Patent Application
20070204476
The present invention relates to the field of measuring instruments in general and in particular to a ruler having a first slot for pencil points, markers and larger blades for example and a second slot for craft knives, exact-o knives and precise razor cuttings for example.
Measuring instruments, drawing instruments, guiding devices, measuring tools, angle gauges, drafting apparatus and aids, and framing tools and the like having various design structures configurations and materials of construction have been disclosed in the prior art.
One such ruler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,196 that can be used for cutting sheets of material perpendicular to its longitudinal edge of rigid material. The ruler includes a groove placed in the rigid material to aid in the direction of a sharpened instrument along the groove while cutting material.
A measuring instrument is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,882 which discloses that the measuring instrument can be used with drawings, employing different scales with indicia. The measuring instrument includes elongated first and second instrument member arms.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,683 discloses a layout tool for use by carpenters including a left foot and a right foot connected by a connecting bar.
The measuring aspects of the present invention are twofold and straightforward and include devices that allow for measuring objects with a degree of accuracy. Additionally, the measuring aspects of the present invention allow for placement over or near the material to be cut or marked, for example, a piece of linoleum and allow for precision marking of the material. The measuring aspects of the present invention includes two scaled measured slots having differing widths that are formed completely through the measuring device in order that marking devices of different widths can be accommodated, such as a pencil, awl, felt marker or other suitable devices, and a scaled numbered measurement array on the outer edges of the device. The slots will aid in marking the material precisely by not allowing the marking device to deviate from a line as can happen when a craft person works with a ruler or yardstick. Holes are formed completely through the device precisely on the numbers of the rule scale to aid in the exact linear marking of materials and also to allow for the precise drawing of circles with a pin, nail or similar device is placed in a hole formed completely through the device at another point on the same axis.
Additionally, holes of different diameters may be formed completely through the device at either end of the device and along the body will allow for the insertion of pushpins, nails, small screws or similar objects to secure an unwavering placement of the device on the material to be cut or marked and/or to a board or backing material behind the item being marked or cut.
The cutting aspect of the present invention stems from its use, once securely in place, to confine a cutting instrument to a narrow channel slightly wider than the thickness of the cutting blade in order to render an precision cut without the lateral deviation which often occurs when cutting resilient material freehand or with the aid of a single straight edge alone, especially when the cuts require multiple passes with a cutting instrument to fully cleave the material. The present invention is designed in such a way as to allow the razor knife to pass precisely but unhampered through the narrower of the two longitudinal slots, which has a kerf of approximately 1 mm. The wider longitudinal slot can be used with the same purpose and accepts a wider blade such as a linoleum knife, serrated knife and thin saw blade and may have a kerf of approximately 1.5 mm.
The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed.
