Abstract: A utility knife having a holder body for supporting a blade slidably between a protruded position and a returned position, the utility knife comprising a spring means to be operated against a slider supporting the blade, a slider for manually moving said blade to a protruded position, a lock means for locking the slide movement of said slider at said protruded position resisting against the spring force of the spring means, and a means for releasing the lock of said lock means, wherein upon use, the blade temporarily fixed to the slider will be protruded from the holder by manually sliding said slider, and the blade could be locked at the end position of the slide. When storing the blade, the lock could be released by pressing on the lock release button, which allows the slider to be pulled back by the spring, and along with this movement, the blade could be stored automatically inside the holder body.

Abstract: A tape measure providing with an end hook fastened to a free end of a measuring tape with four rivets through two holes aligned on a longitudinal axis thereof and two holes disposed one on each side of an axial line segment between the shank portion and the catch portion. This fastening system provides toughness and long operation life of the measuring tape. The shank portion has an arcuated shape substantially similar to that of the measuring tape and can cover a substantially whole top surface of the tape end, providing the sufficient protection of the end of the measuring tape against a large shock force produced when the tape is recoiled.

Abstract: A winding device for winding measuring tape, which allows a user to fix the top end of a measuring tape drawn by a desired length from a housing without applying a load to the tape and to easily release the tape from the fixed condition. A winding reel comprises a winding reel body including a winding spring for winding a measuring tape and a winding reel cover. The housing is composed of an upper half and a lower half and accommodates therein the winding reel. A recess formed in the reel has an opening in an inner ring of a bearing fitted in a winding reel cover. A recess formed in the housing has an opening in an outer surface of a supporting shaft. When the winding reel slowly rotates in a rewinding direction, a roller prevents the winding reel from rotating by being disposed astride the winding reel-side recess and a winding reel locking portion which is an open end of the winding reel-side recess in a direction of drawing-out of the measuring tape.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to provide a tape measure which is capable of applying a frictional braking force to a winding reel by using a simple mechanism that may produce a larger friction force acting on the reel when winding a measuring strip downward into the housing. A housing accommodates a winding reel having a bearing rotatably supported by a supporting shaft. The winding reel contains a driving spring. The supporting shaft has a sectional form represented by a combination of two arcs, one of which has a large radius and the other has a small radius. In case of drawing a substantially horizontal measuring strip into the housing with the bearing being supported by large diameter portion of the supporting shaft, the winding reel whose bearing is loosely fitted on the supporting shaft may dance in the housing at an increased speed of its rotation and, at the same time, may contact at its projecting circumferences and side surfaces with the inside wall of the housing.

Abstract: A tape measure having an end hook capable of easily holding an object to be measured is proposed. A measuring strip is a self-sustaining metal strip formed with a convex section which has scale marks put thereon and painted. The end hook is a metal plate bent at a right angle and secured with rivets to the end of the measuring strip. A friction plate is a metal plate having an unevenly etched surface which is attached to the inside surface of the end hook by the use of an adhesive, double-coated tape. The uneven surface of the end hook is effective for holding the object to be measured.

Abstract: A digital tape measure comprising a tape stored in a case when it is not used and drawn out of an aperture of the case when it is used and onto which a plurality of detection marks are affixed at equivalent interval, a detector of detecting the detection marks by photoelectric transfer elements, a counter of counting the detected signal being output from the detector corresponding to the volume of movement of the tape, a display of displaying the result counted by the counter, and in which a length of each detection mark is established to be a length twice as long as the minimum scale of the tape, the distance between each detection mark is established to be equivalent to the length of each detection mark in the direction of measurement, and the detector comprises two photoelectric transfer elements arranged at the phase difference of 90.degree. and a discriminator of discriminating the output signal from the photoelectric transfer elements.

Abstract: A digital tape measure comprising a tape stored in a casing body being wound on a reel so as to be movable corresponding to a length of measuring object when drawn out and on which a detection mark is indicated and a photoelectric transfer element for receiving a light projected to the tape and reflected therefrom and converting the light to an electric signal, the combination with a control roller for controlling a moving state of the tape on the moving passage which is disclosed between the reel and photoelectric transfer element to form a spacing corresponding to an allowance of the focal distance of the photoelectric transfer element between the roller surface and the tape surface.

Abstract: A digital tape measure comprising a tape movable corresponding to a length of an object to be measured and on which detection marks are affixed, a detector for detecting the detection marks, a computer for computing a detection signal outputted from the detector corresponding to an amount of movement of the tape and a display for displaying a result of computation, characterized by dividing the case body into a housing for storing the tape and a housing for holding a measuring part comprising the detector, computer display, these two housings being detachably connected each other.