Patent Application
20090277027
The present invention relates to chalk line devices and to chalk line hooks.
Chalk line devices are widely employed, in building construction and carpentry projects, to mark straight lines along a work piece or work place. Generally, the chalk line device includes a housing or casing, which defines a reservoir for storing chalk and stores an extendable line about a spool that is driven by a crank outside of the housing. The chalk line devices use a finely powdered chalk which is applied to the chalk line within the housing. The powdered chalk is usually colored brightly so as to allow the user to distinguish a mark line from a surface color of the work piece. The chalk line typically terminates in a clip or a hook. The clip or hook facilitates securing the chalk line to a work piece, and may also act as a stop against a wall of the housing to prevent the end of the chalk line from entering inside the housing during rewinding of the chalk line. The present invention provides improvements over the prior art chalk line devices, hooks, and methods.
One aspect of the invention relates to a chalk line hook. The chalk line hook is constructed and arranged to connect with an identical chalk line hook to provide a chalk line having a length of two chalk lines. The chalk line hook comprises a connector portion, an anchor portion, and a lock portion. The connector portion is constructed and arranged to connect with a free end of the chalk line. The anchor portion is operatively joined with the connector portion for anchoring the hook. The lock portion is constructed and arranged to lockingly engage with a captured portion of the identical chalk line hook.
Another aspect of the invention related to a chalk line device. The chalk line device comprises a housing, a chalk line support, a chalk line, and a chalk line hook. The housing comprises a reservoir for storing chalk and the chalk line support is placed within the housing. The chalk line is constructed and arranged to be secured to the chalk line support at one end. The chalk line hook is connected to the chalk line at a free end of the line. The chalk line hook is constructed and arranged to connect with an identical chalk line hook to provide a chalk line having a length of two chalk lines. The hook comprises a connector portion, an anchor portion, and a lock portion. The connector portion is constructed and arranged to connect with the free end of the chalk line. The anchor portion is operatively joined with the connector portion for anchoring the hook. The lock portion is constructed and arranged to lockingly engage with a captured portion of the identical chalk line hook.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a chalk line hook. The chalk line hook comprises a connector portion, an anchor portion, and a neck portion. The connector portion is constructed and arranged to connect with a free end of a chalk line. The anchor portion comprises a pair of spaced prongs. The neck portion is shaped and dimensioned to fit between and be retained between spaced prongs of an identically configured chalk line hook.
These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
a is a front view of the two identical chalk line hooks being engaged with each other but before being locked together in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
a is a front view of the two identical chalk line hooks being engaged with each other, wherein the captured portion of the identical chalk line hook rides over the bumps on the chalk line hook in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
a is a front view of the two identical chalk line hooks locked with each other in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
In one embodiment, the chalk line hook 10 has a base portion 24 with the connector portion 12 on one end thereof and the anchor portion 14 extending outwardly from the other end thereof. The base portion 24 defines a base plane as shown by ABCD.
The connector portion 12 includes a dovetail shaped portion with an opening 26 located centrally therethrough. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 26 includes an oblong shaped opening. In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in
The anchor portion 14 includes a pair of prongs 32 that are spaced apart from each other. Towards the base portion 24, the space is a rather large opening 30. Each prong 32 is integrally formed (e.g., stamped from metal) with the base portion 24. In other embodiment, each prong 32 includes a first portion 33 extending from base portion 24, generally in the same plane as base portion 24, a second portion 34 that extends perpendicularly to the first portion 33, and a third portion 36 that extends perpendicularly to the second portion 34 and in spaced, parallel relation to the first portion 33. The third portion 36 is constructed and arranged to anchor the chalk line hook 10 to a work piece. In other embodiment, the chalk line hook 10 may include only one prong instead of the pair of prongs.
The second portion 34 extends generally in a first plane EFGH that makes a first angle with the base plane ABCD of the base portion 24. As noted above, in one embodiment, the first plane EFGH is substantially perpendicular to the base plane ABCD. The third portion 36 extends at a second angle from the first plane EFGH of the second portion 34. As noted above, in one embodiment, the third portion 36 generally lies in a second plane IJKL substantially parallel to the base plane ABCD of the base portion 24 and the first portion 33. In the illustrated embodiment, the third portion 36 includes an end 38, which is opposite to the second portion 34, constructed and arranged to anchor the chalk line hook 10 along with the chalk line to a work piece. In the illustrated embodiment, the third portion 36 includes a triangular shaped portion to form the pointed end 38. It should be appreciated however that the third portion 36 may have any shape or configuration to enable the third portion 36 to anchor the chalk line to a work piece. In one embodiment, the third portion 36 may include a sharp edge, instead of a pointed end, to pierce the chalk line hook into the work piece. Alternatively, a blunt configuration can be used to simply allow the hook to form fittingly engage a work piece.
