INVENTED COM- BINATIONS, AND, ARRANGEMENTS OF IMPLEMENTS AND MECHANICAL POWERS, AND CERTAIN PRINCIPLES AND FORMS OF TABLES, USEFUL FOR SURVEYING, AND VARIOUS OTHER. PURPOSES
Year: 1804

page_text: SHARPLES' SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SHARPLES, of Grosvenor Place, Bath, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster; the Twenty-fourth day of November,
in the forty-fourth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said James
Sharples, His especial licence, that I, the said James Sharples, during the term
of years, therein mentioned, should, and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Whales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my "INVENTED COM-
BINATIONS, AND, ARRANGEMENTS OF IMPLEMENTS AND MECHANICAL POWERS, AND
CERTAIN PRINCIPLES AND FORMS OF TABLES, USEFUL FOR SURVEYING, AND VARIOUS
OTHER. PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said James Sharples, by an instrument in writing under my
band and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven
tions, and in what manner the same are to be performed, to be enrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being
thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear..
:
NOW KNOW YE; that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Sharples, do hereby declare that my said Inventions consist, first,
in the following particulars: Two or more wheels, pullies, rings, rollers,
chains, or cords, toothed or notched with different numbers of teeth or notches,

page_text: are any how so arranged as to be capable of being impelled on equal number
of teeth or notches at a time, so that a successive variation or combination of
their parts or points will take place, by which the number of impulses that
formed them may be ascertained; and what distinguishes this part of my
Invention from all others intended for ascertaining distances, and counting
animal or mechanical motions, is, that the wheels, pullies, &c. that compose the
instrument may be separated, and inclosed in different compartments of the
same box, or in separate boxes, or separate rooms, provided they are equally
moved by the same power a notch at a time, (or, if they are rings, rollers, &c.
of different diameters,) an equal portion of their peripheries. Let there be
two wheels marked with characters corresponding to the number of their teeth,
==
and a fixed pointer fast in the pins that they move upon, and suppose that by
any animal or mechanical motion each wheel has been impelled twenty-three
teeth, the larger will have made two revolutions and three over, the smaller two
revolutions and five over; these numbers, three and five, which I call indicial,
will appear at the pointer, as in the annexed Figure A; set down the plenary
numbers, ten and nine, and their indicials opposite to them, as at B; substract
the first indicial 3 from its plenary number 10, and 7 remains, to which add
the indicial 5 = 12; but as 12 is more than its plenary number 9, nine must
be substracted from it, which leaves three; multiply the plenary 10 by 3 = 30,
substract the remainder 7, and 23 will be the number sought. This rule will
answer for any two consequent numbers whatever; or if there are two points,
one at the plenary 10, another at the plenary 9, they will separate and
coincide by 90 impulses, at cach of which the point 9 will have advanced on
the wheel 10, th part of its circumference, so that if one of the wheels is
graduated with 90 points, and any hand or other pointer is fast with (or
formed out of) the other wheel, each impulse will be designated thereby. If
the index is for ascertaining time or distance, a socket may come through the
under wheel, and a hand may be fixed upon it to traverse either upon the
upper wheel or upon a dial plate fixed thereto, graduated with any portions of
time or distance. Again, let there be any two odd numbers differing by 2,
as 11 and 9, any how equally impelled from their points at their plenary
numbers, and the indicials 3 and 7 are found at certain points on the plate C,
here 15 being greater than the plenary 9, nine must be substracted, and as the
difference between the plenary numbers is 2, the remainder 6 must be divided
by 23, & 8 x 11-8=25, the number sought; this rule will answer for
any two consequent odd numbers. Let there be three wheels D, any how
equally impelled from their plenary points to their indicials 5, 1, & 7, substract
the first indicial 5 from its whole number 11, and 6 remains, add the 2d indicial

