Graphic Technology Continuous Forms Planning Rule
date: label: date made
content: 1975–2004
notes: label: Description
content: This steel rule was used to design forms to be printed continuously on a dot matrix printer. On one side along one long edge, it has a 16" scale divided to 1/32" for the first two inches and then to 1/16". Every 1/8" increment is numbered, corresponding to the vertical spacing of characters on some printouts made by IBM computers. Each inch division up to 9 is labeled with a number of punch cards, starting at 160 cards at the 1" mark and going up to 1,280 cards. A hole 3/16" in diameter is placed at each 1/4" and 3/4" mark up to 11-3/4" (24 holes total). These were used for setting pinfeed holes down the side of the forms for continuous feeding.
label: Description
content: The lower left corner has four holes 7/16" in diameter, and four holes 5/8" in diameter are in the lower right corner. These were used in designing holes to be punched in forms so that they could be easily filed in folders. The other long edge has a 40 cm scale divided to millimeters. This side is marked: GTi GRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY, INC. (/) 9910 Widmer Road P.O. Box 14646 Lenexa, Kansas 66215 (/) (913) 492-9615. It is also marked: • BAR CODED SHELF LABELS (/) • CASE AND PRICE LABELS (/) • SHELF MOLDING, CHIPS, ETC. (/) • CUSTOM PRESSURE SENSITIVE LABELS. The left end is marked: MADE IN U.S.A. (/) No. 16M8. Between the lines of this mark is a deer leaping to the right through a letter D. This logo is presumably for the company that manufactured the rule, but it was apparently not used by the John Deere Company.
label: Description
content: The back of the rule has a scale divided to 1/12" and numbered in 1/6" increments, from 1 to 96, along one long edge. The other long edge has a scale divided to 1/10" and numbered from 1 to 160. These scales also correspond to vertical spacing of characters in computer printouts. Compare to 2006.0174.03.
label: Description
content: Benjamin S. Mulitz (b. 1919), the donor, worked with punched card equipment and computers from 1940 until 1985. He used both Remington Rand and IBM products. He was employed by the federal government and then in the wholesale drug industry. Graphic Technology, Inc., operated under that name from 1975 to 2004, when the label-maker was purchased by Vestcom International.
label: Description
content: References: Stephen Roth, "JoCo Printer Affixes New Owner Label," <i>Kansas City Business Journal</i>, December 26, 2004, http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2004/12/27/story1.html; accession file.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Computers & Business Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Scale Rules
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Benjamin S. Mulitz
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2006.0174.04
label: accession number
content: 2006.0174
label: catalog number
content: 2006.0174.04
objectType: label: Object Name
content: scale rule
label: Object Name
content: rule
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .1 cm x 41 cm x 3.2 cm; 1/32 in x 16 5/32 in x 1 1/4 in