Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.14044

    Scraping a suface plate

    Date
    1877
    Creator
    Unknown, Engraver
    Object type
    Library reference
    RCN41234
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 246mm
    width (print): 175mm
    Subject
    Content object
    Description
    Study of an engineering shop worker using a scraping tool to manufacture a Whitworth flat plane surface.

    Figure 8 from the book The Whitworth measuring machine…, by T.M. Goodeve and C.P.B. Shelley (Longmans, Green & Co., London, 1877).

    In the accompanying text, the authors state that: ‘The method of holding the scraper will be apparent from fig.8. The workman takes the tool in his right hand, pressing its edge upon the surface to be scraped. With his left hand and at the same time moves the tool to and fro over a small space, thus taking off very small quantities of metal in the form of either minute shavings or fine powder, according to the degree of force exerted.’

    Inscribed below: ‘Method of holding Scraping Tool.’

    Sir Joseph Whitworth (1803–1887), British mechanical engineer and machine tool manufacturer, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1857.
    Associated place
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       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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