Improvements in or relating to Instruments for Ascertaining and Laying Out Gradients.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Instruments for Ascertaining and
Laying Out Gradients.
I, JOSEPH SPIERS PICKERING of Pool Bank Street, Nuneaton in the County of
Warwick, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object the improvement of clinometers and spirit levels
and similar instruments and for ascertaining and laying out gradients.
My invention is especially suitable for facilitating the laying of pipes and drains
to true and even inclinations and gradients but it may be used for other purposes.
In order the more clearly to define my invention this specification is accompanied
with drawings Fig. 1 being the obverse elevation and Fig. 2 the reverse elevation.
The same letters indicate the same parts on each of the figures.
I
I construct a straight-edge a of any convenient length and size, preferably of
wood, but this may be of any other material. I insert one or more spirit-levels b in
the upper edge of the straight-edge a in order to facilitate its being held in a
horizontal position. I may however use a loose spirit level for this purpose. I
provide at one end of the straight-edge a a plate of wood or other suitable material c
of any convenient length and size. The plate c has a slot d piercing it in a
longitudinal direction so that by means of a thumb-screw e or other convenient
method the plate c may be securely fixed in various positions at right angles to the
straight-edge a. I provide at the other end of the straight-edge a a plate of wood or
other suitable material of any convenient length and size. The plate is shorter
than the plate c. The plate is attached to the straight edge a by means of a thumb-
screw g so that it inay revolve on the straight-edge a. The plate f may be secured
to the straight-edge a by ordinary wood-screws or other convenient means.
provide a wire or cord h and stretch the said wire or cord from the plate c to the
plate securing the ends to the plates c and respectively in any convenient
manner. The extremities of the wire or cord are each the same distance from
the lower ends of the plates c and f. On the faces or upon one face only of the
plate c I inscribe lines and figures so arranged as to indicate the fall or gradient
required in any convenient form. The fall or gradient is ascertained by moving the
plate c in a vertical direction and bringing the edge of the straight-edge a or a
pointer fixed on the straight-edge a opposite the respective lines and figures marked
on the plate e indicating the fall or gradient. I insert a spirit-level j in the edge of
the plate c. I also fix a small mirror k in the edge of the plate c at such an angle
that by holding the plate c in a horizontal position as in Fig. 3. the bubble of the
spirit-level may be reflected in the mirror when the line of vision is along the upper
edge of the plate c. I sometimes attach a plumb-line l with plummet m to the straight-
edge a. I may inscribe along the length of the straight-edge a divisions and figures
representing feet, inches, and parts of inches or any other measure. I may also
inscribe on the face of the straight-edge a divisions and figures to indicate the
respective angles which the plate c may make with the straight-edge a when the plate c
is moved in varying positions.
DLL:
11004

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Instruments for Ascertaining and
Laying Out Gradients.
I, JOSEPH SPIERS PICKERING of Pool Bank Street, Nuneaton in the County of
Warwick Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object the improvement of clinometers and spirit levels, and
similar instruments, used for ascertaining and laying out gradients.
My invention is especially suitable for facilitating the laying of pipes and drains,
'to true and even inclinations; but it may be used for other purposes.
In order the more. clearly to define my invention, the drawings filed with my
Provisional Specification, are referred to in this specification, Fig. 1 being the
obverse elevation, and Fig. 2, the reverse elevation. The same letters indicate the
same parts in each of the figures.
a
I construct a straight-edge a, of any convenient length, and size, preferably of
wood, but this may be of any other suitable material. I insert one or more spirit-
levels in the upper edge of the straight-edge a in order to facilitate its being held
in a horizontal position. I may however use a loose spirit level for this purpose.
I provide at one end of the straight-edge a plate of wood or other suitable
material e of any convenient length and size. The plate c has a slot d piercing
it in a longitudinal direction, so that by means of a thumb-screw e or other
convenient method the plate c may be securely fixed in various positions to the
straight-edge a. I provide at the other end of the straight-edge a, a plate of wood
or other suitable material of any convenient length and size. The plate f is
shorter than the plate c. The plato f is attached to the straight-edge a by means
of a thumb-screw g. The plate f may be secured to the straight-edge a by means
of ordinary wood-screws or other convenient means. I provide a wire or cord h
and stretch the said wire or cord from the plate c to the plate securing the
ends to the plates c and respectively in any convenient manner. The extremities
of the wire or cord h are each the same distance from the lower ends of the
plates candy.
On the faces, or upon one face only of the plate c, I inscribe lines and figures
so arranged as to indicate the fall or gradient required, in any convenient form.
1 may also inscribe lines and figures on the edge or edges of the plate c for a
similar purpose in any convenient form. I insert a spirit-level; in the edge of
the plate c.
I also fix a small mirror k on the edge of the plate cat such an
angle that by holding the plate c in a horizontal position as in Fig. 3 the bubble of
the spirit-level jis reflected in the mirror k when the line of vision is directed
along the upper edge of the plate c. I sometimes attach a plumb-line / with
plummet m to the straight-edge a. I may inscribe along the length of the
straight-edge a divisions and figures representing feet, inches and parts of inches or
any other measures. I may also inscribe on the face of the straight-edge a divisions
and figures to indicate the respective angles which the plate
straight-edge a when the plate c is moved in varying positions.
In order to ascertain the rate of inclination or gradient of any inclined plane,
the instrument is applied in such a manner that the lower ends of the plates c and,
rest upon the plane in a vertical position. The straight-edge a is then brought to
a horizontal position with the aid of the spirit-level b, and the rate of inclination
which such inclined plane makes with the horizontal straight-edge a is ascertained
by reading the figures on the graduated index plate c which refer to the line on
c may make with the

