Tool guiding tape measure

Claim 2

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be abutted against an edge surface of said flat sheet of material in an orientation at which said abutment surface faces said edge surface and extends along said edge surface and extends at least partially across said edge surface, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is abutted against said edge surface thereof, said tape measure housing being secured to said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith.

Claim 3

The tool guide of claim 1 further including a releasable latch secured to said swivelable member and being located to engage with said first member when said abutment surface of said first member is abutted against said edge surface of said flat sheet of material and said swivelable member extends at right angles to said edge surface of said flat sheet of material.

Claim 4

The tool guide of claim 1 further including a turnable threaded screw engaged with one of said first guide member and said swivelable guide member and having an end positioned to bear against the other thereof when the screw is turned in a first angular direction whereby said swivelable guide member can be selectively immobilized relative to said first guide member at any of a plurality of different angular orientations relative thereto.

Claim 5

The tool guide of claim 1 further including means for selectively clamping said measuring tape to said swivelable guide member at a location which is outside said tape measure housing.

Claim 6

The tool guide of claim 1 further including means for temporarily securing said first guide member to said flat sheet of material.

Claim 7

The tool guide of claim 1 wherein said first guide member is penetrated by at least one fastener receiving hole which hole extends through said first guide member, said hole being located to be directed towards said flat sheet of material when said abutment surface of said first guide member is abutted against said edge surface of said flat sheet of material.

Claim 8

The tool guide of claim 1 wherein said first guide member is penetrated by at least a first and a second fastener receiving hole which holes extend through said first guide member, said first and second fastener receiving holes being at opposite sides of a midpoint of said abutment surface and being equidistant from said midpoint.

Claim 9

The tool guide of claim 1 wherein said swivelable guide member is an angled member having a base which faces said first guide member and having a wall portion which extends at right angles to said base, said tape measure housing being secured to said wall portion by a removable fastener that extends through a passage in said wall portion and which extends into said housing at a substantially centered location on a side wall of said housing.

Claim 10

The tool guide of claim 1 wherein said implement receiver has a slot into which an angled tab at said distal end of said measuring tape is entered, further including a releasable tape retainer secured to said implement receiver in position to hold the angled tab in said slot.

Claim 11

The tool guide of claim 1 wherein said implement receiver has a first opening sized for receiving a pencil and a second opening which is a slit sized for receiving a knife blade and which extends in transverse relationship to said measuring tape.

Claim 12

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be contacted with an edge of said flat sheet of material, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is disposed against said edge thereof, wherein said pivot axis of said pivot is situated at said edge of said flat sheet of material when said first guide member abutment surface is abutted thereagainst, said tape measure housing being supported by said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith.

Claim 13

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be contacted with an edge of said flat sheet of material, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is disposed against said edge thereof, wherein said pivot axis of said pivot is situated at said edge of said flat sheet of material when said first guide member abutment surface is abutted thereagainst, said tape measure housing being supported by said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith.

Claim 14

The tool guide of claim 11, wherein said tape measure housing has an opening through which said tape is drawn out of said housing, said housing being positioned to cause said tape to intersect said pivot axis at a point which is spaced apart from said opening.

Claim 15

The tool guide of claim 11 wherein said implement receiver positions an implement a predetermined distance away from said distal end of said measuring tape and wherein said housing opening is spaced from said pivot axis by a distance at least equal to said predetermined distance.

Claim 16

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be abutted against an edge surface of said flat sheet of material in an orientation at which said abutment surface faces said edge surface and extends along said edge surface and extends at least partially across said end surface, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is abutted against said edge surface thereof, said tape measure housing being supported by said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith, wherein said implement receiver positions said implement at a location which is spaced outward from said distal end of said measuring tape and wherein said measuring tape has tape markings indicative of distance from said distal end thereof and wherein said swivelable guide member has a fixed marking situated adjacent to said tape at a location where the fixed marking registers with the one of said tape markings that corresponds to the distance of said implement from said pivot axis.

Claim 17

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be abutted against an edge surface of said flat sheet of material in an orientation at which said abutment surface faces said edge surface and extends along said edge surface and extends at least partially across said end surface, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is abutted against said edge surface thereof, said tape measure housing being supported by said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith, wherein said implement receiver positions said implement at a location which is spaced outward from said distal end of said measuring tape and wherein said measuring tape has tape markings indicative of distance from said distal end thereof and wherein said swivelable guide member has a fixed marking situated adjacent to said tape at a location where the fixed marking registers with the one of said tape markings that corresponds to the distance of said implement from said pivot axis.

Claim 18

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be abutted against an edge surface of said flat sheet of material in an orientation at which said abutment surface extends along said edge surface, wherein said first guide member is penetrated by at least a first and a second fastener receiving hole which holes extend through said first guide member, said first and second fastener receiving holes being at opposite sides of a midpoint of said abutment surface and being equidistant from said midpoint, wherein said abutment surface has upper and lower edges and wherein said first and second fastner receiving holes are centered between said upper and lower edges, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is abutted against said edge surface thereof, said tape measure housing being supported by said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith.

