Abstract: A speed square is provided including a triangular flat plate having measurement markings indicated on at least one face, a T bar affixed to, and extending along, the length of a first side of the triangular flat plate, and an extension element hingedly connected to an end of second side of the triangular flat plate opposite the T bar. The extension element having measurement markings indicated on at least one face, such that the measurement markings of the triangular flat face continue on the extension element.

Abstract: A construction layout and angle measurement tool includes opposite working sides having unique indicia for establishing angles from side edges or corners of building materials. When used with a reference line, and when attached to the workpiece, the tool allows site layout and evaluation by only one person. The tool may be mounted on vertical, horizontal, and inclined workpieces. Angles are determined and evaluated directly with the tool while avoiding mathematical computation.

Abstract: An obtuse angle range adjustable square provides an extended angle adjustment that minimizes the user's reach distance required to mark framing cuts. The frame of the obtuse angle range adjustable square has a triangular section and an extended slot extension section that allows a pivoting guide mounted on the frame to be set to a range of acute and obtuse angles providing flexibility in the use of the square. The pivoting guide may be stably rested on a framing member edge to mark the transverse side of the member.

Abstract: An adjustable framing tool 10 for laying out hip and valley rafters 216. A planar body 12 has a measuring edge 14 and first and second scribing edges 16,18 disposed at right angles to the measuring edge. An arm assembly 20 comprising first and second parallel arms 22,24 disposed on opposite sides of the planar body is rotatably mounted on the planar body. The arm assembly extends across an arcuate slot 40 in the planar body centered on the pivot of the arm assembly. A thumb screw 42 selectively positions the arm assembly at any rotational position. The measuring edge is numbered in increments from 0 to 12, the length of the measuring edge being equal to 12 times the secant of the angle c formed by the hip or valley rafter 218 with the nearest common rafter 208. The slot is numbered in increments expressed as the pitch of the main roof 202.

Abstract: A construction layout and angle measurement tool includes opposite working sides having unique indicia for establishing angles from side edges or corners of building materials. When used with a reference line, and when attached to the workpiece, the tool allows site layout and evaluation by only one person. The tool may be mounted on vertical, horizontal, and inclined workpieces. Angles are determined and evaluated directly with the tool while avoiding mathematical computation.

Abstract: A rafter layout tool for facilitating the layout of ridge cut, bird's mouth, seat cuts, fascia and soffit for the common hip, valley rafter cuts comprising a protractor member, measurement indicator arm and 90 degree arm and move up and down and side to side for different size lumber from 2?×6? to 2?×12? which is pivotally connected to the base of the protractor member, incorporating means for indicating pitch markings on said protractor. Extending linearly along the measurement indicator arm is a bounded slot providing means for slidably up and down and attaching the 90 degree arm ably to slide side to side and up and down for different size lumber.

Abstract: A framing square includes a right-angle square formed from a first member and a second member connected to each other at a respective distal end of each thereof and forming a right-angle connection therebetween. An angular measuring member is positioned at the right-angle connection. An indicator guide is positioned on a first side of the right-angle square and pivotally connected at a pivot point positioned at the right angle connection and moveable about a first side of the angular measuring member. An indicator arm is connected to the indicator guide and further includes a means for securing the indicator guide at a predetermined angle along said angular measuring member. The pivotal indicator arm and the pivotal indicator guide can be secured to the right-angle square resulting in a user able to consistently measure a same angle.

Abstract: A template and method for fabricating rafters. The template including a U-shaped component including a first arm with a slot, a second arm with a slot, and a base perpendicular to and connecting the first and second arms. The template also including an adjustable main arm slidably connected to the first and second arms of the U-shaped component, a seat rotatably connected to the base arm of the U-shaped component, and a ridge arm rotatably connected to a first end of the main arm. The template also includes a fascia arm rotatably connected to a second end of the main arm, and a soffit arm slidably connected to the fascia arm.

Abstract: A rafter square is provided with a triangular base plate, having a flanged base edge portion, a side edge portion, and a hypotenuse edge portion. An extension arm is selectively movable from a retracted position, closely adjacent the hypotenuse edge, to an extended position that is in-line with, but extends beyond a distal end of the side edge. Various locking mechanisms are provided for selectively locking the extension arm in either or both of its retracted or extended positions.

Abstract: A construction layout and angle measurement tool includes opposite working sides having unique indicia for establishing angles from side edges or corners of building materials. When used with a reference line, and when attached to the workpiece, the tool allows site layout and evaluation by only one person. The tool may be mounted on vertical, horizontal, and inclined workpieces. Angles are determined and evaluated directly with the tool while avoiding mathematical computation.

Abstract: The present invention 10 discloses a rafter square 18 having a pivotal indicator arm 14 and pivotal indicator guide 16. The pivotal arm 14 and guide 16 are detachable from the rafter square portion 18 by unscrewing the thumbscrew 20 that secures the device to its pivotal point 22 located on the heel portion of the right angle square 18. A wing nut 24 is also removable and when in use allows the indicator arm 14 to slide along a track 26 and point to indication markings 28 along the tracks surface. Also provided are a ring bearing 38 and wing nut retainer 30. Located at the distal end of the indicator guide 16 is a storage port 40 with an end cap 42. The storage port 40 can hold the removed wing nut 24 and thumbscrew 20 when the arm 14 is removed. Within the storage port 14 a guide chart 44 can also be stored and used for reference.

