IP Library Granted Patent US 11,313,659
Granted Patent B2
US 11,313,659 · App. 16/643,119 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

Measuring tape with end hook having a high friction surface treatment

Inventors: Tobias McKay Bridges (Holly Springs, NC); Kay Randolph Ligon (Raleigh, NC); Kevin Fitzpatrick (Apex, NC); Eric Dean Broadaway (New Freedom, PA); Tom Carson (Apex, NC); Jonathan Seibert Beckwith (Charlotte, NC); David Roberts (Fuquay Varina, NC); Jimmy Shangyao Wei (New Taipei, TW); Vlad Petru Patrangenaru (Ellicott City, MD); Chad D. Humphrey (Columbia, SC); Brian Butler (Charlotte, NC); Brendan Michael Walsh (Holly Springs, NC)
Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
G01B3/1056G01B3/1003G01B3/1071G01B2003/1076
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,313,659
App. No.
16/643,119
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A measuring tape device may include a housing having an aperture, a reel assembly, a blade having a first end configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly, and an end hook disposed at the first end of the blade. The end hook may have a front face that faces away from the aperture and a rear face that faces toward the aperture. A high friction surface including grains may be disposed over at least a portion of a surface of the rear face.

Claims (44)

1. A measuring tape device comprising:

a housing having an aperture;

a reel assembly;

a blade having a first end configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly; and

an end hook disposed at the first end of the blade, the end hook having a front face that faces away from the aperture and a rear face that faces toward the aperture,

wherein a width of the end hook is greater than a width of the blade such that portions of the end hook extend outside the width of the blade to provide an expanded surface area for engagement of at least the rear face with a measurement anchor surface, and

wherein a high friction surface comprising grains is disposed on the portions of the end hook that extend outside the width of the blade.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the high friction surface is disposed of substantially all of the surface of the rear face.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the high friction surface is disposed on the rear face such that edges of the high friction surface are spaced apart from corresponding edges of the rear face.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein bottom and side edges of the high friction surface and corresponding bottom and side edges of the rear face are substantially equidistantly spaced apart.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein bottom edges of the high friction surface are spaced apart from corresponding bottom edges of the rear face by a different amount than side edges of the high friction surface are spaced apart from corresponding side edges of the rear face.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the high friction surface is greater than 1/2 a surface area of the rear face.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least a bottom edge of the high friction surface is coextensive with a bottom edge of the rear face.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the grains have substantially uniform or different sizes.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the grains are embedded in a base material disposed on the rear face.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the base material is an adhesive.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the grains are embedded in a base material disposed on the rear face, and

wherein the grains are covered with a resin coating.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the high friction surface is disposed on both the front face and the rear face.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the end hook comprises a first angled corner that extends outside the width of the blade on a first side of the blade and a second angled corner that extends outside the width of the blade on a second side of the blade, and

wherein the high friction surface is disposed on the first and second angled corners.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein a bottom edge of the end hook is nonlinear such that a first fraction of the bottom edge lies on a first plane and a second fraction of the bottom edge lies outside the first plane.

15. A measuring tape device comprising:

a housing having an aperture;

a reel assembly;

a blade having a first end configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly; and

an end hook disposed at the first end of the blade, the end hook having a front face that faces away from the aperture and a rear face that faces toward the aperture,

wherein a width of the end hook is greater than a width of the blade such that portions of the end hook extend outside the width of the blade to provide an expanded surface area for engagement of at least the rear face with a measurement anchor surface,

wherein a high friction surface comprising grains is disposed on the portions of the end hook that extend outside the width of the blade, and

wherein the grains comprise resin or plastic grains that are compressible.

16. An end hook for a measuring tape device, the end hook comprising:

a front face that faces away from an aperture through which a blade of the measuring tape device is extendible;

a rear face that faces toward the aperture; and

a high friction surface comprising grains,

wherein a width of the end hook is greater than a width of the blade such that portions of the end hook extend outside the width of the blade to provide an expanded surface area for engagement of at least the rear face with a measurement anchor surface, and

wherein the high friction surface is disposed on the portions of the end hook that extend outside the width of the blade.

17. The end hook of claim 16 , wherein the high friction surface is disposed on substantially all of the surface of the rear face, or

wherein the high friction surface is disposed on the rear face such that edges of the high friction surface are spaced apart from corresponding edges of the rear face.

18. The end hook of claim 17 , wherein bottom and side edges of the high friction surface and corresponding bottom and side edges of the rear face are substantially equidistantly spaced apart, or

wherein bottom edges of the high friction surface are spaced apart from corresponding bottom edges of the rear face by a different amount that side edges of the high friction surface are spaced apart from corresponding side edges of the rear face.

19. The end hook of claim 16 , wherein the grains have substantially uniform or different sizes.

20. The end hook of claim 16 , wherein the grains are embedded in a base material disposed on the rear face,

wherein the base material is an adhesive, and

wherein the grains are covered with a resin coating.

Assignments (15)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 075612/0935 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 075613/0150 →
NEW SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Oct 28, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073377/0567 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVAL OF PATENT NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 442. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073077/0584 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NO. 11203070 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 58991 FRAME 556. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0327 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NOS. 7444851 AND 11203070 WHICH WERE INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORD PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073078/0477 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 556. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068769/0309 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67310 FRAME 54. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068791/0141 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT NO. 11191173 WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58991 FRAME: 442. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 22, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068753/0687 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE APPLICATION NO. 16/672703 PAT. NO. 11191173 WAS INCORRCTLY INCLUDED AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE RECORDS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66631 FRAME: 791. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT. Recorded Jun 25, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 067884/0469 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded May 3, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.; APEX TOOL GROUP, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067310/0054 →
SUPER PRIORITY GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT Recorded Feb 20, 2024
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 066631/0791 →
FIRST LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058991/0556 →
SECOND LIEN GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: APEX BRANDS, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058991/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2020
From: BRIDGES, TOBIAS MCKAY; LIGON, KAY RANDOLPH; FITZPATRICK, KEVIN; BROADAWAY, ERIC DEAN; CARSON, TOM; BECKWITH, JONATHAN SIEBERT; ROBERTS, DAVID; WEI, JIMMY SHANGYAO; PATRANGENARU, VLAD PETRU; HUMPHREY, CHAD D.; BUTLER, BRIAN; WALSH, BRENDAN MICHAEL
To: APEX BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051973/0244 →