Patent ID: 7260898

Claim:
A device for holding together a measuring tape terminated by a 90 degree bracket, and a trapezoidal cutting blade, comprising: a) a flat-shaped housing comprising: i) a first shallow cavity, approximately matching in shape a first portion of said trapezoidal cutting blade and into which said first portion can be inserted, thereby shielding said first portion, and leaving exposed second unshielded portion of said cutting blade; ii) a second cavity in the shape of a slot, said slot having a thickness approximately the same as the thickness of said tape bracket and into which said tape bracket can be inserted; iii) a cover hingedly attached to said housing for covering said first cavity; and iv) a snap latch mechanism for locking said cover to, or unlocking said cover from, said housing, said snap latch mechanism comprising a tongue mounted on said cover, said tongue traversed by a hole, said snap-latch mechanism furthermore comprising a protuberance mounted on said housing, said snap-latch hole and said snap-latch protuberance matching in position and latching together when said cover is closed and said tongue is pressed on said protuberance; and b) a blade safeguard shield attached by means of a hinge to said housing, wherein said safeguard shield is in part shaped as a slot into which said unshielded portion of said cutting blade can fit, for optionally covering said unshielded portion of said blade when said device is not in use.