초록 ▼

A chalk line apparatus for marking regularly spaced locations. The apparatus comprises a casing for powdered chalk containing a rotatable reel, line wound on said reel, and an exit opening for the line at one end of the holder. The line has evenly spaced short segments disposed thereon so that when

A chalk line apparatus for marking regularly spaced locations. The apparatus comprises a casing for powdered chalk containing a rotatable reel, line wound on said reel, and an exit opening for the line at one end of the holder. The line has evenly spaced short segments disposed thereon so that when the line is tensioned to a predetermined level of about 10-15 lbs, the segments reside at precisely placed predetermined intervals. When the line is snapped, chalk marks are placed on the wall surface in a pattern that identifies the appropriate locations of underlying wall studs.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A tensioned chalk line apparatus, comprising: a chalk line comprising a multi-strand line, said chalk line having a relaxed configuration in which substantially no tensile force is applied to said chalk line and a tensed configuration in which a predetermined tensile fo

The invention claimed is: 1. A tensioned chalk line apparatus, comprising: a chalk line comprising a multi-strand line, said chalk line having a relaxed configuration in which substantially no tensile force is applied to said chalk line and a tensed configuration in which a predetermined tensile force is applied to an end of said chalk line, said chalk line further having a length that is shorter in said relaxed configuration than in said tensed configuration; said chalk line further having a plurality of surface discontinuities spaced at predetermined intervals along a length of said chalk line; wherein at least one of said plurality of surface discontinuities comprises a thin layer of material having a surface repellant to a chalk material so that chalk is repelled by said surface discontinuities and is selectively adhered to portions of said chalk line located between adjacent surface discontinuities to provide a chalk line capable of producing a multiplicity of aligned, accurately spaced chalk marks on a surface in said tensed configuration. 2. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a case having a compartment for holding chalk material and having an exit opening at one end; and a reel rotatably mounted in said case; wherein said chalk line is wound on said reel and extends from said reel through said exit opening to said outside of said case. 3. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a nose piece disposed adjacent said exit opening and removably engageable with said case, said nosepiece having a central cavity for receiving said chalk line therethrough, said central cavity having a wiping member for pressing chalk into said surface discontinuities and wiping accumulated chalk from portions of said chalk line located between adjacent surface discontinuities. 4. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 3, wherein said multi-strand line comprises a plurality of substantially parallel polymer fibers, the multi-strand line further comprising a flocked coating encasing said plurality of substantially parallel polymer fibers. 5. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 4, wherein said chalk line has an extensibility limit corresponding to said tensed configuration, said chalk line providing tangible feedback to a user as a substantially increased tensile resistance in response to said application of tensile forces in excess of said predetermined tensile force. 6. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 4, wherein said polymer fibers comprise Aramid and said flocked coating comprises acrylic with pulverized wool. 7. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least a first one of said plurality of surface discontinuities has a length of about 1.5 inches, and at least second and third ones of said plurality of surface discontinuities are sized and spaced such that a distance from a first end of said second mark to a second end of said third mark is about 1.5 inches, and wherein an individual length of each said second and third marks is less than 0.75 inches. 8. An apparatus for applying a plurality of regularly spaced marks to a surface comprising: a chalk line comprising a plurality of polymer strands having spaces therebetween, said chalk line having (i) a relaxed configuration in which at least some of said spaces have a first cross sectional area, and (ii) a tensed configuration in which a predetermined tensile force is applied to an end of said chalk line; said spaces have a second cross sectional area in said tensed configuration that is smaller than said first cross sectional area; said tensed configuration corresponding to an extensibility limit of said chalk line such that said chalk line provides tangible feedback to a user as a substantially increased tensile resistance in response to said application of tensile forces in excess of said predetermined tensile force; and a plurality of surface discontinuities disposed along a length of said chalk line, such that said chalk is (a) repelled by each of said surface discontinuities but (b) selectively adhered to portions of said chalk line located between adjacent surface discontinuities; wherein the portions of said chalk line located between adjacent surface discontinuities have a surface, the surface being selected from the list consisting of a braided jacket, a chemically abraded surface, a mechanically abraded surface, felt, and a flocked surface; wherein when said chalk line is in said tensed configuration said plurality of surface discontinuities are spaced at predetermined intervals along said length of said chalk line such that a multiplicity of aligned, accurately spaced chalk marks can be applied to a surface when said chalk line is impacted against said surface in said tensed configuration. 9. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a flocked coating encasing said plurality of polymer strands. 10. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 9, wherein said plurality of polymer strands are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the line. 11. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of substantially parallel polymer strands comprise Aramid fibers. 12. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 11, wherein the chalk line comprises 6 strands of Aramid fibers, each strand having a linear density of about 1610 DTEX, and wherein the braided polymer jacket comprises polyester. 13. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 12, wherein the flocked coating comprises acrylic with pulverized wool. 14. The tensioned chalk line apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least a first one of said plurality of surface discontinuities has a length of about 1.5 inches, and at least second and third ones of said plurality of surface discontinuities are sized and spaced such that a distance from a first end of said second mark to a second end of said third mark is about 1.5 inches, and wherein an individual length of each said second and third marks is less than 0.75 inches. 15. An apparatus for applying a plurality of regularly spaced marks to a surface comprising: a chalk line comprising a plurality of polymer strands having spaces therebetween, said chalk line having (i) a relaxed configuration in which at least some of said spaces have a first cross sectional area, and (ii) a tensed configuration in which a predetermined tensile force is applied to an end of said chalk line; said spaces have a second cross sectional area in said tensed configuration that is smaller than said first cross sectional area; said tensed configuration corresponding to an extensibility limit of said chalk line such that said chalk line provides tangible feedback to a user as a substantially increased tensile resistance in response to said application of tensile forces in excess of said predetermined tensile force; and a plurality of surface discontinuities disposed along a length of said chalk line, such that said chalk is (a) selectively adhered to each of said surface discontinuities but (b) repelled by portions of said chalk line located between adjacent surface discontinuities; wherein when said chalk line is in said tensed configuration said plurality of surface discontinuities are spaced at predetermined intervals along said length of said chalk line such that a multiplicity of aligned, accurately spaced chalk marks can be applied to a surface when said chalk line is impacted against said surface in said tensed configuration. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said surface discontinuities are selected from the list consisting of a braided jacket, a chemically abraded surface, a mechanically abraded surface, a felt surface, and a flocked surface. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said chalk line has an extensibility limit corresponding to said tensed configuration, said chalk line providing tangible feedback to a user as of a substantially increased tensile resistance in response to an application of tensile forces in excess of said predetermined tensile force. 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said line further comprises a flocked coating encompassing the plurality of polymer strands. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of said plurality of surface discontinuities has a length of about 1.5 inches. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least a first one of said plurality of surface discontinuities has a length of about 1.5 inches, and at least second and third ones of said plurality of surface discontinuities are sized and spaced such that a distance from a first end of said second mark to a second end of said third mark is about 1.5 inches, and wherein an individual length of each said second and third marks is less than 0.75 inches.