GB2198694A - Line guide stencil for lettering - Google Patents

Abstract

A stencil for use in drawing guide lines for lettering comprising a stencil plate (1) having apertures such as slots (2, 3, 4, 5) and optionally edge portions disposed so as to provide guides for marking out at least one set of four guide lines spaced at intervals falling substantially in the ratio of 4:5:5. <IMAGE>

Description

LINE GUIDE STENCIL FOR LETTERING The present invention relates to a stencil for use in drawing guide lines for lettering. Stencils have been proposed previously for use in drawing sets of equally spaced parallel lines for use as guides for the writing of text. In lettering, it is of assistance to have for each line of lettering a number of guide lines, in particular it is desirable to have four guide lines per line of lettering. The four lines are separated by three intervals. The upper most interval is a guide for the height of ascenders of letters, the middle interval is a guide for the size of the main body of letters and the height of letters such as "m" which have no ascenders or descenders whilst the lower most interval is a guide to the height of descenders Df letters. Capital letters will take up the space afforded by the uppermost and middle intervals.Existing stencils are not ideal for drawing sets of parallel lines for use as guide lines for drawing letters in the manner described above since they are adapted only to draw sets of equally spaced parallel lines.

I have now appreciated the need for a stencil more suitable for drawing guide lines for lettering.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a stencil for use in drawing guide lines for lettering comprising a stencil plate having apertures and optionally edge portions disposed so as to provide guides for marking out at least one set of four guide lines spaced at intervals falling substantially in the ratio of 4:5:5.

Preferably, the stencil comprises means for guiding the placing of the stencil adjacent a first set of lines marked out using the stencil so as to enable the marking out of a second set such that the interval between the adjacent lines of the first and second set is substantially equal to the smaller of the intervals between the lines of the first or second set. Thus, if the interval between the first and second lines of one set is four units and the intervals between the second and third and third and fourth lines of the set are each five units, the interval between subsequent sets should be four units.

Said guiding means preferably comprises one or more apertures or edge portions of the plate spaced from each outermost guide for marking out a guide line, wherein the distances from each said outermost guide to the associated aperture or edge portions sum to the said smaller interval of four units.

Preferably, said guiding means comprises one or more apertures or edge portions of the plate spaced from each outer most guide for marking out a guide line by distances each approximately half the smaller interval between guide lines marked out from the stencil.

Alternatively however, said guiding means may comprise one or more apertures or edge portions of the plate spaced from one outermost guide for marking out a guide line by a distance substantially equal to said smaller interval.

Preferably, there are specifically four apertures or lines of apertures in the plate constituting guides for marking out guide lines. Preferably each aperture is an elongate slot through which may be passed the point of a pencil for drawing a guide line.

Alternatively, the slot may be replaced by a line of apertures such as may be used for making a line of for instance dashes or dots instead of a continuous line.

The invention includes a set of stencils as described above having different absolute line spacings for use in marking out guide lines for lettering in different sizes.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first stencil according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of a second stencil according to the invention, and, Figure 3 is a plan view of a second type of stencil according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 1, a stencil according to the invention comprises a stencil plate (1) having thereon four elongate parallel slots (2,3,4,5). Along the length of the stencil above and below the block of slots (2-5) are four circular apertures (6,7) equidistantly spaced. The four apertures (6) and the four apertures (7) define lines parallel to the slots.

The spacing between slots (2,3), slots (3,4) and slots (4,5) is as 4:5:5. If the spacing between lines (2,3) is put at four units, the spacing between the line of the four apertures (6) and slot (2) is two units. Similarly, the spacing between the line of four apertures (7) and slot (5) is also two units.

In use, a first set of four parallel lines may be drawn by running a pencil along each of the slots (2,3,4,5). Pencil marks are made through the four apertures (7) along the length of the stencil and the stencil is then moved down so that the markings made through the apertures (7) fall under the apertures (6). A second set of lines may then be drawn through the slots. The interval between the two sets of lines will then be four units.

