Talk:Henry M. Leland

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Contents 1 Interchangeability 2 FR-WP says that Leland invented go/no-go gauges

[edit] Interchangeability

I fixed the mention of interchangeability. The development of interchangeability did not happen in a vacuum. Interchangeability was a zeitgeist throughout the 19th century, and many industries, including machine tools, locomotives, firearms, sewing machines, and bicycles, had been using interchangeability to various extents for decades by 1900. This paragraph as previously written made it sound like Whitney invented the idea of interchangeability, and then Leland independently invented it later. The first idea is so grossly oversimplified as to be essentially false; the latter idea is completely false. In reality Leland was trained at Brown & Sharpe and Colt's Armory, so he didn't think up interchangeability on his own; he merely helped infuse the fledgling automotive industry with its spirit. Fixed accordingly. Thanks, Student7, for moving this comment to the talk page—good idea. — ¾-10 23:59, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] FR-WP says that Leland invented go/no-go gauges

Recently a wealth of bio info was added at the French Wikipedia's article for Leland. It says that he invented go/no-go gauges. This is really interesting. Can anyone confirm that this is true? If anyone here at EN-WP has read the references given in the FR-WP article, could you expand the EN-WP article? — ¾-10 23:51, 26 October 2007 (UTC)

Update: It is somewhat doubtful that Leland *invented* limit gauges, because limit gauges were in use at Brown & Sharpe in the early 1860s per Wickham Roe 1916. Leland was about 20 years old at the time, and presumably had already been at B&S for some years and finished his apprenticeship by then. So it's *possible* that he invented them, but it seems more likely to me that they were already in use at B&S and he was exposed to them. However, I don't know, so I'll just put this two cents here and log off, and get back to my real work! — ¾-10 02:51, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

Not to detract too much from Leland's accomplishments, but he seems like a practical man, someone who often took other's ideas, improved on them and made them marketable. His genius was in application more than "theoretical dreaming" as it were. I can't comment on limit gauges, but I wouldn't be surprised. The basis of some of the bio came from, essentially, obit & genealogy-hype type pubs and can't really be trusted for precise detail. Also, it may be difficult to determine that he did not invent a new limit gauge while perhaps not inventing the class itself. Student7 13:00, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

Very true. He was certainly a smart person who was in the right place at the right time, historically speaking. My curiosity is piqued to try and find some good reading about him and others of the period. — ¾-10 02:12, 7 November 2007 (UTC)