IMPROVEMENTS .IN MEANS FOR INDICATING AND REPRESENTING VARIOUS METEOROLOGICAL
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur John Joyce, of Upper Gower Street, in the
County of Middlesex; Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
.IN MEANS FOR INDICATING AND REPRESENTING VARIOUS METEOROLOGICAL OR
Sealed the 26th July 1861, and dated the 14th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur John Joyce at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th March 1861.
I, ARTHUR JOHN JOYCE, of Upper Gower Street, in the County of Middle-.
sex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR INDICATING AND REPRESENTING VARIOUS METEORO-
LOGICAL OR ATMOSPHERICAL PHENOMENA OR INFLUENCES," to be as follows:,
The object of the improvements is to indicate various atmospherical
phenomena, or influences simultaneously taking place in different localities.

page_text: For this purpose a plate or other surface representing by outline, or other-
wise, the divisions or other geographical features of a country or district is
perforated with holes, or otherwise prepared for the reception of moveable
types or other forms adapted to indicate by arrows, letters, numerals, cyphers,
or other marks, or by their shape and size, or by tints or colours, or by the
combination of any or all of these indices, or otherwise, as may be desired, the
force and direction of the wind, the state of the atmosphere, the presence of
clouds, the fall of rain, the degrees marked by the barometer, thermometer,
hygrometer, and anemometer, and other atmospherical influences and meteoro-
logical phenomena at the localities corresponding to the relative positions at
which the said types or other representations are respectively inserted in the
plate or other surface. Impressions taken from surfaces so prepared will
accordingly record the meteorological or other phenomena or influences
indicated as existing at the respective places at the particular times selected,
and as the types or other forms are moveable, they may be altered or re-adjusted
from time to time, so as to depict the contemporary phenomena or other in-
fluences existing at any day or hour chosen for that purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Arthur John Joyce in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, . I, ARTHUR
JOHN JOYCE, of Upper Gower Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me,
the said Arthur John Joyce, Her special licence that I, the said Arthur
John Joyce, my executors; administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Arthur John Joyce, 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

page_text: .
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR INDICATING AND REPRESENTING VARIOUS
METEOROLOGICAL OR ATMOSPHERICAL PHENOMENA OR INFLUENCES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Arthur John Joyce, 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 the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed; and
'cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur John Joyce, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:
The object of the improvements is to indicate various atmospherical
phenomena or influences simultaneously taking place in different localities.
For this purpose a plate or other surface representing by outline, or other-
wise the divisions or other geographical features of a country or district is
perforated with holes, or otherwise prepared for the reception of moveable
types or other forms adapted to indicate by arrows, letters, numerals, cyphers,
or other marks, or by their shape and size, or by tints or colors, or by the
combination of any or all of these indices, or otherwise, as may be desired, the
force and direction of the wind, the state of the atmosphere, the presence of
clouds, the fall of rain, the degrees marked by the barometer, thermometer,
hygrometer, and anemometer, and other atmospherical influences and meteoro-
logical phenomena at the localities corresponding to the relative positions at
which the said types or other representations are respectively inserted in the
plate or other surface. Impressions taken from surfaces so prepared will,
accordingly, record the meteorological or other phenomena or influences
indicated as existing at the respective places at the particular times selected,
and as the types or other forms are moveable, they may be altered or re-
adjusted from time to time, so as to depict the contemporary phenomena or
other influences existing at any day or hour chosen for that purpose.
But that the nature of the Invention may be more fully understood, I will
proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, to give illustration of the means
pursued by me.
Figure 1 shews an impression taken from a plate or surface adapted to
receive indications according to my Invention. This illustration represents an
outline of the British islands, the circles a representing holes in the plate for the
reception of moveable forms adapted to indicate the influences or phenomena

