US 5,699,622 AGranted

Line marking device

OwnerGerald G. Umbroinventor

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Abstract

A line marking device includes an elongated body which mounts a marking filament that is loaded with marking powder. When the filament is snapped against a surface a portion of the powder is deposited on that surface along a well defined line. The body also mounts a protractor and spirit levels that are used to locate or set the device in a predetermined position prior to snapping the marking filament against the surface to be marked. The marking filament extends through a shuttle chamber that contains a supply of marking powder. That shuttle is moved back and forth on the body to recharge the marking filament with marking powder. In a second embodiment of this invention the marking filament is pressed rather than snapped against the surface to be marked. In a third embodiment of this invention a writing instrument mounted on the body of the device is drawn along the length of the body to draw a line on a receiving surface adjacent the body. The writing instrument is moved by a puller filament that is windable about a spring loaded take-up reel. A holding detent of a ratchet normally acts to isolate the puller filament from operating forces that move the writing instrument.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A line marking device including:

an elongated main body having a rear surface adapted to face a receiving surface on which said device is to mark at least one line, and a front surface facing away from said rear surface;
a marking filament mounted to said main body with opposite ends of said marking filament being operatively secured to said main body, said marking filament extending lengthwise of said main body between longitudinally spaced first and second locations of said main body located near respective opposite ends of said main body;
a shuttle operatively connected to said marking filament and carrying a supply of a marking substance, said marking filament extending through said shuttle and said supply of marking substance carried by said shuttle;
said shuttle being mounted to travel back and forth between said first and second locations, and during said travel of said shuttle said marking filament picking up some of said marking substance;
said shuttle also being mounted to be movable forward and be snapped rearward relative to said front surface;
and
a spring operatively engaging said shuttle to store energy that is supplied to said spring as said shuttle is moved forward;
said marking substance that is picked up by said marking filament being transferred to a receiving surface by moving said shuttle to draw said marking filament forward and then releasing said energy that is stored in said string to snap said shuttle together with said marking filament rearward so that said marking filament engages a receiving surface disposed adjacent said rear surface and thereby transfers to such receiving surface some of said marking substance that was picked up by said marking filament to thereby mark a line on a receiving surface engaged by said marking filament.

5 more elements

A line marking device including:

an elongated main body having a rear surface adapted to face a receiving surface on which said device is to mark at least one line, and a front surface facing away from said rear surface;
a marking filament mounted to said main body with opposite ends of said marking filament being operatively secured to said main body, said marking filament extending lengthwise of said main body between longitudinally spaced first and second locations of said main body located near respective opposite ends of said main body;
a carrier operatively connected to said marking filament and carrying a supply of a marking substance, said marking filament extending through said carrier and said supply of marking substance carried by said carrier;
said carrier being mounted to travel back and forth between said first and second locations, and during said travel of said carrier said marking filament picking up some of said marking substance;
and
said marking substance that is picked up by said marking filament being transferred to a receiving surface by snapping said filament rearward to engage and thereby to mark a line on a receiving surface;
and
a manually operable instrumentality supported on said main body and operatively engaged with said marking filament for moving said marking filament forward and then snapping the marking filament rearward to engage and thereby deposit a line of said marking substance on a receiving surface positioned adjacent said rear surface;
said instrumentality including said carrier and a spring that is in operative engagement with and biases said carrier rearward when said carrier is at said first location.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.