When extending the leader or tape from a traditional tape measure over a large distance, a user situated away from the body of the tape measure is unable to determine the length that has been extended at the leading edge. Presented herein is a retractable measuring device in which the body of the measuring device is configured to compute and broadcast the amount of tape that has been withdrawn from the body to a receiver. The receiver may be located at the leading edge of the tape or comprise a secondary device such as a smartphone. Alternatively, the broadcast may include tactile, audible, or visual feedback relating to the distance that may be received directly by the user. Additionally, the retractable device may include an interface for setting a desired length and provide either the user or receiver with feedback when the desired length has been reached.

A tape measure may include a housing including an interior space and a brake opening in communication with the interior space, a reel rotatably supported within the interior space, a tape blade at least partially wound on the reel, and a finger brake positioned adjacent the brake opening. The finger brake may include a support frame attached to the housing and including a frame opening, and a flexible member attached to the support frame and extending over the frame opening. The flexible member may be configured to deflect or elastically deform from a released position in which the flexible member is spaced apart from the tape blade to an engaged position in which at least a portion of the flexible member contacts a portion of the tape blade.

Disclosed is a measuring tape which comprises a housing, a reel received in the housing, and a blade wound on an outer surface of the reel and withdrawn or restored from an entrance of the housing, the measuring tape comprising: a finger recess formed through a bottom surface of the housing to expose a bottom surface of the blade; and a brake including a slide button exposed to the upper portion of the entrance, a brake plate slidely moving inside the housing depending on the movement of the slide button, and a brake port formed at an end of the brake plate to selectively press the upper surface of the blade, wherein the brake pork is positioned on the upper portion of the finger recess in a released state, and presses the upper surface of the blade by moving to the rear side of the finger recess in a locked state.

A device that includes or is attachable to a tape measure, that allows a user to take a measurement using the tape measure without requiring reference to measurement indicia. Such a device may include a base member, a housing on the base member including a slot for slidably receiving a tape of the tape measure when inserted through the slot of the housing during use, an elastomeric gripping layer positioned in the housing, positioned to contact a side of the tape when the tape is locked in a given position (e.g., given extension) during use, a movable pressure locking wedge positioned within the housing so that the tape is pinched between the wedge and another surface (the gripping layer is involved in such pinching), and a handle operable to move the wedge which allows selective locking of the tape between the wedge and other surface upon actuation of the handle.

A measurement device includes first and second measurement indicia. First indicia (e.g., on the tape) may include numerals regularly spaced to mark inches or other units of length (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc,). Also included are second indicia, that are non-numeric (e.g., letters, such as A, B, C, etc.) where the second indicia are regularly spaced to mark fractions of inches or other units of length indicated by the first indicia. The second indicia are positioned between adjacent first indicia. For example, the letters (A, B, C, etc.) may he spaced every sixteenth or other fraction of an inch between the “1” and “2” (adjacent first indicia). Where sixteenths are used, the letters A-O are equally spaced, between the adjacent first indicia (e.g., between the “1”P′ and the “2”). The A-O may repeat between each integral number—between “1” and “2”, between “2” and “3” and so forth.

Disclosed is a measuring tape which comprises a housing, a reel received in the housing, and a blade wound on an outer surface of the reel and withdrawn or restored from an entrance of the housing, the measuring tape comprising: a finger recess formed through a bottom surface of the housing to expose a bottom surface of the blade; and a brake including a slide button exposed to the upper portion of the entrance, a brake plate slidely moving inside the housing depending on the movement of the slide button, and a brake port formed at an end of the brake plate to selectively press the upper surface of the blade, wherein the brake pork is positioned on the upper portion of the finger recess in a released state, and presses the upper surface of the blade by moving to the rear side of the finger recess in a locked state.

A system for cutting narrow workpieces having a track that extends a width between a cutting edge and a non-cutting edge. One or more measuring bodies are connected to a slot adjacent the non-cutting edge that include a measuring bar that extends forward from the front side of the measuring body and under the track as well as extends rearward from the rear side of the measuring body. The measuring bar slides within the measuring body to accommodate the desired workpiece thickness. The measuring bar includes measuring indicia and a measuring member that facilitates measurement of workpiece thickness. Measuring body includes a locking member that locks the measuring bar at a desired thickness. Measuring member may be adjusted to calibrate the measuring member to the track and saw using a locking member. Measuring body also includes a support leg and associated locking mechanism that levels the measuring body.

A measuring instrument that reads a measure including a plurality of reading patterns arranged in a length direction of the measure, each reading pattern including a plurality of patterns arranged in a width direction of the measure, includes: a flattening member that increases a flatness of the measure; and a first reader that optically reads the plurality of patterns arranged in the width direction included in a single reading pattern from the measure in a state where the flatness is increased by the flattening member.

A tape winding device includes a fixed plate having a fixed plate side notch, a rotation plate having a rotation plate side notch which the linear member to be inserted into or removed from when a position of the rotation plate side notch is aligned with a position of the fixed plate side notch, a tape support unit and a position regulating member configured to regulate a position of the linear member in the fixed plate side notch and the rotation plate side notch such that the linear member is located at the bottom region of the fixed plate side notch and the rotation plate side notch, the position regulating member having a distal end arm portion, the distal end arm portion running across an opening of the fixed plate side notch and extending over two opposing inner edges of the fixed plate side notch at a regulation position.

When extending the leader or tape from a traditional tape measure over a large distance, a user situated away from the body of the tape measure is unable to determine the length that has been extended at the leading edge. Presented herein is a retractable measuring device in which the body of the measuring device is configured to compute and broadcast the amount of tape that has been withdrawn from the body to a receiver. The receiver may be located at the leading edge of the tape or comprise a secondary device such as a smartphone. Alternatively, the broadcast may include tactile, audible, or visual feedback relating to the distance that may be received directly by the user. Additionally, the retractable device may include an interface for setting a desired length and provide either the user or receiver with feedback when the desired length has been reached.