The height gage has transformed. From its infancy to today, the height gage has been in the grittiest shop environments. In spite of that, height gages also have the ability to meet the quality measurement demands of any precision laboratory. Regardless of how they are used or where, height gages have stood the test of time and remain an essential tool in every workshop.
When Pierre Vernier invented the Vernier scale (1631) for use with a “Vernier” caliper, the metrology world was transformed. With the use of these dissimilar scales, mechanical engineers and quality engineers alike were able to produce components with far greater precision than ever before. Vernier scales were soon adapted for use with some of the first height gages. When you come right down to it, the earliest height gages were Vernier calipers standing upright on a solid base. Inspectors and machinists soon found other ways to use height gages, such as scribing. Early height gage designs gave inspectors the ability to measure a wide assortment of dimensions with greater speed and better accuracy. This was just the beginning of a rapid evolution for the height gage.