Merritt Beam Scale Slide Rule
date: label: date made
content: 1902-1921
name: label: maker
content: Wager-Smith, Edward
notes: label: Description
content: This paper linear slide rule was designed to assist architects and construction workers with computing the strength of steel beams. There are seven scales: A, safe load in pounds per square foot; B, section of beams; C, spacing of beams in feet; D, span in feet; E, total safe load in net tons; F, manner of loading; G, span in feet. Scales A-B-C-D are meant to be used together, as are scales E-B-F-G. The back of the instrument gives instructions. The instrument fits in an orange paper envelope.
label: Description
content: The front of the instrument and the envelope are marked: The Merritt Beam Scale (/) FOR COMPUTING THE STRENGTH OF STEEL BEAMS. They also are both marked: THE JOHN HOWARD HERRICK CO. (/) BALTIMORE, MD., U.S.A. and PRICE ONE DOLLAR. The front of the instrument also is marked: Copyright (/) 1899 (/) by (/) James S. Merritt (/) M.E. and PAT. JULY 1ST, 1902. This last mark refers to a patent for a "slide-scale" taken out on that date by the mechanical engineer James S. Merritt of Philadelphia. The Merritt Beam Scale was mentioned in a textbook as late as 1921.
label: Description
content: Although the instrument is named for Merritt, its invention is credited to Edward Wager-Smith (1872–1920), who worked for Merritt & Co. of Philadelphia from 1893 to 1910. See also his Wager Timber Scale (1987.0108.01).
label: Description
content: References: James S. Merritt, "Slide Scale" (U.S. Patent 703,437 issued July 1, 1902); "Wager-Smith, E.," <i>National Cyclopaedia of American Biography</i> (New York: James T. White, 1926), xix:136–137; Ernst McCullough, <i>Practical Structural Design</i> (New York: U.P.C. Co., 1921), 81.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Rule, Calculating
label: Subject
content: Carpentry
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Slide Rules
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from Smithsonian Institution Libraries
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1987.0108.02
label: accession number
content: 1987.0108
label: catalog number
content: 1987.0108.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: slide rule
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (part material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .3 cm x 24.8 cm x 10.2 cm; 1/8 in x 9 3/4 in x 4 1/32 in