AU7935601A - Marker holder - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicants: a JAMES SKIADAS and HERCULES KRALOGLOU Invention Title: MARKER HOLDER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 MARKER HOLDER The present invention relates to a marker holder for attaching a marker to a device. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a marker holder adapted to attach a carpenter's pencil to a tape measure.

There is a need to provide a device which allows a tradesman, such as a carpenter, to readily make markings when he or she is using a device such as a tape measure.

Typically, devices such as tape measures require two hands to operate, particularly, if the tradesman is attempting to measure a distance on a wall or ceiling. With his or her hands occupied with the tape measure, a tradesman cannot readily use a marker to mark the distance which he or she has measured.

A number of attempts have been made to provide a *9 device which overcomes this problem but these devices are unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons.

Most such devices are specialised tape measures which incorporate some form of marking device. One problem with such specialised tape measures is that the addition of 25 the marking device adds considerable complexity to the construction of a tape measure, making it difficult for such tape measures to be manufactured at a cost which is competitive with other tape measures. Further, these tape measures generally use specially designed markers which cannot be readily replaced when they wear out.

Alternative solutions centre around marker holders which are attachable to a tape measure. Some of these marker holders suffer the same deficiencies as those devices which are formed integrally with a tape measure in that they use non-standard marking devices and complicated mechanisms. Others, simply hold a marker in position H:\jane1\Keep\Speci\P4b68 .doc 10/10/01 3 relative to the tape measure and do not allow the marker to be moved from a marking to a non-marking position.

The present invention attempts to provide an alternative marker holder which overcomes some of the problems of the prior art.

The present invention provides a marker holder adapted to be attached to a device to thereby attach a marker to a device, said marker holder having: a housing adapted to receive a marker, said housing having a slot extending along at least part of one side of said housing; and a slider received within said slot for slidable movement relative to said housing, said slider having marker attachment means for attaching said slider to a marker received within said housing, whereafter said slider can be used to move said marker relative to said housing and the device to which the marker holder is attached.

Preferably said marker holder has attachment means for attaching said housing to said device.

25 Preferably, said housing attachment means is adhesive tape.

Preferably, said device is a tape measure.

Preferably, said marker attachment means is movable from a non-attachment position in which a marker can move freely within said housing to an attachment position in which said marker attachment means attaches said slider to said marker.

Preferably, said marker attachment means includes piercing means for piercing the marker to thereby attach H: \jnel \Keep\Speci\F'43668 .doc 10/10/01 4 the marker to the slider.

Preferably, said housing defines a bore in which said marker is received.

Preferably, said bore is sized to receive a pencil and more preferably a carpenter's pencil.

Preferably, said slider has a first portion having an aperture and a second portion connected to said first portion by a hinge, said second portion carrying said piercing means, whereby bringing the two portions together moves said piercing means into an attachment position in which said piercing means extends through said aperture of said first portion and into said marker.

Alternatively, said piercing means is carried by a member which is detachable from said slider, said slider has an aperture, and said piercing means being moved into said attachment position by passing said piercing means through said aperture and into said marker.

Preferably, said piercing means is a pin.

25 Examples of preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a marker holder of a first preferred embodiment affixed to a tape measure; Figure 2 is a partial cross section showing the location of the slider of the marker holder of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the slider in more detail; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the marker holder of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a marker holder of a second preferred embodiment fixed to a tape measure; Figure 6 is a partial front view of the slider; H:\janel\Keep\Speci\f'43668 .doc 10/10/01 5 Figure 7 is a rear view of part of the housing of the marker device of a second preferred embodiment; Figure 8 is a view of the cap of the second preferred embodiment; Figure 9 is a front view of Figure 7; and Figure 10 is a view of the base which is a part of the housing.

In the example of a first preferred embodiment, the marker holder 2 of the present invention is used to attach a marker in the form of a carpenter's pencil 5 to the casing of a tape measure 1. The pencil 5 is attached to the marker holder 2 by means of slider 11 so that the pencil 5 is movable relative to the housing 3 of the marker holder 2 and hence relative to the tape measure i. This allows the pencil 5 to be moved into a marking position to thereby enable a tradesman using the tape measure 1 to mark a measured distance. For example, a tradesman can readily manipulate slider 11 into a marking position with his or her thumb (or finger) while holding the tape measure i.

When the marker is not required it can be readily returned to a non-marking position.

**Referring to Figure 4, it will be noted that the 0600 25 marker holder comprises a slider 11 which is located within a slot 9 in housing 3. The marker holder housing 3 is adapted to receive a carpenter's pencil 5 in bore 7. It will be noted that the housing is shaped to fit a carpenter's pencil as such pencils are those which are usually carried by tradesmen. The bore of the housing is sized to provide a good fit for the pencil so as to prevent the pencil from working loose from the attachment means which fixes it to the slider 11.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, the bore 7 is open at both ends and the pencil can extend through the bore.

H:\janel \Keep\Speci\F43668 .doc 10/10/01 6 The housing 3 has a base 23 which is provided with attachment means in the form of adhesive tape 26 which is carried on the underside of the base 23. As is known in the art, the adhesive tape 26 is covered initially by a sheet of removable material which does not adhere permanently to the adhesive and which does not affect the adhesive properties of the adhesive tape. When this sheet of material is removed, the adhesive material is exposed and the marker holder 2 can be attached to the housing of a tape measure as illustrated in Figure i. In the preferred embodiments, the base 23 is affixed to the remainder of the housing 3, however, it will be apparent that it could be formed integrally with the body of housing 3.

