M etro/ogy for Engineers

thus raising the level of the fluid in this to a point above its free height. A scale is
arranged at the side of the tube, and limit pointers may be set relative to this to
indicate the high and low limits of the dimension being measured, and as obtained
by reference to a setting master.
The magnification of such a system is given by:
Cross-sectiona.l area of chamber
M agm'fica t"ion~-------.---~--
_Cross-sectional area of tube
There are certain disadvantages in a system such as this:
(a) The fluid reacts to temperature changes in the same way as in a thermometer; hence the need for a pointer to show the free height in the tube. Any
variation in this requires a corresponding resetting of the high- and low-limit
pointers.
(b) There is a certain passivity in the instrument due to the characteristics of
the diaphragm, and the viscosity of the fluid.
(c) The deflection of the diaphragm per unit measuring force is nofconstant.
Hence, as the resistance offered by the diaphragm increases, the measuring force
increases.

3.8 DESIGN AND OPERATION OF MEASURING MACHINES

The measuring instruments considered in section 3.4 are, with a few exceptions,
limited to linear comparisons of about 250 mm. In fact several have capacities
much less than this.
Much linear measurement work, however, involves dimensions considerably
greater than this, and has given rise to a number of measuring machines of various
designs. The simplest of these is based on the use of a micrometer screw as a means
of revealing differences in length between a setting master and" a workpiece or
other gauge.

3.81 The Horizontal Length Comparator

The relatively simple machine of the type shown in Fig. 3.26 is a direct development of the bench micrometer, which is discussed in Chapter 8, dealing with screw
thread measurement, and is suitable for length comparisons of up to I m.
It has all the main design features of the bench micrometer together with vee
and flat guide-ways along the bed to allow suitable spacing of the measuring head,
anvil, and work supports. Also the fiducial indicator is replaced by a dial gauge.
From 1.214 it has been seen that the correct support of bars, when held in a
horizontal plane, is an essential feature of correct measurement, and that the two
support points should be spaced 0577 L apart, L being the length of the bar.

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