text: This invention relates to a gauge for determining the angle of sloped ground, and in particular for determining this angle with a hand-held gauge.
  When a construction project creates a sloped section of ground the permissible angle of the slope relative to the horizontal or vertical is established by one or more standards in order to prevent cave-in. However, unless a surveyor is on site it is difficult to determine whether the angle of the slope falls within the applicable standard. Where the sloped sides are steep, the problem of determining the angles of the sloped sides is even more difficult because a person cannot stand on the sloped side walls without fear of causing a cave-in. In many types of excavation it is even dangerous to stand at the bottom of the excavation.
  Inclinometers can be used to measure excavation slopes but they have inherent problems. Inclinometers will only measure the angle of a small portion of a slope. However, ground slopes by their nature are uneven. As a result, with an inclinometer it is necessary to take multiple measurements while standing on the slope and then average them.