All-craft level

Claim 2

A multiple use leveling device for use by a workman skilled in various diverse crafts, comprising, in combination: a. an elongated generally planar body of rigid form having an adjoining transverse planar top edge coextensive with the length of said body, said planar top edge having a normally unencumbered slot extending essentially along the longitudinal center thereof coinciding generally with a major medial plane of said elongated body; b. said planar body having parallel opposite longitudinal ends disposed 90* to said top edge, and further having angularly divergingly forked legs emanating from a lower edge opposite the top member edge, which legs are coextensive with said body length, so that said body and legs are of inverted ''''Y'''' shape when viewed in cross section when said body is in an upright generally vertical condition; c. said device having spirit level means disposed to provide separate readings in at least each of two out of three 90* diversely diemnsional planes of which one is generally coplanar with said elongated planar body and one with said transverse top edge; and d. said unencumbered slot in said top edged defined by opposed side walls interconnected by a bottom wall, said side walls being spaced apart slightly greater than and interconnected by said bottom wall at a distance sufficiently indented from said top edge so as to selectively receive an edge and the body thickness of a framing type square having 90* disposed arms, whereby the major plane of said framing square is readily disposable coplanar with the major medial plane of said elongated body, and the arm transverse to the other arm of said framing square which is disposable in said slot, extending so as to facilitate bisecting the included angle between said diverging legs.

Claim 3

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said spirit level means are such as to provide a reading also in the third of said three 90* diversely dimensional planes.

Claim 4

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said spirit level means comprise a plurality of separate spirit level insert sub-assemblies and having means to facilitate their readily replaceable mounting on said device.

Claim 5

A leveling device as defined in claim 3 wherein said spirit level means comprise liquid filled 360* circular vials with leveling bubble, and have circumferential calibrations therearound to facilitate easy reading when viewed from any direction of use.

Claim 6

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said forked legs are of equal length terminating in free edges, said legs having outer sides and inner sides, and so disposed that a plane connecting tangentially with each free edge is parallel with the major plane of said planar top edge.

Claim 7

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said legs are provided with calibrated ruled indicia to effect linear measurements.

Claim 8

A leveling device as defined in claim 5 wherein said inner sides of said legs are provided with magnet means to facilitate self-mounting of said device on magnetically attractable building components and materials.

Claim 9

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said diverging legs are disposed apart from one another at an included angle of essentially 90*.

Claim 10

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein Said elongated body has generally planar end members of greater area than the end area of and connected at said opposite longitudinal ends of said elongated body, and said end members disposed perpendicular to said body and top edge.

Claim 11

A leveling device as defined in claim 9 wherein at least one of said planar end members is provided with a central slot of a cross-sectional size corresponding generally to and communicatively aligned with that of said slot in said top edge; and said spirit level means including a spirit level means disposed in at least one of said planar end members so as to read the planar disposition thereof.

Claim 12

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 including at least one generally planar end member at one longitudinal end of said elongated body and disposed transverse thereto, and said spirit level means including a spirit level disposed essentially coplanar with said end member to read the planar disposition of said end member.

Claim 13

A leveling device as defined in claim 11 wherein said top edge is laterally extended substantially beyond the planar thickness of said body to form a top planar member having a major plane perpendicular to the major plane of said planar body defining a T-shape, and wherein said spirit level means comprise a plurality of three spirit level subassembly inserts, and each of said body, top and end members have thickened portions and recessed apertures corresponding in shape to receive said spirit level inserts generally coplanar with each member and including means for replaceably mounting said spirit level subassemblies within their respective recesses.

Claim 14

A leveling device as defined in claim 9 wherein said top edge is laterally extended substantially beyond the planar thickness of said body to form a top planar member having a major plane perpendicular to the major plane of said planar body and said planar end members, and wherein said spirit level means comprise a plurality of three spirit level subassembly inserts and each of said body, top and one of said end members has thickened portions and recessed apertures corresponding in shape to receive said spirit level inserts generally coplanar with each member, and including means for replaceably mounting said spirit level subassemblies within their respective recesses.

Claim 15

A leveling device as defined in claim 13 wherein said spirit level inserts as mounted generally in said top member and in said end member are disposed at opposite ends of said leveling device, said spirit level insert mounted in said elongated body is disposed generally centrally intermediate said opposite ends thereof, and said elongated body is provided with cutout open areas at opposite ends of said elongated planar body inwardly adjacent said transverse end members to better facilitate natural and artificial illumination and reading of said spirit level inserts.

Claim 16

A leveling device as defined in claim 14 wherein said elongated body is further provided with additional weight reducing apertures.

