GB2115147A

GB2115147A - Mounting spirit level vial

Info

Publication number: GB2115147A
Application number: GB08204520A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Gilbert
Original assignee: Stanley Tools Ltd
Current assignee: Stanley Works Ltd
Priority date: 1982-02-16
Filing date: 1982-02-16
Publication date: 1983-09-01
Also published as: FR2521721B1; FR2521721A1; GB2115147B

Abstract

For mounting a spirit level vial (8) in a support member (9), two end-caps 1 are each provided with a deep slot (5) so that the end-caps can be first of all mounted, without vial 8, to the web 10 of support member 9 with their inner ends 6 clear of the relatively wide inner end portion of notch 12. Then the vial (8) is aligned with the two end-caps (1) and the end-caps 1 are pushed inwardly to hold the ends of the vial (8). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member This invention relates to a method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member.

According to the invention there is provided a method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member, comprising the steps of mounting two end-caps in alignment with each other to the support member with a space between the two end caps sufficient for the vial to be subsequently inserted therebetween in alignment therewith, inserting the vial subsequently between the two end caps in alignment therewith and thereafter moving at least one of the end-caps relative to the support member towards the other end-cap so as to cause the vial to be held at its ends by the two end-caps while the end caps remain mounted to the support member.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1 is a side view of an end-cap for use in a method in accordance with the invention; Figure2 is an end view of the end-cap of Figure 1, showing the inner end of the end-cap; Figure 3 is a section on line A-A of Figure 2: Figure 4 is a section on line B-B of Figure 2: Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate successive stages in a method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member in accordance with the invention; and Figure 8 illustrates a spirit level incorporating two spirit level vials each mounted to the support member by a method in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 thereof, there is shown an end-cap 1 in the form of two generally part-spherical shells 2 and 3 integrally joined together by a bridging piece 4, and with a deep, generally diametral slot 5 between the two shells 2 and 3. At its inner end 6, the end-cap 1 presents a generally circular opening 7, that is to say, circular except for the gaps formed by slot 5, to receive one end of an elongate, generally cylindrical spirit level vial 8 (Figures 6 and 7).

Referring to Figures 5,6 and 7 of the drawings, starting with Figure 5, a support member 9, preferably of aluminium, takes the form of a generally I-section beam, the web 10 of which has a cutout 11 with the two notches 12. Each notch 12 has a relatively wide inner end portion 1 2a stepped down to a narrower portion 12b as shown best in Figure 5.

The relatively wide portion 1 2a is just wide enough to accept the end of the vial 8 which, however, is too wide to enter the relatively narrow portion 1 2b. The narrow portion 1 2b of notch 12 is just wide enough to accept the bridging piece 4 of end-cap 1.

In the method illustrated in Figures 5,6 and 7, starting with Figure 5, two end-caps 1 are first of all mounted in the cutout 11 to the web 10 of support member 9, by pushing each end-cap 1 outwardly of cutout 11 towards the outer end 1 2c of notch 12 until the bridging piece 4 comes to rest against the outer end12c of notch 12, with the web 10 thus engaged in slot 5. In Figure 5, the righthand end-cap 1 is shown already mounted and the lefthand cap 1 about to be moved in the direction of arrow 13 so as to be similarly mounted.

It will be appreciated from looking at Figure 5, and particularly the righthand end-cap 1, that the inner end 6 thereof is clear of the relatively wide notch portion 12a. Hence, as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to insert the vial 8 between the two end-caps 1,which are in alignment with each other, and to align the vial 8 with the two end-caps 1 and then, as shown in Figure 7, to push the two end-caps 1 towards each other so that they come to hold the two ends respectively of the vial 8.

It will be appreciated that the vial 8 can rotate relative to each end-cap 1, but that the slot 5 prevents each end-cap 1 from rotating relative to the web 10 of support member 9. Not withstanding that each end-cap 1 has to be in the correct rotational position relative to support member web 10 before being mounted thereof by engagement of the web 10 in the slot 5, it is quite a simple operation to fit each end cap 1 to the web 10 as shown in FigureS, because the vial 8 is not yet engaged by the end-cap 1. After the end-caps 1 have both been mounted on the web 10 as shown in FigureS, it is a comparatively simple operation to align the via 8 with both of them (Figure 6) and then to push both end-caps 1 inwardly to hold the vial 8.

Figure 8 shows two vials 8 mounted, one horizontally and the other vertically, to the centre web 14 of an inverted T-section support member 15 to form another spirit level, each vial 8 being mounted by means of a respetive pair of end-caps 1.

