Abstract: A utility knife comprises a pair of complementary opposing elongated body sections. The body sections are pivotally connected intermediate handle and blade retaining portions. The body sections interlock by a tongue/slot engagement. A releasable locking means in the handle portion employs a button slidable in transverse openings.

Abstract: A mitre box has an integrally formed synthetic resin support member which includes a platform portion, a corner post with right angularly disposed faces, a pair of clamp posts spaced from the corner post and a saw guide post disposed between the clamp posts. The corner post has a transverse channel bisecting the 90.degree. angle defined by its vertical faces, and the saw guide post has a channel aligned therewith so that a saw blade may be guided when seated in these two cooperating channels to effect a 45.degree. cut in a workpiece abutting one of the vertical faces of the corner post. Clamp assemblies are adjustably mounted in the clamp posts and include elongated members which are adjustably moveable therein relative to the cooperating vertical faces of the corner posts.

Abstract: An elongated knife handle is provided with a blade carrier with a thumb button extending through a longitudinal top slot in the handle and is depressed for manipulating and latching the blade carrier in its sheathed and unsheathed positions. An integral upstanding abutment which extends higher than the thumb button is provided adjoining the forward end of the top slot and extends rearwardly along both sides of the forward end of the top slot to form a recess in which the thumb button is nested when it is in its forward or operating position to prevent the accidental unlatching of the blade carrier during heavy cutting operations.

Abstract: A metric rafter square has a body and tongue with lengths of at least 300 mm and 400 mm respectively and scales along their outer edges in millimeters. A rise per meter table on the body includes a series of entries which cooperates with a rise per meter scale disposed along the tongue and pivot points disposed along the body. The rise per meter scale on the tongue is cooperatively compressed and has graduations and a series of numerical values along its length for the graduations which are greater than the actual values represented by the unit length of the scale designated thereby. These values on the scale cooperate with the values set forth in the rise per meter table to establish the required angle between the preselected pivot points on the body and cooperative points on the rise per meter scale determined from the rise per meter table.

Abstract: A holder for nails and the like includes a pair of operating members with pivot means biasing the jaw portions of the operating members into normally closed position and with the handle portions being movable towards each other to open the jaw portions. The jaw portions have vertically extending inner side faces and inclined outer side faces tapering from a reduced cross section at the top faces thereof to a broad cross section adjacent the bottom faces thereof. The outer side face of at least one jaw portion may have measuring indicia spaced along one portion of the length thereof, and the pivot means and operating members are desirably integrally formed. To limit the amount of pivotal movement of the operating member handle portions, stops are provided thereon which project towards each other and which are spaced apart a predetermined limited distance in the normal position of the holder.

Abstract: An improved case for a self-extending rule having a resilient blade which assumes a straight position when in a relaxed state and has a pair of case sections formed with flat top, bottom, and back walls, and arcuate side walls enclosing a cylindrical interior chamber and with a front wall having a generally arcuate opening in a lower sector thereof defined by the rim of the adjacent side wall and the edge of a reentrant web extending from the opposite side wall. The underside of the web has a center post extending into the chamber to mount a cylindrical cup for nesting the convolutions of the blade when inserted endwise through said arcuate opening and underneath the edge of the web. A brake is mounted for rectilinear movement in a radial opening in the top wall of the case adjacent the front side of the cup and is biased into engagement with a converging open rim of the cup.

Abstract: In a measuring device such as a coilable tape rule, the movable elongated measuring element or blade is provided with a series of optical markings to indicate passage of distance. Photoelectric sensing means in the form of a pair of sensors carried by the stationary element such as the tape rule housing detects shifts in light level or transitions provided by the markings when the blade is illuminated and moved to traverse a distance being measured. A phase relationship of the sensors and the markings is utilized by logic circuitry to provide signals indicative of both amount and direction of movement. The logic signals are counted to indicate net distance traversed by the blade which indication is converted to units of measure and visually displayed. The blade can include conventional graduations and related indicia along with the optical markings so as to be both human readable and machine readable.

Abstract: A retractable blade utility knife is formed of a pair of elongated mating handle halves separable along a plane extending longitudinally of the knife and terminating at one end in a blade receiving opening. A blade carrier is mounted between the handle halves for supporting a blade for reciprocation between an exposed and sheathed position. Each of the handle halves is provided with a longitudinal extending slot and the blade carrier is provided with a finger piece extending through one of the slots and a carrier base with an offset extension connected thereto by a necked portion extending through the other of said slots with the necked portion disposed in said slot. The finger piece is threadably received in a threaded dimple on the extension and is rotatable relative thereto to serve the dual function of securing the handle halves together and securing the blade carrier in adjusted position.