Stanley tapes measure the world: Part V

The previous article (Part IV, The Chronicle, October 2001) in this series described the changes that occurred in tape measures from 1949 to 1959. This article, the final in the series, will describe the major patents, the changes made in tape rules, and the various standard production rules made up to 1970.

William G. Brown of Stanley filed a patent in July 1959, for encasing a metal rule with a plastic film (no. 3,121,957) (Figure 1). This was a significant patent because it solved a common problem-Stanley rule blades received a lot of friction on the edges and the graduations would become unreadable. With this patent, a tough film of plastic called Mylar was wrapped around the blade, making it substantially free from frictional resistance to coiling and uncoiling and highly resistant to rust and corrosion, chemicals, solvents, and staining. This new Mylar-coated blade was advertised under the trade name of "Life Guard.TM While Brown's patent was not granted by the U.S. Patent Office until February 1964, Stanley went into production of Mylar(R)-- coated tapes by 1961.

A new D-style tape was introduced in January 1960, for use by masons. Known as nos. MM 1 OW and MA l OW tape rules, they were ten feet long and featured modular spacing and brick spacing scales (Figure 2).

In January 1961, Stanley introduced a new style measure that had a different shape to it. I call it the "square round." Stanley manufactured these tapes in two different lines, both of which were available in six-, eight-, ten-, or twelve-foot lengths and two-meter length (Figure 3). The MY series had LifeGuard" blades. When first introduced, the face decals had black centers surrounded by a yellow border indicating a LifeGuard TM yellow blade was inside. Ten- and twelve-foot lengths (Figure 4) were also available in three-- quarter-inch widths and in two brick masons' models, denoted by nos. MM10Y and MA10Y (Figure 5). The decal on the MY series was changed in 1964 to a black/white/yellow background (Figure 6).

In May 1963, Stanley introduced three more D-style tapes with half-inch white blades. No. A06W was a six-- foot length and nos. ME05 and MEO 10 (Figure 7) were metric lengths. These tapes had a black background on the face decal. At the same time, a quarter-inch wide pocket pull-push rule, with LifeGuard(TM) tapes-- known as the MYT series-was introduced in six-, eight-, and ten-foot lengths. A TY series was offered in two-meter lengths. The cases had a threecolor (black, yellow, white) decal background (Figure 8).

The W series of "square-round" rules used an older white blade and was available in half-inch width only in six-, eight-, ten-, and twelve-foot, and two-meter lengths (Figure 9). The decal had a black background and was changed to a black and white background in 1964 (Figure 10). Brick masons' rules were not offered in the W series. LifeGuard(TM) yellow steel long tapes were offered in 1964, in fifty- and one hundred-foot lengths.

A major change in tape rules came about in April 1963, when Robert West of Stanley Tools filed a patent (no. 3,214,836) on a totally new concept in tape measures (Figures 11 and 12). This patent would reshape tape measures to the present day.

West's patent was for the shape of the rule and for a clamping mechanism for holding the blade when extended. This became the world famous Powerlock(TM) tape (Figure 13), which also featured LifeGuard(TM) rules.

About the same time as West's patent was filed, Austin Stowell of Stanley patented an improvement in the coiling mechanism inside the Powerlock(TM) rule (no. 3,216,117) (Figure 14). The Powerlock(TM) power return rule was first offered in 1964 in six lengths, which were six-, eight-, ten-, and twelve-foot lengths in the halfinch blade and ten- and twelve-foot in the three-quarter inch blade width (Figure 15). Note that the rule extended to the left when facing the decal.

A new Powerlock(TM) layout tape was introduced in 1964, which was designed with a special "write-on-- blade" feature. The user simply marked on the rule with a pencil and, when finished, wiped it off. This rule, no. 61-312, was a three-quarter-inch wide, twelve-foot long model. (Figure 16). In January 1965, Stanley added a three-meter tape to its quarter-inch pull-push line, numbering it TY3ME (Figure 17).

