A COMPLEAT APPARATUS FOR SURVEYING AND PLANNING IN GENERAL BY LAND AND SEA, WHICH IS MORE EASY AND EXPEDITIOUS IN USE THAN ANY OTHER ALREADY INVENTED, AND EQUALL ACCURATE WITH ANY INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS HERETOFORE MADE FOR THE PURPOSES OF PLANNING AND SURVEYING
Year: 1780

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BECK, of Plymouth Dock, in the County of Devon, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster,
the Sixteenth day of December, in the twenty-first year of His reign,
did give and grant unto me, the said George Beck, His special licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said George Beck, my exors,
admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years
therein expressed, use, exercise, and vend; throughout that part of His
Majestie's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales,
and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A COMPLEAT APPARATUS
FOR SURVEYING AND PLANNING IN GENERAL BY LAND AND SEA, WHICH IS MORE EASY
AND EXPEDITIOUS IN USE THAN ANY OTHER ALREADY INVENTED, AND EQUALL
ACCURATE WITH ANY INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS HERETOFORE MADE FOR THE
PURPOSES OF PLANNING AND SURVEYING;" in which said recited Letters Patent
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said George Beck, by writing under
my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His Majestie's High Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and

page_text: immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the said
Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Beck, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained as herein-after mentioned, that is to say:-
The apparatus consists of six parts. The first is a portable horizon, consisting
of a polished polygon, having each of its polished planes suspended perpen-
dicularly. The other parts are described in the several Drawings hereunder
marked No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
No. 1 is a representation of the goniameter or instrument for taking angles.
The index I, I, moving under the plane of the instrument, carries with it the
mirror B, whose plane, when the vernior is at the begining of the limb,
coincides with the fixt mirror A. The sight O moving on the center S, fixes
to the right or left as occasion may require, and is used when observations
are taken by one reflection only. Another sight C, T, is applied near the
center of the instrument, and when observations are made by double reflection,
by means of the horizon glass H, near which is placed a small mirror A,
moving on an axis at right angles to the axis of vision, and parellel to the
plane of the limb as well as that of the mirror, the use of which is to reduce
objects to the same horizontal plane, that the true horizontal angles may be
ascertained; and this may also be effected by a reflecting curvilinear immove-
able surface. Another mirror of this kind must be applied for the same
purpose for observations with a single reflection (as represented at 6), or the
same mirror may be made to answer both positions. The whole of this
instrument is to be supported by a handle or stand near the center of
gravity.
No. 2 is a representation of the sectoral protractor. The legs A, B, may
be set to any angle by the vernier q on the circular limb P, D, whose center
is the small pin C. The leg or transverse T may be set to any given angle
with the leg A by means of the limb m and vernier S. The three contiguous
edges of these legs (of which A and B are fiducial) are divided to the same
scale. These solve all the cases of plain trigonometry by immediate inspection,
and project the lines of sines, tangents, &c. to any radius upon the transverser T.
On the under side of each of the legs A, B, two pieces r, s, slide by means of
groves, and carry a fine center hole for the points of compasses over the whole
length of each edge of the legs A, B. These sliding pieces also carry verniers
to lines of equal parts, and fiducial edges to the lines of sines, tangents, planes,
solids, &c. for solving spherical trigonometry and other calculations used in

page_text: surveying. To the ruler R is fixed the piece V, having verniers to various
scales on the legs A and B, one of which legs slide close by the fixed ruler R
and underneath the piece V, and thereby measures or lays down lines without
the troublesome and uncertain application of compasses. The ruler R, also
fixing upon the end of the leg A and at any given angle with it, stretches a
hair or fine thread for the center pin C, whereby two angles are formed at the
center C for protracting stasimetric surveys.
No. 3 is a representation of the selnographor. On a center C the tube T
revolves; at the same time a point o has a progressive motion along one side
of the tube, and this compound motion communicates a similar one to the
point r, on the contrary side of the tube. The point o is moved over the
bounding lines of objects, plans, &c. by the ring R, and the point or pencil r
traces the pictures of those objects on a sheet of paper fixed on the drawing
board A, D, G, F, or reduces or inlarges those plans to any scale at pleasure,
by moving the sight E nearer to or further from the plane of the drawing
board. The instrument is to be supported by a stand, and the drawing board
parellel to the plan to be reduced or enlarged, every part of which must be
viewed through the fixed sight E.
C, D, Fig. 1, are
A, B, are two
No. 4 is the representation of the catoptric plane table.
the legs of a joint rule, whose center is at the end A, B.
mirrors, whose inclinations alter with respect to the legs. P, Q, are two
perdendicular pins or wires. The angular distance of objects is ascertained
by holding the legs in the plane of those objects, and opening them until their
images coincide with those of the pins P, Q, on each mirror. The piece E
is fixable at any position on the leg A, and has on it the lines of sines and
tangents by which the legs are set to any angle which may be protracted
by a center hole in the joint. At the ends of the legs C, D, are caliper
points for taking the diameters of balls and bores of cannons, which are shown
by the piece E. Instead of the two inclined mirrors A, B, Fig. 1st, a
perpendicular one G, Fig. 2, moveable at right angles to its plane, may be
used, and then one of the objects must be seen by direct view along the ruler D,
and the image of the pin P, as well as of the other object, must be made to
coincide with it, for then the legs will stand at the angle comprehended by
those two objects. A box and needle is added when necessary to one of
the legs.
No. 5, a representation of the universal sliding scale. This having all the
lines usually put on scales or sliding rules, or any other lines, are laid quite round
the sides and rounded ends, so that each returning into itself, has, by means of
bands carrying indexes, all the properties of circles of proportion, but is vastly

page_text: more portable and convenient for a surveyor, as it performs all arithmetical
and trigonometrical problems with much less trouble, and without compasses.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
and eighty-one.
THO HANDLEY.
GEO. WARREN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1781, the aforesaid George Beck came before our said Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the
Statutes made in the sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen
W and Mary of England, and so forth, and in the seventeenth year of the
reign of His Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and eighty-one.