Height gauge

Claim 1

IN A HEIGHT GAUGE, A VERTICALLY DIRECT POST, A CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG SAID POST, SAID POST HAVING A PLURALITY OF NOTCHES THEREIN, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE FOR ENGAGING ANY ONE OF SAID NOTCHES, MEANS FOR INDICATING THE VERTICAL POSITION OF SAID CARRIAGE WITH RESPECT TO SAID POST, A FRAME MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL SLIDING MOVEMENT OIN SAID CARRIAGE, MEASURING MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN OBJECT BEING MEASURED, SAID FRAME HAVING A VERTICALLY DIRECTED RACK, A PINION GEAR CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE AND ENGAGING SAID RACK, DRIVE MEANS CONNECTING SAID PINION GEAR TO A CONTROL KNOB, SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING OPERABLE UPON ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL KNOB IN ONE DIRECTION TO MOVE SAID FRAME UPWARDLY, SAID DRIVE MEANS BEING OPERABLE UPON ROTATION OF SAID CONTROL KNOB IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO RELEASE SAID FRAME FOR FREE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE FORCE OF GRAVITY ALONE, WITHOUT SAID FRAME BEING URGED DOWNWARDLY BY SAID DRIVE MEANS, SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING DRIVE DISENGAGING MEANS OPERABLE UPON DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MEASURING MEMBER INTO CONTACT WITH THE OBJECT BEING MEASURED TO DISENGAGE SAID DRIVE MEANS FROM SAID FRAME AND ALLOW SAID FRAME AND MEASURING MEMBER TO REMAIN STATIONARY DESPITE THE CONTINUED ROTATION OF SAID KNOB IN SAID LAST NAMED DIRECTION, SO THAT SAID MEASURING MEMBER ENGAGES SAID OBJECT BEING MEASURED WITH A LIMITED AND CONSTANT PRESSURE RESULTING ONLY FROM THE WEIGHT OF SAID FRAME, A GAUGE MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR OPERATING SAID GUAGE, SO THAT SAID GAUGE INDICATES THE VERTICAL POSITION OF SAID FRAME WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARRIAGE.