BRADAWL CLAMP

Abstract

To cut or score straight lines along sheet materials such as drywall panels, insulation boards, and timber sheets, it is commonly known to use a guide rail. Guide rail attachment means include screws, clamps, and/or adhesive pads. These securing means are time consuming to implement, and can cause damage to a main face of the sheet material. The present invention provides a guide rail securing device for releasably securing a guide rail 100 to a sheet material 200, comprising a guide rail attachment mechanism, and at least one penetrating element 20 to secure the guide rail securing device to the sheet material 200 by penetrating an edge of the sheet material 200. In this way, once the guide rail securing device is securely attached to the guide rail, a user may instantly connect the guide rail to the sheet material by penetrating an edge of the sheet material with the penetrating element.

Claims

1. A guide rail securing device for releasably securing a guide rail to a sheet material, the guide rail securing device comprising: a guide rail attachment mechanism configured to attach the guide rail securing device to a guide rail; and at least one penetrating element projecting therefrom configured to secure the guide rail securing device to the sheet material by penetrating an edge of the sheet material.

2. The guide rail securing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one penetrating element projects from the guide rail securing device such that, when the guide rail securing device is attached to a guide rail, the penetrating member is angled away from the guide rail.

3. The guide rail securing device of claim 1, wherein the penetrating device comprises at least one of a spike, a needle, an awl, a bradawl, a prong, and/or a piercing means.

4. The guide rail securing device of claim 1, wherein the guide rail attachment mechanism comprises a cam.

5. The guide rail securing device of claim 4, wherein the cam is attached to an end of a shaft extending through the guide rail securing device, and wherein rotation of the shaft moves the cam along the shaft.

6. The guide rail securing device of claim 5, wherein the end of the shaft opposite to the cam comprises at least one of a knob, handle, and/or ergonomic grip.

7. The guide rail securing device of claim 5, wherein the end of the shaft comprises a flat headed bolt.

8. A method for releasably securing a guide rail to a sheet material, the method comprising the steps of: providing the guide rail securing device of claim 1; attaching the guide rail securing device to a guide rail via the guide rail attachment mechanism; and penetrating the edge of the sheet material with the at least one penetrating element to releasably secure the guide rail to the sheet material.

9. A guide rail securing system for securing a guide rail to a sheet material, the system comprising a guide rail and the guide rail securing device of claim 1.

10. The guide rail securing system of claim 9, further comprising a second guide rail securing device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The above and other characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. This description is given for the sake of example only, without limiting the scope of the invention. The reference figures quoted below refer to the attached drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guide rail securing device.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a view of a guide rail securing device comprising a cam.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide rail securing device located within a track of a guide rail when the cam is in a first position.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a guide rail securing device located within a track of a guide rail when the cam is in a second position.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a guide rail secured to a sheet material, and released from a sheet material.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing two guide rail securing devices engaged with a sheet material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The present invention will be described with respect to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. Each drawing may not include all of the features of the invention and therefore should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of the invention. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other sequences than described or illustrated herein. Likewise, method steps described or claimed in a particular sequence may be understood to operate in a different sequence.

[0047] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

[0048] It is to be noticed that the term “comprising”, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression “a device comprising means A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0049] Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “an aspect” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or aspect is included in at least one embodiment or aspect of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, or “in an aspect” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or aspect, but may refer to different embodiments or aspects. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics of any one embodiment or aspect of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner with any other particular feature, structure or characteristic of another embodiment or aspect of the invention, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments or aspects.

[0050] Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Moreover, the description of any individual drawing or aspect should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of the invention. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in fewer than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

[0051] Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form yet further embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0052] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practised without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

[0053] In the discussion of the invention, unless stated to the contrary, the disclosure of alternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter, coupled with an indication that one of said values is more highly preferred than the other, is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter, lying between the more preferred and the less preferred of said alternatives, is itself preferred to said less preferred value and also to each value lying between said less preferred value and said intermediate value.

[0054] The use of the term “at least one” may mean only one in certain circumstances. The use of the term “any” may mean “all” and/or “each” in certain circumstances.

