Marking device for tape measure

Claim 1

A measuring device including (a) a graduated measuring tape coiled about a transverse axis; (b) a housing for said tape, said housing including: (i) a pair of opposed, spaced apart side walls bouding said coiled tape, said side walls having upper and lower portions, (ii) a front wall spanning the space between and interconnecting said side walls, said front wall having an upper and a lower portion, (iii) a top portion including said upper portions of said front and side walls, (iv) a bottom portion including said lower portions of said front and side walls, (v) a mouth formed through said lower portion of said front wall, said measuring tape being extended through said mouth from within said housing, and (vi) an aperture formed in said bottom portion generally adjacent said mouth; and, (c) an inscription unit mounted inside said housing adjacent said front wall and having (i) an elongate member with a point for forming a mark on the surface of a workpiece, (ii) thumb rest means extending through and outwardly from one of said side walls and operatively associated with said elongate member to move said elongate member between at least two operative positions, a first normal operative position with said pointd positioned inside said housing behind said front wall, and a second operative position with said point displaced downwardly from said first operative position through said aperture to a position generally directly beneath said front wall and mouth thereof, said thumb rest means being positioned on said side wall such that an individual can pick up said housing in one hand, extend said tape from said housing to make a measurement on a workpiece, and utilize a digit of the hand to operate said thumb rest means to make a mark on the workpiece at a point directly beneath said mouth of said tape meausre, said elongate member being canted from the vertical such that displacement of said point from said first to said second operative position forwardly displaces said point from within said housing and from behind said front wall to a position outside said housing and generally directly beneath said front wall and said mouth.