Fastener locating device

Abstract

A fastener locating device comprising a housing comprising a first 3 and second plate (5, Fig 2) with axially aligned first 13 and second (23, Fig2) apertures which connect via first 9 and second (19,

Description

The invention relates to a fastener locating device, particularly, but not exclusively, for locating fasteners in the forms of screws located in sheets of walls. The interior part of a wall or partition of, for example, a house, generally comprises a frame, made of and vertical and horizontal members and one or more covering materials such as sheets of plasterboard or plywood. The sheets of the covering material are attached to the vertical and horizontal members using fasteners. The sheets and fasteners are then often covered, for example with plaster, which conceals the fasteners. The fasteners usually comprise screws or nails, all of a metallic material. If any sheet of a wall is to be subsequently removed, it is advantageous to know the location of the fasteners, so that they can be taken out without doing much damage to the sheet. It is therefore important to be able to accurately locate the fasteners in the sheet. According to the invention there is provided a fastener locating device comprising a housing comprising a first plate having a centrally-located first connecting part depending from a first face of the first plate and defining an axial first aperture through the first connecting part and the first plate and a plurality of first cylinders depending from the first face of the first plate and regularly spaced around the first connecting part, a second plate having a centrally-located second connecting part depending from a first face of the second plate and defining an axial second aperture through the second connecting part and the second plate and a plurality of second cylinders depending from the first face of the second plate and regularly spaced around the second connecting part, the first connecting part being attached to the second connecting part to connect the first plate to the second plate with the first face of the first plate facing the first face of the second plate, the first aperture axially aligned with the second aperture and each of the first cylinders axially aligned with a corresponding second cylinder, and a magnet movably held between each first cylinder and corresponding second cylinder, each magnet pushing away from neighbouring magnets to a radially outermost position of each first cylinder and corresponding second cylinder, wherein, in use, each magnet is pulled into a radially innermost position of each first cylinder and corresponding second cylinder when a fastener is located in line with the axially aligned first and second apertures. In use, when a fastener is located in line with the axially aligned first and second apertures, a marker may be placed in the first and second apertures to mark the location of the fastener. The first plate and the second plate may be substantially circular. The fastener locating device may hold four magnets. The first plate and the second plate may be substantially triangular. The fastener locating device may hold three magnets. The first aperture and the second aperture may have a substantially circular cross section. The first aperture and the second aperture may have a substantially cruciform cross section. The first plate may have a wall depending from the first face of the first plate and located around an outermost edge of the first plate. The second plate may have a wall depending from the first face of the second plate and located around an outermost edge of the second plate. When the first plate is connected to the second plate, the wall of the first plate may align with and meet the wall of the second plate. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representative of the first face of the first plate of the housing of the fastener locating device according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a schematic representative of the first face of the second plate of the housing of the fastener locating device of Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the fastener locating device 1 comprises a first plate 3, a second plate 5 and four magnets 7. In this embodiment, the first plate 3 and the second plate 5 are substantially circular, but it will be appreciated that other shapes may be used. Referring to Figure 1, the first plate 3 has a centrally-located first connecting part 9 depending from a first face 11 of the first plate 3. The first connecting part 9 defines an axial first aperture 13 of a substantially cruciform cross section through the first connecting part 9 and the first plate 3. The first plate 3 has a plurality of first cylinders 15 depending from the first face 11 of the first plate 3 and which are regularly spaced around the first connecting part 9. The first plate 3 further has a wall 17 depending from the first face 11 of the first plate 3 and located around an outermost edge of the first plate 3, as shown. Referring to Figure 2, the second plate 5 has a centrally-located second connecting part 19 depending from a first face 21 of the second plate 5. The second connecting part 19 defines an axial first aperture 23 of a substantially cruciform cross section through the second connecting part 19 and the second plate 5. The second plate 5 has a plurality of second cylinders 25 depending from the first face 21 of the second plate 5 and which are regularly spaced around the second connecting part 19. The second plate 5 further has a wall 27 depending from the first face 21 of the second plate 5 and located around an outermost edge of the second plate 5, as shown. The first connecting part 9 is a male connecting part and attaches to the second connecting part 19 which is a female connecting part, to connect the first plate 3 to the second plate 5. When, attached, the first face 11 of the first plate 3 faces the first face 21 of the second plate 5, the first aperture 13 is axially aligned with the second aperture 23 and each of the first cylinders 15 is axially aligned with a corresponding second cylinder 25. The wall 17 of the first plate 3 aligns with and meets the wall 27 of the second plate 5. Before attaching the first plate 3 and the second plate 5, a magnet 7 is placed in each of the first cylinders 15 of the first plate 3 and then the plates 3,5 are attached. Each magnet 7 is movably held between a first cylinder 15 of the first plate 3 and a corresponding second cylinder 25 of the second plate 5. Using the natural positive and negative poles of the magnets 7, each magnet 7 repulses and pushes away from neighbouring magnets 7 to a radially outermost position of its first cylinder 15 and corresponding second cylinder 25. In use, the fastener locating device 1 is placed with an outer face of either the first plate 3 or the second plate 5 against a sheet fastened with fasteners to a frame of a wall (not shown). To locate a fastener, the device 1 is moved vertically up and down quite fast while slowly moving the device horizontally along the sheet. When the fastener locating device 1 is in a proximate location of a fastener in the sheet, the device 1 vibrates and makes a noise as each magnet 7 is first attracted to and then released from attraction to the fastener. The fastener locating device 1 is then slowly moved up and down and side to side over the proximate location of the fastener in the sheet. In doing so, each magnet 7 crosses the fastener and the attraction to the fastener overcomes the repulsion to neighbouring magnets 7, such that each magnet 7 moves from its radially outermost position within its first cylinder 15 and corresponding second cylinder 25 to its radially innermost position within its first cylinder 15 and corresponding second cylinder 25 and back to its radially outermost position within its first cylinder 15 and corresponding second cylinder 25 (normal position). When most of the magnets 7 have been activated as described, the fastener is located in the centre of all the magnets 7 and none of the magnets 7 are out of there normal radially outermost positions within the first cylinders 15 and corresponding second cylinders 25. When the fastener locating device 1 is in this position, the first and second apertures 13, 23 are aligned over the fastener. A marker (not shown), such as a pencil or pen, is then placed in the first and second apertures 13, 23 and used to mark the location of the fastener. 5 The fastener locating device 1 can therefore be used to mark accurately the location of the fastener. Other locating devices are placed over the fastener and therefore prevents the location of the fastener from being marked. The fastener locating device 1 can be positioned on the back of a user's hand under a 10 work glove which keeps the device 1 in place. The fastener locating device 1 can then be used to hold fasteners, such as screws, nuts and bolts, due to attraction of the fasteners to the magnets 7 in the device 1. When the fastener locating device 1 is circular in shape and comprises four magnets 7, this provides an increased area for holding fasteners and also rounded edges of the device 1 which is comfortable for the user. 15

