Abstract:
A level assembly includes a housing having a level mounted within. The housing includes a first arm and a second arm slidably attached to the housing. The first and second arms are both stored in storage positions. Fastener locators associated with each arm are both stored in storage positions. During use the fastener locators are pivoted to an extended position. If additional distance between the fastener locators is needed the first and second arms can also be extended by sliding them along another axis relative to the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is a level and more particularly a level having slidable arms with adjustable fastener locators for simultaneously designating a multiple of fastener locations.  
         [0002]     In order to hang an object on a wall, all of the locations for the fasteners that mount the object must be precisely marked. Various devices that assist in marking the fastener positions are known. Conventional devices include levels that have indicators for marking the distance between the fasteners. However, simultaneously marking a multiple fastener locations in a level position and at a desired separation distance may be relatively difficult utilizing conventional level devices.  
         [0003]     Conventional level devices that mark multiple locations at one time may be relatively large and awkward devices. These conventional level devices may be difficult and inconvenient to store and use for most common household tasks.  
         [0004]     Thus, a compact device that assists in hanging and leveling objects that use multiple fasteners is needed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides a level assembly including a housing having a level mounted within. A first arm and a second arm interface with the housing along a first axis. The first arm and the second arm are slidably attached to the housing to move along the first axis relative to the housing. Each arm has a fastener locator that is aligned with a corresponding fastener on the picture or object. The fastener locators are then used to locate the appropriate position for the fasteners on the wall.  
         [0006]     The fastener locators are mounted to the arms to pivot about a second axis between a storage position and an extended position. The fastener locators each have an aperture to guide a marking device to pass through for marking a fastener location when hanging an object.  
         [0007]     In use, the fastener locators are pivoted to an extended position. Each arm has a groove in which the fastener locators are slidably retained. The groove is located along a second axis such that the fastener locators slide along the second axis. Each fastener locator is slidable along the second axis until the desired spacing between the fastener locators is obtained. To mark relatively greater distances between fasteners the first and second arms are be extended by sliding them along the first axis relative to the housing. For storage the arms are retracted and the fastener locators are returned to the storage positions. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a general view of the leveling device of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment showing the interface between the first arm and the housing of the leveling device;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a view of the top side of the leveling device of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a general view of the leveling device where the fastener locators are in an extended position; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a general view of one embodiment of the leveling device where the arms and fastener locators are in extended positions. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a level assembly  10  which includes a housing  12  that defines a first axis A. Mounted within the housing  12  is a level  14 . The level  14  is a parallel to the first axis A. Additional levels  16  and  18  may correspond to other axes such as an axis perpendicular to the first axis A.  
         [0015]     The level assembly includes a first arm  20  and a second arm  22 . The first arm is located on a top side  24 , adjacent a first end  26  of the level assembly  10 . The second arm  22  is also located on the top side  24  of the level assembly  10 . The second arm  22  is located adjacent a second end  28 . When in a retracted position the first arm  20  preferably does not extend beyond the first end  26 . Likewise, when in a retracted position the second arm  22  does not extend beyond the second end  28 .  
         [0016]     The first arm  20  and the second arm  22  interface with the housing  12  along the first axis A. The first arm  20  is attached to the housing  12  such that the first arm  20  is moveable relative to the housing  12  along the first axis A.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of the first arm  20  where the interface is a groove  30  formed in the housing  12 . The groove  30  defines the first axis A. A first tongue  32  extends from the first arm  20 . The first tongue  32  fits within the groove  30  such that the first tongue  32  can slide within the groove  30 . Applying force to the first arm  20  causes the first tongue  32  to slide within the groove  30  and the first arm  20  to move relative to the housing  12 . An indentation  19  adjacent to a center section  23  of the first arm  20  allows for axial force to be applied to the first arm  20  along the first axis A. The second arm  22  is attached in a similar manner such that it is movable along the first axis A relative to the housing  12 .  
         [0018]     The second arm  22  includes a second tongue  34  similar to the first tongue  32 . The second tongue  34  corresponds to groove  36  in the housing  12 . An indentation  21  adjacent to a center section  25  of the second arm  22  allows for axial force to be applied to the second arm  22  along the first axis A. Additionally, the indentations  19  and  21  allow the level  14  to be seen from the top of the housing  12 . Other types of interfaces that permit the first arm  20  and the second arm  22  to move relative to the housing  12  may additionally or alternatively be used. In this embodiment, the first arm  20  and the second arm  22  slide between a storage position and an extended position ( FIG. 5 ).  
         [0019]     The first arm  20  includes a first fastener locator  38 . The second arm  22  includes a second fastener locator  40 . The first fastener locator  38  and second fastener locator  40  are movable between storage positions ( FIG. 1 ) and extended positions ( FIG. 5 ). The first fastener locator  38  fits within a first recess  42  defined in the first arm  20  such that a first side  44  of the first fastener locator  38  is relatively level with the first arm  20 . When in the storage position the second fastener locator  40  fits within a second recess  46  defined in the second arm  22  such that a first side  47  of the second fastener locator  40  is relatively with the second arm  22 . The first recess is formed by a separation between the first arm  20  and the center section  23 . Likewise the second recess  46  is formed by a separation between the second arm  22  and the second center section  25 .  
         [0020]     The first arm  20  has a first groove  48  in which the first fastener locator  38  is slideably retained. The first groove  48  defines the second axis B along which the first fastener locator  38  is slidable. The second axis B is parallel to the first axis A. The first fastener locator  38  has an engagement member  39  that corresponds to the groove  48 . The engagement member  39  has a cylindrical shape such that the first fastener locator  38  is slidably and rotatably retained within the groove  48 . The cylindrical shape of the engagement member  39  permits the first fastener locator  38  to pivot about a second axis B between the storage and extended position and to slide within the groove  48 . The groove  48  has a first set of indentations  50  for marking preset distance locations of the first fastener locator  38 . It should be understood that other indicia may be utilized.  
         [0021]     The second arm  22  has a second groove  52  in which the second fastener locator  40  is slidably retained in a similar manner. The second groove  52  has a second set of indentions  54  marking preset distance locations of the second fastener locator  40 . The second groove  52  is parallel with the first groove  48  such that the second fastener locator  40  is slidable along the second axis B.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  illustrates a top view of the level assembly  10  in a storage position. The first fastener locator  38  defines a first aperture  56  and the second fastener locator  40  defines a second aperture  58 . In this embodiment both apertures have a keyhole shape. The first aperture  56  and second aperture  58  allow a marking device to pass through for marking a fastener location when hanging an object.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 4  the first fastener locator  38  and the second fastener locator  40  are mounted to pivot about the second axis B between a storage position and an extended position ( FIG. 5 ). The first recess  42  in the first arm  20  defines a storage position for the first fastener locator  38  and the second recess  46  in the second arm  22  defines a storage position for the second fastener locator  40 . When in the extended position, the first fastener locator  38  is slidable within the first groove  48  along the second axis B, illustrated by reference arrow E-E ( FIG. 5 ). The first set of indentations  50  assist in locating the desired position of the first fastener locater. Likewise, the second fastener locator  38  operates relative to the second arm  22 , illustrated by reference arrows F-F. The second fastener locator  40  is slidable within the second groove  52  to the desired marking positions and the second set of indentations  54  assist in locating the desired position of the second fastener locator. To obtain greater distance between the fastener locaters  38 ,  40  the first arm  20  and the second arm  22  are slidable along the first axis A (Arrows C-C and arrows D-D;  FIG. 5 ).  
         [0024]     Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.