A TRANSLUCID CYLINDRIC APPARATUS FOR BRINGING THE PORNER WEIGHTS AND MEASURES INTO THOSE OF THE PRESENT DECIMAL SYSTEM MOST EASILY AND PRECISELY, AND VICE VERSA
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand, of No. 15,
Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"A TRANSLUCID CYLINDRIC APPARATUS FOR BRINGING THE PORNER WEIGHTS
AND MEASURES INTO THOSE OF THE PRESENT DECIMAL SYSTEM MOST EASILY AND
PRECISELY, AND VICE VERSA."
Scaled the 25th September 1868, and dated the 31st March 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Amedée Barthelemi Donat
Maurand at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 31st March 1863.
I, AMEDÉE BARTHELEMI DONAT MAURAND, of No. 15, Passage des Petites
Ecuries, Paris, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "A TRANSLUCID CYLINDRIC APPARATUS FOR BRINGING THE FORMER
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES INTO THOSE OF THE PRESENT DECIMAL SYSTEM MOST EASILY
AND PRECISELY, AND VICE VERSA," to be as follows:-
My apparatus which has the shape of a cylindrical or oblong box is com-
posed, firstly, of the body of the box so arranged as to carry on one side an
entire series of decimal dial plates and on the other only one; secondly, of the
lower lid or cover; thirdly, of the revolving part with its transparent, forming
a second cover or lid, of horn or other transparent material, on which is
engraved two styles. Each of these boxes will contain 28 decimal dials or
tablets more or less ciphered according to the reductions it is desired to obtain.
On each face of these dials or tablets will be set or traced 4 reduction tables,

page_text: distinguishable from each other by their colour. Each colored table is
always immediately followed by a white one, carrying on its upper part a zone
of the same colour as the preceding table, which indicates that on these two
tables the measurements drawn are reciprocally reduced, that is to say, that
there is relation between these two tables; therefore presuming there are
28 of these dials or tablets, the number of tables they will contain will be 224,
each capable of 99,999 operations, which, multiplied by 224, will give
22,399,776 reductions or calculations made. The operation is as follows:-I
place firstly on the box and beneath the transparent a dial or tablet indicated
in the table of contents according to the reduction I desire to obtain, and on
turning the transparent on which the two styles are engraved, the index,
which is on the left, will serve exclusively to determine the quantities to be
reduced, which quantities will always be found placed in the first part on the
left of each reduction table, that is to say, in three small columns, from 100 to
900; therefore each time that a number is to be reduced I advance the
transparent or indicator until the first style or ray coincides with the ray or
line which precedes this number, that is to say, in such wise that this latter
will always be placed immediately to the left of the two superposed rays; by
this simple operation the second style (also engraved on the transparent) will
coincide simultaneously with another line of the second part of the table, and
at the point of this coincidence in following the same zone the desired
reduction will be found. The numbers placed on the left of the second stylo
will express the integral numbers, and those on the right their decimals or
fractional parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AMEDEE
BARTHELEMI DONAT MAURAND, of No. 15, Passage des Petites Ecuries,
Paris, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho
said Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand, Her special licence, that I, the said
Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I. the said Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A TRANSLUCID CYLINDRIC APPA-
RATUS FOR BRINGING THE FORMER WEIGHTS AND MEASURES INTO THOSE OF THE
PRESENT DECIMAL SYSTEш HOST EASILY AND PRECISELY, AND VICE VERSA," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of tho said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Offico
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing
bereunto annexed, and forming part of this my Specification, and to the
figures and letters of reference placed thereon :-
My universal reduction apparatus or oblong or cylindrical box with
transparent indicator provides a means of reducing with extreme facility and
mathematical precision old or existing weights and measures, English and
foreign, into metrical weights and measures, and vice versa.
Figures 1 to 9 inclusive illustrate an apparatus of cylindrical form. Figure 1,
plan view of the box; Figure 2, samo plan, with the addition of a decimal
dial plate placed above; Figure 3, plan of the transparent indicator on which
are engraved the two styles or indicating lines A and B; Figure 4, same plan
as that Figure 2, but with the transparent indicator above it, thus representing
the box ready to operate; Figure 5, elevation of the box with its covers or
lids; Figure 6, same elevation, with the lids separated; Figure 7, section
of the box at P, Q; Figure 8, same section, with the 3 parts separated ;
and Figure 9 represents both sides of one of the decimal dials, drawu
full size.
C, body of the box arranged so as to lodge the entire series of decimal dials
on one side, and on the other to lodge only one, that on which the reduction is
to be operated. It carries at the middle of its height a somewhat projecting
collar so that it may be readily taken hold of when it is desired to act on the