Claims

1. A fastener locating device comprising a housing comprising a first plate having a centrally-located first connecting part depending from a first face of the first plate and defining an axial first aperture through the first connecting part and the first plate and a plurality of first cylinders depending from the first face of the first plate and regularly spaced around the first connecting part, a second plate having a centrally-located second connecting part depending from a first face of the second plate and defining an axial second aperture through the second connecting part and the second plate and a plurality of second cylinders depending from the first face of the second plate and regularly spaced around the second connecting part, the first connecting part being attached to the second connecting part to connect the first plate to the second plate with the first face of the first plate facing the first face of the second plate, the first aperture axially aligned with the second aperture and each of the first cylinders axially aligned with a corresponding second cylinder, and a magnet movably held between each first cylinder and corresponding second cylinder, each magnet pushing away from neighbouring magnets to a radially outermost position of each first cylinder and corresponding second cylinder, wherein, in use, each magnet is pulled into a radially innermost position of each first cylinder and corresponding second cylinder when a fastener is located in line with the axially aligned first and second apertures.

2. A fastener locating device according to claim 1 in which the first plate and the second plate are substantially circular and the fastener locating device holds four magnets.

3. A fastener locating device according to claim 1 in which the first plate and the second plate are substantially triangular and the fastener locating device holds three magnets.

4. A fastener locating device according to any preceding claim in which the first aperture and the second aperture have a substantially circular cross section.

5. A fastener locating device according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the first 5 aperture and the second aperture have a substantially cruciform cross section.

6. A fastener locating device according to any preceding claim in which first plate has a wall depending from the first face of the first plate and located around an outermost edge of the first plate and the second plate has a wall depending from the first face of 10 the second plate and located around an outermost edge of the second plate and, when the first plate is connected to the second plate, the wall of the first plate aligns with and meets the wall of the second plate.

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