BS 957:2008

BRITISH STANDARD

Specification f or f eeler
gauges
!CS l 7.040.;JO

British Standards
NO COPYING WJTHOUT BSI PERAllSSJON EXCEPTAS PERMITl'ED BY COPY!UGHT LAW

BS 957:2008
Publisbing a.nd c.opyrigbt information
1'he BSI t.."\>t))'righLnouce displayed in ths doeumeru indicat!f ""l1e11 llte
doeumera was la.;;c. tssued,

e nst 2008
ISllN 978 o 580 62080 5
11te follow.ng DSI references relate LO lll wcrk ou thts stA.-tdMl:
Cemmluee referenceTDW/4
011t rce oont"K!ut 08/30178000 OC

Publication history
llS %7 (indt unlts) Jlrst publli;l1ed July 1941 (renumbered as DS 957-1
in .luly l 069)
llS 957-2 (metrtc mili.) oe publshed J1~y 1969
DS 957 {inclt aud metrlc) )~Ut edir.i.(>tl) publlshed 30 Sepember 2008

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. no.

Date

Text a:ffected

BS 957:2008

Contents
Forcword ii
1
2

4
5
6

7
8
9
10

Scope

Normativc references

General 1
Mazerial ofblades 1
Dmensons of blades 2
Finish 2
Accuracy 3
Sheath
Marlng 3
Protection aganst climatic conditions i

Annexes
Annex A (nformatfve) Recommended combnatons of blades

List of tables
Table 1 - Hardness test - metric units 1
Table 2 - Hardness test - inch unns 1
Table a -Tolerances on thckness of blades- metric units 3
Table 4 -Tolerances on thckness of blades - inch units 3
Table A.I - Combination ofbL,des- metric units 5
Table A.2 - Combnaton of bladcs c-Inch unts 6

Summary of pages
'Ths document oomprses a front cover, an nsde front cover,
pages i and u, pages 1 to G, an mside back cover and a back cover.
CBS12008

BS 957:2008

Foreword
Publislrlng lnformation
This Brtsh 1''tanclarclis publishcd by BSJ and carne into effect
on ao September 2008. lt was prcpared by Techncal Committec
TDW/4, Technolog rmduct reaeasion. A list of organzatons
represented on ths committee can be obtaned on request to ts

secretary.

Supersession
'Ths Brtsh Stanclarcl supersedes BS 957-1:1941
wbich are wthdrawn,

and BS 957-2:1969,

lnfonnation about this doeu:ment

This Brtsh Stanclarcl has been fuJly revsed to hring it up to date.

Presentational conventions
The provsonsofthis standard are presented tn romn (.c. upright)
type. IL'\ requrementsare exprcsscd insentencesin which thc principal
a.uxi.liru)"verb is "shall".
Cmnmcntary,exptanauon and gmuJ>'fll i<>if<rrmatinc
materiai is
prosent.ed in smaer ito.lic f:J/TK!, and does >wt con.t;titttte et

normatiue element.

Contractual and legal considerations

'Ths publicationdoes not purport to nclude aUthe ncccssary provsions
of a contraer, Users are responsble for ts correct application.

Compliance with a Brltlsh Standard cannot confcr lmmunity

from legal obligations.

BS 957:2008

1 Scope
'l'his British Standard speccs requremcnts for feeler gauges,
comprising a series of gaugng blades (blades) of graded thcknesses
assembled in a. protective sheath or supplied indi\idua!Jy. These include
requirementsfordmensons which are expressedin mettic and inch
unts.
'l'his standard is applcable to blades of thcknesses:
from 0.03 mm lo 1.00 mm inclusive (mctric unts); and
from 0.001 5 in lo 0.025 in inclusive (inch unts).

2 Normative references
'l'be following referenced documents are indispensable for the
applcaton of ths documcnt. For dated references, on]y the edition
cited apples. For undated references, the latcst edition of the
referenced document (induding any amendments) appUes.

