NOW, Volume 10, Number 5, June 15, 1945 Page: 4
8 p. : ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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76 e# 1tme4wi e4Q V'ao ae~g 6A'0
Gerry Simpson at work on his gauge design
table. New gauges start here.OME PEOPLE have the idea
that machine shop inspectors
are tough and hard to get
along with, fishy-eyed, always miking,
measuring, gauging, criticizing every-
thing, insisting that it come within
certain tolerances and specifications,
or else. But compared with gauge
checkers and setters inspectors are
softies.
The inspector may insist on hang-
ing a red reject tag on any part that
is not machined right on the button.
But the gaugeman measures the but-
ton with blocks accurate to ,000008
of an inch. If a part must be precise
to + - .0005, the gauge that meas-
ures it must be exact to + - .00005.
The inspector does have a heart
C and some body heat. The gauge lab-
oratory man works at a constant
temperature of 680 and on the job
is just as liberal and conciliatory with
his bosom friends over a difference of
.0005 as the Allies were with Ger-
many over surrender terms.
And in view of such an attitude
and atmosphere, do you suppose that
the inspection department is a bit
ashamed of its gauge gang and their
frigid hangout? If you do, you are
sorely mistaken. The pride and joy
of Walt Shearburn, Peoria's chief in-
sespector, is his gauge design, labora-
tory and crib set-up.
Walt beams as he demonstrates to
the visitor the precision instruments
that torture poor, fallible machine
tool operators with their insistence
on accuracy - the Jo blocks, the
Hoke blocks, the projectors and com-
parators, thread measuring wires, sine
bar, etc. No word of rebuke has he
for the gaugemen and their unyielding
attitude toward trifling errors, their
hecks an perpetual occupation with the pica-
yune.
His chest swells as he describes the
gauge designing operation. It works
like this: A new equipment part
comes along on which a variety of
dimensions, tolerances, relative posi-
tions, angles, etc. must be maintained.
Walt or Leon Abrams, assistant chiefEssie Pierce, gear shaper operator, and Loren Ab-
bott demonstrate how gauges are issued. She
is being handed a micrometer.-mo Abbott, gauge crib attendant, c
internal mike with Jo blocks. Window separating
from lab can be raised for passing things to
and fro.To determine degree of taper on taper plug
gauge, 5" sine bar, gauge blocks, surface plate
and surface gauge with .00001 indicating dial
head are employed.inspector, sends a memorandum to
Gerald "Gerry" Simpson, gauge de-
signer, that a checking fixture is re-
quired which will automatically check
all these points simultaneously. They
may or may not submit a suggestion
for such instrument.
Gerry gets a print on the part and,
if he finds it desirable, the part itself.
He designs the fixture. Walt checks
over the design, adds his O.K. Thetoolroom builds it. Then it goes to
the gauge lab for testing. Dan Kellen-
berger, day lab leadman, or any of
the other three gauge lab men give
it the works. When the new fixture
makes the grade it is placed in the
gauge crib.
Gerry designs plug go-and-not-go
gauges, plug thread go-and-not-go
gauges, ring and ring thread go-and-
not-go gauges, profile gauges, depth
gauges, hole location gauges, spline
plug and spline ring gauges. He works
to as fine tolerances as .0001.
Temporarily Gerry is located in the
machine designing department, where
he has borrowed space for his drawing
table, but as soon as gauge head-
quarters expands he will be accommo-
dated there.
UT WE can't spend all our time
with Gerry. Walt wants us to look
over the gauge crib. All gauges,
checking fixtures and precision in-
struments used in machine shops by
production men and inspectors are
kept here. Depositing a tool check,
an inspector or machine operator can
obtain an outside micrometer that
measures precisely from 0 to .5", from
37" to 38" or anywhere between. He
can get an inside mike, a ring gauge,
thread gauge, a roll thread snap gauge,
a profile or contour gauge, a bolt cir-
cle or hole location gauge, a radius
gauge, thickness gauge screw pitch
gauge, gear tooth comparator, vernier
calipers, dial indicating snap gauge,
dial indicating internal gauges, divider,
surface gauge; in fact, any measuring
instrument he needs to check the ac-
curacy of his work.
Upon completion of a job and at
the end of each shift, these precision
control instruments are returned to
the gauge crib. The crib attendant or
gauge checker examines each instru-
ment for cleanliness or possible dam-
age before returning it to its pigeon
hole. All micrometers and vernier
instruments are checked for accuracy
and working condition before being
re-issued for use. Inside micrometers
are checked with the use of Johansson
gauge blocks, accurate to .000008,
supported in a holder between pre-
cision jaws. Outside micrometers are
checked with Hoke blocks. Any mi-
crometers that do not register zero
reading are passed through a window
to a gauge setter in the gauge labora-
tory for adjustment.
The gauge crib also maintains a
file of blue prints of machine shop
jobs for the use of machine operators
and inspectors.
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R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. NOW, Volume 10, Number 5, June 15, 1945, periodical, June 15, 1945; Peoria, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1526453/m1/4/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting LeTourneau University Margaret Estes Library.