Lay-out tool

Claim 1

A LAY-OUT TOOL ADAPTED TO BE LOCKED UPON THE STRAIGHT EDGES OF A MEASURING INSTRUMENT IN A CLAMPING ACTION, COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER INCLUDING A CENTRAL AREA DEFINED BY A FIXED SHOULDER, AND A MOVABLE SHOULDER FORMED ON A MOVABLE PLATE, SAID CLAMPING ACTION BEING EXERTED UPON SAID STRAIGHT EDGES WHEN SAID MOVABLE SHOULDER IS MOVED TOWARD SAID FIXED SHOULDER, SAID MOVABLE SHOULDER BEING ACTUATED BY A LOCKING MECHANISM INCLUDING A SLIDE FOR URGING SAID MOVABLE PLATE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID FIXED SHOULDER, SAID SLIDE BEING BIASED BY A SLIDE SPRING, SAID SLIDE ALSO ACTING UPON AN ACTUATOR HAVING AN ACTUATOR SPRING, SAID SLIDE SPRING BEING COMPRESSED WHEN SAID ACTUATOR SPRING IS EXTENDED AND SAID SLIDE SPRING BEING EXTENDED WHEN SAID ACTUATOR SPRING IS COMPRESSED TO GIVE POSITIVE CLAMPING AND UNCLAMPING ACTIONS, WHEREBY WHEN SAID LOCKING MECHANISM IS ACTUATED TO ADVANCE SAID MOVABLE SHOULDER AWAY FROM SAID FIXED SHOULDER, THE LAY-OUT TOOL MAY BE SLIDE TO A NEW LOCATION AND THEN RECLAMPED BY REVERSED MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE.