Tool for disclosing and correcting dimensional non-compliance of an edge prior to mounting an edge guard

1. A tool comprising:

a body having a length ending at a first lengthwise end and at a second lengthwise end opposite the first lengthwise end;

a first portion of the body at the first lengthwise end comprising a first slot for gauging clearance depth of an edge of an object by insertion of the edge into the first slot, the first slot comprising an open entrance and mutually confronting side surfaces lying in respective parallel planes and extending depthwise of the first slot from the open entrance of the first slot to a bottom surface of the first slot;

a second portion of the body at the second lengthwise end comprising a second slot into which an edge of an object can be inserted to correct clearance depth of the edge alter the first slot has disclosed insufficient clearance depth of the edge for mounting an edge guard on the edge because of interfering material on the edge, the second slot comprising an open entrance and mutually confronting side surfaces lying in respective parallel planes and extending depthwise of the second slot from the open entrance of the second slot to a bottom surface of the second slot;

one side surface of the second slot having a depth, extending from the open entrance of the second slot to the bottom surface of the second slot, which is greater than depth of each side surface of the first slot, the one side surface of the second slot comprising an edge at the open entrance of the second slot; and

a surface extending from the edge of the one side surface of the second slot at an acute angle to the one side surface of the second slot and cooperating with the one side surface of the second slot to form a wedge for correcting insufficient clearance depth by displacing interfering material on the edge of the object when the edge of the object is inserted into the second slot so that sufficient clearance depth is achieved.

2. A tool as set forth in claim 1 in which the respective parallel planes in which the mutually confronting side surfaces of the second slot lie in respective planes which are non-parallel with the respective parallel planes in which the side surfaces of the first slot lie.

3. A tool as set forth in claim 2 in which one of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot comprises an edge at the open entrance of the first slot, and a surface extends from the edge of the one of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot at an acute angle to the one of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot.

4. A tool as set forth in claim 3 in which the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot comprises an edge at the open entrance of the first slot, and a surface extends from the edge of the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot at a right angle to the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot, and in which the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the second slot comprises an edge at the open entrance of the second slot, and a surface extends from the edge of the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the second slot at a right angle to the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the second slot.

5. A tool as set forth in claim 4 in which the body has a lengthwise intermediate portion disposed between the first and second portions of the body, and the lengthwise intermediate portion comprises a circular perimeter surface centered on an axis which extends lengthwise of the body.

6. A tool as set forth in claim 5 in which the edges at the open entrance of the first slot and the surface which extends at a right angle to the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot lie in a common plane which is perpendicular to the axis, and the edges at the open entrance of the second slot and the surface which extends at a right angle to the other of the mutually confronting side surfaces of the second slot lie in a common plane which is perpendicular to the axis.

7. A tool as set forth in claim 2 in which the mutually confronting side surfaces of the first slot lie in respective planes which are parallel to a lengthwise extending axis of the body, and the mutually confronting side surfaces of the second slot lie in respective planes which are non-parallel to the axis.

8. A tool as set forth in claim 1 in which each slot has a length which extends diametrically of a lengthwise extending axis of the body and is open at opposite ends of its length.

9. A tool as set forth in claim 8 in which the lengths of the first slot and the second slot are parallel with each other.

10. A tool as set forth in claim 9 , including a first stripe which is disposed on the body and has a length extending away from and in alignment with depth of the first slot, and a second stripe which is disposed on the body and has a length extending away from and in alignment with depth of the second slot, each stripe having a color different from that of the other stripe.

11. A tool as set forth in claim 1 in which between the first and second portions, the body comprises a lengthwise intermediate portion having a circular surface centered on a lengthwise extending axis of the body, the first portion of the body has a partially circular surface centered on the axis and parallel side surfaces which extend from circumferentially opposite ends of the partially circular surface and are spaced apart a distance less than a diameter of the circular surface, and the length of the first slot ends at the parallel side surfaces which extend from circumferentially opposite ends of the partially circular surface of the first portion of the body, and in which the second portion of the body has a partially circular surface centered on the axis and parallel side surfaces which extend from circumferentially opposite ends of the partially circular surface of the second portion of the body and are spaced apart a distance less than a diameter of the circular surface, and the length of the second slot ends at the parallel side surfaces which extend from circumferentially opposite ends of the partially circular surface of the second portion of the body.

12. A tool as set forth in claim 11 which the partially circular surfaces of the first and second portions of the body are continuations of diametrically opposite portions of the circular surface of the lengthwise intermediate portion of the body.

13. A tool as set forth in claim 1 in which the body comprises a dimensionally stable synthetic material.

14. A tool as set forth in claim 1 in which the first portion of the body and second portion of the body are in respective parts which are separable from a lengthwise intermediate portion of the body.

15. A tool as set forth in claim 2 in which each slot has a length which extends diametrically of a lengthwise extending axis of the body and is open at opposite ends of its length.

16. A tool as set forth in claim 15 which the lengths of the first slot and the second slot are parallel with each other.

17. A tool as set forth in claim 16 including a first stripe which is disposed on the body and has a length extending away from and in alignment with depth of the first slot, and a second stripe which is disposed on the body and has a length extending away from and in alignment with depth of the second slot.

18. A tool as set forth in claim 17 in which the first stripe has a color and the second stripe has a color different from that of the first stripe.

19. A tool as set forth in claim 18 in which each stripe is disposed on a decal adhered to the body.

20. A method for correcting insufficient clearance depth of a lengthwise extending edge of an object onto which an edge guard is to be installed, the method comprising: inserting the edge into a first slot of a clearance depth gauging tool to gauge sufficient clearance depth when the inserted edge bottoms out against a bottom surface of the first slot and to gauge insufficient clearance depth by failure of the inserted edge to bottom out against the bottom surface of the first slot, the first slot having side surfaces extending from the bottom surface along depth of the first slot; and when insufficient clearance depth has been disclosed by the inserted edge not bottoming out against the bottom surface of the first slot, correcting insufficient clearance depth by inserting the edge into a second slot of a clearance depth correction tool which has a bottom surface and side surfaces extending from the bottom surface of the second slot, one of which has depth greater than depth of both side surfaces of the first slot and which cooperates with another surface of the clearance depth correction tool to displace interfering material on the edge and create sufficient clearance death for properly installing an edge guard on the edge when the inserted edge bottoms out on the bottom surface of the second slot.

21. A method for correcting insufficient clearance depth of an edge of an object onto which an edge guard is to be installed, the method comprising:

inserting the edge into a first slot of a clearance depth gauging tool to gauge sufficient clearance depth when the inserted edge bottoms out against a bottom surface of the first slot and to gauge insufficient clearance depth by failure of the inserted edge to bottom out against the bottom surface of the first slot; and

when insufficient clearance depth has been disclosed by the first slot, correcting insufficient clearance depth by inserting the edge into a second slot of a clearance depth correction tool which has a wedge formed by a side surface of the second slot having depth greater than depth of the first slot and cooperating with another surface of the clearance depth correction tool to form a wedge having a sharp edge for displacing interfering material on the edge so that sufficient clearance depth for installing an edge guard on the edge is achieved.