Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to tape measure, particularly a
quick rewindable tape measure.
A tape measure has hi-therto been made by rotatably
placing a reel in an outer case and windiny a measuring tape
around the reel to house the tape in the case when unused. There
has been a tape measure in which a coil spring is provided in the
interior of the reel and the measuring tape can be automatically
rewound around the reel by the restoring force of the spring.
This type of tape measure generally been utilized when the tape
has a comparatively short length, particularly less than a length
of 10 m. Since it is difficult to rewind the tape by the
restoring force of a spring when the measuring tape is of a
length form 10 m to 100 m, tape measures have been made so that
the measuring tape can be rewound by rotating a handle by hand.
Tape measures of this kind were prepared by rotatably placing a
reel in a case to enable winding the tape around the reel and
also by providing a sLde of the case with a handle for rotating
the reel.
In the case wherein a string is used for measuring the
length instead of a tape, twist of the s-tring causing no -trouble
when rewound, a quick rewind measure has been prepared hitherto
in which rewind speed was increased a few times a handle speed.
In contrast, in the case wherein a tape is used for measuring the
length, if the tape is rewound in a high speed, the tape is
liable to be twisted. Consequently, a quick rewind -tape measure
has not been manufactured hitherto.
A kind of -the quick rewind tape measure has recently
become known. It is disclosPd, for example, in Japanese
Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 55-145303. The quick
rewind tape measure, however, disclosed in said Publication has a
bigger external gear secured to the handle, a smaller external
gear secured to the reel with bo-th gears being engaged. In other
words, both gears are nothing bu-t pinions having external gear
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teeth and simply engaged in an external relation. As a result,
the reel was rotated in the direction adverse to the rotating
direction of the handle, and the reel center was greatly distant
from the handle center. Thus, when the tape measure is to be
rewound, the handle must be rotated in the adverse direction.
Rewinding the tape measure could not be smoothly operated.
Further, the tape measure itself could not be made compact.
Consequently, these were disadvantages o~ the quick rewind tape
measure.
The present invention eliminates the disadvantages and
provides an improved quick rewind tape measure. In order to
achieve this, the invention requires that a large gear and a
smaller gear are secured to the handle and the reel,
respectively, (in this respect the present invention is the same
as the known one). However, the gear secured to the handle is a
ring type gear having internal teeth, while the gear secured to
the reel is a gear having external teeth and the external gear is
placed within the internal gear to be in internal con-tact and in
engagement with the internal gear.
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According to the present invention there is provided a
~uick ~ewind t~pe measure form~d by rotatably placing in an outer
case a reel for winding a tape, providing a handle on the outer
side of the case so that the reel can be rotated by the handle to
rewind a measuring tape, which tape measure is characterized in
that a smaller external gear is secured to a shaft supporting the
reel, a bigger internal gear is secured to a shaft of the handle,
and the external gear is internally contacted and engaged with
the internal gear.
According to one aspect of the present invention there
is provided a quick rewind tape measure comprising: an outer case
having a protruding portion separated by a supporting plate, a
reel for winding a measure tape having a reel shaft extending
through the supporting plate and being rotatably supported in the
outer case, a handle having a handle sha~t, the handle being
rotatably mounted on the outside faclng to the protruding por-
tion, the handle shaft being situated in the protruding portion
and having one end thereof supported by the supporting plate, a
smaller pinion gear having teeth on its outer periphery and being
secured to the end of the reel shaft to be rotatably supported in
the protruding portion, a bigger ring gear having teeth on its
inner periphery and being secured to said handle shaft to be
rotatably supported in the protruding portion, and said pinion
gear being positioned radially inwardly of said ring gear and
engaging said ring gear.
~ ccording to another aspect of the present invention
there is provided a quick rewind tape measure comprising: an
outer case having a protruding portion separated by a supporting
plate, a ree] for winding a measure tape having a reel shaft ex-
tending through the supporting plate and being rotatably sup-
ported in the protruding portion, a handle having a handle shaft,
the handle being rotatably mounted on the outside facing to the
protruding portion, the handle shaft being situated in the pro-
truding portion and having one end thereof rotatably supportPd by
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th~ supporting plate, a ~malle.r pinion gear having teeth on its outer
periphery and being secured to the end of the reel shaft to be rotatably
suppoL-ted in the protruding portion, a bigger ring gear h~ving tee~h on its
inner periphe~y and being secured to said handle shaft to be rotatably sup-
ported in the protruding portion, said pinion gear being positioned radiallyinwaxd:Ly of said ring gear and engaging said ring gear, and a spring mounted
in the protruding portion engaging an ~uter portion of said ring gear to press
said ring gear to keep contact with said pinion gear.
