Accession No
6366
Brief Description
Gerber variable scale, by Gerber Scientific Instrument Company, U.S.A, 1950-1890
Origin
U.S.A.; Connecticut; Hartford
Maker
Gerber Scientific Instrument Company
Class
drawing; earth sciences
Earliest Date
1950
Latest Date
1980
Inscription Date
Material
metal (aluminium?); plastic; paint; leather; fabric (baise, thread)
Dimensions
Length: 330mm, width: 36mm, depth: 13mm
Special Collection
Tjeerd Van Andel collection
Provenance
Donated by an individual from the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, 16/07/2009.
Inscription
THE GERBER SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT COMPANY
HARTFORD. CONN.
GERBER VARIABLE SCALE
Description Notes
Gerber variable scale, by the Gerber Scientific Instrument Company, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
The main body of the rule is black with several scales stamped onto it. There is a metal slide which is attached to a triangular coil (protected by a plastic cover) which moves up and down the rule.
The instrument is in a brown leather box with black baise panels, with a plastic label that says ‘VANANDEL’ stuck to the outside of it.
References
Events
Description
Inventor H. Joseph Gerber (1924-1996) designed the Gerber variable scale, his first scientific instrument, aged 18 whilst still a student. It is ruler containing a coiled spring that can expand and contract, making the ruler’s scale adjustable.
The instrument has many applications for plotting data, but one main use is for measuring distances on a map. By stretching the spring on the variable scale so that 100 coils corresponds to one kilometre, for example, distances can be measured directly without needing any calculations for the map’s scale factor.
After graduating, he set up the Gerber Scientific Instrument Company to manufacture the instrument commercially. Gerber’s first prototype of the scale was made using the stretchy elastic waistband of his pyjamas, but this was replaced by a coiled spring in the commercial version. Gerber’s company went on to produce many other scientific instruments with industrial applications.
10/08/2009
Created by: Ruth Horry on 10/08/2009
FM:46867
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