Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to a sliding square that can be slipped over a standard retractable tape measure that is extendable perpendicularly to abutment wall allowing 0-90 degrees angle lines to be scribed at measured distances from the end of a work piece. Sliding Square also may include a depth gage, bubble levels on the x and y planes, a protractor scale along with linear dimensions along its right angle straight edge side and standard rafter pitch angles to be defined. Abutment wall t&#39;s into base  32  extending equally above and below base so that it functions right side up from the left side of a work piece or flipped over from the right side.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a combination carpenter&#39;s layout tool that can be slipped over a standard retractable tape measure in two different planes or used on its own as a depth gage, level, triangle or square or distance measuring instrument. This device may include a depth gage, bubble levels on x and y planes, a protractor scale, linear scales along its straight edge sides, a stud centerline indicia, and standard rafter pitch angle indicia with matching indicia on both top and bottom for use as either a right or left handed tool. 
     2. Prior Art 
     There have been several patents showing various combinations of standard carpenter measuring tools but they involve custom tape measure housing to square assemblies. To resolve this problem the present invention is designed to easily slip on any standard width retractable tape measure or slip off and function independently. To date the prior art devices have proven commercially impractical for reasons of complexity, cost, durability and difficulty in carrying, storage or use and only provide tape measure guide channels in one plane. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A generally planar base with a simple square or right angle frame that has a bridged slot in one or two planes that retractable tapes of ½, ¾, 1, 1¼ or 1½ inch widths slip through and are guided by. It has an abutment wall parallel to direction of the tape extension, an edge at right angles to abutment wall with a linear scale inscribed thereon, starting at the inside of abutment wall. It also may embody a protractor with its zero point the same as the linear scale, bubble levels in both x and y planes, a depth gauge, a stud centerline indicia and standard rafter angle indicia. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention is fully understood it will now be described with reference to the following drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a left side view of a sliding square. 
         FIG. 1B  is a top view. 
         FIG. 1C  is a right side view. 
         FIG. 1D  is a bottom view. 
         FIG. 2A  is a top view of an embodiment with two-plane bubble levels and slide bridges. 
         FIG. 2B  is a right side view with two-plane bubble levels and slide bridges. 
         FIG. 3A  is a top view with depth gauge. 
         FIG. 3B  is a right side view with depth gauge. 
         FIG. 4  is section view of depth gage along section lines  4 - 4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective bottom view showing tape measure in x plane. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective bottom view showing tape measures in both x and y plane. 
         FIG. 7A  is a partial left side view showing a curvilinear free side centering wall option. 
         FIG. 7B  is a partial left side view showing a V shaped free side centering wall option. 
         FIG. 7C  is a partial left side view showing a top wall as a continuation of top wall  12  option. 
         FIG. 7D  is a partial top view showing a tape extended out from front face with inside edge of centering wall aligning with centers indicia on tape. 
     
    
    
     Tape measures are shown in broken lines, as they are not part of this invention but shown for illustrative purposes only. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     In order that Sliding Square  10  is fully understood it will now be described by way of the following examples. This new invention is a convenient and easily adaptable device for use either as a free standing triangle, square, level and depth gauge combination layout device or in conjunction with a retractable tape measure  34 . Sliding Square  10  is used for marking lines at a specific distance and/or angle from the side or end of a given work piece from either the right or left hand side. 
       FIGS. 1A ,  1 B  1 C and  1 D describe a preferred embodiment of Sliding Square  10  in which abutment wall  38  is used to guide Sliding Square  10  along the edge of a work piece. Abutment wall  38  is approximately 3 inches long and ⅛ inch thick and depends approximately ⅝ inch from top wall  12  and rises approximately ⅜ inches above top wall  12 . Top wall  12  is approximately 3/32 inch thick and extends away from abutment wall  38  approximately 1 inch, intersecting with inside wall  50  which depends from top wall  12  approximately ¼ inch to generally planar base  32 . First centering wall  13 , as shown in  FIG. 7A , extends from front face  52  to tape opening  48  and from abutment wall  38  toward inside wall  50  but does not attach to it. It has a concave surface matching the curvilinear shape of retractable tape measure  34  or a V shaped wall as shown in  FIG. 7B  with a approximately 1/32 inch radius at its nether point. This feature allows various width retractable tape measures  34  to self-align as the tape is extended from beneath first centering wall  13  across front face  52  to end of work piece. The third option shown in  FIG. 7C  discloses centering wall  13  as an extension of top wall  12 . Top wall  12  has tape opening  48  approximately 1 inch long by ¾ inch wide and centered in top wall  12 , beginning approximately ¾ inch from front face  52 . This inside wall of tape opening  48  when aligned with the desired centers between studs, i.e., 16 inches on tape measure allows for marking the desired centers using the front face  52  as shown in  FIG. 7D . 
