US1969988A - Folding rule - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. i4, 1934 Fries 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to folding rules consisting of a plurality of secticns that are pivotally connected together, the object being to provide a rule of this character which is made up in sections of exactly six inches long, each section being provided with a square out end for facilitating in the use of the said rule.

In folding rules heretofore used, the sections comprising the same are not of any fixed deflnite length and the ends thereof are generally rounded, with the result that in the event the rule is injured or broken intermediate the ends thereof the whole rule is no longer capable of exact use and must therefore be discarded or thrown away. In my improved rule, however,

by providing each section of a deiinite length, any injury or breakage of the rule intermediate the ends thereof will not destroy the utility of the rule, as the same may be severed at the next adjacent pivotal connection, thereby leaving a workable rule which would still be made up of equal six inch sections.

It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a folding rule of the character described, which is made up of a plurality of pivotally connected sections, each section being of a six inch length, the six inch mark terminating at the squared off end of said section. Thus, if a four foot rule is provided, the same will be made up of eight six inch sections and in the event that the said rule should be broken, say at the 38 mark, the last two sections of said rule may be readily removed, thereby leaving a folding rule of exactly 36 long, while rule will be in as good a working condition and as eicient in useas the original rule, only that the same would be of a three foot length instead of the original four foot length.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rule of the character described, which is provided with the usual markings at the inch spaces thereof, said markings extending from one to forty-eight in a four foot rule, and in addition to the above markings there are also provided markings of one to twelve for each of the intermediate one foot sections thereof, whereby the efficiency and use of the rule will be greatly facilitated. o

A still further object of this invention is to provide a folding rule of the character described, which is made up of equal sections, the ends of which are cut square, whereby the same be disposed against a square end of the object to be measured for facilitating in taking the measurement of said object.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangements and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrat-edy in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction and assembly and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawing in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several gures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a ruler constructed in accordance with this invention showing my improved markings thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental portion of the rule showing it about actual size and also showing the markings thereon as they appear at the beginning and at the end of said rule; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing my improved rules as applied to an object to be measured.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing the numeral 10 designates generally my improved folding ruler which is made up of a plurality of equal sections 11, and the end section 12 which is shorter in length than the other sections, said end section being exactly six inches long. Each of said sections is provided with cross'lines 13 that separate the rules into inch lengths, sections or spaces that are numbered from one to forty-eight inclusive as in ordinary linear measurement. lines 13 there are also provided the usual shorter lines 14 that divide the inch space into fractions of an inch as is common and well known in an ordinary ruler.

As illustrated more clearly in the drawing, the section 12 is pivotally connected to its adjacent section ll at one end thereof, said connection being of such arrangement that when said section 12 is swung to the left, as viewed in Figure 1, to bring the same into alignment with its` adjacent section 11, the said two rsections will form a rule exactly twelve inches long.

The cross line 15, which marks the end of the sixth one-inch space is also the end'of the rst section 12, said end being cut square so as to exactly coincide with the cross line l5. Similarly, the cross line 16, which marks the end of the twelfth inch space, coincides with the square cut end of the second section. In a similar manner the reference numeral 17 designates In addition to the cross 20 designates the cross line which marks the end' of the thirty-sixth inch sectionas Well` as the square cut end of the sixth six-inch-section; the reference character 21 designatesthev crossgfline which marks the end of the forty-second inch space as well as the square cut end of the-seventh six-inch section; Vand the reference character 22 designates the crosslne which marks the end oi the forty-eighth inch space as well as the square cut end of the last section of the ruler illustrated in Figure 1. Y

It will be apparent from the above that when the ruler is open to the position illustrated in Figure 3, the distance from the end 23-.0f the ruler to the cross line 16 will be exactly 12, also the distance from the cross line 16,tothe cross line 18 will be exactly 1'2", and similarly the distance between'the cross lines' 18 and 20 and the cross lines 20 and 22 will be exactly 12". Thus should the ruler be broken at an intermediate section, such for example as atjthe point indicated at 24 inl'Figure 1 ofthe drawing, it will onlybe necessary to remove the remaining portion of the next `to the last section Y11, thereby leaving a ruler which will run ,from point 23 to point 20, which ruler willstill be made .up of equal 6" sections and will be as r`capa-ble of efficient use as the original ruler, only that .the same will be onerfootshorter in length.