Claim 17

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated body is provided with both weight-reducing and light-access apertures throughout the body.

Claim 18

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said forked legs are provided with coplanar flattened feet portions.

Claim 19

A multiple use leveling device for use by a workman skilled in various diverse crafts, comprising in combination: a. an elongated generally planar body of rigid form having an adjoining transverse planar top member along one edge and coextensive with the length of said body, said planar top member being laterally extended beyond the planar thickness of said body to form a major planar surface, and having a normally unencumbered slot extending along the center thereof coinciding generally with the plane of said elongated body; b. said planar body having parallel opposite longitudinal ends disposed 90* to said top edge, and further having angularly divergingly forKed legs emanating from the edge opposite that to which the top member adjoins and coextensive with said body length so that together they are of inverted ''''Y'''' shape when viewed in cross-section when said body is in an upright generally vertical condition; c. said device having spirit level means disposed to provide separate readings in at least each of two out of three 90* diversely dimensional planes of which one is generally coplanar with said elongated planar body and one with said transverse top member; d. said unencumbered slot in said top member defined by opposed side walls generally parallel with the plane of said elongated body when in an upright condition and spaced apart slightly greater than and adapted to receive the planar body thickness of a framing type square means having 90* disposed arms, whereby the major plane of said framing square is readily disposable coplanar with the major plane of said elongated body and the arm transverse to the other arm of said framing square which is disposable in said top member slot extending so as to facilitate bisecting the included angle between said diverging legs.

Claim 20

A multiple use leveling device for use by a workman skilled in various diverse crafts, comprising in combination: a. an elongated generally planar body of rigid form having an adjoining transverse planar top member along one edge and coextensive with the length of said body, said planar top member being laterally extended beyond the planar thickness of said body to form a major planar surface, and having a normally unencumbered slot extending along the center thereof coinciding generally with the plane of said elongated body; b. said planar body having parallel opposite longitudinal ends disposed 90* to said top edge, and further having angularly divergingly forKed legs emanating from the edge opposite that to which the top member adjoins and coextensive with said body length so that together they are of inverted ''''Y'''' shape when viewed in cross-section when said body is in an upright generally vertical condition; c. said device having spirit level means disposed to provide separate readings in at least each of two out of three 90* diversely dimensional planes of which one is generally coplanar with said elongated planar body and one with said transverse top member; d. said unencumbered slot in said top member defined by opposed side walls generally parallel with the plane of said elongated body when in an upright condition and spaced apart slightly greater than and adapted to receive the planar body thickness of a framing type square means having 90* disposed arms, whereby the major plane of said framing square is readily disposable coplanar with the major plane of said elongated body and the arm transverse to the other arm of said framing square which is disposable in said top member slot extending so as to facilitate bisecting the included angle between said diverging legs.

Claim 21

A multiple use leveling device for use by a workman skilled in various diverse crafts, comprising in combination: a. an elongated generally planar body portion of rigid form having a transverse planar top edge coextensive with the length of said body, said planar top edge having a normally unencumbered slot extending along the full length thereof; b. said device having spirit level means disposed to provide separate readings in at least each of two out of three 90* diversely dimensional planes, of which one is generally coplanar with said elongated planar body and one with said transverse top edge; and c. said slot in said top edge being of a cross-sectional size as to freely accomodate in reasonably close-fitting manner the body thickness of a framing type square means having 90* disposed arms, whereby the major plane of said framing square means is readily disposable therein for coactive and concurrent use with said leveling device.

Claim 22

A multiple use leveling device for use by a workman skilled in various diverse crafts, comprising in combination: a. an elongated generally planar body portion of rigid form having a transverse planar top edge coextensive with the length of said body, said planar top edge having a normally unencumbered slot extending along the full length thereof; b. said device having spirit level means disposed to provide separate readings in at least each of two out of three 90* diversely dimensional planes, of which one is generally coplanar with said elongated planar body and one with said transverse top edge; and c. said slot in said top edge being of a cross-sectional size as to freely accomodate in reasonably close-fitting manner the body thickness of a framing type square means having 90* disposed arms, whereby the major plane of said framing square means is readily disposable therein for coactive and concurrent use with said leveling device.

Claim 23

A leveling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said body further includes a transverse bottom edge substantially parallel with said planar top edge, said bottom edge being provided also with a longitudinally extending normally unencumbered slot essentially along the longitudinal center of said body, and said body includes opposite longitudinal ends having enlarged planar outermost end surfaces disposed at 90* relative to said planar top and bottom body edges, with each end surface provided with an unencumbered medial slot directly interconnecting said slots in said top and bottom edges.