page_text: lower cover or lid or on the transparent indicator; D, rim, and E its trans-
parent, of horn or other diaphanous or transparent material. A, B, Figures 3
and 4, are two styles or indicating rays engraved on the transparent E. Their
distance apart has here been regulated by the relation of yards to metres
(Figure 4), so that all the other ratios of measurements contained on the
dials must necessarily in each table be brought respectively to it. Now
taking into consideration that all the rays traced on the dials are at equal
distance, it will be seen, following the decimal principle, that if the styles A
and B are advanced one, two, three, or more of these distances towards the
right of a number so that there is coincidence in the rays, the number is
rendered 10 times, 100 times, 1,000 times, and so on greater, and by these
distances towards the left, 10 times, 100 times, or 1,000 times, and so on less.
F, small band or fillet of pliant texture glued inside against the cheek; its
object is to fix the transparent firmly to the rim and at the same time to
regulate and soften the angular movement of this latter piece; i, small orifice
made at the bottom of the box to give exit to the air when shutting the dial
plates in the box, it may also serve accidentally to push back the only dial
fitted on the box; G, lower cover; H, small band glued against the inner
cheek to unite the cover G to the body of the box without too hard a friction;
the cover might also be screwed, in which case the small band H is
useless.
Figures 1 to 7* inclusive, illustrate a box of oblong shape. Figure 1,
plan of the box, with its lid, on which may be inscribed its title; Figure 2*,
same plan, on which is placed a decimal tablet; Figure 3*, the same, sur-
mounted by the transparent indicator, without decimal tablet beneath;
Figure 4*, end elevation of the complete box; Figure 5*, transverse section at
R, S, in the other Figures; Figure 6*, longitudinal section at T, U, in the
other Figures; and Figure 7, longitudinal elevation.
K, body of the box drawn full size. Like the cylindrical box it is formed
to lodge the entire series of decimal tablets. L, cover or lid so moulded at
top that it may lodge only one decimal tablet, as shewn, Figure 2*; M,
sliding indicator with its adhering transparent N, on which are engraved the
styles A¹ and B' established absolutely according to the same principle as those
engraved on the transparent of the cylindrical box above described. The dial
plates or decimal tablets of one or other box will be glazed like playing cards
to render their use more prompt and easy. They will carry on each of their
faces 4 reduction tables, distinguished the one from the other by their colour,
as shewn on the Drawing. It will be observed that each colored table is
always immediately followed by a white one, carrying at its upper part a zone

page_text: of the same colour as that of the table which precedes it, which indicates that
on these two tables the measures indicated are there reciprocally reduced,
that is to say, that there is relation between these two tables. If therefore
there are, say, 28 of these dials or tablets, the number of tables which they
will contain will be 224 each, giving 99,999 operations, which, multiplied by
224, will give 22,399,776 reductions or calculations made, supposing which to
be placed in line as in ready reckoners, would require not less than 200
volumes octavo in double colums, and of 1,000 pages each. These small
boxes, by the easy and prompt manner in which is mathematically obtained
the reduction of old weights and measures into new and metrical weights and
measures, and reciprocally, and by their small size, which makes them a pretty
and useful article for the pocket and the study, will be found specially useful in
propagating and familiarising the use of the new system of weights and
measures projected in Great Britain, and if, contrary to all expectation, this
project should not be carried out, there would remain the manifest utility of
this instrument, as it lends itself marvellously to the comparaison of all
measures known to the world, even where the metrical system has not been
adopted. With this instrument may also be obtained, and with no less
rapidity and precision, the mutual relative values of the unities of any system
of weights and measures, the knowledge of which is the more useful inasmuch
as such could not be obtained without long and difficult calculations. This
instrument is also arranged so as instantly to calculate interest at various
rates.
The method of operating is as follows:-The style or ray A engraved on
the transparent serves exclusively to determine the quantities to be reduced.
These quantities are always placed in the first part at the left of each reduction
table, that is to say, in the three small columns from 100 to 900; each time
therefore that a number is to be reduced the indicator will be advanced until
the style or ray A coincides with the ray or line which precedes this number,
that is to say, so that this latter is always placed immediately to the left of these
two rays superposed. By this simple operation the style or second ray B, also
engraved on the transparent coincides simultaneously with another ray or line of
the second part of the table, and at the point of this coincidence, by following
the same zone, the reduction sought will be obtained. The numbers placed
to the left of this latter style express the integers and those to the right the
decimals or fractions of these integers. In practice it is usual to limit calcu-
lations to two decimals or to about the hundredths, and then increase by one
the last of these ciphers, when that which follows equals 5 or surpasses 5,
therefore the same will be done with the reductions obtained in the tables.

page_text: The name of the decimals and their order in the columns at the right of
the style B, engraved on the transparent in the result of an operation by one
or other of the boxes, is set forth, Figure 10, where it will be seen that the
decimals of a number are always expressed by tenths, hundredths, thousandths,
and so on, of an integer without distinction of measures, old, new, or metrical.
Nevertheless it is usual in these latter to substitute to the generic names of
tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so on, other names which are specially
applicable to them and which it is in practice very useful to know.
Example 1. If old measures of length are reduced to meters the first
cipher to the right of the style B, engraved on the transparent will express
"decimetres," the second cipher" centimetres," the third cipher "millimetres,"
and so on.
The conversion of English measures into French, and vice versa, will be
sufficiently illustrated by the two following examples:-Required to reduce
145 imperial gallons into litres. A dial or tablet, say No. 25 (193d table),
will indicate, 1st, that tho equivalent of 100 imperial gallons is in litres
454,8458; 2d, that the equivalent of 40 gallons is in litres 181,7383; 3d, that
the equivalent of 5 gallons is in litres 22,7173; total 658,8014. The 145
imperial gallons therefore equal 658 litres, plus 80 centilitres. Required to
reduce 178 lbs. English into kilogrammes. A dial plate or tablet, say No. 27 s
(209th table), will shew, 1st, that the equivalent in kilogrammes of 100 lbs.
avoirdupois (English) is 45,3593; 2d, of 70 lbs., 31,7515; 3d, of 8 lbs., 3,6287;
total, 80,7395. The 178 lbs. English are therefore equal to 80 kilogrammes,
plus 74 décagrammes.
These three examples will suffice to show the manner of operating with this
instrument, it being understood that when it is desired to operate the dial
plate or tablet on which are the measures to be converted or the calculations
to be made, as when interest at a certain rato is to be ascertained, is to be
first placed beneath the transparent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Amedée Barthelemi Donat Maurand,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three.