Angle indicating caliper

This invention pertains to slide calipers for use with hose fittings wherein the improved construction includes caliper fingers having angles corresponding to standard hose fitting adapter sealing surface angles thus allowing the user to identify the type of adapter angle being measured. At the same time the caliper fingers act as reference points for measuring the size of a hose or fitting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
For transmission of fluids, many types of hoses and fitting adapters are 
needed. As a result, industry has developed a large variety of fittings 
and adapters with various sizes and sealing surface angles. The user is 
then put in a situation where identification of the angles and dimensions 
of these parts are necessary to match interconnected fittings. 
Until now, the devices available to make these measurements have been 
inconvenient to use and expensive. Typical devices of the slide caliper 
type are shown in Pat No. 2,801,472, Pat No. 3,113,384 and Pat No. 
4,667,751, and while 4,667,751 is intended for use with hose fittings and 
will measure the angles of an adapter, a plurality of separate feeler 
gauges are used which makes the caliper expensive and difficult to use. 
In the measuring tool of the invention the caliper fingers include 
reference angle surfaces corresponding to standard adapter sealing surface 
angles so that the user can determined standard types of adapter sealing 
surfaces. 
The improved caliper consists of a bar and slide adapted to interact with 
the bar. Both the bar and slide have extensions mounted in a transverse 
direction to the longitudinal body axis. These extensions or fingers 
define the angled surfaces for identifying standard fitting angles. Also, 
the fingers function as reference points for measuring the size of a hose 
or fitting. 
The caliper fingers are used in the normal manner to measure inside and 
outside dimensions, and when it is desired to determine the angle of an 
adapter sealing surface a finger angle surface is placed against the 
fitting sealing surface. If the proper angle surface engages the sealing 
surface the axis of the caliper slide will be perpendicular to the adapter 
axis as readily discernable by the user. Indicia defined on each finger 
identifies the associated angle surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The slide caliper of the invention consists of an assembly 8 having a 
longitudinal axis 9 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. One part of the assembly 
comprises a bar 10 formed of two flat sheets 12 and 14 which are separated 
in spaced relationship by thin parallel strips 16 and 18. The purpose of 
the strips is to create a guide opening 20 between the sheets. The strips 
16 and 18 are spot welded to the sheets 12 and 14. An elongated slide 22, 
comprises the other part of the assembly 8 which is slightly thinner from 
the strips 16 and 18 and is adapted to be slidable between the sheets 12 
and 14 in the guide opening 20. 
The sheet 12 is provided with a rectangular opening 19 through which the 
indicia 21 defined on the slide 22 may be viewed and a comparison of the 
relative position of the slide indicia 21 and indicia 23 defined on the 
sheet 12 will permit the extent of movement of the slide 22 to the body 10 
to be measured. Protrusion 24 defined on the slide 22 extending into 
opening 19 limits extension of the slide relative to body 10. 
The caliper includes extensions or fingers 26 and 28 extending from the 
strips 18 and 16 on edges 34 and 36, respectively. Likewise, the slide 22 
has finger extensions 30 and 32 mounted on the edges 38 and 40, 
respectively. For determining the diametrical size of a hose or fitting, 
the fingers 26 and 32 include reference surfaces 58 and 64, respectively 
for measuring inside dimensions and surfaces 60 and 62 on fingers 28 and 
30, respectively, will measure outside dimensions, in the known manner. 
The extensions 26, 28, 30, and 32 also each have a angled surface 
corresponding to the conical ends of standard hose fittings. Extension 28 
has an angled surface 44 that starts at apex 52 and is related to 
45.degree. to the edge 60. Extension 30 has an angled surface 46 that 
starts at apex 54 and is related at 37.degree. to the edge 62. Extension 
32 has an angled surface 48 that starts at apex 56 and is related at 
30.degree. to the edge 64. Extension 26 has an angled surface 42 that 
starts at apex 50 and is related at 12.degree. to the edge 58. 
An example showing the use of the caliper for identifying the sealing 
surface of standard type hose fittings is illustrated in FIG. 4. By trial 
and error the surfaces 42, 44, 46 and 48 are matched against the conical 
end 66 of the adapter fitting 68. When one of the angle surfaces is fitted 
firmly against the conical end 66 and the edge 70 of slide 22 is parallel 
to the longitudinal axis 69 of the fitting 68 and the axis 9 is 
perpendicular to axis 69 the sealing surface 66 of fitting 68 can be 
identified by the indicia 71 adjacent the angle surface. In the case shown 
in FIG. 4 the angled surface 46 of the extension 30 indicates that the end 
66 is on a 37.degree. angle. 
As will be appreciated from the above description the caliper of the 
invention may be used for quick diametrical measurements and 
identification of conical adapter sealing surfaces with ease and accuracy. 
It is appreciated that various modifications to the inventive concepts may 
be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the invention.