Tape measures
AssigneeFisco Tools Limited
InventorJonathan Arnold Manley Knight
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tape measure is disclosed which has a spooled measuring blade mounted via a rotatable connection within a casing. The blade is extended from the case via an opening for use. The blade can be braked with respect to the opening by operation of braking means. The braking means are operable via a switch which has a length greater than the radius of the fully spooled blade. The switch is located and sized so that the brake can be engaged or disengaged by a user's hand without changing grip. The brake is a cam brake rotatably connected to the switch via a push-pull member.
Claims21
A tape measure comprising:
- a case;
- a spooled measuring blade enclosed by the case;
- an opening defined in the case, the blade being drawable from said case via said opening;
- a switch;
- and
- braking means bistably operable between braking and non-braking positions via said switch,
- wherein the blade is brakeable with respect to the opening via operation of the braking means and the switch is pivotable about an axis in the middle third of its length, the switch length being greater than two times a radius of the measuring blade when fully spooled.
A tape measure comprising:
- a case;
- a spooled measuring blade enclosed by the case;
- an opening defined in the case, the blade being drawable from said case via said opening;
- a pivot switch having a length greater than two times a radius of the measuring blade when fully spooled;
- and
- braking means bistably operable between braking and non-braking positions via said switch,
- wherein the blade is brakable with respect to the opening via operation of the braking means and the pivot switch is located and sized so that it is operable to engage or disengage the braking means by use of a thumb or finger of a user's hand and subsequently it is operable to disengage or engage the braking means by use of a heel or palm of the user's hand without changing grip.
A tape measure comprising:
- a case;
- a spooled measuring blade enclosed by the case;
- an opening defined in the case, the blade being drawable from said case via the opening;
- and
- braking means bistably operable between braking and non-braking positions,
- wherein the blade is brakeable with respect to the opening via operation of the braking means, and the braking means comprises:
- a cam brake having a cam pivot axis which is fixed with respect to the case;
- a push-pull member having first and second ends;
- and
- a rotatable joint between the cam brake and said first end of said push-pull member,
- wherein the cam brake is rotatable between braking and non-braking positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.