Patent ID: 6305092
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
An alignment apparatus comprising:an elongate level defining a direction of elongation and having opposed first and second ends, planar parallel top and bottom faces extending between the ends and front and rear external faces extending between the ends and the top and bottom faces, said front and rear external faces facing outwardly on said level, portions of the front face adjacent the top and bottom faces being substantially parallel to one another to define a plane extending substantially parallel to the direction of elongation, a first bubble tube aligned substantially parallel to the direction of elongation for indicating a first gravitational orientation of said top and bottom faces of said level, a second bubble tube aligned substantially orthogonal to the direction of elongation for indicating a second gravitational orientation of said top and bottom faces of said level;a support having opposed ends, at least a planar bottom face extending between the opposed ends and front and rear faces extending from said bottom face and between said ends, said support being pivotally connected to said front face of said level at a location substantially centrally between the ends of the support and at a location between said first end of said level and said bubble tubes, the pivotal connection of the support to the level being selectively tightenable at a selected pivotal orientation of said support relative to said level, the support extending beyond the plane defined by the front face of the level, and the level being free of structures spaced from said support and extending beyond said plane, such that said level can be suspended from a structural member by said support and oriented at a selected gravitational orientation with the front external face of the level in abutting facing relationship with a surface of the structural member.