WO2001092816A1

WO2001092816A1 - A tool for testing or determining right angles on a work piece or body

Info

Publication number: WO2001092816A1
Application number: PCT/DK2001/000374
Authority: WO
Inventors: H. Wijnja
Original assignee: AMERICAN TOOL Cos AS
Current assignee: AMERICAN TOOL Cos AS
Priority date: 2000-05-30
Filing date: 2001-05-30
Publication date: 2001-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2002-11-30
Also published as: AU2001263768A1

Abstract

The present invention provides two single squares interconnected by a hinge. The tool may be used in the same manner as a conventional single square for checking a right angle or for marking a single surface of a body or work piece. Additionally, the tool according to the invention may be used as a double square for marking two adjacent surfaces of a body or work piece with a defined angle between the surfaces.

Description

A tool for testing or determining right angles on a work piece or body

Generally, the present invention relates to a tool for testing or determining right angles, and more specifically the invention relates to a tool or instrument known as a square. As one of the most essential wood working tools a square is conventionally used for marking out lines at right angles and for testing squareness. Such known angular square has a pair of first and second legs defining first and second rectilinear edges, respectively, which edges extend at mutually right angles. Usually, the thickness of the second leg exceeds that of the first leg so as to provide a stepped configuration defining an abutment surface on each side of the second leg. Each such abutment surface extends at right angles to the first rectilinear edge and is parallel with the second rectilinear edge. This known tool may be used for checking whether an angle is 90° or for drawing a line on one surface of a block-shaped work piece or body having a rectangular cross-section. When an abutment surface of the square is placed in contact with a first side surface of the work piece while a side surface of the first leg of the square is placed in contact with a second, adjacent side surface of the work piece, said first rectilinear outer edge extends at right angles to said first side surface of the work piece and a line may be drawn along this first edge.

US-A-4.361 .964 discloses a lay out square, which can be folded from a flat position for storage to a position wherein the legs are substantially perpendicular to each other. This known square has a body portion comprising first and second legs spaced equal distances apart and forming a U-shaped member. The body portion is joined to a face- marking portion formed by third and fourth legs aligned with the first and second legs and having a hinge connection to pivotally secure the body portion to the face-marking portion. This known square may be used in standard home and wood construction to permit the location of corners, tees, and doors to be accurately marked on plates prior to assembly.

The present invention provides a square, which may be used in the same manner as a conventional single square for checking a right angle or for marling a single surface of a body or work piece. Additionally, the square according to the invention may be used as a double square for marking two adjacent surfaces of a body or work piece. Thus, the present invention provides a tool for testing or determining right angles, said tool comprising first and second flat tool parts, each tool part having a first side surface, which defines a plane, and a first rectilinear edge a hinge connection interconnecting said tool parts and defining a hinge axis, which extends at right angles to said first rectilinear edge of each tool part, whereby the first and second tool parts are movable between a first mutual position, in which said plane first side surfaces are in mutual abutting engagement, and a second position, in which the said first side surfaces define an angle there between, and a plane abutment surface defined by at least one of the tool parts and extending from a second side surface of said at least one tool part opposite to said first side surface, the rectilinear edge of said at least one tool part extending at right angles to said abutment surface.

In the said first mutual position of the tool parts the tool may be used as a conventional single square, and in the second mutual position the respective tool parts may be placed in contact with either of a pair of adjacent side surfaces of a work piece or body.

In principle, said first rectilinear edges may move in different, mutually parallel planes when the tool parts are moved between their first and second mutual positions. Preferably, however, they move in the same plane, which means that they define a plane being at right angles to the hinge axis in any mutual position of the tool parts.

Each tool part may further define a second rectilinear edge extending at right angles to the first rectilinear edge, the hinge axis extending along and closely adjacent to the second edges of the interconnected tool parts.

Each tool part may have any suitable shape, such as a triangular shape or outline. In the preferred embodiment, however, each tool part has an angular shape with first and second legs, said first leg defining said first rectilinear edge, and the second legs of the tool parts being interconnected by the hinge connection.

Each tool part may be made from any suitable material, such as plastic or metal, and the tool parts may be made from the same or from different materials, for example by die casting. Preferably, however, at least the first leg defining said first rectilinear edge are made from plate or sheet material, such as plate metal made, for example hardened steel. The abutment surface or surfaces defined by said second side surface may, for example, be formed by a protrusion or projection on said second side surface. Preferably, however, the thickness of the second leg of at least one of said tool parts exceeds the thickness of the first leg of that tool part so as to provide a step defining said abutment surface.

