IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING DEVICES FOR SURVEYING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: C
C
L.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A M and W Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do
hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING
DEVICES FOR SURVEYING AND OTHER PURPOSES to be as' follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in wire measures for surveyors and
others and consists of a measuring wire composed of a series of sections the ends
of which are looped and connected by swivels or links and swivels to prevent the
kinking of the wire. Attached to each or any of these swivels may be a tally for
indicating distances and at the inner and outer ends of the measuring wire is
a spring or other suitable opening and closing swivel. The winding reel for the
wire is a flanged drum rotating within an outer closed case. The spring swivel at
the inner final end of the wire is joined to the drum or reel by a short chain or
other device long enough to pass through the slot in the case to allow the inner
final end swivel of the wire to be sprung on ready for winding up.
The swivels may be so constructed that the indicated distances from the initial
point may be marked upon them thus avoiding the use of a separate tally. In this
case the swivel would have a flat middle portion upon which the distanco would be
marked, terminating at each end in a head or enlargement with a swivel eye
pivoted therein.
Any intermediate distances and the fractional parts may be indicated, either by
swivels, links, grooves in or swellings upon the wire, or by rings sprung on to their
places or otherwise fastened..

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEASURING DEVICES FOR SURVEYING AND OTHER PURPOSES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
"
This Invention relates to improvements in wire measures for surveyors and others
and consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts substantially as
hereinafter described. and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 represents a plan or face view of the case of the instrument with the
measuring wire run out from it.
Figure 2 is a side view of the device.
Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof on the line x x in Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents views of a special construction of the swivels used.
A indicates the measuring wire composed of a series of continuous sections, the
ends b of which where their junction is to be established are doubled or folded and
secured by twisting, brazing or soldering, leaving loops, which however may be
otherwise formed and attached. These loops serve to connect the sections of the
wire with each other by means of interposed swivels B, or links and swivels may
be used to prevent the kinking of the wire. Attached to each or any of these
swivels may be a tally C for indicating distances, and at the outer end of the
measuring wire, which forms the initial point of measurement, also at the extreme
inner end thereof, is a spring or other suitable opening and closing swivel D. The
several swivels may be of any suitable construction.
E is the winding reel for the wire, operated by a handle F. This reel which is
in the form of a flanged drum, is arranged to rotate within an outer closed case G,
through a slot c. in which (where anti-friction rollers d d may be provided), the
wire runs. The spring swivel D at the inner final end of the wire is joined to the
revolving drum or reel by any suitable device, as for instance by a short.chain e
the inner end of which is fastened to the periphery of the drum and the outer end
of which is loose and hangs when required through the slot c to allow the inner.
final end swivel D of the wire to be sprung on ready for winding up.
I do not bind myself to the precise form of wire connection, swivel, tally, or reel
here shown and any equivalent devices for adjusting the lengths of the whole wire
or combination of wires to the true length of the standard may be used. with my
measuring device or apparatus.
The swivels (as shown in Figure 4) may be so constructed that the indicated
distances from the initial point may be marked upon them, thus avoiding a
separate tally.
Any intermediate distances and the fractional parts may be indicated, either by
swivels, links, grooves in or swellings upon the wire, or by rings sprung on to their
places or otherwise fastened.
The mode of using the wire or combination of wires for ordinary land survey
measuring more especially in uneven country is as follows:-
'
The traverse stations are arranged at distances apart not greater than the total
length of the wire, together with that of a suitable tape marked with fractional

page_text: parts of the standard length; the surveyor, when observing the bearings of the
traverse lines; notes also each vertical angle, this being the angle included between
the horizontal line and a line drawn from the trasverse station observed at, to that
observed to. To measure the lines, the hindermost or following chainman standing
at the traverse station to be measured from, holds the reel and pays out the wire,
the outer end of which the forward chainman or leader holds as he walks along the
line to be measured towards the next forward trasverse station, until within
the distance of the standard length or some divisional part thereof indicated on
the wire measure to the follower, who then ceases to pay out. The leader then
attaches the fractionally divided tape to the spring swivel at the outer end of wire
and paying out the tape proceeds to the forward traverse station. They then'
holding the wire and tape at equal heights above the traverse stations (which may
be arranged by having marks on their plumb lines at equal distances from the
points of the plumbs) the follower holds the indicated distance point on the wire
plumb over the zero on traverse station at which he is standing while the leader
draws the tape; so attached to the wire up, till they receive that strain, which will
give the true standard length. This strain is decided by the surveyor when
adjusting the wire or wires on a carefully laid down standard of length, using a
spring balance attached to one end of the wire or wires.
In case of having to measure any distances with extreme accuracy, a spring
balance may be used in the field. The leader then notes the distance on the tape
which is plumb-over the zero point of the traverse station at which he is standing,
the follower reading off on the wire the number of whole lengths of standard, and
main divisional parts, if any, and the leader reading off on the tape the number of
fractional parts of the standard and the surveyor noting the sum of the distances
both of the wire and of the tape between the plumb lines, he, the surveyor, has
then the exact length on the slope of the line to be measured. The true horizontal
distance can then be easily ascertained by means of the vertical angle read when
observing. The tape for measuring the fractional distances, may be attached at
will to the wire at any convenient intermediate point on the wire, instead of at its
outer end, which end may then terminate in a bar or other convenient handle either
by having a spring swivel on the end of the tape or by having spring swivels at
the indicated distances on the wire. In adopting this method, the leader holds the
outer end of the wire over the zero point of the traverse station at which he is
standing as previously described, while the follower attaching the tape to the wire
by the spring swivel at the indicated distance on the wire nearest to him in the
direction of the leader then brings the tape, by paying out back to the traverse
station to be measured from and drawing the tape and wire up till they receive the
required strain. This will give the true standard length. The follower then notes
the distance on the tape which is plumb over the zero point of the traverse station,
at which he is standing and reading off to the surveyor both the number of whole
lengths of standard and main divisional parts, if any, on the wire, and also
the number of fractional parts on the tape, the surveyor notes and proceeds as
previously described.
The wire may have a sufficient number of indicated sub-divisions to dispense
with the use of a tape for the fractional parts of the standard lengths, or a separate
wire having indicated upon it the fractional parts of the standard length may be
used, instead of the tape; the whole apparatus may either be made of or coated
with any suitable known substance not injuriously affected by exposure to damp
and the weather generally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st In a wire measure for surveying and other purposes, the wire A constructed
in sections in combination with the swivels B, uniting said sections, and the reel E,
essentially as described,
'

page_text: 2nd The combination with a sectionally constructed measuring wire having
freely moving jointed connections uniting its sections, and a reel for paying out and
winding up said wire, of the tallies Cat suitable distances apart in the length of
the wire, and an opening and closing swivel or fastening D at either or both ends
of the wire, substantially as specified.
;
3rd An improved measuring device for surveying and other purposes, substantially
as herein described, the same consisting of the wire A composed of a series of
sections, the swivels B uniting said said sections, the tallies C, the opening and
closing swivels D on the outer and inner ends of the wire, and chain e for
connecting the swivel on the inner end with å reel, or the equivalents of these
devices.