Measuring instrument

Claim 2

A measuring instrument comprising: a. a support defining an elongated receptacle; b. a plurality of gage members guided in said receptacle for longitudinal movement toward and away from a position in which said members abuttingly engage each other in the direction of elongation of said receptacle jointly to constitute a stack of gage members; c. a carrier member having one portion shaped to be received between each pair of longitudinally consecutive gage members in said stack; d. clamping means for clamping said gage members longitudinally against the received portion of said carrier member; e. securing means on said carrier member and on said gage members cammingly engageable for urging said one portion of said carrier member inward of said receptacle in response to said clamping by said clamping means and for thereby securing said one portion in said receptacle while another portion of said carrier member projects transversely from said receptacle; and f. gage means mounted on said projecting portion of the carrier member and including a contact member movable in said direction, and indicating means for indicating the position of said contact member relative to said carrier member.

Claim 3

An instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier member is elongated in a plane parallel to said direction, the cross section of each gage member in said plane defining a square.

Claim 4

An instrument as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cross section has the shape of a square with beveled corners.

Claim 5

An instrument as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one portion of said carrier member has a free end part tapering conically in a direction away from said other portion of the carrier member.

Claim 6

An instrument as set forth in claim 4, wherein said gage members have beveled edges conformingly engaging said free end part in line contact while said carrier member is being inserted between a pair of said gage members perpendicularly to said direction of elongation.

Claim 7

An instrument as set forth in claim 1, further comprising first guide means on said support, said gage means further including a housing fixedly mounted on said projecting portion of the carrier member, and second guide means on said housing, said first and second guide means cooperating in response to the clamping of said gage members against the received carrier member for securing said housing in a fixed position relative to said support.

Claim 8

An instrument as set forth in claim 6, wherein said housing defines an axis parallel to said direction, said gage means further including a slide element axially movable in said housing and secured against rotation, and a drum element axially secured and rotatable on said housing about said axis, said elements being formed with respective, matingly engaged threads about said axis, one of said elements being resilient, and tightening means for resiliently deforming said one element transversely to said axis and for thereby tightening the threads of said one element against the threads of the other element, said contact member being secured to said slide element for joint axial movement.

Claim 9

An instrument as set forth in claim 7, wherein said one element has a tubular portion formed with an axial bore, the threads of said one element being internal threads of said tubular portion in said bore thereof, said tubular portion having an outer face formed with a plurality of circumferentially distributed grooves, one of said grooves radially extending to said bore, all other grooves being closed in a radially inward direction, said tightening means including a threaded member mounted on said one element for threaded movement in a radial direction and engageable with said tubular portion for radially compressing the same.

Claim 10

An instrument as set forth in claim 8, wherein said one element is said drum element, said drum element including a drum member accessible outside said housing for manual rotation, and a tubular member constituting said tubular portion, said threaded member being received in aligned, respective radial bores of said drum member and of said tubular member and securing the drum member and the tubular member against relative rotation about said axis.

Claim 11

An instrument as set forth in claim 6, wherein said housing defines an axis parallel to said direction, said gage means further including a slide element axially movable on said housing and secured against rotation, a drum element axially secured and rotatable on said housing about said axis, said elements being formed with respective, matingly engaged threads about said axis, and two sets of cooperating indicia, one of said sets including indicia on said housing and on said slide element and alignable by axial movement of said slide element, and the other set including indicia on said housing and on said drum element, the indicia of said other set being alignable by rotation of said drum element about said axis, said contact member being secured to said slide element for joint axial movement.

Claim 12

A measuring instrument comprising: a. a support defining an elongated receptacle; b. an abutment in said receptacle; c. a plurality of gage members guided in said receptacle for longitudinal movement toward and away from a position in which said members abuttingly engage each other in the direction of elongation of said receptacle jointly to constitute a stack of gage members,

Claim 13

A measuring instrument comprising: a. a support defining an elongated receptacle; b. an abutment in said receptacle; c. a plurality of gage members guided in said receptacle for longitudinal movement toward and away from a position in which said members abuttingly engage each other in the direction of elongation of said receptacle jointly to constitute a stack of gage members,

