In 1891, inventor Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, patented a toilet paper roll with tear-off sheets and a dispenser. Essentially, it's the modern toilet-paper roll as we know and love it. Wheeler's mind was a cornucopia toilet paper ideas. He also received patents for a multirole toilet paper holder, a toilet paper fixture and a process for ornamenting toilet paper to give it a pleasing diamond-patterned look. He was the owner of the Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company, the first business to sell toilet paper on a roll.
Not long after 1891 the debate started as to the proper way to insert toilet paper into a holder. Toilet paper when used with a toilet roll holder with a horizontal axle parallel to the floor and also parallel to the wall has two possible orientations: the toilet paper may hang over (in front of) or under (behind) the roll; if perpendicular to the wall, the two orientations are right-left or near-away.
Obviously the patent intended the "over" orientation but I bet Wheeler never thought about small children and kittens! Interestingly, as the Washington Post reported in 1989, "60 percent of those who earn $50,000 or more prefer it to be over and 73 percent of those who earn less than $20,000 prefer under." I am not sure what that means.
I am certain by now the point of this article is quite plain as it relates to metrology. When it comes to your test equipment, beyond the user's manual, how you use your equipment matters, and so do your personal preferences. We at HDCL always take these factors into consideration and welcome discussions from our customers on how they use their equipment and what is most important to them. All of this is tremendously important in providing calibration services that are appropriate and cost conscious. Give us a call, we have answers.
