Tape measure reel

Claim 1

A TAPE MEASURING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING UPPER AND LOWER WALLS HAVING AN OPENING, A GENERALLY CIRCULAR SHANK IN SAID HOUSING WHICH IS RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING AND EXTENDS APPROXIMATELY CENTRALLY AXIALLY THEREOF, TAPE GUIDE MEANS SURROUNDING SAID SHANK AND ADAPTED TO ROTATE THEREABOUT, A COIL SPRING ATTACHED BY ITS INNER END TO THE SHANK SO AS TO COIL AND UNCOIL ABOUT THE LATTER, A FLEXIBLE TAPE LOCATED BETWEEN THE SPRING AND SAID HOUSING AND WHOSE INNER END IS ATTACHED TO THE OUTER END OF THE SPRING WHILE ITS OUTER FREE END CAN BE PULLED THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE HOUSING FOR MEASURING PURPOSES, AT LEAST ONE ANNULAR GUIDE SURFACE ON THE TAPE GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING THE TAPE WHEN IT IS BEING UNWOUND FOR MEASURING PURPOSES OR WOUND FOR STORAGE, AT LEAST TWO RADIALLY EXTENDING RECESSES IN SAID TAPE GUIDE MEANS, A BRAKING MEMBER LOCATED IN EACH RECESS; THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT THE TAPE CAN BE MANUALLY UNWOUND AND WITHDRAWN FROM THE HOUSING TO A DESIRED EXTENT SO AS UNCOIL THE SPRING FROM AN UNSTRESSED TO A STRESSED CONDITION AND CAN THEN BE RELEASED SO THAT THE TAPE AND THE SPRING ARE RE-COILED, THE TAPE IN ITS RE-COILING ACTION ROTATING THE TAPE GUIDE MEANS BY FRICTIONAL CONTACT SO THAT THE BRAKING MEMBERS ARE URGED INTO BRAKING CONTACT WITH THE UPPER WALL OF THE HOUSING, WHEREBY THE ROTATIONAL SPEED OF THE TAPE GUIDE MEANS AND THE RATE AT WHICH THE TAPE IS REWOUND ARE CONTROLLED.