Randall Essel never thought of himself as an inventor. With 40 years of experience as a bricklayer under his belt, he used a line trig day in and day out – and he had thoughts about a modern, more efficient version. But Essel says he would not have pursued the idea – until the day a friend mentioned that he was in the process of patenting his own invention. That conversation was the motivation he needed to spur into motion. He spent the night crafting a prototype in his garage, and then refined it until it was just right. The EZ Twig is now ready to hit the market with the tag line, ” Faster, Easier, Stronger and Lasts Longer.”
The line trig, also known as the snap-over twig, currently in use today, was patented in the early 1900’s, and although there have been attempts at improvements since the patent expired in the 1920s, the tool has remained unchanged for more than 100 years. Essel, a member of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Union Local 5 and president of R.L. Essel Construction, Inc., says the EZ Twig offers bricklayers everything they want out of a line trig, and others in the industry agree.
“The EZ Twig is pretty revolutionary. The new design makes the use of the trig a lot easier with how it can attach itself to the line.”
Ken Kudela, business manager of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Union
Since he developed the prototype and formed Linovation Corporation, the corporate entity that owns the EZ Twig and is the exclusive distributor of the product, Essel has been consulting with people in the industry to make sure that the tool is practical, marketable and usable. The feedback has been positive, and through field-testing and demonstrations, the EZ Twig has emerged as superior to the existing line trig.
“The EZ Twig certainly is faster, easier and stronger, and we believe that it will soon make the old version of the line trig obsolete. ” A line trig is an on the job necessity, and any mason who uses the EZ Twig will quickly see the benefits of this tool.”
Tom Slosser, territory manager for Essroc Italcementi Group
Bricklayer John Tresidder, a member of Local 5, has been using the EZ Twig and can vouch for its ease of use. His experience with the EZ Twig has proven that it easier to use – a big improvement over the old trig.
” It is a good product. It won’t fly off the line, which makes it safer and easier to use.”
Bricklayer John Tresidder, a member of Local 5
Essroc has placed an order for 6,000 EZ Twigs, and five other masonry suppliers in Northeast Ohio have committed to another 7,000. An additional 12,000 EZ Twigs are currently in production in Lake County, Ohio, and will be available for general distribution on September 1. While Essel plans to introduce the product to the U.S. and Canadian markets first, the EZ Twig will eventually be marketed internationally.
Benefits of the EZ Twig include:
- Ease of use – The EZ Twig can be placed on a line with one hand in a fraction of the time of the old snap-over twig.
- Improved safety – When the line breaks, the old snap-over twig flies off like a projectile, while the EZ Twig will not go farther than 10 to 12 feet before falling to the ground.
- More Stable – The EZ Twig is made from steel that won’t bend or bow, which also makes it last longer.
- Larger Space – The EZ Twig is larger than the old snap-over twig, which gives cement companies and retailers more room for promotional messaging and logos.
For more information on the EZ Twig, contact us.