In one embodiment of the present invention the reel
1~ shaft and the smaller pinion gear are formed integrally of a hard
synthetic resin. Desirably said outer case includes a supporting
plate made of a hard synthetic resin, the reel shaft is supported
by said supporting plate~ and a metal ring is inte~posed between
the reel shaft and the supporting plate. Suitably the tape mea
sure further includes a grip for carrying the case at a portion
opposite to an exit of the measuring tape, and the grip is formed
in a shape having three sides of a regular octagon around the
reel shaft and includes at least three straight portions continu-
ing the turning at an angle of 135.
The present invention is explained below referring to
the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Fig.s 1-3 show an example of the tape measure according
to the invention, particularly, Fig. 1 iS a front view of the
tape measure, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II in
Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a front vlew of the reel, partly cut away,
used in Fig. l; and
Fig.s 4-7 show another example of the tape measure
according to the invention, particularly, Fig. 4 is a front view
of the tape measure, Fig. 5 is a front view of the tape measure,
in which a half side has been cut away, Fig. 6 is a front view of
the tape measure in which a reel has been removed and Flg. 7 is a
perspective, partially exploded view of the tape measure, in
which a shaft supporting plate has been removed.
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Referring to E'igs. 1-3, case l has a grip 17 at the
upper portion thereof and a stake point 18 at the lower portion
thereof. Case 1 is also provided with winder 2 including handle
6 and shaft 21 integrally formed with handle 6.
Winder 2 is provided in a protruding portion ll
a-ttached to case l and situated between a supported by the wall
of protruding portion 11 and a supporting plate 12 covering the
opening of protruding portion ll. Supporting portion 24 of
handle 6 is fitted and rotatably supported in an aperture 14 of
protruding portion 11. AS the result, winder 2 can be rotated in
case 1 when handle 6 is driven. The interior of winder 2 ~s
recessed at 22 except for shaft 21, and internal gear teeth are
formed on the entire inner peripheral wall of the recessed
portion.
A reel 3 for wtnding tape is housed in case l and has a measuring
tape 5 windable therearound. The reel 3, as shown in Figs. 2 and
3, is provided with flanges 32 of a large diameter at each of
both sides of shaft 31, which is provided with ring 33 for
fastening the end of the measuring tape 5 and groove 34 for
receiving ring 33 when the ring 33 is laid down. Each of flanges
32 is provided with a plurality of apertures distributed on the
entire surface of the flanges 32. The apertures serve to remove
sand and water adhering to the measuring tape when the tape
measure is washed with water. Each of flanges 32 is further
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. ¦ provided with another aperture 37 which is for either securing or
. ¦ re~oving the end of the measuring tape 5 from ring 33.
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A shaf-t 4 supports the reel and can be inserted into
center hole 36 of reel 3. One side of shaft 4 is supported by
aperture 15 in supporting plate 12 and the other side of shaft 4
by aperture 16 in case 1. Center hole 36 of reel 3 is made
square in cross section and shaft 4 is made also partly square
in the outer shape thereof so that shaft 4 is prevented from
idling in the reel 3. Shaft 4 extends on the side of supporting
plate 12 to reach the winder 2. The extended portion is provided
with external gearlhaving a smaller diameter and gear teeth on
, ItS external periphery, which are engaged with the teeth of .
internal gear 23. Thus, shaft 4 is rotatably received in the
case and is provided with the external gear 41 placed between
winder 2 and supporting plate 12.
The measuring tape 5 is made of a band steel, a
fiber-reinforced synthetic resin band or the like, and has
usually a length of 50 m to 100 m.
Winder 2, for example, has an internal gear 23 of an
inside diameter of 45 mm, shaft 4 has external gear 41 of an-
outside diameter of 12 mm, an~ external gear ~1 is internally
contacted with internal gear 23. Rotation ratio of internal gear
. 23 to external 41 is 1 to 3.75. Drum 31 in reel 3 has the
outside diameterof 63 mm, which holds a ring 33, and a measuring
tape of steel having 50 m in length is secured to ring 33. When
handle 6 is rotated, all of the steel tape measure can be readily
rewound. Forty rotations of the handle are sufficient to rewind
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all of the measuring tape and the measuring tape can be rewound
by a small number of rotations. Further, since the measuring
tape can be rewound in the same direction as the handle rotating
direction, unusual feeling is not brought during rewind of the
measuring tape and the measuring tape can be rewound smoothly.
In contrast, when the reel is directly connected with and rotated
by the handle to rewind the measuring tape having the length of
50 m around the reel, one hundred fifty rotations of the handle
are required for rewinding the measuring tape and operations for
rewinding the measuring tape are troublesome.
