Shangqiu Yusen Measuring Tools Co., Ltd.
The history of tape measure
Pubdate:
Aug 11,2025
The early prototype of length measurement in ancient times:
In ancient times, humans began to explore the measurement of length, initially using human hands and feet as units of length, such as "cloth fingers to measure inches, cloth hands to measure rulers, and comfortable elbows to measure zhang". Later, objects were used as units of measurement, such as the wrist ruler that appeared in ancient Egypt in 2400 BC and the ivory ruler that appeared in the Shang Dynasty of China, but these were not modern tape measures.
The important invention of the Ming Dynasty in China - the measuring cart:
The first tool in the world with the characteristics of tape measure was invented by the Chinese. In the sixth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (around 1578), Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the cabinet, ordered a nationwide land clearance, and Cheng Dawei from Xiuning County, Huizhou Prefecture personally participated in this work. Prior to this, measuring land relied solely on ropes and rulers for measurement, which was labor-intensive and had a high error rate. After much contemplation, Cheng Dawei invented the "measuring walker", which is considered to be the world's earliest tape measure. It consists of a wooden jacket, a cross, a bamboo ruler, an iron pivot, drill legs, and rings. The bamboo ruler is inserted and retracted through the plaque hole on the jacket, and the drill foot is convenient for accurately inserting into the field measurement point. The ring is easy to carry.
The birth of modern steel tape measure:
The first steel tape measure in the world was invented by Americans. In 1930, Stanley Corporation invented the first steel tape measure, which greatly improved the industrialization process. Subsequently, steel tape measures gradually became widely used in industries such as construction, decoration, and manufacturing due to their practicality, accuracy, and portability.
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