Dual mode rule assembly

A dual mode rule assembly comprising:

• a housing having an opening;
• a reel rotatably mounted in said housing;
• an elongated rule connected to said reel so as to wind therearound into a housing contained position wherein an end of said rule extends from said opening in a position to be manually engaged;
• a spring system for biasing said reel in a direction to wind said rule around said reel into said housing contained position and enabling said rule to be manually moved outwardly of said opening against the bias of said spring system;
• a mode selector structure carried by said housing for manual movement between first mode and second mode positions;
• and
• a manually releasable spring-biased brake assembly operatively associated with said mode selector structure, wherein when said mode selector structure is in said first mode position said manually releasable spring-biased brake assembly is positioned to enable controlled retraction of said rule toward and into said housing containing position under the bias of said spring system after said rule has been manually moved outwardly from the housing against the bias of said spring system by the manual release of said manually releasable brake assembly, and wherein when said mode selector structure is in said second mode position said manually releasable spring-biased brake assembly is positioned to allow uncontrolled retraction of said rule toward and into said housing containing position under the bias of said spring system after said rule has been manually moved outwardly from the housing against the bias of said spring system.