[0055] The principles of the invention will now be described by a detailed description of at least one drawing relating to exemplary features. It is clear that other arrangements can be configured according to the knowledge of persons skilled in the art without departing from the underlying concept or technical teaching, the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

[0056] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a guide rail securing device. The guide rail securing device comprises a body 10. The body 10 may be a central block to which further components of the guide rail securing device may be attached. The body 10 may be hollow or substantially solid, and may be formed of a single part, or may be formed of multiple parts connected together. The body 10 may be substantially cuboidal, however other shapes are also contemplated. For example, the body 10 may be a prism having a triangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal cross-section, or any other 3-dimensional shape. The body 10 has a longitudinal axis that, in use, may be parallel to a longitudinal axis of a track of a guide rail. The body 10 may comprise plastics, metal, wood, ceramic and/or carbon/glass fibres.

[0057] The guide rail securing device further comprises a penetrating element 20. The penetrating element 20 may be attached to an outer surface of the body 10. The penetrating element 20 may be embedded within the body 10, such that the penetrating element 20 protrudes out of the body 10. Further still, the penetrating element 20 may be connected to a mechanism (not shown) enabling the penetrating element 20 to be retracted into or extended from the body 10. In this way, the risk of the penetrating element 20 injuring a user or damaging sheet materials when not in use may be reduced. The penetrating element 20 may extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body 10, or the penetrating element 20 may extend away from the longitudinal axis at an angle A (as show in FIG. 4). In use, this may result in the penetrating element 20 extending away from the guide rail, although it will be appreciated that the penetrating element 20 extending towards the guide rail is also envisaged. The angle A may be between 0 degrees and 10 degrees, and preferably 2 degrees. It will be appreciated that angles outside of this range are also contemplated.

[0058] The penetrating element 20 comprises a distal end 21 that, in use, is configured to penetrate a sheet material. For example, the penetrating element 20 may comprise a spike, a needle, an awl, a bradawl, a prong, and/or a piercing means.

[0059] Referring also to FIG. 2, the guide rail securing device further comprises a guide rail attachment mechanism comprising a cam 30, a knob 40, and a shaft 50. The shaft 50 extends through the body 10 at an angle perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body 10, and the cam 30 is connected to a first end of the shaft 50. The knob 40 is connected to a second end of the shaft 50. In use, rotation of the knob 40 may rotate the shaft 50, which in turn may move the cam 30 in a direction parallel to the axis of the shaft 50.

[0060] The cam 30 comprises a rectangular cross-section, although it will be appreciated that other shapes are also contemplated. For example, the cam 30 cross-section may comprise other oblong shapes such as an oval. The first end of the shaft 50 extends through substantially the centre point of the cam 30. However, it is also contemplated that the shaft 50 extends through a point offset from the centre point of the cam 30.

[0061] FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic cross-sectional views of a guide rail securing device within a track of a guide rail 100. The guide rail 100 may comprise an elongate panel, and the orientation is such that the elongate panel extends out of the page. The track extends along the length of the elongate panel, and therefore also extends out of the page. Tracks may be located on both sides of a guide rail, or only one side of a guide rail. The track comprises a base 105, and two side walls 110 extending from the base 105 parallel to each other, the side walls 110 extending perpendicularly to the plane of a main surface 101 of the guide rail 100.

[0062] The side walls 110 further comprise lips 111, extending from a distal end of the walls in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the main surface 101 of the guide rail 100. The distance between the distal ends of the lips 111 may be less than the width of the cam 30, taken in a direction parallel to the plane of the main surface 101 of the guide rail 100.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a first position of the cam 30. In this first position, the cam 30 does not contact the inner surfaces of the side walls 110, nor the inner surfaces of the lips 111. The longitudinal axis of the cam 30 is also substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track. When the cam 30 is in the first position, the guide rail securing device may be inserted or removed from the track of the guide rail 100. In particular, the cam 30 of the guide rail securing device may slide into the track in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track (i.e. into the page in FIG. 3).

[0064] The solid line depicting the cam 30 in FIG. 4 shows a second position of the cam 30. In this second position, the cam 30 contacts the inner surface of the lips 111. Furthermore, the body 10 and the cam 30 clamp the lips 111 therebetween. In use, when the cam 30 is in the second position, the guide rail securing device is secured to the track of the guide rail 100, and by extension secured to the guide rail 100. In this way, relative movement between the guide rail securing device and the track is prevented. In particular, the guide rail securing device is prevented from sliding within the track.

[0065] The first end of the shaft 50 comprises a thread, which corresponds to a thread within a hole (not shown) passing through the cam 30.

[0066] The cam 30 is moved from the first position to the second position, and vice versa, by rotation of the shaft 50 around a central axis X of the shaft 50. This may be achieved by rotating the knob 40 (not shown in FIG. 3) around the central axis X.

