Engineer's Chain
name: label: maker
content: Keuffel & Esser Co.
notes: label: Description
content: F. W. Simms in England noted in 1836 that the recent construction of canals and railroads had led to the introduction of a chain in which each link and its associated rings was 12 inches long. Chains of this sort, measuring either 50 or 100 feet overall, were soon known as engineer's chains. This example was sold by Keuffel & Esser in New York. It has 100 links made of No. 12 steel, and brass handles and tallies. It measures 100 feet overall. The links and rings are brazed shut. There is a spring hook (snap) at 50 feet, so that the surveyor can separate the chain into two equal halves. New, it cost $11. The U. S. Geological Survey transferred it to the Smithsonian in 1907.
label: Description
content: Ref: Keuffel & Esser, <i>Catalogue</i> (New York, 1906), p. 505.
label: Description
content: F. W. Simms, <i>A Treatise on the Principal Mathematical Instruments</i> (Baltimore, 1836), p. 10.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Surveying and Geodesy
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Simms, Frederick W.. Treatise on the Principal Mathematical Instruments Employed in Surveying, Levelling, & Astronomy; 2nd Edition
label: Related Publication
content: Keuffel & Esser. Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 32 Edition
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: U.S. Geological Survey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.247951
label: catalog number
content: 247951
label: accession number
content: 47736
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Engineer's Chain
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall, bundled: 3 1/2 in x 14 in x 4 1/2 in; 8.89 cm x 35.56 cm x 11.43 cm