodiment, the bracket is C-shaped and is adapted for securing to a case or shell of a power driver, which may have channels or indentations on its sides. A support member that supports the snap-in clamps may include an elongated planar member that is affixed onto the bracket, with the pair of snap-in clamp devices affixed to respective ends of the elongated planar member.
The gauge body can be in the form of an elongated tube within which the slide member can travel for at least a limited distance. A clamp at a proximal end of the elongated tube can permit travel of the slide member but can close against the slide member and block its travel when in a closed condition. The slide member may have a stop member e.g. a right angle piece, at a proximal end thereof adapted for seating against a framing member when placing the same in relation to existing installed work. The right angle member can have a pair of teeth that project proximally.
The gauge body member of this invention can include a swing-out probe member pivotally attached to its distal end. The swing-out probe member can be a stiff wire member or other rigid finger pivotally mounted on a collar located at the distal end of the gauge body member.
While the framing tool of this invention can be used with any of a number of power installation devices, including power nailers, power screw drivers, and the like, the described example tool according to this invention is used on a power driver or screw gun that has a rotary spindle extending distally from its main body with a strut extending downward from the elongated planar member, and a spindle collar affixed at a lower end of the strut and adapted to fit over the spindle. In that case, where the power driver has a casing with recesses on left and right sides, the C-shaped bracket has left and right fastener members positioned at respective ends, and these can be extended toward one another to engage the casing within the respective left and right recesses.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, described in connection with the following Drawing figures.
With initial reference to
The spacing tool 18 includes a support member 20 as shown in
As shown in
The slide 50 is formed of an elongated straight rod 51 (or tube or other elongate stiff member), and a stop member 52 is located at the proximal end of the rod 51 in the form of a right angle piece. This is provided to engage an edge of the framing member (not shown) to be spaced and installed. In this embodiment, the stop member 52 has two axial teeth spaced from one another, but the stop member could have any of a variety of configurations, depending upon the dimensions and material of the workpiece.
As shown in
The installation device in use on a screw gun is shown in
Many modifications and variations of the spacing tool 18 of this invention are possible, beyond the embodiments presented here as examples, without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20230136712 A1 | May 2023 | US |