Contract estimating system utilizing a bar code ruler

Claim 2

A ruler comprising: an elongated substantially thin ruler member having a length which is substantially longer than its width; at least a substantial length of said ruler member being divided into a plurality of equally spaced increments; each of said increments being identified by a different machine readable number visible from the upper surface of said ruler member; a slide member carried by said ruler member and covering a portion of the upper surface of said ruler member, said slide member being slidable along at least said substantial length of said ruler member and including a leading edge which is adapted to be arranged adjacent any selected one of said machine readable numbers; said leading edge having a substantial enough thickness to act as a guide for a hand held pen like sensor which can be drawn across the width of said ruler member against said edge in order to read the number adjacent to which said edge has been arranged.

Claim 3

The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein said machine readable numbers are comprised of bar codes.

Claim 4

The invention as claimed in claim 1 further including detent means between said slide member and said ruler member for temporarily maintaining said slide member in any desired position along the length of said ruler member.

Claim 5

The invention as claimed in claim 3 wherein said detent means include a plurality of recesses formed in the surface of said ruler member along the length thereof and a spring biased member carried by said slide member and cooperating with one of said recesses.

Claim 6

A contract estimating system comprising: an elongated substantially thin ruler having a length which is substantially longer than its width; at least a substantial portion of said ruler being divided into a plurality of equally spaced increments; each of said increments being identified by a different machine readable number visible from the upper surface of said ruler; a slide member carried by said ruler and covering a portion of the upper surface of said ruler, said slide member being slidable along at least said substantial length of said ruler and including a leading edge which is adapted to be arranged adjacent any selected one of said machine readable numbers; said leading edge having a substantial enough thickness to act as a guide; a menu having a plurality of machine readable codes thereon, some of said codes representing different types of materials or construction components and some of said codes representing different sizes of components; a hand held pen like sensor adapted to be drawn across said menu codes for reading the same, said sensor also being adapted to be drawn across the width of said ruler against said guide edge for reading the number adjacent to which said edge has been arranged; computer means having an input connected to said sensor, said computer means being capable of identifying a signal received from said sensor as a component identification, a component size or a length and said computer means further including means for separately accumulating information concerning each type and size component, and means for displaying the information accumulated by said computer.

Claim 7

A contract estimating system comprising: an elongated substantially thin ruler having a length which is substantially longer than its width; at least a substantial portion of said ruler being divided into a plurality of equally spaced increments; each of said increments being identified by a different machine readable number visible from the upper surface of said ruler; a slide member carried by said ruler and covering a portion of the upper surface of said ruler, said slide member being slidable along at least said substantial length of said ruler and including a leading edge which is adapted to be arranged adjacent any selected one of said machine readable numbers; said leading edge having a substantial enough thickness to act as a guide; a menu having a plurality of machine readable codes thereon, some of said codes representing different types of materials or construction components and some of said codes representing different sizes of components; a hand held pen like sensor adapted to be drawn across said menu codes for reading the same, said sensor also being adapted to be drawn across the width of said ruler against said guide edge for reading the number adjacent to which said edge has been arranged; computer means having an input connected to said sensor, said computer means being capable of identifying a signal received from said sensor as a component identification, a component size or a length and said computer means further including means for separately accumulating information concerning each type and size component, and means for displaying the information accumulated by said computer.

Claim 8

The invention as claimed in claim 5 wherein said menu also includes a plurality of codes representing scale factors and wherein said computer adjusts all numbers read from said ruler by the scale factor selected by said sensor.

Claim 9

The invention as claimed in claim 5 wherein said machine readable numbers and said codes are comprised of bar codes and wherein said sensor is a bar code reader.

Claim 10

The invention as claimed in claim 5 further including detent means between said slide member and said ruler for temporarily maintaining said slide member in any desired position along the length of said ruler.

Claim 11

The invention as claimed in claim 8 wherein said detent means includes a plurality of recesses formed in the surface of said ruler along the length thereof and a spring biased member carried by said slide member and cooperating with one of said recesses.