The Whitworth Measuring Machine

Excellent treatise on Mr whitworth. Highly recommend

The Whitworth Measuring Machine is a reprint of a very early account describing the effort to develop systems of measurement for machine shops, engineering, and scientific endeavors. The basic problem was how to develop a standard when there were no standards. Mr. Whitworth perfected a technique that allowed anyone to take three objects of unknown and imperfect dimensions and turn them into three objects with nearly perfect parallelism and flatness. These objects (typically cast iron plates in those days, granite plates currently) could then be used as a "gold" standard from which to measure the flatness or trueness of other objects--typically machine tools. The technique applied was "scraping" and is used even today to achieve the highest standards of flatness on the ways in mills and lathes. This is a fascinating historical account of the earliest efforts to achieve standard measurement systems for the industrial revolution and the techniques and procedures developed remain in use to this day.