Patent · US Expired

Linear measuring apparatus

US4760647A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
9References
18Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 12, 1987
Grant dateAug 2, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 12, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B7/02
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A hand-held linear measuring device is enclosed within an elongated housing which has a handle at one end and an opening at the opposite end. A wheel mounted on the housing and protruding through the opening rotates as it engages and is drawn across a surface to be measured. As the wheel is rotated, it rotates a selector disk about a parallel axis. A plurality of radially extending elongated slots are formed in the selector disk at equally spaced azimuthal locations. A contact member extends transversely through each slot and is selectively, releasably, fastened thereto at one of a plurality of predetermined radial positions. As the selector disk rotates, it causes the contact members to successively engage an electrically conductive resilient whisker member extending across the path of their advance. Electrical pulses are thereby generated and are received by a counter which sums them up, then displays a value equivalent to the distance traveled by the wheel and in the particular unit of measurement selected by the user to be displayed by the counter.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.