A tape rule of the type including a hollow housing having a slot formed through one peripheral edge portion of the housing and including a coiled flexible measuring tape within the housing having one end thereof projectable and retractable through the slot is provided and a generally L-shaped anchor member including a pair of generally right-angularly disposed arms is also provided. The arms of the L-shaped anchor member are rigidly interconnected at adjacent ends and structure is provided for pivotally attaching the terminal end of the free end of the tape to the anchor member for oscillation of the latter relative to the terminal end about an axis disposed transverse to the free end of the tape and generally mutually perpendicular to the arms of the anchor member. The free end of one of the arms of the anchor member includes an angularly directed terminal end projecting into the included angle formed by the arms and the free end of the right-angularly disposed terminal end is toothed for gripping one side of a structure having an adjacent side along which the free end portion of the tape extends. In this manner the free end of the tape may be hooked about the corner of a structure in order to measure an adjacent side of the structure. Further, by having the L-shaped anchor member pivotally attached to the free terminal end of the tape for oscillation relative thereto the L-shaped anchor member may be positioned so as to embrace those peripheral side portions of the housing of the tape rule on either side of the slot formed in the housing through which the measuring tape is extendable and protractible. By this manner of storing the L-shaped anchor member when the associated measuring tape is not in use compact storage of the combination consisting of the tape rule and the L-shaped anchor member is assured.
A hooking device for a tape measure includes a ring member pivotally attached to a hook member. The hook member includes a planar surface which is perpendicular to the ring member in an extended position. Extending from the planar surface of the hook member are two supporting side surfaces which enhance the rigidity of the hook member to prevent bending. The hook member can also include a plurality of pointed barbs and a contacting surface which prevent slippage of the hooking device during use.
A measuring tape tip body is described for attachment to a standard semi-rigid automatic-retrieval tape measure. The tape tip body allows the dimensions of a roof to be accurately determined by advancing the semi-rigid tape and tape tip body from the eave to the ridge of the roof without substantial interference due to roof shingles or tiles. This method and device allows steep, dangerous or unclimbable roofs to be measured safely and economically from the eave of the roof.
A method of measuring a length of a pile which supports a structure upon the earth including affixing a flexible strand to a first pile segment, driving the first pile segment a desired distance into the earth such that the flexible strand extends along the length of the first pile segment along an exterior surface thereof, and driving a plurality of additional pile segments into the earth such that the pile segments reside upon an end of the first pile segment. The flexible strand extends along a length of the plurality of additional pile segments on the exterior surface thereon. The flexible strand has indicia thereon indicative of length measurements. The flexible strand is formed of an inelastic material.
An end assembly for a tape rule employs a "true zero" hook, which has a hinge portion that is offset from its body portion by a distance equal to the thickness of the material from which the hook is fabricated. The hinge and body portions have outside and inside planar surfaces, respectively, that are perpendicular to one another and are equidistant from the axis of pivoting of the hinge portion about the ring by which it is attached to the tape rule. This permits the device to be utilized for the measurement of outside and inside dimensions, with the hook in its open or closed position, respectively.
A new and improved tape measure end retention apparatus includes a base assembly and a screw clamp assembly connected to the base assembly. The screw clamp assembly extends over a top side of the base assembly and is adapted to secure a free end of a tape measure to the base assembly. The screw clamp assembly includes a pressure plate which includes a convex-shaped damping surface, and a first concave channel is adapted to be placed in registration with the convex-shaped clamping surface. The screw assembly includes a knurled knob for rotating the screw assembly. A plurality of magnets are located at the bottom side of the base assembly and include a first magnet, a second magnet, and a third magnet each of which extends longitudinally along the base assembly. The magnets are retained in complementary magnet-receiving channels located in the bottom side of the base assembly. The magnet-receiving channels include channel walls each of which includes apertures that are in registration with each other. The first magnet includes a first alignment slot placed in registration with the apertures. The second magnet includes an alignment aperture placed in registration with the apertures. The third magnet includes a second alignment slot placed in registration with the apertures. A keeper pin is inserted through the registered apertures and the alignment slots for retaining the magnets in the base assembly.
