US2559697A

US2559697A - Mason's line holder

Info

Publication number: US2559697A
Application number: US709513A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anders Roy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-11-13
Filing date: 1946-11-13
Publication date: 1951-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 1968-07-10

Description

July 10, 1951 R. ANDERS 2,559,697

- MASONS LINE HOLDER Filed Nov. 13, 1946 f/G. J.

.55 III/[3131111.

mvzwron.

ATTQQ Y 20v Ala/0.52s.

Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MASON S: LINE HOLDER Roy Anders, Center Township, Marshall County, Ind.

Application November 13, 1946, Serial No. 709,513

(01. ss ss) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in masons line holders, and particularly to a line holder of the type which is adapted to be held in place by the tension of a line drawn between the same and a similar holder at the opposite end of the line, said line holders engaging opposite ends of a wall structure.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple, sturdy and compact, which is easy to use, and which effectively holds a masons line without interference by the line with proper seating of the holder.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which permits the line to be positioned flush with the plane of the wall structure to form a guide for the laying of masonry, which is close spaced to the masonry and at the same time permits the line to apply a tension thereon atsuch a position as to draw upon the holder in 'amanner which insures effective clamping of the holder to the building structure by the line.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is small in size to facilitate convenient storage thereof, but which, nevertheless, accommodates the laying of masonry with the mortar joints between the masonry elements spaced in a Wide range of dimensions.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is of substantially L-shape and whose legshave inner surfaces disposed at right angles, one of said legs having a longitudinal line-receiving groove in its inner face, and the other having a central slot extending substantially the full length thereof with which said groove communicates, said first named leg having a line-anchorin member at its outer surface and having integral laterally projecting portions at its free end.

Other objectswill be apparent from the following-specification. I Y x 1 In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the manner in which the d'evic'eis used.

.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal'sectional view' of the device taken on line 22 of Fig. 4.

" Fig. 3 is an end view of the device.

1 Fig. 4 is an opposite end view of the device.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device.

I Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodimentof the invention, the numeral l0 designates amasonry wall which is formed from masonry elements l2, such as bricks, which are laid up in horizontal courses and which are bonded together by mortar to form mortar joints Id. The wall construction may entail the use of any conventional pattern of masonry. Likewise, while the wall herein illustrated shows the masonry elements l2 as being laid in horizontal courses, it will be apparent that the item may also be used in laying up walls of stone or other masonry elements of irregular size Whose horizontal joint lines may be somewhat broken and irregular for desired pattern effects, but in the laying of which a horizontal guide is desirable for proper performance of the work. The usual masons line IS, in the nature of a strong cord of the type well understood in the art, constitutes this horizontal guide. In common practice this line is strun between nails driven into the fresh mortar at opposite ends of the building wall, which practice consumes time to insure proper locatin of the nails and also time to repoint the mortar surfaces after the nails have been withdrawn therefrom. In this instance the line is anchored and held in properly tensioned relation by my novel lineholder [8.

The line-holder I8 is preferablyformed of a light weight metal, such as aluminum or magnesium, although it may be formed of a plastic material such as a synthetic resin material, or of iron or steel. The line holder is generally of L-shape, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 5, and has a leg portion 20 and a second le portion 22. The leg 20 is preferably of a length slightly less than one-half the width of a conventional building brick, such as a face brick, and the leg 22 is somewhat shorter than the leg 20. It will be understood, however, that these dimensions are illustrative and may vary within a wide range. The inner surface 24 of the leg 20 is preferably flat and lies in a plane perpendicular to the fiat inner surface 26 of the le 22. A groove 28 extends longitudinally and preferably centrally of the face 24 of the le 20 for its full length. A longitudinal slot 30 is formed centrally in the leg 22 and preferably extends for the full length thereof, as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The groove 28 is of a size and depth to receive the line l6 therein in such a manner that the same does not project beyond the surface of the face 24. Each of the

legs

20 and 22 is preferably tapered longitudinally whereby the thickness of the L-shaped member is greatest at the junction between said legs,thereby affording requisite strength for the unit. Each of the leg may be provided with one or more longitudinally extending grooves in its outer surface to reduce the cross-sectional area and the weight of the le and provide strengthening ribs. For example, longitudinal grooves 32 may be formed in the leg 29 to define ribs 34 on opposite sides thereof, and the longitudinal groove 36 may be formed in at least a portion of the leg to define the marginal reinforcing ribs 38.

