Measuring and lining tool

Claim 1

A MEASURING AND LINING TOOL COMPRISING A CASING PARTITIONED TO FORM TWO NON-COMMUNICATING COMPARTMENTS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, A FLEXIBLE SPRING RETRACTABLE MEASURING TAPE MOUNTED WITHIN THE COMPARTMENT AT ONE END OF THE CASING AND ARRANGED TO BE EXTENDED AND RETRACTED JOURNALLED UPON THE CASING AND EXTENDING TRANSSHAFT JOURNALLED UPON THE CASING AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREACROSS IN THE COMPARTMENT AT THE OTHER END OF THE CASING, A REEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON THE SHAFT WITHIN THE CASING, A MARKING CORD WOUND ONTO THE REEL AND ARRANGED TO BE EXTENDED AND RETRACTED THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE CASING, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A MARKING MATERIAL INTO THE CORE REEL COMPARTMENT, A TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID CORD REEL COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE MEASURING TAPE COMPARTMENT AND PROVIDING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH WHEREBY THE MEASURING TAPE AND THE MARKING CORD MAY BE EXTENDED IN PARALLEL RELATION THROUGH SPACED OPENINGS IN THE SAME END OF THE CASING, A CRANK SECURED TO THE SHAFT UPON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CASING, A RATCHET SECURED TO THE SHAFT INSIDE THE CASING, AND A SPRING ACTUATED PAWL MOUNTED UPON THE REEL AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET, SAID PAWL AND RATCHET BEING ARRANGED TO PERMIT THE CORD TO BE PAID OUT FROM THE REEL INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CRANK AND TO BE REWOUND ONTO THE REEL BY OPERATION OF THE CRANK.