US2624950A - Gauge for aligning a string of pipe with a grade line - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 GAUGE FOR ALIGNING A STRING OF'PIPE WITH A GRADE LINE John A. Mitchell, Mount Pleasant, Pa.

Application October 25, 1949, Serial No. 123,443

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to an instrument and more particularly .to an instrument to be used with a grade line.

In the laying of pipe in a trench, such as water and sewer pipe, the method used today is to erect batter boards, and stretch 'a grade-line string between them. The bases of the batter boards are placed transversely across a trench on the surface of ground, one edge of the uprights being on the center line of a trench, and the string stretched so that it is over the center line of the trench and against one edge of the uprights. Astaif withgrade line marked thereon is used for setting pipe in the trench to grade.

This arrangement interferes with various methods that 'areemployed for lowering pipe into a trench, an example beingpulley andtackle. Workmen when using such equipment, and ofttimes vthe tackle or pipe, will become engaged with .thegrade string, thus fouling same. This causes loss of time for the reason the grade line has to be re-established.

.It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an instrument so designed that the grade line may be offset from the center line of .a trench.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a grade instrument that will permit the erection of batter boards on one side of a trench.

A still further object of the presentinvention is the provision of a grade instrument or staff having horizontal adjustable means.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a grade instrument or staff having vertical adjustable means.

vA still further object .of the present invention is the provision of ;a grade instrument or staff having adjustable means for engagement with a grade line that is offset from the center of a trench.

A still further object of thepresent invention is the provision of means on the staff for adjusting the staff in the vertical, horizontal or at an angle.

With these and other objects in view, the ad vantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent as reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is afront elevational view-of the staff and illustrating the vertical and horizontal adjusting means. I

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of thestafi and the adjustable means.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the staff.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure'l and illustrating the adjustable arm in an extendedposition, the figure being enlarged, with parts omitted.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, illustrating the adjustable arms and plate, the figure being enlarged.

Figure 6 is an elevational view of the T-shaped plate member.

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional View of a trench and illustrating the batter boards, grade line, pipe and staff.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a trench and illustrating the application of the device to pipe and grade line.

Referring to the drawing the numeral It represents the device and it comprises a staff having a body I l of solid or tubular material and a base l2, and reinforcing arms .3 that may be secured to the base andbody by screws or by spot welding. To one face of the body I I there is secured by screws M a handle 95, and to another face of the body ii there is secured by screws [6 a spirit level I! having bubbles l8, l9 and 20. A plurality of apertures 2| and 22 are provided in two side faces of the body and they are in axial alignment.

Mounted for adjustable and slidable movement on the body on its upper portion is a sleeve 23 having ends 24 and 25, end 25 being provided with a through aperture that receives a bolt 26 adapted for engagement with one of the apertures 2| for locking engagement by a nut 21 to the body H. Between the ends 24 and 25 there is a reduced portion 28, this portion being integral with the ends 24 and 25. The end 24 is provided with an arm 29 that is integral with it, and it is provided with a plurality of apertures 36, the arm 29 being adapted to be positioned on the staff either on the left or right side due to the sleeve 23 being slidable on the shaft. Mounted on arm 29 is a slidable arm 3! having guide lugs 32, the end 33 of the arm being disposed at a right angle. The slidable arm 31 isjprovided-with an aperture that .receives a bolt 3 34 that secures a plate 35 having a slot 36 to the arm, the plate due to the slot 36 being adjustable vertically. A nut 31 on the bolt 34 looks the plate to the arm, the slidable arm 3| being secured to the arm 29 by bolt 38 and nut 39.

Below the spirit level |1 there is mounted a strap 40 having horizontal arms 4|, a central aperture 42, a plurality of apertures 43 and a vertical portion 44 that serves to hold the strap to one face of the body i The horizontal arms 4| of the strap are engaged by a plate 45 having a central aperture that is aligned with the aperture 42, a bolt 46 passing through the apertures 42 and aligned aperture in plate 45 and receiving a nut 4! that secures the strap to the body The plate 45 is provided with finger lugs 48, the inner edges of the finger lugs impinging side walls of the body H, the finger lugs serving as a clamping means for the strap. The strap 49 is adjustable vertically on the body due to the plurality of apertures 22. Mounted on the arms 4| of the strap 40 are extension arms 49 that may be of any suitable length, having at one end guide lugs 50 that hold the extension arms 49 for slidable movement on the arms 4|, the opposite end 5| of the extension arms 49 being disposed at right angles thereto. As shown in Figure 5 the extension arms 49 are extended and they are secured to arms 4| by bolts 52 that engage apertures 43, the bolts being secured by nuts 53.

In Figures 7 and 8 which are diagrammatic, the numeral 55 represents ground level, 56 a trench and 51 the bottom of the trench. On one side of the trench batter boards 58 are erected at designated distances, the batter boards comprising vertical stakes 53 driven into the ground, and a cross arm 63 secured to the stakes, the cross arm being on an approximate grade. The end 6| of the cross arm has positioned thereon a string 62 that establishes the grade line.