page_text: the said plate c coinciding with the edge of the straight-edge d. In the case of a
sewer or drain the inclined plane is represented by the upper surface of the pipes
of which such sewer or drain is composed.
To apply the instrument in laying down a gradient the edge of the straight-
edge a is made to coincide with the particular line inscribed on the graduated
index-plate c to which the figures on the plate c representing the required rate of
inclination refer.
The instrument is then held in such a manner that the straight-edge a is horizontal;
the plates c and f being in a vertical position as in Figs. 1 and 2. A line drawn
from the lower end of the plate.c to the lower end of the plate f when the instrument
is in this position represents the gradient required.
In order to facilitate the laying of pipes and drains to true and even inclinations
the instrument is used as follows: In the first instance it is held preferably at the
upper end of the proposed drain in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The straight-edge a
is held in a vertical position by the aid of the plummet m, and the plate c is brought
to a horizontal position by the aid of the spirit-level j.
The plate c is then secured to the straight-edge a by the thumb-screw e. A staff
or measure of convenient height is held in a vertical position at the end of the proposed
drain. The line of vision is then directed along the upper edge of the plate c towards
the said staff, the reflection of the bubble of the spirit-level; in the mirror k facili-
tating the plate c being maintained in its horizontal position when the line of vision
is thus directed. The point on the before-mentioned staff coinciding with the line of
vision directed along the edge of the plate c is then noted.
The vertical height of the instrument deducted from the height ascertained on the
staff in the manner mentioned gives the difference in levels between the respective
points on which the instrument and the staff have been placed. For oxample:
suppose the instrument to be 4 feet high and the point observed on the staff 6 feet
the difference of level would be 2 feet, and assuming the distance between the instru-
ment and the staff to be 50 feet, and the proposed drain to be the same depth at its
upper and lower ends below the points at which the instrument and staff have been
placed, the inclination of the proposed drain would thus be ascertained to be 2 feet
in 50 feet or 1 in 25. Having then ascertained the inclination of the proposed drain
the instrument is applied for laying the pipes of which such drain is composed to
such inclination. In the example referred to the edge of the straight-edge a is made
to coincide with the line inscribed on the plate c to which the figures 1 in 25 have
reference. The instrument when so adjusted is used as follows: The excavation for
the drain is commenced preferably at the lower end, that is at the point where the
staff before mentioned was held, and is proceeded with towards the upper end of the
drain, the rate of inclination (1 in 25) of the floor or bottom of the excavation on
which the drain is to be laid being ascertained by applying the instrument as
adjusted to the floor of the excavation. The straight-edge a is held horizontally and
the plates and c rest in a vertical position the floor of the excavation being made
to coincide with a line drawn between their lower ends and parallel to the line or
cord h that is, in the present example an inclination of 1 in 25. The pipes composing
the drain are then laid on the floor of the excavation their inclination being at the
rate of 1 in 25.
The instrument may be used to ascertain the difference of level between two or
more points as follows:
The straight-edge a is held horizontally by the aid of the spirit-level and the
plates and c rest vertically upon respective points. It follows that the clifference
measured between the edge of the straight-edge a and the lower ends of the plates f
and e respectively, represents the difference in levels between the respective points on
which the plates and c rest. This difference is indicated by lines and figures
inscribed on the plate c the edge of the straight-edge coinciding with the line referring
to the figures representing the difference in the levels.
The instrument may be used as an ordinary bricklayer's or mason's plumb-rule
either by detaching the plates and c from the straight-edge a or by fixing the

page_text: plates and c with their thumb-screws to coincide longitudinally with the straight-
-edge a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
--claim is :
(1) A clinometer or spirit level consisting of a horizontal straight-edge having at
each. end a vertical plate one of the said plates being adjustable and having inscribed
thereon an index or indexes representing various rates of inclination, falls and
gradients, which lines drawn from the lower end of one plate to the lower end of
the other plate made with the straight-edge, the said plates having stretched fromi
one to the other a wire or cord parallel to a line joining their lower ends, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and for the purposes specified..
(2) A clinometer or spirit-level in combination with a mirror used to reflect the
bubble of the spirit-level as hereinbefore described.
(3) A clinometer or spirit-level as hereinbefore described in combination with a
bricklayer's or mason's plumb-rule.
(4) The combination of the whole of the parts of the clinometer or spirit-level,
substantially as herein before described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this Third day of December 1896.
JOSEPH SPIERS PICKERING.