OldTools Archive

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136015 Norm Wood <nbwood@l...> 2004‑08‑18 Re: Mathews Teleheight Gage
Hi Mike,

By any chance (no pun intended) can you look through this
device at an object and see both the object and the level
vial?

If so, I'd guess it's for determining the height of an
object (like a tower) from a distance ("tele" + "height",
maybe?).  It looks like the vial is fixed at 45 degrees.
So when you look at the top of the tower and can see from
the bubble that the vial is level, the height of the 
tower will be equal to your distance from the base of
the tower (plus a bit extra for your own height).

A. B. Chance is still in business as a subsidiary of
Hubbell Power Systems.  IIRC they used to be involved
in high voltage power supplies and transmission. Twenty
or so years ago, I went on a field trip to their Centralia,
Missouri facility - got to watch them charge up and discharge
a bank of high power capacitors.  Lightning on a small
scale.

Norm
in Fort Collins, where the local (Denver) PBS affiliate
seems to have forsaken their 2 am showing of Woodwright
Shop in favor of some normite thing about routers. :(

On 18 Aug., Mike Swindell wrote:
> I found this at a swap meet and have no idea what it
> is for and if it has any value. It is called a Mathews
> Teleheight Type CW made by AB Chance Co. Centralia MO


136013 "Matt Mulka" <matt_mulka@c...> 2004‑08‑18 Re: Mathews Teleheight Gage
A. B. Chance is still in business and makes equipment for linemen and
utilities.  I would have to wager that this device was something used for
setting poles or pulling and tensioning  wire.  I can't tell if there's a
level in it or not.

Matt
Who uses an A.B. Chance voltage detector to test for voltages between 2,160
and 34,000 volts almost everyday at work.


136007 "Mike Swindell" <maswindell@y...> 2004‑08‑18 Mathews Teleheight Gage
I found this at a swap meet and have no idea what it is for and if it
has any value. It is called a Mathews Teleheight Type CW made by AB
Chance Co. Centralia MO

Can anyone identify this find.

Cheers Mike on the left coast

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/maswindell/detail?.dir=/bfda&.dn-
m=2c56.jpg

136017 "todd Hughes" <dedhorse@d...> 2004‑08‑18 Re: Mathews Teleheight Gage
> Mike asked....
>
>
> > I found this at a swap meet and have no idea what it is for and if it
has
> any value. It is called a Mathews Teleheight Type CW made by AB Chance Co.
> Centralia MO
> >
> > Can anyone identify this find.
> >
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
> ----
>
>    I do believe this is a surveying tool used to tell how tall or high
> something is, [Tell the Height]. Should have a mirror inside so that you
can
> see the level bubble in it when you look in the sight hole, line the
bubble
> up with a strad line.Think you have to know how far you are from the
object.
> Imagine the rest involves complicated math formulas and tables and will
> leave that to some Egg Head  Types to explain because it is quite to much
> for this slow head. I have had  a few of these in the past and sold them
on
> the ebay for $25-$50 if I remember right . Last week I listed nice one
made
> by K&E complete with it's leather case and it didn't make $10 so don't
> know....Todd
>


136011 "Mike Swindell" <maswindell@y...> 2004‑08‑19 re: Mathews Teleheight Gage
The image should work now, I forgot to share the folder.
Ain't the web grand?

136292 Scott Stager <StagerS@m...> 2004‑08‑26 Re: Mathews Teleheight Gage
Other's have replied, and a couple were right on.  But, I went to the 
horses mouth so to speak.  I live in Columbia Mo about 20 miles from 
Centralia.  I have friends there in my Civil War re-enactment group who 
work for AB Chance.

They still make the tool, and have probably been making it for at least 10 
years including the leather case.  It is shiny brass when new, and there is 
supposed to be a level in the brass tube sticking out.  I couldn't tell 
from the reply (voice mail) whether the level might be unseen in the 
provided photo, or has gone missing.  As someone suggested, it is used as 
far as I can quote my friend "to make sure lines are straight"  He doesn't 
work in their manufacturing wing, so had no idea what the current selling 
price might be.

--Scott

At 05:05 PM 8/18/2004, Mike Swindell wrote:
>I found this at a swap meet and have no idea what it is for and if it has 
>any value. It is called a Mathews Teleheight Type CW made by AB Chance Co. 
>Centralia MO
>
>Can anyone identify this find.
>
>Cheers
>Mike on the left coast
>
>http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/maswindell/detail?.dir=/bfda&.dnm=2c56.jpg
>Archive: http://www.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/archive/
>To unsubscribe or change options, use the web interface:
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+=======================================================+
  Scott Stager                        
  IT System Support               (573)-882-9289
  University of Missouri System


136309 Michele Minch <ruby@m...> 2004‑08‑26 Re: Mathews Teleheight Gage
, Scott Stager wrote:

> Other's have replied, and a couple were right on.  But, I went to the 
> horses mouth so to speak.  I live in Columbia Mo about 20 miles from 
> Centralia.  I have friends there in my Civil War re-enactment group 
> who work for AB Chance.
>

I am waiting to hear from Todd on this one as he had this tool on his 
eBay list a couple of weeks ago.  had a nice description if I remember 
right.

Ed Minch



Recent Bios FAQ