Combination-tool.

Application filed June 7, 1909. Serial No. 500,547.

To all whom it may concern:

_ Be it known that I, Emanuel Oehrle, citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State 5 of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Tools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved combination tool of general mechanical use as a 10 level, plumb, inclinometer, protractor, bevel, depth gage and centering-square; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide such a tool of a greater range of usefulness without increasing the number of 15 parts or adding to the whole size or weight; second to provide a clamping device by which a swinging slidable straight-edge and measuring blade having a single longitudinal groove may be attached at either edge to 20 a stock and the ends reversible in every case; third, to provide an adjustable releasable detent to stop the swing of the blade exactly at right angles to the face of the stock or allow it to pass to any other desired an25 gle; and fourth, to provide a more positive releasable grip to temporarily retain said blade at any desired angle to said stock. I attain these objects, with others of minor importance, by the mechanism illustrated in 30 the accompanying drawing in Which—

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool arranged as a level for an under surface, for instance: a soffit or ceiling, and as a machinist’s centering-square; Fig. 2, is an un35 derside view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a top view of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, is a side elevation as it appears when arranged as a plumb, in which form it. is also used as a square or depth . gage; Fig. 5, is a side elevation opposite to ⁴⁰ Fig. 1, the blade swung edgewise 180 degrees to the opposite or under edge of the stock, in which form the long lower edge of the blade may be used to level a top surface .. or floor and the face or top edge of the stock ⁴⁵ 3 to level an under surface or ceiling; Fig. 6, is a vertical longitudinal central section of the stock 3 in the position shown in Fig. 1, all separable parts removed and the blade 2 . indicated by broken lines; Fig. 7, is an un'5° der side view of the whole stock in position shown in Fig. 1, all separable parts removed and the lower edge of the blade indicated by broken lines; Fig. 8, an enlarged sectional .. detail view of the detent 34 and adjacent parts, in connection with the oscillating 55 qnadrantal limb 24, in the position shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 9, a side elevation of the oscillating qnadrantal limb and blade - clamp, partly in section to disclose the mechanism of the clamp; Fig. 10, a top view of the de- 60 tent 34 turned to the position showlr in Figs. 4 and 8 to stop the oscillation of the limb and swing of the blade at a predetermined angle to the face of the stock; Fig. 11, an underside view of the detent 34 and its 65 pivotal screw or broad headed journal 36, showing the detent turned to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to allow the limb 24 to pass through the notch 40; Fig. 12, is a section on the broken line 12—12, of Fig. 9, 70 disclosing the mechanism of the clamping device to lock the oscillating limb and bladeclamp, and showing the blade-seat or bottom of the fork through the blade-clamp; and, Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16, are diagrams, illus- 75 trating respectively the application of the tool in turning a reducing taper, laying out ratchet teeth, gaging the length of a shouldered journal and turning a countersunk head, which are a few of the many ways in 80 which the tool may be employed.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The three principal parts of the tool comprise an oblong stock bifurcated at one end 85 and having a longitudinally-grooved working face on one edge and a centering head at the end opposite to said bifurcation, an oscillatory qnadrantal graduated limb and integral blade-clamp pivoted between the ends 90 of the forked branches of the stock and a grooved ruling and measuring blade adapted to slide in and be fastened in said blade-clamp. Other smaller cooperative parts are attached and connected as set 95 forth below.

The stock 3 consists substantially of an oblong flat bar one of its edges finished to serve as the working face 1; one end has the V-shaped notch or fork formed by the in- 100 wardly inclined edges 9 and 9 to form, in conjunction with the seated blade 2, a common centering-square as shown in Fig. 1. The face edge has the deep cut. groove 46 to loosely but closely receive the blade edge- 105 wise as indicated in Fig. 6 and shown in Fius. 1 and 3. The end opposite to the centering notch or head is bifurcated, divided

968,679 edgewise and centrally and the ends of the branches bent away from the face edge of the stock to form the supports 4 and 4, through which the pivot or bolt screw 30 is 5 disposed to carry the oscillatory limb 24 and the integral blade-clamp 13. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the space between the branches is widened beyond the width of the groove 46 by the curve-edged recesses 6 and 6 on the 3 0 inside of each branch to receive and let pass the oscillatory limb, the deeper oblique edged recesses 7 and 7 to receive the inner web-part of the blade-clamp 13 and the still wider curved-edged recesses 8 and 8, to re15 ceive the ends of the hub 27 of the integral oscillatory limb and blade-clamp.

The limb and clamp are constructed, disposed and pivoted as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 and further illustrated by enlarged 20 details in Figs. 9 and 12.

The hub 27 has its bore shaped to form the taper or countersink 28 at one end. The pivotal screw-bolt or journal 30 has the enlarged threaded head 31 seated tightly in 25 one of the branch-supports 4, and the shank 30 passed plainly through the opposite branch - support and is provided beyond with the threaded end 32 to receive the tailnut 33. The shank 30 and the threaded 30 head 31 are connected by the integral countersunk head or tapered part 29, fitted to exactly fill the countersunk end 28 of the hub bore. This gives a wedging grip in the hub to lock it against revolving when the 35 tail-nut is turned home. This grip is adjusted and the desired position of the tailnut when tightened, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is attained by turning the screw-head 31.

