Geometrical instruments – Indicator of direction of force traversing natural media – Level or plumb – terrestrial gravitation responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-03
2001-09-25
Fulton, Christopher W. (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Indicator of direction of force traversing natural media
Level or plumb, terrestrial gravitation responsive
C033S286000, C033S451000, C033SDIG002
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293024
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a leveling device.
Leveling devices are known in the art. One of such devices is disclosed for example in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,942. The leveling device of this patent has a housing, a support surface which is fixed to the housing, an adjusting device. The adjusting device has at least one adjusting screw which can be displaced so that it extends outwardly beyond the support surface. For this purpose the adjusting screw is provided with an adjusting thread which engages with a counter thread in the housing. The adjusting device with the adjusting screw serves for adjusting the leveling device to the desired leveling plane, which is adjustable by means of a water balance formed on the leveling device. This construction however has a substantial disadvantage that the adjusting screw must be screwed back when it must be again returned into the housing so that it no longer extends outwardly beyond the support surface. In the practice, the return points for the operators of the leveling device are frequently omitted, since it is too time consuming and complicated. When the adjusting screw after the use of the leveling device must again extend outwardly beyond the support plane of the support surface, the adjusting screw can be easily damaged. Moreover the leveling device with the extended adjusting screw can not be used as a water balance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a leveling device of the above mentioned type which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated in a leveling device, in which the counter thread engaging with an adjusting thread of the adjusting screw extending beyond the abutment surface is formed as a partial thread on a slider which is displaceable transversely to the longitudinal section of the adjusting screw and is bringable outside of engagement with the adjusting thread.
When the leveling device is designed in accordance with the present invention, it has the advantage that the adjusting screw can be returned in each arbitrary position in a simple manner in the housing of the leveling device, so that every time without great expenses the operation of a water balance is available.
In accordance with a further advantageous feature of the present invention, the adjusting screw after actuation of a releasing key is displaceable back by the spring force. Thereby the one-hand operability of the leveling device remains guaranteed.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1445570 (1923-02-01), Tiffany
patent: 1502255 (1924-07-01), Lemieux
patent: 1701069 (1929-02-01), Frantz
patent: 2521525 (1950-09-01), Krausser
patent: 2659975 (1953-11-01), Van Gundy
patent: 2746164 (1956-05-01), Eitzen
patent: 4067117 (1978-01-01), Bernard
patent: 5519942 (1996-05-01), Webb
patent: 2 190 745 A (1987-11-01), None
patent: 2 276 451 A (1994-09-01), None
Fiebig Arnim
Matzo David
Fulton Christopher W.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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