Claim 19

A tool guide for facilitating movement of an implement along a predetermined path of travel on a flat sheet of material, said tool guide having a tape measure which has a housing with a coiled measuring tape therein which tape has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing, said tool guide further having an implement receiver at said distal end of said measuring tape for maintaining said implement at a constant distance from said housing as said implement is moved along said path of travel, wherein the improvement comprises: a first guide member having an abutment surface which may be abutted against an edge surface of said flat sheet of material in an orientation at which said abutment surface extends along said edge surface, wherein said first guide member is penetrated by at least a first and a second fastener receiving hole which holes extend through said first guide member, said first and second fastener receiving holes being at opposite sides of a midpoint of said abutment surface and being equidistant from said midpoint, wherein said abutment surface has upper and lower edges and wherein said first and second fastner receiving holes are centered between said upper and lower edges, a swivelable guide member attached to said first guide member by a pivot which is oriented to enable pivoting of the swivelable guide member relative to the first guide member about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to said flat sheet of material when said first guide member is abutted against said edge surface thereof, said tape measure housing being supported by said swivelable member and being pivotable therewith.

Claim 20

A tool guide for facilitating movements of an implement along linear paths of travel and along arcuate paths of travel on flat sheets of material, comprising: an angled first guide member having a flat first arm for disposition against a marginal region of a major surface of a flat sheet of material and having a second arm with a flat abutment surface for abutment against an edge surface of the flat sheet of material which flat abutment surface extends at right angles to the first flat arm and wherein said flat abutment surface faces said edge surface and extends at least partially across said edge surface when said flat abutment surface is abutted against said edge surface, a swivelable guide member overlaying said first flat arm of said first guide member, a pivot axle coupling said first guide member and said swivelable guide member, said pivot axle having a pivot axis that extends at right angles to said flat first arm of said first guide member, a tape measure having a housing containing a measuring tape which has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing through an opening therein, said housing being secured to said swivelable guide member and being pivotable therewith, and an implement receiver engaging said distal end of said measuring tape and having at least one implement receiving opening.

Claim 21

A tool guide for facilitating movements of an implement along linear paths of travel and along arcuate paths of travel on flat sheets of material, comprising: an angled first guide member having a flat first arm for disposition against a marginal region of a major surface of a flat sheet of material and having a second arm with a flat abutment surface for abutment against an edge surface of the flat sheet of material which flat abutment surface extends at right angles to the first flat arm and wherein said flat abutment surface faces said edge surface and extends at least partially across said edge surface when said flat abutment surface is abutted against said edge surface, a swivelable guide member overlaying said first flat arm of said first guide member, a pivot axle coupling said first guide member and said swivelable guide member, said pivot axle having a pivot axis that extends at right angles to said flat first arm of said first guide member, a tape measure having a housing containing a measuring tape which has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing through an opening therein, said housing being secured to said swivelable guide member and being pivotable therewith, and an implement receiver engaging said distal end of said measuring tape and having at least one implement receiving opening.

Claim 22

The tool guide of claim 16 further including a tape clamp secured to said swivelable guide member in position to enable selective clamping of said measuring tape to said swivelable guide member, said tape clamp being spaced apart from said tape measure housing.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 16 further including means for selectively immobilizing said swivelable guide member relative to said first guide member at any of a plurality of different angular orientations relative thereto.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said implement receiving opening of said implement receiver is a slit sized to receive a knife blade and which extends transversely relative to said measuring tape.

Claim 25

A tool guide for facilitating movements of an implement along linear paths of travel and along arcuate paths of travel on flat sheets of material, comprising: an angled first guide member having a flat first arm for disposition against a marginal region of a flat sheet of material and having a second arm with a flat abutment surface for abutment against an edge surface of the flat sheet of material which flat abutment surface extends at right angles to the first flat arm, wherein at least one first fastener receiving opening extends through said first flat arm of said first guide member and at least one second fastener receiving opening extends through said second arm thereof at said abutment surface of said second arm, a swivelable guide member overlaying said first flat arm of said first guide member, a pivot axle coupling said first guide member and said swivelable guide member, said pivot axle having a pivot axis that extends at right angles to said flat first arm of said first guide member, a tape measure having a housing containing a measuring tape which has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing through an opening therein, said housing being secured to said swivelable guide member and being pivotable therewith, and an implement receiver engaging said distal end of said measuring tape and having at least one implement receiving opening.

Claim 26

A tool guide for facilitating movements of an implement along linear paths of travel and along arcuate paths of travel on flat sheets of material, comprising: an angled first guide member having a flat first arm for disposition against a marginal region of a flat sheet of material and having a second arm with a flat abutment surface for abutment against an edge surface of the flat sheet of material which flat abutment surface extends at right angles to the first flat arm, wherein at least one first fastener receiving opening extends through said first flat arm of said first guide member and at least one second fastener receiving opening extends through said second arm thereof at said abutment surface of said second arm, a swivelable guide member overlaying said first flat arm of said first guide member, a pivot axle coupling said first guide member and said swivelable guide member, said pivot axle having a pivot axis that extends at right angles to said flat first arm of said first guide member, a tape measure having a housing containing a measuring tape which has a distal end that may be drawn outward from the housing through an opening therein, said housing being secured to said swivelable guide member and being pivotable therewith, and an implement receiver engaging said distal end of said measuring tape and having at least one implement receiving opening.