Fellow Buckeye, Joe Grittani wrote:

>I do have two tool questions that I've been sitting on for some time. My
>Dad gave me a 24" folding rule that had belonged to his father. It's
>boxwood and brass. It's marked "The C-S Co., Pine Meadow, Conn.,U.S.A,
>No.84". I've figured out that this is Chapin and Stephens, but this rule
>is odd. If you look at it on either side with the scale right side up it
>reads right to left instead of left to right. On one side there is a
>second scale that I can't figure out. Starting at the mid-point and
>running left (mid-point) to the right end, there is a scale below the inch
>scale that reads 3, 2, and one (aligned with the 11, 10, and 9" marks on
>the inch scale, then 1/16s are marked below the 8" to 7" range. Between 5"
>and 4" are marked 14 and 12, between 4" and 3" are 10 and 8, between 3"
>and 2" 6 and 4, and from 2" to 1" 2 and 1. The numbers on this bottom
>scale left of the midpoint are upside down.
>
>Turn the whole thing over and the numbers that were upside down are now
>legible and read from the midpoint going to the right 4, 3, 2, 1, then in
>the last segment 6, 4, 2, and 1.

I'm certainly no expert on rule markings, but my understanding is that
rules which read right-to-left are considered as having "American
Markings," while those which read left-to-right are considered to have
"English Markings."

Your rule is briefly described in the 1914 Chapin-Stephens Co. Catalog:

84.   Square Joint, Half Bound, 8ths, 10ths, 12ths, and
           16ths of inches, Drafting Scales,   .  .  .  . 1 in. wide

I don't have an example of a Chapin-Stephens rule with drafting scales,
but I'm guessing that the 3, 2, 1 markings which correspond to the 11",
10" and 9" markings are part of an "Inch Scale." In other words, each
inch represents one foot. *If* this is the case, I think you will find
that there are twelve divisions in the 8" to 7" range, rather than
sixteen. I.e., each division representing one inch, in scale.

The 14, 12, 10 ... 1 markings which you describe, are part of a "1/4"
Scale, I believe. In other words, there should be four divisions per
inch of the main scale, each (1/4") division representing one foot,
in scale.

I have a Stanley Rule (# 62) which has drafting scales very similar to
those in your description. The primary difference being you don't need
to turn the rule over to read the drafting scale markings. On the other
hand, it has additional drafting scales ("1/2" and "3/4") on the other
end of the rule, and those are "upside down" from the main markings.

Hope this helps.

Don McConnell
Knox County, Ohio