Abstract: An improvement in workpiece-engageable devices for accurate workpiece angular formation including a plurality of spirit vials and an engager of a workpiece which establishes an intended bending plane. The plurality of spirit vials includes formation-angle vials adjacent to one another and supported in a respective plane parallel to the intended bending plane and in an orientation corresponding to a respective one of intended angles with respect to a base plane. At least one control vial is supported in a body of the device and aligned in a plane parallel to the base plane. The formation-angle vials may include four formation-angle vials each oriented at one of angles 10°, 22.5°, 30°, 45°, 90° and in some embodiments 60° with respect to the base plane.

Abstract: A method for providing an instruction manual for using a measuring tool. The method includes the step of providing a tool, preparing a guide for using the tool, posting the guide on an Internet site. The guide includes a set of instructions for taking the measurements and a set of pre-calculated numbers corresponding to particular measurements. The tool includes a face surface with measurement markings thereon for taking measurements useable in geometric calculations. The Internet site with an Internet path leading thereto. The method includes the step of creating a barcode on the face surface which when scanned leads the user directly to the guide Internet site.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A topnotch is formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. A central vial is within the topnotch. The frame includes an inner horizontal wall extending between the sidewalls at the notch-defining bottom edges. A central-vial reference surface is formed in the inner horizontal wall parallel to the top and bottom measuring surfaces and defining a notch-bottom. The central vial is supported against the central-vial reference surface in accurate orientation without calibration. The central vial is secured with respect to the inner horizontal wall by mechanical fasteners. The frame further preferably includes an integral inner vertical wall extending between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length.

Abstract: A measuring tape of the type including a housing enclosing a coil of a resilient rule tape uncoilable to a substantially straight orientation. The housing has first and second sidewalls joined by surrounding walls extending substantially parallel to the coil axis and defining a rule-egress-ingress opening with a rule-tape free end extending therefrom. The inventive measuring tape includes a spool holding the coil of the rule tape wound thereabout and secured to a spool-supporting wall portion of the housing such that the coiled rule-tape coil is entirely removable from the housing. The rule tape has first and second sides and extends for a length which includes a break region spaced from a free end of the uncoiled rule tape. The break region includes a plurality of discrete elongate depressions spaced from one another lengthwise along the rule-tape length.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A topnotch is formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. A central vial is within the topnotch. The frame includes an inner horizontal wall extending between the sidewalls at the notch-defining bottom edges. A central-vial reference surface is formed in the inner horizontal wall parallel to the top and bottom measuring surfaces and defining a notch-bottom. The central vial is supported against the central-vial reference surface in accurate orientation without calibration. The central vial is secured with respect to the inner horizontal wall by mechanical fasteners. The frame further preferably includes an integral inner vertical wall extending between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length.

Abstract: A levels of the type including an elongate hollow frame and a magnet secured to the frame having a magnet-mounting structure which includes first and second magnet-holding members positioning the magnet with respect to a bottom-wall opening. The first magnet-holding member has a first side flange; and the second magnet-holding member has a second side flange. Each side flange is positioned to extend along one of opposite frame sidewalls at an inner surface of a frame bottom wall. A locking member pulls the magnet-holding members together such that the side flanges are locked inside the level frame along the opposite sidewalls, thereby mechanically securing the magnet to the level frame.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A topnotch is formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. A central vial is within the topnotch. The frame includes an inner horizontal wall extending between the sidewalls at the notch-defining bottom edges. A central-vial reference surface is formed in the inner horizontal wall parallel to the top and bottom measuring surfaces and defining a notch-bottom. The central vial is supported against the central-vial reference surface in accurate orientation without calibration. The central vial is secured with respect to the inner horizontal wall by mechanical fasteners. The frame further preferably includes an integral inner vertical wall extending between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A central vial is within a topnotch formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. The frame includes an inner horizontal wall extending between the sidewalls at the notch-defining bottom edges. The central vial is supported in accurate orientation without calibration against a cental-vial reference surface formed in the inner horizontal wall parallel to the top and bottom measuring surfaces and defining a notch-bottom. An integral inner vertical wall extends between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length. A plumb-vial structure has a viewing-end region and an opposite-end region. The viewing-end region includes an elongate ramp sloping along a level-longitudinal axis toward the plumb vial with an inclination permitting vial viewing from shallow angles.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A central vial is within a topnotch formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. An integral inner vertical wall extends between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length. The inventive level further preferably includes an external brace reinforcing a central frame portion weakened by forming the topnotch. The external brace includes first and second plate members each against one of the sidewalls about the notch-defining bottom and side edges and each substantially spanning a respective one of the sidewalls. A fastening member extending through the sidewalls and pulling the plate members toward each other to sandwich the sidewalls therebetween, thereby reinforcing a central frame portion weakened by forming the topnotch.

