Linear distance measuring instrument

Claim 1

IN A DEVICE FOR MEASURING LINEAR DISTANCE, A METER BAR HAVING AREAS OF DIFFERENT MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY ARRANGED IN A PREDETERMINED PATTERN ALONG ITS LENGTH, A FRAME FOR SUPPORTING SAID METER BAR, A BASE FOR SAID FRAME, A SLIDE MOVABLE LINEARLY ON THE FRAME FOR USE IN MEASURING A LINEAR DISTANCE, A RACK EXTENDING ALONG SAID FRAME, A PINION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RACK AND MOUNTED ON SAID SLIDE, MEANS ON THE SLIDE FOR ROTATING THE PINION TO MOVE THE SLIDE RELATIVE TO THE FRAME AND METER BAR, MEANS, CARRIED BY THE SLIDE, AND ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO THE METER BAR FOR COOPERATING WITH THE MAGNETIC PATTERN ON THE METER BAR IN GENERATING AN ELECTRIC SIGNAL, A VARIABLE OF WHICH REPRESENTS A DISTANCE THROUGH WHICH SAID SLIDE HAS MOVED, AND INDICATING MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME FOR UTILIZING THE ELECTRIC SIGNAL TO PROVIDE A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE DISTANCE MEASURED IN UNITS OF MEASUREMENT.