Self gripping level

Claim 1

Spirit level means comprising a pair of plate-like members hinged together so as to fold and unfold about a common axis, said plate-like members being formed from a substantially nonmagnetizable material and being characterized by the presence of magnetic means on their front surfaces shaped and positioned to fit against the sides of a suitable elongate member and hold said plate-like members against the latter when it is formed of a ferromagnetic material, said magnetic means being two strips of a material of flexible, magnetized character countersunk in said plate-like members and fixedly secured in position by suitable fastening means, whereby said spirit level means is adjustable to fit members of varying sizes and cross-sectional shapes, and self-gripping in the sense that it remains in position on said members of ferromagnetic construction when placed thereon; said plate-like members being of generally rectangular shape and hinged together along adjacent side edges, and said magnetic strips being situated near the edges remote from the hinged edges of said front surfaces of said plate-like members so as to approach each other when these members are folded together in embrace of said elongate member; said magnetic strips being positioned to meet in flush contact when said plate-like members are folded together about their common axis, and said spirit level means having a bulls-eye level secured in position behind the upper corner of one of said plate-like members remote from the hinged edge of that member so as to be readable from a position above the member, whereby said spirit level means can serve to indicate the verticality of said elongate member when the latter is being installed in a vertical position; said spirit level means having three bubble vials mounted in three openings in three suitable locations in a first one of said plate-like members, said bubble vials being respectively disposed longitudinally of, transversely of, and at a 45* angle with respect to the axis of the plate-like member; and the second of the plate-like members of said spirit level means having window openings corresponding positionally to the openings in which said bubble vials are mounted in the first one of the plate-like members to permit reading of said vials from either side of said spirit level means when the latter is positioned for use at a job side.