5.18 Sterling, Acu-Rule, Festus, USA
Festus Manufacturing made slide rules beginning in 1938 in Festus, Missouri, USA. The company was renamed Acu-Rule Mfg. Co. in 1939 and produced slide rules branded as Acu-Rule and Acu-Math. The company later relocated to St. Louis, Missouri and then to Mt. Olive, Illinois in 1954. Eventually Acu-Math became the standard brand for the Acu-Rule Mfg. Co.
Sterling Plastics made slide rules in Mountainside, New Jersey, from about 1961-1972, and were another manufacturer of rules often used by students. Several of those shown in the collection are mine from my high school years in the 1970’s. In 1969 Sterling Plastics merged with Acu-Rule, and Acu-Math became the standard brand of the Acu-Math Division of Sterling. Sterling was subsequently purchased and became a division of Borden Chemical Co. in 1970. Slide rules were produced by Borden until 1972.
Festus 50. Festus, MO
Festus Acu-Rule 10D.
Acu-Rule Acu-Math 90A. St. Louis, MO
Acu-Rule Acu-Math 1300 (Government Issued). Mt. Olive, IL
Sterling 694.
Total number of Festus, Acu-Rule and Sterling slide rules in the collection: 11.
| Maker | Model | Year | Mat | L0 | Case | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festus | 50 | 1938 | wd | 10 | no | Festus Model 50; rough condition; magnifier cursor | |
| Festus | Acu-Rule 10D | 1938 | wd | 10 | box | Nice early rule; paper scales on wood; good condition; magnifier cursor | |
| Acu-Rule | Acu-Math 90A |
|
1945 | Mg | 10 | yes | St. Louis, Mo., USA; Mannheim Trig; dimpled slide; special leather case; Acu Design pat. pending; owner R.W. Shutt, Tower City, Pa. |
| Acu-Rule | Arel G-W Photo | 1946 | wd | 10 | yes | Goodchild-Whitney (G-W) Photo Slide Rule, with instruction book | |
| Acu-Rule | Connecticut Spring | 1955 | pl | 10 | yes | Spring design calculations rule,version 3, made for Connecticut Spring Corp. | |
| Acu-Rule | Acu-Math 1300 |
|
1965 | pl | 10 | yes | Log Log Decimal Trig; U.S. Government No. GA 7520-551-5227; Instructions for using Trig and Log Log Slide Rules |
| Sterling | 684 |
|
1968 | pl | 10 | no | beginner’s slide rule; instruction sheet |
| Sterling | 587 |
|
1970 | pl | 5 | no | pocket rule |
| Sterling | 587 | 1972 | pl | 5 | no | pocket rule; from my high school years (Soph year, 1972) | |
| Sterling | 694 | 1972 | pl | 10 | yes | Decimal Trig Log-Log; from my high school years (Jr year, 1973) | |
| Sterling | 694 | 1972 | pl | 10 | yes | Decimal Trig Log-Log; duplicate of my high school rule |