A new style of rule was introduced in 1967 with a totally different look, which replaced the "square-round" MY and W series of tape measures. The model numbers were the same but the look was different. I refer to it as the V-style tape.

V-style tapes were made in both a half-inch wide model in eight-, ten-, and twelve-foot lengths and a three-quarter inch wide model in ten- and twelve-- foot lengths. The V-style tapes had LifeGuard(TM) yellow tape and were numbered MY8 through MY312 (Figure 18). These tapes were also available with white blades in the same sizes denoted by number W6, W8, W10, W12 and W312 (Figure 19). Both V-style tapes extended to the right when facing the decal, which was the opposite of the new Powerlock(TM) tape rules.

Also in 1967, Stanley introduced three new steel long tapes. The first was the "Steelmaster" line, made of a chrome zinc die-cast case in fifty- and hundred-- foot lengths and in metric models. These tapes were Stanley's top of the line and had a three-eighth inch LifeGuard(TM) yellow blade (Figure 20).

The second style of long tapes was the "Jobmaster" line. Available in twenty-five-, fifty-, seventy-five-, and hundred-foot lengths, these tapes had a black zinc die-cast case with a white blade. They were numbered 6325, 6350, 6375, 63 100 and replaced the original series of long tapes introduced in 1957, which had the same numbers.

The third style long tape was an economy line, also with a die-cast case available in fifty- and hundred-foot lengths. Numbered 62-050 and 62-100, these tapes were advertised as a "long distance" tape for homeowner or professional at a popular price.

Also introduced in 1967 were the Powerlock(TM) models 61-110 and 61-112 rules, which were ten-and twelve-- feet long and had decimal fraction scales instead of the standard scale.

Stanley decided in 1968 to change the face look of its quarter-inch MYT line of pull-push pocket tapes. Figure 21 shows the new look for these rules.

June 1968 saw the redesign of the original decal of the 61-312 Powerlock(TM) rule, giving it a brighter, classier look (Figure 22). Also, a new line of D-style tapes were offered in the usual six-, eight-, ten-, and twelve-foot lengths with a white blade and a smart looking face. They were numbered A06W, A08W, A010W, and A012W (Figure 23).

In 1970 and 1971, Stanley began to list their rules with an Electronic Data Processing (EDP) number, which Stanley used to identify each individual type of tool to help in inventory control. For example, the eight-- foot Powlerlock PL-8 became 33-208 (Figure 24). The Powerlock(TM) line began to have many size additions and the rule numbers were slowly changed from the old number to the EDP number listed on the rule face.

As the Powerlock(TM) tape rules were changed over to the new EDP numbers, the case was redesigned so that the tape extended to the right when facing the decal (Figure 24) similar to the "V" series rules). From its introduction in 1964, the Powerlock(TM) tape rule revolutionized the tape rule industry. It became known as the "Badge of the Professional." Powerlock(TM) is still being produced today, thirty-eight years later, but with improved winding mechanisms to accommodate longer rules.

Tape measures have come along way-since the orignal Farrand's patent of the 1920s. Today, the tape rule has made the folding rule and the zig-zig rule obsolete.1 Tape rules are, today, Stanley's top-selling tool thanks to Mr. Farrand's revolutionizing measuring tapes.2

Notes

1. Jacob, Walter W The Early Development of Stanley ZigZag Rules.

2. This article is the last in a series on the history of Stanley tape rules. The first article (The Chronicle, Vol. 53, No. 4, December 2000) began with Hiram Farrand's

patent for a tape measure in 1919. Part II looked at the years following Stanley's purchase of Farrand's business in 1931 (Vol. 54, No. 1, March 2001). Part III described the refinements that Stanley made from the mid-thirties to World War II (Vol. 54, No. 2, June 2001 ). Stanley's Pull-Push, True Read Mouth, and Glide-o-- Matic rules were the focus of Part IV (Vol. 54, No. 3, October 2001).

Walter Jacob writes a regular column for The Chronicle on Stanley tools.

Copyright Early American Industries Association Dec 2001
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