Patent ID: 6543148
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
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 spaced from one another by a level width, front and rear external faces extending between the ends and between 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 level 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 level 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, planar top and bottom faces extending between the opposed ends, and front and rear faces extending between said top and bottom faces and between said ends, said top and bottom faces of said support being spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to the level width, said support being pivotally connected to said front face of said level at a location between said first end of said level and said level bubble tubes, a first support bubble tube aligned substantially parallel to a top and bottom faces for indicating a first gravitational orientation of said top and bottom faces of said support, a second support bubble tube aligned substantially orthogonal to the top and bottom faces of said support for indicating a second gravitational orientation of said top and bottom faces of said support, the pivotal connection of the support to the level being maintainable 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.