Improvements in Clinometers, Levels, and Plumbs.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clinometers, Levels, and Plumbs.
1. WILLIAM BROWN MELICK, of St. Louis, in the County of St. Louis, and State of
Missouri, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Fig. 1 is a front view. :
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section at 2-2 Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is an oblique transverse section at 3-3 Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section at 4-4 Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a detail section at 5-5 Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is an axial section showing the instrument made with a face upon each
side.
My invention consists in the features of novelty hereinafter described and pointed
out in the claims.
I will first describe the device as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.
The case or box may properly be made of a square block 1, of wood, with a circular
recess, 2, made in the front side of the same. This recess is made with annular steps
or grooves 3, and 4, and is shown lined with metal 5. 6 is a cross bar stretched
diagonally across the recess and fastened at both ends. 7 is a glass face over the
cross bar held in place by a ring or bezel 8. 9 is a spring plate underneath the cross-
bar to which is attached one of the arbor bearings 10, said bearing having a conical
recess to receive a conical end of the arbor 11. The arbor bearing 10 has a cylindrical
end having free bearing in a hole inade through the middle of the cross bar so as to
give the bearing steady support. The other conical end of the arbor turns in a
bearing 12 secured in the case at the rear side of the recess. To the arbor is fastened
the weighted arm or pendulum 13 to which is attached a circular scale plate or disk 14
whose pheriphery is concentric with the arbor.
15 is a curved bar serving to stiffen the scale plate or disk which is soldered or
otherwise fastened to the arbor 11 and pendulum.
The scale plate or disk has an inclination scale 16 extending half a circle or one.
hundred and eighty degrees, being marked "Zero" at its centre and running to ninety
degrees in each direction.
17 are pointers set opposite to the middle of each side 18 of the case so that
when the sides are vertical and horizontal there is always a point at zero and any
deviation from this in a vertical plane is indicated in degrees on the scale 16.
Instead of employing the pointers 17 described, I may employ a disk having four
indicating arms set at angles of ninety degrees to each other said disk being mounted
upon the arbor bearing 10 in rear of the plate 9 as shown in Fig. 1.
The grading scale 19 is so divided as to indicate the rise in a given horizontal
distance. Thus the inclination may be at all times read either in degrees or as to
inclination of grade.
One end of the spring plate 9 is in a recess 20 beneath the ring 8 and upon
this free end of the spring plate is attached a knob 21 by which the free end of
the spring plate may be pressed inward to bind the arbor 11 in its bearings to
a slight degree so as to check the oscillation of the pendulum and bring it to rest
more speedily.
It will be seen that the use of the four pointers or their equivalent, just ninety
degrees from each other enables the use of either side of the instrument either
as a level or as a plumb, and also one or more of the pointers will always be in
a proper position for observation whatever the position of the eye of the user.
The distances upon the scale 19 are not equal throughout the length of the scale,
CD 1

page_text: but decrease in distance outwardly from the centre of the scale for the movement of
the disk one degree would indicate a greater change of grade as the inclination of the
grade increases.
In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the opening 2 extends through the block, and
the disk 14, cross bar 6, glass 7, and pointers 17 are duplicated, so that the indicator
may be read from either side.
The spring plate 9 is not duplicated and the bearing 12 is secured to the cross bar 6.
In this modification also the arbor 10 is attached firmly to the cross bar 6, and said
bar is made to act as a spring plate and to take the place of the spring plate 9, one end
having a limited inward and outward movement, and being attached to the knob 21,
by pressure upon which the inward movement is given to the free end as described
relative to the spring plate 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having an arbor bearing 12, the spring plate
having the arbor bearing 10 and a push knob 21, the arbor 11, and the eccentrically
weighted circular plate having a scale substantially as described.
2. A clinon.erer comprising a case 1, having arbor bearing 12, the spring plate
having an arbor bearing 10 and a push knob, 21. the arbor 11, the pointers and the
ccentrically weighted circular plate having a scale on the face thereof, substantially
described.
3. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having an arbor bearing 12, the spring plate
aving an arbor bearing 10, and a push knob 21, the arbor 11, the pointers, and the
eccentrically weighted circular plate 14 having an inclination scale, 16, and a
grading scale 19, on the face thereof, and mounted on the arbor, substantially as
described.
4. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having a bearing 12, the bar 6, the spring
plate 9, having the hearing 10, and the push knob 21, the arbor 11, and the
eccentrically weighted circular plate 14 having a scale on the face thereof and
mounted on the arbor, substantially as described.
5. A clinometer comprising a square case 1, having a circular recess 2, formed with
annular steps 3, 4, the lining 5, the bearing 12, the diagonal har 6 the spring plate 9
having the bearing 10, and the push knob 21, the arbor 11, the eccentrically weighted
circular plate 14, having an inclination scale 16, and a grading scale 19, and the
pointers, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.