Additions to membership, since last report, 4. A report of progress was presented by the Committee on Library. The Chairman announced that the next business of the meeting would be the presentation of medals and certificates to the gentlemen whose inventions had been examined by the Committee on Science and the Arts and found worthy of recognition by the Institute. He then recognized Mr. W. Chattin V~retherill of the Science and the Arts Committee who introduced His Excellency, James Hartness, Governor of Vermont, recently awarded the Edward Longstreth Medal for his screw thread comparator. Mr. Wetherill said:
Mr. President: It is my very great privilege to present to you His Excellency, James Hartness, Governor of Vermont, the inventor of the Hartness Screw Thread Comparator.
This invention has to deal with the accurate measurement of threaded parts, and when it is realized that by means of threaded parts practically all machinery is held together, any device which can contribute to the accuracy of fit of such machine elements marks a step forward in the safety, dependability and service of machinery in general. The Hartness Screw Thread Comparator is a device by means of which a projection lantern is used to throw an enlarged image of the profile of a screw thread upon a screen. Upon this screen there is a drawing of two perfect screw thread profiles differing from each other by an amount equal to the allowable tolerance. It is, therefore, possible to see at a glance whether the projected profile comes within this tolerance or not. By contrasting this extremely simple method of measurement with the existing methods of gauging and measuring diameters by means of micrometer calipers, it is readily appreciated that this device marks a tremendous step forward.
In consideration of the ingenuity and novelty displayed in the design of this device, and in consideration of its successful development into commercial form, adding as it does another instrument of great value to the mechanic arts, The Franklin Institute, acting through its Committee on Science and the Arts, awards its Edward Longstreth Medal to His Excellency, James Hartness, of Springfield, Vermont, for his Screw Thread Comparator.