Gauge especially adapted for measuring the frame height of race cars and method of using the same

A measuring gauge, comprising:

• a housing formed by substantially parallel sidewalls connected by front and rear walls and also by a bottom wall, said housing having a substantially open top portion;
• a stop mounted for pivotal movement at least partially into and out of said housing through said open top portion;
• means for biasing said stop in a direction out of said housing toward an extended position;
• at least one detent member for selectively retaining said stop in a fixed position relative to said housing and selectively permitting extension of said stop in a direction out of said housing through said open top portion in response to said biasing means.

A measuring gauge, comprising:

• a housing formed by a pair of substantially planar sidewalls disposed in substantially parallel relation, said sidewalls connected by a rear wall, an arcuate front wall, a bottom wall, and said housing having a substantially open top portion;
• a substantially wedge-shaped stop member including a narrow apex portion pivotally mounted by a pivot pin mounted adjacent to the intersection of said sidewalls and said rear wall of said housing, said stop member mounted for movement at least partially into and out of said open top portion of said housing;
• cooperating detent members on said housing and on said stop member for selectively retaining said stop member and said housing in a selected adjusted relative position, said detent members allowing selective release of said stop member to permit said stop member to move into and out of said housing through said open top portion of said housing;
• at least one arcuate window formed through at least one of said sidewalls of said housing;
• at least one pointer connected to said stop member and disposed in engagement with said window for sliding movement therealong;
• and
• a scale on said housing adjacent said window, said scale cooperating with said pointer to provide a visual indication to a user of a measurement.

The gauge adapted for measuring the vertical distance between a substantially planar surface upon which a vehicle is mounted and a frame or other portion of the carriage of the vehicle, said gauge comprising:

• a housing possessing a lower surface adapted to rest upon said substantially planar surface;
• a stop mounted to said housing and moveable extensibly upwardly from said housing, away from said lower surface;
• means for biasing said stop toward an extensibly upward position;
• and
• means for selectively inhibiting extensible movement of said stop, whereby when said lower surface of said housing rests upon said substantially planar surface and said stop abuts said frame or other portion of said carriage of said vehicle, the amount of upward extension of said stop measures said vertical distance.

A gauge adapted for measuring the vertical distance between a substantially planar surface upon which a vehicle is mounted and a frame or other portion of the carriage of the vehicle, said gauge consisting essentially of:

• a housing possessing a lower surface adapted to rest upon said substantially planar surface;
• a stop mounted to said housing and moveable extensibly upwardly from said housing, away from said lower surface;
• means for biasing said stop toward an extensibly upward position;
• and
• means for selectively inhibiting extensible movement of said stop, whereby when said lower surface of said housing rests upon said substantially planar surface and said stop abuts said frame or other portion of said carriage of said vehicle, the amount of upward extension of said stop measures said distance.

A gauge for measuring a distance between a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

• a housing possessing a first housing surface adapted to abut against said first surface;
• a stop mounted on said housing and moveable extensibly away from or toward said first housing surface, said stop having a limited range of movement between a retracted position closest to said first housing surface and an extreme extended position farthest from said first housing surface;
• means for biasing said stop member toward said extreme extended position;
• and
• means for selectively inhibiting movement of said stop, whereby when said first housing surface abuts against said first surface and when said stop abuts said second surface, the amount of extension of said stop within said range measures said distance.

A gauge for measuring a distance between a first surface and a second surface, consisting essentially of:

• a housing possessing a first housing surface adapted to abut against said first measuring surface;
• a stop mounted on said housing and moveable extensibly away from or toward said first housing surface, said stop having a limited range of movement between a retracted position closest to said first housing surface and an extreme extended position farthest from said first housing surface;
• means for biasing said stop member toward said extreme extended position;
• and
• means for selectively inhibiting movement of said stop, whereby when said first housing surface abuts against said first surface and when said stop abuts said second surface, the amount of extension of said stop within said range measures said distance.

A gauge for measuring a distance between a first object and a second object comprising:

• a housing possessing a first surface adapted to abut against said first object;
• an arm pivotably mounted on said housing, said arm having an end about which said arm pivots and having a distal end pivotable away from or toward said first surface;
• means for biasing said distal end away from said first surface;
• means for selectively inhibiting pivoted movement of said arm;
• means for indicating the distance between said distal end of said arm and said first surface, whereby when said first surface abuts against said first object and when said distal end of said arm abuts said second object, said indicating means also indicates the distance between said first object and said second object.

A gauge for measuring a distance between a first object and a second object consisting essentially of:

• a housing possessing a first surface adapted to abut against said first object;
• an arm pivotably mounted on said housing, said arm having an end about which said arm pivots and having a distal end and pivotable away from or toward said first surface;
• means for biasing said distal end away from said first surface;
• means for selectively inhibiting pivoted movement of said arm;
• means for indicating the distance between said distal end of said arm and said first surface, whereby when said first surface abuts against said first object and when said distal end of said arm abuts said second object, said indicating means also indicates the distance between said first object and said second object.

A method of measuring a distance between a first object and a second object comprising the steps of:

• providing a gauge comprising
• (a) a housing possessing a first surface adapted to abut against said first object;
• (b) an arm pivotably mounted on said housing, said arm having an end about which said arm pivots and having a distal end pivotable away from or toward said first surface;
• (c) means for biasing said distal end away from said first surface;
• and
• (d) manually manipulated means for selectively inhibiting pivoted movement of said arm;
• manually manipulating said inhibiting means such that pivoted movement of said arm is not inhibited and such that said biasing means causes said distal end to pivotably move away from said first surface;
• positioning said gauge such that said first surface abuts said first object and said distal end of said arm abuts said second object;
• after said positioning step, causing said inhibiting means to inhibit pivoted movement of said arm;
• after said causing step, removing said gauge from said position;
• after said causing step, measuring the distance said distal end of said arm is away from said first surface.

A method of measuring a distance between a first object and a second object comprising the steps of:

• providing a gauge consisting essentially of:
• (a) a housing possessing a first surface adapted to abut against said first object;
• (b) an arm pivotably mounted on said housing, said arm having an end about which said arm pivots and having a distal end pivotable away from or toward said first surface;
• (c) means for biasing said arm away from said first surface;
• and
• (d) manually manipulated means for selectively inhibiting pivoted movement of said arm;
• manually manipulating said inhibiting means such that pivoted movement of said arm is not inhibited and such that said biasing means causes said distal end to pivotably move away from said first surface;
• positioning said gauge such that said first surface abuts said first object and said distal end of said arm abuts said second object;
• after said positioning step, causing said inhibiting means to inhibit pivoted movement of said arm;
• after said causing step, removing said gauge from said position;
• after said causing step, measuring the distance said distal end of said arm is away from said first surface.