Improvements in Measuring Tapes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1896-Accented, 13th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Measuring Tapes.
I, SERENUS HIGGINS RODICK, of Bar Harbor, in the County of Hancock,
and State of Maine, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in tape lines, and the object in view is
to provide the tape at its initial end with an attachment in the form of a ring and
shouldered hook, the latter being adapted to be folded and unfolded and under
the latter adjustment to be inserted in the ground or floor or engaged with any
convenient object for the purpose of retaining such end of the tape fast while the
tape itself is being extended to the desired point.
The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and
arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings and
finally embodied in the claim.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one end of the tape line showing the improved
attachment applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the device in use.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the attachment.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the hook.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the clip is formed.
Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, I designates a tape of flexible material,
the same being provided upon one or both sides with the usual graduations in
inches, feet, etc. For the purpose of carrying out the present invention, a blank 2
is cut from sheet metal, said blank being oblong and provided at its center with a
longitudinal slot 3. This blank is folded at its center upon a transverse line so
that the terminals of the blank are folded flatwise upon each other forming the
flaps 4.
The initial end of the tape 1 is introduced between the flaps 4 and held therein
by riveting or in any approved manner. The metal clip thus formed receives in
its central fold the inner bar of a ring or link 5 the outer bar of said ring or link
being thus left free and unobstructed so that it may be readily grasped by the
fingers in the act of measuring.
Within the slot 3 of the clip is arranged the butt end of a hook 6, such end of
the hook being provided with an opening through which is received the inner bar
of the ring or link 5. The hook 6 is thus journaled upon said inner bar and
within the slot 3, and the said hook is provided at its pivoted end with an offset
or shoulder 7, which abuts against a shoulder 8 formed by one end of the slot 3,
whereby the swinging movement of the hook is limited in an outward direction.
The shoulders 7 and 8, are so disposed that the hook is stopped at substantially
right angles to the clip and the direction in which the tape extends, so that
when inserted in the ground or other fixed support, the said hook will afford a
firm anchorage for the tape. At the same time when not in use, the hook 6
may be folded against the clip where it will be out of the way and its point
guarded.
By means of the construction above described, a very simple, inexpensive and

page_text: convenient attachment is obtained which will enable a person to make measure-
ments without the assistance of an attendant. Besides this, the outer bar or
extremity of the ring or link 5 may be moved into contact with a vertical
body as a wall, baseboard, or partition, the hook in no way interfering there-
with, and at the same time, the outer bar or portion of the ring or link is left
perfectly free and unobstructed so that it may be readily grasped between the
thumb and forefinger and carried to the desired point. The hook 6 is located upon
that side of the tape line 1 opposite to the side upon which the graduations are
represented, or the tape line may be graduated on both sides, the underside being
so shown in Fig. 1. Changes in the form, proportion and minor details of con-
struction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of
the advantages of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
An attachment for tape measures, comprising a clip formed from a sheet metal
blank, the same being provided with a central longitudinal slot and having its
terminal portions folded upon each other and also upon the extremity of the
tape, the latter being confined between the same, a ring or loop passing through
the folded portion of the clip, and a pointed hook having its butt end arranged
within said slot in the clip and journaled upon the ring or link, the said hook being
further provided with a shoulder which co-operates with an opposing shoulder
formed by one end of the slot in the clip whereby the swinging movement of the
hook is limited, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of April 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.