To use the device after a trench has been dug, batter boards 58 are erected at designated distances on one side of a trench, and at one end 6| of the cross arms 66 that are secured to stakes 59 there is positioned a grade line string 62.

In the use of the device, pipe 55 may be upended or placed horizontally on the ground, the strap 46 having horizontal arms 4| and 49 being adjusted up or down until the arms are approximately on the horizontal diameter of pipe 65, the arm 49 then adjusted to the inner diameter of the end 68 of the pipe or to the inner diameter of the bell 67, the bolts 52 inserted and passed through apertures 43, through the aligned apertures in the ends of the arms 49, and the nuts 53 tightened, thus securing the extension arms 49 to the arms 4|. If desired the arms 49 may be adjusted to proper diameter by using a rule.

After the above operation the sleeve 23 is moved up or down on the stafi until the arm 29 is at the proper grade level, the bolt 26 is then passed through the apertures in the end 24 and the apertures 2| in the body of the stafi l6 and the nut 21 then tightened. The slidable arm 3| is next adjusted until one edge of the plate 35 engages the grade line string 62, the bolt 33 placed in the apertures in the arms 29 and 3| and secured by the nut 39.

As indicated by the arrow in Figure 8, pipe is laid in the direction of the arrow, gravel or cement placed on the floor 51 of trench 55, pipe 65 then lowered into the trench, the base |2 of the stafi l placed in the pipe (as shown in Figure .8) and gravel or cement adjusted until 4 the bottom of the slidable arm 3| and the edge of the plate 35 engage the grade line string 62. One of the levels will indicate if the stafi is beingheld in vertical position.

The handle |5 provides a means for holding the staff in a vertical position or in an angular position, the position being established by the bubbles l8, l9 and 20. The handle also provides a means for moving the staff I0 along various stations and to the pipes as they are laid in a trench.

From the above description it can be seen, and as illustrated in Figure 7, the grade line is offset from the center of the trench, and by the provision of arms 29 and 3|, and arms 4| and 49, pipe will always be laid on the center line of a trench and at the exact depth grade.

The grade line establishes the rate of grade to which pipe is to be laid. The staff and its adjustable arms are set, one for the rate of grade, the other for the diameter of the pipe, the base of the staff or body to engage the inner diameter of the pipe. The pipe is adjusted as to elevation by bringing the inner diameter of the pipe to the base |2 of the body II, the distance of grade being the distance between the base l2 and the bottom edge of the slidable arm 3|, and one edge of the plate 35, the arm 3| having been set for the exact grade on the body While the invention has been disclosed in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that these are by way of example rather than by way of limitations and that the invention is to be defined by the attendant claims which should be given a scope as broad as is consistent with the prior art.

What is claimed is:

l. A grade instrument for aligning a string of pipe with a grade line string comprising a body, upper and lower arms carried by said body and adapted for vertical and horizontal adjustment on said body, a base on said body disposed rearwardly of the front face of said body and engageable with the inner peripheral wall of a pipe, and a member adjustably mounted on and at right angles to said upper arms, one edge of said member and one edge of one of said upper arms contacting the grade line string to determine the proper position for a pipe in a trench.

2. A grade instrument for aligning a string of pipe with a grade line string comprising a body, upper and lower arms carried by said body and adapted for vertical and horizontal adjustment on said body, a base on said body disposed rearwardly of the front face of said body and engageable with the inner peripheral wall of a pipe, and a member adjustably mounted on and at right angles to said upper arms, one edge of said member and one edge of one of said upper arms contacting the grade line string, said lower arms on said body being adjustable horizontally to the diameter of a pipe to position said body centrally of said pipe and thereby enable pipe to be laid to the exact grade of a grade line string. 1

3. A grade instrument for aligning a horizontal pipe with a horizontal grade line string above said pipe and offset with respect thereto, comprising a vertical body, a sleeve slidably adjustable vertically on the upper end of said body, an upper arm mounted on said sleeve and horizontally adjustable thereon, a slotted plate carried by said upper arm and vertically adjustable thereon, said plate being adapted to engage the grade line string, a strap carried by saidbody 5 at the lower end of said body and vertically Number adjustable thereon, and a pair of lower arms 922,143 carried by said strap and horizontally adjust- 1,026,579 able thereon, the ends of said lower arms ex- 1,060,284 tending equidistantly from the body and being 5 1,194,460 adapted to engage the inner rim of the pipe. 1,279,031 JOHN A. MITCHELL. 1,336,004 1,576,453 REFERENCES CITED 2 334 4 The following references are of record in the 10 2,503,403 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date 156,736 595,860 Nichols Dec. 21, 1897 15 5 791,900 Hall June 6, 1905

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