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Unique Slide Rule Company (U.S.R.C.)
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The British UNIQUE brand of slide rules was founded in 1920 by Burns Snodgrass (1886-1954) M.B.E, A.R.C.Sc., a mechanical engineering lecturer at Brighton Technical College. Unique specialized in a wide range of wood slide rules with celluloid covered paper scales and were most popular within the United Kingdom, and its colonies. The manufacturing process used fairly basic woodworking tools and printing presses, unlike their high end competitors which had mechanical tooling to make machine divided scales. This made possible relatively inexpensive slide rules that could also be customized to a broad spectrum of industries. The first Log Log slide rules were made around 1928-1929 and sold for 12 Shillings in 1931. Burns made these by himself on a part time basis until 1935, where he added a couple of employes, along with his son. In 1945, the last year of WWII, they sold 100,000 slide rules. In 1951 they became the Unique Slide Rule Company, Limited. Burns Snodgrass was also the author of Teach Yourself the Slide Rule ©1955 which was published in 1955, one year after his death. The book was popular for use in many schools and with other makers, although the graphics referred only to the UNIQUE brand. In 1954, The company was subsequently managed by his son, Donald Clayton Snodgrass. After an illness in 1981, Donald retired and his wife, Elain Snodgrass, took over as Managing Director. Various relatives worked in many aspects of the company making this a classic family business, much like all the other silde rule companies. It is estimated that they sold more slide rules in the UK more than any other maker, 2.5 million or more.
In spite of their cheapness, older wood versions have survived in large numbers. They invested in all plastic slide rules in the early 1970's but found themselves, like other slide rule makers, obsoleted by the electronic calculator, and stopped production in 1975. They continued manufacturing other mathematical instruments as "Unique Instruments Limited" up until 1993 when Donald Snodgrass died.
Teach Yourself the Slide Rule ©1955 (45.78MB PDF scan) is available in the ISRM Library. |
 P020 English Mini-Rule |
English Mini-Rule Made in England Front Scale A [ B, CI, C ] D, K Back: Blank Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 P013 Unique Universal I |
Unique Universal I Made in England Front Scale LU, S, A [ S, R, C ] D, T, LL Back: Blank Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 P009 Unique Log-Log |
Unique Log-Log pocket Made in England Front Scale LU, A [ S, R, C ] D, LL Back: Table of Trig Ratios Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 P202 Unique Log-Log |
Unique Log-Log pocket Made in England by Technical Supplu Co., Brighton Front Scale LU, A [ S, R, C ] D, LL Back: Table of Trig Ratios Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 P010 Unique Concrete Calculator |
Unique Concrete Calculator - pocket Made in England Front Scale A(thickness) [ B(height), C(length) ] D (volume) Back: Adv: Ready Mix Concrete Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 P199 Unique Five-Ten |
Unique Five-Ten Made in England Front Scale: Note scales wrapped to double the length to 10 inches A1, D1 [ C1, L1 | L2, C2 ] D2, A2 Back: Table of Trigonometrical Ratios Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 REF Unique Five-Ten (Late model) |
Unique Five-Ten (Late model) (Note: Later model, no nails to hold laminate) Made in England Front Scale: Note scales wrapped to double the length to 10 inches A1, D1 [ C1, L1 | L2, C2 ] D2, A2 Well: Decimal Equivalents of Fractions Original Owner/Location: John Sykes/England Archive - Scan donated by John Sykes (UK) |
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 Unique (Mannheim) Lietz 2975 ISRM 12.03.02.19 |
Unique (Mannheim) Lietz 2975 Made in England by U.S.R.C. Front Scale: A [ B, CI, C ] D, K Back Scale: [ S, L, T ] Well:Decimal Equivalents of Fractions Donated by Richard Davis, Las Vegas, Nevada
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 Unique Dualistic High Speed Slide Rule ISRM 14.11.14.01 |
Unique Dualistic High Speed Slide Rule Made in England Front Scale: Note scales wrapped to double the length to 20 inches P1, D2 [ C2, Q1, Q2 ] C1, D1, P2 Back Slide: [ LL1, LL2, LL3 ] Back: Table of Trigonomertric Ratios 
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 Unique Ten-Twenty Slide Rule (w/rivets) ISRM 14.07.02.08 |
Unique Ten-Twenty Slide Rule (w/rivets) Made in England. Laminations riveted to stock Front Scale: Note scales wrapped to double the length to 20 inches A1, D1 [ C1, L1 | L2, C2 ] D2, A2 Back: Equivalents, rates of exchange and material properties Gift of Ed Millis, Dallas, Texas 
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 Unique Ten-Twenty Slide Rule ISRM 17.05.02.13 |
Unique Ten-Twenty Slide Rule Made in England Front Scale: Note scales wrapped to double the length to 20 inches A1, D1 [ C1, L1 | L2, C2 ] D2, A2 Back: Equivalents and material properties Gift of Mike Weaver, UK 
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 P011 Unique J180 |
Unique J180 Made in England - 9" long Front Scale K, A [ B, CI, C ] D, S, T, STR Back: Blank Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 Unique Universal ISRM 17.05.02.09 |
Unique Universal Made in England - Tacked laminate, metal frame cursor Front Scale LU, S, A [ B, CI, C ] D, T, LL Back: Trig Identities Original Owner/Location: Lawrence Williams/Tynant, Gift of Mike Weaver, UK 
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 Unique Universal I ISRM 20.08.07.02 |
