GB2154002A

GB2154002A - Bowls measure

Info

Publication number: GB2154002A
Application number: GB08502596A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Frederick Poole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-03
Filing date: 1985-02-01
Publication date: 1985-08-29
Also published as: GB2154002B; GB8502596D0; GB8402911D0

Abstract

The bowls measure comprises a housing 18 in which an ungraduated measuring cord 36 is stored on a spool 30. The exterior of the housing has a conical pointer 22 and the distant end of the cord is attached to a tab 68 having a pointed end. The cord is withdrawn from the housing by depressing a push button 54 which releases brake blocks 60 from engagement with the edge of the spool. The spool rotates against the bias of a clock spring 32 as the cord is withdrawn for use and, when measuring is taking place, is securely locked by the brake blocks which are biassed into their locking positions by a spring 56. When not in use, the tab 68 is secured to the housing by engagement of a peg 70 on the housing in a hole 72 in the tab. In use the pointer 22 is brought into contact with the jack and the cord is withdrawn to allow the tab 68 to be brought into contact with a wood. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bowls measure This invention relates to devices for measuring and comparing distances, for example, devices for comparing the respective distances between the jack and two woods in the game of bowls.

The invention provides a device for measuring lengths or comparing distances, the device comprising a housing, a storage spool rotatably mounted in the housing, an elongate distance-measuring or comparing element withdrawable from and retractable onto the storage spool through an opening in the housing, and locking means operable to act on the spool to prevent rotation thereof and thereby withdrawal and retraction of the elongate element.

Preferably the device includes means biassing the spool against rotation in the withdrawal direction.

The locking means are conveniently operable manually from the exterior of the housing.

The elongate element may be graduated or ungraduated.

Devices according to the invention may be used for comparing distances in the game of bowls. For this purpose, the housing advantageously has an indexing means (for example, a pointer) for placing in contact with one bowl, for example, the jack, and the elongate element advantageously has its end distant from the housing a further indexing means (for example, a further pointer) for placing in contact with another bowl, for example a wood adjacent the jack.

A bowls measure according to the present invention can be particularly reliable in operation because of the locking of the elongate element against withdrawal without release of the locking means can be reliably attained. It should be noted that reliable locking of the elongate element is of great importance in a measure with an ungraduated elongate element since the security of locking determines the precision and accuracy of the measurement.

Conveniently, the opening in the housing is shaped to prevent the further indexing means passing into the housing and the further indexing means can therefore constitute a convenient means whereby the end of the elongate element can be gripped manually for withdrawal of the element from the housing.

The locking means are preferable resiliently biassed into the locking condition in which rotation of the spool is prevented. Such an arrangement ensures that the elongate element can be withdrawn or retracted only when an operating member of the locking means is operated.

Advantageously, the locking means comprises a locking member and the locking member and spool are slidable relative to each other between a first position in which an engagement surface of the locking memebr engages the spool to prevent its rotation and a second position in which the locking member is spaced from the spool which is then free to rotate.

Preferably, the locking member is slidable in the housing and its sliding movement is guided by inner surfaces of the housing of the device.

The locking member conveniently engages the outer periphery of the spool and its engagement surface may be constituted by surface of one or more brake blocks of, for example, rubber carried on the locking member.

A particularly preferred locking member extends around the spool and is slidable perpendicularly to the axis of the spool. Opposite side edges of the member may conveniently be guided by opposite sides walls of the housing. The locking member conveniently includes an operating push-button which protrudes through one end wall of the housing and a compression spring acting between the opposite end wall and the locking member may be provided to bias the latter into engagement with the spool.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a bowls measure, a front cover of the measure having been removed; Figure 2 is a left-hand side view of the measure of of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a right-hand side view of the measure of Figure 1; Figure 4 is top view of the measure of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an elevational view of an inner moveable stirrup member of the measure of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Figure 1.

Figures 1 to 4 show a measure having a housing which includes a back 10, a left-hand side wall 12, a righthand side wall 14, a top 1 6 and a bottom 18, all formed in a onepiece moulding of plastics material. A front cover 20 (figures 2,3 and 4) also of plastics material is secured at its corners to the side walls, top and bottom by respective screws in order to complete the housing, which measures about 73mm in height, about 60mm in width and 33mm in thickness.

The right-hand side wall 1 4 of the housing has an integral conical protrusion 22 for placing in contact With a bowl during use of the measure. A spiqot 24 (see figure 6) extends across the interior of the housing from the back 10 and is flush at its outer end with the inner surface of the front cover 20. The spigot 24 has a diametrically-extending transverse slot 26 and, at its end adjacent the back 10, joins with a boss 28 of increased diameter.

The spigot 24 and boss 28 are moulded integrally with the back, top, bottom and side walls of the housing.

A spool 30 is received for rotation on the spigot 26 and is baissed against anticlockwise rotation in the housing by a steel clock spring 32 anchored at its inner end in the slot 26 in the spigot 24 and at its outer end to the inner surface of a rim portion 34 of the spool 30 by a self-tapping screw 38. The rim portion 34 has in its outer surface an annular well 35 in which a length of nyloncovered steel cord 36 is wrapped, one end of the cord 36 being attached to the spool 30.