The stencil shown in Figure 1 suitably forms the smallest of a set of stencils of which the next largest is shown in Figure 2. Once again, the stencil plate (1) bears slots (2-5). However, apertures (6,7) are replaced by protruding ribs (6a) protruding from the top edge of the stencil and corresponding elongate recesses (7a) in the bottom edge of the stencil. In use, guide lines are drawn through the slots (2-5) and a short line is ruled across each recess (7a). The stencil is then moved down until the ribs (6a) lie on the short lines drawn in the recesses (7a). It is thus in position for drawing the next set of lines.

The spaces a and b between the top of any rib (6a) and the slot (2) and between the slot (5) and the bottom of any recess (7a) respectively sum to the interval between slots (2,3).

For a complete set of stencils according to the pattern of Figures 1 and 2, to enable lettering to be drawn in desired sizes over a substantial range, the interline spacings are suitably as follows: INTERLINE SPACING STENCIL NO. IN MILLIMETRES 1 4:5:5 2 8:10:10 3 12:15:15 4 16:20:20 5 20:25:25 6 24:30:30 7 28:35:35 8 32:40:40 The length of the stencils is desirably increased in proportion to the spacing, the longest stencil suitably being as much as a metre long.

An alternative form of stencil is illustrated in Figure 3. The stencil shown in Figure 3 comprises a stencil plate (1) having a pair of longitudinally extending parallel slots (3,4) between a pair of parallel edges of the plate (2,5). The spacings between edge (2) and slot (3), slot (3) and slot (4) and slot (4) and edge (5) constitute the intervals between the four lines to be drawn with the stencil.

At each end of the stencil and optionally at other locations along its length there is a projecting tongue (6b) having a height above the edge (2) of the stencil corresponding to the spacing between edge (2) and slot (3). The interset spacing desired may be obtained simply by aligning the tongues (6b) with the bottom line of the last set of lines drawn using the stencil. Lines may then be drawn along edge (2) slots (3,4) and edge (5) to draw the next set.

Stencils according to the invention may suitably be produced in bonwood or like materials or in a plastic material, e.g. 3 mm thick plastics material such as perspex(n)The slots are typically dimensioned to take pencil leads, e.g. 2 mm wide except in the larger stencils which may be intended for use on blackboards where the slots will be dimensioned to receive chalk.

By the use of the stencils described, guide lines for use in drawing letters may rapidly and accurately be drawn thus avoiding time consuming measuring presently required.

Claims (10)

1. A stencil for use in drawing guide lines for lettering comprising a stencil plate having apertures and optionally edge portions disposed so as to provide guides for marking out at least one set of four guide spaces at inters us falling S ')st^- ]' nn thc ratio of 4:5:5.

2. As stencil as claimed in Claim 1 comprising means for guiding the placing of the stencil adjacent a first set of lines marked out using the stencil so as to enable the marking out of a second set such. that the interval between the adjacent lines of the first and second set is substantially equal to the samller of the intervals between the lines of the first or second set.

3. A stencil as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said guiding means comprises one or more apertures or edge portions of the plate spaced from each outermost guide for marking out a guide line, wherein the distances from each said outermost guide to the associated aperture or edge portions sum to the said smaller interval of four units.

4. A stencil as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said guiding means comprises one or more apertures or edge portions of the plate spaced from each outer most guide for marking out a guide line by distances each approximately half the smaller interval between guide lines marked out from the stencil.

5. A stencil as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said guiding means comprises one or more apertures or edge portions of the plate spaced from one outermost guide for marking out a guide line by a distance substantially equal to said smaller interval.

6. A stencil as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there are four apertures or lines of apertures in the plate constituting guides for marking out guide lines.

7. A stencil as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each aperture is an elongate slot through which may be passed the point of a pencil for drawing a guide line.

8. A stencil substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in any one Or rigures i to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A set of stencils each as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 having respective different absolute line spacings for use in marking out guide lines for lettering in different sizes.

10. A set of stencils substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.