US2783542A

US2783542A - Height gauge

Info

Publication number: US2783542A
Application number: US337038A
Authority: US
Inventors: James E Hastings
Original assignee: LS Starrett Co
Current assignee: LS Starrett Co
Priority date: 1953-02-16
Filing date: 1953-02-16
Publication date: 1957-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-05

Description

March 5, 1957 J. E. HASTINGS HEIGHT GAUGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16, 1953 INVENTOR JAMES E. HASTINGS a 1 2 nNONQQno /m I 1 2% E 125% :5; E m ohwnnmm 7 m 3 m 3 4 S 3 ATTORNEYS March 5, 1957 J. E. HASTINGS HEIGHT GAUGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1955 8 4 l, m l 1. m d M l |l 4 v 4 v 6 m4 0 4 7 E 4 4 2 2 o \4 .m rr. M3 4 mm 1/ van u 0 m M (II, 45 5 m/ w 5 2 2 .m w F l w Em 4 Fig. 9

INVENTOR JAMES E. HASTINGS BY Mjm llizmwd ATTORNEYS United canoe tent-6 Jam s-E. Hastings, Athol; MassJ, assigimr to T'iieiL'. s.

This invention relates to height gauges and more particularly to certain improvements for facilitating the accurate and convenient adjustment of the scriber-carrying block on and along the vertically disposed bar of the gauge. Heretofore when making predetermined plus or minus adjustments of the block from a set position on the bar it has been necessary to add or subtract from the set reading on the graduations the amount of adjustment desired and then move the block to the position indicated by the resulting total. This procedure requires paper work which entails delay and possibility of error. The invention herein largely eliminates these objections and makes possible the immediate and predetermined adjustment of the block directly from its previous setting, thus expediting the adjustments and eliminating paper work errors and delays. The production of an improved height gauge of compact and economical construction and simple and convenient operation for performing these functions comprises the primary object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a height gauge embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of a portion of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear view of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a like view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3, and Figs. 69 are four detail views of a bushing shown in Fig. 4. 1

The height gauge shown in Fig. 1 comprises a base 10 having a plane bottom face 12 adapted to rest on a horizontal surface. A bar 14 fixed to the base extends vertically upward therefrom and is graduated along its length on its front face at 16.

A block 18 is fitted to slide vertically on and along the bar and can be secured in adjusted position to the bar by a clamping screw 20. A vernier scale 22 is secured by screws 24 to the block in position to cooperate with the graduations 16. An opening 25 is provided in the block to expose the graduations 16 and vernier 22. The block can be given fine adjustments on the bar by a screw 26 fixed to the block and cooperating with a nut 27 thereon rotatably mounted in a block 28 adapted to be fixed to the bar by a clamp screw 30. The block 18 has a laterally disposed arm 32 adapted to carry an indicator or scribing element 34.

The height gauge above specifically described is old in the art and its use in making certain adjustments and settings is somewhat limited and may result in delays and possibilities of error. When such gauge is used to make predetermined plus or minus adjustments of the block 18 from a set position on the bar it is necessary to add to or subtract from the set reading on the graduations the amount of adjustment desired and then to move the block 2,783,542 l afented Mar.

ice

to the position indicated by the resulting'total. Suppose; for example, that'the block is set" to 2.025finches and it is desired-to increase this 'by 2-.047'in'chjes. It is 'neees s'aiy' toadd 2.025 and 2047 topr'oduce 4.072 and then reset the block to 4.072. This operationrequires objectionable paper work and it is attended with delay and possibility of error. The improvements shown in Figs. 3-9 of the drawings and now to be described eliminate these objections and make possible the immediate and direct resetting of the block to the desired position.

The bar 14 is also graduated along its rear face at 40 and a vernier scale 42 is slidably mounted on the block to cooperate with the graduations 40. An opening 43 is provided in the block to expose the graduations 40 and vernier 42. The scale 42 embodies a plate graduated along its forward margin and provided with rack teeth 44 along its rear margin. An adjusting knob 46 is aflixed :to the outer end of a tubular shaft having gear teeth 48 on its inner end in mesh with the rack teeth 44 for adjusting the plate.

As illustrated in the drawings, the vernier plate 42 carries two studs 50 slidable within a guideway 52. T he plate is supported to slide along the guideway by the laterally projecting portion 54 therebeneath of a bushing 56 mounted in an opening in the block 18, the bushing being slotted at 58 to receive the plate. The bushing is held in place by a nut 60 threaded thereto and in contact with the block, and tightening of the nut is adapted to draw the portion 54 of the bushing into tight contact with the plate and lock the plate in adjusted position. A pin 62 carried by the bushing and engaged. within a bore 64 in the block prevents rotation of the bushing. A stud 66 threads into the bushing at 68 and rotatably supports the knob 46 with its gear 48 in mesh with the rack teeth 44. A leaf spring 70 disposed between the plate 42 and the block 18 provides a slight amount of friction preventing free sliding movement of the plate within the block.

If, for example, it is desired to reset the block 18 from a fixed position at 2.025 to a further position increased by 2.047, the knob 46 is rotated to set the vernier scale 42 so that its zero reading coincides with the nearest inch graduation on the scale 40. The block is then moved upwardly to add the required 2.047 (scale 40) to the previous setting. Thus the adjustment is made directly and immediately without paper work and the delays and attending possibilities of error.

While I have herein illustrated specific embodiments of the invention for purposes of description it will be understood that other embodiments thereof are'possible within the scope of the appended claims.- For example, both

verniers

22 and 42 can be disposed on one and the same face of the bar and cooperate with a single line of graduations thereon and the means for mounting and adjusting the vernier 42 can be modified within the scope of the claims.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A gauge comprising a bar graduated along its length, a block mounted to slide on and along the bar, a bushing seated in the block, a vernier scale supported within the block between a face of the bushing and a face of the block and having graduations along one margin parallel to and in cooperating relation with the bar graduations, guideway means Supporting the scale for sliding movement on the block longitudinally of and parallel with the bar, means for adjusting the scale along the guideway, a nut on and threaded externally to the bushing for moving the bushing to clamp the scale between said faces, and means preventing rotation of the bushing in the block.

2. The gauge defined in claim 1 in which the means for adjusting the scale along the guideway comprises a pinion Belerenees Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thompson Aug. 16, 1910 Lenti Feb. 3, 1920 Champlin Dec. 17, 1946 Mitchell Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS France Feb. 22, 1908 Switzerland Ian. 29, 1910 France Dec. 27, 1911 Great Britain May 12, 1943.

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