GB2443174A

GB2443174A - Template device

Info

Publication number: GB2443174A
Application number: GB0621120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffrey Lee Ormandy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-10-24
Filing date: 2006-10-24
Publication date: 2008-04-30
Also published as: GB0621120D0

Abstract

Flexible template device 10 consists of a rectangular planar sheet 12 having ruled linear scale measurement indicia markings 14 which comprise a first and second plurality of lines 16 and 18. The sheet has two parallel side walls 20,22 and two parallel end walls 24,26 perpendicular to side walls 20,22. Sheet 12 has a corrugated core disposed between upper and lower planar surfaces 32, 34. The sheet further comprises one or more hinges parallel to the transverse axis of the device and may be a pleated sheet.

Description

TEMPLATE DEVICE

The present invention relates to a device for use in the construction industry. In particular, the present invention relates to a template device for use in measuring and cutting work tops, more particularly granite work tops, most commonly found in modern kitchens.

Kitchen work tops are often the most expensive material used in modem kitchens. Stone and marble in particular are expensive materials. When measuring for a kitchen work top, a tradesman must ensure that accurate measurements are made of the area which the work top will occupy and accurately measure where apertures, such as those to accommodate a kitchen sink or cooking hob, should be made in the work top.

Subsequently, when cutting the work top to size, a tradesman must also ensure that the area to be cut and the position and area of the apertures are accurately marked out. Consequently, in order to accurately measure a kitchen work top for a given space, the tradesman must spend considerable time ensuring that the measurements are correct, often checking the measurements several times. Once the measurements have been recorded, the sheets of stone or marble material must be subsequently marked out in accordance with those measurements and cut to size. Clearly, any error made when recording the measurements or marking the stone or marble will be carried through the process and the work top will be incorrectly cut resulting in a poor fit when the work top is in situ.

Kitchen work tops are heavy and cumbersome to handle and, so far as stone or marble is concerned, it is not possible to cut the material in situ owing to its size, weight and the specialised cutting tools required for cutting the material.

Often, a chipboard or MOF template is cut using the measurements obtained by the tradesman on site. However, if there have been any errors in measuring or recording the measurements, then these will be carried over to the template and ultimately the work top, resulting in an incorrect fit in situ.

Typically, the work top is the most expensive material in a kitchen and any error will result in the material having to be re-cut or worse, discarded.

This will severely impact upon the cost of a project.

Furthermore, when cutting stone or marble worktops, a coolant and/or* lubricant for the cutting blade must be used. The coolant, in particular, is typically a fluid, usually water. The fluid can cause the template to swell and, as a consequence, the dimensions of the work top may be larger than that measured. The error will, most likely, be discovered when a tradesman tries to fit the work top on site. The work top will then have to be returned to the work shop for further cutting, adding to the cost of the project.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or alleviate one or more of the problems associated with the prior art.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for use in construction comprising a flexible sheet having measurement indicia disposed thereon, the measurement indicia comprising a grid having a first plurality of lines at a uniform spacing extending in a first dimension of the sheet and a second plurality of tines extending in a second dimension of the sheet, wherein said second plurality of lines is substantially perpendicular to the first plurality of lines.

The present invention provides a simple measuring and locating device to assist in the correct marking and cutting of construction materials, in particular expensive construction materials, such as granite or marble.

More particularly, the present invention is for use with kitchen work tops where the device can be easily handled in situ and used to correctly measure a given area for a work top to occupy and used to correctly locate any apertures which need to be made in the work top so as to accommodate a sink etc. The flexible sheet can be substantially translucent or opaque. Preferably, the sheet is substantially translucent.

The sheet can be manufactured from any suitable material which does not absorb water and is flexible. Preferably, the material is plastics. More preferably, the material is polypropylene.

The sheet may comprise an upper and lower surface and a corrugated core disposed therebetween. This helps to reduce the weight of the device and improve its flexibility.

The measurement indicia may be applied to the sheet by any means known to the skilled person. Preferably, the measurement indicia are applied by printing directly onto a surface of the sheet. The measurement indicia are preferably disposed on the upper surface.

In one embodiment, the measurement indicia are applied by screen printing with ink. The ink is preferably compatible with polypropylene so as to prevent the markings from being rubbed off the device and improve its longevity and shelf life.

Preferably, the measurement indicia comprise a ruled linear scale. More preferably, the measurement indicia form a grid on the surface of the sheet. More preferably still, the grid comprises a plurality of grid units in the form of blocks of a particular linear scale.

The grid units may have more than one linear scale. Preferably, the grid units have two linear scales: a relatively large or a small linear scale. The grid units may be arranged into rows.

In one embodiment, the scale of adjacent grid units in a row alternates.

More preferably, the scale of the grid units of each adjacent row is staggered with respect to one another such that the measurement indicia of the device have a checker-board appearance.

The device may be manufactured from material substantially impermeable to water. More preferably, the material will not absorb, and is thus impervious to, water.

The device preferably comprises a substantially rectangular sheet. More preferably the sheet is substantially planar having two parallel side walls and two parallel end walls, the end walls being perpendicular to the side walls.