The cord 36 constitutes the elongate element of the measuring device, is ungraduated and has a length of about 3m. The braking strain of the cord is typically about 401 b.

To each side of the annular well 35, the rim portion 34 of the spool 30 has radially-protruding serrated portions 37, 39 which form parts of the locking means of the device.

Figure 5 of the drawings shows an inner moveable stirrup-shaped case 40 of the bowls measure. The inner case 40 has an aperture 42 in which the spool 30 is received when the inner case is assembled with the housing (see Figures 1 and 6). The aperture 42 is formed by left-hand and right-hand side members 44,46 which are interconnected by top and bottom members 48,50. The top member 48 has a stem 52 which passes through an aperture in the top 1 6 of the housing and is surmounted by an operating button 54 which is detachable from the stem to allow the inner case 40 to be fitted into the housing. The bottom member 50 is spaced from the bottom 1 8 of the housing by a compression spring 56 of 5mm in diameter.The upper edge of the bottom member 50 is shaped to conform to the periphery of the rim portion 34 of the spool 30 and has a pair of rectangular section grooves 58 (Figure 5) extending parallel to the axis of the spool. Each groove 58 receives a rubber brake block 60 (Figure 1) which is urged by the compression spring 56 into contact with the serrated portions 37, 39 of the rim portion 34. The inner case 40 is slidable in the housing with the outer surfaces of its side members 44, 46 in sliding contact with the inner surfaces of the side walls 12, 14 of the housing. By depression of the operating button 54, the inner case can be slid against the bias of the compression spring 56 into a position in which the brake blocks 60 free the spool 34 for rotation on the spigot 24.

When the spool 23 is free to rotate, the cord 36 can be withdrawn from the housing and, for this purpose, the left-hand side mem ber of the inner case and the left-hand side 12 of the housing have apertures 62, 64 through which the cord passes. The aperture 62 in the inner case side member 44 is of a size large enough to allow the stirrup to slide in the housing without interfering with the cord.

The end of the cord distant from the spool 30 is attached to a metal tab 66 which is itself secured to a pointer 68 of plastics material. The pointer can be gripped manually to withdraw the cord and, when the cord is fully retracted, overlies the outer surface of the left-hand side wall 1 2 of the housing. A peg 70 moulded on the outer surface of the side wall 1 2 engages in a hole 72 in the pointer 68 to hold the pointer in position.

In use to compare the distance between a jack and two adjacent woods. the housing is held with its conical pointer 22 in contact with the jack, the button 54 is then depressed to free the spool and the pointer 68 gripped and pulled towards a wood adjacent the jack When the pointer 68 contacts the wood, the button 54 is released and the spool 30 thus locked. The length of cord withdrawn is thus representative of the distance between the jack and the wood. Without depressing the button 54, the pointer 68 is now moved towards another wood and a comparison of the respective distances between the woods and the jack is thus made and the wood which is nearer the jack identified.

Claims

1. A device for measuring lengths or comparing distances, the device comprising a housing, a storage spool rotatably mounted in the housing, an elongate distance-measuring or comparing element withdrawable from and retractable onto the storage spool through an opening in the housing, and locking means operable to act on the spool to prevent rotation thereof and thereby withdrawal and retraction of the elongate element.

2. A device according to claim 1, including means biassing the spool against rotation in the withdrawal direction.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the locking means are operable manually from the exterior of the housing.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the housing has an indexing means for alignment with a point constituting one end of a length or distance to be measured or compared.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which the indexing means comprises a pointer on the exterior of the housing.

6. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the end of the elongate ele ment distant from the housing has a further indexing means for alignment with a point constituting one end of a length or distance to be measured or compared.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which the opening in the housing is shaped to prevent the further indexing means passing into the housing.

8. A device according to claim 7, in which the further indexing means is shaped to be gripped manually for withdrawal of the elongate element from the housing.

9. A device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the further indexing means and the housing have means for securement of the further indexing means to the housing when the elongate element is fully retracted onto the storage spool.

1 0. A device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, in which the further indexing means comprises a tab attached to the distant end of the elongate element and having a pointed end portion opposite to its point of attachment.

11. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the locking means are resiliently biassed into the locking condition in which rotation of the spool is prevented.

1 2. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the locking means comprises a locking member and the locking member and spool are slidable relative to each other between a first position in which an engagement surface of the locking member engages the spool to prevent its rotation and a second position in which the locking member is spaced from the spool which is then free to rotate.

1 3. A device according to claim 12, including resilient means biasing the locking member and spool into their first position.

14. A device according to claim 12, in which the sliding movement of the locking member is guided by inner surfaces of the housing of the device.

15. A device according to claim 12 or 14, in which the locking member engages the outer periphery of the spool.

1 6. A device according to claim 15, in which the surface of the locking member which engages the spool is a surface of one or more brake blocks carried on the locking member.

1 7. A device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, in which the locking member extends around the spool and is slidable perpendicularly to the axis of the spool.

1 8. A device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, in which the locking member includes an operating push-button which protrudes through a wall of the housing.

19. A device according to claim 18, in which the locking member is biassed into its locking condition by a compression spring acting between the opposite end wall of the housing and the locking member.

20. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the elongate element is ungraduated.

21. A device for measuring lengths or comparing distances, the device being substan tialiy as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.