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US 6,804,899 B2Granted
Rule assembly with protective film
AssigneeThe Stanley Works
InventorJohn C. Murray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retractable rule assembly includes a housing assembly and a reel in the housing assembly. An elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to the reel is able to extend outwardly through a spaced opening in the housing assembly. A coil spring is arranged within the housing so as to wind up the blade when extending from the housing. A blade holding assembly is actuatable to hold the blade outwardly of the housing assembly opening and to release the blade from any position in which it is held. A relatively short free end portion of the blade has a film of plastic material adhered to a convex or a concave side thereof. The clear film of plastic material protects the covered portion of the blade from cracking or tearing and protects any indicia on the end of the blade from wear.
Claims30
A retractable rule assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said elongated blade having measuring indicia formed on the concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade throughout the length of the blade for inhibiting wear of said measuring indicia;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly constructed to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and to release the blade from any position in which it is held;
- a relatively short free end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of the convex and concave side of the blade, said film of plastic material having a thickness greater than a thickness of said protective coating,
- wherein said film is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of polyurethane, Mylar and Nylon,
- wherein said film selected from said group is secured to said plastic coating with an acrylic adhesive, and
- wherein said end portion of said blade having said film being curved in a longitudinal direction of said blade when said blade is fully retracted.
7 more elements
A retractable rule assembly comprising
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said elongated blade having measuring indicia formed on the concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade throughout the length of the blade for inhibiting wear of said measuring indicia;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly having a tab to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and a movable, finger-engaging slider to release the blade from any position in which it is held;
- a relatively short free end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of the convex and concave side of the blade, said portion of said blade being curved in a longitudinal direction of said blade when said blade is fully retracted within said housing assembly.
4 more elements
A retractable rule assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said elongated blade having measuring indicia formed on the concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade throughout the length of the blade for inhibiting wear of said measuring indicia;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly constructed to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and to release the blade from any position in which it is held;
- a relatively short free end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of the convex and concave side of the blade, said film of plastic material having a thickness greater than a thickness of said protective coating,
- wherein said film has a longitudinally curved portion along a longitudinal direction of said blade when said blade is fully retracted within said housing assembly.
5 more elements
A retractable rule assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said elongated blade having measuring indicia formed on the concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade throughout the length of the blade for inhibiting wear of said measuring indicia;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly constructed to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and to release the blade from any position in which it is held;
- a relatively short free end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of the convex and concave side of the blade, said film of plastic material having a thickness greater than a thickness of said protective coating,
- wherein said blade has a portion that is wrapped around said reel when said blade is fully retracted within said housing assembly and is curved along a longitudinal direction of said blade, and
- said film extending on said free end portion of said blade to a position on said portion of said blade that has been wrapped around said reel such that said film extends along a section of the circumference of said blade that has been wrapped around said reel.
6 more elements
A retractable rule assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said elongated blade having measuring indicia formed on the concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade throughout the length of the blade for inhibiting wear of said measuring indicia;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly having a tab to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and a movable, finger-engaging slider to release the blade from any position in which it is held;
- a relatively short free end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of the convex and concave side of the blade, said portion of said blade being curved in a longitudinal direction of said blade,
- wherein said film has a longitudinally curved portion along a longitudinal direction of said blade when said blade is fully retracted within said housing assembly.
5 more elements
A retractable rule assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said elongated blade having measuring indicia formed on the concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade throughout the length of the blade for inhibiting wear of said measuring indicia;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly having a tab to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and a movable, finger-engaging slider to release the blade from any position in which it is held;
- a relatively short free end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of the convex and concave side of the blade, a portion of said blade having said film on said portion, said portion of said blade being curved in a longitudinal direction of said blade,
- wherein said blade has a portion that is wrapped around said reel when said blade is fully retracted within said housing assembly and is curved along a longitudinal direction of said blade, and
- said film extending on said free end portion of said blade to a position on said portion of said blade that has been wrapped around said reel such that said film extends along a section of the circumference of said blade that has been wrapped around said reel.
6 more elements
A retractable rule assembly comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;
- an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel, said blade extendable outwardly through an opening in said housing assembly, said elongated blade having a concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration when extended from said housing assembly, said blade having measuring indicia formed on said concave side thereof, and a clear, protective coating provided on both said concave and convex side of said blade;
- a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal constructed to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up said blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in said concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a substantially flattened cross-sectional configuration;
- and
- a blade holding assembly constructed to hold said blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and to release said blade from any position in which said blade is held;
- and end portion of said blade having a film of plastic material overlying said protective coating on at least one of said convex and concave side of said blade, said end portion of said blade being curved in a longitudinal direction of said blade when said blade is fully retracted within said housing assembly.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.