Patent ID: 6996915

Claim:
A tape measure apparatus comprising: a) a casing having two side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and a front wall defining an enclosure, the front wall having a blade aperture adjacent the bottom wall; b) a rule blade having inner and outer end portions and being retractably stored in a coiled condition within said enclosure of the casing, the inner end of the rule blade secured within the enclosure, the outer end of the rule blade protruding through the blade aperture when extended during use; c) graduated indicia markings along the length of said rule blade, functioning as a measuring scale; d) an end hook attached to the outer end of the rule blade; e) an insert slidably connected to the casing through the blade aperture and movable between retracted and extended positions; and f) the insert comprising: i) a base; ii) a guide, the guide being non-pivotally attached as a single unit to the base and generally parallel to the graduated markings of the rule blade.