Probe and marker assembly

Claim 2

An assembly adapted to mark a surface to be examined and adapted to cause a counter to be advanced when a mark is made on the surface, comprising: a tubular housing; a rod extending at least partially within said housing in axial alignment therewith; means rockably mounting said rod intermediate its ends near the front ends of said housing to said housing; marking means extending from the front end portion of said housing and connected to the front end portion of said rod, said marking means being adapted to mark the surface; first electrical contact means fixedly mOunted within said housing near the rear end portion thereof; second electrical contact means mounted on the rear end portion of said rod in axial alignment with said housing spaced from said first contact means to engage said first contact means when said marking means engages the surface to cause said rod to move; a coil spring surrounding an intermediate portion of said rod near its rear end portion spaced rearwardly from its rockable connection with said housing to urge said rod resiliently into axial alignment with said housing, said spring having a cylindrical helical portion engaging the inner surface of said housing substantially throughout the length of said helical portion and not having an end portion attached to said rod, said intermediate portion of said rod being externally threaded, said end portion of said spring attached to said rod being cylindrically helical in shape to threadably engage said intermediate portion of said rod so that said spring can be positionally adjusted axially relative to said rod to enable the adjustment of the biasing tension of said spring acting on said rod; and first and second electrical conductors for supplying an electrical advance signal to the counter for advancing it, said first conductor being connected electrically to said housing and said second conductor being electrically connected to said second contact means, said rod, said housing, and said means rockably mounting said rod being electrically conductive, said rod being connected electrically to said second contact means.

Claim 3

An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said spring includes an intermediate portion of a spirally helical shape.

Claim 4

An assembly according to claim 2, wherein said second contact means is threadably connected to said rod to enable it to be moved axially relative to said rod so that the relative position between said first contact means and said second contact means may be adjusted.

Claim 5

An assembly adapted to mark a surface to be examined and adapted to cause a counter to be advanced when a mark is made on the surface comprising: a tubular housing; a rod extending at least partially within said housing in axial alignment therewith; means rockably mounting said rod intermediate its ends near the front end of said housing to said housing; marking means extending from the front end portion of said housing and connected to the front end portion of said rod, said marking means being adapted to mark the surface; first electrical contact means fixedly mounted within said housing near the rear end portion thereof; second electrical contact means mounted on the rear end portion of said rod in axial alignment with said housing spaced from said first contact means to engage said first contact means when said marking means engages the surface to cause said rod to move; a coil spring surrounding an intermediate portion of said rod near its rear end portion spaced rearwardly from its rockable connection with said housing to urge said rod resiliently into axial alignment with said housing, said spring having a cylindrical helical portion engaging the inner surface of said housing substantially throughout the length of said helical portion and having an end portion attached to said rod; and first and second electrical conductors for supplying an electrical advance signal to the counter for advancing it, said first conductor being connected electrically to said housing and said second conductor being electrically connected to said second contact means, said rod, said housing, and said means rockably mounting said rod being electrically conductive, said rod being connected electrically to said second contact means, said intermediate portion of said rod being externally threaded, said end portion of said spring attached to said rod being cylindrically helical in shape to threadably engage said intermediate portion of said rod so that said spring can be moved axially relative to said rod to enable the adjustment of the biasing tension of said spring acting on said rod, said spring including an intermediate portion of a spirally helical shape, said second contact means being threadably connected to said rod to enable it to be moved axially relative to said rod so that the relative position between said first contact means and said second contact means may be adjusted, said first contact menas comprising a male contact element, said second contact means comprising a female contact element, said female contact element being cup-shaped with its open mouth loosely receiving said male element therewithin in a spaced-apart relationship.

Claim 6

An assembly adapted to mark a surface to be examined and adapted to cause a counter to be advanced when a mark is made on the surface comprising: a tubular housing; a rod extending at least partially within said housing in axial alignment therewith; means rockably mounting said rod intermediate its ends near the front end of said housing to said housing; marking means extending from the front end portion of said housing and connected to the front end portion of said rod, said marking means being adapted to mark the surface; first electrical contact means fixedly mounted within said housing near the rear end portion thereof; second electrical contact means mounted on the rear end portion of said rod in axial alignment with said housing spaced from said first contact means to engage said first contact means when said marking means engages the surface to cause said rod to move; a coil spring surrounding an intermediate portion of said rod near its rear end portion spaced rearwardly from its rockable connection with said housing to urge said rod resiliently into axial alignment with said housing, said spring having a cylindrical helical portion engaging the inner surface of said housing substantially throughout the length of said helical portion and having an end portion attached to said rod; and first and second electrical conductors for supplying an electrical advance signal to the counter for advancing it, said first conductor being connected electrically to said housing and said second conductor being electrically connected to said second contact means, said rod, said housing, and said means rockably mounting said rod being electrically conductive, said rod being connected electrically to said second contact means, said intermediate portion of said rod being externally threaded, said end portion of said spring attached to said rod being cylindrically helical in shape to threadably engage said intermediate portion of said rod so that said spring can be moved axially relative to said rod to enable the adjustment of the biasing tension of said spring acting on said rod, said spring including an intermediate portion of a spirally helical shape, said second contact means being threadably connected to said rod to enable it to be moved axially relative to said rod so that the relative position between said first contact means and said second contact means may be adjusted, said first contact menas comprising a male contact element, said second contact means comprising a female contact element, said female contact element being cup-shaped with its open mouth loosely receiving said male element therewithin in a spaced-apart relationship.

Claim 7

An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said means rockably mounting said rod includes a ball having a diametrically extending internally threaded hole disposed therethrough for receiving and engaging threadably an externally threaded intermediate portion of said rod, said housing having an internal socket portion for engaging said ball, a second spring being mounted within said housing for urging resiliently said ball forwardly into engagement with said socket portion so that axial movement of said marking means relative to said housing causes said rod to move a rearward direction axially against the force of said second spring to in turn cause said second contact means to engage said first contact means, whereby said second spring causes said ball and thus said rod to return forwardly until said ball engages said socket portion when the force causing the rearwardly directed axial movement of said marking means is removed.