SETTING OFF DISTANCES AND ANGLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I IGNAZ HERRMANN, Watch & Clock maker, 16 The Parade, Lordship Lane,
Dulwich in the county of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for SETTING OFF DISTANCES AND ANGLES, to be as follows:-
"
:―
My invention consists in an arrangement of Mechanism, by which the magnitude
of one or more lines drawn or conceived to be drawn from a given point can be
measured or set off, and by which the angular relationship of any such line to any
other can be measured and graphically determined, or by which a point or any
number of points of which the axes or equations are given can be graphically
determined, or by which, when the distance of a point from the origin is known or
given, the axis can be recorded, or graphically determined.
This apparatus termed the "Trigonograph can be used for setting out the
points in the plan or calibre of any mechanism, such as centres of motion, screws
etc; or for copying, transferring, enlarging, or reducing any such calibre or desigu
of any piece or system of mechanism. Especially can it be applied to the mauu-
facture of Watches or Clocks, and any such small and complicated mechanism, as
for setting out the various positions on blanks, which are to be used as Watch or
Clock plates, such as bearings for wheels, pillars, steady-pins, screws etc, for
determining and setting out the acting radii of any part whatever. Also for
setting out any number of points in a curved figure as may be required in any
complicated Watch or Clock, or any mechanisin whatever, or for copying, trans-
ferring, enlarging, or reducing any such figure; likewise for engraving or orna-
menting any plain surface, or for doing any work whatever having reference to
the principle of coordinates and triangles.
My apparatus consists of a baseplate, to which is fixed an S shaped armature,
carrying a centre which is moveable in a direction vertical to the plane of the
plate. To the plate is also attached a V shaped bed, on which moves a dovetailed
platform, which is actuated by a screw, mounted in a disk or crank as in the slide-
rest of a lathe. This dovetailed platform carries an arbor set vertical to its plane,
and parallel to the centre in the armature. The motion of the platform is limited
in one direction by a guard plate or bar. When it occupies this position the arbor
is concentric with the centre in the armature. About this arbor, rotates a second
platform which has 360 teeth, and carries a plate divided into 360 divisions
representing the degrees of a circle, and which is geared into a tangent screw.
The axis of the tangent screw carries a hand which moves over a dial plate having

page_text: 60 divisions representing the minutes of a degree. Also the magnitude of the
straight line motion can be read in unites on a scale plate; and by connecting it
with wheel work in 005 of these unites; thus if the unites are millimeters the
motion can be read in 005.
The method of using it is as follows: the blank on which any position is to be
graphically set off, is fixed to the platform by clamping dogs. Any point can be
taken as reference or origin, and this point is determined by the centre, carried by
the armature. A line drawn to any other point may represent the ordinate of
or y. When the distance of any point or points are given, and the relationship of
a line conceived to be drawn to such points & either ordinates, then the platform is
actuated by the screw till it is moved through such distance, and then rotated
about its centre, corresponding to the angle that such line makes with the given
axes. When the two inagnitudes are determined, a cutting centre is used for the
armature and the position graphically set off.
I would observe in conclusion, that, what I consider as original and claim as my
invention, is an apparatus that measures lines and angles, and graphically indicates
them, on the principle of coordinates and plane Trigonometry without any secondary
or intermediate agency whatever, except an ordinary written record, as herein beforo
described.

page_text: I, IGNAZ HERRMANN, of 23 the Parade Lordship Lane Dulwich Surrey Watch
and Clockmaker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for SETTING OFF
AND RECORDING ANGLES AND DISTANCES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This apparatus termed the Trigonograph can be used for setting out the points
in the plan or calibre of any mechanism, such as centres of motion, screws & etc, or
for copying, transferring, enlarging or reducing any such calibre or design of any
piece or system of mechanism. Especially can it be used for the manufactering of
watches or any such small and complicated mechanism, as for setting off the
various positions on the blanks which are to be used as watch plates, or for other
small mechanism, such as bearings of pinions, pillars, steadypins, screws etc, or for
determining, and setting off the acting radii of any part whatever. Also for
setting out any number of points in a curved figure, as may be required in any
complicated watch or other imechanism, or for copying transferring, enlarging or
reducing such figure.
Likewise for engraving or ornamenting any plane figure, for deviding any
straight line or circle, or for doing any work whatever, having refference to the
principle of coordinates and triangles.
In carrying out my invention, I use a base plate A. A¹ (reffering to the accom-
paning Drawing), which is mounted on three feet, of which two a a¹ are shown..
Attached to this plate A A¹ is a V shaped bed, on which rests, and is inoveable a
dove-tailed plateform B which is actuated by a screw set in the centre of the disk C,
as in an ordinary slide-rest action.
Attached to this plateform B, is another plateform D D¹ D", which has a stee!
arbor fixed perpendicular to its plane. About this arbor (which is not shown, or
visible in the Drawing) the toothed disk E E¹ can rotate freely. This disk has
360 teeth cut in its circumference.
Attached to the plateform D D₁ D" is a frame F F¹ in which is mounted a
tangent screw, of which the axis H H is in a horizontal plane with the toothed
disk E E¹; it can rotate through a small angle around the shoulderd screw d, 80
that the tangent screw can be thrown in and out of gear with the toothed disk E E¹;
in either position it can be clamped by the screw f
The pitch of the tangent screw is of the same magnitude, as the pitch of the
teeth in the disk E E. Concentric with the arbor H H' is a dial plate L L'
devidet into 60 parts, of which each devision represents a minute of a degree.
A hand his attached friction tight to this axis H H' so it can be set to zero with
the tangent screw in any position. One rotation of the tangent screw moves the
disk E E through an angle proportional to one tooth, or through an angle of one
degree, one half rotation of the tangent screw moves the disk E E' through an
angle of half a degree and so on.
Concentric with, and fixed to the disk E E¹, is a solid disk III, the circum-
ference of which formes a right angle with the plane of the disk E E. Round the
circumference of this disk II' I rides a collar K K¹ which can be fixed in any
required position, by the clamping screws g g¹ g¹.

