An Improved Casing for Measuring-tapes with Spring-work.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar.,
1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Casing for Measuring-tapes with Spring-work.
I, WILHELM DEUMER, of Lüdenscheid, in the Province of Westphalia
Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Manufacturer, 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 refers to measuring-tapes which may automatically be rolled up
within a casing by means of a spring that has been strained before by the unrolling
of the tape, and my improvement relates to the arrangement of and to the com-
bination of said casing with, a special outer casing which wholly surrounds and
covers the inner casing proper as well as the moveable part projecting out of the
latter, by means of which part the inner mechanism for keeping the spring in its
strained state may be operated or disengaged from the spring or its axle. My
invention proper consists in making the outer casing or shell at a certain place
elastic, or providing it with a special elastic piece, said place or piece being over
the said projection part for actuating the spring-work, so that in operating this
latter the said part is not touched directly but by means, or by the medition, of the
said elastic piece of the outer casing.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawing,
in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different views and in
which:
a is the inner casing which contains the rolled-up measuring-tape, in the center of
which latter the spring-work is arranged. The spring of this work, as is well known.
to every one conversant with such measuring-tapes, is strained by the unrolling, or
drawing-out, of the tape, and the strained spring is fixed then in this state by a
ratchet, click or pawl, which may be disengaged by pressing on the projecting
button. That side of casing a through which button projects is covered by
an elastic plate or disk c, which, as a matter of course, also covers, or gripes over,
the button b. In order, therefore, to press button b, plate c must be pressed down
onto the latter.
I prefer to make plate c in one piece with a ring c¹ that embraces the inner
casing a, and I provide said ring with a slit d for letting the tape e out.
In the
mode of construction shown in the drawing, I have shown two such rings with disks
firmly connected with each other, so that a casing closed at all sides is formed
thereby. The manner of fixing this outer casing in place with regard to the ioner
one may be as desired. The other opposite disk c² need, as a matter of course, not
be elastic, but may be rigid; and I may use for the parts c¹ c² of the casing any
suitable elastic or unelastic material, whilst the elastic disk or plate c may be made
out of celluloid, steel, hard-rolled sheet-brass, German silver or some such material.
I prefer, however, to employ an elastic material also for the parts ¹² of the
casing, and I then make the halves of the latter in such a size, that the inner
casing a fits exactly into the rings, and, in fact, must be pressed into them, so that
the inner casing is held by means of the elasticity of said rings.
The advantages attained by covering the press-button with an elastic plate, and
by combining the tape-casing proper with a special outer shell, consist, first, in
entirely preventing dust from gaining access to the spring-work; and, second, in
facilitating the management of the measuring-device, as there is now no projecting
part at all, and the covered press-button, consequently, cannot be operated by
inadvertency as easily as this has been the case hitherto.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a measuring-tape with casing and spring-work, the combination with said
casing, of an elastic disk or plate, covering the press-button or its equivalent, said
elastic disk or plate being adapted to be pressed onto said button or its equivalent,
for the purpose as described.
2. In a measuring-tape with casing and spring-work, the combination with said
casing, of an elastic disk or plate covering the press-button or its equivalent, and
being made in one piece with a ring embracing the said casing, said elastic disk or
plate being adapted to be pressed onto said button or its equivalent, for the purpose
is described.
3. In a measuring-tape with casing and spring-work, the combination with said
casing, of an outer casing or shell having an elastic part or piece covering the press-
button or its equivalent, said elastic part or piece being adapted to be pressed onto
said button or its equivalent, for the purpose as described.
4. In a measuring-tape with casing and spring-work, the combination with said
casing, of an outer casing or shell having an elastic part or piece covering the
press-button or its equivalent, said outer casing or shell consisting of two disks or
plates, each being made in one piece with a ring embracing the inner casing, said
elastic part or piece forming one of said disks or plates, and being adapted to be
pressed onto said button or its equivalent, for the purpose as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1894.
WILHELM DEUMER,
By Geo. H. Rayner,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.