As stated previously, the marker, in the form of carpenter's pencil 5, is attached to the slider 11. This is achieved by means of marker attachment means which is provided by a piercing means in the form of a pin 17 carried by the slider 11.

In the first preferred embodiment, the slider 11 consists of a first portion 19 which is hinged relative to the second portion 21. The housing 3 is made of a flexible 25 plastics material so that the first portion 19 of the slider 11 can be pushed through the slot 9 by deforming the slot to thereby locate the slider 11 in position. It will be apparent that the hinge 20 of the slider 11 is constructed so that the second portion 21 can be moved relative to the first portion 19 about hinge axis A-A.

As illustrated in Figure 3, moving the second portion 21 outwardly relative to the housing moves the pin 17 to a non-attachment position in which the carpenter's pencil can move freely within the housing. Bringing the two portions together, causes a piercing means carrying portion 15 of the slider to snap fit within aperture 13 of H:\janel\Keep\speci\F43668 .doc 10/10/01 7 the first portion and brings the slider into an attachment position in which the pin 17 pierces the carpenter's pencil to thereby attach the pencil to the slider.

The tradesman may readily keep the pencil in position by placing a finger on the slider 11 while marking. The surface of the slider is grooved to prevent the slider from slipping relative to a user's thumb.

It will be apparent that means may be provided so as to resist pressure placed on the pencil causing the pencil to retract or move away from the marking position.

For example a series of detents may be provided along the length of the slot.

Referring to the second preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, like numerals are used to designate like parts where appropriate. In the second preferred embodiment, the marker holder 3 has a housing which consists of a base 23, a body 31 and a cap 29. The cap 29 it is removable so that slider 11 may be fitted within the slot by placing rails 24 within the tracks 25 of the body 31. Other than the provision of rails 24 in the second preferred embodiment, the slider 11 is the same in 25 both embodiments. Once the slider 11 is in position, plug 33 of cap 29 is inserted into the open end of the body 31 trapping the slider 11 within the slot. The rail portions 27 of the plug 33 fit within the tracks 25. It will be apparent that the rails of the slider 11 and the tracks are sized so as to allow the slider to slide freely.

It will be further apparent, that tracks and rails can be reversed so that the tracks are within the slider and the rails are carried by the body 31.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various other alterations may be made to the present H:\j~inel\Keep\peci\P'43668 .doc 10/10/01 8 invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, alternative housing attachment means may be provided for attaching the housing to a tape measure. The use of an adhesive tape is chosen for the preferred embodiment because it is particularly easy for a user to attach the marker holder to the tape measure in this manner.

Furthermore, various alternative means may be provided for attaching a marker to the slider 11. For example, the piercing means can be carried by a detachable portion of the slider which can be snap fitted into an aperture in the slider and so that the piercing means pierces the pencil. In a further embodiment, a camming arrangement may be used whereby one portion of the slider may be rotated relative to another to lift the pin to a :..o.non-attachment position whereafter the rotation of this portion of the slider will return the pin to an attachment position in which it pierces the pencil.

It will be further apparent that the appropriate locking means may be provided which can be used to lock the pencil in a marking position or non-marking position.

25 Various other modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention *described herein.

H:\jnel\Keep\Speci\F43b68 .doc 10/10/01

Claims (11)

1. 2. A marker holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said marker attachment means is movable from a non- attachment position in which a marker can move freely V within said housing to an attachment position in which said marker attachment means attaches said slider to said marker.
2. 3. A marker holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein 25 said marker attachment means includes piercing means for piercing the marker to thereby attach the marker to the slider.
3. 4. A marker holder as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said housing defines a bore in which said marker is received. A marker holder as claimed in claim 4, wherein said bore is sized to receive a pencil. H:\janel\Keep\speci\F'43668.doc 10/10/01 10
4. 6. A marker holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bore is sized to receive a carpenter's pencil.
5. 7. A marker holder as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein said slider has a first portion having an aperture and a second portion connected to said first portion by a hinge, said second portion carrying said piercing means, whereby bringing the two portions together moves said piercing means into an attachment position in which said piercing means extends through said aperture of said first portion and into said marker.
6. 8. A marker holder as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: said piercing means is carried by a member which 0*is detachable from said slider; *said slider has an aperture; and said piercing means is moved into an attachment position by passing said piercing means through said V aperture and pressing it into said marker. A marker holder as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein said piercing means is a pin.
7. 10. A marker holder as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said marker holder has attachment means for attaching said housing to said device.
8. 11. A marker holder as claimed in claim 10, wherein said attachment means is adhesive tape.
9. 12. A device having a marker holder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims attached thereto. H: \janel \Keep\Speci \F43668 .doc 10/10/01 11
10. 13. A tape measure holder having a marker as claimed in any one of the preceding claims attached thereto.
11. 14. A marker holder, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 10th day of October 2001 JAMES SKIADAS HERCULES KRALOGLOU By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia *o o o** H:\jnel\Keep\Seci\F,43tbb.oc 10/10/01