AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ILLUSTRATING CONIC SECTIONS AND THE LINES OF THE GLOBE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough
Park, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ILLUSTRATING CONIC SECTIONS AND THE LINES OF
THE GLOBE." A communication.
Sealed the 10th May 1859, and dated the 12th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson
Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th November 1858.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ILLUSTRATING CONIC SECTIONS AND THE LINES OF THE
GLOBE," to be as follows:-
The improvement consists in mounting a globe with an extended tabular
horizon and moveable graduated meridians made of materials transparent,
translucent, or opaque, capable of being written on with a pencil, and of
having the writing or work easily wiped or rubbed off; and connecting with
the globe a surface divided into zones, &c., capable of being written upon with
a pencil, and of having the writing easily wiped or rubbed off; and in having
a hollow cone so constructed that the pole of the globe may be elevated so as
to mark the visible horizon for any latitude, or to mark the ecliptic; and when
resting in a horizontal position to mark the meridians, all by holding the globe

page_text: steady in its position, and drawing the pencil around on the edge of the extended
horizon, and in that the pencil may rest on the proper point of that horizon,
and the globe be revolved to draw the equator and all circles parallel to it,
and in having the upper segment of the cone cut into conic sections for the
purpose of illustrating the ellipse, the parabola, and the hyperbola. I make
the globe of wood or any other suitable material, and coat its surface (if
necessary) with a covering which can be written upon with a pencil, and easily
wiped or rubbed off when the surface is wanted for other work or exercise (as
from a slate). On this globe there is one or more flat graduated metallic
meridians suited in width to 15° (or otherwise), and if thought necessary, other
meridians are put on of strips of any flexible substance which may be written
upon with a pencil, and easily wiped or rubbed off when it is no longer needed.
The cone is made in three segments, and at the top of the lower segment or
frustrum a graduated circle or horizon is fitted to show the latitude, &c.; the
exterior surface of this segment is divided into zones, and is bound round the
bottom to keep it from splitting, and the exterior surface is covered for the
purpose of writing with a pencil, as described for the globe. The base of the
hollow cone is also fitted to receive the globe, when the zones, &c., may be
marked upon its flat surface, and the surface prepared for writing with a pencil,
and wiping or rubbing off the same as the globe; or a more extended tablet
may be used (as a slate, &c.) instead of the base or surface of the cone. The
middle segment is made partially hollow to receive one half of the globe (so
that it forms a cover for it), and in the upper part of this concave space a
groove is made. In one direction this groove is sufficient in extent (when the
pole of the globe is inserted into it) to allow the axis of the globe to be
inclined to correspond with the latitude of the place for the purpose of marking
the visible horizon and the constellations, &c., and in the other direction the
exact distance to mark the ecliptic. The superior segment is made of a solid
piece and cut into sections to illustrate the principle of the ellipse, the parabola,
and the hyperbola. To use the globe for marking the equator, zones, and
other parallels, the globe is placed within the graduated circle or horizon; the
point of the pencil is applied at the proper latitude, and the globe is caused to
make a complete revolution, and the circle will be formed complete and exact.
To draw meridians, hold the globe steady in its position, apply the point of
the pencil at one pole and draw it to the other (all the time resting on the
horizon), then turn the globe till the meridian already drawn is exactly
on the top, and draw another, and then subdivide; or the meridians may
be spaced by a graduated metallic meridian, or by any other convenient
means. To draw the ecliptic, place one of the poles of the globe in a groove

