Length probe with tracing unit and switch arrangement

A portable hand-held combination length probe, tracing unit, and switch arrangement comprising

• a length probe unit and a tracing unit secured together as a single portable hand-held probe and tracing unit,
• switch means carried by one of said length probe unit and tracing unit,
• said tracing unit having a longitudinally slidable body,
• spring means resiliently biasing said tracing unit body toward a first position, and permitting movement of said body against said spring to a second position,
• said slidable tracing unit body having switch actuator means for actuating said switch means, as a function of said tracing unit being moved from one of said positions to the other,
• said switch means being a self-return snap-action switch having an actuator,
• and cam means on said slidable tracing unit for effecting actuation of said switch means through movement of said actuator as a function of movement of said slidable tracing unit,
• and an intermediate bendable spring lever arm disposed between said cam means and said switch actuator for movement of said actuator by engagement of said cam with said spring lever arm.

A portable hand-held combination length probe, tracing unit, and switch arrangement comprising

• a length probe unit and a tracing unit secured together as a single portable hand-held probe and tracing unit,
• switch means carried by one of said length probe unit and tracing unit,
• said tracing unit having a longitudinally slidable body,
• spring means resiliently biasing said tracing unit body toward a first position, and permitting movement of said body against said spring to a second position,
• said slidable tracing unit body having switch actuator means for actuating said switch means, as a function of said tracing unit being moved from one of said positions to the other,
• said tracing unit having a chuck collet and a longitudinally slidable chuck collet retainer within which said collet is also selectively slidable,
• further spring means normally resiliently holding said collet in closed condition within said retainer,
• a slide tube secured to said collet for concurrent sliding movement together,
• shoulder means on said tube intermediate its ends and against which said spring means and said further spring means act in opposing directions,
• a stationary bushing slidably carrying said slide tube,
• stop means forward of said collet retainer for limiting forward movement of said collet retainer,
• said first-mentioned spring means being disposed between said shoulder means and said bushing and being substantially weaker than said further spring means,
• said further spring means being forward of said shoulder means and acting in compression between said shoulder means and said collet retainer and being stronger than said first-mentioned spring means, whereby rearward axial pressure on said collet will effect rearward movement of said tube through compression of said weaker rear spring means, while forward axial pressure on the rear of said tracing unit will effect compression of said stronger foward spring to thereby push said collet through said collet retainer.

A portable hand-held combination length probe, tracing unit, and switch arrangement comprising

• a length probe unit and a tracing unit secured together as a single portable hand-held probe and tracing unit,
• switch means carried by one of said length probe unit and tracing unit,
• said tracing unit having a longitudinally slidable body,
• spring means resiliently biasing said tracing unit body toward a first position, and permitting movement of said body against said spring to a second position,
• said slidable tracing unit body having switch actuator means for actuating said switch means, as a function of said tracing unit being moved from one of said positions to the other,
• said length probe and said tracing unit each having a housing section stationary relative to one another,
• and a forward retention clip adjacent to the forward end zone of said tracing unit housing and extending through a slot in said tracing unit housing into engagement with an anchor portion of said length probe.

A portable hand-held combination length probe, tracing unit, and switch arrangement comprising

• a length probe unit and a tracing unit secured together as a single portable hand-held probe and tracing unit,
• switch means carried by one of said length probe unit and tracing unit,
• said tracing unit having a longitudinally slidable body,
• spring means resiliently biasing said tracing unit body toward a first position, and permitting movement of said body against said spring to a second position,
• switch actuator means carried by one of said length probe and said slidable tracing unit body, for actuating said switch means as a function of said tracing unit being moved from one of said positions to the other,
• said switch means comprising a magnetically actuated switch,
• said switch actuator means comprising magnetic field generating means on the other one of said length probe and tracing unit longitudinally slidable body, one of said magnetically actuated switch and magnetic field generating means being movable relative to the other one of said magnetically actuated switch and magnetic field generating means into and out of switch-actuating position as a function of back-and-forth longitudinal sliding motion of said slidable body.