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A most curious little gauge/measuring tool

SuzieAtherton

Plastic
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Hi, this 75/80 mm gauge needs a name thank you. It’s another gem from my dad’s shed and to date, its purpose remains a mystery.
It has THE UNIQUE stamped on its top side; MADE IN ENGLAND stamped on its front. A minute needle sits atop a calibrated 0-15 measure.
Any suggestions as to origin & purpose would be appreciated. Suzie in Oz
 

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It's an early precision measuring gauge. The small button on the end of the square section moves the needle. This one is set up to measure the difference in two parts. The swinging arm is moved to set the size of the small part at zero and then you can measure how much bigger the larger part is. I don't know what kind of part would have been measured.
 
While Techno spun a good yarn he's not quite right. The sensing button IS the one on the rectangular body but the mode of operation is: with the pivoting arm so the ball contacts the sensing button the pointed end can be used to check the run-out of a centre punch divot in a work-piece on a lathe. For checking run-out of a cylindrical work-piece one would simply 'sandwich' the ball on the arm between the work-piece & the sensing button The 'simple' version without the punch divot centring attachment, the 'Unique' Test Indicator is in McPherson's Tools & Machinery catalogue for 1937, Page 25 ,
 
Funnily enough I got one identical to this in a small job lot of measuring gear/gauges only a couple of weeks ago.
 
Yes, it's a Test Indicator, but I politely disagree with Technocrat's description of it as a 'precision' gauge. It was a cheap-and-cheerful tool which was used for rough-and-ready work, or for better work until one could afford the more accurate Dial Test Indicator.
I still have the one my father gave me when he could finally afford his own Dial Test Indicator (which I inherited when he had no further use for it). He alsways referred to it as a 'wobbler'.
George
 
I have several , Starrett listed a model 564 which is which is a standard test indicator in their 2002 catalog. I have a center finder similar to that one, don't remember who made it. Since the grads are .001" then it would be as accurate as any .001" resolution indicator.
 








 
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