The present technology relates to a system and method for assuring that various elements or portions of building construction are in correct relation to one another, or to the ground upon which they are being constructed, or to related buildings.
A level is a device of measurement commonly used to assure that portions or elements of building structures, such as foundations, walls, flooring and framing, are aligned in a desired way with respect to other portions of a structure. In one aspect, a level can be used to ensure that some portion or element of a building or other structure, such as a bridge, is perpendicular to the force of gravity. Such portions include the structure's flooring, vertical walls and other load-bearing elements.
A variety of means and methods such as by the human eye, plumb measurement via stretched or weighted lengths of string, or simply gravitated water surfaces, were used to achieve a desired result. Over time and use, more technologically designed models have evolved from these simple devices in the fundamental need for truer horizontal and vertical measurement. In examples of prior art, there are examples that depict level devices with flat sides, level devices that are square, notched on one end, and level devices notched on one or two sides. Several patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,187 to Schaefer, U.S Pat. Nos.397,946, 238,153, and 582,517 are evolutionary examples of alternative level device designs and methods directed toward obtaining more accurate and reliable determinations of true horizontal, true vertical, and any angle in between.
Unlike the invention shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,187 to Schaefer, the present invention provides numerous embodiments with respect to the many interchangeable laser, digital, and other types of modules that are part of the invention. Examples of the distinctions between the present invention and level devices of the prior art are significant. Among them are the X-frame, or modified X-frame, when combined with the many interchangeable modules, slide plates, rails and bases, includes concavities (or channels) on two or more sides with adaptations to encompass triangulated bars (or rails) nest-able or insert-able (in a slide-able manner) into one or more of those channels.