US 8,407,909 B2Granted

Tape measure carrier and gauge

OwnerJames Scullion Lindsayinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A tape measure carrier for use in taking internal measurements includes a side wall and a base extending from the sidewall. The sidewall is of sufficient thickness so a tape measure chip will snugly slide down over the top of the sidewall to seat the tape measure on or close to the base. A base shelf is formed at the forward end of the base. A clear window piece is mounted to the base or sidewall so as to extend spaced over and parallel to the base shelf to form a channel therebetween. The channel is located and sized to allow free horizontal passage of the tape measure tape through the channel. A cross hair on the window piece is positioned to provide a known pre-determined distance between the cross hair and the rearmost end of the carrier.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A tape measure carrier and gauge for supporting a coiled metal tape style of tape measure,

a semi-enclosed housing having:
(a) a substantially planar side wall having a thickness, wherein said side wall has a front end, an opposite rear end and opposite upper and lower edges,
(b) a base flange joined along one edge thereof to, and extending orthogonally from, said lower edge of said side wall, wherein said base flange extends from adjacent said front end to adjacent said rear end of said sidewall,
(c) a rear wall connected to at least one of said rear end of said side wall or said base flange, said rear wall extending substantially orthogonally from both said sidewall and said base flange, and wherein a rear stop is formed in the corner between said base flange and said rear wall,
(d) an adjustment means incorporated into said rear stop, wherein the longitudinal position of said rear stop may be adjusted inwards or outwards,
(e) a shelf connected to at least one of said front end of said sidewall or said base flange, said shelf extending substantially orthogonally from said sidewall and wherein said shelf is substantially horizontal,
a lens piece having a clear lens and a mounting base, wherein mounting base is adapted to be releasably mounted to said front end of said sidewall wherein said lens is mounted cantilevered from said mounting base so as to be disposed in substantially parallel spaced-apart array over said shelf when said lens piece is mounted on said front end of said sidewall, said lens having a cross-hair formed therealong so as to extend along said lens orthogonally from said sidewall,
and wherein said thickness of said sidewall is sufficient for the clip to mount on said sidewall of said tape measure carrier to frictionally engage over and down along said sidewall as the tape measure is translated downwardly to releasably matingly engage the clip onto said sidewall,
and wherein said semi-enclosed housing is sized so that the tape measure at least partially fills said semi-enclosed housing when mated thereon without the tape measure having to necessarily seat against said rear wall, whereby a variety of sizes of the tape measure are accommodated within said carrier,
and wherein a pre-determined known distance is formed from said rear stop to said cross-hair, whereby a measured distance measured along the tape measure tape between said cross hair and the distal end of the tape is summed with said known distance to provide a total measurement from said rear stop to the distal end of the tape,
and wherein said known distance from said rear stop to said cross-hair is an integer unit number of length units whereby calculation of said total measurement from said rear stop to the distal end of the tape is simplified,
and wherein the longitudinal position of said rear stop may be adjusted inwards or outwards by use of said adjustment means incorporated into said rear stop, and wherein said known distance from said rear stop to said crosshair may be fractionally adjusted shorter or longer, whereby said known distance may be calibrated to an exact benchmark of said known distance, or be adjusted to compensate for, and accommodate a variety of individual tape measures having varying degrees of accuracy.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A tape measure carrier and gauge for supporting a coiled metal tape style of tape measure,

a semi-enclosed housing having:
(a) a substantially planar side wall having a thickness, wherein said side wall has a front end, an opposite rear end and opposite upper and lower edges,
(b) a base flange joined along one edge thereof to, and extending orthogonally from, said lower edge of said side wall, wherein said base flange extends from adjacent said front end to adjacent said rear end of said sidewall,
(c) a rear wall connected to at least one of said rear end of said side wall or said base flange, said rear wall extending substantially orthogonally from both said sidewall and said base flange, and wherein a rear stop is formed in the corner between said base flange and said rear wall,
(d) an adjustment means incorporated into said rear stop, wherein the longitudinal position of said rear stop may be adjusted inwards or outwards,
(e) a shelf connected to at least one of said front end of said sidewall or said base flange, said shelf extending substantially orthogonally from said sidewall and wherein said shelf is substantially horizontal,
a lens piece having a clear lens and a mounting base, wherein mounting base is adapted to be releasably mounted to said front end of said sidewall wherein said lens is mounted cantilevered from said mounting base so as to be disposed in substantially parallel spaced-apart array over said shelf when said lens piece is mounted on said front end of said sidewall, said lens having a cross-hair formed therealong so as to extend along said lens orthogonally from said sidewall,
and wherein said thickness of said sidewall is sufficient for the clip to mount on said sidewall of said tape measure carrier to frictionally engage over and down along said sidewall as the tape measure is translated downwardly to releasably matingly engage the clip onto said sidewall,
and wherein said semi-enclosed housing is sized so that the tape measure at least partially fills said semi-enclosed housing when mated thereon without the tape measure having to necessarily seat against said rear wall, whereby a variety of sizes of the tape measure are accommodated within said carrier,
and wherein a pre-determined known distance is formed from said rear stop to said cross-hair, whereby a measured distance measured along the tape measure tape between said cross hair and the distal end of the tape is summed with said known distance to provide a total measurement from said rear stop to the distal end of the tape,
and wherein said known distance from said rear stop to said cross-hair is an integer unit number of length units whereby calculation of said total measurement from said rear stop to the distal end of the tape is simplified,
and wherein the longitudinal position of said rear stop may be adjusted inwards or outwards by use of said adjustment means incorporated into said rear stop, and wherein said known distance from said rear stop to said crosshair may be fractionally adjusted shorter or longer, whereby said known distance may be calibrated to an exact benchmark of said known distance, or be adjusted to compensate for, and accommodate a variety of individual tape measures having varying degrees of accuracy.

9 more elements