AN IMPROVED MAGNETIC REGULATOR APPLICABLE TO THE COMPASSES OF IRON SHIPS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lauront Labadie, of Bordeaux, (France) Di-
rectuer du Registre Maritime, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MAGNETIC REGULATOR APPLICABLE TO THE COMPASSES OF IRON SHIPS."
Sealed the 7th September 1869, and dated the 12th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Laurent Labadie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March 1869.
I, LAURENT LABADIE, of Bordeaux, France, Directeur du Registre
Maritime, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MAGNETIC REGULATOR APPLICABLE TO THE COMPASSES OF IRON SHIPS,"
to be as follows:-
Hitherto compasses for iron ships insensible to local influences have
never been successively constructed. Artificial magnets have been
employed in order to compensate for the declination of the needle, the
adjustment of compasses having thus been attempted by guess work.
Isolating bodies have also been employed without success. Now my
Invention consists in the employment of substances very sensible to

page_text: magnetism, such as iron, cast iron, steel, or nickel, in order to
compensate for the disturbing effects of the iron of the ship upon the
compass needle. I have found that a cylinder composed of the metals
above named is a good conductor of magnetism, and has the property of
preserving the magnetised needle from the influence of the currents
proceeding from the iron composing the ship, and at the same time of
preserving its freedom of action.
The apparatus which I have arranged in order to carry out this
principle consists of a cylindrical box, and of a ring provided with
spikes encircling the box, both being of iron, steel, or nickel, or other
good conductor of magnetism. The ring is movable, and is placed if
necessary in the plane of the needle in order to regulate the compass
and increase its isolation. The box is provided as usual with a gimbal
apparatus.
The form and arrangement of the apparatus described may be
varied, and it is capable of application to every description of marine
omness
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Laurent Labadie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th September, 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LAURENT
LABADIE, of Bordeaux, France, Directeur du Registre Maritime, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Laurent Labadie, Her special licence
that I, the said Laurent Labadie, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Laurent Labadie, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
MAGNETIC REGULATOR APPLICABLE TO THE COMPASSES OF IRON SHIPS," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Laurent Labadie, my
executors, or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Laurent Labadie, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Hitherto compasses for iron ships insonsible to local influences have
never been successfully constructed. Artificial magnets have been
employed in order to compensate for the declination of the needle, the
adjustment of compasses having thus been attempted by guess work.
Isolating bodies have also been employed without success.
Now my
Invention consists in the employment of substances very sensible to
magnetism, such as iron, cast iron, steel, or nickel, in order to com-
pensate for the disturbing effects of the iron of the ship upon the
compass needle. I have found that a cylinder composed of the metals
above named is a good conductor of magnetism, and has the property of
preserving the magnetized needle from the influence of the currents
proceeding from the iron composing the ship, and at the same time of
preserving its freedom of action.
The apparatus which I have arranged in order to carry out this
principle consists of a cylindrical box, and of a ring provided with spikes
encircling the box, both being of iron, steel, or nickel, or other good.
conductor of magnetism. The ring is movable, and is placed, if
necessary, in the plane of the needle in order to regulate the compass
and increase its isolation.
The accompanying Drawings show the arrangement adopted to carry
out this Invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a plan view of the
apparatus.
The box a, which encloses the needle, is perfectly cylindrical, at its
middle is the pivot 6 of copper upon which the magnetized needle c with

page_text: the card attached to it is balanced. At its top is a copper rim d, into
which a disc of glass fis inserted.
Round the box is adjusted the
ring which is formed with spikes with conical points regularly
disposed in an even number, 16 for example, and intended to encr-
getically repel the currents which have a tendency to be produced under
the attraction of the surrounding iron. The box is provided as usual
with a gimbal suspensive apparatus.
The form and arrangement of the apparatus described may be
varied, and it is capable of application to every description of marine
compass.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I
claim,―
The improved system of compass regulator above described, consisting
essentially in the application for the purpose of substances such as steel,
iron, cast iron, or nickel, which are good conductors of magnetism,
substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. The use of a cylinder or box composed of these metals,
either provided or not with a spiked ring, substantially as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
And, thirdly. The apparatus or improved magnetic regulator, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and shewn in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Laurent Labadie, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
J. ARMENGAUD, fils,
Ingeneur Civil,
23, Bt. de Strasbourg,
à Paris.
LAURENT LABADIE. (L.S.)