GB2203839A

GB2203839A - Combination of a measuring tool and a sharp-edged tool

Info

Publication number: GB2203839A
Application number: GB08808928A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ture Anders Ljungberg; Hans Ljungberg
Original assignee: LJUNGBERG PATENT T A AB; T A LJUNGBERG PATENT AB
Current assignee: LJUNGBERG PATENT T A AB; T A LJUNGBERG PATENT AB
Priority date: 1987-04-21
Filing date: 1988-04-15
Publication date: 1988-10-26
Also published as: FR2614229A1; SE8701631L; GB8808928D0; DE3813293A1; SE8701631D0; SE461241B

Description

2 2 0 3,5 COMBINATION OF A HEASURINGTOOL AND A SHARP-EDGED This invention

relates to a combination of a measuring tool and a sharp-edged tool, said sharp-edged tool having a portion to be gripped by a hand, e.g. an elongate handle, and an edge for cutting or marking.

Measuring tools comprising a housing and a rolled metal band which is extractable from said housing, are known in the art, e.g. from SE 447 678. The metal band is convex in cross section and provided with a printed scale. Tools of this kind may be used for both marking-and measuring of inner and outer measures. When drawing, for example lines, and making scribed lines, in parallel with a straight edge of an object, c,raftsmen usually use a foldable yard stick, wherein the pen, the knife or e.g. the glass cutter diamond is held pressed against the end of the yard stick and the measure from the edge is limited by a grip with the thumb on the yard stick.

This is a traditional but uncertain method, especially when wanting to make a deep cut, e.g. in a plaster board or a plastic carpeting.

One object of the invention is to provide a combination of a measuring tool and sharp-edged tool which is easy to realise and simple to use, but nevertheless is functional provides for work with a high level of precision. The measuring tool is of the general kind which is disclosed by the above mentioned Swedish Patent Specification. The combination amounts to providing the user with a concept which significantly broadens the field of use for this prior art measuring tool.

The present invention provides for a combination of a measuring tool and a sharp-edged tool, said sharp-edged tool having a portion to be gripped by a hand, e.g. an elongate handle, and an edge for cutting or marking.

2 The combination of measuring tool and sharp-edged tool- is characterized in that the portion to be gripped by a hand, is provided with mechanical means for, at a measure which is established by means of the measuring tool, securing the edge at the outer end of a metal band belonging to said measuring tool, so that said measure represents the distance between the edge and a guide surface on said measuring tool, said surface registering the position of the edge.

Other characteristics of the invention will be clear from the accompanying claims.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the combination according to the invention, during use, Fig. 2 is a side view of the end of the metal band together with an attached sharp-edged tool, Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2, but shows the outer end of the band in an end view, and Fig. 4 shows the metal band with an attached glass cutter tool, two alternative attachment possibilities for the band end are shown.

The measuring and marking tool 10 shown in Fig. 1, is available on the market in various models, under the definition "measure-marker" and comprises a metal band 11 which is convex in section and rotatable stored under the influence of a spring inside a housing 12. The housing 12 is provided with a stop surface 13 which is perpendicular to the direction of band extraction. A sharp-edged tool 14 is attached to the outer end of the band, enabling a scribed 16 mark to be made in parallel with the edge 15 of a working piece 15a.

The sharp-edged tool 14 is shown more clearly in Fig. 2 and 3 and comprises a handle 17 and a knife blade 19.

In Fig. 2 and 3 is shown how the sharp-edged tool 14 is attached to the outer end of the band 11, which according to the art is provided with a perpendicularly downward angled 3 hook and scribe edge 20, having two tongues 21 pointing upwards. As is shown in the figures, the handle 17 is provided with groves 22 for the tongues 21 at both sides of the knife blade opening. Since groves 22 are provided on both sides of the blade opening. the handle 17 can be gripped with either the left or the right hand, and be moved in either direction, regardless the craftsman being right- or left handed.

When using the combination according to the invention, the sharp-edged tool is held in mechanical attachment with the measuring tool and the length of the band 11 is defined by locking means in the housing, as opposed to traditional technique wherein the sharp-edged tool is pressed against the end of the measuring tool and the length is limited, e.g. by the grip of a thumb.

The provision of the groves 22 for the tongues 21 is a simple detail when manufacturing the knife, which will not cause any appreciable increase in prices.

The invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, but several modifications are possible within the scope of the accompanying claims.

4

Claims

1 A combination of a measuring tool and a sharp edged tool, said measuring tool having a measuring band and a guide surface for following an edge surface of a workpiece and said sharp-edged tool having a portion to be gripped by a hand and an edge for cutting or marking, wherein said hand-gripped portion is provided with mechanical means for securing said cutting or _marking edge at the outer end of said band so that said measure represents the distance between said cutting or marking edge and said guide surface and said guide surface registers the position of the cutting or marking edge.

2. A combination as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said hand-gripped portion is an elongate handle.

3. A combination as claimed in Claim 1 or Clair, 2, wherein said band is a metal band.

4. A combination as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said hand-gripped portion is provided with at least one aperture adjacent said cutting or marking edge to receive said band outer end.

! 9

5. A combination as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the said aperture is dimensioned to receive a protruding tongue of a hook means mounted at said outer band end.

6. A combination as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the hand-gripped portion has a spaced pair of apertures dimensioned to receive respective laterally spaced tongues of said hook.

7. A corp.binatid-n as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein said aperture(s) are provided on both sides of said cutting or measuring edge to permit the combination to be asserrbled in left and right handed conf igurations.

8. A combination as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein said aperture(s) are immediately adjacent the cutting or marking edge so that, in use, the outer blade end abuts the said edge.

9. A combination of a measuring tool and a sharp edged tool substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

Publiblied. 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London W01R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Offlee.

Wes Branch, St Mary Cray, orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87.