Patent ID: 6243964
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
A retractable rule assembly comprisinga 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 constructed and arranged with respect to said housing assembly to extend from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly;said blade having a hook member on the free end thereof, said hook member including a hook portion and a mounting portion extending generally perpendicular from said hook portion connected with the free end of the blade for limited relative movement along said blade in an amount generally equal to thickness of said hook portion,a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal having a construction and arrangement between said housing assembly and said reel 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 a normal concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration; anda blade holding assembly constructed and arranged to be manually actuated 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;wherein the metal ribbon of said spring has a width which is 95%-120% of the width of the metal ribbon of said blade.