The tool according to the invention may comprise suitable releasable locking means for retaining the tool parts in their said first position when the tool is to be used as a conventional single square. Such releasable locking means may, for example, comprise a sleeve-like slide member for slid ably receiving the first legs of the tool parts therein in said first mutual position of the tool parts. At least one of said first legs may then have a scale or other measuring indexes defined thereon, and the slide member may comprise a pointer means for such scale. The slide member may then perform a double function.

The tool parts need not be identical, but may have different outlines and shapes. In the preferred embodiment, however, the tool parts do have a substantially identical outline so as to mutually overlap in said first mutual position. This means that the tool according to the invention may be very similar to a conventional single square in said first mutual position of the tool parts.

According to another aspect the present invention provides a double square comprising a pair of single squares each having first and second side surfaces and first and second legs, which define first and second rectilinear edges, respectively, extending at mutually right angles, the second side surfaces of at least one of said single squares defining a plane abutment surface extending at right angles to the first rectilinear edge of said at least one single square, said second legs of the single squares being interconnected by a hinge connection having a hinge axis being parallel with said second rectilinear edges, whereby said pair of single squares are movable between a first mutual position, in which said first side surfaces are in abutting engagement, and a second position, in which the said first side surfaces define an angle there between.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional square,

Fig 2 illustrates how the conventional square shown in Fig. 1 is used, Fig. 3 shows in an enlarged scale a perspective view of an embodiment of the square according to the invention, certain parts having been cut away, Fig. 4 illustrates how the double square shown in Fig. 3 may be used, and Fig. 5 diagrammatically illustrates, how the mutually hinge connected parts of the square shown in Figs.3 and 4 may be moved in relation to each other.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional square 10 having a first leg 1 1 and a second leg 12, which is perpendicular to the first leg 1 1. The first leg 1 1 has a pair of mutually parallel inner and outer rectilinear edges 13 and 14, respectively, and the second leg 12 has a pair of mutually parallel inner and outer rectilinear edges 15 and 16, respectively, which are perpendicular to the edges 13 and 14 of the first leg. The legs 1 1 and 12 are usually made integrally from plate material, such as plate metal. Thus, each of the legs 11 and 12 has opposite plane side surfaces 17 and 18, respectively. The second leg 12 has a thickness, which substantially exceeds the thickness of the first leg 11 , and extends transversely across the first leg so as to form a stepped configuration defining on each side a narrow abutment surface 19. The abutment surface 19 extends at right angles to the adjacent side surface 17 and to the parallel edges 13 and 14 of the first leg 1 1.

Fig. 2 illustrates how the conventional square 10 shown in Fig. 1 may be used, for example to draw lines (not shown) on a side surface 20 of a wooden work piece or body 21 at right angles to an adjacent edge 22. As shown in Fig. 2 an abutment surface 19 is placed in abutting engagement with a side surface 23 of the work piece 21 along the edge 22, while a side surface 17 of the first leg 1 1 is arranged in abutting engagement with the side surface of the work piece. In this position any of the edges 13, 14, and 15 may be used as a ruler for drawing the lines desired.

The embodiment of the square according to the invention illustrated in Figs. 3-5 may be used in different ways, namely as a "single square" in the position shown in Fig. 3 and as a "double square" in the position illustrated in Fig. 4. In the position shown in Fig. 3 the square according to the invention may be used in exactly the same way as the conventional square described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Therefore, in Figs. 3-5 similar reference numerals have been used for similar parts.

Thus, the "double square" shown in Fig. 3 has a pair of first and second legs 11 and 12 extending mutually at right angles, and a narrow abutment surface 19 defines the borderline between the thinner fist leg 11 and the thicker second leg 12. Scales 25, such as centimetre and/or inch scales, may be provided on the first leg 1 1 along the inner and outer edges 13 and 14, for example by etching when the first leg is made from steel or another metal. A sleeve-like slide member 26 encircles the first leg 1 1 and is slid ably arranged thereon. The slide member has openings 27 formed therein through which the position of the slide member on the leg 11 may be read. Furthermore, grooves or notches 28 may be formed at opposite sides of the slide member 26 along a centreline of the circular openings 27. These notches may function not only as a pointer for the scale 25, but may also be used for receiving a pencil or another writing instrument so that lines parallel with the edge(s) 13 and/or 14 may be drawn by sliding the slide member 26 along the first leg 1 1 of the square.

As best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the double square 24 shown in Fig. 3 comprises a pair of preferably identical tool parts 24', which are interconnected by means of a hinge connection 29 extending along the outer edge 16 of the second leg 12. In the position shown in Fig. 3 inner plane surfaces of the tool parts 24' are in mutual abutting engagement, and the slide member 26, which surrounds the two-part leg 14, keeps the tool parts 24' together.

