# US 5,701,680 A · Tile setter's measuring tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,701,680 A - Document ID: US5701680A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/696,340 - Filed: 1996-08-13 - Granted: 1997-12-30 - Earliest claimed: 1996-08-13 - Assignees: TNT Tools, Inc. - Inventors: Glenn M. Garcia; Robert E. Diller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701680A ## CPC - E04F 21/0076: {for marking and cutting tiles} - B25H 7/02: Plates having a flat surface - E04F 21/20: for laying flooring (made of similar material to roads or pavements E01C {; arrangements for removing of previously fixed floor covering E04G23/00}) - E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B) - B25H: WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT, e.g. FOR MARKING-OUT WORK; STORAGE MEANS FOR WORKSHOPS (storing or packaging B65) ## Abstract A tile setter's measuring tool includes a cup slide in the form of an elongate bar having a through-extending passageway along a substantial proportion of its length and a pivot mount at one end, an object guide pivotally mounted to the pivot mount, and a tile cup block slidably engaged to the cup slide by a fastener passing through the passageway, permitting positioning of the tile cup block at a desired orientation and location along the passageway, the tile cup block having an upper surface and a lower surface, each of the upper and lower surfaces being provided with spacers in arrangements that differ from one another. A tile setter may measure a needed tile size from an installed tile to a perimeter object by positioning the object guide adjacent the perimeter object and the tile cup block spacers on the lower surface adjacent an installed tile, repositioning the tool to a tile to be measured with the spacers adjacent a tile edge and defining a tile edge to be cut by the position of the object guide, the spacers providing an adjustment in the measurement to allow for a desired grout width. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tile setter's measuring tool comprising a cup slide in the form of an elongate bar having a through-extending passageway along a substantial proportion of its length and a pivot mount at one end, an object guide pivotally mounted to said pivot mount, and a tile cup block slidably engaged to said cup slide by a fastener passing through said passageway, permitting positioning of said tile cup block at a desired orientation and location along said passageway, said tile cup block having an upper surface and a lower surface, each of said upper and lower surfaces being provided with spacers in arrangements that differ from one another, whereby a tile setter may measure a needed tile size from an installed tile to a perimeter object by positioning the object guide adjacent the perimeter object and the tile cup block spacers on the lower surface adjacent an installed tile, reposition the tool to a tile to be measured with the spacers adjacent a tile edge and define a tile edge to be cut by the position of the object guide, the spacers providing an adjustment in the measurement to allow for a desired grout width. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spacers on said upper surface define a desired grout width the same as the grout width of the spacers on the lower surface, but in a different tile pattern. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spacers on said upper surface define a desired grout width different from the grout width of the spacers on the lower surface, but in the same tile pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tile cup block has channels on its upper and lower surfaces to receive the cup slide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 4 wherein cup slide has a thickness and said channels have a depth substantially the same as the thickness of said cup slide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary tile cup block having spacers on upper and lower surfaces thereof different from the spacers on the first-mentioned tile cup block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastener includes a bolt having a head and said tile cup block includes a hole to receive said bolt. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 7 wherein said hole is countersunk to receive said bolt head. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said tile cup block spacers are provided as four dowels of a thickness of a desired grout thickness and arranged in a V-shaped right angle pattern, with two dowels on each side of the V, the V being bisected by a line parallel to said passageway in said cup slide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said tile cup block spacers are provided as two dowels of a thickness of a desired grout thickness and arranged in a line perpendicular to said passageway in said cup slide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said tile cup block spacers are provided as four dowels of a thickness of a desired thickness and arranged in a V-shaped right angle pattern, with two dowels on each side of the V, the V being bisected by a line parallel to said passageway in said cup slide and the other of said tile cup block spacers is provided as two dowels of a thickness of a desired grout thickness and arranged in a line perpendicular to said passageway in said cup slide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 11 wherein said two dowels are extensions of two of said four dowels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A tile setter's tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said object guide is mounted to said cup slide by a bolt and nut, with a plastic washer between said object guide and said cup slide to provide controlled rotational friction between said object guide and said cup slide. ### Claim 14 A tile setter's measuring tool comprising a cup slide in the form of an elongate bar having a thickness and a through extending passageway along a substantial proportion of its length and a pivot mount at one end, an object guide pivotally mounted to said pivot mount, and a tile cup block having an upper surface and a lower surfaces, channels on its upper and lower surfaces to selectively receive the cup slide and having a depth substantially the same as the thickness of said cup slide, said tile cup block being slidably engaged to said cup slide by a bolt passing through said passageway, said bolt having a head and said tile cup block including a countersunk hole to receive said bolt and bolt head, permitting positioning of said tile cup block at a desired orientation and location along said passageway, said upper and lower surfaces being provided with spacers in arrangements that differ from one another, one of said tile cup block spacers being provided as four dowels of a thickness of a desired grout thickness and arranged in a V-shaped right angle pattern, with two dowels on each side of the V, the V being bisected by a line parallel to said passageway in said cup slide and the other of said tile cup block spacers being provided as two dowels of a thickness of a desired grout thickness and arranged in a line perpendicular to said passageway in said cup slide and as extensions of two of said four dowels, whereby a tile setter may measure a needed tile size from an installed tile to a perimeter object by positioning the object guide adjacent the perimeter object and the tile cup block spacers on the lower surface adjacent an installed tile, reposition the tool to a tile to be measured with the spacers adjacent a tile edge and define a tile edge to be cut by the position of the object guide, the spacers providing an adjustment in the measurement to allow for a desired grout width.