IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MARINER'S COMPASS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gowland, of South Castle Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Chronometer and Nautical Instrument
Sealed the 29th January 1855, and dated the 29th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gowland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th November 1854.
I, GEORGE GOWLAND, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MARINER'S COMPASS" to be as follows:
My Invention relates to improvements on compasses, having cards of the
form of the zone of a sphere or other suitable form, having the points or
graduations marked on the periphery of the same, such as described in the
Specification of certain other Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing date
on or about the Fifteenth day of July 1853.
I construct the box of the compass of two hemispheres of glass attached to
a vertical ring of brass or other suitable non-magnetic substance. This ring is
supported on rollers, and guided within a larger ring, which has a stud on
each side on which it turns. The larger ring is thus capable of moving in a
vertical plane, and the inner ring is capable of moving in a plane at right
angles to the plane in which the larger ring moves. The effect of the ordinary

page_text: gimbals is thus obtained, while the two sides of the box are fully exposed to
view, which would not be. the case if gimbals were employed. The box is
weighted at the bottom to cause it to assume its proper position. Inside the
box is a vertical stud attached to the inner ring, and having a cup at its upper
end, the centre of which is in the centre of the spherical box. A pin or
spherical stud rests in this cup, and carries a hollow cone which is weighted at
the bottom. At the top of the cone and in a cavity in the spherical stud is
fixed a cup of agate or other hard substance, in which rests a pin attached to
the centre of the needle of the compass. The spherical card is supported by
means of light gimbals carried by the ends of the needle. A vertical circle or
semicircle of wire is attached to the hollow cone, and is capable of moving
freely through a crutch or fork turning on a swivel, and attached to the ring
of the box at a point on a level with its centre. The hollow cone is thus
prevented from turning round in the box, although free to oscillate in all
directions about the common centre of motion. Another circle of wire is fixed
to the cone at right, angles to that above mentioned, and this last circle of
wire serves as the "lubber's line," and always maintains its place in the centre
of each side of the box. Another circle or portion of a circle of wire is
attached to a pin passing through the top of the ring of the box, and furnished
with a milled head, by which it can be turned round and set to any required
position for taking azimuths and amplitudes. I construct a course indicator
with a card of a spherical or cylindrical form, graduated on the periphery like
the compass card. This card can be turned round by hand, so as to show the
required course by means of a fixed line or index'; or the graduations may be
made on a strip of calico, or paper, or other material, wound upon rollers or
sliding in a guide, so that the steersman may be able to see it before him,
instead of having to look down upon it, as with the ordinary flat card
indicators. In lieu of suspending the box by means of rollers and an outer
ring, it may be supported in the following manner:-The hollow cone above
mentioned is supported-on-a-cup_at the top of another hollow cone attached to
-the bottom of the box in lieu of the vertical stud above mentioned.
this second cone is another spherical or hemispherical stud,-which-rosts_in_a_
cup on the top of a fixed stud or pillar: The box-is thus free to oscillate in
all directions, but it is prevented from turning round horizontally, by means of a
fork or crutch turning on a swivel on a fixed support, and embracing a circle
of wire, or a flange surrounding the ring of the box; or in lieu of the swivelled
crutch, a round pin may be employed, and made to enter a groove in the ring.
When required to check the oscillations of the box, I attach_an_india-rubber
band to one side of the box, and pass it round a pulley, and attach it to the
Within

page_text: other side of the box. I sometimes make the card of the compass of steel
and magnetize it, and I thus obtain great magnetic power combined with
lightness.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Gowland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; I, GEORGE
GOWLAND, of South Castle Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Chronometer and Nautical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Gowland, Her special licence that I, the said George
Gowland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the
said George Gowland, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MARINER'S COMPASS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Gowland, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 George Gowland, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say':-
The Invention relates to improvements in compasses, having cards of
spherical, cylindrical, or other similar form, with the points marked on their
periphery, in a similar manner to those described in the Specification of
certain other Letters Patent granted to me, and bearing date on or about the
Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.

