KEUFFEL & ESSER, Hoboken, NewJersey / USA SN = 704190 (1950)
*********************************************************************
K & E (1915) ADVERTISEMENT of the » 4102 « SURVEYOR's SLIDE RULE:
R E M A R K S :
=====================================================================
This » N4102 « is made of mahogany with scales on celluloid veneer.
The UPPER FRONT S C A L E ( over »D« ) IS U S E R (!) M A D E :
It starts with 35' ... 1° ... 1°30' ...
The SR came in a brown leather case. The CURSOR WAS DETORIETED ...
... the BLOCKS had to be replaced by home-made PVC ones.
Same "CELLULOID DISEASE" happened also to the K & E 4081-5 ...
*********************************************************************
Celluloid, first produced in 1872, was the first used plastic world
wide. It consists of a mix of cellulose nitrate & camphor. The
plasticizer camphor is given off over time and the nitrate breaks
up under the influence of oxygen & moisture and transforms to
nitric acid. Both effects destroy the material - and the acid is
the reason why the metal of frame and spring get brittle & rusty.
Historical Remarks ...
impressum:
*********************************************************************
© C.HAMANN http://public.BHT-Berlin.de/hamann 07/24/14
|