Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TRANSPA.RENT MEASURING DEVICE
WITH MULllCOLORED LINES
Teclmical Field
This invention relates to measuring devices, and more particularly
5 to a measuring device for measuring, marking, or cutting material of various
colors, including multicolored material such as quilting material.
Background of the Invention
Transparent measuring devices are useful for measuring, marking,
or creating designs on a background material. The present invention, as it
10 pertains to transparent measuring dev ces, will be described in the context of the
quilting art, although it will be appreciated that it can have application in other
fields.
Quilt making is a creative art that cornbines fabric, color, and
pattern design in ways that express individuality nnd creativity. A quilt is made
15 by joining several layers of fabric together with hand or machine stitching. The
stitching can be decorative as weU as functional. The fabric layers of a quilt
usually consist of a top fabric, a filler, nnd a backing. The fabric may have a
pattern formed from a patchwork of fabric pieces stitched together, an applique
attached to the ~abric by hand, machine, fusing, or a design drawn or traced 011
20 the top fabric that may be highlighted by stitching.
To prevent shifting during the stitching of the pattern, the three
layers must be handbasted from the center outward. Small items, generally less
than eight t8) inches square, should be basted in a radial pattern ~long 30 or 45
lines. For larger items a greater pattern should be used with rows no more than
25 four (4) inches apart.
Once basted, the pattern is created on the top fabric. For
patchwork, this involves three basic steps -- cutting a shape such as a triangle,
sewing the triangular shapes to form a square, and sewing the squares to form
rows of fabric. It is important that the measuring, cutting, and sewing of the
30 pieces be exact.
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There are several disadvantages to using a standard
foot-long ruler or a narrow yardstick in making a quilt. First,
the marks or lines on transparent rulers are difficult to see when
their color blends in with the background color of the fabric, as
frequently happens with multicolor quilts. Furthermore, these
rulers are usually not wide enough to facilitate the marking and
measuring of a square or radial grid patterns used in basting
fabric layers, hand-tying quilts, or transferring designs.
Typically, the ruler must be turned several directions to mark and
check the pattern Eor size and parallelism. In addition, these
rulers have no lines on them to enable the marking of a 30 or 45
radial pattern.
Summarv of the Invention
The present invention provides a measuring device
particularly useful for measuring, marking, or cutting materials
of various colors, including multicolored material such as
quilting fabric. The measuring device includes a sheet of
transparent material having one or more composite lines marked on
it. Each composite line comprises first and second lines of first
and second colors respectively, the Eirst and second colors being
different from one another. The first and second lines are
mutually parallel, and are positioned with respect to one another
such that two different colors appear at least at spaced intervals
along the length of each composite line.
Preferably, the first line is superimposed on the second
line, with the first line having a lesser breadth than the second
line, such that the second line is visible on both sides of the
first line. However, the lines may be adjacent each other or at
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least partially overlapping such that at least two different
colors appear along the length of each composite line.
In accordance with further preferred aspects of this
invention, the sheet of transparent material is rectangular. The
composite lines are positioned on the rectangular sheet to include
a first set of one or more mutually parallel composite lines and a
second set of one or more mutually parallel composite lines
positioned at substantially right angles with respect to one
another to thereby form squares. The resulting arrangement of
lines and squares forms a grid pattern.
In accordance with still further aspects of this
invention, the pattern of composite lines includes angled lines
oriented at 30, 45, and 60 with respect to either of said first
set or second set of mutually parallel composite lines.
In accordance with still further aspects of this
invention, each of said first set and second set of mutually
parallel composite lines are consecutively numbered. In addition,
each of the angled lines are labeled with its
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respective an~ular orientation to either of said Eirst set or second set of
composite lines.
