Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
Avenue in the City of New York State of New York United States of America
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:
The object of our invention is to provide a new or improved rule which can also be
used as a square and protractor.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details as
will be fully described and set forth hereinafter and finally pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of our improved combination
rule and protractor folded.
Figure 2 is a side view of parts of the same showing the two legs at an
inclination.
Figure 3 is a side view of the same extended.
Figure 4 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the same extended.
Figure 5 is a detail view of one leg showing parts broken out and others in
section.
Figure 6 is a detail side view of the hinge piece.
Figure 7 is an end view of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The rule is composed of the two legs A and B which are pivoted to each other in the
manner that will now be described. The leg A has its end a shaped on an arc line the
centre of which is at a¹. The leg A is provided at its end parts with a recess C in
each side the inner edges of said recess being formed on a segmental or arc line 6 the
centre of which is at the point 6' and in a curved notch D extending upward from
the bottom edge of said leg A. The leg A is provided in its end with a recess E
extending from the top to the bottom edge and in said recess a hinge piece F is placed
the bottom edge of which is a straight line and the top edge of which is composed of
two arcs d and f having their centres at d¹ and f¹ respectively. The piece Fis
provided on each side with a meniscus shaped flange G the outer edge of which is
flush with the arc edge of said piece F and the inner end of which is formed by an
arc d² the centre of which is at d¹. In the curved edge of said piece F a notch h¹ is
provided at the top and notches h³ and h' at the ends. The piece F is placed into the
recess E in the end of the leg A and is pivoted therein by a pin J passed through
apertures a¹ of the leg A and the aperture d' of the piece F so as to adapt the piece F
to swing in the recessed end of the leg A with the pin J as centre. The hinge
piece F is provided on each side with a segmental rib W which gets in and can be
passed into the notches D of the leg A. The outer leg B has its end rounded on the
arc line g having its centre at g' and is provided with a recess K extending from top
to bottom and of sufficient width to receive the recessed end part of the leg A and
the hinge piece F. A pivot L is passed through apertures in the leg B and through
the aperture f¹ of the piece F which aperture extends through the-curved ribs W.
A spring M is secured on the upper edge of the leg B and provided on its freo end
with a spur N that can enter the notch ¹. A like spring R is secured on the top
edge of the leg A and is provided on its free end with a spur S which can enter the
notch of the hinge piece F.
.
When the implement is folded (as shown in Figure 1) the inner or under edges of
the legs A B are in contact and the straight bottom edge of the piece F is at right
angles to the longitudinal axis of said legs A and B and is locked to the leg B by the

page_text: spring M the spur N of which is in the notch h. The spur S is in the notch h³. The
legs can be swung from each other until they are at right angles the spur S snapping
out of the notch h³ and the pin J being the centre on which they turn and the piece
remaining locked to the leg B and the pin L and ribs W passing into the notches D.
In case the leg B is swung out still further the spur N snaps out of the notch /*
the spur S preventing the piece F from turning after said piece F has been brought
in such position that its bottom edge is parallel with the bottom edge of the rule A.
As soon as the spring M is disengaged from the piece F the leg B does not swing on the
pin J as centre but on the pin L as the centre and while thus swinging the rounded
edge of the leg B rests against and slides along the edge b of the shoulder of the
leg A.
Protractor subdivisions are provided on the outer surfaces of the leg B and on the
bottom of the recess C thus permitting the adjusting of the leg B at any desired angle
to the leg A. The meniscus shaped flange G serves for guiding the piece F on the
rounded edges a of the leg A. To fold the rule the same is first swung into position
with the leg B at right angles to the leg A the pin L being the centre on which the
leg B turns and then the spur N of the spring M snaps into a notch h₁ of the piece F
and as the leg B is swung against the inner edge of the leg A it turns with the piece
on the pin J as centre. The curved ribs W serve to exclude dust.
It will be observed that the inner edges of the legs always form a clear corner
whenever the legs are at any angle to each other thus adapting the instrument for
ineasuring all angles as the inner edges of the legs can be applied directly upon the
faces of the articles of object the angle of which is to be measured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A combination rule and protractor consisting of two legs united by a hinge piece
the bottom edge of which is a straight line and the top edge of which is formed of
two eccentric arcs of circles the centres of which are a short distance from each other
said hinge piece being pivoted by a pin to one leg and by another pin to the other leg
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with two legs having recessed ends of a hinge piece inserted in
said recessed ends said hinge piece having its bottom edge straight and its top edge
formed of two eccentric arcs of circles the centres of which are a short distance from
each other a pin pivoting the said hinge piece to one leg and another pin pivoting
it to the other leg said pins passing through the centres of the arcs of the circles
forming the top edge and the hinge piece and springs secured on the legs and
engaging said hinge piece substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the leg A having the rounded end edge a the recesses C and
notches D in the bottom edge of the leg B having the rounded edge g and the recess K
the hinge piece F having the meniscus shaped flanges G and of the springs M and R
secured on the legs A and B and engaging the hinge piece F substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1980