A New and Improved Form of Drawing Compasses or Dividers.
Year: 1885

page_text: A New and Improved Form of Drawing Compasses or Dividers.
I, CHARLES RHODES, Schoolmaster, of two hundred and eighty-four Kennington
Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for A NEW AND IMPROVED FORM OF DRAWING COMPASSES OR DIVIDERS
to be as follows:-
I make a stout spiral spring of about 12 gauge brass, iron, steel, or other wire.
The spring may be of any suitable diameter, an inch and a half being suitable for
ordinary purposes. The wire forming the spring is coiled round twice, so as to
form two complete circles; or the coils may be of another shape as oval, square,
or oblong. The remainder of the wire, the length of which may vary is bent away
from the coils at right angles or nearly so, and the end is sharply pointed.
This wire thus bent outwards forms one leg of the compasses or dividers.
The other leg is formed by an ordinary lead pencil, writing, or drawing pen, or
pointed rod, which is inserted between the two coils of the wire, in such a manner
that its pointed end and the pointed end of the wire may be brought together or
separated as in ordinary compasses.
The grip of the spring on the inserted pencil, pen, or rod is sufficient to retain
it in its place while circles are being described.
It is advantageous, but not necessary, to use a lead pencil, pen, or rod with two
opposite flattened surfaces, a better grip being thus obtained, and the tendency to
slipping reduced. An ordinary lead pencil may easily be flattened by using a
plane or file.
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page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New and Improved Form of Drawing Compasses or Dividers.
I, CHARLES RHODES, of 284 Kennington Road, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Schoolmaster do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW
AND IMPROVED FORM OF DRAWING COMPASSES OR DIVIDERS, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My compasses are manufactured of wire, steel wire being the most suitable, but
brass, iron, or other wire may be used. A portion of the wire is coiled round
twice so as to forin two complete, or nearly complete circles or coils of another
shape. The two coils need not necessarily be of the same shape and size, although
I usually make them so. The part of the wire thus coiled has something like the
appearance of a split ring. The remainder of the same piece of wire, of suitable
length, is bent outwards from the coils at right angles or nearly so to a tangent of
the circles, and the end is sharply pointed. This wire thus bent outwards forms
one leg of the compasses or dividers.
The other leg is formed by a pencil, pen, or pointed rod, which is inserted
between the two coils of the wire, and may be moved about between them. The
wire is of such strength that it has a firm grip upon the inserted pencil, pen, or
pointed rod, sufficient to prevent it from slipping while circles are being described.
The wire leg is so bent that the point of the inserted pencil may be brought close
to the point of the leg, or withdrawn, as with ordinary compasses. For the pencil
I generally use a lead pencil with two opposite flattened surfaces. An ordinary
lead pencil may be planed down for the purpose. I do not usually make the coils
touching one another; by this means the pencil is more easily inserted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) That my compasses are less liable than any other cheap form of compasses
to get out of order, the metal part being all in one piece, and no screws
being used.
(2.) That by using suitable wire, and making the two coils at a convenient
distance from one another, the grip on the pencil may be adjusted to any degree of
nicety, and when once adjusted, with ordinary usage the grip is not altered.
So with constant use the compasses do not get slack.
(3.) That my compasses are produced at a cost much less than that of ordinary
compasses, while they are quite as easily manipulated.

page_text: (4.) When used in schools by large classes the teacher does not get a considerable
portion of his time taken up in keeping the instruments properly fitted with leads,
as with ordinary compasses. The only trouble necessary with the younger scholars
is that of sharpening the leads.
(5.) With this form of compass the same lead may be used for ruling lines, and
also may be easily taken out for use as an ordinary pencil.