A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD OF EXHIBITING TERRESTRIAL AND ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA, AND OF FACILITATING THE SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS RELATING THERETO WITHOUT THE AID OF CALCULATION
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ignazio Villa at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st May 1862.
I, IGNAZIO VILLA, residing at No. 12, Denmark Street, Soho, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD
OF EXHIBITING TERRESTRIAL AND ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA, AND OF FACILITATING
THE SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS RELATING THERETO WITHOUT THE AID OF CALCULATION,"
to be as follows:-
The first part of the Invention consists of a grand planisphere which indi-
cates the measure of time, having both hemispheres laid out with radial
meridians and concentric latitudes, and with the antarctic pole forming the
centre. All the earth is thus represented within a single circle. This plani-
sphere being put in rotation, either by the hand or by clockwork, instantly
gives the hour in all countries, and all the longitudinal differences in time,
thereby easing geographical studies, and bringing in view all the lands and
seas with the utmost convenience, so as to trace sea voyages and to discover
their antipodes. The equator and ecliptic will be found at their proper places
with all the positions of the sun. This method has nothing in common with
Mercator's planisphere, which cannot afford the same application to physical
geography as this, wherein there is no interruption of the parallels, whether
radial or circular. This planisphere is also capable of being set in motion by

page_text: watches of all sizes. This planisphere, or another, having the north pole in
the centre will also illustrate, incidentally, the theory of the winds, the demon-
stration of terrestrial magnetism, and a statistical table of all the religions of
the world, the state of the earth during the winter and summer solstices, the
terrestrial system round the sun, the principal rivers and streams of the earth,
the solar and lunar eclipses, the idea of chaos, the theory of rain and the theory
of temperature in the torrid, temperate, and frigid zones.
The second part of this Invention consists of a grand celestial planisphere,
with a terrestrial girdle. Astronomers have hitherto represented the heavens
in two hemispheres or in a band, extending between the equator and the tropics;
this planisphere on the contrary represents the entire heavens on a single
circular plane, indicating all the constellations visible there by the naked eye
in their angular positions. Surrounding this planisphere there is a girdle, in
which is pourtrayed an epitome of all the countries of the earth, so that they
may be found at once in their longitudinal positions. In this system the
earth is made immoveable and the celestial planisphere moves in sidereal time.
The day and hour being given for the meridian of the observer, the actual
apparent state of all the universe can be seen at a glance, so that given any
hour of the right ascension of a star in mean time (to which the time of
ascension can be reduced by a very simple method) the constellation which
passes at that moment under the meridian of the spectator will be seen, and
consequently in all other countries of the world without any calculation. The
celestial planisphere, to which a clock can be added, can be framed and mounted
on a pivot so as to be used on board ship; it is applicable to watches, and also
by having a clock movement in sidereal time can be mounted in the same
manner as chronometers and marine compasses for nautical or general uses.
This planisphere with the north pole in the centre will also exhibit incidentally
the hypothesis of au electro-magnetic fluid, as the first cause of the rotation of
the heavenly bodies, a grand cosmographic table of earthly and lunar phe-
nomena; also two synoptic scales, one indicating the length of the day and
night in all countries or parallels of the earth, the other is an equatorial band
divided at the tropics with a solar scale, by which may be seen immediately
the position of the sun at the zenith of the earth, that is, the right ascension
and declination of the sun for all days of the year, and also the hour when it
is at a tangent to the several degrees. The third part of the Invention consists
of an universal meridian, indicating the equation of time, that is, the differences
of each day, in minutes, seconds and hundredths, which, therefore, serves to
regulate accurately any clock or watch to mean time. Generally, the said

page_text: Invention, as herein-before described, consists of new terrestrial and celestial
planispheres, and indicators of other phenomena of the earth and of the heavens,
and the said planispheres are to be mounted with or without hand movement,
clockwork, or watchwork, to perform the office of a world's clock and star's
clock respectively, and are adapted to the uses of schools, astronomers and
navigators.