In accordance with still further aspects of this invention, the first
color is yellow and the second color is green. In the alternative, the first color
may be white an~ the second color may be black. A further alternative would
have the first color dark orange and the second color light blue. Finally, the
first color may be black and the second color may be yellow.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the
present invention provides a measuring device in which the two-colored com-
posite lines are easily seen against a multicolored material such as that used in
quilting fabric. The measuring device is also of a size to facilitate the marking
of grid or radial lines on the fabric layers of a quilt. The transparency
facilitates alignment of the measuring device to ensure that the resulting
marked lines, patchwork pieces, or transferred designs are accurate and parallel.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIGURE 1 is a front view of tlle measuring device formed in
accordance with the present invention; and,
FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the measuring device
illustrated in FIGURE 1.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred emhodiment of the
measuring device of the present invention. The measuring device 10 comprises a
sheet 11 of transparent material having a front surface 12 and a back surface 14.
Sheet 11 may be formed from any suitable transparent material such as acrylic
plastic. As shown, the measuring device 10 is rectangular, having a preferred
length of twenty-four (24) inches nnd a width of six (6) inches.
A pattern of composite lines is formed on sheet 11, the pattern
including a plurality of vertical lines 16 running across the width of the sheet and
a plurality of horizontal lines 18 running across the length of the sheet. The
~0 vertical lines 16 and the horizontal lines 18 are positioned substantially at right
angles with respect to one another to thereby create a grid pattern formed of
squares 20. In addition to the horizontal and vertical lines, there are angled
lines 22 placed on the grid to form angles of 30, 45, and 60~, with either thevertical or horizontal lines. Angled lines 22 enable a user Or the measurillg
device to orient the device at the indicated angles, so that the material can bemeasured, marked or cut at an angle to a given line.
As is more clearly shown in FIGURE 2, each of the horizontal and
vertical lines is formed of a first line 24 and a second line 26. The first line 24 is
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of a first color (or hue) and the second line 26 is of a second color (or hue) that is
different rom the first color. Preferably, the first line 24 is superimposed upon
the second line 26, and the first line 24 is of a lesser breadth than that of the
second line 26, such that the second line 26 is visible on each side of the first
line 24 when viewed from the front surface 12. E-Iowever, the first line 24 nnd
the second line 26 may also be placed in adjacent or partially overlapping
relationship, so long as the ~wo different colors are visible from the front
surface 12. The first and second colors are of a contrasting nature, such as
yellow and dark green, white and black, darlc orange and light blue, black and
yellow, or other combinations such that either one of the colors will be visibleagainst backgrounds of various colors or against a multicolored background.
For ease of illustration, FIGURE 2 shows lines 24 and 26 formed on
the front surface of measuring device lO. However, it will be understood that
the lines could equally well be formed on the back surface of the measuring
device, and that such back surface lines would have the advantage of reducing
paralax errors. Combinations of front and back surface lines may also be used.
Lines 24 and 26 may be formed by any suitable printing process, such as by a silk
screen, lithograph press, or photographic process, by an engraving process such
as laser engraving, or by combinations of the above techniques.
In the illustrated embodiment, each horizontal and vertical line is
conse¢utively numbered by numbers 28 placed at each line. The numbers 28 are
preferably of the first color and are placed in an enlarged circle 30 preferably of
the second color. ~s illustrated herein, the numbers 28 correspond to the
distance of each line from an edge of the grid, preferably in inches, Qlthough
other units may be used. In addition, angled lines 22 have markings 32
representing the angle in degrees thQt each angled line 22 makes with the
vertical lines 16 as measured at angles ~3.
Preferably, the squares 20 are further subdivided by vertical sub-
division lines 34 and horizontal subdivision lines 36 placed between the vertical
lines 16 and the horizontal lines 18. In addition, subdivision marks 38 are shown
placed along the length of the measuring device 10 and on the edges thereof.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated
and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. ~or example9 each of the
lines may be piaced on the front surface of the measuring device instead of the
rear surface. The angled lines and/or the subdivision lines may also consist of
two colors, or the composite lines could be curved or could comprise hash marks,
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cross hairs, or the like. Consequently, the invention can be practiced otherwisethan as specifically described herein.
