Year: 1889

page_text: I CHARLES SPERRY, of Port Washington, in the County of Queens and State of
New York, United States of America 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 :-
This invention relates to a drawing board so constructed as to be conveniently
turned and placed at any angle, combined with a ruler moved over the board, and
kept in a parallel direction by a pinion at each end working on a rack,—the pinions
being connected by a shaft, on one end of which index wheels are used to move the ruler,
and to measure and space the distance between lines.
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenient drawing board
and ruler, with which all measurements, and lines, at all angles, may be made more
accurately and expeditiously, with less application of the eye sight, mental effort,
and mannal labor, for drawing all lines at any angle, with the same ruler in one
direction, and performing the work with less inconvenience than by using a
T-square, protractor, triangles, parallel ruler, section-liner, shading and measuring
scales etc.
[ accomplish these objects with a combined drawing board and ruler, constructed
substantially as herein specified, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which :-
Fig. 1 is a plan of the instrument with the board turned for drawing lines at an
angle of 22 degrees from a horizontal, or 67 degrees from a vertical line.
Fig. 2 is a disunited plan of the ruler with shaft, pinions, and index wheel, and a
portion of the board, frame, and racks at each end.
Fig. 3 is disunited sectional elevation of the board, ruler, and shaft with pinions,
index wheel, and the frame, with racks, on the line a a, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of an index measuring wheel, a pinion, rack, and
hanger, on the line b b, Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the ruler, a pinion, and part of a rack.

page_text: Fig. 6 is n view of an index-shading wheel for representing convex and concave
surfaces of several differont lengths, and
Fig. 7 is a view of another shading wheel, indexed for shading a greater length,
to represent a convex or concave surface.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
In the drawings, e is the drawing board, which is pivotted at its centre d, on
the underside, to a frame e, having racks f, g, across each end. The curved ends of tho
board are concentric with the centre pivot at d, and have scales hi graduated in
degrees of the circle on which they are placed. These scales are each 90 degrees
long, and secured 90 degrees apart on the circle. The degroes aro indicated on the
scales by two pointersk, 90 degrees apart, secured to the frame e.
The ruler has a longitudinal groove in its lower side, which fits over a shaft m.
At each end of the ruler 2, and fastened on the shaft m, are pinions no, which
gear with and run on the rack ƒ g. These pinions are of such a size that, for
cach revolution, they roll over the racks, and move the ruler exactly a certain
distance, say, one inch. The pinions no are kept on and in gear with the racks ƒg
by hangers, which slide on the rneks, guided by lugar under the flanges on the
racks. On the left hand end of the shaft m is a thumb screw nuts, for securing
changeable index wheels to the shaft by binding them between the nut and the
pinion n. An index wheel & for measuring is shown on the shaft, and other wheels
for shnding are represented in Fig. 6 and 7. An index pointer springs in and
out of the index holes on the wheels when they are turned, thereby retarding and
partially holding them at those points. The index pointer u slides on a pointer guide e,
attached to the hanger p, so that it may be moved to all the index oirclos
on the measuring wheels, and run in the spiral grooves on the shading wheels.
The measuring wheels have circular grooves, with as many equidistant index holes a
as the number of arts into which it is desire to divide the inch or other distance repre-
sented by the pinions n. o. The side shown of the wheel in the example represented,
is indexed to measure and divide inches in 2, 3.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20,
22, and 24 parts. The opposite side of the wheel can be indexed for other fractions,
and different wheels, with any number of indexes, may be used to monsure and move
the ruler as finely as is required or possible to draw lines. The indexes are numbered
with oven numbers, 2, 4, 6, etc., for measuring down, and odd numbers 1, 3, 5 etc.,
for measuring up. The number of indexes in such circle are shown on the pointer
guider on a line with the top of the eircle.
The shading wheels have spiral grooves, as y y, divided into soctions, as a to z,
which are indexed to space lines properly for shading the length required.
Fig. 6 represents a shading wheol divided into twelve sections, having indexes for shading
convex and concave surfaces to 1 inches long, and Fig. 7 a wheel indexed for shading
convex and concavo surfaces 12 inches long. Shading wheels for the intermediate lengths,
or longer surfaces, are made in the same way. Both sides of the shading wheels
may be grooved spirally through the index holes, one side being used for represonting
convex surfaces, and the other side by reversing the whool used for concave surfaces
of corresponding lengths; or the same side of the wheel may be used for both convex
and concavo surfaces, by turning the drawing board 180 degrees, or one-half around.
Instead of as shown in the drawings, the index wheels may be made cylindrical, having
the indexes and grooves around the circumferential surface, and the index pointer
arranged to move longitudinally over this surface.
The instrument is operated and used as follows:-
The material on which the drawings are to be made, is stretched upon and
secured to the drawing board c. Horizontal lines are drawn by the rulor 7, when
the pointers are at one end of oach scale, hi, on either side of the board, or when
the pointers are at each end of either scale. Lines at any angle are drawn, with the
same rulor, in the same direction, by turning tho board the required number of
degrees indicated by one of the pointers on one of the scales; the two scales and
pointers measuring all angles and dogrees in a circle.
Measurements are made with the measuring wheel, which, by turning with tho