[0067] When the cam 30 is in the first position (FIG. 3), rotating the shaft 50 in a first direction (for example, clockwise) will cause the cam 30 to move away from the surface 101 of the guide rail 100 and towards the inner surface of the lips 111, along the central axis X. The rotation may continue until the cam 30 is in its second position.

[0068] When the cam 30 is in the second position (FIG. 4), rotating the shaft 50 in a second direction (for example, anti-clockwise) will cause the cam 30 to move towards the surface 101 of the guide rail 100 and away from the inner surface of the lips 111, along the central axis X. The rotation may continue until the cam 30 is in its first position.

[0069] Alternatively, or additionally, the dashed line in FIG. 4 depicting the cam 30 shows another arrangement of the second position wherein, in use, an initial rotation of the shaft 50 will cause the cam 30 to rotate until it contacts the inner surfaces of the side walls 110. Once the cam 30 contacts the side walls 110, continued rotation of the shaft 50 will cause the cam to move away from the surface 101 of the guide rail 100 and towards the inner surface of the lips 111, along the central axis X. The rotation may continue until the lips 111 are securely clamped between the body 10 and cam 30.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the guide rail securing device being secured to and released from a sheet material 200. The sheet material 200 comprises a main face 201, and an edge 202 defined by a surface extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane parallel to the main face 201. It will be appreciated however that the edge 202 of the sheet material 200 may be any other angle which is not perpendicular to this plane, but the following method may still be applied.

[0071] The guide rail 100 comprises a main surface 101. For ease of understanding, the track of the guide 100 has been omitted, but it will be appreciated that the guide rail securing device is secured to the guide rail 100 such that there is no relative movement between the guide rail securing device and the guide rail 100.

[0072] In use, and once the guide rail securing device has been secured to the guide rail 100, the guide rail 100 is positioned such that the main face 201 of the sheet material 200 is substantially parallel to the main surface 101 of the guide rail 100. The main face 201 may be flush against the main surface 101. Further, the portion of the guide rail 100 on which the guide rail securing device is located extends beyond the edge 202 of the sheet material 200 in a direction parallel to the plane of the main surface 101. In this way, the guide rail securing device may be located adjacent to an edge 202 of the sheet material 200 such that the penetrating element 20 extends towards the surface of the edge 202, and the distal end 21 is proximate to the surface of the edge 202. This is illustrated in FIG. 5 by the dashed lines outlining the guide rail securing device.

[0073] A user may then move or slide the guide rail 100 such that the distal end 21 of the penetrating element 20 pierces the surface of the edge 202, thereby penetrating the sheet material 200. Once the penetrating element 20 is embedded within the sheet material 200, the guide rail 100 is secured to the sheet material 200. This is illustrated in FIG. 5 by the solid lines outlining the guide rail securing device.

[0074] When the guide rail 100 is secured to the sheet material 200, the user may then orient the guide rail 100 with one hand to align an edge of the guide rail 100 to a desired position extending across the main face 201 of the sheet material 200, and with their other hand run a scoring or cutting tool along the edge of the guide rail 100 to cut or score the sheet material 200.

[0075] To release the guide rail 100 from the sheet material 200, the user may merely move or slide the guide rail 100 in a direction away from the surface of edge 202 such that the penetrating element 20 is withdraw from the material 200.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing two guide rail securing devices 1, 2 engaging with a sheet material. In use, the first guide rail securing device 1 is attached to a track of the guide rail 100 and secured to a first edge 202 of the sheet material 200 via the apparatus and method detailed above.

[0077] The user then aligns the guide rail 100 across the main face 201 of the sheet material 200 in a desired position, and locates the second guide rail securing device 2 in a track of the guide rail 100. This track may not be the same track that the first guide rail securing device 1 is attached to, it need only be a track on the same main surface 101. Once the second guide rail securing device is located in a track, the user may slide the second guide rail securing device 2 along track until the penetrating element of the second guide rail securing device penetrate a second edge 203 of the sheet material 200. After the penetrating element 20 of the second guide rail securing device 2 is embedded in the second edge 203, the user may secure the second guide rail securing device 2 to the guide rail 100 by actuating the guide rail attachment mechanism of the second guide rail securing device 2. In this way, the guide rail 100 may be secured to two edges 202, 203 of the sheet material 200, such that the user is not required to support either end of the guide rail 100. This enables a guide rail to remain secured to a sheet material without further input by a user.