The blade-clamp 13 is an integral projec40 tion from the hub 27 and is bifurcated centrally to receive, seat, and carry the blade 2 edgewise in a plane agreeing with the plane of rotation of the clamp and with the groove 46 in the face of the stock; the blade-seat or 45 bottom of the bifurcation in the clamp and the bottom of the groove 46 in the stock are in alinement on the same tangential line to the hub when the blade is swung to the position shown in Fig. 1 and as indicated in ⁵⁰ Figs. 6 and 9. The clamp has a central cross-enlargement to form the casing 14 to inclose the clamping bolt 16 axially disposed at the center of and at right angles to the bottom of the fork or blade-seat. This bolt ⁵⁵ of larger diameter than the width of the bifurcation has the longitudinally reduced portion 17 Fig. 9 lying outside of rhe bladeseat and space and has at its end the inwardly bent head or lip 18 to engage and ⁶⁰ slide in the groove 23 in the blade. The opposite end of the bolt 16 is threaded to take the thumb-nut 15 by which the inner edge of the blade is drawn and fastened firmly against its seat in the fork. The coil ⁶⁵ spring 22 is disposed in the annular chamber 21 in the clamp or bolt casing to press against the bearing face of the thumb-nut and draw the bolt with sufficient force to prevent the blade from sliding out when the bolt is loosened. A cross-pin is disposed centrally through the body of the bolt the ⁷⁰ends projecting to form the diametrically oppositely disposed radial lugs 20 and 20; and chambers 19 and 19 are formed in the walls of the casing below the blade-seat to receive said lugs. By slackening the nut ^7osufficiently these lugs may be reversed in the chambers by turning the bolt half-way around thus bringing the reduced portion 17 and the hooked head 18 into the opposite branch or side of the fork; whereby the ⁸⁰grooved and plain sides of the blade may be reversed and still retain the same edge of the blade in the seat, or the edges of the blade may be changed in the clamp without reversing the ends of the blade; thereby allowing the mitered end of the blade within the plane of its movement to be applied in all positions and directions relative to the face of the stock. θθ

The oscillatory quadrantal graduated ^alimb 24 is an integral projection from the hub 27 and disposed oppositely to the bladeclamp, to swing through the forked end of the stock. One side bears along its periph- _g5era! edge the quadrantal arc 26 divided into degrees from zero to 90, and reversely numbered to read readily from either end and give the complemental angles. The opposite side has the graduated arc scale 25 ₁₀₀to set the blade for the exterior angles of different polygons. The stock has on each side two reading or index marks 11 and 12 spaced ninety, degrees apart. The index marks 11 and 11 are placed on the beveled ₁₀₅rim of the apertures 5 and 5 in the branches of the stock, through which openings the graduations of the limb are read. And the index marks 12 and 12 are placed on the oppositely beveled sides of the detent table or seat 39 adjacent to the periphery of the limb, all as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. With the blade in the position shown in Fig. 4 any degree of angle from zero to ninety degrees, to the position of the blade shown 115 in Fig. 1, is read at the index mark 12; and, any position of the blade between that shown in Fig. 4 and that shown in Fig. 5, covering ninety degrees or the other half of the semicircle, is read at the index 120 mark 11.

An adjustable rotatable detent 34 of discal form is mounted on the shank of the screw or broad-headed journal 35, which has its threaded point driven into the de- 125 tent table or seat 39. The detent revolves in a plane at right angles to the plane of revolution of the limb; the periphery of the detent extending into the sweep or oscillation of the limb the edge of which 130

968,679 strikes the face of the detent to arrest .the movement of the limb and stop the. blade at right angles to the face of the stock as shown in Figs. 8 and 4 and indicated by r;5 broken lines in Fig. 10. The screw has a broad head 36 to supply ample support to the detent and is slotted to take a common screw-driver to make the required adjustments. The detent has the rectangular 1? radial notch 40 in its periphery, adapted to loosely receive the overlapping edge of the limb and allow it to swing through unobstructed as indicated in Fig. 11 and shown in Fig. 1. The striking and seat face of 15 the detent has the annular groove 37 spaced away from the central bore to leave a full length solid hub to support the detent;-in this annular groove is seated the coil spring 38 to bear against the seat and retain the 20 detent against the head 36 when the screw is turned in or out to adjust the detent to stop the limb to set' the blade at the correct desired or right angle.

In the end of the oblique arm 9 opposite 25 to the face edge of the stock, the notch 10 is cut—as shown in Figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7,— to receive seat and stay the inner edge of the blade in the position shown in Fig. 5. And on the outside of said arm the boss 44 30 is.disposed and bored to receive the adjusting screw 43 to limit the inward swing of the blade and stop and seat it parallel with the face of the stock, turned 180 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 1.

A spirit level consisting of the ordinary glass tube is disposed in the cylindrical metal case 42 having ears at its ends to receive the screws 45' and 45 by which it is fastened to the back edge of the stock. The ⁴⁰ stock is recessed away from the open glass face of the level which is turned permanently toward the stock to avoid breakage. It is obvious that with the range of movement and possible positions of setting the blade this single well protected spirit-level will serve every purpose of leveling plumbing or laying out any incline from the horizontal to the perpendicular.

The outer end 54 of the blade clamp is ⁵⁰ squared to the blade-seat and beveled on each side for convenient reading of the graduated scales on the blade and when placed as shown in Fig. 4 or as indicated in Fig. 15 serves. as a depth gage or to A5 measure a projecting part.