BS EN ISO 6507, M'etallic maserials-: Vir.lc<m< hardness

tP.St

3 General
'l'be purchaser shall state in hs enqury and order the particular
combination of blades and length ofblades requred,
NCYJ'E llhi11tr1R.11tfulUm-.
rf?(JUrdbtg t.'lt.S(J.ble<XWtd)irtat.Un.~fblode. , ut"e
~iv~u i'ft. Avme::r: A

4 Material of blades
4.1 The blades shall be made of good quality steel and shall be
hardened and tempered to a hardness of not less than 400 HV nor
more than GOO HV J.
NOTE CcL">idiiurJJ:bmsJumJ.d lie gJtn1l() te
Urnglmes.<of steel -osed:

r,."(tr'flJ~it)n.1lf.'>1.i;li.ttu:e
u1u/.

4.2 Blades shall be tested for hardness in accordance with

BS EN ISO C.507 as shown in 'rabie l and 'rabie 2.
Tuble 1

Bardness test - metrc units

Thickneti range

'fuble 2

Teit Ioed applledfor1-5

mm

kgf

;:: 0.15 ~ 0.20

1 (9.8 N ll)prt>x.)

> 0.20

5 (4g N apprux.)

Hardness test - lnch units

Thic:kneai1 range

Ti.t lnad ~plied tor 15

in

lqf

"' 0.005" 0.008

> 0.008

1 (9.8 N apprux.}
5 (49 N appru."t.)

t)

BS EN 1$0 6507.

C asi 2008

BS 957:2008
4.S Blades ofthicknes.ses less than O. mm and 0.006 in shall
be subiected to a scratch compatison test whereby the blade shall
be placed on a hard, polished surface and scratched wfth a
diamond tipped or hard stcel stylus which has a tip radius of
approximately 0.6 mm {0.02 in).
'The mark produced shall then be compared "1'11th o, similar mark
produced on a steel test piece of known hardness in the
range 4()()..450 HV. The mark shall be made in the same manner
and usng the same force on both the blade and the test pece.

5 Dimensions of blades
Blade lengths, measured ovcrall, shall be as follows.
mm

in

75

100

150

300

12
Blades up to 75 mm (3 in) long sha1J be approximately 12 mm(~ in)
wide at the heel and may be parallel or tapered, as ma.v be ordered by
the purchaser.
Blades greater than 75 mm (3 in) shall be tapered for the outer part of
their length so that the width at the tip is approximately 6 mm { ! in).
?io'"CYI"E Bku:l.es300 tfl.tM (12 i?t) or morein l&tl{Jth'liut.Y IH?1.1;itler.
Tbe other ends of thc blades shall be approxmately sem-crcular,

6 Finish
'The blades, through.out, sha1J be free from sharp edges.
Tbe blade surfuces and edges shall be free frorn deformations and have
a smooth finish.

C llSI

2008

BS 957:2008

7 Accuracy
The mean thickncss of a blade shalJ not dcpart from ts nominal
thckness by more than the amount given in Table 3, Cotmnn 2 or
Table 4, Column 2. Any 1""'11 variation in the thickncss of a blade shall
not exceed the amount given in Table 3, Cotumn 3 or Table 4, Column 3.
Table 3

Tolerances on thictness of blades - metric unlts

1

Nominalthlcluu.!M PermU!1'ible de.pa.rtu.re PermiWble variation in

of blad
lrom nominal th.icknetts local thickne of blade

Table 4

mm

Jl\tn

uun

> 0.03 " 0.04

> 0.04 "0.35
> 0.35" 0.65
> 0.65" J.0

;.0.004
;,0.006
;.0.008
.. 0.010

0.004
0.005
0.008
O.OIO

Tolerances on thictness of blades - inch mts

1

Nominal thickneM Perw.i88:ble depareure

a
PermU&ible va.ri.ation in

ofblad

f.rom nominal thiclme&s local thiclt.ueti ()!blade

hl

In

> 0.001 5" 0.012 "'0.000 2

0.000 2

> 0.012 "0.025

0.000 3

* 0.000 3

8 Sheath
Wbcn the blades are fitted in a sheath they shaU hnge smoothly and be
adequately protected when fotdcd into the sheath. The design of the
hinge shalJpreferab)y facilitate the removal or replacement of blades.

