A DEVICE TO FACILITATE SKETCHING
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I, ROBERT WILLIAM PARKER, of 3 New London Street, London, E.C. in the
County of Middlesex, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for "A DEVICE TO FACILITATE SKETCHING to be as follows:-
This invention has for object to enable sketching or copying of any scene or
object to be accurately and rapidly effected, for which purpose an appliance, that
I will call a sketching frame, is employed. It is constructed of rectangular form,
of any suitable material, such, for example, as cardboard, wood, bone, ivory,
vulcanite, metal, or the like, its interior rectangular space being divided into any
convenient number of squares by two series of cross lines or threads, of any
suitable material, such for example as hair, cotton, silk, wire, or the like, the lines
or threads of one series being preferably numbered whilst those of the other series
are lettered.
The improved sketching frame is made sufficiently strong to avoid breakage and
yet so light as to be readily carried without inconvenience between the leaves of a
sketch book.
In the accompanying drawings Fig 1 is a plan or top view of the improved
sketching frame and Fig: 2 is a transverse section of the same. a is the rectangular
frame and b. b the two series of cross lines or threads forming the squares c. c.
The cross lines or threads are preferably of one length of material passing through
holes & in the sides and ends of the frame a as shewn the ends of the material
being finally secured by tying or otherwise. The vertical lines or threads b are
numbered as shewn whilst those (6¹) that are horizontal are lettered.
sketching frame may be of any suitable dimensions. By placing a sketching
frame, thus constructed, before the sight and at a distance therefrom equal to that
of the sketch book, the relative size and distance of the objects to be copied are at
once determined and made evident.
say
The
The method of using the improved sketching frame is as follows, that is to
Lay the frame on the sketching paper and then with a pencil lightly mark off

page_text: inner edge of the frame. Then remove the frame and using one of its sides as a
straight edge or rule lightly rule in pencil, cross lines joining the points already
marked. The lines so drawn on the sketching paper will then exactly represent
in size and shape the margin and cross lines of the frame. The draughtsman
by then holding or fixing the frame in front of his sight and at a distance
therefrom equal to that of his sketch book will then select his subject, fix the
limits of the sketch and solve at one sight the difficulties of perspective, distance,
middle distance, and foreground by observing within the frame the natural
landscape or object reduced by means of the cross lines or threads exactly to the
proportions to which the landscape or object should be transferred to the sketch
book.
The draughtsman being now ready for his sketch with his book ready ruled in
front of him (supported in any convenient manner) will either hold the frame in
his left hand or have it fixed in the position above stated. He will then close one
eye and fix two prominent or defined points of the object or view at different
corners of the frame by means of the cross lines or threads, which fixed points he
will then transfer to his paper so that on each occasion that he lifts his eye from
the paper to the object or view for the purpose of copying it he may first adjust
the two selected points to their original position on the cross lines or threads of the
frame and thus by proving his eye to be at its true position can complete his
sketch without error.'
The copy in the sketch book may be enlarged or diminished to any size with
equal accuracy by simply widening or contracting the distances between the pencil
lines on the book to represent the spaces between the cross lines or threads of the
sketching frame.

page_text: I, ROBERT WILLIAM PARKER, of 3 New London Street, London, E.C. in the
County of Middlesex, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"A DEVICE TO FACILITATE SKETCHING" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for object to enable sketching or copying of any sceno or
object to be accurately and rapidly effected, for which purpose an appliance that
I will call a sketching frame is employed. It is constructed of rectangular form of
any suitable material such, for example, as cardboard, wood, bone, ivory, vulcanite,
metal or the like, its interior rectangular space being divided into any convenient
Aumber of squares by two series of cross lines or threads of any suitable material
such, for example, as hair, cotton, silk, wire or the like, the lines or threads of one
series being preferably numbered whilst those of the other sories are lettered.
The improved sketching frame is made sufficiently strong to avoid breakage and
yet so light as to be readily carried without inconvenience between the leaves of a
sketch book.
In the accompaying drawings Fig 1 is a plan of the improved sketching frame
and Fig 2 is a transverse section of the same. a is a rectangular frame and b b¹
are two series of cross lines or threads forming squares. c, c. The cross lines or
threads are shewn as of one length of material passing through holes d in the sides
and ends of the frame a the ends of the material being finally secured by tying or
otherwise. The vertical lines or threads bare numbered respectively 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, on the frame whilst those (61) that are horizontal are designated by letters
A, B, C, D. The sketching frame may be of any suitable dimensions. By placing
a sketching frame thus constructed before the sight and at a distance therefrom
equal to that of the sketch book, the relative size and distance of the objects to be
copied are at once determined and made evident.
The method of using the improved sketching frame is as follows, that is to
say:
Lay the frame on the sketching paper, and then with a pencil lightly mark off
thereon the four corners of the frame and the points where the cross lines leave the
inner edge of the frame. Then remove the frame and using one of its sides as a
straight edge or ruler lightly rule in pencil cross lines joining the points alroady
marked.
The lines so drawn on the sketching paper will then exactly represent in size
and shape the margin and cross lines of the frame. The draughtsman by next
holding or fixing the frame in front of his sight and at a distance therefrom equal
to that of his sketch book will then select his subject, fix the limits of the sketch
and solve at one sight the difficulties of perspective, distance, middle distance, and
foreground by observing within the frame the natural landscape or object reduced
by means of the cross lines or threads exactly to the proportions to which the
landscape or object should be transferred to the sketch book. The draughtsman
being now ready for his sketch with his book ready ruled in front of him
(supported in any convenient manner) will either hold the frame in his left hand

page_text: or have it fixed in the position above described. He will then close one eye and
fix two prominent or defined points of the object or view at different corners of the
frame by means of the cross lines or threads which fixed points he will then
transfer to his paper so that on each occasion that he lifts his eye from the paper
to the object or view for the purpose of copying it he may first adjust the two
selected points to their original position on the cross lines or threads of the frame
and thus by proving his eye to be at its true position can complete his sketch
without error.
The copy in the sketch book may be enlarged or diminished to any size with
equal accuracy by simply widening or contracting the distances between the pencil
lines on the book to represent the spaces between the cross lines or threads of the
sketching frame.
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
The device substantially as described with reference to and illustrated by the
drawings for the purpose specified.