# US 2013/0152398 A1 · Hole depth measurement device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0152398 A1 - Document ID: US20130152398A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/706,799 - Filed: 2012-12-06 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Inventors: Lee WAGSTAFF; Philip Lee BRADBURY; Gareth TOWLSON - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152398A1 ## CPC - G01B 5/02: for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B5/004, G01B5/08 take precedence) - B21D 53/92: other parts for aircraft - G01B 1/00: Measuring instruments characterised by the selection of material therefor - G01B 3/28: Depth gauges - G01B 5/18: for measuring depth - Y10T 29/49622: Vehicular structural member making - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A plastic hand-held measuring device, can measure the depth of a hole or bore or the length of a fixing, having particular application with composite aircraft components. A hook or tang, at the end of an elongate portion, can engage with the far end of the bore allowing the depth ascertained from a first measurement scale. A first formation can engage with a fixing, allowing measurement of the length of the fixing from a second measurement scale. A plastic slide can abut against a portion of the component to be measured and indicate the distance on the measurement scale that corresponds to the length of the dimension being measured. The slide may be arranged to engage with successive indexed formations along the length of the device, so that it is inclined to remain in a position corresponding to an indexed formation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hand-held measuring device for measuring both the depth of a hole and the length of a fixing for such a hole, wherein the measuring device comprises an elongate portion terminating with a hook, the hook being arranged for engaging with a far end of a hole whilst the elongate portion is located within the hole, a first measurement scale from which the depth of the hole may be determined when the hook is engaged with the far end of the hole, a first formation arranged to engage with a corresponding formation on a fixing for such a hole, and a second measurement scale from which the length of a fixing may be determined when the first formation is engaged with the fixing, and wherein the measuring device is made from plastic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device is made from a high-visibility plastic. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device is made from a luminescent plastic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device has a third measurement scale, such that one of the first to third measurement scales is located on one side of the measuring device, another of the first to third measurement scales is located on the opposite side of the measuring device, and another of the first to third measurement scales is located on an adjacent side of the measuring device, whereby the measuring device is ambidextrous. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein the third measurement scale is arranged to allow the length of a fixing to be determined when the first formation is engaged with the fixing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device has a generally laminar shape with a substantially constant thickness and the first measurement scale is provided on a surface of the measuring device that extends across the thickness of the measuring device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device has a second formation arranged to engage with a corresponding formation on a fixing for such a hole and a further measurement scale from which the length of a fixing may be determined when the second formation is engaged with the fixing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A measuring device according to claim 7, wherein one of the first formation and the second formation is arranged to abut against a flat-headed fixing, whereas the other of the first formation and the second formation is arranged to abut against a counter-sunk fixing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device includes a plastic slide that is arranged to slide along the length of at least a part of the measuring device and abut a portion of the component to be measured when the measuring device is in a measuring position so that when the slide is so positioned it indicates the distance on the scale that corresponds to the length of the dimension being measured. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the measuring device includes a series of indexed formations along the length of the measuring device with which the plastic slide is arranged to engage as it slides along the length of the measuring device, such that the force required to move the plastic slide from a position in which it is engaging one of the indexed formations is less than the force required to move the plastic slide from a stationary position midway between two such indexed formations. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the plastic slide is so arranged to indicate on the first measurement scale the measured depth of a hole, when the hook is engaged with the far end of the hole and the slide is moved to abut the structure defining the near end of the hole. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) A measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the plastic slide is so arranged to indicate on the second measurement scale the measured length of a fixing, when the first formation is engaged with the fixing at one end and the slide is moved to abut an opposite end of the fixing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7, 9) A measuring device according to claim 9, when dependent on claim 7, wherein the plastic slide is so arranged to indicate on the further measurement scale the measured length of a fixing, when the second formation is engaged with the fixing at one end and the slide is moved to abut an opposite end of the fixing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A measuring device according to claim 11, wherein the slide is arranged to have at least three different measuring modes, the three modes including a first mode for measuring the length of a hole when the first measurement scale is used, and second and third modes, one of the second and third modes being used to measure the length of a countersunk fixing whereas the other of the second and third modes being used to measure the length of a flat-headed fixing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A measuring device according to claim 14, wherein a different part of the slide is arranged to abut the component being measured as compared between at least two of the three measuring modes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A measuring device according to claim 14, wherein a different part of the slide is arranged to indicate the distance being measured as compared between at least two of the three measuring modes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) A measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the measuring device is configured to be used to measure distances both with and without the assistance of the slide. ### Claim 18 A method of manufacturing a hand-held measuring device, the measuring device being arranged to measure both the depth of a hole and the length of a fixing for such a hole, wherein the method includes the steps of: providing a mould, the mould defining a shape having an elongate portion terminating with a hook, moulding plastic material in the mould, allowing the plastic material to set in the mould, and removing the measuring device so formed from the mould, the measuring device being in the form of a hand-held measuring device for measuring both the depth of a hole and the length of a fixing for such a hole, wherein the resulting measuring device comprises an elongate portion terminating with a hook, the hook being arranged for engaging with a far end of a hole whilst the elongate portion is located within the hole, a first measurement scale from which the depth of the hole may be determined when the hook is engaged with the far end of the hole the measuring device comprises a first formation arranged to engage with a corresponding formation on a fixing for such a hole a second measurement scale from which the length of a fixing may be determined when the first formation is engaged with the fixing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method according to claim 18, wherein the step of moulding plastic material in the mould includes introducing plastic-making material in particulate form and additive granules, the additive granules introducing high visibility optical properties into the plastic when moulded. ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method of measuring an aircraft component comprising the following steps: providing at least one of (a) an aircraft component having a bore of a length to be measured and (b) a fixing for insertion into the bore of an aircraft component, the fixing having a length to be measured, providing a measuring device according to claim 1, and measuring the length of said at least one of (a) the bore and (b) the fixing. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method according to claim 21, wherein the length of a bore in an aircraft component is measured by means of inserting the elongate portion into the bore, engaging the far end of the hole with the hook, and taking a reading from the first measurement scale. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) A method according to claim 21, wherein the length of a fixing for insertion into the bore of an aircraft component is measured by means of the first formation of the measuring device engaging with a corresponding formation on the fixing, and taking a reading from the second measurement scale. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) A method according to claim 21, wherein the measuring device includes a plastic slide that is arranged to slide along the length of at least a part of the measuring device, the slide including a formation, and the measuring device including a multiplicity of indexed formations for engaging with the formation on the slide, and the step of measuring the length of at least one of the aircraft component and the fixing includes manually bringing the slide into contact with a part of the component being measured whilst the measuring device is in contact with the component to be measured, such that a portion of the slide then indicates on at least one of the measurement scales on the measuring device the measured length of the component, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: removing the measuring device from the component, releasing manual pressure on the slide, and taking a reading of the measured length from said at least one of the measurement scales as indicated by the slide, whilst the measuring device is not in contact with the component being measured, and wherein the slide is held in position whilst manual pressure has been removed from the slide and whilst the measuring device has been removed from the component being measured by means of the formation on the slide engaging with one or more of the indexed formations on the measuring device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) A method of inserting a fixing and sleeve in an aircraft component, the method including the steps of: providing an aircraft structure having a bore, measuring the bore by means of the measuring device defined in claim 1, selecting a sleeve on the basis of the length of the bore so measured, checking that the length of the sleeve so selected is correct by means of the measuring device, fitting the sleeve within the bore by means of cold-expanding the sleeve within the bore, and then fitting a fixing within the cold-expanded sleeve. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A method according to claim 25, wherein the method includes steps of using the measuring device to measure the length of the fixing before it is inserted into the sleeve.