CA2101107A1

CA2101107A1 - Tool with level

Info

Publication number: CA2101107A1
Application number: CA 2101107
Authority: CA
Inventors: Randolph S. Riley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-06-03
Filing date: 1993-07-22
Publication date: 1994-12-04

Abstract

TOOL WITH LEVEL
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A hand tool, such as a hammer, has a single level for detecting leveling along three mutually orthogonal axes.
Preferably, the level has a bubble in a container which has a circular cross-section and a dome portion. When the tool is placed along two of the mutually orthogonal axes, the bubble in the level goes to the outer circumference of the circular portion. When a tool is laid flat, the bubble goes to a center bullseye portion. The level has a central circular marking, and radial lines for assisting a user in determining which direction is leveled.

Description

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TOOL WITH LEVEL
Backqround of the Invention This invention relates to a tool, such as a hand held tool, which includes a level.
In U.S. Patent No. 4,581,782, issued April 15, 1986, a hammer with a vertical and a horizontal level incorporated into a hammer, was disclosed. That patent, which is hereby incorporated by reference, was invented by the same inventor as the present application. The hammer had a right angle in the bottom edge to form a square. When the hammer head and the s~uare portion were placed against a right angle, two different vial levels could be observed to determine horizontal and/or vertical leveling.

Summary of the Invention .-~.
In one aspect, the invention features a hand tool which has a level for indicating leveling along three mutually orthogonal coordinate axis. The level is preferably circular -~
with a dome shaped portion. The level has external markings `
for indicating which direction is the proper level direction. Preferably, two of the mutually orthogonal axes are indicated by radial lines, and the third mutually ~ -~
orthogonal axis is indicated by a central circular bullseye portion. The hand tool can be a hammer, such as a mason's ~ :hammer or a claw hammer, a utility knife, or another hand :~
held tool.

Brief Description of the Drawinqs Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the following drawings in which~
Fig. 1 is a side view of a tool in a vertically level ;~

position;
Fig. 2 is a side view of a tool in a horizontally level position;
Fig. 3 is a top view of a three dimensional level according to the present invention;
Fig. 4 is cross-sectional view of the level seen through the lines 4-4 in Fig. 3; -Fig. 5 is a top view of the hand tool with level in a flat position;
Fig. 6 is a side view of the hand tool of Fig. 5; and Figs. 7-10 are views of a utility knife with a level positioned in different directions;
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Description of the Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, a hand tool 10, such as a mason's hammer, has a head 14 at one end and a handle 12. Mounted to the handle is a three dimensional level 16.
Level 16 has a container for holding a fluid and a bubble which can be air, another gas, or a liquid which is different from the fluid. The fluid and bubble are selected so that the bubble works against gravity. The general technique of using a bubble in a fluid for leveling is well known.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the level is circular when viewed from the top (Fig. 3). Viewed from the side (Fig. 4), ~`
the level has a cylindrical portion 24 and a domed portion 26. The level is mounted in handle 12, and is affixed with an epoxy adhesive 28. A florescent coloring can be placed on the bottom surface 29 of the level for better visibility.
The level has markings for assisting a user to determine leveling. The markings delineate a central bullseye section 18 shown with a centered circle, and sectors 20 which are divided by radial lines 22.

, ,3 ~ ~?9~107 Referring again to Figs. 1 and 2, the hammer is shown in orthogonal vertical and horizontal positions, respectively.
At the bottom 40 of the handle, a right angle portion 42 enables the lower handle to be used as a square if placed in either the horizontal or vertical direction against a workpiece. When the hammer is in a vertical position against a workpiece 80, such as a wall, bubble 30 moves into a sector 20a. This sector can be further marked to indicate the vertical position. When the hammer is in the horizontal position, as in Fig. 2, the bubble 30 rises to the top of a different sector 20b, which can also be further marked to indicate the horiæontal direction.
Referring to Figs. S and 6, the hammer can be laid flat against an object, such as a cinder block 46. As shown previously in Fig. 4, bubble 30 rises to the central bullseye portion 18 when the hammer is in this flat position which constitutes a direction which is orthogonal to both the horizontal and vertical directions. To enable leveling in this direction, the head 14 and the handle 12 are designed so ~- ~
that the bottom surface 48 of the hammer forms a right angle ~ ~:
with the surface 49 of the cinder block.
The three dimensional leveling aspect of the hammer is useful when one wants to level an item, such as a cinder block, while viewing from the top. By having the bullseye section, a user does not need to look to the side of the block. This is particularly useful, for example, if the -block is in the ground or near the ground, when one might otherwise have to put one's head against or near the ground to determine if the block was level by using a prior art hammer with level arrangement.
Referring to Figs. 7-10, a three dimensional bubble level can also be incorporated in other tools, such as a utility -- 2 1 ~ 7 .
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knife. The horizontal view, top view, and vertical view are shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 respectively. Utility knife 50 also has a handle portion 52 and a blade 54 at a working end. As with the hammer, the handle of the utility knife is designed so that it forms a right angle with a workpiece surface when placed horizontally, vertically, or flat against the workpiece.
Having described a number of embodiments of the present invention, it should become apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the tool could be one of any -number of tools which is used by a user where some leveling might be useful.

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Claims

1. A hand tool with a handle, the tool having a level connected to the tool, the level indicating leveling when the tool is positioned along first, second, and third mutually orthogonal axes.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the level has a bubble in a container holding fluid, the container having a centrally located domed portion so that the bubble is at an outer end of the level when the tool is level along the first or second axes, and in the center of the domed portion when the tool is level along the third axis.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein the handle of the tool has two orthogonal surfaces, each of which forms a right angle with a workpiece when the tool is positioned against the workpiece.

4. The tool of claim 2 wherein the level has markings including a centrally located circle, and radial lines extending from the circle to the outer end of the level.

5. The tool of claim 4 wherein the tool is a hammer.

6. The tool of claim 4 wherein the tool is a utility knife.

7. The tool of claim 1 wherein the handle of the tool has two orthogonal surfaces, each of which forms a right angle with a workpiece when the tool is positioned against the workpiece.

8. The tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is a hammer.

9. The tool of claim 1 wherein the tool is a utility knife.