Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 19th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887
[Communicated from abroad by DANIEL W. BRIGGS, of 409 N, Washington Street,
Saginaw, in the County of Saginaw and State of Michigan, United States of
America, Banker.]
I ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of 53
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the institute of Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an instrument for use in ruling equidistant lines for dividing
a plane surface by right lines into regular and pre-determined spaces for drawing
to a given scale, enlarging and reducing drawings, and similar purposes.
The invention consists in the combination of a triangle set square or other form of
ruler, having one or more teeth affixed to or formed on it and of a correspondingly
toothed rack, the tooth or teeth on the ruler being adapted to engage with those of the
rack for the purpose of determining the intervals of movement of the ruling edges of
the ruler over the surface to be ruled.
The rack may be affixed to a straight edge for guiding the ruler, so that its pro-
gression will be in a straight line, or the rack itself may act as such straight edge or
guide.
One tooth or detent in the ruler would be sufficient to cause the movement of the
ruler to be governed by the teeth of the rack, but to prevent injury to the point of
one tooth or to one interdental space from affecting the accuracy of the instrument I
prefer to employ, in combination with the triangle, a segment made up of several
teeth.
This toothed segment may be carried by an overhanging offset affixed to the ruler,
and the teeth may be in a position to engage with teeth upon either the edge or the
upper face of the rack. Both the segment and the rack may be so fixed to the ruler
and straight edge respectively as to be readily replaced by others having teeth of
different gauge. Or, teeth may be made in one edge of the ruler itself in which case
the rack would also answer the purpose of a straight edge.

page_text: The rack may be adjustably fixed to a drawing board and the toothed segment be
adjustably affixed to the head of a T square, which may be guided by the straight edge
carrying the rack or by the edge of the drawing board.
With this instrument, section and parallel lines may be quickly drawn at given
distances one from the other. Any line or plane may be divided into a given
number of parts without using any other scale, and without the use of "dividers."
Geometrical figures can be constructed upon given dimensions.
Architectural and other drawings may be augmented or diminished, as they could
be with proportional dividers, by using a triangle or other ruler having a ruling edge
at the proper angle, and cross hatching and many other things may be done with this
one instrument, heretofore requiring separate instruments. Besides the celerity with
which space may be divided, the surface of paper is preserved from the injury of
holes left by divider-points.
Without a departure from the spirit of my invention one or both of what would
otherwise be the straight edges of a triangle may be changed in form to enable
equidistant corresponding contours to be ruled.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Draughtsman's Instruments for Ruling Section and
other Lines.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from abroad
by Daniel W. Briggs of 409 N Washington Street Saginaw, in the County of
Saginaw and State of Michigan United States of America, Banker) 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 apparatus for dividing a plane surface by right lines into
regular and pre-determined spaces; and the invention consists in the combination
and construction, as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the
claims.
The Invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which figures L
and 2 are plan views of the device in different positions. Figure 3 is a rear elevation.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a part and figures 5 and 6 are plan views of
modifications. Figure 7 shews the invention in plan view applied to a drawing
board and T-square, and figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the same on line x--x of
figure 7.
b
D is a triangle or set square having a toothed segment d adapted to engage with a
corresponding toothed segment or rack upon the straight edge B. The segment b
upon the straight edge and the segment d upon triangle D are relatively arranged to
cause the progression of the triangle upon the straight edge to be in a straight line,
so that lines made upon a free side of the triangle, as a ruling edge, will be parallel
to any other made upon the same side, as the triangle is moved over the straight edge
without a change of position of the latter. Any side of a triangle may be used to
follow upon the straight edge.
In figure 1, an offset or post g is shewn from one face of the triangle D projecting
over and holding a toothed segment d to engage with a rack upon the flat upper side
of straight edge B, so leaving the edge of the triangle free to bear against and move
along the guiding straight edge. In operation the finger of one hand exerted upon
the post g, is sufficient as a means of sliding the post with its segment d, to consecutive
teeth of the rack, or to pass over any desired intermediate number. In figure 5, the
teeth are shewn made on the edge of the triangle itself, the toothed edge of the rack
in this case, answering also the purpose of a guide or straight edge. In figure 6, a
removable segment is shewn engaging with a removable rack, the toothed edges of
the segment and rack being parallel to the guiding straight edge and the side of the
triangle in contact there with. With the same triangle and straight edge corresponding
segments of any size teeth may be used,

page_text: It will be seen that, the width of the teeth being known, with this instrument
section and parallel lines may be quickly drawn at given distances one from the other.
Any line or plane may be divided into a given number of parts without using any
other scale and without the use of "dividers." Geometrical figures can be constructed
upon given dimensions. Architectural and other drawings may be augmented or
diminished as they could be with proportional dividers, and cross-hatching and many
other things may be done with this one instrument, heretofore requiring separate
instruments. It will be seen that, aside from the celerity with which space may be
divided, the surface of paper is preserved from the injury of holes left by divider-
points.
In figure 2, the device is placed in position to illustrate the employment of the
diagonal to diminish the space between lines which would be ruled upon the free
cathetus of the triangle in the position shewn in figure 1; and it will be seen that
any required proportional diminution may be obtained by the use of a triangle having
the desired and known angles.
Without a departure from the spirit of this invention, one or both of what would
otherwise be the straight edges of a triangle may be changed, to enable equidistant
corresponding contours to be ruled. One tooth or detent in the triangle would be
sufficient to cause the movement of the triangle to be governed by the teeth of the
rack, but to prevent, injury to the point of one tooth or to one interdental space from
affecting the accuracy of the instrument I prefer to employ in combination with the
triangle, a segment made up of several teeth.
In figures 7 and 8, the straight edge is shewn attached to the drawing board C
and the rack applied to it the same as in figure 6, and in these figures 7 and 8,
the toothed segment is shewn applied to a T-square D, and in figures 6, 7, and 8,
the segment à is made adjustable by means of slots and screws d' d2 and in
figures 6, 7, and 8, the rack is made adjustable by means of the bolts and slots ff
so that the straight edge B may be moved, to align it with the work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. The within described improved scale section liner, consisting of a straight edge
provided with rack teeth to a scale and a triangle, set square or other form of ruler
having a straight base provided with one or more teeth corresponding to and engaging
with those of the rack and adapted to be moved over said rack to have the intervals
of movement of its ruling edges determined by the teeth of the rack, the two
combined and operating as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The toothed segment d attached to the triangle or set square and made adjustable
thereon, substantially as described.
3. The drawing board C having the straight edge B attached thereto and provided
with the toothed rack, substantially as described.
4. The drawing board or other support C having the adjustable straight edge B
attached thereto and provided with the toothed rack b, substantially as described.
5. The drawing board C having the straight edge B applied thereto and provided
with the rack b in combination with a straight edged drawing implement provided
with the toothed segment d, substantially as described.
1011 1
Tal 1307
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.