5 YMBOLIC NOMENCLA 7 URE. 1 1 3 



latter quality is rarely dispensed with, simply because the manu- 

 facturer's pocket would be too directly touched by the expensive 

 resulting mistakes. A perusal of some machinery catalogues 

 which give detailed lists of parts is very harassing to a systematic 

 mind. They are apt to derive one part name from another, pre- 

 fixing the latter as an adjective each time, until some such pleas- 

 ant title as " lower-left-hand-cutting-blade-set-screw-lock-nut " is 

 evolved. If there are symbols provided, they consist of some 

 unknown combinations of letters part way down the list, and then 

 change to arbitrary numbers, or perhaps to nothing at all. It 

 will often be noticed also that no particular order appears to be 

 followed in numerical arrangement, similar parts being scattered 

 at random through the list. 



The scheme to be described further on has been evolved grad- 

 ually from the experience gained in managing a growing machine 

 business. This scheme is far from perfect, and is probably in- 

 ferior to others which have not been made public ; but it seems 

 to answer the purpose aimed at, viz., a comprehensive and elastic 

 system which will accommodate itself to an unlimited growth and 

 any variation in quantity or kind of goods manufactured. This, 

 the methods we first tried would not do, being too limited in their 

 scope. 



It should be here explained that the word " we," as just used, 

 refers to the above-mentioned machine works, with which the 

 writer has long been connected ; and the scheme in question will 

 be spoken of as " our symbol system." To further define terms : 

 "machine name" and "machine symbol" refer respectively to 

 the name and symbol of the whole machine or other article of 

 manufacture ; for it will be noticed that the system is applicable 

 to almost any products, except those of a textile or chemical 

 nature. " Piece name " and " piece symbol," in like manner, refer 

 to the separate pieces of which the whole is composed. The 

 terms " detail," " part," and " piece," have so far been used 

 synonymously. It is doubtful which is really the best to estab- 

 lish as a standard, but we have adopted " piece " as best express- 

 ing the idea of one piece of material, reduced to the last condi- 

 tion of subdivision. In our practice, exceptions are made to this 

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