paul womack wrote:
> At the weekend I scarfed up an unusual wooden ruler.
> 
> It's around 3" wide, and 27" long, and is made
> from something like beech (at least it's a light coloured
> hardwood, with a fine grain, that isn't box).
> 
> It's rather worn.
> 
> I bought it because it's some kind of scaling ruler;
> it has multiple scales on both faces, with stranges labels.
> 
> I will list each "label" and the measured ratio of indicated inches
> to actual inches
> 
> B18 3/4     1.0
> B19 1/2      .96
> B20 1/2      .9231
> B21          .888
> B21 3/4      .8627
> B22 1/2      .834
> B23 1/4      .808
> B24          .7843
> B24 3/4      .7582
> 
> Those scaling are FAR too big for this to be a pattern makers
> shrink rule, and anyway all the shrink rules I've seen are metal.
> 
> But the scales aren't extreme enough to be an architects or map makers
> scale.
> 
> And I don't know any other users of "scaling" rulers...
> 
> So what is it?

I still have this ruler, and I still hadn't ID'd it (last posted in September 20
07)

In a moment of boredom, I googled "18 3/4" and this time...
I got a hit!

http://williamsclothiers.com/2009/06/deveres-graduated-rulers/

In short, it's what we all knew it was  - it's a proportionating ruler,
for working in a clothes cutting system designed by one
Louis Devere.

Based on an "ideal" man, you simply created a pattern in inches,
and for a larger or smaller man, you used a slightly large
or smaller ruler, always working in the numbers from
the ideal pattern.

The "unity" measurement was an 18 3/4 Breast measurement, hence all
the 'B's on the captions, and the fact the 18 3/4 scale is in inches.

Further wanderings in google books (an excellent source of older information)
revealed advertisements for rulers made to this system.

After an interval of 3 years, I doubt this post will thread correctly in the arc
hive :-(

    BugBear
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