page_text: shaft m and the pinions n o, measures with and moves the ruler one inch at each
revolution. To draw a line a certain number of inches from another line, the ruler
is placed at the line already drawn; then the measuring wheel t is given the same
number of revolutions as the number of inches that the lines are to be apart,
when the line may be drawn. If there is a fraction of an inch in the distance required
between the lines, the index pointer u is placed at one of the index circles having a
number of indexes shown on the pointer guide v, which is a multiple of the
number of parts in an inch composing the fraction required, and if the index pointer
is not at the zero point on the measuring wheel where the notation of the index holes
commences, the thumb nuts is loosened, and the wheel turned until the index pointer
enters the hole at the zero point; then the thumb nut is tightened, binding the
measuring wheel against the pinion n which connects it to the shaft m. The
measuring wheel is now turned one revolution for every inch and a proportional part
of a revolution for the fraction measured, by moving the required number of indexes
past the index pointer.
Section lining is performed by moving the ruler with the wheel t, using the index
pointer in either circle of indexes, according to the distance apart that the lines
are desired to be spaced. Wheels with other numbers of indexes may be used to
space lines at other distances apart. The different wheels are taken off and exchanged
for others by removing the thumb nut s.
Shading is done by moving the ruler with wheels having indexes at varying
distances apart in a spiral groove. The ruler is placed at the line on one side of the
surface to be shaded; a wheel having an indexed section for the required length is put
on the shaft m with the index pointer u in the first index hole of the section used,
and the thumb nuts tightened. The wheel is then turned one index, and a line drawn
consecutively until the other end of the section and the opposite side of the surface
being shaded are reached. The index pointer u follows in the spiral groove y y, and
slides on the pointer guide v when the wheel is turned.
In operating the index wheels, the correct movement of the ruler will generally
be effected by feeling and hearing the index pointer enter the index holes, rather
than by observing the number of indexes, thus using other senses to assist the oye-sight,
and considerably lessening the mental and manual exertion.
The work accomplished by the instrument will also be mechanically accurate.
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. The combination of a drawing board pivotted to a frame, graduated scales
concentric with the pivot, and pointers for indicating the degrees of any angle at
which the board may be placed, substantially as shown and described.
2. The combination of a drawing board having racks along its sides, and a ruler
having pinions gearing with and rolling on said racks, to keep the ruler in a
parallel direction when moved over the board, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The combination of a drawing board, which may be rotated on a frame having a
rack at each end alongside of the board, and a ruler having pinions working on said
racks, for drawing lines at all angles, and moving the ruler in a parallel direction,
substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination of a ruler provided with two pinions, one at each end, which
are connected by a shaft, and gear in a rack at each side of a drawing board,
substantially as shown.and described, and for the purposes set forth.
5. The combination of a ruler, pinions working on racks at each side of a drawing
board, a shaft, and index wheels for measuring, shading, section lining, and moving the
ruler as desired, substantially as shown and specified.
6. The combination with a drawing board provided with racks, of a ruler provided
with pinions, shaft, and index wheels having indexes arranged spirally on the sides,
substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 7. The combination with a drawing board provided with racks, of a ruler provided
with pinions, shaft, and index wheels having indexes arranged spirally on the periphory,
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
8. A drawing board provided with racks, in combination with a ruler moved and
guided by a shaft, and pinions working and rolling on said racks, and index wheels
for operating the ruler, substantially as and for the purposes described.
9. A drawing board provided with graduated scalus of degrees, turning on a frame
having racks alongside of the board, in combination with a mechanically moved ruler
provided with pinions connected by a shaft, and index wheels, substantially as shown
and described, and for the purposes set forth.
1. A pivotal drawing board having scales, pointors, frame and racks, in combina-
tion with a mechanical ruler, pinions, shaft and index wheels, all constructed and
arranged for being operated as a T-square, protractor, trianglos, parallel ruler, section-
liner, for measuring and drawing all lines at any angle or distance apart, substantially
as specified.
13.11.11.
1004
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.