Improvements in the Manufacture or Construction of Large Globes and Maps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Construction of Large Globes
and Maps.
I, THOMAS RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON, of Waverley, Newlands Park, Sydenham,
in the County of Kent, Printer and Publisher, 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:-
The invention has for its object the production of large maps and globes, and
relates to means whereby such maps and globes can be accurately and readily
constructed.
I contemplate the construction of a globe on the scale of 500.000 of the earth's
surface, which would thus have a diameter of nearly 84 feet, and a superficial area
of over 22,000 square feet, but large globes and maps of other dimensions could
also be constructed according to my invention.
To produce such a large globe as that contemplated by me would, by the
ordinary methods, be impossible if every topographical feature of importance has to
be shown, for a small atlas frequently takes years to produce, but by using a
combination of processes more or less known and in use separately, and by the
addition of other novel means and contrivances when necessary, large maps, or
globes of unusually large diameter, can be produced in a comparatively short time.
In carrying my invention into effect in the construction of a large terrestrial
globe I proceed as follows, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings and
to the figures and letters of reference thereon.
I
prepare sections of papier-maché or the like rather larger than the portions of
the earth's surface which will be represented by the drawings afterwards made on
them and with their surfaces curved to the exact radius of the globe to be made.
These sections are then clamped to templates made preferably of steel and of the
exact dimensions and shape each section shall ultimately be and every section is
reduced to the exact size of its template. Drawing paper is then cemented on the
outer surface of each globe section, and when dry it is trimmed accurately to the
edge of said section.
During the preparation of the sections one section may be required to be
temporarily joined to the next, and when the globe is completed all the sections
must join up accurately and, by their combined surfaces, present a true sphere.
For this purpose I employ the arrangement represented at Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
which are respectively a vertical edge view, an internal elevation, and an edge view
in plan, of four globe sections and means for correctly adjusting and connecting
them temporarily together, and for finally adjusting and fixing them in position in
the globe. I place four adjacent sections A, B, C, D face downwards on a table
having a hollow or concave surface exactly corresponding with that required for
the globe sections in the finished globe and, having truly adjusted said sections on
the table, I keep them in position by weights or other suitable means.
I then take
four pieces or blocks of papier-maché or other suitable material I, which may be
about 2 inches square, and mark thereon from a corner plate F, the positions which
the rivets E will occupy; I drill corresponding holes in the pieces or blocks I and
with rivets E, preferably of copper, I unite the corner plates F to the pieces or
blocks 1. The four corner plates F, by means of their central screw threaded
projections or studs G and nuts H, are then fastened to their common plate J, and
the lower faces of the pieces or blocks I, after having been coated with cement, are

page_text: placed on the four adjoining globe sections so that each of said pieces or blocks I
becomes secured to the corner of one of said sections. When the cement has set
the common plate J is removed, leaving the corner plates F each fixed in the
desired position, and the common plate J can at any time be replaced when it is
desired to join together two, three or all four of said adjacent globe sections, which
latter will be the case when the globe is being finally erected.
The temporary marking of the globe with degree lines and their divisions so that
drawing may proceed is effected in the following manner. The common plate J
having been removed, each glohe section has clamped to its paper face a thin zinc
plate etched to form a stencil and baving each degree of the earth's surface the
globe section has to represent divided into as many parts as may be desired;
blacklead is applied with a brush through the stencil and the aforesaid division
lines are thereby marked on the globe sections. In other words what is called
"squaring up is done by this means very rapidly and accurately, which is
usually not the case. The preparation of these stencil plates will be described
further on.
