Parrothead Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 (edited) Neither dh nor I can recall what this is. It looks like a compass (the kind used to draw circles), but instead of having a side to put in a writing instrument it just has two sides with a point. It is used to measure. I can't even google it because I don't know what to call it. I keep wanting to call it an astrolabe but I don't think that is right. Edited August 18, 2012 by Parrothead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Protractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Dangerous weapondry that someone decided kids needed in a math kit. Scissors won't cut PASTE, but that sucker could kill a rhino. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Protractor No, we have several of those. Dh says it is use to measure distance on nautical maps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabinfl Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 It looks like a compass (the kind used to draw circles), but instead of having a side to put in a writing instrument it just has two sides with a point. It is used to measure. Divider. Google 'drafting divider'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Divider. Google 'drafting divider'. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Divider. Google 'drafting divider'. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumiller Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Is this what you are talking about? http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/166522/divider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Sounds like your describing calipers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Divider. Google 'drafting divider'. :iagree: It's used in drafting to transfer measurements from one part of a drawing to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 (edited) We always called that tool "the dividers." But I think it was originally called a compass -- or rather, a "set of compasses" -- and was used to scratch a circle on something, as well as to transfer measurements. The variant that holds a pencil was a later invention, and was called something different (sorry, I don't remember what :tongue_smilie:). I had a British elementary teacher who was a bit of a stickler about this, and kept lecturing our class about our abuse of nomenclature. Not that his exhortations had much effect. We just kept calling the pencil thing a "compass." And those mysterious dividers just stayed in the box and pretty much never got used, except for occasional acts of vandalism, or (for us tame folks) poking holes in erasers. ETA: You can see an example of the old meaning of "compasses" in the Freemasons' "square and compasses" logo. So dividers are in fact compasses, and compasses might technically be something else (?). (I'm not surprised to see that the Masons have had a hand in this. It's probably just a smokescreen to confuse the public, while they get up to goodness knows what schemes. ;)) Edited August 18, 2012 by Eleanor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Interesting. I didn't think so, but then I found this... http://www.amazon.com/Prestige-46-EKG-Caliper/dp/B00062N428/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1345254707&sr=1-3 That's exactly what i was thinking of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 It's calipers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEGway Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 (I'm not surprised to see that the Masons have had a hand in this. It's probably just a smokescreen to confuse the public, while they get up to goodness knows what schemes. ;)) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 It's calipers. Thanks, Caroline! Another fine example of great minds thinking alike!:001_smile: check out number three: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliper#Divider_caliper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Yep, calipers. We use them for measuring intervals on EKG tracings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Sounds like your describing calipers. That is the term I was looking for. I checked the Wiki link and I suppose dividers are a form of calipers. Thanks for clearing this up for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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