The Whitworth thread gauge was the first standardized thread system introduced in 1841 by Joseph Whitworth. It specified a thread angle of 55 degrees and pitch dimensions of 0.640327 and 0.137328. It gained popularity and became the British standard. Some applications that still use the Whitworth thread gauge include stage lighting suspension bolts, products made by the French Meccano Company, and rangefinder camera mounts. While it remains common for some uses due to its efficiency, its suitability depends on the specific tasks being performed.

1. What is the Whitworth Thread Gauge?

2. There are varying standards of thread gauges followed
on regional and international level. While some of them
are more contemporary, others follow classical
measures which have stayed in use because of their
efficiency. One such standard followed to-date is the
Whitworth thread gauge hailed as the first thread
standard of the world. Before that, there were several
gauges which were used but there was no standard
followed worldwide.

3. The Whitworth Thread Gauge
In 1841, Joseph Whitworth introduced thread gauge
which slowly spread around. There were certain
specifications of the Whitworth gauge. Those
specifications followed still are:
55 degrees of thread angle
0.640327 pitch of thread depth
0.137328 pitch of thread radius

4. The British Standard
Later on, the Whitworth thread gauges took different
sizes, was used by leading mechanical companies and
came to be the British standard of gauges. However,
Whitworth thread gauge is not limited to the Britain and
in United States it is widely used too. It is especially
famous for its application in the personal computer liquid
cooling parts which mainly apply the G1/4 of Whitman
thread gauge.
It did not take long before Whitworth’s design became a
popular choice for people around the world and
eventually it gained its status as the British standard.

5. Applications of Whitworth Thread Gauge
In order to further understand the importance of
Whitworth thread gauge in the contemporary world, it is
best to list the applications of it. The following is a
comprehensive list of its applications as used currently.

6. Whitworth thread gauge is used around the world for
stage lighting suspension bolts. Most of these
suspension bolts are around the size of 3/8 or 1/2. Many
companies used to apply metric gauges for this process
but, they switched to the Whitworth for its efficiency.
Another application which is more popular of an
example is the French Meccano Company which has
made Whitworth thread gauge a standard tool. This
famous application has convinced others to use it too.
And lastly, it is the Leica Thread-Mount most commonly
used for rangefinder cameras that applies Whitworth
gauge. Other lens enlarging cameras use the same tool
as well.

7. However, the application of Whitworth thread gauge is
not limited to these. Many garden gates, appliances and
house constructions require the use of the British
standard gauge. Several other companies like Range
Rover and Pixar have also adopted the Whitworth
thread gauge for working.

8. Is It Worth It?
It is obvious that the British standard gauges have
trended for a long time. This is due to the fact that they
are easier to work with and reduce time of the job
allowing you to save your time. This is why many people
pick them over the other types of thread gauges.
However, since the nature of each task differs from the
other, you might want to be careful about investing in
Whitworth thread gauges. It is important to keep in
mind the functions and operations that you will be
performing with thread gauges so you can make an
informed purchase.