US806987A - Level. - Google Patents

Description

No. 806,987. PATENTED DEC; 12, 1905.

' 'A'. F. McDOWELL.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4,1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, LEVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed November 4, 1904. Serial No. 231,359.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. MCDOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Levels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to levels and plumbs of the class commonly used by masons and carpenters and mypresent purpose is to provide a serviceable and reasonably cheap level having a simple attachment whereby any def parture or variation from the horizontal or vertical will be indicated in inches or degrees, or both.

The drawings annexed hereto illustrate my invention.-

Figure l is a side view of a level embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a relatively enlarged side view of that portion of the said level that includes my new indicator, and Fig. 4 is an edge view of the indicator parts. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown side and end views of one of the clamp-bushings in which the spiritlevel is mounted, the nut b of Fig. 6 being partially broken away. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the level with the spirit-tube to which the pointer is attached arran ed to indicate a departure from the horizonti instead of the vertical, as illustrated in said Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a indicates the body portion of the level, the same being preferably formed of wood. In constructing the body a I provide a beam of wood and split it centrally lengthwise. I then place the two strips thus formed back to back, so as to reverse the grain, (see Fig. 5,) and then glue or otherwise secure the said strips together, thus providing a structure that will not warp under ordinary conditions.

At suitable oints through the body a I bore holes in which I insert flanged thimbles or bushings b, and upon the threaded nonflanged end of each of said bushings I screw an annulus b, as seen in Fig. 5, thus firmly binding together the two sections of which the body a is composed. Secured within the bushing b or formed as an integral part thereof is a metallic tube 0, in which I insert a spirit-level glass 0, and before the bushing b is finally secured in place in the body a it is properly adjusted so as to bring the spiritglass parallel with the edge of the said body if it is to serve as a level or at right angles to said edge if it is to serve as a plumb.

At the left hand end-portion of the level illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and also in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the novel and simple devices by means of which any departure from a plumb may be indicated. I Said indicating devices include a bushing b and an nulus or nut b, constructed as above described, and upon the outer face of the flange of the bushing I secure by screws d an index or pointer 6, whose free end lies upon the face of body a and is approximately parallel with the edges of said body. That portion of the pointer e that is screwed to the bushing b is provided with pins 6, that enter holes 6 in the bushing-flange. These pins and 00- operating holes serve not only to locate the pointer with respect to the bushing and the spirit-glass carried by the bushing, but they they also permit the pointer to be used as a spanner-wrench to screw the annular flange 1) upon the bushing.

Secured to the body (1 immediately under the free end of the pointer e is a plate f, in which is slidably mounted in dovetail ways a second plate 9, whose exposed surface is suitably graduated to indicate inches or degrees, or both, the said plate being secured to the platef by one or more screws g. Preferably the free end portion of the pointer is supported and frictionally held against accidental displacement by a screw it, that extends downward through a curved slot f in the plate f and is screwed into a nut h. By suitably adjusting the screw 71. the pointer may be caused to frictionally engage the face of the platef.

Assuming that we have a level and plumb of the described construction and that the spirit-glass is set at .right angles to the edges of the body a, as in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the plate 9 isfirst adjusted so that zero will register with the end of the pointer, and the said plate g is then fixedly screwed to the main plate When my described implement is to be used to plumb a wall, it is held in contact with said wall If the spiritigrlass shows that the wall is out of plumb, the

ee end portion of the pointer e is grasped and swung to oneside until-thebubble in the glass indicates that the said glass has reached a horizontal position. Then by-noting the position of the pointer end relatively to the graduated scale on'the plate g the amount of deflection or departure from a vertical will be instantly seen.

