US2722055A

US2722055A - Ruling device

Info

Publication number: US2722055A
Application number: US312225A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elizabeth B Rader
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-09-30
Filing date: 1952-09-30
Publication date: 1955-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 1972-11-01

Description

E. B. RADER RULING DEVICE Nov. 1, 1955 Filed Sept. 30, 1952 United States Patent O RULING DEVICE Elizabeth B. Rader, Salem, Oreg. Application September 30, 1952, Serial No. 312,225

1 Claim. (Cl. 33108) This invention relates to improvements in ruling devices, particularly adapted for use in schoolwork, poster lettering, sign painting, chart printing, and the like.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a ruling device of this character which will facilitate inscribing horizontal or vertical parallel lines for guiding the printing of letters on material being dealt with.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby distances between line units may be quickly and accurately varied.

A further object is the provision of a ruling device which is of lightweight, durable construction of transparent material, whereby work previously applied to the material may be readily visible to the operator throughout the entire manipulation of the rule.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specitication, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and nally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing, Figure l is a top plan view of a ruling device made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional end view taken along the line of 3 3 of Figure l, and showing in addition thereto a modification in the form of stiffening ridges.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a sheet of material such as paper, cardboard or the like, showing the invention in operative placement thereon, and with parts of the rule eliminated for convenience of illustration.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing:

As best illustrated in Figure l, the invention comprises a main body member in the form of an elongated strip of flexible transparent material such as plastic, Celluloid, or the like, generally indicated at 1.

Elongated parallel unequally spaced apart guide slots indicateld at 2, 3, and 4, are formed substantially throughout the length of the body member and are tapered downwardly and inwardly along one of their edges as indicated at 5 to facilitate inserting a pencil in each slot for contact with the paper being dealt with. Both ends of the slots are tapered as at 6 to form limit stops at both ends of the vertical wall 7 of each slot. Both ends of the body member are notched inwardly as at 8 and 9 for convenience in marking the side or marginal edges of material being ruled to determine degrees of advancement of the ruler upwardly or downwardly in inches and fractions thereof as indicated by the graduations 10 applied to both ends of the ruler. The top and bottom edges of the ruler are provided with scales 11 and 12 graduated in inches or fractions thereof. The bottom edge of the slot 4 is also provided with graduations corresponding with those in the scale 12.

Three parallel broken lines, 13, 14, and 15, are inscribed on the ruler throughout its length for quickly and conveniently superimposing the ruler upon, and aligning it with, lines or folds in the material being dealt 2,722,055 Patented Nov. 1, 1955 Y with, so that another line-unit can be pencilled in without the inconvenience of measuring from either the sides or the bottom of the material. The broken lines interconnect certain of the no tches.

In rulers of greater length than that shown, and made in accordance with my invention, those portions of the body member between the

slots

2, 3, and 4, would obviously be somewhat flexible and accordingly would render it dilicult to draw a straight line or a series of parallel lines without securely pressing said intermediate portions tightly against the paper. Accordingly, as shown in the slight modification, in Figure 3 I form stiffening ridges 16 along the bottom edge of each slot 2 and 3.

One mode of operation or use of the invention is illustrated in Figure 4 wherein reference numeral 17 indicates a sheet of paper or other material to be ruled. The ruler is placed across the bottom of the paper so that its bottom edge and ends are flush or in alignment with, respectively, the bottom and the sides of the paper. A pencil is then inserted into and drown along the paper and against the vertical wall 7 throughout the length of each slot to inscribe parallel lines 18, 19 and 20 across the paper. Horizontal guide marks 21 are then inscribed on the paper at the top corners of the ruler before removing it from its original position. The ruler is then advanced upwardly until its bottom edge is aligned with said guide marks and guide lines are again inscribed upon the paper by drawing a pencil through the slots as aforesaid. This process is repeated in the direction of the length of the paper to any desired distance and the spacing between each unit of lettering guide lines will be uniform. However, when it is desired to vary the spacing between the guide line units, the user of the ruler can select any one of the notches 8 or 9 in the ends of the ruler to determine the amount of spacing in accordance with the graduations applied to said notches, as shown in broken lines in Figure 4 wherein the ruler has been moved upwardly a distance of two inches to establish a spacing of one inch between the line units instead of two inches as shown in full lines.

Obviously the operation just described may be started at the top of the sheet of material if desired. The margin of space between the bottom of the sheet and the bottom guide line may be varied by utilizing the notches 8 or 9 as aforesaid.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A ruling device of the class described comprising in combination an elongated strip of transparent material squared at both of its ends and having three longitudinal unequally spaced apart slots of uniform length and width formed therein parallel to the longest parallel edges of the material, one wall of each solt being tapered downwardly and inwardly and the other wall thereof being vertical, both ends of each slot being tapered from the end of the tapered wall to said vertical wall to form a limit stop at the ends of the vertical wall for a scribing instrument drawn lengthwise of the slot, stiifening ridges formed integral with the top surface of the material adjacent and throughout the length of said vertical wall of certain of said slots to maintain the slots in said parallel relationship to each other, graduations in inches and fractions thereof inscribed across the ends of said material, said ends having a plurality of irregularly inwardly extending notches formed therein and spaced apart in accordance with the graduations across said ends, and a plurality of horizontal parallel spaced apart broken lines inscribed throughout the length of the material and inter- 3 connecting certain of said notches whereby the device may 443,652 be aligned with lines inscribed upon the material being 1,742,684 dealt with. 2,168,694 2,589,525 References Cited in the le of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 294 822 147,942 Hutchinson Feb. 24, 1874 102477 4 Jewell Dec. 30, 1890 Bowman Jan. 7, 1930 Zachs Aug. 8, 1939 Absher Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 22, 1928 Sweden Sept. 2, 1941