Yardstick

A meter stick or folding rule, also ruler, scale (actually misleading name ), more Gliedergelenkstabmaß, colloquially referred to as meters ( extent ), is a measuring instrument for the determination of lengths of up to three meters, with the usual overall length is two meters (often called "dual meter ").

The word meter rule shall mean a yard stick and other simple instruments, such as the tape (usually 1.5 meters) for textiles or the tape, also referred to as tape measures. In parts of axes of the meter stick is also called " bevel ".

Nature

The meter stick is made of short wooden, plastic or metal strips that are connected at the ends by means of riveted axles together, making it collapsible. He has worked mostly apart a total length of one or two meters, sometimes three meters. Most folding rules are two feet long, composed of ten members, and can be folded to a length of 20 centimeters. A meter stick of only one meter length folds depending on the number of links to about 10 inches or 20 centimeters. Previously folding rules were divided into inches, where the common name comes today as ruler. Usually they were painted yellow. Later there was the meter bars in inches and millimeter - scale ( front and back ). Meanwhile, they are executed in continental Europe in the metric system and is divided into millimeters and centimeters.

Accuracy

For linear encoders accuracy classes are specified according to the EC Directive 2004/22/EC. The accuracy class ( also referred to as EC accuracy class ) can be found together with the EC approval number in the initial region of the scale.

The MPE (positive or negative in mm ) may be expressed by the formula a b * L. Where L is the rounded up to the next whole meter of the length to be measured, a and b are taken from the table. Is the limiting step, a subdivision surface, the margin of error is increased starting from this point to the value of c indicated in the table for any distance.

Graduations

In meter rods may be present on the front and back isolated various graduations. So the carpenter or carpenters used sometimes one side with metric division and back with duty since the wood thickness are often stated in inch sizes. Yardsticks also have additional dividers for easy angle measurement (see photo right), for conversion between diameter and circumference or a tile division.

Special variant with depth ( tirette )

Very rarely is there Yardsticks with depth. It is similar to a caliper, of a roughly 5 mm wide, 1 mm thick and about 15 cm long metal strip with an embossed graduation and a small diameter of about 2 mm knob at the upper end. He is led into a milled groove at one end of the meter rod and can be slid over the end to measure, for example, the depth of blind holes. However, these folding rulers were due to the elaborate production with simultaneous relative inaccuracy when compared to a "real" " vernier caliper " not enforce sufficient as a depth gauge is required primarily in the metal industry, where conventional meter rods are rather uncommon.

A tirette is used in ball sports Petanque for measuring when the distance of at least two game balls is not to detect Cochonnet with the measuring tape.

History and etymology

The name ruler suggests that sooner a rigid rod - a stick - the length of a foot, a yard or a Klafters, which was divided into inches, was named accordingly ruler. However, folding or Faltmaßstäbe of bronze, brass or wood were already known in Roman times, which increasingly prevailed. These rods are called collapsible ruler popularly as before.

Development of today's mechanics

Be found in Diderot's Encyclopédie Already from the second half of the 18th century illustrations of riveted joint standards in its present form. In the late 19th century models were made ​​with feathers in the joint, which lock the scale in the stretched and folded state. The originating from Maikammer brothers Franz and Anton Ullrich patented after more than 30 years of development in 1886, such a spring joint. Just three years later, the folding meter was at the World Exhibition in Paris attention. Gustav Ullrich, the nephew of the inventor Anton Ullrich founded in 1889 in Annweiler am Trifels the company Stabila, which still exists today. Around the same time the Swede Karl- Hilmer Johansson cols developed a collapsible scale, who also owned the newly introduced centimeter scale next to the Swedish inch sizes.

Other equipment and tools for measuring length

A rigid tape measure ( cubit ) is commonly used in the textile trade, where materials are measured down from the bale. This meter rods are usually divided into centimeters. Even loggers use a rigid yardstick to cut logs one meter long. A tape measure, tape measure or measuring tape is made ​​of a flexible material ( fabric, plastic, steel) which can be rolled up. These tapes are available for different purposes and in different lengths. A bar that has unfolded mostly four meters in length, is used in surveying and construction.