Abstract: A levels of the type including an elongate hollow frame and a magnet secured to the frame having a magnet-mounting structure which includes first and second magnet-holding members positioning the magnet with respect to a bottom-wall opening. The first magnet-holding member has a first side flange; and the second magnet-holding member has a second side flange. Each side flange is positioned to extend along one of opposite frame sidewalls at an inner surface of a frame bottom wall. A locking member pulls the magnet-holding members together such that the side flanges are locked inside the level frame along the opposite sidewalls, thereby mechanically securing the magnet to the level frame.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A central vial is within a topnotch formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. The frame includes an inner horizontal wall extending between the sidewalls at the notch-defining bottom edges. The central vial is supported in accurate orientation without calibration against a cental-vial reference surface formed in the inner horizontal wall parallel to the top and bottom measuring surfaces and defining a notch-bottom. An integral inner vertical wall extends between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length. A plumb-vial structure has a viewing-end region and an opposite-end region. The viewing-end region includes an elongate ramp sloping along a level-longitudinal axis toward the plumb vial with an inclination permitting vial viewing from shallow angles.

Abstract: A level of the type having an elongate hollow frame including two sidewalls each defining axially aligned vial openings into the frame. A vial casing is secured with respect to the frame and defines a hermetically sealed single-cavity casing interior entirely enclosing a liquid-and-bubble vial with a substantially cylindrical outer surface extending between two vial ends. The casing is formed of two opposite round face-walls and a surrounding cylindrical wall therebetween. The cylindrical wall has a pair of opposed major wall-portions of first thickness and a pair of opposed intervening wall-portions of second thickness greater than the first thickness. Each intervening wall-portion defines a recess which snugly receives a corresponding one of the vial ends.

Abstract: A method for manufacture of a substantially flat rigid measurement tool of the type formed of a substantially non-ferrous lightweight anodized metal plate with measurement markings thereon. The inventive method includes the steps of anodizing the metal plate to create a dark anodized layer, forming the flat rigid measurement tool from the anodized metal plate, and creating non-removable substantially white measurement markings by oxidizing selected mark-areas of the dark anodized surface to a depth below the anodized layer. The markings are created by application of a laser energy. The metal plate contains aluminum and the non-removable substantially white markings are formed by oxidized aluminum.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A central vial is within a topnotch formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. An integral inner vertical wall extends between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length. The inventive level further preferably includes an external brace reinforcing a central frame portion weakened by forming the topnotch. The external brace includes first and second plate members each against one of the sidewalls about the notch-defining bottom and side edges and each substantially spanning a respective one of the sidewalls. A fastening member extending through the sidewalls and pulling the plate members toward each other to sandwich the sidewalls therebetween, thereby reinforcing a central frame portion weakened by forming the topnotch.

Abstract: A level including an elongate hollow frame with two sidewalls and a topwall extending therebetween. A topnotch is formed by removal of a topwall section and adjacent sections of sidewalls including notch-defining bottom and side edges. A central vial is within the topnotch. The frame includes an inner horizontal wall extending between the sidewalls at the notch-defining bottom edges. A central-vial reference surface is formed in the inner horizontal wall parallel to the top and bottom measuring surfaces and defining a notch-bottom. The central vial is supported against the central-vial reference surface in accurate orientation without calibration. The central vial is secured with respect to the inner horizontal wall by mechanical fasteners. The frame further preferably includes an integral inner vertical wall extending between the top and bottom walls thereby reinforcing the frame along the frame length.

Abstract: A hands-free level for gauging structural-member orientation. The level includes an elongate frame with two side-faces and at least one main reference surface extending therealong and having a mainwidth, a level indicator secured to the frame, and a support arm to facilitate holding of the reference surface against the stud. The support arm has a proximal end and extends to a free distal end which includes an end member. The proximal end is pivotably secured to the frame about a pivot axis such that the distal end and end member are movable between a storage position along one of the side-faces and a use position beyond the reference surface and stud. A coil spring is about the pivot axis biases the distal end and end member to the storage position. The end member extends from the distal end and terminates in a stud-engaging portion. When the reference surface is against a stud surface, the stud-engaging portion engages the stud for hands-free holding of the level thereagainst.

Abstract: A level of the type having an elongate hollow frame including two sidewalls each defining axially aligned vial openings into the frame. A vial casing is secured with respect to the frame and defines a hermetically sealed single-cavity casing interior entirely enclosing a liquid-and-bubble vial with a substantially cylindrical outer surface extending between two vial ends. The casing is formed of two opposite round face-walls and a surrounding cylindrical wall therebetween. The cylindrical wall has a pair of opposed major wall-portions of first thickness and a pair of opposed intervening wall-portions of second thickness greater than the first thickness. Each intervening wall-portion defines a recess which snugly receives a corresponding one of the vial ends.

Abstract: An impact-absorbing end cap for an instrument such as a level is provided that is secured to an end of the level and has an outer portion and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion is positioned between the outer portion and the body of the level and is securely fastened to the outer portion. In addition, the intermediate portion provides greater resilient compressibility than the outer portion so that the end cap is better adapted to absorb impacts to the outer portion and thereby prevent damage to the level. Preferably, the outer portion has a profile matching the body profile at the end of the level and the intermediate portion forms a serrated intermediate profile to facilitate compression of the end cap. Also preferred is where the end cap includes an inner portion with less resilient compressibility than the intermediate portion.