     Base  32 &#39;s bottom surface is approximately ¼ inch below top surface of top wall  12 . Front face  52  steps down approximately 3/16 inches from top surface of top wall  12  to top surface of base  32 . Base  32  is approximately 3/32 inches thick and extends approximately 7⅛ inches from abutment wall  38  inside surface. Base  32  is approximately 1½ inches wide at distal end  54  and continues at that width until it intersects a 3 inch arc with a center at inside corner of abutment wall  38  on front face  52 . Parallel to and approximately ¼ inch inboard from front face  52 , first stiffening rib  45  runs from inside wall  50  to distal end of linear scale  28 . First stiffening rib  45  is approximately ⅛ inch thick and depends from the top surface of top wall  14  to bottom surface of base  32 . First stiffening rib  45  connects perpendicularly to second stiffening rib  46  that runs across distal end  54  of linear scale  28  approximately ¾ inch in length. Stiffening rib  46  connects perpendicularly to third stiffening rib  47  that runs parallel to first stiffening rib  45  and whose outer edge is approximately ¾ inch from front face  52 . Third Stiffening rib  47  runs from second stiffening rib  46  back toward abutment wall  38  until it intersects a 3 inch radius centered at the intersection of front face  52  and the inside edge of abutment wall  38  and then angles back to inside wall  50  at a 45 degree outgoing angle. 
     An opening through base  32  has a proximal 45 degree edge  44  aligned with 45 degree wall of third stiffening rib  47  in opening in base  32  to allow marking a 45 degree line to abutment wall  38 . The distal side of opening in base  32  is a 2½ inch radius arc concentric with 3 inch radius arc of protractor edge of base  32 . Outside of 2½ inch radius is marked with indicia of standard rafter angle scale  56  and inside edge of 3 inch arc is marked with protractor angle scale  30 . 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show an embodiment of Sliding Square  10  as described above further embodying bubble levels  24  and  26  along the x and y planes respectively, attached to top surface of base  32  in-between stiffening ribs  45  and  47 . This embodiment also illustrates y-plane slide opening  62  that is formed between y-plane slide bridge  64  and side wall  14  through which retractable tape measure  34  can be threaded as shown in  FIG. 6 . Second centering wall  16  has a similar structure and function for the y-plane tape installation as first centering wall  13  does for the x-plane retractable tape measure  34  utilization 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an embodiment as described above further embodying a depth gage comprised of depth slide  18  with depth scale  20  embossed on the top surface of depth slide  18 . Depth slide  18  is preferably constructed of a rectangular bar approximately 3⅝ inches long by ⅜ of an inch wide and ⅛ of an inch thick with 1/16 of an inch wide by 3/64 inch deep shoulders on each side as shown in  FIG. 4 . Base  32  is open between stiffening ribs  45  and  47  for approximately 3¾ inches back from distal end  54 . A ⅜ inch wide by 3/64 inch deep channel is cut into bottom surface of base  32  spanning the width of the space between stiffening ribs  45  and  47 . A hole is drilled and tapped toward the proximal end of depth slide  18 . Depth slide  18  is placed into the previously described opening from the bottom and depth set retainer  22  is screwed into the tapped hole in depth slide  18  from the top. Depth set retainer  22  is larger in diameter than the span between stiffening ribs  45  and  47  and therefore when depth set retainer  22  is tightened it locks the depth slide  18  in place. When it is loosened it allows depth slide  18  to slip in and out to determine the depth of a given opening. 
       FIG. 5  discloses a perspective rear view of an embodiment of Sliding Square  10  with retractable tape measure  34  shown in broken lines as it is only shown to illustrate the environment in which Sliding Square  10  may be utilized but forms no part of the invention itself. Retractable tape measure  34  is shown slid through x-plane slide opening  58  over x-plane slide bridge  60  and under centering wall  13 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the back side of Sliding Square  10  further embodying an extension of abutment wall  38  with y-plane slide bridge  64  extending approximately 1 inch further away from bottom of abutment wall  38 . In this embodiment, bottom of abutment wall  38  extends away from y-plane slide bridge  64  approximately ¼ inch and then turns back to side wall  14  similar to previously described top wall  12  with its tape opening  48  approximately 1 inch by ¾ inch starting approximately ¾ inch back from front face  52 . Side wall  14 , similar to top wall  12 , is 1/16 inch below y-plane slide bridge  64  as to form y-plane slide opening  62 .  FIG. 6  shows Sliding Square  10  with retractable tape measures  34  in broken lines, installed in both x and y planes for illustration purposes. Retractable tape measure  34  would be used in either the x or y plane depending on the structure to be measured and again forms no part of this invention. 
     The Sliding Square  10  embodiments showed in  FIGS. 1-7  disclose approximate dimensions for a 7 inch scale device for use with a ¾ inch wide retractable tape measure  34 . The descriptions in the above specification are not intended to limit this invention to that ¾ inch retractable tape measure  34  but rather show it for illustration purposes only. One skilled in these arts could easily scale the invention&#39;s dimensions and materials to work with any standard tape measure and the linear scale and depth gauge are also not limited to the sizes shown here. Centering walls  13  and  16  however do allow several different tape widths to be utilized with Sliding Square  10  as shown. Sliding Square  10  may be configured using any or all of the features disclosed here in any combination without diverging from the design intent of this disclosure.