The present invention relates to fixing and fastening elements in the construction and do-it-yourself (DIY) sectors. More particularly, the invention relates to a system of colour co-ordinated or colour coded construction elements and corresponding tools and a method of using said elements and tools to effect rapid, accurate and rated securing or fixing of articles, screw elements and the like.

Background to the Invention

It has been a well-known phenomenon in the construction industry and the DIY sector that a great deal of time is expended attempting to find the correctly sized driving tool, be that drill bit, screw bit, socket wrench head, screw driver, etc. for a particular fixing component or fastener such as a screw, wall plug, dry wall anchor, dowel, etc. (or visa versa). It is also appreciated, perhaps better by the professional tradesman or construction worker, that a mismatch between one component and another can result in any one of a number of disadvantageous scenarios. One such scenario commonly known even to the most reluctant DIY practitioner is where the cross-head receiver of a screw has been rounded out by the use of a mismatched driver bit rendering the screw difficult to tighten or loosen. Similarly, a bolt head or nut can be rounded off by the use of an incorrectly sized spanner or socket wrench head.

What is not so readily appreciated is the drop in performance, efficiency or ability to withstand a load when a fixing component and a fastener, for example, are mismatched. It is well-know that when providing a masonry fixing, for example, it is important to select the correctly sized masonry drill bit appropriate to the load to be secured to a wall and to use a correspondingly sized wall plug. Where the wall plug is too large, forcing it into the drilled hole usually destroys the locking features of the wall plug, can damage the hole and often means that the correct screw or other fastener will not fit. The problems associated with using a wall plug that is too small are equally well know and it is not uncommon that supplementary elements from matchsticks to broken pieces of wall plug are forced into the drilled hole to prevent the wall plug from rotating when the screw is threaded into the plug. Another known "fix" is to use an over-sized screw, however, in either case, the load bearing capacity of the fixing is severely diminished.

Another well-know problem associated with masonry wall and brickwork fixing particularly is assessing the depth of hole to be drilled for a given diameter (bore) of drill and associated fixing component Whilst there" are many power drills available with adjustable depth guides, most people rely on guesswork and normally drill excessively deep into the wall. Although this is not problematic in most instances and is rarely likely to affect the structural integrity of the brick or drilled surface, there are situations where cables, conduits, pipes and other services are routed through the cavity between brick "skins" and may be struck with injurous and/or expensive consequences. Most commonly, the hole depth is sufficient enough to lose a wall plug!

There are many suggestions in the prior art relating to solving the problem of drilling a hole too deep, from depth guides attached to a power drill (as mentioned above) to the attachment of collars to the drill bit, for example US Patent No. 4,039,266 to O'CONNELL which provides a collar adjustably positioned along the drill shaft and lockable via a threaded grub screw in the collar. Of more practical use are drills having depth markings indicated thereon, including those where score marks or annular lands provided along the drill bit shank.

Of yet more interest is the solution proposed in UK Patent Specification No. 1,191,934 to THO SMAN in which there is described a drill having a plurality of marks provided on the drill at different distances from the drill tip, each mark being a different colour from the others. More significantly, the description discloses wall plugs of different length which are coloured in correspondence to the marks on the drill.

Whilst it is common practice to have coloured wall plugs to correspond to the size (diameter/bore) of the drill, it was not known to associate hole depth with coloured indicia. UK Patent Publication No. 2,220,154 to DACKOWNES associates coloured drill bits with coloured wall plugs and suggests a colour scheme associated with the diameter of drill bit. The disclosure however does not incorporate the teaching of THORSMAN and similarly fails to associate colour and drill hole depth.

DACKOWENS also teaches the provision of drill bits in which a coloured material is disposed in the grooves or flutes of the drill so as to avoid excessive abrasive contact with masonry being drilled or that only the portion of the drill bit for insertion into a drill chuck is coloured. The provision of a retail pack having coloured drill bits and associated coloured wall plugs is also taught in DACKOWNES, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

US Patent No. 6,095,739 to ALBERTSON represents one of many methods of categorising fasteners and construction connectors using visual identifiers. Of particular interest is the provision of a colour key to determine the physical properties of the fasteners based on the colouring of the exposed portions of inserted fasteners. Similarly, construction connectors receive a designated and distinct colour contained on the surface that is exposed before and after installation.

