Patent ID: 7165338

Claim:
An apparatus to measure a length of a piece of material before cutting the piece of material, the apparatus comprising: a backstop configured to attach to a support surface; a first measuring means attached to the backstop, having indicia for providing a lateral measurement of distance from a cutting means; a second measuring means movably coupled to the backstop, and for providing a measurement beyond a length of the backstop to measure a lateral distance from the cutting means to an end of the piece of material to be cut; a third measuring means attached to the backstop for providing a measurement for vertical adjustment of the second measuring means; and a height indicator, coupled to the second measuring means and slidably coupled to the third measuring means, and including a backing member; a spacer coupled to the backinig member; and a height marker coupled to the spacer and extending over the third measuring means, wherein the second measuring means is inset from the height marker.