Abstract: A router template apparatus for routing stair stringers to accept end sections of stair members to facilitate building a stairway. The router template apparatus includes a rectangular frame member that has an opening extending therethrough for receiving a router. The frame member comprises a pair of elongate side portions and a pair of elongate end portions. A pair of brace members is pivotally coupled to opposing corner portions of the frame member. Each of the brace members is oriented generally parallel to each other when attached to the frame member. When inside edges of the brace members are positioned adjacent to side edges of a stair stringer and the frame member is positioned atop a broad surface of the stringer, the opening guides the router to facilitate cutting out a recessed section in the stringer such that an end portion of a stair member is positionable in the recessed section to facilitate building a stairway.

Abstract: A common rafter and hip layout tool which provides a protractor portion, a common cut marking edge, a common cut marking edge pantograph arm to which is connected a bird's mouth marking arm, a seat cut marking arm connected at a right angle to the bird's mouth marking arm and a tail length marking arm. The pantograph arm and connected bird's mouth marking arm facilitates the marking of the bird's mouth cut and the seat cut. Movement of the common cut marking edge to the location indicated by the tail length marking arm facilitates the making of parallel cuts for the common rafter ridge cut and the tail cut.

Abstract: A construction tool and method for its use in laying out stud marks. The tool is adjustable and is especially suited for laying out stud marks on a rafter of a pitched roof so as to be aligned with the corresponding stud marks on a sill beneath the rafter. The tool includes an elongated measuring member; stud-marking members attached to the measuring member in spaced, transverse relation therealong, at least one of the marking members being adjustable along the measuring member; measurement indicia on the measuring member that enables the spacing between the marking members to be set; and conversion indicia on one or more of the members that sets forth the relationship among various roof rises and stud spacings on sills and rafters. The method involves laying out markings on the sill and rafter boards with the tool including the steps of placing the layout tool along a first of the boards, e.g.

Abstract: A new Wedge Cutting Jig Device for offering a tool that enables one to cut wood wedges and shims and the like with a variety of thicknesses. The inventive device includes a base, a handle, a wood pocket, a wood push wall, and a thickness adjustment means. In use, an ordinarily and otherwise scrap lumber end is placed on a table saw and the Wedge Cutting Jig Device 10 is taken by the hand of the operator. The operator turns the table saw on, and with the Wedge Cutting Jig Device 10 sliding down a slot of the table saw with the slide rail 22 of the Wedge Cutting Jig Device 10 being slidably received within the slot of the table saw, the scrap lumber end is safely forced past the turning blade of the table saw and results in a wood wedge being cut out.

Abstract: A framing layout tool includes two squares each with two legs or blades 90.degree. apart. The squares are pivotally attached at their vertices by a pivot pin including a knurled locking nut. One of the squares includes a longitudinally aligned electronic plumb and level indicator on one of the legs. The other leg of that square includes indicia on a leg reference edge for indicating rise-over-run integers representative of the angular separation of that other leg and a leg of the other square. Indicia indicating the actual angle between such legs is also contained on an opposite reference edge of that other leg. The layout tool has particular utility for accurately marking the location of a plumb cut, seat cuts and a ridge cut in roof rafters where the blade of the second square is placed on an inclined rafter and oriented with the electronic level in a vertical plumb position. When a visual and auditory indication of exact plumb is obtained the clamping nut is locked.

Abstract: A square for laying out and marking run and rise lines on supporting stringers for a staircase has a rake bar connected to slots near the ends of blades of the square. Markings showing a range of horizontal run distances are placed on the outer edge of the long blade of the square, and markings showing vertical rise distances are given on the outer edge of the short blade. The rake bar has a contact surface perpendicular to the plane of the square and has one end alignable with a marking corresponding to a selected run distance and the other end alignable with a rise distance marking. Once aligned, the bar is held in position against the blades by a pair of bolts. Placement of the adjusted tool with the rake bar contact surface flush against a side edge surface of a stringer results in outer edges of the blades being put in positions where horizontal and vertical cuts are to be made in the stringer.

Abstract: A carpenter's protractor for use in scribing angled lines on a board or for guiding a portable saw in making angled cuts of a board. The protractor has an angularly adjustable arm which extends outwardly from opposite faces of the protractor body to enable the protractor to be used with either face of the protractor in engagement with the flat surface of a board and with either of a pair of opposed, parallel edges of the adjustable arm in engagement with a straight edge of the board.

Abstract: The rafter angle device includes a body in the form of a generally U-shaped plate of metal or the like having a horizontal base and spaced first and second vertical arms at opposite ends thereof. A third arm is pivotally connected to the plate at about the end of the base bearing the first arm and extends beyond the second arm. The third arm may releasably receive and is releasably securable to at least one of the first and second arms in any position between about horizontal and vertical, as by a locking nut. The first arm has a generally triangular support portion secured to the base about halfway along the length thereof and defining a spaced pair of curved slots, with angle, hip rafter valve and common jack plumb cut indicia disposed along the perimeter of the slots thereof. The support portion may also bear door sill and window sill indicia, while at least one margin of each of the three arms and base bear linear indicia in fractions of an inch.