Method and template for circle layouts

Claim 2

An indexing template for positioning a work piece with respect to a tool comprising: a. a base; b. a lower plate slidably positioned upon the base; c. an upper plate movably connected to the lower plate; d. an ordered pattern of indexing points in the upper plate arranged upon a plurality of concentric circles of varying diameter; e. an ordered pattern of indexing points in the lower plate; and f. indexing means for affixing the upper and lower plates with respect to each other at preselected positions by alignment of indexing points in the lower plate with indexing points on a concentric circle in the upper plate.

Claim 3

The indexing template of claim 1 in which the indexing means affixes the upper and lower plates at equiangular positions with respect to rotation of one plate upon the other.

Claim 4

The indexing template of claim 2 in which the indexing means includes an indexing member that senses when indexing points on the upper and lower plate are aligned during rotation of one plate with respect to the other and that stops rotation of the plates at a preselected number of successive radial positions.

Claim 5

An indexing template for positioning a work piece with respect to a tool comprising: a. a base; b. a lower plate slidably positioned upon the base; c. an upper plate movably connected to the lower plate; d. an ordered pattern of openings in the upper plate arranged upon a plurality of concentric circles of successively larger diameter, each concentric circle having an increasing number of openings placed upon the perimeter of each of the concentric circles so that the larger concentric circles have more indexing openings than the smaller ones; e. an ordered pattern of openings in the lower plate; and f. indexing means for affixing the upper and lower plates at preselected equiangular positions with respect to each other and for sensing when openings on the upper and lower plate are aligned during rotation of one plate with respect to the other.

Claim 6

An indexing template for positioning a work piece with respect to a tool comprising: a. a base; b. a lower plate slidably positioned upon the base; c. an upper plate movably connected to the lower plate; d. an ordered pattern of openings in the upper plate arranged upon a plurality of concentric circles of successively larger diameter, each concentric circle having an increasing number of openings placed upon the perimeter of each of the concentric circles so that the larger concentric circles have more indexing openings than the smaller ones; e. an ordered pattern of openings in the lower plate; and f. indexing means for affixing the upper and lower plates at preselected equiangular positions with respect to each other and for sensing when openings on the upper and lower plate are aligned during rotation of one plate with respect to the other.

Claim 7

The indexing template of claim 4 in which the indexing means includes a peg member which engages aligned openings of the upper and lower plates.

Claim 8

The indexing apparatus of claim 4 in which the openings on one of the plates are equi-radially spaced.

Claim 9

The indexing apparatus of claim 6 wherein the openings on one of the plates are arranged in linear paths.

Claim 12

The system of claim 8 in which the indexing means compares the position of indexing points on the first plate member with respect to indexing points on the second member and stops rotation of the second plate member when certain points are aligned.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10 in which step (b) further comprises sliding the template linearly.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13 in which step (e) further comprises the step of stopping rotation of the template with respect to the tool by selecting an element of the pre-set stop means which engages a number of other stop elements equal to the number of points determined in step (c).

Claim 23

The method of claim 14 in which step (c) further includes placing a side bar in position proximate to the sliding portion of the template so that the sliding portion of the template can be slid to the same position without measurement.

Claim 26

An indexing template for positioning a work piece with respect to a tool comprising: a. a base; b. a first plate connected to the base, so that it can be slidably positioned along a defined linear path at a varying distance from the tool; c. an second plate movably connected to the first plate on which the work piece may be secured; d. an ordered pattern of indexing points in the second plate arranged upon a plurality of concentric circles of varying diameter, each successive concentric circle having an increasing number of indexing points spaced about its perimeter so that each concentric circle forms a reference which allows the second plate to be positioned at a preselected number of radial points; e. an ordered pattern of indexing points in the first plate; each indexing point aligning with a concentric circle of holes in the second plate for selecting which concentric circle will be used as a reference; and g. indexing means for affixing the first and second plates with respect to each other at a preselected number of radial positions by alignment of an indexing point in the first plate with the indexing points on the perimeter of a single concentric circle in the second plate, the plurality of concentric circles on the second plate allowing the second plate to be positioned at a range of radial positions depending on which concentric circle of reference is aligned with an indexing point in the first plate by the indexing means.

Claim 27

An indexing template for positioning a work piece with respect to a tool comprising: a. a base; b. a first plate connected to the base, so that it can be slidably positioned along a defined linear path at a varying distance from the tool; c. an second plate movably connected to the first plate on which the work piece may be secured; d. an ordered pattern of indexing points in the second plate arranged upon a plurality of concentric circles of varying diameter, each successive concentric circle having an increasing number of indexing points spaced about its perimeter so that each concentric circle forms a reference which allows the second plate to be positioned at a preselected number of radial points; e. an ordered pattern of indexing points in the first plate; each indexing point aligning with a concentric circle of holes in the second plate for selecting which concentric circle will be used as a reference; and g. indexing means for affixing the first and second plates with respect to each other at a preselected number of radial positions by alignment of an indexing point in the first plate with the indexing points on the perimeter of a single concentric circle in the second plate, the plurality of concentric circles on the second plate allowing the second plate to be positioned at a range of radial positions depending on which concentric circle of reference is aligned with an indexing point in the first plate by the indexing means.

Claim 28

The indexing template of claim 18 in which the indexing means affixes the first and second plates at equiangular positions with respect to rotation of one plate upon the other.

Claim 29

The indexing template of claim 19 in which the indexing means includes an indexing member that senses when the indexing points on the first plate are aligned with successive indexing points on a selected concentric circle of reference on the second plate.