Apparatus for measuring length and perimeter

An apparatus for measuring the length and the perimeter of an object, the apparatus comprising:

• a main housing part provided with a main abutment and forming a main attachment location;
• a movable housing part provided with a movable abutment normally spaced longitudinally from the main abutment and with a movable location forming a guide, the movable part being longitudinally displaceable on the main housing part so as to displace the abutments longitudinally relative to each other and also to displace the locations longitudinally relative to each other;
• a flexible but substantially inextensible element passing through the guide at the movable location and having
• an outer end fixed to the main attachment location,
• an outer portion defined by and extending between the locations,
• an intermediate portion guided in the movable part,
• an inner portion extending in the main part, and
• an inner end;
• means in the main housing part at the inner end for maintaining the element under tension and normally extending longitudinally straight between the locations;
• and
• means in the main housing part for displaying the measured length of perimeter of the object, whereby when the outer portion extends straight between the locations the means for displaying shows the length of an object engaged between the abutments and when the outer portion lies on the surface of an object engaged between the locations means for displaying shows the perimeter of the object between the locations.