page_text: in the concave of the middle segment in that portion where the groove is
exactly the length, and draw the pencil (resting on the circle) around it. To
draw the visible horizon, place the pole of the globe in the other portion of the
groove, and incline the axis to the latitude of the place, and draw the pencil
around the globe, as before described, which fits the globe for drawing the
constellations, &c. Thus with the globe extended horizon or surface meridian
groove and zones may be delineated the parallels, meridian, ecliptic, visible
horizon, and constellations, and the animals, plants, and minerals common to
each of the zones, and for mathematical studies there are the (hollow) cylinder,
sphere, and cone, the circle, and the conic sections.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence that I, the
said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR ILLUSTRATING
CONIC SECTIONS AND THE LINES OF THE GLOBE," (a communication,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their.
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the globe when mounted on the upper
part of the frustrum of a hollow cone; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the
globe when mounted on the base of the cone; Figure 3 is a section of the
hollow cone and globe cut vertically through the centre showing the segments
into which the cone is cut.
The improvement consists in mounting the globe with an extended tabular
horizon and moveable graduated meridians made of materials transparent,
translucent, or opaque, capable of being written on with a pencil, and of
having the writing or work easily wiped or rubbed off; and connecting with
the globe a surface divided into zones, &c., capable of being written upon with
a pencil, and of having the writing easily wiped or rubbed off; and in having
the hollow cone so constructed that the pole of the globe may be elevated so
as to mark the visible horizon for any latitude, or to mark the ecliptic; and
when resting in a horizontal position to mark the meridians, all by holding the
globe steady in its position, and drawing the pencil around on the edge of the
extended horizon; and in that the pencil may rest on the proper point of that
horizon, and the globe be revolved to draw the equator and all circles parallel
to it; and in having the upper segment of the cone cut into conic sections for
the purpose of illustrating the ellipse, the parabola, and the hyperbola,
I make the globe A, Figures 1, 2, and 3, of wood, or any other suitable
material, and coat its surface (if necessary) with a covering on which I can write
with a pencil, and easily wipe or rub it off when the surface is wanted for
other work or exercise (as from a slate). On this globe I have one or more flat
graduated metallic meridians, as seen at 6, Figure 1, suited in width to 15° (or
otherwise); and if thought necessary, I also put on other meridians of strips
of any flexible substance on which I can write with a pencil, and easily wipe
or rub it off when it is no longer needed. I make the cone in three segments,
as shown in section at B, C, and D, Figure 3; and at the top of the lower
segment or frustrum B, I fit a graduated circle or horizon to show the latitude,
&c. And I divide the convex surface of the segment B into zones, as indi-
cated by the red lines c, d, e, f, in Figure 1, and I bind it round the bottom
to keep it from splitting, &c., as seen at 9, Figures 1, 2, and 3; and I cover
the convex surface for the purpose of writing with a pencil, as described for
the globe. I also fit the base of the hollow cone to receive the globe A, as
seen in Figure 2, when the zones, &c., may be marked upon its flat surface,

page_text: and the surface prepared for writing with a pencil, and wiping or rubbing off
the same as the globe; or a more extended tablet may be used (as a slate, &c.)
instead of the base or surface of the cone. I make the middle segment C
partially hollow to receive one half of the globe, as shown in Figure 3 (so that
it forms a cover for it); and in the upper part of this concave space I make a
groove, shown in cross section at h, Figure 3. In one direction this groove is
sufficient in extent (when the pole of the globe is inserted into it) to allow the
axis of the globe to be inclined to correspond with the latitude of the place
for the purpose of making the visible horizon and the constellations, &c., and
in other direction the exact distance to mark the ecliptic. I make the
superior segment D of a solid piece, and cut it into section to illustrate the
principle of the ellipse, the parabola, and the hyperbola, as indicated by the
red lines i, j, and k. To use the globe for marking the equator, zones, and
other parallels, I place it within the graduated circle or horizon a, as shown
in Figure 1, apply the point of the pencil at the proper latitude, and give the
globe a complete revolution, and the circle will be formed complete and exact.
To draw meridians, I hold the globe steady in its position, apply the point of
the pencil at one pole and draw it to the other (all the time resting on the
horizon). I then turn the globe till the meridian already drawn is exactly on
the top, and draw another and then subdivide, or I space the meridian by
the graduated metallic meridian b, Figure 1, or by any other convenient
To draw the ecliptic, I place one of the poles of the globe in the
groove h, Figure 3, in the concave of the segment C, in that portion where the
groove is exactly the length, and draw the pencil (resting on the circle)
around it. To draw the visible horizon, I place the pole of the globe in the
other portion of the groove h, and incline the axis to the latitude of the place,
and draw the pencil around the globe, as before described, which fits the globe
for drawing the constellations, &c. Thus, with the globe extended horizon or
surface meridian, groove, and zones, I am able to delineate the parallels, meri-
dian, ecliptic, visible horizon, and constellations, and the animals, plants, and
minerals common to each of the zones; and for mathematical studies I have
the (hollow) cylinder, sphere, and cone, the circle, and the conic sections.
means.
What I claim as the Invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,
the combination of the globe with an extended horizon or surface as the base
or convex surface of the cone, or any other extended surface on which may be
written any geographical or other exercise with the globe, and be easily wiped
or rubbed off when constructed, arranged, and combined substantially as herein
described.
Second, I claim the combination of the globe with the cone when the cone

page_text: is made in three or more segments, and the upper segment so cut as to illus-
trate the conic sections, and the whole is constructed, arranged, and rendered
susceptible of the various uses, as herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
W. S. HARRISON,
New Court,
St. Swithin's Lane.
GEO. T. BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)