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 |