Inclinometers come in many shapes and sizes, and at Warren Knight, we’ve been producing quality inclinometers for decades. These devices are used by many types of scientists as well as engineers, foresters, surveyors and other professionals. Let’s take a quick look at the handy inclinometer as well as our selection of inclinometers.
What Is The Difference Between A Clinometer & Inclinometer?
People often ask this question, but there really is no difference between a clinometer and an inclinometer. They are the same device, and sometimes they are called tilt meters, a tilt sensor or slope gauges and often a clinometer is included in other devices, such as in an Abney level.
There are, however, quite a few different types of inclinometers, such as a pendulum clinometer or a drum clinometer or a scale ball clinometer. While these devices don’t look the same, they are all clinometers and are built to handle similar measurement tasks.
What Is An Inclinometer Used For?
Inclinometers (or clinometers if you prefer) are used to measure angles of slope or tilt, and they also can be used for measurements, such as calculating tree heights in a forest or the slope or grade of a hill. Inclinometers can be used as surveying equipment, navigational equipment and even for instrument calibration.
Vulcanologists can use an inclinometer or tilt meter to record horizontal shifts in the ground when studying active volcanoes. This can help them determine the potential for a large seismic event. Geologists also can use an inclinometer to detect movement in areas prone to landslides.
Engineers also can use inclinometers or tilt meters to study dams, bridges and other structures and to monitor changes over time. Surveyors could use an inclinometer to study the grade of a parcel of land during the initial phases of a construction project.
A surveyor also might use an Abney level or theodolite for this purpose, as well. Abney levels (which include a clinometer) and clinometers can be small and lightweight, which can make it easier to take these devices into the field whereas a theodolite tends to be heavy and more cumbersome. However, theodolites can measure angles in the horizontal and vertical planes, while a clinometer measures vertical angles.
Inclinometers also are used in aircraft to help the pilot or navigator understand the craft’s position relative to the horizon. On ships and sailboats, an inclinometer can be used to measure the tilt of the craft in rough seas.
Medical inclinometers can be used to determine a person’s range of motion as well as spinal curvature. For instance, you might use a medical clinometer to measure a patient’s range of motion in a particular joint or perhaps to measure cervical range of motion. Cervical range of motion pertains to the cervical spine, essentially the neck portion of a person’s spine.
Warren Knight Inclinometers
At Warren Knight, we’ve been designing and producing precision instruments, including inclinometers, for more than 100 years. We offer a myriad of high-quality inclinometers for a variety of uses, including:
Ball Clinometers – We have both a single-scale ball clinometer and a dual-scale ball inclinometer, depending on your needs. These inclinometers have several uses such as using the device for tilt readings on sailboats and other marine craft.
Drum Clinometers – We have several options for customers needing a drum inclinometer. Our drum clinometers are rugged instruments that can be used for measurement or determining tilt.
Optical Clinometers – If you need a clinometer for calibration or alignment tasks, machine setting, boresighting or fire control alignment, our optical clinometers are highly precise tools with a 360-degree operating range reading to either 10 seconds or one second.
Pendulum Inclinometers – If you need an easy-to-use clinometer that can be used in awkward locations, our pendulum clinometers might be a perfect match. The pendulum inclinometer includes an extended Vernier scale with a magnifier and a drum-locking device that allows the operator to secure the indication of angle before the clinometer is removed from the surface.
Vernier Inclinometers – This type of inclinometer can be used to measure angles in the horizontal plane and is an ideal option for leveling and aligning machinery, small platforms and fixtures.
Abney Levels – This device, which includes an inclinometer and four scales, is lightweight and perfect for use in rugged environments. The four scales make it possible to obtain one or a combination of four slope readings – degrees, percent of grade, topographic arc and chainage correction.
Quadrant Levels – Also related to our clinometers, we have a quadrant level that can be used for shipbuilding tasks, including calibrating foundation points and calibrating machinery foundations. We also have a large selection of leveling instruments, including digital protractors, a precision frame spirit level and more.
Electronic Clinometers – Our Clinotronic Plus is a helpful, battery-powered inclination measuring instrument that includes built-in calibration. This device has a range of plus or minus 45 degrees with a capacity of 0 to 360 degrees.
The Clinotronic 200 is another option, and this lightweight device allows any leveling units to be measured and the embedded program includes common leveling and calibration functions such as reversal point measurement.
How To Purchase A Warren Knight Inclinometer
To get a quote for an inclinometer, you can contact us at (215) 464-9300 or just click on the Contact Us tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. A customer service specialist will be in touch as quickly as possible to help you with your inquiry. If you don’t see exactly what you need on our website, we may be able to provide you with a custom design.
We also offer rental services for our inclinometers as well as many other types of equipment including theodolites, transits, total stations as well as many types of survey tools, levels, tripods, rods and stands.