NZ791820B2 - Predrill guide tools and methods - Google Patents

Abstract

Predrill guide tools (100) are disclosed which include a body having a vertical planar member (120) with a front side and a back side, a horizontal planar member (130) with a top side, a bottom side and a front end which may include a tapered or curved edge. An angled drill guide (140) extends from the vertical planar member (120) towards the front end. Two or more ribs (122, 123) extend from a top side of the horizontal planar member. In use, the front end can be inserted in the groove of a decking plank and the vertical planar member (120) used to press the drill guide towards the plank to position it for drilling an angled hole through the plank. Methods of using the predrill guide tools to drill holes into deck boards for use with deck clips are also disclosed.

Claims (11)

1. A predrill guide tool comprising: a body having a horizontal planar member with a top side, a bottom side and a first end along one end of the horizontal planar member, a vertical planar member positioned within a first vertical plane, with a front side facing towards the first end of the horizontal planar member and a back side, wherein the vertical planar member extends vertically from the top side of the horizontal planar member at an end opposite the first end of the horizontal planar member, and an angled drill guide extending from the front side of the vertical planar member at an angle towards the first end of the horizontal planar member with a lower surface positioned below the top side of the horizontal planar member and with a front face positioned within a second vertical plane parallel to the vertical planar member; and two or more ribs extending from a top side of the horizontal planar member wherein the two or more ribs are positioned perpendicular to the vertical planar member.

2. The predrill guide tool of claim 1 wherein the angled drill guide has an aperture therethrough.

3. The predrill guide tool of claim 1 wherein the horizontal planar member has a first forward portion and a second forward portion on either side of the angled drill guide with an open space between the first forward portion and the second forward portion.

4. The predrill guide tool of claim 1 wherein the first end is a tapered end.

5. A predrill guide tool comprising: a body having a horizontal planar member means with a top side, a bottom side and a tapered end along one end of the horizontal planar member means, a vertical planar member means positioned within a first vertical plane, with a front side facing towards the tapered end of the horizontal planar member means and a back side, wherein the vertical planar member means extends vertically from the top side of the horizontal planar member means at an end opposite the tapered end of the horizontal planar member means, and an angled drill guide means extending from the front side of the vertical planar member means at an angle towards the tapered end of the horizontal planar member means with a lower surface positioned below the top side of the horizontal planar member means and with a front face positioned within a second vertical plane parallel to the vertical planar member means; and two or more rib means extending from a top side of the horizontal planar member means wherein the two or more rib means are positioned perpendicularly to the vertical planar means.

6. The predrill guide tool of claim 5 wherein the angled drill guide means has an aperture therethrough.

7. The predrill guide tool of claim 5 wherein the horizontal planar member means has a first forward portion and a second forward portion on either side of the angled drill guide means with an open space between the first forward portion and the second forward portion.

8. A method of predrilling a deck board comprising: providing a predrill guide tool comprising a body means having a horizontal planar member means with a top side, a bottom side and a first end along one end of the horizontal planar member means, a vertical planar member means positioned within a first vertical plane, with a front side facing towards the first end of the horizontal planar member means and a back side, wherein the vertical planar member means extends vertically from the top side of the horizontal planar member means at an end opposite the first end of the horizontal planar member means, and an angled drill guide means extending from the front side of the vertical planar member means at an angle towards the first end of the horizontal planar member means with a lower surface positioned below the top side of the horizontal planar member means and with a front face positioned within a second vertical plane parallel to the vertical planar member means; and two or more ribs extending from a top side of the horizontal planar member means wherein the two or more ribs are positioned perpendicularly to the vertical planar member means; inserting a portion of the horizontal planar member into a groove in the deck board; guiding a drill bit of a drill via the angled drill guide towards a surface of the deck board; and drilling a hole at an angle through the deck board.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of inserting the portion of the horizontal planar member means into the groove in the deck board further includes pressing the back side of the vertical planar member means.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising passing debris from the drill bit through a cut-out in the horizontal planar member means.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the drill bit passes through an upper portion of the deck board above the groove and a lower portion of the deck board below the groove.