Referring now to Figs. 4 to 7, another tape measure
according to the present lnvention is Eurther explained below.
The tape measure is formed by housing in a case 10 a reel 30 for
winding the measuring tape 50, a winder 20, and shaft 40 for
supporting and rotating reel 30. Case lo is formed by opposing
and screwing two symmetrical plates. An opening 19 extending
through said two plates is formed in a portion opposite to an
exit of the measuring tape in case 10. The outer fringe of
opening 19 forms grip 17. Grip 17 is formed in a shape-like
three sides of a regular octagon around the shaft 40 supporting
the reel 30, and includes at least three straight portions
contlnuing and turning at an angle of 135. Stake point 18 is
formed on the opposite side of grip 17.
Winder 20 is connected with handle 60 outside of the
case. The base of handle 60 is fitted in an aperture in case 10
and set rotatably in case 10. A metal ring is secured to case 10
between the aperture in case 10 and the base oE handle 60 for
smoothly rotating handle 60. winder 20 is provided with an
internal gear 23 and shaft 21, both of which are integrally
formed with winder 20. Winder 20 is made of a nard thermoplastic
synthetic resin, for example, polyacetal.
Shaft 40 is placed inside of internal gear 23. Shaft
40 is provided with external gear 41 at one end. Middle portion
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42 of shaft 40 is fitted in aperture 14 at one end. Middle
portion 42 of shaft 40 is fitted in aperture 15 in supporting
plate 12, with one end of shaft 21 being simultaneously fitted in
aperture 13 in supporting plate 12. soth shaft 40 and 21 are
rotatably supported by supporting plate 12, resulting in engaging
external gear 41 with internal gear 23. ',haft 40 and supporting
plate 12 are preferably made of hard thermoplastic synthetic
resin such as polyacetal.
Plate spring 80 is provided in the vicinity of the
portions at which external gear 41 is internally contacted with
internal gear 23. Plate ~pring 80 urges internal gear 23 to
press external gear 41 so that external gear 41 may be ensured to
engage with lnternal groove 23 and thus serves to prevent gaars
from generating frictional sounds when rotated.
Metal ring 70 is interposed between middle portion 42
of shaft 40 and aperture 14 of supporting plate 12 so that shaft
40 ls ro~ated smoothly and prevented from abrasion thereof.
Shaft 40 has a square outer shape in cross section of
portion 43 which is set ~ust outside of supporting plate 12.
Reel 30 is placed on portion ~3. Central aperture 36 in reel 30
is made square so that reel 30 can be just fitted in portion 43.
Reel 30 has further two flanges 32 at both sides thereof, and
each flanges 32 has perforations 35. In the o-ther respects, reel
30 has a same structure as that shown in Figs. 1-3 so that
measuring tape 50 can be seated between flanges 32 of reel 30.
According to the present invention, winder 20 is
provided with an internal gear, which is engaged with an external
gear formed on the sha~t for rotating the reel. When the handle
mount~d on the winder is rotated, the reel is rotated in a high
speed in proportion to the rotation ratio of the internal gear to
the external gear, thus the measuring tape can be rewound in a
high speed. Consequently, the tape measure has the advantage
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that an elongate measuring tape having a length of more than 10
m, particularly 50 m to 100 m can be rewound quickly.
Furlher, according to the present invention, the wind~r
is provided with the internal gear, and therefore the winder can
be rotated ln th~ same direction as that of the rePl, so that the
tape measure can be rewound in the same direction as the handle
rotating direction, hence the measuring tape can be smoothly
rewound.
Furthermore, according to the invention, th~ winder is
provided with the internal gear, and therefore the winder shaft
can be provided in close proximity to the shaft for the reel,
thus the tape measure as a whole is stable at the time of
rewlnding. Hence the measuring tape can be rewound more
smoothly. Still further, the external gear is placed in the
recessed portion of the winder, and the case can be decreased in
volume, consequently the tape measure is convenient to carry.
Yet, further, the winder and the shaft are made of a
hard thermoplastic resin, therefore can be easily manufactured.
Even when they are rotated at a high speed, they generate less
noise, further since the metal ring is provided at the contacting
portion thereof, they are less abraded.
Furthermore, since the plate spring is provided in the
portion where the external gear is internally contaeted with the
in-ternal gear, so as to press the outside periphery of the
internal gear to the external gear, the external gear is firmly
engaged w~th the internal gear. When the shaEt is rotated at a
high speed, the gears are prevented from generating noise.
This invention brings about various advantages as
mentioned above.
It is really apparent that the above-described tape
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measure meets all of the ob;ect~ mentioned above and also has the
advantage of wlde commerical utility.
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