In spaced relation to the juncture of the legs,

the leg 2i: is provided with a line-anchoring memher do." This line-anchoring member projects from the outer surface of the leg and preferably constitutes an integral substantially rectangular projecting block of metal whose opposite sides are grooved or undercut at 22 whereby said projecting member is formed in substantially T-shape. with their lower surface portions substantially in the plane of the outer face of the leg 29.

At the outer or free end of the leg 26 is provided a pair of laterally projecting portions 44 whose inner surface lies in the same plane as the face it of the leg 29. The parts '35 form rigid wings at the freeend of the leg which project substantially laterally thereoeyond as illustrated, whereby the width of the member at the points 64 is substantially greater than the widest mortar joint commonly used by masons.

In the use of the device, one end of the line 36 is passed through the groove 28 of one of the members i8, being likewise passed through the slot 3G to pass around the end of the leg 2:; at the juncture of the legs 29 and 22. The end of the line is then passed forwardly along the outer surface of the leg 29 and is wound around the member 49 seating in the groove 42 by which it is firml clamped and retained when it is tightly looped by virtue of the frictional wedging or clamping action of the grooves upon the tightly drawn coils of the line which are seated therein.

The line holder to which the line has been secured as aforesaid is then anchored at one end of the wall with the surface 26 of the leg 22 bearing flat against that end surface of the wall and the line is drawn taut and its opposite end is passed through the groove 23 and the slot 39 of a corresponding line holder positioned in horizontal alignment with the first named line holder, and the opposite end of the line is then drawn tight and anchored by coiling thereof around the member projection i9 and in the groove 42, as hereinabovedescribed.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the tension applied by the line acts in plane substantially flush with the surface of the building wall and acts directly longitudinally upon the legs so of the opposite holders by virtue of the passage around the same through the groove 28 and the slot 39 of the construction, which is best seen in Fig. 2. Consequently, the tension of the lines serves to draw the opposite holders firmly against the opposite ends of the masonry structure with the surfaces 26 of the legs 22 thereof permitted to lie naturally in planes perpendicular to the line and flush with the end surfaces of the wall at which they are anchored. This positions the line in such a manner that it forms a guide close to the working surface and thereby avoids such spacing of the line as would occasion possibility of error as different mortar joints are viewed by the worker at progressively different angles as different courses of the work are laid up. At the same time it is not necessary to disturb the previous work in any way, as by driving nails in fresh mortar; also, it will be apparfhe grooves are preferably positioned ent that, even though the line may be tensioned, it still has sufficient resilience to permit manipulation of the line holders to advance the same from step to step as the height of the wall increases.

While the width of the legs of the holder is slightly greater than the greatest width of a mortar line, it is desirable that that width be held to the lowest limits possible so that the size and the weight of the holder may be at a minimum to facilitate storage and handling of the unit.

Also, there is some possibility that under certain circumstances it may be desirable to so position the holder that either the upper or the lower edge thereof is out of contact with a masonry element. For such purposes, the extensions All serve to stabilize the holders and insure firm positioning thereof. In other words, by virtue of the fact that the wings as project laterally from the leg 28, the user is assured that at the free end of the leg 29 a firm supporting face engagement with the masonry elements on opposite sides of the mortar joints will be obtained under all working conditions and regardless of the width of the mortar joint. The only condition in which one of the projections 54 might not have engagement with masonry elements on opposite sides of the mortar joints would be in a case where the member was so positioned with reference to the mortar joint that the top of one of the wings would project over the mortar joint. However, it will be apparent in such a condition, due to the proportion of the parts, at least a part of the leg 22 on opposite sides of the groove 39 would engage a masonry element and thus procure at the leg 22 instead of the wings M the desired stabilizing anchorage.

While the construction herein described and illustrated is preferred, it will be understood that changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the V spirit of the invention.

I claim:

, A masons line holder comprising an L-shaped member having rigid leg portions whose inner surfaces are flat throughout their full extent and positioned perpendicularly to each other, one leg having a central longitudinal groove in its inner surface extending the full length thereof and adapted to receive a line, the other leg having a longitudinal slot therein with which said groove communicates, a, line anchoring member carried by said first leg and projecting from an intermediate portion of the outer face thereof, and rigid wings projecting laterally from the free end of said first leg at opposite sides thereof with their inner surfaces flush with the inner surface of saidfirst leg.

. ROY ANDERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS