The present invention relates in general to the technical field of building under roof structures, in which under roof structures a plurality of lathes serving the purpose of supporting roof tiles or roof plates are mounted on top of a set of rafters defining the pitch of a roof. More precisely, the present invention relates to a novel tool or a distance guide for positioning the lathes in a specific spacing corresponding to the dimensions of the roof tiles or roof plates to be supported by the lathes.

Conventionally, the lathes have been laid by carpenters using pieces of lathes serving as distance blocks which pieces of lathes have been loosely positioned on top of the rafters resting on a previously laid lath whereupon the new lath to be mounted is positioned resting on top of the distance blocks. Although this technique may be fairly accurate, the technique of using distance blocks cut from the lathes suffer from a drawback originating from the instability of the positioning of the lath on top of two or more loosely resting distance blocks. Furthermore, after the fixation of the lath by means of nails or screws, the separate distance pieces may tend to stuck between the two lathes which will necessitate that a hammer be used for loosening the distance piece which may cause the distance block to be lost which will necessitate that a new distance block be cut from a lath.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tool which may be easily used for properly positioning a lath relative to a previously laid lath.

A particular feature of the present invention relates to the fact that the distance guide according to the present invention is constructed to cause the distance guide to be self-locking relative to a lath to be laid in a specific spacing from a previously laid or fixated lath.

A particular advantage of the distance guide according to the present invention relates to the fact that at the time of removing the distance guide from a lath which has been fixated in its intentional spacing from a previously laid and mounted lath, the distance guide is easily removed and due to its structure, loosens its grip and at

the same time shortens its spacing defining length, thereby preventing that the distance guide be stuck or jammed between the two properly fixated and positioned lathes.

The above object, the above feature and the above advantage together with numerous other objects, features and advantages which will be evident from the below detailed description is according to a first aspect of the present invention obtained by means of a distance guide for positioning and arresting a lath in a roof structure relative to sets of rafters defining the pitch of the roof and in a specific spacing relative to a previously mounted lath, comprising: an elongated structural element defining opposite first and second ends and opposite top and bottom surfaces, a gripping claw provided at said first end and including a handle for shifting said claw from a first position to a second position, said claw being open in said first position for allowing said claw to freely receive a lath within said claw, said claw being closed in said second position for gripping round and arresting said lath relative to said guide, said handle being operable from said top surface, and a distance element extending outwardly from said bottom surface for defining a specific distance from said claw to said distance element corresponding to said spacing.

According to the basic teachings of the present invention, the distance guide includes a gripping claw having a handle which is operable from the top surface of the elongated structural element, thereby allowing the carpenter or any other technician using the distance guide according to the present invention to obtain easy access to the handle for shifting the gripping claw from the first position to the second position or visa versa, while having the distance guide freely accessible. Simultaneously, the self-gripping ability of the distance guide prevents the distance guide from being unintentionally lost.

In the present context, the terms top and bottom, side and end etc., which terms refer to orientations or positions, refer to the intentional use of the distance guide,

i.e. the orientations or positions obtained when the distance guide is positioned in its intentional position gripping round a lath and positioned on a roof structure. The distance element may in a first embodiment of the distance guide according to the present invention, be constituted by a fixed distance element fixed or rigidly connected to the elongated structural element and allowing the distance guide to be used in connection with a specific kind of or a specific dimension of roof plate or roof tile. Alternatively or preferably, the distance element is according to the presently preferred embodiment of the distance guide according to the present invention, adjustable and repositionable relative to the elongated structural element for allowing the distance guide to be adjusted to a variety of roof plates or roof tiles for allowing the distance between the claw and the distance element to be adjusted relative to the spacing determined by the roof plate or roof tile in question.

The distance element may be constituted by a simple plate element extending perpendicularly from the structural element, however, according to the presently preferred embodiment of the distance guide according to the present invention, the distance element is constituted by a circular cylindrical body for obtaining the advantage that the distance guide in its intentional position when resting by means of the distance element on a previously laid and fixated lath establishes a contact similar to a line contact between a circular cylindrical body and a plane face rather than a facial contact, thereby ensuring that the distance be uniquely defined by the distance from the line contact establishing distance element to the claw.

The claw serving to allow the distance guide according to the present invention to catch or grip round the lath to be positioned in the specific spacing from the previously laid and mounted lath may be constituted by any mechanical means or any pair of mechanical elements such as a claw similar to a pair of nippers or similar tool, however, according to the presently preferred embodiment of the distance guide according to the present invention, the claw comprises an end plate at the first end of the elongated structural element and a pair of jaws extending from the bottom surface of the structural element and integrally connected to the handle. As the handle preferably extends towards the second end, the jaws advantageously swing when raising the handle from a position close to the first end towards the

second end and in doing so, looses the grip relative to the lath and also shortens the distance from the distance element to the claw and thereby prevents the distance guide from being jammed between the two fixated lathes.

The handle may be journalled in pins, bolts or any other rotational allowing elements relative to the structural elements or alternatively, by means of a through-going shaft extending transversally through the handle and through the structural element.

The structural element may be constituted by a simple plate or rod made from any appropriate material, preferably a corrosion resistant material or preferably and advantageously, be made from a profiled bar exhibiting high strength and also low weight.

As stated above, the entire distance guide including the structural element, the handle, the claw and the distance element, are preferably made from non-corroding or corrosion resistant materials, such as aluminium, anodised or electroplated steel, plastics, materials such as fibre reinforced or glass fibre reinforced plastics materials or combinations thereof.

For allowing the distance guide to be adjusted to a variety of dimensions of roof plates or roof tiles to be positioned resting on the lathes to be mounted by using the distance according to the present invention, the distance element is preferably repositionable relative to the structural element, preferably by sliding the distance element along a longitudinal slit of the structural element. The distance element may in its intentional position defining the distance corresponding to the spacing defined by the roofing plate or roofing tile in question, be fixated by means of snap fittings or preferably a bolt which is simply locked for fastening the distance element relative to the structural element.

The above object, the above feature and the above advantage together with numerous other objects, features and advantages which will be evident from the below detailed description is according to a second aspect of the present invention

obtained by means of a support for temporarily supporting a set of lathes in a roof structure while fixating the lathes relative to the roof structure, comprising an elongated bar defining opposite first and seconds ends, a first and a second fixation device for fixation to a rafter of the roof structure, said first and second fixation devices being connected to said bar at said first and second ends, respectively, for positioning said bar in a lowered position relative to the top surface of said rafter when said first and second fixation devices are fixated to said rafter, and a plurality of lath supporting elements, each having a bar engaging part and a plate element, said bar engaging part being adjustably and repositionably connected to said bar for positioning said lath supporting elements in specific positions spaced from each other along said bar, each of said plate elements being connected to a respective bar engaging part by a pivot allowing said plate elements to be pivoted from a first position to a second position, in which first position said plate element extends perpendicularly from said bar to a position above the top surface of said rafter when said bar is in said lowered position, and said plate element being lowered below said top surface of said rafter when said bar is in said lower position.

The support according to the second aspect of the present invention is primarily to be used in connection with the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention for allowing the carpenter using the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention to have the lathes temporarily supported by means of support while using the distance guide for correctly positioning the individual lathes and fixating the lathes by means of nails, screws or similar fixation devices well-known in the art.

The support according to the second aspect of the present invention constitutes an auxiliary tool which is preferably adjusted in accordance with the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention as the distance between the individual lath supporting elements of the support is preferably slightly smaller than the spacing in which the lathes are to be positioned and mounted in the roof structure. By positioning the individual lath supporting elements at a reduced spacing as compared to the intentional spacing between the individual lathes when

mounted on the roof structure, a specific lath may be temporarily supported by a lath supporting element of the support and then easily be lifted slightly from its position resting on the lath supporting element of the support as the carpenter uses the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention to properly position the lath when fixating the lath relative to the roof structure.

The lath supporting elements which are adjustably and repositionably connected to the bar may be constituted by any mechanical devices co-operating with the bar and including a pivot for supporting the plate element for allowing the plate element to be shifted from the first position to the second position. By providing the plate elements of the lath supporting elements as elements which may be lowered below the top surface of the rafter when shifted from the first position to second position, the carpenter may obtain access to the lath without having the lath covered by the plate element of the lath supporting element for allowing the carpenter to use a saw for cutting off the lath at a specific position preferably at the centre of the underlying rafter, e.g. for extending the rafter by the adjoining of an additional length of a rafter to a rafter which has been cut by means of the saw.

The bar supporting the lath supporting elements may be a solid rod or a profile rod such as a T-, an H-, a U-profiled bar made of metal, plastic or may constitute a composite element. Like the bar, the lath supporting elements may be made from metal, e.g. corrosion resistant or plated steel, aluminum or plastics also including fibre reinforced plastics.

The lath supporting elements of the support according to the second aspect of the present invention are as stated above adjustably and repositionably connected to the bar and for allowing the lath supporting elements to be fixated in a specific position relative to the elongated bar, the lath supporting elements preferably each have a locking element for locking each of the lath supporting elements to the bar in a specific position and allowing the lath supporting element to be repositioned relative to the bar when unlocking the locking element. Rather than providing a separate locking element, the bar engaging part of the lath supporting elements may be implemented, e.g. as teethed elements which may be locked to the bar, e.g. a U-

profiled bar by turning the bar engaging part and in doing so causing the teeth of the bar engaging part to arrest and lock the bar engaging part relative to the bar. Apart from self-locking, e.g. teethed bar engaging parts and bar engaging parts having separate locking element, any other interlocking assembly including e.g. locking elements provided by the bar are also to be encompassed by the present invention.

The first and second fixation devices of the support according to the second aspect of the present invention may be implemented in accordance with well-known technical principles such as a clamp or a cramp having a lock to be operated by means of a handle or a screw or any other arresting principle for arresting the fixation devices relative to the rafter. Preferably, the fixation devices are provided with a gripping device for catching round and fixating the fixation devices to the rafter and for providing a reliable and safe fixation of the fixation devices relative to the rafter.

The present invention also relates according to a third and a fourth aspect to a method of positioning and mounting lathes on a roof structure by means of the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention and by means of the support according to the second aspect of the present invention, respectively, and further a method of laying lathes on a roof structure by using the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention and also the support according to the second aspect of the present invention.

The invention is now to be further described with reference to the drawings in which

Fig. 1 is a perspective and partly cut-away view illustrating the intentional use of a first and presently preferred embodiment of a distance guide according to a first aspect of the present invention for positioning and arresting a lath in a roof structure relative to sets of rafters defining the pitch of the roof,

Fig. 2 is a perspective and schematic view illustrating the presently preferred embodiment of the distance guide according to the present invention,

Fig. 3 is a perspective and schematic view illustrating the intentional use of a first and presently preferred embodiment of a support according to a second aspect of the present invention,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the support according to the second aspect of the present invention,

Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating a locking element of the support according to the second aspect of the present invention and

Fig. 6 is a perspective and schematic view similar to the view of Fig. 3 illustrating a detail of the support according to the second aspect of the present invention.

In Fig. 1 , a part of a roof structure is shown including a rafter 20, which rafter constitutes a part of a supporting structure of a roof on which roof tiles or roof plates 22 are to be positioned and supported. The rafter 20 is conventionally sloping for defining the pitch of the roof structure and transversally relative to the rafter, sets of lathes 24 and 26 extend, which lathes are positioned with a specific spacing corresponding to the length of the roof tiles or roof plates 22. In the process of constructing the supporting roof structure including the rafters such as the rafter 20 shown in Fig. 1 and the lathes 24 and 26 shown in Fig. 1 , the roof tiles or roof plates 22 are not yet positioned, still, in Fig. 1, the roof tiles or roof plates 22 are included for presenting a visual understanding of the purpose of the structure, in particular the necessity of positioning the transversal lathes in a specific spaced apart relationship corresponding to a specific spacing.

For positioning the lathes 24 and 26 in the correct spacing, the distance guide according to a first aspect of the present invention is advantageously used, which guide is shown in Fig. 1 and is designated the reference numeral 10 in its entirety. It is to be understood that two distance guides are advantageously used, one at the one end of the roof structure for gripping and arresting the one end of a lath and another distance guide positioned at the opposite end of the lath for properly positioning and arresting the lath relative to a previously fixated lath.

In a process of constructing the supporting roof structure, the lathes such as the lathes 24 and 26 shown in Fig. 1 are positioned from the lower end of the roof structure as the lath 24 is first positioned and fixated, e.g. by means of screws or nails whereupon the next lath such as the lath 26 is to be correctly positioned and arrested by means of the distance guide 10 or, as discussed above, preferably by means of two distance guides.

In Fig. 2, the distance guide 10 according to the present invention is shown, which guide comprises a basically U-profiled rod or structural element 12 having a plane top surface is shown in Fig. 1 and a bottom surface in which the basically U-profiled element provides a longitudinal slit 16, in which an adjustable and repositionable distance element constituted by a circular cylindrical body 18 is fixated by means of a bolt 20 co-operating with a transversal locking plate received within the slit 16 and having a through-going thread in which the bolt 20 is received.

The structural element 12 defines a first end at which an end plate 30 is provided. At the opposite second end, a further end plate 32 is provided. The end plate 32 merely serves to close off the second end for preventing the distance element 18 from sliding beyond the end plate 32 and consequently be lost. The end plate 30 provided at the first end of the structural element 12 extends above the bottom surface of the structural element for providing a gripping flange co-operating with a pair of jaws 34 and 36 connected integrally to a handle 38. The jaws 34 and 36 and the handle 38 are fixated to the structural element 12 by means of a transversal through-going bolt 40 defining an axis of rotation of the handle 38 and also of the jaws 34 and 36.

The jaws 34 and 36 define protruding end parts providing a spacing from the end plate 30 corresponding to or identical to the width of the lathes 24 and 26. In this close position of the handle 38, the distance guide 10 grips round and is fixated to the lath 26 as is shown in Fig. 1 allowing the lath 26 to be positioned in the intentional distance or spacing from the previously positioned lath 24 by allowing the distance element 18 to rest against the lath 24.

It is to be understood that the rounded outer surface of the distance element 18 is believed to be of the outmost importance for allowing the distance element to accommodate and properly position lathes even in case the previously positioned lath may be slightly deformed since, provided the distance element 18 had a different configuration, such as a square cross-sectional configuration, the intentional parallel positioning of the lath 26 relative to the lath 24 might not be properly obtained.

In the closed positioned of the handle, the jaws 34 and 36 co-operate with the end plate 30 as a claw for fixating the guide element 10 relative to the lath 26 as described above, whereas the raising of the handle from the position shown in Fig. 1 and shown in full line in Fig. 2, to the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 2, the raising causes the end parts of the jaws 34 and 36 to be moved away from the end plate 30 consequently allowing the distance guide 10 to be removed from its intentional position of use as shown in Fig. 1 for repositioning the guide element provided a further lath is to be positioned relative to the lath 26, without any risk that the distance guide be jammed between the two lathes 24 and 26.

A particular feature of the distance element further relates to the geometrical configuration of the handle 38 and the jaws 34 and 36, as the distance guide constitutes a self-locking tool, which in the position shown in Fig. 1, due to the impact from the gravitational force, causes the handle 38 to be urged towards the locking position shown in Fig. 1 and also shown in full line in Fig. 2. As will be understood, the carpenter using the distance guide 10 need not take any specific precautions for locking or positioning the distance guide in the intentional arresting position shown in Fig. 1 and shown in full line in Fig. 2 since the handle 38 by itself is forced by the gravitational force impact to the locking position shown in full line in Fig. 2 and also shown in Fig. 1. Provided the distance guide shown in Fig. 2 be turned upside down as shown in Fig. 2 having the bottom surface facing upwardly, the handle 38 freely swings towards the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 2, thereby making the operation of the distance guide extremely easy, since the simple turning of the guide or the tool from the position having the top surface 14 facing upwardly to the inverse position having the top surface 14 facing downwardly readily

shifts the jaws of the guide or the tool from the closed position shown in Fig. 2 to the open position shown in dotted line shown in Fig. 2 and visa versa.

The distance guide shown in Figs. 1 and 2 was in a prototype made from metal defining an overall length of 40 cm, however, the distance guide may be made from alternative materials, such as aluminium, polymer materials including carbon fibre or glass fibre reinforced plastics materials or combinations thereof.

For temporarily supporting and positioning the lathes relative to the underlying roof structure preferably when using the distance guide according to the first aspect of the present invention, a support 50 according to a second aspect of the present invention as shown in Figs. 3-6 may advantageously be used. It is to be understood that the carpenter mounting the lathes, e.g. the lathes 24 and 26 shown in Fig. 1 by means of the distance guide 10 according to the first aspect of the present invention usually has a second carpenter or an assistant helping him when positioning and mounting the elongated lathes as the assistant temporarily holds the lath at the opposite end of the lathes relative to the end from which the carpenter starts fixating the lath such as the lath 26 relative to the previously mounted and fixated lath 24.

In order to eliminate the necessity of having an assistant or another carpenter helping the carpenter positioning and mounting the lathes, the support 50 shown in Fig. 3 may advantageously be used. The support 50 is shown in entirety in Fig. 3 and comprises two fixation devices 52 and 54 interconnecting an elongated U- profiled bar 56. Each of the fixation devices 52 and 54 have the general shape of an inverted U allowing the fixation device to straddle the supporting rafter 20 relative to which the lathes such as the lathes 24 and 26 also shown in Fig. 3 are to be fixated. The fixation devices 52 and 54 each have a thump wheel 53 and 55, respectively, for properly fixating the fixation devices relative to the supporting rafter 20.

On the one side of the U-shaped fixation devices 52 and 54 the U-profiled bar 56 is fixated in a position in which the U-profiled bar 56 is lowered relative to the top surface of the rafter 20 when the support 50 is mounted and fixated in its intentional position by means of the fixation devices 52 and 54 as is shown in Fig. 3.

Along the U-profiled bar 56, a total of 4 lath supporting elements are provided. The lath supporting elements are of identical structure and configuration and are designated the reference numeral in 60 in their entirety. The lath supporting elements 60 each comprises a bar engaging part 62 implemented as a T-profiled element which is received within the U-profiled bar 56 for allowing the lath supporting elements to be shifted lengthways along the U-profiled bar 56 and each has a locking screw 64 by means of which the bar engaging part may be fixated in a specific position relative to the U-profiled bar 56. The bar engaging part 62 of the lath supporting element 60 further has a web 66 extending outwardly from the U- profiled bar 56 which web 66 is connected to a plate 68 by means of a pivot joint or screw 70 allowing the plate 68 be turned from an upright or first position in which the plate 68 extends to a position above the top surface of the rafter 20 to a position in which the plate is lowered below the top surface of the rafter 20 as is illustrated in Fig. 4. By providing the ability of the plate 68 to be turned from the upright or first position to the lowered or second position, the carpenter mounting the lathes may easily obtain access to the lath 26 for cutting the free outwardly extending end of the lath 26 above the centre of the top surface of the rafter 20 for joining another length of the rafter to the rafter to be fixated as is illustrated in the lower part of Fig. 4 by the rafters 24.

The individual lath supporting elements 60 of the support 50 are preferably positioned at a distance slightly smaller than the distance in which the lathes 24 and 26 are to be mounted as the support 50 serves as a temporarily support supporting the outer free end of the lathes to be mounted and also allowing the carpenter to raise the lath to be mounted from its resting position resting on the lath supporting element 60.

In Fig. 4, the support 50 is shown in a vertical sectional view and in Fig. 5 the locking of the bar engaging part 62 of the lath supporting element 60 is shown in greater details. In Fig. 6, a detail of the lath supporting element 60 is shown illustrating in greater details the pivoting joint 70 between the plate 68 and the web 66 of the bar engaging part 62 which is received within the U-profiled bar 56.

Although the support 50 according to the second aspect of the present invention is preferably and advantageously used in connection with the distance guide 10 according to the first aspect of the present invention, the distance guide 10 may be used without using the support 50 and similarly the support 50 according to the second aspect of the present invention may be used without employing the distance guide 10 according to the first aspect of the present invention.

Although the present invention has above been described with reference to a presently preferred embodiment of the distance guide or tool, it is to be understood that numerous modifications may be deduced by a person having ordinary skill in the art and such modifications are to be construed part of the present invention as defined in the appending claims.