Abstract: A combination tape measurer, pencil sharpener and knife blade sharpener is provided. The pencil and knife blade sharpeners are provided on a separate insert that is fitted onto the tape measurer. This allows each component to be used without interfering with the others. A conventional retractable tape measurer can be modified to produce the resultant combination tool.

Abstract: A tool includes a handle having a cutting blade, a writing implement sharpener and spare blade compartment combined in the one tool. One embodiment permits the blade to have an adjustable disposition while another embodiment fixes the disposition of the blade. In one embodiment the sharpener is located at one of the ends of the tool handle while in the other embodiment the sharpener is located at a mid portion of the handle. In the case where the disposition of the blade is adjustable, a leaf spring biases a lug into an indentation and another lug detent into a recess in the blade. The leaf spring slides above the blade between two separable longitudinal halves of the handle. The sharpener assembly is fixedly retained within the confines of the tool body with an aperture in abutting rims of two shells of the body providing for insertion of the implement to be sharpened. Shavings are discharged exteriorly of the tool through a slot formed in one of the body shells adjacent the blade of the sharpener.

Abstract: A shroud apparatus for the continuous casting of steel comprising a fused silica or like refractory oxide nozzle having the outer surface thereof which is normally contacted by the layer of fused slag on the surface of the molten metal in the continuous casting mold when the nozzle is into normal operating position enclosed by a ring or sleeve formed of a slag resistant material, such as silicon nitride, boron nitride or zirconium diboride. In one embodiment the nozzle has a ring member slidable axially along the length thereof with the ring floating in the molten metal and having one end immersed in the molten metal and the other end extending above the slag layer. In another embodiment the nozzle has a protective ring member formed of the slag-resistant material mounted fixedly on the outer surface of the nozzle with the ring being of such length and positioned axially on the nozzle so that only the protective ring will be contacted by the slag layer during the continuous casting operation.