AN IMPROVED VARIATION AND AZIMUTH COMPASS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de Kleinsorgen, of
No. 3, Sidmouth Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED VARIATION AND AZIMUTH COMPASS."
Sealed the 14th March 1856, and dated the 27th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Charles Frederick
Baron de Kleinsorgen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 27th October 1855.
I, JOSEPH CHARLES FREDERICK Baron DE KLEINSORGEN, of No. 3, Sidmouth
Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention of "AN IMPROVED VARIATION AND AZIMUTH COMPASS " to be as
follows, that is to say-
The Invention consists in an improved construction of azimuth compasses.
a is a glass cylinder, with a bottom and brass fittings; on the bottom a mag-
netic needle is placed, working on a pivot; b, brass partition, on which a dial
plate is fixed, with the four cardinal points marked thereon. The dial plate is
stationary, and above it is a small copper bar, fixed with one end in the direc-
tion of the north and the other end to the south. C, cylinder cover, containing
a glass lens for concentrating the light upon the dial when the sun is obscured.
d is a brass ring set round the cylinder a, which holds it by means of two pivots
e, e, fixed to the upper part of the frame f, which turns on the support g.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de Kleinsorgen in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
CHARLES FREDERICK Baron DE KLEINSORGEN, of No. 3, Sidmouth Street, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de Kleinsorgen, Her special license
that I, the said Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de Kleinsorgen, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Charles
Frederick Baron de Kleinsorgen, 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 expressed, 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 of "AN
IMPROVED VARIATION AND AZIMUTH COMPASS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de Kleinsorgen,
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.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de
Kleinsorgen, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference .being had to the
Drawing hereto annexed, and to the figures, and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:
This Invention consists in an improved construction of azimuth compasses.
Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan, of the apparatus. A. A', are
two glass cylinders, screwed together in the middle A", and provided with a
brass bottom and fittings. At the lower part of this cylinder A is a com-
pass card B, with its magnetic needle, and on the external part is fixed or
engraved a small arrow B', the head of which points to the lower part of the

page_text: apparatus. At the bottom of the upper cylinder is secured a brass plate, on
which is fixed an immoveable compass card, with the four.cardinal points indi-
cated upon it, which corresponds with each other by a line, and are arranged
in such a manner that. the north point. is perpendicular with the arrow B¹.
Above this card is placed a small and very thin brass blade C, which is fixed
in a groove in the frame, exactly in the middle of the north point of the com-
pass; it is provided with a hinge, in order to. raise or lower it. This blade,
therefore, indicates correctly the north and south. D is the cover of the
cylinders; it is fitted with a lens E, which concentrates the light on the card
B of the upper cylinder when the sun is obscured by clouds. F is a flat
brass ring enclosing the upper cylinder, to which is suspended by means of
two brass pins or pivots G, upon which it oscillates; H, brass frame, the
arms of which support the compass by means of thumb screws I, I, passing
through the arm or support of the ring, and fitted loosely in the latter, so as
to allow the cylinder to have an oscillating motion. The frame E is provided
with a pivot J, working in a brass fitting in the compass box.
In order to ascertain if the magnetic needle indicates correctly, or if there
is any variation, I place the instrument exactly at mid-day, so that the north
point of the needle corresponds with the point of the arrow B. If in taking
the meridian the shadow of the blade C falls perpendicular with the north and
south line of the compass card, then the compass is correct, and there is no
variation; but if, on the contrary, the shadow of the blade falls either eastward
or westward, then the instrument must be made to revolve on the pivot J
until the said shadow falls correctly, the magnetic needle registering how much
it diverges from the true north. When the sea is very rough the instrument
may be isolated from all magnetic influence.
This improved compass renders unnecessary all observations and calculations,
by which at present it is difficult to obtain a correct result.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First, the mode or method of ascertaining the variation of the magnetic
needle by means of the south pole instead of the north pole, as hitherto
adopted.
Second, the employment of a suitable lens for concentrating the rays of
light in the absence of direct sunshine when required to make an observation.
Third, the employment of a metallic blade (by the shadow of which) in
conjunction with the magnetic needle, to ascertain the variations of the
latter.

page_text: Fourth, the adaptation of this apparatus as an instrument to be employed in
drographic and topographic surveys.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Charles Frederick Baron de
Kleinsorgen, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day
of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
Witnesses,
JOSEPH CHARLES FREDERIC BARON DE KLEINSORGEN
R. F. HESS.
C. F. MATHIESEN.
(L.S.)