Plotting Scale
date: label: date made
content: ca 1900
notes: label: Description
content: This two-sided boxwood rule has a scale of chords and architect's scales dividing the inch into 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, and 15 parts on one side. A white sticker on that side is marked: 783. The other side has an inch scale divided to 1/10" and numbered by ones from 1 to 6; a scale divided to ones and numbered by tens from 10 to 50 (10 units is approximately 3 cm); and 5" plotting scales with diagonal scales at each end. One plotting scale is divided to 1/2" and numbered by ones from 10 to 1, and the other is divided to 1/4" and numbered by ones from 1 to 18. One edge of the rule is scalloped.
label: Description
content: The previous owner collected more than 1,200 hand tools and machine tools and displayed them at his family's building company in Baltimore, Md. This object was item number 783 in his collection. It probably dates to the turn of the 20th century. Similar scales were sold for 10¢ to 15¢ by Dietzgen (model number 1690) from at least 1902 to 1912 and by Keuffel & Esser (model number 1616) from at least 1892 to 1913. Both companies stopped advertising the object before 1921.
label: Description
content: References: <i>Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co.</i>, 6th ed. (Chicago, 1902), 135; <i>Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co.</i>, 7th ed. (Chicago, 1904), 162; <i>Catalog of Eugene Dietzgen Co.</i>, 9th ed. (Chicago, 1910–1912), 207; <i>Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co.</i>, 23rd ed. (New York, 1892), 126; <i>Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co.</i>, 33rd ed. (New York, 1909), 189; <i>Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co.</i>, 34th ed. (New York, 1913), 184.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Drawing Instruments
label: Subject
content: Drafting, Engineering
label: Subject
content: Rule, Measuring
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Scale Rules
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: The John R. Gerwig, Jr., Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1977.1101.0018
label: accession number
content: 1977.1101
label: catalog number
content: 1977.1101.0018
objectType: label: Object Name
content: rule
label: Object Name
content: scale rule
label: Other Terms
content: rule; Linear
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .1 cm x 15.4 cm x 3.4 cm; 1/32 in x 6 1/16 in x 1 11/32 in