page_text: to the differential 6, and place the sum 7 under 6, then add the indicial 7 to
the differential 6, and the sum 18 being an odd number, the number 9 must
be taken from it, and the remainder is 4, which divided by 2, quotes,2, which
place under the differential 7; substract the differential 7 from 2, but if that
cannot be done, add the number of the middle wheel 10 to it, and it will be 12;
then 7 from 12, and 5 remains; multiply this remainder by the wheel 11,
and that product by the wheel 9, and the last product will be 495, to this sum
add the product of the differential 2 and plenary 11 multiplied together, that
is, 495 & 22, equal to 517, from which substract the first differential 6, and
511 remains, which is the number sought. This rule will answer for any three
consequent numbers, the middle one being even, see the example E: here,
6, & 6 x 101 = 606,
84 + 100
www
100 84, and 100 +
1199
2
& 606100 × 6 = 84 = 22, & 22 x 100 x 100 = 220,000, to which
add 606- 100+22220,484, the number sought; all the numbers neces-
sary to appear will be seen in the example F. This rule is so easy in its
application, that my daughter, Rolinda, a child of eleven years old, can
answer any question relative to this combination, extending to a cycle of
999,900, almost as soon as she can write down the figures. The great
advantages of this mode of counting are, the very small expence attending
the instruments, and that every impulse is designated without fractional
parts; this peculiarity distinguishes my numerical indexes from all counting
instruments that I am acquainted with, for example:-If one hand of a
counting engine moves over a circle of 10, which signifies 1000, another over
a circle of 10, which signifies 100, and another of 10 which expresses
units, the pointer in the circle of 1000 is progressing a fraction of 1000
part of its circle at every impulse, and the hand in the circle of 100, ru
part, which occasions much uncertainty in extensive count, when the engine
has been a little time in use, for the pointers in the different circles will not
exactly coincide at their whole numbers. The endless variety in which the
combination wheels may be put in motion, by connected and intermediate
powers, are obvious to every mechanic, such as cords, chains, pinions, wires,
springs, levers, endless screws, pendulous and falling weights, &c.; but some
of the following contrivances of my own I mean to use:-Let there be two or
three ratchet wheels on the same arbor, fixed in a shallow box G, and a
double spring, that is made weakest at its extremities, be put round the wheel;
if the sides are pressed together by any mechanical or animal agency, one end
of the spring will push forward the wheels, and the hook of the other will
approach it, and when the spring is set at liberty, it will, by returning into its

page_text: situation, perform the same office, whilst the opposite end will escape over a
tooth in each, so that every impression on the spring will impel the wheels
forward. Now, if a cord or wire fixed round the spring, as at a, which may
be either confined in a perforated groove cut in the box, or in the sides of the
spring, be alternately braced and relaxed, by pulling at the end 6 the action
required will be performed; or if the sides of the spring are any how pressed
outwards, by its return inwards the same effect will take place, so that by
means of a string, wire, or chain motion may be communicated to the
instrument from a considerable distance; if action is required to be given to
it on the inside of carriages, let there be a spiral box, spring, and pully, move-
able upon an axis P, at the end of the spring S, which must be screwed to the
projecting part of the axle-tree bed that covers the hob of the wheel within
about a quarter of an inch of the hob; upon the hob screw a slip of wood,
metal, or strap, that by coming in contact with the pully, will give it a few
turns at every revolution of the carriage wheel, and wind up the spiral spring
in the box. It is evident that as soon as the pully has passed over the pro-
jection on the hob, the spiral spring will return again into its situation. Now,
if a cord or wire is fixed to wind round the pully, and be conveyed to the
spring of the instrument within the carriage, it will put it in motion, by
alternately bracing and relaxing it; again; if the spring and pully is fixed to a
horse's neck, and a set of combination wheels are connected with the spring
box, the real distance a horse or.. other animal moves may be very nearly
ascertained; let the spring box have a click attached to it, so that when
any length of cord is drawn from it, the click shall move a wheel with any
number of small teeth in it, which wheel L shall have a pinion connected with
the combination wheels of .101, 100, & 99. Every step the horse takes a
quantity of teeth will be driven forward in the first wheel proportionate to the
length of the horse's pace, which will be all summed up in the combination
wheels; and lest any person should find a difficulty in my rules before described
for counting by them, I have contrived the following modes of tables, which
will answer for any three consequent numbers, the middle being an odd one.
If it were required to count any number of impulses on the combinations
of 21, 20, & 19, move the wheels till the plenary numbers 20 & 19 coincide
with their respective index points on the plate. D; then observe at what No.
the plenary 21 stands.at. Let these be moved by any power a tooth at each
impulse, and when you wish to know the count, if the wheel of 19 teeth D
should stand at 12, the wheel 20 at 3, and the wheel 21' at the point it set out
at, look in the first line of the table for 12, and in the column under it for 3;
then the number directly above the colunin 12, added to the number at the