There have been numerous additional attempts to provide colour code identification methods to tools, drill bits, screws, socket wrenches and the like, from the simple one colour equals one size system common in the prior art to the more (ridiculously) complicated system shown in US Patent No. 4,982,627 to JOHNSON where the interpretation of the colour coding system appears to obviate the convenience of the proposed solution. In the description that follows certain terms have been applied to a range of construction elements for convenience of expression and should not be interpreted as limiting or as excluding modifications to existing construction elements or the development of new elements to which the system and method of the present invention may apply.

The term "driving tool" as used hereinafter is intended to indicate any normally rotating tool used to form a hole in a Axing surface or for driving a fastener, such as a screw, into the object fixing surface or article. The term may equally be applied to a drill bit, a screw head (whether provided as a discrete screw bit or as the fixed head of a screwdriver), a hexagonal socket head (whether attached to a mechanical or electrical screwdriver or as attached to a socket wrench as part of a set) and the like. Although directed primarily to rotating tools, there is nothing excluding the direct axial application of force to drive a nail, dowel or dry wall anchor into the object fixing surface.

The term "fastener" is intended to indicate any component threadingly driven into the object surface or into a fixing component already located in the object surface, such as a screw, threaded bolt or dry wall anchor but may include dowels, nails and so on.

The term "fixing component" is directed towards any construction element which is adapted to receive or engage with a fastener. Thus, in the case of a bolt, the fixing component is an appropriately sized nut, whether provided as a discrete component or fixed within or secured to another article. In the case of a screw, the fixing component most commonly is a wall plug or dry wall anchor.

The term "construction element" as used herein is intended as a generic term for tools, fasteners and fixing components used in construction and DIY but is not limited exclusively to those sectors or the components and elements identified specifically herein.

It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that the present invention is not directed to the fixing or attachment of any article specifically but provides the means for providing secure and rateable anchoring.

It is an object of the present invention to seek to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide a system of colour co-ordinated construction elements and a method of their use. The present invention also seeks to provide a system of colour co-ordinated construction elements in which the depth of insertion of a driving bit and or fixing component and/or fastener may be easily identified so as to ensure the correct elements are utilised in a given situation to provide adequate load bearing rating or securing parameters. Summary of the Invention

A system for colour co-ordinated construction elements for the rapid identification and matching of two or more of a driving tool, fastener and fixing component to effect rapid, accurate and rateable securing or fixing of articles, the system comprising two or more of: a driving tool selected from a drill bit, a screwdriver, a screw bit and hexagonal socket head (hex bit), having a surface thereon upon which there is disposed a coloured material; a fastener selected from a screw, bolt, dowel or any comparable fastener, having a surface thereon upon which is disposed a coloured material; and a fixing component selected from a wall plug, dry wall anchor, bolt, dowel and the like, having a surface thereon upon which there is disposed a coloured material, in which any driving tool is operably matched with a fastener and any fastener is operably matched with a fixing component to ensure correct engagement, sizing and/or load rating to facilitate optimum securing or fixing of articles either together or to an object surface. Advantageously, a coloured driving tool is matched in size (bore) or shape to a correspondingly coloured fixing component which is in turn matched to receive a correspondingly coloured fastener.

The driving tool is a drill bit having a selected size (bore) according to a predetermined colour, the colour being assigned to a wall plug of matching size (bore) and being adapted to receive a fastener, such as a screw, having a matched corresponding coloured material applied thereon.

Ideally, the fastener has a coloured region representing a depth indicator, which when matched with its associated fixing component and driving tool, provides an approximated load rating for the fixing and fastener combination.

The driving tool may be a screwdriver or driven screw bit having a selected size and shape according to a predetermined colour, the colour being assigned to the correspondingly shaped receiver portion of a screw head.

In a preferred construction, the drill bit includes a depth indicator.

Advantageously, the depth indicator is represented by the distance the coloured surface is present along the shaft of the drill bit from the drill bit tip.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drill bit is coloured along its shank towards the drill bit tip but is left uncoloured from the tip to a point along the shaft to indicate the depth to which the drill should ideally be inserted to form a hole of adequate depth to receive a correspondingly coloured wall plug or other fastener.

Optionally, the coloured material is provided in the grooves or flutes of the drill bit.

Advantageously, the screw includes a depth indicator. The depth indicator may be represented by the distance the coloured surface is present along the threaded portion of the screw from its tip. The depth to which a screw is engaged with a fixing surface, article or surface or article onto or into which a corresponding fixing element has been secured, represents a rated loading of the screw fixing.

Ideally, the given size screw bit head (whether discrete or formed as the fixed head of a screw driver) is used to drive a fixing component into an attachment surface and then used to drive a fastener into said fixing component.