Unique Universal I Made in England - Tacked laminate, Plastic frame cursor Front Scale LU, S, A [ B, R(CI), C ] D, T, LL Back: Trig Identities Original Owner/Location: M.J. Williams Gift Of Philip Rodley, Upperhutt, NZ 
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 S405 Unique Universal One |
Unique Universal One (Modern) Made in England Front Scale LU, S, A [ B, CI, C ] D, T, LL Back: Conversion Factors Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 S062 Unique Universal II |
Unique Universal II Made in England - Tacked laminate Front Scale LU, A [ B, S, T, C ] D, LL Back: Trig Identities Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 S063 Unique Universal II |
Unique Universal II Made in England - new cursor, no tacks Front Scale LU, A [ B, S, T, C ] D, LL Back: Trig Identities Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 S272 Unique Universal Two |
Unique Universal Two (Modern) Made in England - new cursor, new logo Front Scale LU(LL2), A [ B, S, T, C ] D, LL(LL3) Back: Trig Identities Original Owner/Location: Unk/England |
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 S126 Unique Log Log |
Unique Log Log Made in England - Note riveted reingorcement on scale Front Scale LL2, A [ B, C] D, LL3 Back: Trig Identities Owners: J.D.Freeman/The College at Marlborough England Owners: Sidney Sussex/Cambridge College, England |
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 Unique Log Log ISRM 14.10.14.01 |
Unique Log Log Made in England - Note riveted reingorcement on scale Front Scale LL2, A [ B, C] D, LL3 Back: Trig Identities Owners: H.G. Millhouse of England  Instructions - All Models (24.46MB PDF)
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 S126 Unique Log Log (Modern) |
Unique Log Log (Modern) Made in England - new cursor, new logo Front Scale LU(LL2), A [ B, C] D, LL(LL3) Back: Trig Identities Owners: New |
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 Unique Brighton ISRM 17.05.02.12 |
Unique Brighton Made in England by USRC Front Scale 25.4mm // K, A [ B, CI, C] D, L, P || S, T Back Scale: LL1, LL2, LL3 Well: Decimal Equivalents Back: Trig Identities Owners: R.N.Miles (on stock) Gift of Mike Weaver, UK 
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 S484 Unique Commercial |
Unique Commercial Made in England Front Scale H, K, M [ N (Discounts Scale), R(CI), C] D, U, V Back: Table for converting shillings and pence into pounds | ||
 Unique Electrical ISRM 11.10.26.04 |
Unique Electrical Made in England Front Scale LL2, Fahr, DF [ CF, CI, C ] D, Cent, LL3 Back: Specific Resistance & Temp Coeff. Table of Metals Owned by Roman Marian Russek (1933-2011). Donated by his wife, Shiela Russek, Toronto, Canada. Roman Russek was known for his wide knowledge of power cables and, in later years, for his expertise the transfer of technology within international joint ventures. At the close of WWII Roman was a member of the Polish Army under British command. With Communism descending on his homeland his left to study in Britain where he earned engineering degrees from Heriot Watt University (Edinburgh) and London University. By 1949 he was a Scientific Officer in the Wood Lane Research Laboratories of British Insulated Callenders Cables in London. There he was assigned to teams studying the mechanical behavior of aluminum sheaths, electrical characteristics of oil impregnated paper as well as assisting in the development of flexible joints for submarine cables destined to be used in the HVDC link between North and South Island in New Zealand. As Design Engineer and then Department Manager Roman traveled widely within Canada and internationally representing CWC in many negotiations and discussions with customers and associated firms. He was fluent in five languages. Later as Vice-President Technical Services Roman spent another 14 years transferring technology from the domestic company to the many fledgling associate companies in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Spain, Brazil. South Africa, Nigeria, New Zealand, Australia and Iran. Roman and his wife Shiela spent much of their retirement years traveling around the world. An Article about Roman Russek by his friend XAVIER KATAQUAPIT |
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 S413 Unique Electrical |
Unique Electrical Made in England Front Scale LL2, Fahr, DF [ CF, CI, C ] D, Cent, LL3 Back: Specific Resistance & Temp Coeff. Table of Metals |
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 S279 Unique Electrical |
Unique Electrical (modern cursor) Made in England Front Scale LL2, Fahr, DF [ CF, CI, C ] D, Cent, LL3 Back: Specific Resistance & Temp Coeff. Table of Metals Archive - Atsushi Tomozawa Collection |
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 Unique Navigational Slide (c1960) REF |
Unique Navigational Slide Rule Made in England Front Scale 1:1000000 || S, A [ B, S, T, C] D, T || 1:500000 Back: Tables and factors used in navigation and windspeed calculations. Archive - Scan By Steve Seale Collection |
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 S413 Unique Tubemaking And Deep Drawing |
Unique Tubemaking And Deep Drawing - 1952 Made in England by Unique for Tube Investments, Ltd. Departsments of Development and Research and of Plant and Construction Front Scale MM, R1 [ R2, TH(1G-21G), TH(22G-44G), TH(33-314), C ] D, WT (Mild Steel) Back: Weight Conversion Factors, Given Steel=1.000  Ad |
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 Unique Study 500 ISRM 11.12.09.01 |
Unique Study 500 Made in England by Unique Slide Rule Co.Ltd. Newhaven Sussex Front Scale: K, A [ B, CI, C ] D, S, T Back: Blank Donated by Ted Hume of San Angelo,Texas.
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