Improved Range Finder or Distance Indicator for Marine Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Range Finder or Distance Indicator for Marine Purposes.
I, MELVILLE THOMPSON NEALE, of 41 Maddox Street, Regent Street, Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to ascertain and register the distance between a given
Engineer, spot and an object at or from sea, or between two points at sea.
For the purpose of my invention, I take a glass or screen and mark lines at given
distances upon it. This glass or screen I mount in a frame, to which is attached a
moveable slide or pointer which latter by means of a rack and pinion can be raised or
lowered as desired. At the side of the frame, or at some other convenient part I scale
the distances between the lines into any number and by means of the rack and pinion
I work the pointer over any of the scales. A series of verniers slide also along the
scales and assist in redividing the scales.
The screen and frame after being adjusted, for the purpose of ascertaining the
distance of a given object from the apparatus, has a powerful lens placed in front of it
so that the picture of the distant object may be focussed in the screen and according to
its distance from the point of observation it will be produced within the division lines
of the screen and as the exposed object at say, the water line, will be defined, the
movement of the pointer within that section of the screen would indicate the exact
distance by the reading of the scales and vernier.
As an example of the use of my invention for ascertaining the distance a ship may
be from a Coast Fort :-
I first prepare a glass or screen with divisions or lines to correspond with objects
fixed a mile apart and by means of the vernier and scale, each distance is marked off
into degrees, over which the pointer can be moved, these being prepared in proportion
to the scale or vernier and the number of degrees indicating between each two lines,
the lines being graduated to suit the distant objects. I purpose marking a top line or
artificial horizon on the glass or screen which I term the horizon line and I so adjust
the instrument that my artificial horizon line and the real horizon line, as depicted on
the screen, exactly correspond, then each line as marked on the screen will, so to
speak, divide up the sea, as depicted on the screen, into distances of 1 mile each.
Now should any object be within range (such as a ship) it will also be depicted on
the screen and will appear on or between the lines, which approximately give its
distance, that is only in miles, but by actuating the rack and pinion and bringing
down the slide or pointer to its keel as depicted on the glass screen, I can read off the
exact distance the ship is off, by means of the scale and vernier.
I add a fixed or moveable magnifying glass to assist the eye in accurate adjustment
of the pointer and in reading off the infinitessimal distances on the scale or vernier.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1889.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Melville Thompson Neale.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Range Finder or Distance Indicator for Marine Purposes.
I, MELVILLE THOMPSON NEALE, of 41 Maddox Street, Regent Street, Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
The object of this invention is to ascertain and register the distance between a given
spot and an object at or from sea, or between two points at sea.

page_text: For the purpose of my invention, which I show in the annexed drawing, I take a
glass or screen A and mark lines at given distances upon it. This glass or screen
I mount in a frame B, to which is attached a moveable slide or pointer which
latter by means of a rack D and pinion E can be raised or lowered, as desired.
At the side of the frame B, or at some other convenient part I scale tho distances
between the lines into any number and by means of the rack D and pinion E, I
work the pointer Cover any of the scales. A series of vernier slides are also
arranged to be moved along the scales by a thumb button F and assist in redividing
the scales. The divisions of each scale on the vernier slide are graduated in such
a way as to correspond with the unequal widths of the divisions on the screen, as
shown on the drawing.
The screen and frame after being adjusted for the purpose of ascertaining the
distance of a given object from the apparatus has a powerful lens placed in front of
it, so that the picture of the distant object may be focussed in the screen in an
inverted position and according to its distance from the point of observation it will
be produced within the division lines of the screen and as the exposed object at,
say,
the water line, will be defined, the movement of the pointer screw within that
section of the screen would indicate the exact distance by the reading of the scales
and vernier.
As an example of the use of my invention for ascertaining the distance a Ship may
be from a Coast Fort, I first at a given height above the sea level prepare a glass or
screen with divisions or lines to correspond with objects fixed a mile apart and by
means of the vernier and scale each distance is marked off into degrees, over which
the pointer can be moved, these being prepared in proportion to the scale or vernier,
and the number of degrees indicating between each two lines, the lines being graduated
to suit the distance of the object.
I purpose marking a line or artificial horizon on the glass or screen which I
term the horizon line and I so adjust the instrument that my artificial horizon
line and the real horizon line as depicted in an inverted position on the screen exactly
correspond, then each line as marked on the screen will, so to speak, divide up the
sea, as depicted on the screen, into distances of 1 mile each.
Now should any object be within range (such as a ship) it will also be depicted
on the screen A and will appear on or between the lines, which approximately give
its distance that is, only in miles-but by actuating the rack D by the pinion E
and bringing down the slide H or pointer to its keel, as depicted on the glass
screen, I can read the exact distance the Ship is off by means of the scale and
vernier corresponding to that particular space in which the object appears.
I use a fixed or moveable magnifying glass G to assist the eye in accurato adjust-
ment of the pointer and in reading off the infinitessimal distances on the scale and
verniers. This glass G is preferably carried by linkage as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
The construction and arrangement of Range Finder or distance indicator, herein-
before described and substantially as shown on the annexed drawing.
3d daw of Ontahan 1000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Melville Thompson Neale.