THE IMPROVE- MENT OF MARINERS' AND OTHER COMPASSES, BY WHICH THE EFFECT OF LOCAL ATTRACTION IS CUT OFF OR NEUTRALIZED, AND THE COMPASS IS MADE TO TRAVERSE MORE PERFECTLY
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Calvin Kline, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings,
and State of New York, U. S. A., for the Invention of "THE IMPROVE-
MENT OF MARINERS' AND OTHER COMPASSES, BY WHICH THE EFFECT OF LOCAL
ATTRACTION IS CUT OFF OR NEUTRALIZED, AND THE COMPASS IS MADE TO
TRAVERSE MORE PERFECTLY."
Sealed the 6th January 1857, and dated the 15th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Calvin Kline at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
September 1856.
I, CALVIN KLINE, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of New
York, U. S. A., do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "THE
IMPROVEMENT OF MARINERS' AND OTHER COMPASSES, BY WHICH THE EFFECT OF LOCAL
ATTRACTION IS CUT OFF OR NEUTRALIZED, AND THE COMPASS IS MADE TO TRAVERSE
MORE PERFECTLY," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in surrounding the compass needle with an in-
sulating metallic shield, to protect the needle against all local attraction while it
is left to traverse freely by the magnetism of the earth. For this purpose it
is preferred to attach to the compass card thin rings of iron or steel arranged
concentrically with the card and compass needle; these metal rings thus
partake of all the motions of the compass needle. Or, for the more perfect

page_text: insulation of the compass needle, thin discs or convex plates of metal may be
placed above and below it, such discs or plates being fastened to the metallic
rings already mentioned, or the needle may be entirely enclosed in a metallic
globe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Calvin Kline in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CALVIN
KLINE, of the County of Kings, in the State of New York, United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Calvin Kline, Her special licence, that I, the said Calvin Kline, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Calvin
Kline, 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 "THE IMPROVEMENT OF MARINERS'
AND OTHER COMPASSES, BY WHICH THE EFFECT OF LOCAL ATTRACTION IS CUT OFF OR
NEUTRALIZED, AND THE COMPASS IS MADE TO TRAVERSE MORE PERFECTLY," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Calvin Kline, 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 Calvin Kline, 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 Drawing, in which Fig. 1
is a general view of the compass in its most common form, the parts exhibited
being in all particulars like the ordinary mariners' compass, but it may assume

page_text: any form in which compasses are made; Fig. 2 is a view of the under side of
the compass card; Fig. 3 is a section vertically through the centre of the
compass point. My improvement consists in surrounding the compass needle
with an insulated shield of iron or steel, which I have found to protect the
needle against most local attractions while it is left to traverse freely by the
natural magnetism of the earth; and it is found that with my device the
compass traverses as freely and settles as quickly as the ordinary compass
where no local attraction is present.
The compass may be made and hung in any of the most approved ways,
that part being in no way changed by my improvements except by the addition
hereafter named of iridium point for traversing on. The needle is attached
to the card on which the points of the compass are marked in the usual
way, or it may be set off a little distance therefrom, short connections being
used to unite them; this mode is represented in the section, Fig. 3. C is
the card; N, the needle; A are the connections which unite them; R, R,
are the concentric rings of iron or steel which surround the magnet;
these rings are also shown in Fig. 2; they are fixed to the card, which must
be a more or less perfect non-conductor, so that the rings of iron or steel
R, R, shall be insulated from the magnetic needle N, while they are so
connected with it as to traverse with it, the non-conductor serving to unite
them, and causing them all to move together; if more than one ring R is
used, they should be concentric and insulated from each other to produce
the best effect. The rings I propose to make of broad ribbons of thin
tinned iron or sheet iron bent into a circle, or such other form as shall
hereafter be found to be most effective, and the ribbon may be either
attached to the card below its surface, so as to be out of sight, or it may
be put around the edge of the card, a portion rising above it. The needle
should be about the centre of the breadth of the ring to have the best
effect. I propose as a modification of this device, and for more perfect
security, to have a thin disc or convex plate above the magnet and another
below attached to the insulated ring or rings, or even a globe of metal sur-
rounding the needle, but this would probably not be necessary in most cases.
In all cases the needle must be insulated from the rings or surrounding iron.
It is obvious I can employ wire netting instead of metal plates where that
would be desirable. In Fig. 3 the discs are shown; C being the card; n, the
needle; and d, the metalic envelope.
I find that other metals may be employed with good effect, but not so
perfect as soft iron. I have used zinc and copper, which I should deem the
equivalents of the iron rings so far as they are available as protectors.

page_text: The point upon which the compass has heretofore been made to traverse
has frequently been made of brass, as a steel point corrodes easily. The brass
points are found to wear, and much difficulty has been found in making
perfect traversing point, owing to the various obstacles to be met, and over-
come. Although jewels are now introduced, the point up to this time has
been defective. To obviate this I employ a point made of iridium, and by
this I attain a perfect durable and non-corrosive point, which stands the wear
upon the jewel with more certainty than any thing before made.
Having thus fully described my improved compass, what I claim as my
Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is, the surrounding metalic
ring or rings R, or the modifications thereof, constructed, combined, and
arranged with the needle of a compass, substantially in the manner and for
the purposes set forth.
I also claim the employment of the iridium point in the manner and for
the purpose named.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 10th
day of February 1857.
ALB. II. HOOK,
J. J. GREENOUGH,
No. 6, Wall Street, New York.
CALVIN KLINE.
(L.S.)
Witnesses.