Slope measuring and indication means and the like
OwnerSteven W. Hosacinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light weight direct reading inclinometer which can be operated by one man, is easily portable and has a scale readout in both percent slope and inches per foot of slope. The normal operating range is within zero to ten percent slop of inclination and can be extended by the use of accessories and/or adjustment mechanisms. Measurements are made by adjusting a pivotally positioned level vial whose movement is interconnected with an adjustable readout wheel mechanism.
Claims15
In a slope measuring device for measuring the inclination of a surface, said device having a housing, a control arm pivotally mounted at one end of said housing, the other end being free and non-suspended, and extending into said housing, a level vial mounted in said control arm, the improvement in said device comprising
- a. a rotatable cam mounted in said housing, and having a peripheral spiral surface contacting the free end of said control arm,
- b. a rotatable control wheel interconnected with both said arm and said spiral cam for continuously changing the radius of said spiral cam,
- c. a slope scale readout wheel marked off in a type of indicia for measuring inclination and interconnected to said rotatable wheel, said control means, said spiral cam and said slope scale readout wheel being rotatable together on a common axis shaft, said cam, said readout wheel and said control means, all being disposed in said housing, said common axis shaft being aligned in a plane perpendicular to the length of said control arm, wherein said housing includes a pair of foldable sections, said control arm, said vial, said cam, said wheels, and said control means being mounted in the first of said two sections, hinging means mounted between the first section and the second section for folding the second section, and the second of said two sections being removably secured to said first section;
- said sections, when extended, providing an elongated housing for slope measurement and, when folded, providing a folded housing slope measurement device, wherein said first section includes support means at one end and said second section includes a support means at one end thereof, and the support means of said first section is an inverted generally U-shaped member providing a space therein and the said second section support means is an elongated member movable into the space in said inverted U-shaped member, when said second section is in its folded position.
In a slope measuring device for measuring the inclination of a surface, said device having a housing, a control arm pivotally mounted at one end of said housing, the other end being free and non-suspended, and extending into said housing, a level vial mounted in said control arm, the improvement in said device comprising
- a. a rotatable cam mounted in said housing, and having a peripheral spiral surface contacting the free end of said control arm,
- b. a rotatable control wheel interconnected with both said arm and said spiral cam for continuously changing the radius of said spiral cam,
- c. a slope scale readout wheel marked off in a type of indicia for measuring inclination and interconnected to said rotatable wheel, said control means, said spiral cam and said slope scale readout wheel being rotatable together on a common axis shaft, said cam, said readout wheel and said control means, all being disposed in said housing, said common axis shaft being aligned in a plane perpendicular to the length of said control arm, wherein said housing includes a pair of foldable sections, said control arm, said vial, said cam, said wheels, and said control means being mounted in the first of said two sections, hinging means mounted between the first section and the second section for folding the second section, and the second of said two sections being removably secured to said first section;
- said sections, when extended, providing an elongated housing for slope measurement, and, when folded, providing a folded housing slope measurement device, wherein said first section includes support means at one end and said second section includes a support means at one end thereof, and wherein said first section comprises a pair of spaced apart parallel members, and said second section support means is an elongated member movable into the space between said parallel members of said first section when the device is in a folded position.
In a slope measuring device for measuring the inclination of a surface, said device having a housing, a control arm pivotally mounted at one end of said housing, the other end being free and non-suspended, and extending into said housing, a level vial mounted in said control arm the improvement in said device comprising
- a. a rotatable cam mounted in said housing, and having a peripheral spiral surface contacting the free end of said control arm,
- b. a rotatable control wheel interconnected with both said arm and said spiral cam for continuously changing the radius of said spiral cam,
- c. a slope scale readout wheel marked off in a type of indicia for measuring inclination and interconnected to said rotatable wheel, said control means, said spiral cam and said slope scale readout wheel being rotatable together on a common axis shaft, said cam, said readout wheel and said control means, all being disposed in said housing, said common axis shaft being aligned in a plane perpendicular to the length of said control arm, and said control arm has a stylus tip at its free end contacting said spiral cam's peripheral surface and movable in contact therealong, wherein said spiral cam's peripheral surface terminates in a point, and said point has a breaker plate mounted thereon for limiting the rotation of said tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.