page_text: end of the marginal line in which the other number 3 is situated, will be the
number sought; or if these numbers are expressive of distance, the characters
may be formed by different coloured ink amongst the figures; but if the wheel
of 21 is not at the point at which it set out, move it forward till it arrives at
that point, only observe how many teeth it required to advance it thither, for
so many must be deducted from the sums found in the margin; every com-
bination of three consequent numbers is counted by tables constructed in this
manner. If the instrument is for ascertaining the distance any carriage runs,
I select any two or three consequent numbers that shall nearly, by the com-
binations they will form, make a cycle that will be completed in even miles or
furlongs by a wheel of thirty inches radius; two wheels, one of 63 and another
of 64, will, when impelled together, make a cycle of 4,032, which is nearly
equal to 12 miles, by a wheel of 80 inches radius. But in order that this
combination may serve for carriage wheels of different diameters, I have
contrived the table H; the figures in the first column express the radii of
wheels of every size from four to six feet in diameter, and the distance is found.
in miles where the diagonals intersect the lines on which the radial numbers
arranged; if a distance of ten miles is found on the instrument; and the carriage
wheel to which it is applied be 27 inches radius, the 'real distance will be only
9 miles; by a wheel of 24 inches, 8 miles; by one of 33, 11; & by one of 36,
12 miles. The combination table is graduated into miles by the red figures
at every 16th square, commencing from the combination 2 & 1; under it the
whole cycle will be 23 miles and 4. The three combination wheels D are
supposed to be here connected and inclosed in a box, and they may be put in
motion a lever a, which is driven by a falling weight on the other side the
plate in a different compartment of the box, and will alternately strike a tooth
in the. wheels of 19 & 20; if the box is any how fixed to a strap and buckled
round the spokes of any carriage wheel, the falling weight will impel them each
a tootli at every revolution of the wheel: The same contrivance will sometimes
be resorted to when the numerical index is used for counting the steps of a
man or horse. A box containing a set of these wheels will be fixed to a band
or garter, which may be buckled or tied round the leg or fastened to the knee,
but in such a manner that the weight shall fall at each step to the side of the
box, in an angle of about 45, as at; but at the knee it may be inverted and
fall at the same angle or less, for at every impulse the velocity of the weight,
which equals that part of the leg to which it is attached, is continued at
every step, which by a centrifugal exertion rises upward till it meets with an
obstacle; it then returns to its situation by its own gravity. The same effect

page_text: will be produced if the index wheels and plate are moveable upon the pin a,
for in this case they will act the part of the weight, or with two wheels, as
nt C; or if they are situated upon a streight plate, thus | 000, and it is
suffered to slide freely in a box or groove against a fixed pin; in fine, there
is such an endless variety in which these wheels may be disposed of, that it
would be impossible, with all their uses, to describe them in the compass of
a Specification; besides, it would be an endless introduction of extraneous
matter, except on arrangements of my own Invention. The index G is some-
times used for ascertaining distances walked, with combination wheels of about
78 & 77, which will make a cycle of 6,006 steps, equal to about 6 miles; one
of the wheels, or a dial plate moving with it, therefore may be graduated with
6 characters of any kind, and divisions made amongst them to suit any
person's general rate of walking; at the upper side a ribband is fast to the
string or wire that goes round the spring, or is connected with two screws fast
in the sides of it, o, o; at y is a ring or hook; if this is fastened any where
above the ancle, knee, or hip joint, and the string any where below, the action
of the joint will give action to the instrument. If it is required to give action
by a weight to 2 combination wheels graduated with characters to express
distance, a lever, as at the plate D, may be made to move a spring fixed to a
circular piece of thin metal, moveable upon the same axis with the wheels, or
the spring in the Fig. Ġ may be loosely fixed to a separate plate at o, o, and
fixed in the box at the point G; the box, by the revolution of the wheel, will
act as a weight, and the springs will alternately open and close at their joint
and give the action required. A small crank or pinion coming from a ratchet
wheel under the plate D will sometimes be used to give motion to the com-
bination wheels, see the Fig. I; the ratchet will be moved by the weight w,
with spring fixed to it, and counter spring screwed to the plate. 5, s, are the
two springs.
Another part of my Invention consists in certain modes of giving motion at
the end of every revolution of one wheel to a tooth in another wheel upon the
same axis. Let there be any number of wheels K on the same axis, and let
the first wheel be impelled in the same manner as the wheel J; upon one side
of the wheel let there be a pin c, or a spiral projection P, to raise the lever S;
as soon as the lever has escaped the projection or pin, the spring s will force it
downwards. At the end of the lever is another spring, which is made to act
on the wheel adjoining it; any number of wheels may be thus impelled, and
they may have any number of teeth, according to the uses for which they are
intended; if they are wanted for measuring distances, they may be graduated

