An Improved Clinometer, Level, and Plumbing Instrument.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
PRUVIDIUNAT DELICATION
An Improved Clinometer, Level, and Plumbing Instrument.
We, MATHIEU COSMAN and JOSEPH COSMAN, Brothers, both of 68, Rue des
Archives, Paris, France, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is a metric level for measuring the angles of
declivities, stair cases, railway inclines, in a word for all geodesicul and levelling
operations, and serving also to verify the position of the different parts in engines
and other machines.
This level offers over all other similar instruments actually existing, the
following advantages:
It is much more simple and, consequently, more easily employed, moreover it is
very exact, strong, cheap, and easily fitted and unfitted.
The practical metric level is composed of a double metallic structure, hollowed,
so as to diminish its weight and make it look more elegant, and in the interior of
which; a balance, furnished with two appendages at its upper and lower parts is
suspended to an axis supported by the structure.
Beneath the lower appendage is a counterpoise which keeps the balance in a
vertical position.
The lower part of the semi-circles or limbs formed by the structure, bears
divisions indicating, upon one of the limbs, the declivity in a centimeter per meter
or any other proportion and on the other limb graduations in degrees and sub-
divisions up to 45°.
An upper circle, whose centre is formed by the axis of the balance, also bears,
at its upper part, notches corresponding with the divisions of the lower limb and
enabling the reading, by means of the upper appendage, the lower one serving
for the reading of the limbus.
The instrument thus described serves as a square by applying according to the
different cases, either the upper or the lower face, or one of the lateral faces on the
ceiling, wall and the like whose level or vertical we wish to verify or whose inclina-
tion we wish to calculate.
The balance always remaining in the vertical position will indicate, when the
indices will be at of the graduations that the object under examination is
perfectly horizontal or vertical; if the indications correspond with one of the
divisions on the right, the inclination is simply given in centimeters per meter or
in degrees. When the instrument is used for levelling, its two lateral faces are
pierced with two holes to enable the adaptation of a spying-glass held in a fixed
position by means of a tightening screw. In this case the upper index is sup-
pressed to allow the passage of the glass. A support socket with a hinge at its-
upper part and supplied with a disc allows the fixing of the level by means of a
screw and moreover in order to hold the level in the desired position, either in a

page_text: declivity, sideways, or horizontal, an arc can slide in a groove made in the support
socket and is fixed by means of a tightening screw.
The support socket may also be provided with a hinge to facilitate the direction.
Dated this 24th day of June 1897
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicants.
An Improved Clinometer, Level, and Plumbing Instrument.
"
We, MATHIEU COSMAN and JOSEPH COSMAN, both of 68, Rue des Archives.
Paris, France, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following: statement:-
The present invention relates to clinometers, and its object is a new apparatus
allowing the easy measuring of the angles of railway gradients,, and other road-
unevennesses in a word it may be employed for all geodesical and levelling opera-
tions and also for verifying the relative position mechanical organs or architectural
works,
The instruments of this kind hitherto employed are expensive, employed with a
certain amount of difficulty they require a special knowledge and, besides, necessi-
tato numerous trials which always lead to approximation and consequently to
errors.
These inconveniences are suppressed with the apparatus which forms the object
of the present invention and which allows of a very easy and exact operation,
moreover this apparatus is very strong and cheap and no special knowledge what-
ever is required to use it.
In the annexed drawing, a practical form of execution of this apparatus is
shown as an example.
Fig. 1 is an elevation.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section through X Y of Fig. 1.
Figs. 3 and 4 show two different applications of the apparatus and
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the instrument fixed for levelling.
This clinometer is composed of a metallic box A the lateral longitudinal sides.
and the upper side of which are made of open work. The lateral sides of this box
bear, at their upper part, the axle a of a balance F provided at its lower part with
a hand or index C and a counterpoise P which always brings the balance back to
the vertical position. The hand C protrudes on both sides of the balance and runs
on the inside of the semi-circles or limbs I having their centre at a and on one of
which metric divisions are traced, each division representing a gradient of one
centimeter per meter which is indicated in degrees on the second limb I (Fig. 1
and 2). It is evident that the divisions of the limbs may refer to a yard or to any
other measure.
The balance F bears another index b on its upper end, the said index protruding
on both sides of the balance and running along the inside face of the lateral sides
of the box A which, for this purpose, are cut according to a circle R of which the
axle a forms the centre. The circles R are provided with divisions corresponding
with those of the limbs I but cut in the thickness of the metal.
When this instrument is to serve for levelling, it is provided either with a
simple sight or by preference with a sight glass V (Fig. 5) arranged on the upper
part of the box A and supported by the vertical transverse sides of this latter.
This sight-glass is secured by means of a thumb screw k screwed into the upper
side of the box A.

page_text: This new arrangement of the instrument necessitates the suppression of the top
index (Figs. 1 and 2) to allow the passage of the glass V or of the sight, moreover
the box A bears, on its lower side a flat metallic arc of a circle C' and is fixed by
means of screws S on a plate i connected by a hinge-joint or a movable hinge with
a socket D fixed on a foot T and the upper part of which is open at Z.
The socket support D is provided with a groove in which the arc of circle C¹
slides, which can be fixed by means of tightening screws 7, moreover for the quick
and exact setting, this arc of circle may have a rack system.
The way this instrument is used as a level is very simple; if it is desired to find
the gradient of a foot path etc. per meter, a rule M is placed on the ground, then
the apparatus on the rule as shown by Fig. 4, and the displacement of the index C
to the right or left of the zero of the limb I indicates the gradient in centimeters
per meter.
If it is desired to ascertain whether a ceiling is horizontal, it suffices to apply
the upper face of the instrument against the said ceiling and if the index C stops
exactly on the zero of the limb I, the ceiling is perfectly horizontal.
In Fig. 3 the instrument is a shown applied by one of its sides to a support wall;
and the index C indicates on the limb I, the centimeters of inclination per meter
of this wall, from the vertical point.
When the instrument is supported by a foot and provided with the sight glass V
it is necessary before any operation, to bring the index C back to the zero of the
limb, then through the glass, we sight either the point of which the height is to.
be found, or the sight placed on the road, if it is desired to measure the gradient.
of a road, and the index C will give clearly the gradient in centimeters per meter
on one side and in degrees on the other.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1) A clinometer distinguished by the combination of a metallic box the lateral
longitudinal sides and the upper side of which are made open, and of a balance
Oscillating on an axle supported by the lateral longitudinal sides of the box, the
said balance bearing a counterpoise at its lower extremity and having hands above
this counterpoise and at its upper end, protruding on both sides of the balance,
the said hands moving over circles which are graduated in a suitable manner to
indicate the gradient in lineal measure or the angle in degrees.
2) A clinometer distinguished by the combination of a metallic box with upper
and lateral longitudinal sides open, of a balance oscillating on an axle supported
by the lateral longitudinal sides of the box and provided with a counterpoise and
an index at its lower extremity; finally of a sight glass passing through the upper
part of the lateral transversal sides and being fixed by a thumb screw, the said
instrument being fixed upon a support jointed in any suitable way.
Doted this 04th day of March 1808
.
L. DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.