Manually operable apparatus for measuring, and visibly indicating the length of a longitudinal member

Claim 1

PORTABLE MANUALLY OPERABLE APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, AND VISIBLY INDICATING THE LENGTH OF A LONGITUDINAL MEMBER, COMPRISING: PORTABLE BASE MEANS PROVIDED WITH ROTATABLY MOUNTED MEASURING WHEEL MEANS HAVING AN EXTERIOR MEASURING PERIPHERY THEREAROUND WITH AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF PROJECTING INTO A MEASURING POSITION FOR ROLLING CONTACT WITH A LENGTH OF A LONGITUDINAL MEMBER WHICH IS TO BE MEASURED, AND MARKING MEANS POSITIONED ADJACENT TO THE MEASURING PERIPHERY OF SAID MEASURING WHEEL MEANS IN A NORMALLY INOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID MEASURING WHEEL MEANS AND THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE MEASURED THEREBY BUT CONTROLLABLY OPERABLE FOR MOVEMENT FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION INTO AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN MARKING CONTACT WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER TO INDICATE AN END POINT THEREOF, SAID MARKING MEANS COMPRISING A LATERALLY DIRECTED CUTTING ELEMENT PORVIDED WITH, AND CARRIED BY, RESILIENT MOUNTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BASE MEANS, SAID MEASURING WHEEL MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY DIRECTED ENTRY APERTURES, EACH AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH AN INNER EDGE OF THE MEASURING PERIPHERY OF SAID MEASURING WHEEL AND POSITIONED FOR THE RECEPTION OF SAID CUTTING ELEMENT IN A POSITION SUCH AS TO VERY SLIGHTLY CUT THE INNER EDGE OF A MEASURED LONGITUDINAL MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID MEASURING PERIPHERY OF SAID MEASURING WHEEL MEANS, SAID BASE MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH EXTERIORLY VISIBLE COUNTING, TOTALIZING, AND INDICATING MEANS FOR INDICATING THE LENGTH OF ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID MEASURING WHEEL MEANS ALONG SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBER, SAID COUNTING, TOTALIZING, AND INDICATING MEANS INCLUDING COUPLING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE MEANS AND EFFECTIVELY CONNECTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID MEASURING WHEEL MEANS IN DRIVEN RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE THERETO.