9 Marking
9.1

Blades
Each blade shall be legibly and permanentJy marked with it.< nominal
thickness in:
millimetres, e.g. 0.04; or
thousandths of an inch.

9.2

Sheath
Thc sheath shall be legibly and permancntly marked to indicate whether
dimensions are expressed in me-trie or tnch units and t.o display thc

manufacturer's or vendor's name or trade mark.

e BSJ 2008

BS 957:2008

1 O Protection against climatic

cond.itions
During storage and transit ail feeler gauges sball be protected aganst
climaticconditions with a sutable corrosionpreventatve.
NOTE E::aA'll''/JIP.sr>f su:l.tabls c<-n>..rif.1e 1tt-eve1U.ul1,-es nclude lnolf.'ft~
>lasliciwd re~'i'f1.und ~)jJ.:fntt/ri>A'l.~

e as1 2oos

DS 957:2008

AnnexA(informative)

Reconrmendedcombinations of
blades
The past practce of manufactur
ers in regard to the vanous
combinationsof blades assembled together in sets has been Very
drverse.
With a vew to simplfyng the considerable number of combnatons at
present lsted, recommendedseries inmetrc and inch unts are given in
Table A.l and Table A.2. These series are so devsed as lo furnsh sera
of the greatest utility with a mnimum number of blades,
The order in wleh the bladesare gven in the series bclow is not that
most S1lltablc for assembly. lt is desirable tbat each thin blade should be
grven the maximum protection by bemg intertcaved betweon twc
thckerblades.

Table A.l

Combina.tion of blades - metrie units

Set 1

mm

Set2
mm

s... a
mm

0.05

0.05

0.05

0.10
0.15
0.2.0
0.25
0.30

o.io

o. to
o. t5

0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30

0.40

0.40

0.50

0.50

0.60
0.70

A)

0.2-0
0.25

o.ao
0.35
0.40
0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
0.65
0.70
0.75

0.80

o.so

0.00

0.85
0.00
0.95

Set4
mm

0.03 A
0.04)
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.08
0.09

o.ro
0.15
0.20
0.30
0.40

O.O

L.00
1.00
ln vew of tbe delicat.e nesure of
the
mm and0.04 mm btades it ,.
reeommendedthat these blades be
includedin duplicate.

o.oa

CSS.J 2008

BS 957:2008
TableL\.2

Combination of blades - inch nnits

Set7

Set 10

in

in

in

0.002

O.OOJ 5J
0.002

0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006

0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006

0.001 6 A)
0.002
0.002 5
0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006
0.007

0.008
0.010

O.OJO

0.015

0.016
0.020

NOTE

S..t 15

o.oos

0.000
0.010
0.012
0.015
0.020
0.025

By t'A}ltlhi.Ydnf~ttl more lha14 lwu

bkl.des., a seoaence qf l},(;k1!S.'S8i>

tJ.dvuncng by coneeoatoe step.<J rif O. 001 in,
Bch nmy be ol,UJ.inP.d i'fi ,';el 7 up U>
0.021 '.n., inS~ J()up ta 0.026.fn, wulitt
..'k.t 15 Up b.1 0.035 in. The '111.clu.\'it)u1if
tM 0.001 5 in,,..,ui O 002 5 in bl.1ules.,,,,,
._')et.15 (ttUilJ/.Bs u1rgtl&:l.."l!Ase in
hafj:IJtrm.'it1:11illh.sto be obta.irted
.frtYf11.O. 001 5 bt up lo O.O1 S .,. lm lhe
c..Ynnl>ltwl..l.&uQf -ru>I. more lJutn lwt> bl1Jiles.
.\) 1n vew of the delicate nature of
the 0.001 5 in btime ~ recemmended
that th.is blade be included in duplicate in
seta lOand 15.

CBS1200S

BS 957:2008

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