An Improved Instrument for Recording Directions and Marking Distances upon Surveying or Military Sketching Boards.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th May. 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Instrument for Recording Directions and Marking
Distances upon Surveying or Military Sketching Boards.
WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY COLE VERNER Esquire Captain in the Rifle
Brigade of the Junior United Service Club, Charles Street London, W. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
These
A method of observing the direction of objects and of recording the distances of
the same on surveying or military sketching boards by means of small wheels
provided with teeth or cogs on their external edges, set in at equal distances apart,
so as to mark off equal parts of any scale which may be required to be used.
wheels are set in any convenient handle, which latter is provided with a special
arrangement for ensuring that the wheels are directed truly in the required align-
ment. The exact direction & distance of any object is marked off on the board
by the indentations or dots caused by the teeth or cogs on the wheels as they rotate
along its surface.
Dated this Fourteenth day of August 1891
WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY COLE. VERNER,
Captain, Rifle Brigade:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
All Improved Instrument for Recording Directions and Marking
Distances upon Surveying or Military Sketching Boards.
WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY COLE VERNER Major in the Rifle Brigade Junior
United Service Club Charles Street London, S.W. do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
A
The instrument consists of a handle A A shown in Figure 1 carrying a pen or
pencil F, provided with a wheel B at one end so arranged that it will rotate &
fitted with teeth or cogs D. D. Dat any convenient interval apart. These wheels
can have square edged teeth, or rounded or other points, but for preference they
have the required number, say three with rounded points making dots on the paper
and every fourth tooth square so as to form a line on the paper. As an alternative
the distinguishing period can be shown by two or more dots instead of a line by so
arranging or shaping the teeth which can be either filed, stamped, or cut out.
second wheel C provided with a broad track is fixed to A. A. in such a manner that
when the wheels B & C are laid on any plane surface such as shewn at E. E, the
handle A. A is inclined at any suitable angle to this surface such as shewn in
Figure 1. Upon the wheel B being run along any surface, the teeth or cogs mark
small dots or indentations either by the pressure employed in the operation or by
charging them with ink from an ink pad or other suitable substance. The wheel C
is of cylindrical form and forms a small drum or roller having a broad bearing
which when run along any surface ensures the direction first given being maintained.
To record directions with the instrument, the handle A. A is held so that the
wheel B is pressed on the surveying or military sketching board or other drawing
surface or map, below the eye of the observer, the end F is then directed on any
distant object of which the direction is required to be recorded & truly aligned
thereon, the instrument pivotting on the wheel B. & the wheel C bearing evenly
on the drawing surface. The instrument is then pushed forward along the drawing

page_text: surface in the direction of the distant point O & as it moves along the wheels B & C
rotate on the surface & the teeth or cogs of B mark either by indentations or ink
dots the exact direction taken by the instrument.
To mark off distances upon a surveying or military sketching board or other
drawing surface or map, the number of indentations or ink dots made on the paper
are counted off & any convenient value assigned to them this is facilitated by the
distinctive marks such as line double or treble dots occuring at the distinguishing
periods to represent hundreds &c. as the case may be. For example the cogs or
teeth being set in or on to the wheel at intervals of an eighth of an inch apart,
the spaces might be taken to represent 25 yards each on the ground, in which case
one inch would represent a distance of 200 yards & would be marked by eight of
the aforesaid dots or marks.
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 novel combination of a dotting, wheel and roller wheel whereby directions
can be recorded and distances marked substantially as described.
2. The combination of the dotting wheel with a holder for pencil or pen or both,
having guiding wheel substantially as described.
3. The improved form of dotting wheel with distinctive cogs or teeth at say every
fourth position so as to readily count the periods as described, so adapted that it
can be readily attached to a holder for pencil or pen or both.
4. The improved instrument substantially as described.
Dated this Thirteenth day of May 1892.
WILLIAM WILLOUGHBY COLE VERNER,
Major, Rifle Brigade.