The slide member 26 may be removed from the leg 11 of the square, and the hinge connected tool parts 24' may then be moved into any desired mutual angular position. This allows for use of the square according to the invention also as a "double square" as illustrated in Fig. 4 where the inner plane surfaces of the tool parts 24' define a right angle and is placed in engagement with adjacent side surfaces 20 and 23 of a work piece 21. It is then possible to draw straight lines 30 perpendicular to the edge 22 of the work piece on two adjacent side surfaces 20 and 23 without moving the tool. Thereby drawing of such lines may be more precise. >

Fig. 5 illustrates how the hinge connected tool parts 24' from a mutually abutting position forming a single square may be moved into any desired angular position between 0° and 180°.

In the presently preferred embodiment the first leg 1 1 ' of each tool part is made from hardened steel, while the second legs 12' and the hinge connection 29 are made from plastic material. The ruler-like first legs 1 1 ' may then be made separately and an end portion of each leg 11 ' may be embedded in an associated second leg 12' in a die casting process in which the two second legs 12' and the interconnecting hinge are made as an integral unit.

It should be understood the various parts of the square according to the invention may be made from any other suitable materials, and that various amendments and modifications of the embodiment described above may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A tool for testing or determining right angles on a work piece or body, said tool comprising first and second flat tool parts (24'), each tool part having a first side surface, which defines a plane, and a first rectilinear edge (14), a hinge connection (29) interconnecting said tool parts and defining a hinge axis, which extends at right angles to said first rectilinear edge (14) of each tool part, whereby the first and second tool parts are movable between a first mutual position (Fig. 3), in which said plane first side surfaces are in mutual abutting engagement, and a second position (Fig. 4), in which the said first side surfaces define an angle there between, and a plane abutment surface (19) defined by at least one of the tool parts (24') and extending from a second side surface (17) of said at least one tool part opposite to said first side surface, the rectilinear edge (14) of said at least one tool part extending at right angles to said abutment surface.

2. A tool according to claim 1 , wherein said first rectilinear edges (14) define a plane being at right angles to the hinge axis in any mutual position of the tool parts (24').

3. A tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each tool part (24') further defines a second rectilinear edge (15) extending at right angles to the first rectilinear edge (14), the hinge axis extending along and closely adjacent to the second edges of the interconnected tool parts (24')

4. A tool according to any of the claims 1 -3, wherein each tool part (24') has an angular shape with first and second legs (1 1 ', 12'), said first leg defining said first rectilinear edge (14), and the second legs (12') of the tool parts being interconnected by the hinge connection (29).

5. A tool according to any of the claims 1 -4, wherein at least the first leg (1 1 ') of each tool part (24') is made from plate or sheet material.

6. A tool according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the thickness of the second leg (12') of at least one of said tool parts exceeds the thickness of the first leg (11 ') of that tool part so as to provide step defining said abutment surface (19).

7. A tool according to any of the claims 4-6, further comprising a sleeve-like slide member (26) for slid ably receiving the first legs (11 ') of the tool parts (24') therein in said first mutual position of the tool parts.

5

8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said first legs has a scale or other measuring indexes (25) defined thereon, the slide member (26) comprising a pointer means (27,28) for such scale.

10 9. A tool according to any of the claims 1-8, wherein the tool parts have a substantially identical outline so as to mutually overlap in said first mutual position.

10. A double square comprising a pair of single squares (24') each having first and second side surfaces and first and second legs (11 ',12'), which define first and second

15 rectilinear edges (14,15), respectively, extending at mutually right angles, the second side surfaces of at least one of said single squares defining a plane abutment surface (19) extending at right angles to the first rectilinear edge (14) of said at least one single square, said second legs (12') of the single squares being interconnected by a hinge connection (29) having a hinge axis being parallel with said second rectilinear edges

20 (15), whereby said pair of single squares are movable between a first mutual position, in which said first side surfaces are in abutting engagement, and a second position, in which the said first side surfaces define an angle there between.

1 1. A tool according to claim 10, wherein said first rectilinear edges (14) define a plane 25 being at right angles to the hinge axis in any mutual position of the tool parts (24').

12. A tool according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein at least the first leg (11 ') of each of the single squares (24') is made from plate or sheet material.

30 1 3. A tool according to any of the claims 10 - 12, wherein the thickness of the second leg (12') of at least one of said single squares (24') exceeds the thickness of the first leg (11 ') of that single square so as to provide a step defining said abutment surface (19).

14. A tool according to any of the claims 10-13, further comprising a sleeve-like slide member (26) for slid ably receiving the first legs (11 ') of the single squares therein in said first mutual position of the squares.

15. A tool according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said first legs has a scale or other measuring indexes (25) defined thereon, the slide member comprising a pointer means (27,28) for such scale.

16. A tool according to any of the claims 10-15, wherein the single squares have a substantially identical outline so as to mutually overlap in said first mutual position.