The present invention further provides a method of colour co-ordinating construction elements for the rapid identification and matching of two or more of a driving tool, fastener and fixing component to .effect rapid, accurate and rateable securing or fixing of articles, the method comprising two or more of the following steps: selecting a driving tool from a drill bit, a screwdriver, a screw bit and hexagonal socket head (hex bit), each having a surface thereon upon which there is disposed a coloured material; selecting a fastener from a screw, bolt, dowel or any comparable fastener, having a surface thereon upon which is disposed a coloured material; selecting a fixing component from a wall plug, dry wall anchor, bolt, dowel and the like, having a surface thereon upon which there is disposed a coloured material; and operably matching any driving tool with a fastener and operably matching any fastener with a fixing component using the visual indication provided by the coloured material to ensure correct engagement, sizing and/or load rating to facilitate optimum securing or fixing of articles either together or to an object surface. Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, exemplary embodiments in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:

Figures la to lc are a series of front elevations showing respective pairs of coloured sized drill bits having depth indicators thereon and corresponding wall plugs;

Figures 2a to 2c are a series of front elevations showing coloured sized drill bits having supplementary depth indication markings thereon;

Figures 3a to 3b are a series of front elevations showing coloured sized fasteners, including depth indicators;

Figures 4a to 4d are an end elevation of the head of a fastener, front elevations of the fastener and an associated fixing component and an end elevation of the head of the fixing component; and

Figures 5a and 5b are a top plan view and side elevation of a retail pack in which a set of colour co-ordinated driving tools, fasteners and fixing components are provided.

Detailed Pescription of the Preferred Embodiments

As set out in the preamble of the present description, there are many instances where finding the appropriate combination of elements for driving a fastener into a prepared fixing component may be problematic and/or time consuming. It is also known that using incorrectly matching components leads to shoddy workmanship and often flawed fixing where the expected load bearing ability is not achieved.

The present invention provides an easy reference for selecting a driving tool, fastener and fixing component to ensure a job is adequately done and that the selected elements work harmoniously together to achieve an optimal result.

In its most basic arrangement, a workman or DIY enthusiast can easily identify a drill bit, a wall plug and a screw by surface colour. The drill bit includes a depth indicator to illustrate the appropriate hole depth to receive the correctly sized wall plug. Once in place, the correspondingly sized screw is engaged in wall plug to an appropriate depth.

Referring now to Figures 1a to 1c, a series of three respective pairs of drill bits 10,20,30 and corresponding wall plugs 12,22,32 are shown. Each drill bit is assigned a colour 14,24,34 corresponding to its size (diameter/bore) in common with the colour associated with the correspondingly sized wall plug 12,22,32. The colouring of wall plugs is already a well-established art and will not be discussed here. It is also appreciated that applying coloured materials to the shanks S of drill bits has met with varying success and that applying colour within the grooves G or flutes of a drill bit is considered essential to avoid obliteration of its colour identity due to abrasion and heat. In the embodiments illustrated the tips T of the drill bits are not coloured but deliberately left uncoloured, not so much to avoid abrasion and heat but to provide an indication of the depth to which the drill should penetrate the surface before stopping. In this way, the optimal size hole is drilled for the corresponding wall plug and minimal wear is experienced by the coloured surface.

The techniques used to apply colour to the construction components of the present invention will be discussed in more detail hereinbelow, however, it should be noted that the drill bits have comparable operating characteristics to standard and masonry drill bits and the marked surfaces are treated for the expectant life of the drill bit.

As will be seen from Figures la to lc, the coloured surfaces include the grooves G or flutes of the drill. In the illustrated embodiments, the chuck-engaging ends of the drill bits are also fluted or grooved to provide enhanced chuck grip. In Figures 2a to 2c, a set of sized coloured drill bits are shown which are substantially identical to those illustrated in Figures la to lc but which include additional graded depth indicators I beyond that established by the distance of the coloured material from the drill tip. These graduated additional markings I facilitate consistent depth of drilled holes or a sequence of drilled holes and can be spaced evenly or according to a predetermined set of depths or drilling instructions. Optionally, the spacing may be determined according to the bore of the drill bit.

In the foregoing illustrations, the R.A.L. colour scheme (well-known in the construction industry) is used to identify matched elements. Zinc Yellow (R.A.L. I018) is applied to a drill bit having a 5mm diameter bore. Traffic Red (R.A.L.3020) is applied to drill bits having a 6mm diameter bore and Sepia Brown (R.A.L.8014) is applied to drill bits having a 7mm diameter bore. To achieve the objective of the invention, the identical colours are applied to corresponding wall plugs, as shown in Figures la to lc or to the shafts of series of sized screws 16,26,36 as shown in Figures 3a to 3c. The screws 16,26,36 are coloured 14,24,34 along their shafts a sufficient length to not only provide adequate visual identity when amongst other screws of different dimensions but also to provide a minimum depth indication to achieve a load bearing rating when used with the appropriate fixing.