The device may comprise one or more hinges so that the device can be folded for storage, packaging or handling, thus reducing the cost thereof.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 shows a device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a section of the scale markings of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. I -3, flexible template device 10 consists of a rectangular planar sheet 12 having ruled linear scale measurement indicia markings 14 which comprise a first and second plurality of lines 16 and 18.

The sheet has two parallel side walls 20,22 and two parallel end walls 24,26 perpendicular to side walls 20,22. Sheet 12 has a corrugated core disposed between upper and lower substantially planar surfaces 32, 34 (see Fig. 3).

Lines 16 are spaced a uniform distance 28 apart and extending in a direction parallel to longitudinal axis of the sheet. Extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to lines 16, lines 18 are themselves spaced a uniform distance 30 apart and extend in a direction parallel to the transverse axis of the sheet. The markings are typically printed by conventional means, such as an ink jet printer, on a first, upper surface 32 of the flexible sheet 12. Alternatively, where the sheet is substantially transparent, the markings can be printed on the lower surface 34 of the sheet 12.

Thus, lines 16 and 18 form a grid on the upper surface 32 of the sheet 12.

The grid consists of a plurality of grid units 33 having either large 38 or small 40 (relative to one another) linear scale. The grid units 33 are arranged into rows 36 (X axis) and columns 37 (Y axis). The dimensions of each respective row 36 are the same and the dimensions of each respective column 37 are the same. In each row and column, the scale of the measurement indicia markings alternates between vertically or horizontally adjacent grid units 33 between large 38 and small scale markings 40.

Each square 44 of the large scale markings is 2 cm2 whilst each square 46 of the small scale markings is 1 cm2. The scale of adjacent grid units 33 in a row 36 alternates and the scale of the grid units 33 of each adjacent row 36 is staggered with respect to one another such that the measurement indicia of the device has a checker-board appearance.

This allows a user to quickly calculate measurements since they need simply count the number of checker-board' squares and multiply this number by the predetermined measurement for each checker-board' square on the sheet.

The device 10 has a corrugated core 42 (Fig. 3) to reduce the weight of the device whilst maintaining structural strength. The core consists of a plurality of walls 48 extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the upper and lower surfaces 32, 34 and disposed therebetween. The walls 48 extend along the longitudinal axis of the sheet 12 so as to provide support and rigidity to the device. In order to facilitate easier transportation, handling and storage of the device 10, alternating cuts to the upper or tower surfaces 32, 34 parallel to the transverse axis of the sheet 12 are made such the device can be folded at these positions, whereby the uncut surface opposite the cut surface can act as a hinge and the device may be folded for convenient storage, transportation and handling, the device thus having a pleated appearance when folded.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the device 10 comprises a plurality of hinges whose pivoting axis is parallel to the transverse axis of the sheet 12. Adjacent hinges are disposed on opposite surfaces of sheet 12 such that the sheet 12 has a pleated appearance when folded.

In use, a user will have a full-scale template for cutting an appropriate material to the required size and for marking and cutting apertures etc. which will accommodate a kitchen sink etc. in the finished work top.

Typically, the template will be for use in cutting work tops for kitchens which are relatively expensive construction items, particularly in the home improvement market. A user will use the template in lieu of the significantly heavier work top and be able to manoeuvre the template into position relatively easily. The Template can then be marked for cutting as appropriate, markings for cutting apertures, such as for a sink or electric hob, can be accurately marked on the light, flexible template. The template can then be used to cut the work top on site or taken away with the user to be used to accurate cut the work top at the user's work shop etc. The device of the present invention may also be used to correctly cut and shape laminate flooring, as well as being used to conveniently and correctly locate the positioning of light switches on a wall such that the light switch will be parallel to the floor and at a predetermined height from the floor of a room. I0

Claims

1. A device for use in construction comprising a flexible sheet having measurement indicia disposed thereon, the measurement indicia comprising a grid having a first plurality of lines at a uniform spacing extending in a first dimension of the sheet and a second plurality of lines extending in a second dimension of the sheet, wherein said second plurality of lines is substantially perpendicular to the first plurality of lines.

2. A device as claimed in claim I wherein the flexible sheet is substantially translucent or opaque.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the sheet is substantially translucent.

4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheet is manufactured from a water impermeable material.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the material is plastics.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the material is polypropylene.

II

7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheet comprises an upper and lower surface and a corrugated core disposed therebetween.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the measurement indicia are disposed on the upper surface.

9. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the measurement indicia comprise a ruled linear scale.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the measurement indicia form a grid on the surface of the sheet.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the grid comprises a plurality of grid units.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 wherein each grid unit comprises a block of a linear scale and the device comprises grid units having more than one linear scale.

13. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the device comprises grid units having a first or second linear scale wherein the first linear scale is relatively smaller than the second

14. A device as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein the grid units are arranged into rows.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the scale of adjacent grid units in a row alternates between said first and second linear scales.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the scale of the grid units of each adjacent row is staggered with respect to each another such that the measurement indicia of the device have a checker-board appearance.

17. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the device further comprises one or more hinges.

18. A device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the pivoting axis of the one or more hinges is parallel to the transverse axis of the device.

19. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the device comprises a pleated sheet.

20. A device substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.