page_text: existing at those particular places at any particular time. Figures 2 to 14
represent the surfaces of forms variously arranged to indicate different states
"of atmosphere or meterological influences. Thus Figure 2. is intended:'to
represent that the mercury in the barometer is falling: Figure 3 that it is
stationary, Figure 4 that it is rising; Figure 5 is intended to indicate the state
lof the wind, and that it is calm, whilst Figure 6 indicates there is a breeze;
Figure 7 that it is brisk; Figure 8 that it is blowing. a gale, and Figure 9
that there is a hurricane; Figure 10 having reference to the state of the
weather, is intended to indicate that it is clear, Figure 11 that there are
detached clouds; Figure 12 that it is overcast or foggy; Figure 13 that there
ara showers, and Figure 14 that it is raining. It must, however, be 'under-
stood that these Figures are only given as illustrations susceptible of con-
siderable variation and extension, such as may be required to convey additional
information. Also that in use several illustrations will in most cases be
required to be combined in order to indicate various concurrent influences
existing at the same place. And for this purpose I form the types or surfaces
in sets, specimens of each of which illustrate various. possible combinations,
which will be better understood by reference to Figure 15, which shews
various of the combinations together. Thus the indication at London con-
bines those of Figures 4, 7, and 12, and is intended to represent that at the
time given there is at that place a rising barometer, a brisk wind in the
direction indicated by the arrows, and that the weather is: overcast or. foggy,
whilst at the same time at Valentia the indications combine Figures 4, 5,
and 10, or a rising barometer, a calm and a clear sky, and simultaneously at
'Perth the indications combined Figures 3, 6, and 11, or that at that place the
barometer is stationary, a breeze in the direction of the arrow, and detached
clouds, and so on simultaneously at the other respective places as indicated.
I have not thought it necessary to represent in detail the form of the plate
or surface to receive the types or forms, or the forms themselves, as it will be
understood that it is only necessary to have holes or openings of suitable
forms corresponding with the places where the indications are wanted, and
that the body or stem of the type or form shall correspond so as to be securely
held for the time in such holes or openings, and that the surface so arranged
may be caused to receive ink or color and impressions taken from it on paper
or otherwise, as in ordinary block or type printing.
:
In order to the better carrying out of the improvements the following
instructions are given as suggestions to observers: It is desirable that the
barometer be placed in position where the temperature. is most. equable. at

page_text: every season of the year; that the detached thermometer be hung where it
may best record the true temperature of the outward air, and at the same
time be sheltered from wet, wind, and the direct rays of the sun; and that
for the sake of daily observations, the barometer be regulated by bringing the
index point to a level with the mercury every evening about eight o'clock or
other suitable time. That in 'the morning at nine precisely or other deter-
mined time the observation be taken, and the reading then marked by the
index telegraphed in inches and hundredths' (comprising, say four numerals)
with the addition of a letter previously determined upon, as, for example, A,
if the index shews that the mercury has ascended since the previous evening,
or M if no motion has occurred, and F if it has fallen.
The thermometer observations, as taken by the indication's of the detached
instrument exposed to the outward air, may be telegraphed as they appear in
degrees comprising two numerals in the daily message. The wind may be
estimated as to direction by the indications of any vane adapted' as much as
possible to escape the influence of local disturbances (the point, beak, &c. of
ordinary vanes is directed towards the wind.) The direction of the wind at
the time of observation, as, for instance (9 a.m.) may be indicated by the
initial letters of the sixteen points of the compass, viz., N., N.N.E., N.E.,
E.N.E., E., E.S.E., S.E., S.S.E., S., S.S.W., S.W., W.S.W., W., W.N.W.,
N.W., N.N.W.
The force of the wind will be estimated at each station according to the
experience of the observer. When the atmospheric motion is slight and
indeterminate, the signal 0 may be transmitted for calm; when there is a
light wind the figure 1 may be telegraphed; when brisk, 2; when boisterous, 3;
and the occurrence of a hurricane, by 4.
may
The weather indications may be taken and transmitted upon an approxi-
mative rule. A clear sky, or when only a few high-flying clouds are visible,
be telegraphed as B (blue sky); if the clouds are more numerous, but
with patches of clear sky, between the signalized initial may be D (detached
cloud); when the whole, heaven is overcast or foggy, the telegraph signal O
may be used; when showers are flying about, as in what is called "April
weather," the passage of these rain clouds may be indicated by the letter F;
and when steady rain is falling, such state may be indicated by the letter R.
Supposing, then, the indications as taken always to be telegraphed in the same
order, those daily telegrams reporting the barometrical and thermometrical
readings and the observed state of wind and weather at 9 a.m., every day
would be according to this formula.

page_text: Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Clerk to William Brookes,
Patent Agent,
73, Chancery Lane,
London.
ARTHUR J. JOYCE. (L.S.)