Claim 14

said stack including two longitudinally terminal gage members, 2. one of said longitudinally terminal gage members engaging said abutment; d. a carrier member having one portion shaped to be received between each pair of longitudinally consecutive gage members in said stack; e. clamping means for clamping said gage members longitudinally against the received portion of said carrier member and for thereby securing said one portion in said receptacle while another portion of said carrier member projects transversely from said receptacle; f. a lever member pivotally mounted on said support and having one arm in said receptacle engaging the other longitudinally terminal gage member, 1. said clamping means including yieldably resilient means pressing said one arm against said other longitudinally terminal gage member, 2. said lever member having another arm accessible outside said receptacle for manual release of said stack from the pressure of said yieldably resilient means; and g. gage means mounted on said projecting portion of the carrier member and including a contact member movable in said direction, and indicating means for indicating the position of said contact member relative to said carrier member.

Claim 15

said stack including two longitudinally terminal gage members, 2. one of said longitudinally terminal gage members engaging said abutment; d. a carrier member having one portion shaped to be received between each pair of longitudinally consecutive gage members in said stack; e. clamping means for clamping said gage members longitudinally against the received portion of said carrier member and for thereby securing said one portion in said receptacle while another portion of said carrier member projects transversely from said receptacle; f. a lever member pivotally mounted on said support and having one arm in said receptacle engaging the other longitudinally terminal gage member, 1. said clamping means including yieldably resilient means pressing said one arm against said other longitudinally terminal gage member, 2. said lever member having another arm accessible outside said receptacle for manual release of said stack from the pressure of said yieldably resilient means; and g. gage means mounted on said projecting portion of the carrier member and including a contact member movable in said direction, and indicating means for indicating the position of said contact member relative to said carrier member.

Claim 16

An instrument as set forth in claim 4, wherein said clamping means include yieldably resilient means for longitudinally comprising said stack in said receptacle.

Claim 17

An instrument as set forth in claim 5, wherein said yieldably resilient means include a plurality of cup springs superimposed on each other in said direction.

Claim 18

A measuring instrument comprising: a. a support defining an elongated receptacle and formed with a longitudinal slot leading transversely into said receptacle, 1. said support having two guide faces flanking said slot; b. a plurality of gage members guided in said receptacle for longitudinal movement toward and away from a position in which said members abuttingly engage each other in the direction of elongation of said receptacle jointly to define a stack of gage members; c. a carrier member having one portion shaped to be received between each pair of longitudinally consecutive gage members in said stack; d. clamping means including yieldably resilient means for longitudinally compressing said stack and thereby clamping said gage members against the received portion of said carrier member while another portion of said guide member projects transversely from said receptacle through said slot; and e. gage means mounted on said projecting portion, said gage means including

Claim 19

A measuring instrument comprising: a. a support defining an elongated receptacle and formed with a longitudinal slot leading transversely into said receptacle, 1. said support having two guide faces flanking said slot; b. a plurality of gage members guided in said receptacle for longitudinal movement toward and away from a position in which said members abuttingly engage each other in the direction of elongation of said receptacle jointly to define a stack of gage members; c. a carrier member having one portion shaped to be received between each pair of longitudinally consecutive gage members in said stack; d. clamping means including yieldably resilient means for longitudinally compressing said stack and thereby clamping said gage members against the received portion of said carrier member while another portion of said guide member projects transversely from said receptacle through said slot; and e. gage means mounted on said projecting portion, said gage means including

Claim 20

engagement means engaging said guide faces when said carrier member is clamped between the receiving gage members for securing said gage means to said support, 2. a contact member movable in said direction, 3. indicating means for indicating the position of said contact member relative to said carrier member, 4. said carrier member and one of said receiving gage members having respective cammingly engaged faces, 5. one of said faces being obliquely inclined relative to said direction for drawing said engagement means against said guide faces under the force of said yieldably resilient means.

Claim 21

engagement means engaging said guide faces when said carrier member is clamped between the receiving gage members for securing said gage means to said support, 2. a contact member movable in said direction, 3. indicating means for indicating the position of said contact member relative to said carrier member, 4. said carrier member and one of said receiving gage members having respective cammingly engaged faces, 5. one of said faces being obliquely inclined relative to said direction for drawing said engagement means against said guide faces under the force of said yieldably resilient means.

Claim 22

An instrument as set forth in claim 14, wherein said carrier member and said one gage member have respective opposite faces perpendicular to said direction, said opposite faces defining an air gap therebetween when said engagement means engage said guide faces under the force of said yieldably resilient means.