This is how they used to take measurements in the early days when these kind off measuring devices where en vogue.
They where developed just before the world war II so they could measure fast, easy and efficiently all the men that required a uniform.
Here follows the manual for the Lenassi Achsenmesser.
You can can sometimes find the Achsenmesser on the net, but most of the time the manual is lost.
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-001_zpseluickjx.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-001_zpseluickjx.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-002_zps0kbabkp1.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-002_zps0kbabkp1.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-003_zpsytwjjppy.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-003_zpsytwjjppy.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-004_zpsw5cpkbaj.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-004_zpsw5cpkbaj.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-005_zpsxk6qkmqg.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-005_zpsxk6qkmqg.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-006_zpselegm6g6.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-006_zpselegm6g6.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-007_zpsfbnfuicq.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-007_zpsfbnfuicq.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-008_zps662wkkb3.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-008_zps662wkkb3.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-009_zpsrgpvar9t.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-009_zpsrgpvar9t.jpg.html)
(http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j4/pfaff260/Lenassi%20folder-page-010_zpsiww7nyu6.jpg) (http://s76.photobucket.com/user/pfaff260/media/Lenassi%20folder-page-010_zpsiww7nyu6.jpg.html)