# US 11,029,139 B2 · Wallboard score, snap and edge appearance test procedure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,139 B2 - Document ID: US11029139B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/375,670 - Filed: 2019-04-04 - Published: 2020-01-30 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-27 - Assignees: United States Gypsum Company - Applicants: United States Gypsum Company - Inventors: Jerry D. Wonderlich; John A. Koch; Charles W. Cochran; Tim Lucas; Jenner Omodt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029139B2 ## CPC - G01B 5/28: for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces - G01M 99/007: {by applying a load, e.g. for resistance or wear testing (G01M99/001 takes precedence; testing the elasticity of structures G01M5/00)} - B26F 3/002: {Precutting and tensioning or breaking} - G01B 5/14: for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B5/24 takes precedence) - G01B 5/285: {for controlling eveness} - G01N 3/20: by applying steady bending forces (G01N3/26, G01N3/28 take precedence) - G01N 2203/006: Crack, flaws, fracture or rupture - G01N 2203/0278: Thin specimens - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A procedure is provided for evaluating the score, snap and edge appearance of wallboard panels, and includes scoring a wallboard panel with a knife at a constant and known force using a benchtop board scoring device; snapping the scored panel in a Universal Board Testing Machine to measure the breaking force, forming a snapped panel edge; measuring a cleanliness of the snapped panel edge by placing a straight edge against the snapped panel edge and measuring gaps between the snapped panel edge and the straight edge in a plurality of locations on a face of the panel, and a plurality of locations on a back of the panel; and averaging all of the measured gaps to create an Index Score. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A procedure for evaluating the score, snap and edge appearance of wallboard panels, comprising: scoring a wallboard panel with a knife at a constant and known force using a benchtop board scoring device; snapping the scored panel in a Universal Board Testing Machine to measure the breaking force, forming a snapped panel edge; measuring a cleanliness of the snapped panel edge by placing a straight edge against the snapped panel edge and measuring gaps between the snapped panel edge and the straight edge in a plurality of locations on a face of the panel, and a plurality of locations on a back of the panel; and averaging all of the measured gaps to create an Index Score. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, further including providing the wallboard panel in a sample size of 12 inches×16 inches. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, wherein said benchtop scoring device includes: a frame having a first end and an opposite second end, a work area defined between said first and second ends, each end having at least one leg configured for contacting a substrate; a track connected to said frame and extending between said first end and said second end; a carriage slidably mounted to said track for travel between said first end and said second end; an arm having an upper surface, a pivot end pivotally connected to said carriage, and an opposite knife mount end; a knife blade mounted to said knife mount end; a power transmission element connected to said carriage for achieving user-powered pulling movement of said carriage along said track, said arm pivoting along an axis transverse to a direction of said movement of said carriage along said track; and a weight post associated with, and projecting from said arm, and constructed and arranged for receiving weights for exerting a force on said arm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The procedure of claim 3, wherein said scoring is performed by a user grasping the power transmission device on the carriage and drawing the knife across the sample panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The procedure of claim 3, wherein said power transmission device is a handle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, wherein said constant and known force applied to the panel is achieved by adding sufficient weights to the weight post to provide 2.5 lbs of tension when a scale is placed on the arm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The procedure of claim 6, wherein said weights are steel washers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, further including placing a desired sample panel under the bench top scoring device, and further placing strips of wallboard at each of a first and second edge of the panel in the direction of travel of a knife on the bench top scoring device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, wherein the sample panel is placed on the Universal Testing Apparatus so that a load is applied to a back of the panel along the score line created by the knife on the front of the panel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The procedure of claim 9, wherein the sample is removed from the Universal Testing Apparatus, which divides the panel into two halves, the halves are folded into an approximate 90-degree angle and the rear face paper of the panel is scored completely using a knife. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The procedure of claim 10, wherein one of the halves is used for measuring the edge appearance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, wherein said measuring step further includes measuring the gap between the snapped panel edge and the straight edge in three locations on the face of the panel, and three locations on the back of the panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The procedure of claim 12, wherein said measuring step further including measuring the edge at at least one of the back side and the front side of the panel at a first location 2 inches from one of an upper and lower edge, a second location at a middle of the edge, and a third location 2 inches from the other of the upper and lower edge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, wherein said measuring step further includes positioning the straight edge relative to the snapped panel edge so that said straight edge is parallel to a hypothetical snapped edge of the panel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The procedure of claim 1, wherein said Index is calculated as follows: (Score force,lbs.)+(Gap Average)+(0.1×Snap Force,lbs.). ### Claim 16 A procedure for evaluating the score, snap and edge appearance of wallboard panels, comprising: scoring a wallboard panel with a knife at a force of 2.5 pounds using a benchtop board scoring device; snapping the scored panel in a Universal Board Testing Machine at a designated force level, forming a snapped panel edge; measuring a cleanliness of the snapped panel edge by placing a straight edge in parallel alignment against the snapped panel edge and measuring gaps between the snapped panel edge and the straight edge in three locations on a face of the panel, and three locations on a back of the panel; and averaging all of the measured gaps to create an Index Score.