Another mystery tool

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

Came across this mystery tool today and I can only guess at what it is for.

I am guessing that its a flatness gauge?

There is not a makers name on it unless the info on the dial is it. The machined surfaces are parallel to each other. The gauge has an elephants foot on it and when laid on a flat surface the dial moves a bit and would allow a positive and negative movement if ran over an uneven surface.

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

D.R.P.a. signifies Deutsches Reichpatent angemeldet ("German Reich patent applied for&quot.

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

Don’t know where the smiley came from, a copy and paste gremlin. But as for the question probably a sheet thickness gauge.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

I don't know its designed purpose, but I use something similar but smaller for setting the blades in the block on my woodworking planer thicknesser.
It's interesting in that it had ground feet on both sides, unlike mine, so I'm guessing neither a flatness nor a thickness gauge.

Bill

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I am as mystified and intrigued as you are on this gauge's purpose, and it does look very specific such as setting a particular type, make and model of machine-tool; but I can tell you where the smiley is from.

The quote marks at the end of a word, 'for ' in this case, generate it.

As in "wretched smileys " or "wretched smileys" – with the punctuation mark against the letter.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Typical – it didn't work as it usually does!

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

" Its the bracket wot does it. In conjunction with the quote mark. Leave a blank space both sides of the bracket and all is well. " )

 

Edited By Hopper on 16/06/2020 02:11:02

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Do the units of the gauge give any clue?

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

Thanks for the info on the patent. Ive had a quick look through the info on the patent website but no much to go on so far. The increments on the dial are 0.1mm.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

If You could look at Robin Renzetti's Repeat-0-meter it looks similar. It can have myriad uses.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

If You could look at Robin Renzetti's Repeat-0-meter it looks similar. It can have myriad uses.

Please delete.

Edited By mark costello 1 on 17/06/2020 00:17:42

[John MCParticipant @johnmc39344]

No idea what it is. I wonder if its war reparation?

D.R.P.a. signifies Deutsches Reichpatent angemeldet ("German Reich patent applied for&quot. Got me thinking that might be so, not sure it helps identify it's use though.

John

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I don't know what it is for, but if it was for flatness, I would expect the needles to be showing zero when placed on something flat and why would it have ground feet on the opposite side of the plunger? Do the needles rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions? My guess it's a setting gauge for a specific machine/s with left and right or up and down or even all four, adjustment situations and the ground feet would sit in a precise location.

Regards Nick.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Is mention of 'needles' above relevant? i.e. are there indicator dials on the front and back of this tool or just the one?

The scale markings are a bit odd too in that it has four quadrants.

Is there some zero setting adjustment that does not show in the pictures, also what is the total travel of the plunder?

Still not got a clue what its purpose was

Ian P

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

It may be a specialised single purpose tool, to be used both ways up to measure something like the slot on the rear of a gun breech for the sliding block.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Ian P on 17/06/2020 14:32:28:

Is mention of 'needles' above relevant? i.e. are there indicator dials on the front and back of this tool or just the one?

.

The first two pictures would show that to be the case

MichaelG.

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

Total travel is just under 4mm. Laid on a flat surface the dial travels 2mm so would then have 2mm travel in either direction. No zero set or any other adjustments. The needles on both sides rotate in the same direction. I havent found anything myself yet but will keep looking.

[Dick HParticipant @dickh]

How about using it to decide whether the upper surfaces of two plates/ or railway tracks are level before welding / tightening a joint?

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Have you tried it on a surface table? The fact that there are two sides to the dial is interesting, and that the dials are split.

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

Dick, I like the idea of it being used for levelling tracks or rails. That could well be it.

[Marischal EllisParticipant @marischalellis28661]

If it was a metre or a yard (!) long it could be based on a road level using a wedge or taper rather than a dial.

The feet are egual and a hollow or rise would be checked by a sliding wedge with measurements on it . A surface ie + or – or of 'x' within say 6mm within one metre distance. How to find a puddle! The wedge or taper would be …..cannot remember… be say 5mm thick tapering up to say 15mm so establishing a measure of 10mm below and perhaps the same above. Think my simple maths is correct.

Best wishes to every one.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

I wonder if the reason for two dials is so that it can be seen by two persons at the same time. We don't how big this thing is but I'm guessing about 8" long, because its hand held one would expect that a single dial version could be used in two positions saving the expense of a second dial.

Another oddity are the four 'feet', if its for checking the level between two surfaces or rails it would only need feet on the bottom, also if it was going to be used on rails then presumably it would have some lateral guides to cater for the crowned surface.

Is the height between the top and bottom feet significant. Maybe this thing is used with the plunger at the top sat between the ram and a platen of a hydraulic press.

More dimensions would be good, its not clear how this thing is assembled but there might be some clue if there is any writing on the dial mechanism. All in all though its an intriguing mystery

Ian P

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I think it’s probably for setting the blades on a planer/thicknesser

This, by Wadkin, looks similar in concept, but not nearly so nice: **LINK**

http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=33979

MichaelG.

.

Edit: see Fig. 15 

https://www.daltonswadkin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Wadkin-FM-Planer-Thicknesser-Manual-Parts-List.pdf

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 19/06/2020 23:21:40

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