Chalk line device

A chalk line device comprising:

• a housing defining an outer surface and an internal chamber, the housing including an opening;
• a spool supported in the internal chamber for rotation relative to the housing about a spool axis;
• a chalk line extending through the opening of the housing, at least a portion of the chalk line wrapped around the spool;
• a drive mechanism for rotating the spool, the drive mechanism including a gear member and a lever, the gear member directly coupled to the spool at a spool interface, the lever positioned proximate the outer surface and supported for rotation relative to the housing, rotation of the lever transmitting a torque to the gear member and the gear member in turn transmits a torque to the spool to rotate the spool;
• and
• a clutch mechanism for selectively uncoupling the gear member from the spool at the spool interface when a torque transmitted by the gear member to the spool exceeds a predetermined threshold.

A chalk line device comprising:

• a housing defining an outer surface and an internal chamber, the housing including an opening;
• a lever supported for rotation relative to the housing;
• a chalk line extending through the opening of the housing such that an end of the chalk line is positioned outside of the internal chamber and a portion of the chalk line is supported in the internal chamber;
• a spool supported in the internal chamber for rotation relative to the housing about a spool axis, the spool driven by rotation of the lever, the spool including a pair of side walls and a hub extending between the pair of side walls, the hub extending around the spool axis such that the portion of the chalk line is wrapped around the hub, at least one of the side walls including an inner portion, a peripheral portion, and a plurality of support members extending between the inner portion and the peripheral portion, each support member oriented parallel to and offset from a radial line that extends outwardly from the spool axis toward the peripheral portion, the plurality of support members defining a plurality of openings positioned between each of the support members and extending through the side wall to permit chalk to pass through the side wall.