It will of course be understood that certain proportions of parts must be conformed to in order to insure an accurate registration of such deflectionthat is to say, the length of the pointer e relatively to the length of the body a, as well as the graduations of the scale on plate g, must be accurately predetermined. It will also be understood and obvious that in order to indicate departure from a horizontal it will only be necessary to so adjust the spirit-glass that it Will lie parallel with the edges of the body (1 instead of at'right angles thereto, as in Fig. 3, and this adjustment of the glass may be readily accomplished by first unscrewing-the pointer from the bushing andthen, using the pointer as a wrench, as above described, the bushing may be rotated a quarter of a .turn. The pointer may then be returned to the position shown in Fig. 8 and secured in said position by again screwin it to the said bushing.

y described improvement adds very little to the cost of this class of instruments, and it may be used by any one of average intelligence Without special instruction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising in its construction a body portion, a tubularbushing extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein, said bushing having at one end thereof an annular flange and provided at the opposite end thereof with screw-' threads upon its periphery, a nut engaging said screw-threaded portion of said bushing and adapted to clamp the same to said body, a spirit-level tube fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a pointer fast to said bushing,

v and-a graduated plate fast to said body adj acent to the free end of-said pointer.

2. A device of the character described comprising in its construction a body portion, a tubular bushing extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein, said bushing having at one end thereof an annular flange and provided at the opposite end thereof with screw threads upon its periphery, a nut engaging said screw-threaded portion of said bushing and adapted to clamp the same to said body, a spirit-level tube .fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a pointer fast to said bushing, a graduated plate fast to said body adjacent to the free end of said pointer, and means to adjust said plate transversely of said body.

3. A deviceof the character described comprising in its construction a body portion, a tubular bushing extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein,'said bushing having at one end thereof an annular flange and provided at the opposite end thereof with screw-threads upon its periphery, a

nut engaging said screw-threaded portion of said bushing and adapted to clamp the same to said body, a spirit-level tube fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a pointer detachably fastened to said bushing, a plate fast to said body, and a graduated plate slidably mounted upon said first-named plate beneath the free end of said pointer.

4. A device of the character described comprising in its construction a body portion, a tubular bushing extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein, said bushing having at one end thereof an annular flange and provided at the opposite end thereof with screw-threads upon its periphery, a nut engaging said screw-threaded portion of said bushing and adapted to clamp the same to said body, a spirit-level tube fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a pointer detachably fastened to said bushin a plate fast to said body, a graduated p ate slidably mounted upon said first-named plate beneath the free end of said pointer, and means to fasten said plates together.

5. Adevice of the character describedcomprising in its construction a body portion, a

tubular bushing extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein, said bushing having at one end thereof an annular flange .and provided at the opposite end thereof with screw-threads upon its periphery, a nut en aging said screw-threaded portion of said ushin and adapted to clamp the same to said bod a spirit-level tube fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a pointer detachably fastened to said bushing, a plate fast to said body, a 1glpaduated plate slidably mounted upon said st-named plate beneath the free end ofsaid pointer, means to fasten said plates together, and means to fasten said pointer to saidfirstnamed plate.

6. Adevice of the characterdescribedcomprising in its construction a body portion, a

clamp said bushing to said body portion, a

spirit-level tube fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a ointer fast to said bushing and a graduate plate fast to said body adjacent to the free end of said pointer.

7. Adevice of the character described comprising in its construction a body portion, a tubular bushin extending transversely therethrough an rotatable therein, means to clamp said bushing to said body portion, a spirit-level tube fast to said bushing andextending transversely thereacross, a pointer fast to said bushing, a graduated plate fastto said body adjacent to the free end of said pointer, and means to adjust said plate transversely of said body.

IIO

v 8. Adevice of the character described comprising in its construction a body portion, a tubular bushing extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein, means to clamp said bushing to said body portion, a spirit-level tube fast to said bushing and extending transversely thereacross, a pointer detachably fastened to said bushing, a plate fast to said body, and a graduated plate slidably mounted upon .said first-named plate beneath the free end of said pointer.

9. Adevice of the character described comprising in its construction a body ortion, a plurallty of tubular bushings extending transversely therethrough and rotatable therein,

body portion, a spirit-level tube fast to each of said bushings, respectively, and extending transversely therethrough, a pointer fast to one of said bushings, a graduated plate fast to said body adjacent to the free end of said pointer, and means to adjust said plate'transversely of said body.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT F. MoDOWELL. Witnesses:

H. F. DAGGETT,

FRED. K. DAGGETT.

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