STANDARD SIZES. 415 



his investigations and experience would enable the 

 Institute to carry into practice the ideas that were 

 uppermost in the minds of the council. 



" The cordial and ready permission he granted to 

 members of the council, and practical axle manu- 

 facturers, to visit his works and inspect his methods 

 of manufacture, enabled them to take steps that would 

 have been most difficult, and almost impossible under 

 less favourable conditions. A Committee on Standard 

 Sizes was nominated ; to this were added some of the 

 best known and most experienced axle manufacturers. 

 Further investigations being found necessary, a sub- 

 committee of experienced axle-makers was nominated 

 to deal with the numerous special and practical details. 

 They reported to the General Committee on Standard 

 Sizes, who in turn recommended the adoption of 

 standard sizes to the general meeting of members. 

 After still further discussion the report was finally 

 adopted, recommending the gradations of sizes to be 

 in fractions of eighths of an inch, as most familiar to 

 all parties, and meeting the greatest number of wants. 



" Standard sizes have been adopted with regard to 

 shaft proportions, by which it is hoped many accidents 

 to life and limb will be avoided, and also to the sockets 

 for carrying lamps, enabling them to interchange with- 

 out trouble or misfit when properly made to the official 

 standards, 



"With regard to springs, there have been many 

 changes in carriage-springs made of late years ; among 

 the chief is the very ingenious machinery for forging, 

 drawing, and grinding the plates, rolling the eyes, and 

 forging the cupheads, greatly reducing the time and 

 labour necessary to make thoroughly reliable springs ; 

 and were more attention given to the accurate turning 



