Anybody ever seen a level like this one?

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

I recently bought the level shown in the photo at a French car boot sale.

On returning home and looking at it carefully it uses a weight/lever method to provide horizontal and vertical angle measurement and is marked in both centimetres per metre and in degrees.

The measurement block can be removed from the brass bound wooden frame with the two sliding catches. The windows of which only one is complete appear to be celluloid (but I am open to correction).

The limited amount of information shows “Niveau PECQUEUR and also “PLOMB” with what I think is a masonic style ‘A’ with the crossbar broken into a dipping ‘v’ form.

There is no other information on the level and I have failed to find anything of interest on any French or English web sites.

If anyone can provide me with some more information, I would be very grateful – or maybe suggest a more suitable place to post my query!

Simon

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Wood/brass spirit level without the spirit

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Very nice find, Simon

I presume it's a Surveyor's level, for setting-out drainage, etc.

Not seen its like before … but there is one on ebay.fr

Quite envious!

MichaelG.

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Thanks Michael, it looked a good deal and the man at the car boot sale eventually halved the price due to the damage. Couldn't find anything on ebay.fr apart from a centre section that sold for 60€, nothing current anyway.

Simon

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'd tend to call it an inclinometer rather than a level, looks a bit too fine for drain laying but for setting shallow angles when boat or plane building it would be ideal. Drain laying levels tend to use a bubble with the 1:40 and 1:60 falls marked and are designed to be viewed from above so as you stand astride the pipe at the bottom of the trench you can read the bubble.

J

[EugeneParticipant @eugene]

I agree with Jason, above.

"Pente", as marked on one of the scales, is the French for inclination. "Niveau" is the noun for a level, but can also mean flat.

Lovely old tool that could have many uses in all sorts of construction work. I wish I'd had one when I laid the stone patio round my garden pond!

Eug

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 28/04/2015 07:35:12:

… looks a bit too fine for drain laying but for setting shallow angles when boat or plane building it would be ideal. Drain laying levels tend to use a bubble with the 1:40 and 1:60 falls marked …

.

au contraire, Jason [or should that be eau contraire ] …

I think it may be rather coarse for drainage work

note that the scale is calibrated in centimetres per metre ['though I'm blowed if I understand the double graduations on the scales]

MichaelG.

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P.S. … it may be worth investigating this thread

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 11:11:28

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Michael,

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 11:01:36:

[or should that be eau contraire ] …

Ouch!

For the scale – I read it as showing say 5cm in 1M or 5cm in 100 = thus the angle is tan-1 of 5/100 = 2.8° which corresponds to the roughly 3° mark on the scale – or am I missing something?

I would be surprised if it was for anything dirty or outdoor since it is both clean and shows no signs of having had an outdoor life at any time. I rather prefer Jason's idea of boatbuilding or similar in wood rather than anything more aggressive.

Also the accuracy is limited to say the least and would only give +/- a degree I suspect – if nothing else the scale unit is a good but not imovable fit in the brass bound wooden frame.

The link is good to show that others out there have them….but the use and origins are still unclear to me – nor even the approximate date which I suspect to be the 30s due to the celluloid and the general style of the scale.

More thoughts and ideas welcome

Simon

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Michael, the other side of the scale is 0.5, 1 and 5 degrees.

eg 9cm in 1.0m is 5.2deg

Edited By JasonB on 28/04/2015 13:07:11

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Jason and Simon

Thanks for the sanity-input regarding the scale factor

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Stll on a voyage of discovery …

Niveau means 'level' … etymology here.

MichaelG.

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Edit: and 'France & Etranger' appears to be a  manufacturer of Cameras and Surveying Instruments [example] … unless it's some sort of certification authority [?]

.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 20:34:29

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 20:36:28

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 20:44:35

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Not forgetting: BTE S.G.D.G.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This is not the one … but worth a look, for comparison.

MichaeG.

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P.S. … Here is a great article about Plumb Levels, various.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 28/04/2015 21:59:52

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Michael, some interesting information you found, especially the patent which looks similar to the guts of mine and gives a rough starting date.

I understood the BTE S.G.D.G to mean that a patent was recognised (by the official French system) but had not gone through a process – like Patent Pending. Moreover, the patent had not been examined for either accuracy, nor for clashes with other existing ones. **LINK** for a deeper explanation. As for the France et Etranger, I think that merely describes the territory of the patent – like old UK ones that referred to GB and Empire.

I still suspect the Plomb with its vaguely masonic symbol may be the key.

Simon

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Simon0362 on 29/04/2015 08:50:12:

I still suspect the Plomb with its vaguely masonic symbol may be the key.

.

Simon,

A clearer photo [or a good sketch] of that symbol might help.

MichaelG.

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A few more patents to browse, if you are so inclined.  

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/04/2015 09:17:56

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Simon,

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but Aplomb is a word we adopted from the French, and is used in its original sense on your level.

Thereore; the stylized 'A' is [as you suggest] almost certainly a manufacturer's logo.

MichaelG.

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi Simon,

VERY nice level in pretty good order. Should you want to dispose of it may I suggest that the best place to realise the top dollar would be the nex International Tool Sale of David Stanley Auctions where I think you might be surprised what it will make…

Do not do anything to it at all is my advice, leave EXACTLY as it is. Level collectors hate them being messed with in any way.

I buy and sell (not collect) a LOT of levels and it is a rarified area of collecting.

A pic of the makers mark would be helpful if it is what I think it is…

Regards, Martin

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Michael,

Better photo of the name:

Martin, PM sent.

Simon

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Simon

…I think we can let Martin be your guide.

MichaelG.

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

SGDG = Sans Garantie Du Gouvernment

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