Convert nail (cloth) to chain (US survey) Online | Free Length Converter

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Nail (Cloth)


A nail is a traditional unit of length used in cloth measurement, equal to 2¼ inches or approximately 5.715 centimeters. It was commonly used by tailors and fabric merchants in England to measure small lengths of fabric.


The term “nail” likely originates from the practice of marking lengths on a measuring stick with notches or nails, making it easy to measure fabric quickly. The nail was a convenient subdivision of the yard, with 1 yard = 16 nails.


Though obsolete today, the nail remains an interesting part of historical textile measurement systems.


Summary:



  • 1 nail = 2¼ inches (5.715 cm)



  • 1 yard = 16 nails



  • Used historically in tailoring and fabric trade



  • Originates from notches or nails on measuring sticks





Chain (US Survey)


The US survey chain is a unit of length used historically in land surveying in the United States. It is defined as exactly 66 US survey feet, which is slightly longer than the international foot. Since one US survey foot equals about 0.3048006096 meters, the US survey chain is approximately 20.11684 meters long.


Like the standard chain, it is divided into 100 links, each measuring 0.66 US survey feet. The US survey chain was widely used in the Public Land Survey System to measure land parcels and boundaries.


Key facts:



  • 1 US survey chain = 66 US survey feet



  • 1 US survey chain ≈ 20.11684 meters



  • 10 US survey chains = 1 furlong



  • 80 US survey chains = 1 US survey mile



Though the US survey foot and chain are being phased out in favor of international units, the US survey chain still appears in historical land records and some legal contexts.



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