CH, you defined the distinction between "regular" and "irregular" FOS quite well, so evidently you do understand there is a distinction between the two, if only in terminology. The distinction is quite important if the OP is working in the '94 standard or earlier, where irregular features of size are not defined and therefore do not exist within the realm of the standard. Perhaps the next release will amalgamate both into a single definition for clarity; time will tell. As the revision level was not noted, you are making a bold statement that they are the same. As for the Caliper Rule, it was removed by the '94 standard, but was in either the '82 or earlier standard; '94 is the earliest version I have at hand. I agree that it is no longer indicated in the standard, but as Dave points out, it's a very useful ROT. My (perhaps foolish) assumption was to use the '94 standard as the baseline for my response, above. Your graphic of the cylinder with a flat would not be a FOS per '94, but would qualify as an irregular FOS per '09, at least at the single opposed point; the entire feature is not defined and therefore it is impossible to tell.
Bxbzq, for a Y14.5M-1994 interpretation, the "wings" are not features of size and therefore are not controlled by the callout; the overlapping portions of the top and bottom surface meet the size tolerance requirement and therefore pass, but there is nothing controlling the tabs. In the '09 standard, it would be considered an irregular FOS, and therefore would fail the spec.
Dave, your figure arguably could arguably be interepeted as a FOS in the '94 standard per 1.3.17, or a regular FOS in '09 per 1.3.32.1 (if one believes that "opposed" doesn't mean "directly opposed" {yes, that's an ongoing argument}. Otherwise, it would be an irregular FOS per '09. However, even here the "caliper rule" has some value if you consider how the part would be encompased by the long jaws of the caliper; it wouldn't be terribly stable, would it; the part would tend to twist within the jaws until it was most stable.
Jim Sykes, P.Eng, GDTP-S
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