US2594193A - Drafting instrument - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1952 B. MENDES DRAFTING INSTRUMENT Filed Oct. 6, 1947 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 22, 1952 Bram Menace, NewRochelle, N. Y. Application October 6, 1947, Serial No. 778,252

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a combination drafting instrument especially for use by school children or amateur draftsmen, which combines-the functions of a beam compass, T-square and ruler, yet-which is inexpensive in cost, small in size, light in weight and rugged in construction, requiring but little skill in the manipulation thereof and which readily canbe adapted for use for any of its intended purposes without the need for tools or complicated adjustments.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and more particularly recited in the claims;

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the drafting instrument,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on a larger scale, taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, taken along line 4-4-of Fig, 1, and g I Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the bracket pivoted 180 degrees.

Referring now to the drawings, the device comprises a beam or ruler ll preferably having a plurality of longitudinal slots I2 therethrough equally spaced from each other and extending nearly the entire length thereof.

Aflixed to the underside of the beam I! at each end thereof as by screws l3, are blocks M and I5, respective1y, which serve to space the beam from the surface on which it is to be used.

A rectangular cross bar l6, of greater thickness than that of blocks l4 and I5, is detachably aflixed to one of said blocks, illustratively block M, by means of a tongue l1 unitary with said block and extending laterally therefrom which fits in a corresponding groove or recess i8 in the side I9 of the cross bar. A set screw 29 threaded into a corresponding opening 2! in the cross bar engages said tongue as at 2|, rigidly to retain the cross bar [6 at right angles to the beam H to form a T-square.

A carriage, which in the embodiment herein comprises a slide member 22, is mounted on the beam so as to be slidably movable thereon, the depending sides 23 of the slide member strad dling the longitudinal edges ll of the beam and being bent thereunder as at 2 3. The slide mem- '2 Claims. (Cl. 33-26) in Fig. 4.

her which is substantially U-shaped is preferably of resilient material such 'as spring sheet metal and the cross piece thereof which lies transversely across the upper face of said beam is bowed as at 25 so that the sides 23 there-of resiliently grip the edges I l' of the beam securely to retain the carriage in any desired location on the beam II.

The carriage is provided with a plurality of openings 26' therein aligned with the longitudinal slots l2 in the beam. Each opening is provided with a holder 26" which frictionally retains a marking instrument 2'! such as a pencil or pen, inserted in said holder for the purpose, hereinafter set forth.

. A substantially U-shaped bracket 28 having arms 29 which straddle the sides 30 of meat said aforementioned blocks, illustratively block 15, is pivotally mounted thereon by transverse pivot pin 28'. The bracket on the exposed underface of its cross piece 3| joining the arms 29, has a centering point or' pivot 32 otherwise affixed thereon, which serves as the center of an are or circle when the device is used as a compass.

' Thearms 29 of thebracket are of such length that the bracket may be pivoted degrees from the position in which the device is used as a com pass, as shown in Fig. 5, to the position shown In this latter position pivot 32 extends upwardly and so does not interfere with the stable support of the device upon the surface on which it is used. In order that the bracket may be rigidly aifixed in either of the above two positions, detents are provided in the form of embossments 34, preferably two in number, on the inner face of each of the arms 29. The embossments, which are equidistant from the pivot pin 28' around which the bracket is rotated, coact with corresponding depressions 35, one on each side 30 of block l5 and one on each edge ll of beam H both when the bracket is in com-pass position, as in Fig. 5, and when it is pivoted 180 degrees therefrom to idle position as in Fig. 4.

As the T-square attachment or cross bar it can readily be removed from the beam I l, the drafting instrument may conveniently be carried in a small carrying case. If it is desired to draw several parallel lines simultaneously, a marking device 21 may be inserted into each of the holders 26' and through the corresponding opening 26 in slide member 22 and the longitudinal slot [2 in the beam II, and then by sliding the slide member 22 along the beam, which is placed over the surface to be marked, such parallel lines may conveniently be drawn. The position on beam ll of slide member 22 may be adjusted by merely pressing on the bowed portion thereof, thereby spreading the sides 23 so that they no longer grip the edges ll of beam II and thus permitting free movement of the slide member, the sides 23 re-gripping the beam upon manual release of the bowed portion 25.

For use of the device as a beam compass, the U-shaped bracket 28 is pivoted so that the center point 32 thereof may press against the surface to be marked. With apencil inserted in one of the holders 26' of said slide member, the beam 'may be rotated about its axis or center point 32 alone, and for this purpose appropriate scale markings, as shown, are along the edge or edges thereof.

It is thus seen that, the invention affords a neat, compact and highly eflicient multi-purpose or combination drafting instrument, especially useful for school children or amateur draftsmen, which may quickly be set for any of its intended functions,.and which is especially compact for storage when the T-square head is removed.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A drafting instrument for inscribing lines on a surface, said instrument comprising a beam having a plurality of longitudinal slots therethrough extending nearly the entire length there-- of, a pair of blocks respectively affixed on the underside of said beam at each end thereof to space said beam from such surface, a carriage slidably mounted on said beam, said carriage having means for removable support of a plurality of inscribing devices to extend through said longitudinal slotsrespectively and contact such surface, a substantially U-shaped bracket having a center point thereon, the arms of said bracket straddling one of said blocks and said beam and being pivotally afiixed thereto so as to be movable through an arc of degrees whereby when said bracket is rotated about its pivot to bring said center point intocontact with such surface, said beam may be rotated about said center point and a cross bar removably afilxed to one of said blocks at right angles to said beam.

2. The combination set forth on claim 1 in which said 'arms each have embossments on the inner face, ,thereof which coact with corresponding depressions on said one block and said beam rigidly to hold said bracket in its extreme positions of rotation.

BRAM MENDESS,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this" patent:

tiNrrED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 390,403 Sanborn Oct. 2, 1888 392,143 Wright Oct. 30, 1888 734,014 Traut July 21, 1903 750,221 Reis Jan. 19, 1904 776,897, Ferris Dec. 6, 1904 903,648- Wiles Nov. 10, 1908 964,785 Johnson July 19, 1910 1,021,692 McAnelly Mar. 26, 1912 1,100,878 Higgins et al. June 23, 1914 1,402,629 Manley Jan. 3,1922

1,996,876 McDowell Apr. 9, 1935 2,045,360 Kaufmann June 23, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 64,314 Norway Jan. 12, 1942 500,362

France Dec. 15, 1919

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