1. A method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member, comprising the steps of mounting two end-caps in alignment with each other to the support member with a space between the two end caps sufficient for the vial to be subsequently inserted therebetween in alignment therewith, inserting the vial subsequently between the two end caps in alignment therewith and thereafter moving at least one of the end-caps relative to the support member towards the other end-cap so as to cause the vial to be held at its ends by the two end-caps while the end caps remain mounted to the support member.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein both end-caps are moved as aforesaid relative to the support member towards each other so as to cause the vial to be held at its ends by the two end-caps while the end-caps remain mounted to the support member.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein each end-cap is mounted to the support member by engagement of the support member in a slot in the end-cap, the slot and the way in which the support member engages in the slot being such as to permit said movement of the end-cap relative to the support member.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member This invention relates to a method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member. According to the invention there is provided a method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member, comprising the steps of mounting two end-caps in alignment with each other to the support member with a space between the two end caps sufficient for the vial to be subsequently inserted therebetween in alignment therewith, inserting the vial subsequently between the two end caps in alignment therewith and thereafter moving at least one of the end-caps relative to the support member towards the other end-cap so as to cause the vial to be held at its ends by the two end-caps while the end caps remain mounted to the support member. The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1 is a side view of an end-cap for use in a method in accordance with the invention; Figure2 is an end view of the end-cap of Figure 1, showing the inner end of the end-cap; Figure 3 is a section on line A-A of Figure 2: Figure 4 is a section on line B-B of Figure 2: Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate successive stages in a method of mounting an elongate spirit level vial to a support member in accordance with the invention; and Figure 8 illustrates a spirit level incorporating two spirit level vials each mounted to the support member by a method in accordance with the invention. Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 thereof, there is shown an end-cap 1 in the form of two generally part-spherical shells 2 and 3 integrally joined together by a bridging piece 4, and with a deep, generally diametral slot 5 between the two shells 2 and 3. At its inner end 6, the end-cap 1 presents a generally circular opening 7, that is to say, circular except for the gaps formed by slot 5, to receive one end of an elongate, generally cylindrical spirit level vial 8 (Figures 6 and 7). Referring to Figures 5,6 and 7 of the drawings, starting with Figure 5, a support member 9, preferably of aluminium, takes the form of a generally I-section beam, the web 10 of which has a cutout 11 with the two notches 12. Each notch 12 has a relatively wide inner end portion 1 2a stepped down to a narrower portion 12b as shown best in Figure 5. The relatively wide portion 1 2a is just wide enough to accept the end of the vial 8 which, however, is too wide to enter the relatively narrow portion 1 2b. The narrow portion 1 2b of notch 12 is just wide enough to accept the bridging piece 4 of end-cap 1. In the method illustrated in Figures 5,6 and 7, starting with Figure 5, two end-caps 1 are first of all mounted in the cutout 11 to the web 10 of support member 9, by pushing each end-cap 1 outwardly of cutout 11 towards the outer end 1 2c of notch 12 until the bridging piece 4 comes to rest against the outer end12c of notch 12, with the web 10 thus engaged in slot 5. In Figure 5, the righthand end-cap 1 is shown already mounted and the lefthand cap 1 about to be moved in the direction of arrow 13 so as to be similarly mounted. It will be appreciated from looking at Figure 5, and particularly the righthand end-cap 1, that the inner end 6 thereof is clear of the relatively wide notch portion 12a. Hence, as shown in Figure 6, it is possible to insert the vial 8 between the two end-caps 1,which are in alignment with each other, and to align the vial 8 with the two end-caps 1 and then, as shown in Figure 7, to push the two end-caps 1 towards each other so that they come to hold the two ends respectively of the vial 8. It will be appreciated that the vial 8 can rotate relative to each end-cap 1, but that the slot 5 prevents each end-cap 1 from rotating relative to the web 10 of support member 9. Not withstanding that each end-cap 1 has to be in the correct rotational position relative to support member web 10 before being mounted thereof by engagement of the web 10 in the slot 5, it is quite a simple operation to fit each end cap 1 to the web 10 as shown in FigureS, because the vial 8 is not yet engaged by the end-cap 1. After the end-caps 1 have both been mounted on the web 10 as shown in FigureS, it is a comparatively simple operation to align the via 8 with both of them (Figure 6) and then to push both end-caps 1 inwardly to hold the vial 8. Figure 8 shows two vials 8 mounted, one horizontally and the other vertically, to the centre web 14 of an inverted T-section support member 15 to form another spirit level, each vial 8 being mounted by means of a respetive pair of end-caps 1. CLAIMS

4. The combination of an elongate spirit level mounted to a support member by a method as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3.