The draughtsman having drawn corresponding squares or divisions on the maps be
is about to copy, the work proceeds in the n-ual manner for a map drawing, the
blacklead squaring up lines being removed when desired, but when the names have
to be added, instead of writing these in neatly by hand, a process requiring great
skill and which is necessarily slow. I have the names roughly but accurately written
by a draughtsman on a tracing and afterwards set up in type by a compositor, thus
securing accuracy, neatness and great speed. When the names are set up and
checked they are printed in any color desired on a tracing, tissue or Japanese paper,
but I prefer to use the latter, making it after printing perfectly transparent by
coating it with a spirit paper varnish, so that the drawing on the globe sections can
be clearly seen through it. After having been dried by heat this paper can be easily
handled, thereby enabling each name to be cut out and made adhesive by means of
gelatine or other like cement. The globe sections having been previou-ly sized and
dried, each name is secured in its correct position. When the globe sections have
been completed by the cementing of all the names thereon and the varnishing of
the sections with a turpentine paper varnish, the globe is ready for erection.
"
In the preparation of the "squaring up stencil plates I proceed as follows.
I take a sheet of thin zine the size of one of the templates already mentioned, say a
portion of the globe's surface representing from the equator to 5° north or south
latitude and a distance of 5° longitude and coat it with an etching ground: I then
mark out each degree and divide it into any desired number of parts and scratch
with an etching needle through the etching ground these divisions on the plate,
making some lines, say each degree, and certain minute lines a little thicker than
the others so that they can be easily recognized. If the plate were now etched, that
is to say, submitted to the action of acid as is well understood, it would, when fully
etched, come to pieces; to prevent this I fill in with shellac varnish or etching
ground at the intersections of all the lines and paint the back of the plate with
shellac varnish; I then place the plate in an acid bath and rock it until it is etched
through wherever the etching ground is absent, thus producing a stencil as above
mentioned. Other stencils are required for other parts of the globe but each stencil
can be used for every section of its zone as well as for those of the corresponding zone
in the other hemisphere. Fig. 4 represents a part of a stencil thus formed and
having thicker lines indicated at VI V
When the globe sections are completed and ready for erection, a temporary
platform is erected truly horizontal and with its surface in a plane with the equator
of the globe to be constructed. On this platform the sections representing, say,
from the equator to 5° north latitude, are mounted and coupled together by their
common plates J. After these sections have been tested to prove that, combined,
they form a true circle and not an ellipse, the sections are secured to the frame-
work in the following manner:
The main or meridional girders O being so arranged that none of them comes

page_text: opposite the line of junction of any two globe sections, attach and extend round
them bands N, preferably of flat iron, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3, corresponding with,
say, every 5° of latitude. On these bars N are placed riders M' each having one
side or jaw M' made to spring towards the other jaw and thereby grip the bar N,
but so as to permit the rider to be moved by the gentle tap of a hammer in a
horizontal direction. Or the riders can be made to slide freely on the bands N
Each
and be fixed when their positions are correctly ascertained by set screws.
common plate J carries at its centre an eye-piece K', through which is passed a
screwed bolt K, which has its point K pivot shaped, and each rider M' is tapped
to receive a screw bolt L, which is formed with an eye-piece L' to fit the pivot
end of the screw bolt K; the bolts K L and the riders M' are so adjusted that
the points K of the bolts K' rest accurately in the sockets of the eye pieces L¹
of the bolts L, which latter are adjusted and after adjustment secured in position
by the nuts L L³. The lower end of the bolt K' has a smaller screw threaded
part K, which passes through the eye-piece L' of the bolt L, and by means of the
nut K the globe sections can be firmly locked to the framework.
By the means above described it is evident that the supports of the globe
sections around the equator can be adjusted horizontally, laterally and vertically as
may be required, and when secured to the framework and the temporary platform
removed, the other sections north and south can be adjusted to the central band in
a similar manner and by similar means until the entire globe is completed.
As the edges of adjacent sections, when erected, may not meet truly, I place
here and there and where required adjusting pieces such as those shown at Figs. 5
and 6, which I will now describe, Fig. 5 being an elevation and Fig. 6 an edge
view of said pieces. P and Q are two exactly similar plates, preferably of brass;
these plates are joined together by the bolt R. and nut R', and as the projection Ps.
of the plate P¹ overlaps the plate Q', and the projection Q3 of the plate Q₁ over-
laps the plate P', it is evident that when the nut R' is screwed up, the edges of
the adjacent globe sections to which the plates P' Q' are applied will not only be
brought together, but will be brought together with the faces of said sections
perfectly level. The plates P'Q' are secured by rivets E to pieces I' of papier-
maché or other suitable material, and after the plates P and Q are united by their
bolt and nut the pieces of papier-maché are cemented to two adjacent globe sections
which are temporarily adjusted to each other to receive them, this being preferably
done before the globe is erected.
