Wedges are often used when replacing or repairing old roofs or other units where uneven surfaces need to be levelled and this may be a lengthy and awkward job with many individual tasks, measurements and precise handwork.

Based upon these experiences this invention has been made to avoid all these disadvantages.

Using the invention, wedges of considerable dimensions can be inserted simultaneously by measuring e.g. the uneven surface of a rafter. It is only necessary to have a specially manufactured tool to do this.

The invention is an "aligning straightener" which can be used to measure the correct dimensions for the wedges to be inserted in e.g. rafters to level these at the right height. The term "aligning straightener" will be used here to describe the entire invention.

When straightening a rafter and using an alignment cord at the bottom and top of the rafter, respectively, it may show that there e.g. is 5 cm between the rafter and the cord in one end and only 2 cm in the other end while the remaining part of the rafter can have a very irregular surface. At certain points the rafter may be convex, it can be S-shaped or maybe concave.

Today it is very complicated to align such rafters and it may include many awkward processes. Therefore, this aligning straightener has been invented as it can be formed according to the geography of the surface but at the same time it can be aligned to the given height of the wedge so that all the surfaces of the rafters with inserted wedges are in precise alignment with each other. In the same way an uneven base for floors can be aligned, but it can also be used for walls. It is very suitable for manufacturing bases for covering uneven walls.

It is rather striking when looking at prior art in order to find similar inventions that only very little material can be found. What is found lies far from the present invention. US 5,546,671 may be quoted where the invention rather focuses on assembling a kit of tools in a box used for roof work. Further, GB 2,239,475 and GB 2,261,287 can be quoted, both inventions focus on simplifying the levelling process. Neither of said inventions are at all relevant compared to the present invention.

The invention can be described, as follows:

• Rail formed as a hollow oblong box • An adjustable sole to be fastened to the bottom of the rail along the entire length of the bottom surface

• Adjustable latches with right-angled carvings where the latches are mounted in the rail from the top surface of the rail with regular intervals and led through the rail to the adjustable sole to which they are attached. The latches exceed the top of the rail by 20-30 cm. The outermost 2 latches mounted to the rail are adjustable screws with thread

• A sliding lock containing a house into which a long strip with drop-shaped holes is inserted, with a narrow end of the drop and a wide end of the drop, carved into the strip with regular intervals corresponding to the distance between the latches. The house and the strip are mounted to the rail between the 2 outermost adjustable screws before the latches are inserted, said latches also go through the strip. By adding some force to the strip, the strip can be pushed along the rail and, thus, change the position of the hole from the wide end of the drop to the narrow end of the drop in order to secure the latch which comes through the hole by resting against one of the right-angled carvings on the latch.

Application method:

Tool which i.a. can be used to replace or repair old roofs or other units where uneven surfaces need to be levelled, e.g. by inserting wedges, the use of which is illustrated in connection with a roof repair job. The procedure for roof repairs particularly in respect of height levelling using an aligning straightener follow the below steps:

1. the difference in level of the individual rafter between bottom and top is physically registered by placing the aligning straightener on the individual rafter with the sole resting on the uneven surface of the rafter and in a way that the bottom edge of the plate/box part of the aligning straightener is flush with the used cord which initially has been positioned exactly in the measured and chosen height on the rafters and the adjustment is made by means of the 2 adjustable screws/latches in each end of the sole and which are screwed and secured when the bottom and the top correspond

2. after releasing the latches by pushing the sliding lock, as the positioning of the latches in the narrow end of the drop simultaneously locks all latches while positioning in the wide end of the drop releases all latches simultaneously, and the release is obtained by pushing the strip whereas pulling the strip will lock them (can be arranged in reverse order). For the above purpose the latches are cut with right-angled carvings so that the narrow end of the drop can click and thus effectively tighten the lock, and after the sole has complied with the uneven surface of the rafter, the oblong wedge can be measured which eventually is to be mounted on top of the rafter so that the entire rafter including the wedge will have the same height.

3. The aligning straightener is placed flatly on a right-angled board where the lower edge of the longitudinal side of the box/plate is flush with one of the longitudinal sides of the board while drawing lines after the edge of the sole with its generally uneven locked positions.

4. In this way the line marks the in general more or less undulated/curved surface and sawing should follow the line.

5. When done, an oblong wedge will appear which fits the part of the rafter onto which the wedge should be placed - the uneven lower edge fits the "terrain/geography/irregularities" on the surface of the lath while the upper edge is flush with the height of the other laths which the should be in flush with.

The above describes the procedure for concrete repair of roofs, but as mentioned earlier, the principle is the same if it is used for aligning uneven bases for floors, making a base for covering uneven walls or similar tasks.

Figure list Fig. 1

Aligning straightener with sole on rafter Fig. 2 Latch and sliding lock with strip

Fig. 3

Line drawing of latch and sliding lock with strips Fig. 4

Adjustable screw with box/plate visible Fig. 5

Sliding lock with drop shaped lock system with wide and narrow end of the drop

List of numbers 1. Aligning straightener

2. Hollow box shaped oblong rail

3. Even lower edge of box/plate

4. Latches

5. Sliding lock 6. Strips

7. Sole

8. Adjustable screws

9. Rafters 10. Laths 11. Drop shaped locking device

12. Narrow end of the drop

13. Wide end of the drop Implementing examples

Fig. 1 shows an aligning straightener (1) resting on a rafter where the sole (7) complies with the shape of the rafter (9) - the edge of the rafter (9) - with all its irregularities. The sole (7) registers and shapes all these irregularities.

Fig. 2 shows a close-up of latch (4) and sliding lock (5) with strip (6). Further, the hollow box shaped oblong rail (2) is seen as well as sole (7) resting on rafter (9). Fig. 3 shows how one of the latches (4) cut with right angled carvings.

Fig. 4 shows the adjustable screw (8) of which 2 are mounted onto the aligning straightener (1) - in each end of same (1). The adjustable screws (8) are adjusted according to the chosen height level on the given rafter (9) and the same height level is flush with the adjacent rafters (9).

The release and locking, respectively, of the latches (4) is shown. The narrow end of the drop (12) in the strip (6) clicks into the right-angled carvings of the latches and, thereby, effectively tightens and locks the lock, while doing the opposite in the strip (6) the wide end of the drop (13) is pressed forward to the latch which then is released from the lock of that end of the drop.