It will be readily understood that should the said ruler be injured or brokenata point .indicated at 25 in Figure 1, the remainingportion ,of the said fifth section in which the break occurred may be readily removed, thereby leaving a complete two-foot rule, which will still he eiiicient in operation. Thus it will be noted that I have provided a folding rule made up 'of vsections which are so arrangedthat vthe. samemay be Vbroken off intermediate the ends 'thereof without destroying vthe utility and .eilciency of the rule. i

In order to facilitate in the reading of measurements made with my improved rule, Ihave provided in addition to themarkings usually present in an ordinary ruler, .the marking 26 as shown in 'Figure 1, .which rmarkings Ystart with the numeral 1 at .the end Iof 4the rst inch space on the third .section of my rule, said markings being ninnbered .from one yto twelve on the inch spaces provided ,on thethird and fourth ections of my rule. Similarly, the fifth and sixth sections are .i marked from .one .to twelve inclusive, as well as the seventh and eighth sections markedfrom .one to. twelve inclusive. This it will vbe noted is provided in addition to the usual markings Anumbered from one to forty-eight, which iscornmon inthe ordinary rule.

I have found that the provision of these addi- K tional markings or numbers greatly facilitates inthe-"use of my inproved ruler. To prevent confusion, theone to twelve markings vmay be made somewhat larger and on one side of the cross lines 13, whereas the one to forty-eight markings may be made smaller andon'the other side of said cross lines v13, as more clearly illutrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. The reverse side of the ruler is marked the same way, only that the said markings are started from the ,end 22 of the ruler instead of theend 23 as illustrated in Figure 1.

In providing the square cut ends 15, 16, 17 andso 4on, for each or" the sections of said rule,

,. the use of the rule in taking measurements of flat objects may be greatly facilitated by using ithe rsame in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 :or the like, upon which may be placed the rule 10 in unfolded position one of the square ends 1 16 lforexample resting against the side edge of said Itable 27, in Whichpositioniit will be comparatively simple yto measure or to layv off the desired distance on said table 27, since the markings `from this point 16 begin with one as indicated at 26 in Figure 1.

'It will also be noted that should it be desired toV lay off on ka flat surface suchas the table. '27 illustrated in the drawing, distances of six or' twelve inch lengths, it will onlyV be necessary to move said rule `to the right as viewed in vFigure 3 in successive steps with the square end 16, 17, and so on, striking against the edge of said table and a mark placed adjacent4 the end of the rule every time .one of said square 'ends is .disposed against said sideedge of the table. This simple operation will result in the laying out of equal six-inch yspaces on said table or onora sheetuof paper disposed thereon.

'From the above description and operation of' my improved rulerit will ybe obvious that I have provided a simple construction of folding ruler, the life of which will be prolonged and the usefulness thereof extended for a periodmuch longer Athan that ofthe ruler now in use because .'of the fact that the .efficiency and utility of 'the same is not destroyedbyinjury yto -or breakage of a .portion thereof.

"It is believed 'that my invention, its .mode vof construction and many vof its advantages should be'readily 4understood from the foregoing without further description, and-should also be manifest that While a preferred .embodiment or the invention has been .shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural detailsA are, nevertheless, capable. of wide variation within the purview of my inventionas defined in the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I vclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isc- A folding ruler of the characterdescribed comprisinga plurality ,of sections, each of which is divided by .transverse lines intoV rectangular spaces and successively increasing from a commonzero. point at the end of one section of the ruler, said transverse ,lines being numbered from 1 to 6 on the first of said sectionsand .from 6 -to 12 on the second of said sections, and again. from l to 6 on the third of said sectionsiand from 6 to 12 on the fourth of said sections, vsaid numbering being repeated in the above mentioned manner to the end of the rule, and said lines beginning with the third of said sections being numbered in addition to the above .numbers withnumbers indicating the distancev of said lines fromthe common zero point,

GUSTAV J. T. NEUBERG.

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