US1490220A - Bricklayer's trowel - Google Patents

Description

w. c. LAWRENCE BRICKLAYER S TROWEL April 1-5; 1924.

Filed April 5, 1922 A TTORNEY i atenietl Apr. l 4

fwiLma o. LAWRENCE, or TOBR-INGTON, connncrrcur.

BRICKLAYERS TRQWEL.

Application filed April 5,

To all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that, I, IVI LIAM C. LAW- RENCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Torrington, county of Litchfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bricklayers Trowels, of which the following is a specification. p p

This invention relates to bricklayers or masons trowels and more particularly to a combined trowel and level.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature whereby a bricklayer. or, mason may quickly determine Whether a brick is horizontal without requiring the use of the long level commonly employed.

A further object is to provide a combined trowel and level having a leveling device mounted in the handle thereof.

A further object is to provide a device of this nature which will be simple, strong, cheap to manufacture, and very eiiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention ma be conveniently embodied in practice.

*ig. 1 represents a top plan view of a combined trowel and level embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken through the end of the handle, and showing the interior construction of the level.

In the ordinary process of building a brick wall, it is customary to lay the bricks in rows or courses having a layer of mortar between adjacent rows. In order to insure that the bricks in each course are horizontal, the workman is required to make frequent use of a heavy long level. If the course of bricks is found out of level, the workman must then manipulate each brick and the mortar under the brick to make it level. The bricklayer must alternately use his trowel and level until the row is correctly laid. This requires that theoperator must continually stoop down to pick up his heavy long level which naturally becomes fatiguing. Moreover, much time is often wasted in hunting for the long level as it sometimes becomes misplaced.

With the present invention, the above and other-disadvantages have been practi- 1922. Serial No. 549,711.

cally avoided. This has been accomplished by providing a level in the handle of the trowel itself.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 represents ablade having a flat bottom surface and formed in substantially the shape of a diamond. The blade 10 is provided with a pair of slightly curved forward sides 11 and 12 terminating in the tip 13, and a pair of straight rear sides let and .15. At the rear of the blade and integrally formed therewith, there is an enlarged vertical shank 16 curved over backwardly and terminating in an upwardly inclined handle section 17 upon which is mounted a handle 18 preferably constructed of wood. The handle is held in place upon the shank 17 in any suitable manner, and its lower end is protected by a metal ferrule 19.

A rectangular cavity 20 is formed in the top of the handle within which an elongated level glass 21 is firmly embedded by means of plaster of Paris or any other suitable material 22. This level glass 21 which is substantially cylindrical'in shape, is provided with a slightly rounded top 23 and is adapted to contain a sufficient amount of alcohol or other suitable liquid to leave a bubble 24 as is usual in spirit levels. A cover plate 25 having a rectangular opening 26 is secured to said handle with its opening in alinement with the top of the level, by means of the screws 27 and 28. These screws 27 and 28 are preferably provided with fiat heads which are countersunk into the cover plate 25.

In operation, as each brick is laid upon the mortar, it may be tested by placing the blade of the trowel upon it, and thus if any brickis found to be out of level, it may be immediately corrected without loss of time. The trowel may also be laid upon several adjacent bricks and in this way one may readily determine whether the last laid prizk is in alinement with those previously When using the trowel, the operator may 7 exert force upon the blade to cause the bricks and mortar to become horizontal at the same time that he employs it as a level.

In some cases, with highly skilled workmen, a course of bricks may be laid with a trowel made according to this invention without the use of the long level. In the ordinary case, however, a bricklayer will not entirely dispense with the long level, but will use it less often than would formerly be required.

Oneadvantage of this invention is that it materially saves the time of the bricklayer, as it reduces to a considerable extent the number of times he has to employ the regular long spirit level.

A further advantage is the greater accuracy and increased speed with whichthe bricks maybe proberly laid.

A still "further advantage is that it enables an unskilled workman to lay bricks with greater speed and more correctly than a more experienced man without the use of this improved level-trowel.

lVhile there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments comincr within the scope of the following claims.

aving thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. A bricklayer-s trowel comprising the combination with a blade for manipulating the mortar and bricks, of a shank connected to said blade, and a handle mounted on said shank, said handle having a level mounted therein to indicate when the blade is horizontal, whereby the bricklayer will beenabled when laying the bricks or smoothing the mortar to determine whether the work is properly done.

2. In a bricklayers trowel, a Hat metal blade, ahandle for said blade, and a level mounted in said handle for indicating when said blade is horizontal.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature to this specification.

WILLIAM C. LAXVRENCE.

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