page_text: This hollow
9, which
J is another arc or circle of wire
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front view of one of my improved compasses;
Figure 2 is a section of the same; Figure 3 is a side view; and Figure 4 is
a sectional plan of the same compass. A is the base; B, B, are two supports
or pillars, carrying the pivots a, a, of a ring of brass or other non-magnetic
metal C. Within the ring C is another ring D, which is supported and guided
by the pulleys or rollers E, E, E, E, which are mounted on the ring C, and
enter a groove in the ring D; F is a weight attached to the ring D, which is
thus capable of two motions, in planes at right angles to each other, in a
similar manner to that obtained by the ordinary gimbals; at the same time
the whole face of the instrument is exposed to view, which would not be the
case if the ordinary gimbals were employed; G, G, are two hemispherical
glasses, which are fixed in brass rings b, b, attached to the ring D by catches
or a bayonet joint, and secured by screws c, c. H is a stud or pillar attached
to the bottom. of the ring D, and having a cup d át its upper end, which
receives a hollow ball e, fixed in the top of a hollow cone I.
cone is thus free to oscillate in all directions about the centre of the ball, but
is prevented from turning round horizontally by means of an arc of wire f,
which is attached to it, and which passes through a fork or crutch
turns on a swivol or pivot in the ring D.
attached to the wire f and to the cone I.
line" or index to show the course of the vessel; within the ball e is a cavity
containing an agate plate or cup, secured by a small hollow cone h screwed
into the ball. A small spring is placed under the agate plate or cup, to
reduce the effect of any sudden shock or blow. K is the magnetic needle,
having a central pin which rests upon the agate cup, and is kept in its place
by the cone h; the point of the pin of the magnetic needle is in the centre of
the ball e, which is also the centre of the ring D, and in a line with the axis
of the pivots a, a, so that the motions of all parts of the instrument are con-
centric, and the effect on the needle of the oscillations of the rings C and D,
and the cone I, is reduced to a minimum. The needle K is bent or arched in
_the_centre, and may consist of a single bar of steel, or of a bar of steel or other
metal, having one or two or more short steel magnets attached-to-each-of-its-
branches. A light ring is fixed-to-the-needle, and carries two pivots, which
support a second ring or gimbal j,. which carries two other pivots at right
angles to the first, and which support the card L. This card is of the form of
the zone of a sphere with the points or graduations marked on its exterior; or
it may be made cylindrical or slightly conical, if preferred, still having the
points or graduations marked on its exterior.
This wire J forms the "lubbers
The card may be-made of thin sheet copper or other suitable material. In

page_text: order to increase the magnetic power without increasing the weight of the
card and needle, I sometimes make the card of thin sheet steel and mag-
netise it. In this case it may consist of a complete ring of steel, or of two
semicircles, with their similar poles united by copper or other non-magnetic
substance, at the points opposed to the extremities of the needle, shown in the
Drawings. M is an arc of wire, attached to a pin passing through the ring
D, and carrying a disc or milled head k, by turning which the arc M may be
set at any angle or position. This wire M is for taking azimuths and bearings
of distant objects, and is not required when the compass is only used for
steering purposes. N is an elastic piece of brass attached to the ring D, and
carrying a small roller n, which presses against the ring C, and serves to
steady the motion of the ring D, and prevent any rattling.
Any oscillation communicated to the base of the instrument has but little
effect upon the pillar H, which, however, is free to deviate from the per-
pendicular, while the cone I still remains stationary. If the cone I should
receive any motion, this motion may take place without communicating any
motion to the needle K, which may also oscillate without moving the card. L.
The needle may also vary its dip without affecting the card. The mode of
suspending the box may be somewhat varied by fixing the outer ring C, in
lieu of suspending it on pivots. The glasses G, G, are then made of some-
what smaller diameter, and are not fixed to the ring D, but to a smaller ring,
supported by pivots within the ring D. The ring D is weighted as before,
and the glass box is also weighted at the bottom.
Figure 5, Sheet II., is a front view, and Figure 6 is a section, of another of
my improved compasses. A is the base ;- B, B, are two supports or brackets,
carrying the fixed ring C, which supports the stud or pillar H, at the top of
which is a cup d; p is another hemispherical cup, fixed to the top of a hollow
cone P, and resting in the cup d. Two hemispherical glasses G are fixed in
brass rings b, which are fitted together and secured to the base of the cone P;
Qis a circle or arc of wire, attached to the cone P, and passing through a
The glass box and
fork or crutch q, turning on a pin or swivel on the ring C.
cone P are thus prevented from turning round horizontally, but are at liberty
to oscillate in all directions about the common centre of the instrument. The
cone P is made sufficiently heavy to act as a balance weight to bring the box
into its proper position; the base A may thus move in all directions without
communicating its, oscillations to the box. Within the cup p is the ball e,
attached to the cone I, and containing the agate plate or cup, which supports
the needle K and card L with their gimbals, as before. The cone I is guided
by an arc f, passing through a fork or crutch g, and connected to the "lubbers.