page_text: with poles, furlongs, miles, &c.; if for counting mechanical or animal impulses,
with the nine digits and a cypher; by the wheels thus decimally arranged, the
figures on the wheels will represent the number of impulses without any
fractional parts. Again, let there be any excentric projection in one of the
wheels and a double spring in the other, made to slide backwards and forwards
in the axle on which the wheels move, if the excentric projection in one of the
wheels is applied to the projecting points in the other, as at s, s, the excentric
projection at each revolution will drive the spring backwards and forwards,
whilst the spring in contact with a ratchet on the side of the wheel will drive
it forward at one end and escape over a tooth at the other. The advantage of
this mode is, that the machinery is concealed in the small cylinders, the outside
of which will be marked with the nine digits and a cypher each, so as always
to shew the number of impulses nearly arranged in a line, as at K, o: The com-
bination wheels may sometimes consist of four numbers, as of 13, 11, 10, 9; find
the number sought for, 11, 10, & 9, as before directed; suppose the number to be
829, divide it by 18, the remainder is 5, & let 3 be the number at which 13 is
13+3
found, then
=8, &8-5=3, & 3 x 11 x 10 x 9+ 829 = 3,799.
2
In the application of the combination wheels to rotatory sea logs great advan-
tages will result on account of the small friction of its parts, & is a piece of
iron fixed to a log of wood, to one end of which a rope is fastened to drag
it in the water; to the end of it a piece of brass may be fixed as an axis for
the box and vane v, v, to act upon; the box may be made water-tight, and an
endless screw on the brass axis, which, connected with the wheels in the box,
will give them motion as the vanes and box are driven round by the resistance
of the water. The vanes are moveable against a small spring, which will
contract themselves in proportion to the resistance they meet with in the
water, as at s. The combination wheels will extend to various useful purposes,
as wind guages, reels, and the measurement of cloth, &c., and where regular
motions can be obtained from land or water, time-pieces may be constructed,
see the Figure M. Let there be two wheels, one upon another; let the axis
of the lower wheel be fast and project through the upper one, to which fix
an index hand.. w is a pully, drawn by the weight s, to which a string is
attached that puts the wheels in motion by drawing from the axis of the fast
wheel. The wheels are connected with the pinion p, to the axis of which
a crank is fixed, which raises and depresses the cylinder y in a vessel of water.
This acts the part of a pendulum, for in the bottom of it there is a hole to
admit the passage of water to regulate the time. The hole
be enlarged
may

page_text: or contracted. A weight at the end of a string over the pully balances
the cylinder y. Again, let there be a syphon. N fixed at one end to a float B,
at the other end a cock to regulate the quantity of water that is to pass
out at it. As the water is diminished in the cylinder the floating syphon
will descend, and the drops from it become regular, and if they are made
to fall upon the end of a ballance, to which the combination wheels are
fixed, the number of drops may be ascertained, and the wheels graduated
accordingly, or figures expressing the hours may be marked upon the syphon.
If the front wheel in the time-piece M has 60 teeth and the under one 59,
each fifth tooth in the front wheel will indicate minutes, and five revolutions
one hour, which the index hand from the lowest wheel will show by its
progress on the front wheel. If the pinion has five teeth, the crank will
make a revolution in one minute; the cylinder and its hole and weight must
therefore be so regulated as to make a revolution of the crank in one minute.
The same effect will be produced by a pendulum upon an escapement wheel
that revolves in one minute. O is a water escapement; two vessels a, b, are
fastened to the axis a, but ballanced upon the centre c.. The vessels are
joined together and air-tight, one of them is filled with water; there is a
communication from one to the other by the tubes T, T. u, v, are weights
that rest alternately upon the vessels. The water passing from the upper to
the lower one will, as soon as it preponderates over the weight n, raise the
points over the obstacle O, the weight w drawing at the same time from the
axis e will turn the vessel b uppermost. The water it contains will then pass
into the other vessel, and an alternate motion cbtained, which may be com-
municated to the numerical index by a screw or pinion at p. The sand
escapement P is upon the same principal, but the vessels are joined together
at s, so as to admit them to act separately, as soon as so much sand has
escaped from the upper vessel into the lower one as will overcome the
weight v, it rises above the obstacle O, and the weight w draws the frame F
round upon its axis, and brings the weight u against the same obstacle, at
which it stops till it is overcome by a balance of sand.
My arrangement for the particular purpose of surveying is a combination
of a slay and wheel, which I call a geographer, as represented at Q. The
pole of the wheel is supported at T by a swivel, which has a horizontal motion
within a socket at the end of the pole, and a perpendicular one on its own
axis. The advantage of this over the perambulator is that it may be drawn
by a horse, and that the surveyor may ride in the seat fixed upon the pole.
If the wheel is ten feet in diameter, and acts by a crank on its axis upon the