In one arrangement, the colour is applied to the end of the threaded portion of the shank. Alternatively (and as indicated by the dotted line), the coloured length extends only along the threaded portion to a position where optimal load bearing capability is established.

Although not illustrated in Figures 3a to 3c, the screw heads may also be coloured. The colour of the screw head is optionally done as an alternative to colouring the shank but preferably the head is coloured to indicate the appropriately sized or shaped driving tool. The colour co-ordination of driving tool and fastener is ideally matched to the co-ordination between driving tool and fixing element but need not be so. lt will be appreciated that, in the use of coloured fixings such as wall plugs, their respective drill hole sizes and corresponding screws, there will be a certain amount of overlap in appropriate drill bit diameter, wall plug size and screw. Tor example, a yellow wall plug can be inserted into a hole drilled with a 5mm or 5.5mm bore and a size 4 or size 6 screw used without diminishing the load bearing capacity of the fastener and fixing configuration. Similarly a red wall plug fixing element can be inserted in a 5.5mm or 6mm diameter hole and a fastener selected from any one of a size 6, 8 or 10 screw. Ideally, a colour is selected mid-range of the acceptable configurations so that the skilled tradesman will readily appreciate that an intermediate size fastener can be associated with fixing elements of adjacent colours.

Screw heads may be shaped to accept any one of a number of drive heads, such as straight, Philips, Posidrive (™) and hex or alien and corresponding colours are associated with each type or size of head. Thus, drive bits whether discrete bits or associated with a screwdriver may be coloured to match the appropriate drive head.

The above arrangement is particularly useful when provided as a trade pack or job-specific set of construction components, as will be discussed hereinafter with respect to Figures 5a and 5b. Turning now to Figures 4a to 4c, a fastener F comprises a screw 16,26,36 having a specific screw head H, adapted to receive matchingly a corresponding screwdriver head (whether the head is integrally formed with the screwdriver or is part of a set of heads interchangeably received in a ratchet driver is irrelevant), and a fixing component C having a fastener receiving aperture A which is profiled to receive the same screwdriver head as the fastener F. In this specific arrangement, a dry wall anchor is driven into the fixing surface (a dry wall or similar surface) using a job-specific driver such as a Philips head or Posidrive (™) head which is matched to the shape of the fastener receiving aperture A. Once in position, the screw fastener F is driven into the receiving aperture using the identical driver, each element corresponding to one another by virtue of its colour identification markings 44. It will be appreciated by the skilled addressee that any set of construction components may be matched as described hereinabove. Already associated are drill bits, wall plugs and fastening screws but the invention is not so limited and may extend to: socket drivers and wrenches for fastening bolts into locking nuts; fitted kitchen fixing kits, including "Conti blocks" of appropriate or selected colours; self-assembly furniture packs in which hexagonal headed bolts are adapted to engage captive bolt arrangements, for example, and so on.

Where convenient or in respect of job-specific exercises, the appropriately matched construction components are provided in a retail pack P, such as that shown in Figures 5a and Sb. As the most commonly used elements in construction, the retail pack P illustrated shows a set of three sized masonry drill bits 10,20,30, colour co-ordinated with correspondingly sized wail plugs 12,22,32 and screws 16,26,36.

In commercial applications, a number of retail packs may be assigned for a particular task, eliminating the possibility of over-ordering or job site pilfering and ensuring, for example, new drills or the appropriate driving tools are used rather than exhausted or substandard components. Again, by ensuring identified components are used for specific jobs or a set of components are provided for self-assembly or self-monitoring of, for example, a flat-screen TV mount, that is instructions are followed to provided guidelines, load bearing tolerances will not be exceeded.

As will be familiar to those skilled in the area of drill bit, driving tool, fastener and fixing manufacture, there are many ways of applying colour to construction elements and numerous parameters and performance requirements to be factored in. The techniques available to the skilled addressee are included herein by reference. Normally, the use of simple powder coating is avoided due to poor performance in use. This is particularly true in respect of drill bits for masonry where the friction encountered would soon remove any surface coating.

A particular advantage of the colour co-ordination of the invention is that colour marking is applied to surfaces that are not normally subjected to high levels of wear or are intended for single use only.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.