A slot 44 is defined in a narrowed slot region or space 40 located between the pair of prongs 32. The slot 44 is constructed and arranged to spread to accommodate the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 (as shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the lock portion 16 includes a pair of bumps 42 that receive the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 therebetween. Each bump 42 is provided on each prong 32 respectively. The prongs 32 are slightly flexible apart to enable separation therebetween to enable the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 (as shown in
As shown in
a show the two identical chalk line hooks being engaged with each other but before being locked in place. As explained in the discussions earlier, when connecting the two identical chalk line hooks together, the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 is accommodated in the space 40 located between the second portions of the pair of prongs 32. Similarly, captured portion 56 of the chalk line hook 10 is accommodated in space 58 located between the second portions of a pair of prongs 60 of the identical chalk line hook 20.
When connecting the chalk lines hooks 10 and 20 with each other, as shown in
a show a step in connecting the two identical chalk line hooks with each other where the captured portion 22 is riding over the bumps 42 and the prongs 32 are in a flexed position. The flexible prongs 32 enable separation therebetween to enable the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 ride over the pair of bumps 42 of the anchor portion 14 of the chalk line hook 10. Similarly, the flexible prongs 60 of the identical chalk line hook 20 enable separation therebetween to enable captured portion 56 of the chalk line hook 10 ride over a pair of bumps 62 (as shown in
a show the two identical chalk line hooks being locked with each other. The flexible prongs 32 return back to their original position after the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 rides over the pair of the bumps 42, thus securing the captured portion 22 behind the bumps 42. Similarly, the flexible prongs 60 of the identical chalk line hook 20 return back to their original position after the captured portion 56 of the identical chalk line hook 10 rides over the pair of the bumps 62, thus securing the captured portion 56 behind the bumps 62.
In one embodiment, after the chalk line hooks 10 and 20 are locked together, the chalk line is pulled from the chalk line devices 200 and 202 to obtain chalk line of desired length (up to twice the length of one of lines as shown in
When used separately, the anchor portion 14 of the chalk line hook 10 can be used to anchor the chalk line to a work surface or work piece 204. When the chalk lines 28 and 48 are connected together, once desired length of the chalk line is obtained, the chalk line 28, the chalk line 48 or both are snapped for depositing chalk markings on surfaces. However, in accordance with one methodology presented herein, only one chalk line may be extended while the other remains retracted in the device housing. For example, the chalk line 28 may be fully extended from the chalk line device 202, and may be snapped once or several times such that the chalk powder thereon is substantially dissipated therefrom. The chalk line 28 may then be retracted into the chalk line device 202 by user 250 for rechalking. With the chalk line 28 being connected to chalk line 48, retracting the line 28 will extend (pull) the line 48 out of its housing 200. The chalk line 48 is then ready for use with powder thereon. In a different embodiment, the line 48 may be payed out of its housing 200 while line 28 is retracted. However, this should not be necessary, as pulling on the line 48 by virtue of pulling action of the line 28 should be sufficient.
Similarly, when the chalk line 48 has been snapped once or several times such that the chalk powder thereon is depleted, the user 252 may reel the length of the chalk line 48 into the chalk line device 200, which pulls the line 28 out from device 202. The line 28 will emerge out of the chalk line device 202 with a fresh deposit of chalk thereon.
In the previously discussed embodiments, the chalk line hook 10 and the identical chalk line hook 20 are connected and locked to each other by engaging the captured portion 22 of the identical chalk line hook 20 with the anchor portion 14 and the lock portion 16 of the chalk line hook 10, and engaging the captured portion 56 of the chalk line hook 10 with the anchor portion 60 and a lock portion 80 (as shown in
The chalk line device 100 further includes a retracting mechanism 144 which is mounted to the housing 112. The retracting mechanism 144 comprises a handle 146, a crank shaft 148 and an integral hub 150. The retracting mechanism 144 is connected to the chalk line support 114 via the crank shaft 148 and allows the chalk line 116 to be freely extended from the housing 112 through the chalk line port 122 when the user pulls the hook 118 attached to end 134 of chalk line 116. The retracting mechanism 144 also allows selective retraction of the chalk line 116 into the housing when the user rewinds the chalk line by rotating the handle 146. Of course any known retracting and spooling mechanisms could be used.
The handle 146 is connected to hub 150 via pivot pin 152. The handle 146 can easily be moved from a storing position through an arc of about 180 degrees to assume a cranking position as is known. The handle 146 has an end knob 154 rotatably mounted on handle 146 to allow the user to rotate the handle 146 while being able to maintain grip on the knob 154. This feature facilitates rewinding of the chalk line. In addition, the knob 154 also serves as a rotating-stop for halting the rotation of the hub 150 and crank shaft 148 when the handle 146 is moved to a stored position. In the stored position, the knob 154 is inserted into a groove 156 provided in the exterior surface of housing 112. In this way, the groove 156 serves as a rotating-stop and also renders the arm 146 more compact with the housing 112 for storage and/or handling.
In one embodiment, a movable door is secured to the housing 112 over the chalk port 124 to selectively open and close the chalk port 124. Any suitable closure mechanism may be used including a hinged door, a sliding door or even a self-sealing access port.
Although the chalk line hook 10 is shown in the illustrated embodiments having a certain shape or form, it is also within the scope of the present invention to have various shapes or form as long as the chalk line hook is constructed and arranged to connect with an identical chalk line hook to provide a chalk line having a length of two chalk lines. The chalk line hook can be made from any material, such as but not limited to metal and plastic.
Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.