page_text: This collar is devidet into 360 parts, representing the degrees of a circle, and
coresponding to the number of teeth on the disk E E
Attached to the disk I, I, I, is a rim M M on the upper part of which rests
another circular plateform N N¹ N" which is fixed to a rim, that fits inside the
rim M M, and can be secured in its position by the bolts K K K.
This plateform N N₁N" can be removed, and replaced by others, which are
auxiliary adjustments for special work to be don.
An armature 0 0' 0¹¹, firmly screwed to the plate A A' carries a tube P P¹.
The centre of this tube is in a vertical line with the centre of the arbor about
which the plateform N N' N¹, and disks I FI¹¹ and E E¹ rotate.
A steel shaft S S¹, with a cone centre, passes through the tube P P¹, and serves
to determine the position of any given point of reference, in the particular work to
be don, which is placed on the plateform N N¹ N", and secured by the clamping
dogs, and clamping screws m m' m¹¹.
Parallel to the line of motion of the plateform B, is a scale plate Q Q' devidet
into millimeters, or any unites, or parts of unites that may be required. A small
pointer is attached to the plateform D D D¹¹, which indicates the linear dis-
placement of the system, carrying the work, that is attached to the plateform D D'D",
in terms of the unites into which this scale QQ¹ is dividet.
Through the base-plate A A', and at right angles to its plane, passes an arbor,
having its centres of motion in two bars or cocks, of which the one on the upper
surface is shown in T. To this arbor, and below the plate A A' is a wheel attached
having a great number of teeth in its circumference. This wheel is geared into a
pinion with a large number of leaves.
The arbor of this pinion is parallel to the arbor of the said wheel and carries the
pointer or hand p. This hand p rotates over a concentric dial plate R R¹, which is
devidet into one hundred parts. Likewise the top end of the arbor on which the
wheel actuating the hand p is mounted, carries a steel disk or roller. Around the
circumference of this roller a fine steel chain is wound, one end of which is attached
to this roller, and the other to the plateform D D¹ D", and kept in tension by a
spring, which actuates the arbor, about which this roller and the wheel rotate.
The magnitude of roller and radial section of chain and ratio of number of teeth
in the wheel, and number of leaves in the pinion are so arranged, that for every
displacement of the pointer n of one unite on the scale plate QQ, the hand p
makes one rotation, thus each devision on the dial-plate R R, represents of
each unite on the scale QQ¹
A pointer u attaced to the plate D D D affords the meanes of reading the
angular rotation of system placed or fixed to the disk E E¹. The operation is as
follows: The work is placed on the plateform N N N" and its position adjusted
by the centre of the shaft or arbor S S¹. The point in the work concentric with
the centre of this shaft represents the point of reference or origin. Any other
point on the work can be placed in the line of motion of the system, and a line
drawn, or conceived to be drawn to such point represents the axis of x or y, of line
of coordinates.
If the axis of x or y of any point to be determined are given, the line drawn to
that point from the origin is the secant of the angle, of which gives the tangent,
and the magnitude of its distance therefore, the secant multeplied by x.
Thus when the axis x or y is assumed or given and the angle determined, the
collar K K is set, so that 360 or zero corespondes with the pointer u, and the
hand with 60 or zero on the dial plate R R¹.
The tangent screw is then rotated, till the hand points to the minutes of
the angle and the system, untill the degree of the angle coresponds with the
pointer u.
In reference to the linear distance from the point of reference or origin, when
the work is placed on the plateform N N N as stated, the pointer n corespondes
with zero on the dial plate B R¹.

page_text: The magnitude of the secant or distance of a point to be set off from the origin
is measured by turning the disk C untill the pointer n shows the the unites, and
the pointer p the fraction or decimals of the unites.
Thus each position is indicated by its linear distance from the point of reference,
and its angular distance from on axis, and whatever the number of positions to be
set off, the process for each is simply a repetition of a single one, and thus the
work to be done in the most complicated calibre, or form of any figure, can be
noted by two columns of figures, one representing the linear distanco, and fractions.
and the other the angle in degrees and minutes.
Each position is graphically recardet, by using a cutting centre, in place of the
shaft or arbor SS', which can be used by hand, or by the application of a small
hand wheel or by connecting it with a shaft, as in the case of an ordinary clock
makers throw.
Other centres can be used of various forms, according to the requirement of the
work to be done.
Having now particularly described, and ascertaind the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what
I claim is
1st An apparatus, that measures lines and angles on the principle of plane
Trigonometry and coordinates.
2d Such measurement and set-off on solid material or otherwise, being done in
one action or by one agency.
3d An apparatus, for representing designes practically from a plain written
figured record, without the need of any drawing duplicate, or other agency and
preparation.
4th The registering of linear motion or displacement by an auxiliary mechanism,
with spring-tension, by which such motion is recordet by an independant action.
Dated this 4th day of June 1885.