Another method I use to make adjacent globe sections correctly meet after the
globe is erected is represented at Figs. 7 and 8, which are respectively an edge
view and an elevation. According to this method I have a bead T or T', or
detached pieces, of papier-maché or other suitable material at the edge of each
globe section, and when the sections are brought accurately together and tem-
porarily secured by a hand vice or other suitable means, I fix them together
by pieces of angular trough shaped iron S' having gripping surfaces on the inner
sides of their turned down parts S2. By means of a strong pair of pliers or other
suitable tool, the gripping surfaces will be forced into the beads and so keep the
sections in the position desired.
As corrections and additions will have to be made to the globe, the turpentine
varnish can, by using turpentine, be removed at any part desired, the turpentine
having no action either ou the names, as the gums in the spirit varnish with which
they are coated are not dissolved by turpentine, or on the drawing, which is
protected by its coating of size. After the turpentine varnish is removed, a
small sponge with hot water will, by dissolving the gelatine and size, permit any
name to be removed or, after the part is dry, allow of any part being polished out
and redrawn and, after sizing such part, new names treated as herein before
described can be added and the part finally again varnished with turpentine.
varnish. Should any part be so frequently corrected that the paper is worn
through, a piece of any desired extent can be removed by cutting round it and
by following the directions given and allowing the hot water to penetrate through

page_text: the paper and soften the cement, and a clean piece of paper can be inserted in the
place of that removed, and if the corrections be very large one or more sections
can be uncoupled and replaced by others showing the later discoveries.
The framing for supporting the bars N may be of any suitable construction so
long as facility is afforded of access to the various globe sections and to the
adjusting, trueing and supporting means, whilst a suitable opening is preferably
formed at the bottom of the globe to permit of entry therein for repairs or
otherwise.
I would here remark that the details of construction of the globe sections,
adjusting, trueing and fixing apparatus, may be varied without departing from the
peculiar character of my invention, which is also applicable to the production of
large maps in the form of globe sections, whilst some of the details of manufacture
are also applicable to the production of large flat maps.
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 improved method of constructing a large globe or map in the form of a
globe section, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In making a large globe or map in the form of a globe section, the use of
stencil plates constructed as described for temporarily marking the degrees of
latitude and longitude and divisions thereof on the globe or map sections,
substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In making a large globe or map, whether in the form of a globe section or
flat, the employment of names set up in type, printed on thin transparent paper or
on a paper afterwards rendered transparent, and secured to such globe or map
substantially as herein described.
4. In making a large globe or map, whether in the form of a globe section
or flat, using a varnish to make the paper on which the names are printed trans-
parent, substantially as herein described.
5. In making a large globe or map, whether in the form of a globe section or
flat, using one kind of varnish for making the paper on which the names are
printed transparent, and another kind having no action on the former varnish
for finally coating the globe, substantially as herein described and for the purpose
stated.
6. In making a large globe or map in the form of a globe section, the means for
accurately joining and supporting the sections on the framing, substantially as
herein shown and described.
7. In making a large globe or map in the form of a globe section, the employ-
ment of means for accurately joining and fixing four adjacent sections to each
other by means of corner plates and a common plate and other parts connected
therewith, substantially as herein showu and described with respect to Figs. 1, 2, 3.
8. In making a large globe or map in the form of a globe section, the employ-
ment of means for securing accurately together the edges of adjacent sections
substantially as herein shown and described with respect to Figs. 5 to 8.
9. In making a large globe or map in the form of a globe section, the employ-
ment of means for accurately joining the sections so that the entire globe or map
may at any time be taken down and again accurately re-erected, substantially a
herein shown and described.
Dated this 31st day of December 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.