early development of Stanley Zig-Zag rules, The

Stanley Tools started in October 1854, as A. Stanley and Company, doing business out of New Britain, Connecticut. At that time, folding rules were their only product. In 1858, A. Stanley and Company merged with Hall and Knapp, another hardware firm, to form the Stanley Rule and Level Company. This "new" company continued to manufacture rules and, in the 1860s, began to diversify their tool line by adding planes and levels.

Boxwood and ivory folding rules were the only type of rules widely used throughout the late-nineteenth century. By the mid-1890s, Germany was making an edgewise folding rule of a different design (Figure 1). The German rule joint consisted of two plates, one of which had four slots on one plate, with two pair perpendicular to each other, and a pressed friction bar on the other plate, which acted like a spring. This bar went into the slots or recesses on the first plate. This was a total "friction joint." It did not contain a separate spring.

About 1898, Justus A. Traut, one of Stanley's inventors and contractors, saw a potential market for this new rule and called it to the attention of Stanley's management and president (Charles A. Mitchell) who, seeing and recognizing the need for continued growth of Stanley, acquired the American manufacturing rights from the German owners.' Thus, in March 1899, Stanley became the first United States company to make spring joint rules (although the first rules had friction joints). Stanley immediately called the new rule the "ZigZag." Zig-Zag, and the initials ZZ, were registered as a trademark with the United States Patent Office on 26 December 1899 (nos. 33,953 and 53,954).2 The Zig-Zag and ZZ trademarks had been in use since March 1899 (Figure 2).

The first Zig-Zag rules that Stanley produced had steel spring joints made the same way as the German joints described above. These rules also had, on the end sticks, a tip invented by Justus A. Traut on 5 June 1900 (no. 650,879) (see Figures 3 and 4). Later, these tips were changed to a half-round shape (Figure 5).

On 18 August 1900 Charles E. Ricker, an employee

of Justus Traut (at this time, Stanley was still using the contract system, where Stanley supplied the machinery, supplies and raw materials, and the contracfor supplied the labor), applied for a patent for a totally different joint for Zig-Zag rules. Ricker's patent was granted on 12 March 1901 (Figure 6) and is characterized by scallop-shaped, crimped edges on the metal joint and D-shaped spurs punched into the plates to press into the wood sticks to prevent slippage (Figure 7). These joints were only manufactured for a very short time. Quickly, the joints were changed to a straight crimp on the sides, as shown in Figure 8.

By August 1900, Stanley was offering six Zig-Zag rules, nos. 02 through 08, in lengths of two to eight feet and in metric/ English with an M after the number (Figure 9). Justus A. Traut, seeing he could improve these rules, filed a patent on 20 May 1901, for friction plates to be attached to the rules to save the marking (see Figures 10 and 11). This patent was granted on 21 October 1902 (no. 711,547).

Frank L. Traut, also working for Stanley Rule and Level Company, received a patent on 11 November 1902 (no. 713,255) for a rivet joint (see Figures 12 and 13). This joint was used on a second quality line of Zig-Zag rules called the Victor rules. Since Stanley devoted a complete department for manufacturing these rules at very reasonable prices, it undoubtedly increased the demand and general use of folding rules. Figure 14 shows Frank Traut's 1902 rivet joint patent with a later improvement (c. 1904). Justus and Frank Traut together obtained a patent on 16 December 1902 (no. 716,150) for a rule extension feature, which allowed the user to slide the end stick out for inside measurement (Figures 15 & 16).

Also, at the same period of time, Justus and Frank Traut were refining the rivet joint on Zig-Zag rules. Their patent issued on 21 July 1903 (Figure 17) shows a reinforcing rivet joint with cleated plates that strengthened the rivet hole. The common problem on the earlier patent was that through use the rivet hole would elongate and cause the rule to lengthen when extended, making the measurement inaccurate. The features of this patent were to overcome and strengthen the wearing qualities of the joint and to make readability better by clear graduations on the rule stick at the joint. Actual examples of Zig-Zag rules with this joint have not been observed by the author, to date. Another feature of this patent was the use of protuberances, which interlocked into holes in the joint plates to keep an extended rule straight when open.

Another improvement to the rivet spring joint was patented by Justus A. Traut on 31 July 1906 (no. 827,480). Called the Basic Rivet Joint Patent, it was used by Stanley on all their later rivet joint rules (Figure 18). These rivet joints had D spurs in the plates and were basically the same as the 21 October 1902 concealed joint patent (Figure 11), except the rivet extended through the rule stick and the heads formed the strike plates for the rule. (Rivet joint rules do not use strike plates; concealed joint rules do.)

More on the history of Stanley Zig-Zag rules will be the topic of the next article, with a discussion of symbols, arrows, and ball-lock spring joints.

Notes

1. Robert K. Leavitt, "History of the Stanley Works," Stanley World (New Britain, Connecticut: The Stanley Works, 1951-1956): 74.

2. Official Gazette, vol. 89, October-December (Washington: U.S. Patent Office, 1899): 2652.

Walter Jacob writes a regular column on Stanley Tools for The Chronicle. This article is the first in a continuing series on Stanley Zig-Zag rules.

Copyright Early American Industries Association Mar 2003
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