page_text: ..line
or index J, as before. The crutch g is carried on an elastic piece of
brass or spring 2, which may be pushed back so as to release the wire f when
it is required to remove the card or the cone I.
In order to check the oscillations of the box, particularly in stormy weather,
. I connect a band R, of vulcanized caoutchouc or other suitable elastic
material, to the two, opposite sides of the box, and pass it under a pulley S,
whose support sis attached to the base A. The support's may turn on a
ball and socket joint, or may be attached by a cord to the base A, to allow
of its accommodating itself to the varying positions of the band R. When
the support s is attached by a cord or band to the base A, this cord or band
may be of caoutchouc, or other suitable elastic material, or a spring may be
substituted for it; and in this case the band R may be of silk, or other
comparatively inelastic material; or the band R and the attachment of 's may
both be of elastic material. In lieu of making the box of two hemispheres of
glass, it may consist of one sphere of glass, having an aperture at the lower
part sufficiently large to admit the card and the other parts of the instrument.
The point of the pivot of the needle K is in the centre of the ball c, which
is concentric with the cups p and d, and with the rings b, and also with the
ares of wire-Q, f, and J; thus the stud H may incline in any direction
without causing the cone P to oscillate. The cone P may oscillate without
_necessarily communicating its oscillation to the cone I, which may oscillate
without communicating its motion to the needle K, which may oscillate and
vary its dip without communicating its motion to the card L.
In lieu of making the glass box of two hemispheres joined in a vertical
plane, it may be made of a single piece of glass, of a cylindrical form, or of
the form of a sphere, with the upper or lower part (or both) removed, so as to
. leave. an aperture or apertures large enough to admit the card. The upper
aperture is covered
a cap, or plate of glass or metal, which may be screwed
to a metal ring cemented to the glass. The lower aperture is closed by a
plate or hollow cone.
Thus, in the compass, shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3; and 4, Sheet I., the glass
may be cemented to the cone I, so as to come between the wire f and the
card. The "lubbers line "J will also be outside the glass;-or-it-may-be-a-
separate wire fixed within the glass, or a line painted or marked on the glass
itself; the glass is covered with a plate, as above mentioned. The crutch g
may be mounted on a spring, as in the compass shewn in Figures 5 and 6,
Sheet II. By releasing the wire f from the crutch g, the box may be turned
round, and the lubbers line J. may be used for taking bearings; the wire M
and milled head-k are not then required. This construction is convenient

page_text: when it is desired to employ the compass' as a. liquid compass. For this pur-
pose, a funnel or vessel is fixed in the centre of the top of the box, and the
whole, is filled with spirits of wine, or other suitable liquid, with the exception
of a small space in, the aforesaid funnel or vessel, to allow for, the expansion of
the liquid. When employed as a liquid compass, the friction, of the. pivot,
org point which supports the card, may be diminished, by attaching, a float-to
the card, so as to relieve the point of a portion of the weight. This float may
consist of an annular tube of vulcanized caoutchouc, or of thin sheet copper,
or other suitable material. When a steel card is employed in the liquid,
it may be protected from, oxidation by a thin, coat. of caoutchouc, or 'other
suitable varnish.
In lieu of making the box which contains the card of glass, as herein-
before described, it may be made of brass, or other non-magnetic. material,
and provided with a glass or window, on the side next. to the steersman. The
card may be made cylindrical, or of the form of a frustrum of a cone, or other
similar form, having the points marked on the periphery, in lieu of making
it of the form of a zone of a sphere, as shewn in the Drawings. In all
cases the points are marked on the periphery, so that they may be visible
when the card is placed on a level with the. eye of the observer, in lieu of
being marked on a flat surface or disc, as in the ordinary compass cards.
These compasses may be protected by being inclosed in a binnacle or box
with glass sides, and made of spherical, cylindrical, square, or other fórm, as may
be most convenient. At the top of the binnacle, or in any otlier convenient
position, I place a course indicator, which consists of a card of similar form to
the compass cards herein-before, described, and having the points marked on
its periphery. A fixed wire or-index is placed in front of this card, and the
card is turned by hand, so as to bring the required point opposite to the index.
This indicator is inclosed in a glass case, and may be set by the captain or
other officer; and the case may be locked up, so that it cannot be altered by
any other person, although it is visible to the steersman, and shows him the
course which he is to steer. Instead of a card of the form described, a strip
of calico, or cloth or paper, with the points marked upon it, and placed in a
vertical plane, may be employed, being wound upon two rollers, by turning
which the required point may be brought opposite to the index.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise materials herein-before mentioned as being employed in
the construction of different parts of the instruments, as the same may be
varied; but what I claim is,-

page_text: Firstly, the constructing mariner's compasses with cards of spherical, or
cylindrical, or other similar form, with the points or graduations marked on
their periphery, and mounted in a box or frame, suspended by means of the
rings C and D and rollers E, as herein-before described, in reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Secondly, the mounting 'such campasses in a box or frame supported by
means of a small ball or hemispherical cup, attached to the top of a hollow
cone, and resting in a cup on the top of a pillar, as herein-before described, in
reference to Figures 5 and 6.
Thirdly, the constructing such compasses with their needles supported by
means of a pivot or pin resting in the centre of a hollow ball, which is
attached to the top of a hollow cone, and supported in a cup, so that all the
motions may be concentric, as herein-before described.
Fourthly, the mode of suspending the card on the needle by means of
gimbals, the pivot or pin on which the whole turns being attached to the
needle, as herein-before described.
Fifthly, the mode of mounting the "lubbers line" or index on a hollow
cone, and guiding it by a crutch, as herein-before described.
Sixthly, the constructing thin steel compass cards of spherical, cylindrical,
or other similar form, with the points or graduations marked on their
periphery, and magnetizing such steel cards, so as to make them serve in lieu
of, or in addition to, the ordinary needle of the compass.
Seventhly, the constructing compasses by the combination of the various
parts as herein-before described, in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gowland, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
GEORGE GOWLAND. (L.S.)