What was the purpose of these tools

I have had these tools for years and don't know what they would have been used for .Does anybody know

This was my first attempt at including images in a post and I have not got any words included.I added them first is that correct.

Forget that I didn't scroll down far enough and they are further down.

Frank

The spirit level looks like it’s intended for setting the slope of drainage pipes … but I’ve never seen the like of it before.

MichaelG.

My way, FWIW, is to insert a carriage return where the image is to go and also where I intend to continue writing.

looking at its elements I'd expect MichaelG has it. I'll bet there is a relationship between the length of the level, and the main increment on the brass height thingy to allow one to set a slope as a ratio.

The brass slide has a 1" scale on it.Drains are laid with a 1 in 40 fall so that would leave a lot of scale unused.

Frank

Really depends on your drain, a 6" is laid to a shallower fall than 4" and a sewer even less.

Expect it can be used for a number of things that need a fall of x:ft as it looks to be 12" long.

The keyhole type slot looks an important part of it, being solid brass.

Steve.

I think the "keyhole" was just the escution for another now broken vial so you could use it as a "level" on vertical or slightly inclined surfaces just like the bubble on the long edge is used for horizontal work.

My guess is the spirit-level and wooden template are used together to help fit gutters and downpipes. The gutter fits into the notch and is lifted by hand until the slope is correct, then the brackets are marked:

The 45° angle is used to match to pipe junctions.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 07/10/2021 17:24:05

Sewers were laid to a fall of 1 in 40 so that solids would not be left in the drain .The way to lay drains is to set your staff in the proposed manhole and work out the fall to the next pit with a dumpy level or a water level ,pegs were driven into the trench bottom in the older drainage to pack bricks to lay the eathenware pipes on, with the use of boneing rods , modern plasic pipes would be laid on gravel we never used a level in drain laying apart from seting out.I have done a lot of drainage and have not seen anyone lay lengths of drainage with a level.I don't think that was it's use and the two items are not related .

Frank

… Then perhaps it’s just a low-budget approximation of this : **LINK**

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353695519628

MichaelG.

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Ref. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Thomas_James_Moss-Flower

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 07/10/2021 20:37:50

Ah must have got it all wrong at college as there was me thinking that Maguire's rule of Pipe Dia devided by 2.5 gave 1:40 for a 100mm pipe, 1:60 for a 150mm one, etc. Something to do with the larger volume flowing in a bigger diameter will carry the solids better than less in a smaller diameter.

And if they are all 1:40 why do they make the modern ones with an adjustable foot just like the old one being discussed here?

I stand corrected ,but for any level to get a correct fall in a long length of run would have to be dead central on the individual pipes.The level seems to be stuck on drainage ,has anyone got any ideas on the other object.

Frank

I stand corrected ,but for any level to get a correct fall in a long length of run would have to be dead central on the individual pipes.The level seems to be stuck on drainage ,has anyone got any ideas on the other object.

Frank

Steve.

Brother in law spent many years doing that job. He says main sewers are 1-100

Steve.