A History of Engineering Me-trology

SUBJECT AREA: Mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic engineering

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As a youth, Laroy S.Starrett worked on his father's farm and later on other farms, and after a few years acquired his own 600-acre stock farm at Newburyport, Massachusetts, which he operated for four years. He had an interest in mechanics and in 1865 invented and patented a device for chopping meat. He arranged for this to be manufactured by the Athol Machine Company at Athol, Massachusetts, and it was so successful that three years later he sold his farm and purchased a controlling interest in the company. He reorganized the company for the manufacture of his meat chopper and two other inventions of his, a washing machine and a butter worker, which he had also patented in 1865. In 1877 Starrett invented the combination square and in 1880 he established the L.S.Starrett Company in Athol for manufacturing it and other small tools, such as steel rules and tapes, callipers, dividers, micrometers and depth gauges, etc. The business expanded and by 1906 he was employing over 1,000 people. He established agencies in Britain and other countries, and Starrett tools were sold throughout the world.

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