Stud finder

Claim 2

A stud finder comprising: a. a unitary base member including a planar base portion, a sidewall portion upstanding from said planar base portion, and support means formed on the interior of said sidewall portion, said base portion having portions extending laterally outwardly from the base thereof and of the margins of said sidewall portion said laterally outwardly extending portions providing side guide portions with aligning means thereon facilitating marking of the workpiece, b. a magnet subassembly comprising an elongated magnet and a sleeve receiving therein at least a portion of said magnet and having mounting portions pivotally mounting said magnet subassembly in said support means with the longitudinal axis of said magnet subassembly extending toward said base portion for pivotal movement relative to said upstanding sidewall portion about an axis parallel to the plane of said base portion, said aligning means being aligned with said pivotal axis of said magneT subassembly; and c. a transparent unitary canopy member mounted on said upstanding sidewall portion and defining therewith a chamber in which said magnet subassembly is pivotable, said transparent canopy member permitting viewing of the orientation of said magnet subassembly.

Claim 3

The stud finder of claim 1 wherein said sleeve has a substantially cylindrical configuration and is of lesser length than said magnet.

Claim 4

The stud finder of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises a pair of axially aligned surface portions defining a pair of axially aligned recesses on the inner surface of said sidewall portion and said mounting portions comprise a pair of shaft portions extending from said sleeve in opposite directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said magnet, said mounting portions having a generally conical configuration adjacent said sleeve and a generally cylindrical configuration at the outer end thereof seated in said recesses.

Claim 5

The stud finder of claim 1 wherein said sidewall portion is of lesser width than said base portion in the direction of the pivotal axis of said magnet to provide said side guides and wherein said aligning means on said side guides are generally V-shaped notches aligned with said pivotal axis and with their apices opposed, said V-shaped notches facilitating marking of the workpiece surface when said magnet has its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the plane of said base portion.

Claim 6

The stud finder of claim 1 wherein said base member has an aperture therein within the area bounded by said sidewall portion and into which an end portion of said magnet extends, said base being configured to provide a pair of stop members spaced inwardly from said sidewall portion to either side of said pivotal axis and extending in the path of pivotal movement of said magnet thereby limiting the arc through which said magnet subassembly may pivot.

Claim 7

The stud finder of claim 5 wherein said mounting portions of said magnet subassembly are spaced from the midpoint of the length of said magnet towards said base portion of said base member.

Claim 8

A stud finder comprising: a. a unitary base member including a planar base portion, a sidewall portion upstanding from said base portion, and support means comprising the surfaces defining a pair of axially aligned recesses formed in the inner surface of said upstanding sidewall portion; b. a magnet subassembly comprising an elongated magnet and a sleeve of substantially cylindrical configuration and of lesser length than said magnet receiving therein at least a portion of said magnet and having mounting means comprising a pair of shaft portions extending from said sleeve in opposite directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said magnet and pivotally mounting said magnet subassembly in said pair of axially aligned recesses with the longitudinal axis of said magnet subassembly extending towards said base portion for pivotal movement relative to said upstanding sidewall portion about an axis parallel to the plane of said base portion, said sidewall portion being of lesser width than said base portion in the direction of the pivotal axis of said magnet to provide side guides extending laterally outwardly from the base of said base portion, and wherein said side guides have generally V-shaped notches facilitating marking of the workpiece surface when said magnet has its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the plane of said base portion; and c. a unitary canopy member formed of transparent synthetic resin and mounted on said upstanding sidewall portion thereby to define therewith a chamber in which said magnet subassembly is pivotable and whereby said pair of shaft portions is captured in said pair of axially aligned recesses and the orientation of said magnet subassembly is visible through said canopy member.

Claim 9

A stud finder comprising: a. a unitary base member including a planar base portion, a sidewall portion upstanding from said base portion, and support means comprising the surfaces defining a pair of axially aligned recesses formed in the inner surface of said upstanding sidewall portion; b. a magnet subassembly comprising an elongated magnet and a sleeve of substantially cylindrical configuration and of lesser length than said magnet receiving therein at least a portion of said magnet and having mounting means comprising a pair of shaft portions extending from said sleeve in opposite directions perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said magnet and pivotally mounting said magnet subassembly in said pair of axially aligned recesses with the longitudinal axis of said magnet subassembly extending towards said base portion for pivotal movement relative to said upstanding sidewall portion about an axis parallel to the plane of said base portion, said sidewall portion being of lesser width than said base portion in the direction of the pivotal axis of said magnet to provide side guides extending laterally outwardly from the base of said base portion, and wherein said side guides have generally V-shaped notches facilitating marking of the workpiece surface when said magnet has its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the plane of said base portion; and c. a unitary canopy member formed of transparent synthetic resin and mounted on said upstanding sidewall portion thereby to define therewith a chamber in which said magnet subassembly is pivotable and whereby said pair of shaft portions is captured in said pair of axially aligned recesses and the orientation of said magnet subassembly is visible through said canopy member.

Claim 10

The stud finder of claim 7 wherein said upstanding sidewall portion has a recess extending about the outer periphery of the upper end thereOf providing a peripheral shoulder and said canopy member has a depending lip extending about the outer periphery thereof seated on said shoulder, said support means being opposed recesses formed in the inner periphery of the upper end of said mounting sidewall portion in which said mounting portions are seated, said canopy member overlying said opposed recesses and capturing said portions of said magnet subassembly in said support means.

Claim 11

A stud finder comprising: a. a unitary base member including a planar base portion, a sidewall portion upstanding from said planar base portion, and support means formed on the interior of said sidewall portion; b. a magnet subassembly comprising an elongated magnet and a sleeve receiving therein at least a portion of said magnet and having mounting portions pivotally mounting said magnet subassembly in said support means with the longitudinal axis of said magnet subassembly extending toward said base portion for pivotal movement relative to said upstanding sidewall portion about an axis parallel to the plane of said base portion, said base member having an aperture therein within the area bounded by said sidewall portion and into which an end portion of said magnet extends, said base being configured to provide a pair of stop members spaced inwardly from said sidewall portion to either side of said pivotal axis and extending in the path of pivotal movement of said magnet thereby limiting the arc through which said magnet subassembly may pivot; and c. a transparent unitary canopy member mounted on said upstanding sidewall portion and defining therewith a chamber in which said magnet subassembly is pivotable, said transparent canopy member permitting viewing of the orientation of said magnet subassembly.

Claim 12

A stud finder comprising: a. a unitary base member including a planar base portion, a sidewall portion upstanding from said planar base portion, and support means formed on the interior of said sidewall portion; b. a magnet subassembly comprising an elongated magnet and a sleeve receiving therein at least a portion of said magnet and having mounting portions pivotally mounting said magnet subassembly in said support means with the longitudinal axis of said magnet subassembly extending toward said base portion for pivotal movement relative to said upstanding sidewall portion about an axis parallel to the plane of said base portion, said base member having an aperture therein within the area bounded by said sidewall portion and into which an end portion of said magnet extends, said base being configured to provide a pair of stop members spaced inwardly from said sidewall portion to either side of said pivotal axis and extending in the path of pivotal movement of said magnet thereby limiting the arc through which said magnet subassembly may pivot; and c. a transparent unitary canopy member mounted on said upstanding sidewall portion and defining therewith a chamber in which said magnet subassembly is pivotable, said transparent canopy member permitting viewing of the orientation of said magnet subassembly.

Claim 13

The stud finder of claim 9 wherein said sleeve has a substantially cylindrical configuration and is of lesser length than said magnet and wherein said mounting portions of said magnet subassembly are spaced from the midpoint of the length of said magnet towards said base portion of said base member.