IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS AND MOVEMENTS OF CERTAIN OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS
AND MOVEMENTS OF CERTAIN OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES."-A com-
munication from abroad by John Davis, of the City and County
of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
Sealed the 30th June 1868, and dated the 21st January 1868...
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
.on the 21st January 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE RELATIVE
POSITIONS AND MOVEMENTS OF CERTAIN OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES," a com-
munication to me from abroad by John Davis, of the City and County
of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement
of apparatus which the Inventor proposes to call " planetelles "

page_text: (signifying planets and satellites) such apparatus having for its
object the representing the axial motion of the sun and the axial
orbital motions of the eight primary planets, and also the various
motions of the satellites round their primaries.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ for the purpose
of representing the axial motion of the planets and the orbital motions
of the satellites gearing carried on the outer ends of arms radiating
from a series of revolving concentric shafts, the motion being conveyed
from the said concentric shafts to the said gearing through the medium
of other shafts parallel to and carried by the radiating arms. It is
further proposed to combine with the mechanism above referred to a
horizontal revolving inclined disc, rim, or crown wheel situate at the
outer end of one of the radiating arms for the purpose of representing
the ascending and descending nodes of the moon, that satellite being
carried on the upper end of a vertical spindle which is bent at right
angles at its lower extremity, and there rests upon the inclined rim of
the disc referred to, an antifriction roller being employed to facilitate the
traversing of the spindle over the rim. This spindle is hinged or
jointed to a pivot situate inside the rim so as to allow it to rise and
fall in passing over the inclined surface of the rim. All those planets
whose axes incline more or less to the plane of their orbits, such for
example, as Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, are pivotted
at one pole so that by their own weight or gravity their axes will be
constantly inclined at the desired angle to the planes of their respective
orbits. Each of the concentric shafts hercin-before referred to carries
a toothed rim into which gear pinions on the inner ends of the several
shafts carried by the radiating arms above mentioned, thereby impart-
ing motion thereto, the several concentric shafts are further provided
with worm wheels or other gearing contained within the stand of the
apparatus and deriving motion endless screws or gearing) driven
from another shaft by a winch handle. The arrangement of the
gearing on the outer ends of the several radiating arms varies in
accordance with the functions to be performed; where satellites exist
extra gearing is required to produce the orbital motions of such
satillites round their planet, but in all cases such gearing is driven
from the shaft carried by the radiating arm in connection with that
particular planet, each planet and its satillites being actuated by a
separate radiating shaft of its own, which imparts not only the axial

page_text: motion to the planet but also the orbital motion to its satillites if any
exist. Of course it is understood that the number of teeth in the gearing
employed is so proportioned as to produce the several revolutions of the
planets and satellites at the correct relative speed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto I, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my exccutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS AND
MOVEMENTS OF CERTAIN OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES," a communication from
abroad by John Davis, of the City and County of Allegheny, in the
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand.and seal;
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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
.

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of apparatus which the Inventor proposes to call " planetelles,"
(signifying planets and satellites) such apparatus having for its object
the representing the axial motion of the sun and the axial and orbital
motions of the eight primary planets, and also the various motions of
the satellites round their primaries.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same and for
that purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in all the corresponding Figures.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a
side clevation of the improvedapparatus for showing the axial motion
of the sun and the axial and orbital motions of the eight primary
planets, and also the various motions of the satellites of the planets.
Figure 2, Sheet 1, represents a plan of the same.
Figures 3, 9, and 10, Sheet 1, represent enlarged views of the
mechanism used for representing the altitude of the moon.
Figure 4, Sheet 2, represents an elevation of the mechanism used
for obtaining the desired motions of the sun, planets, and satellites.
Figure 5, Sheet 2, is an under side view of a portion of the mechanism
used for imparting motion to Jupiter and his satellites. Figure 6,
Sheet 2, is a top view of the same; Figure 7, Sheet 2, is a sectional
elevation of the same.
Figure 8, Sheet 2, is a vertical section of a portion of the mechanism
used for obtaining the desired motions of the sun, planets, and
satellites.
I will first describe and explain the parts represented in Figures 1, 2,
3, 9, and 10.
The planets and satellites are placed out on the end of hollow arms
marked C1, C2, 0, 0, 0³, C, C7, C8, these arms are secured to a
number of hollow shafts marked D', D³, D³, D', D³, D, D', Ds. The
wheels marked R, P, B¹, B², B³, B', B', are provided on the under side

page_text: of the rim 24, with cogs or teeth which gear into teeth on wheels
placed on shafts which are placed within the hollow arms C¹, C2, C³, C+,
C³, C, C7, C8, and are used in connection with gearing placed on the
outer ends of the arms and shafts for the purpose of imparting the
axial motion to the planets and the desired motion to the satellites
which revolve around their primaries; as the mechanism for imparting
the desired motions to the planets will be herein-after more fully
described, I will now give a brief explanation of the planets and
satellites, describing their relation to each other and the relation of
the whole to the sun.
S represents the sun which rotates on his axis once in about twenty-
five (25) days and ten (10) hours; M represents Mercury which is the
planet nearest to the sun and rotates on his axis once in about twenty-
four (24) hours and revolves around the sun once in about eighty-
seven (87) days; V represents Venus which is the second planet out
from the sun. She rotates on her axis once in about twenty-four (24)
hours, and revolves around the sun once in about two hundred and
twenty-five (225) days and her axis is inclined to the plane of her
orbit at an angle of about seventy-five (75) degrees; E represents the
Earth which is the third planet out from the sun and rotates on its
axis once in about twenty-four (24) hours and revolves around the
sun once in about three hundred and sixty-five (365) days and its
axis is inclined to the plane of its orbit. At an angle of about twenty-
three and one third (23) degrees, in represents the earth's moon which
rotates on her axis once in about twenty-seven and one-third (27)
days and revolves around the carth about thirteen times while the
carth is revolving once around the sun. The plane of the moon's
orbit is at an angle of about five degrees to the plane of the earth's orbit,
hence the moon in revolving around the earth crosses the plane of
the earth's orbit at two points during each revolution, which crossing in
astronomical language is termed the ascending and descending nodes
of the moon, which I represent by the inclined and revolving dise
marked 4, which is provided with teeth in its periphery marked q (see
Figures 3 and 10, Sheet 1). The moon mis supported on the rod 1 which
is pivotted at 2 to a rod marked 17, which is secured to a disc marked
10 which is provided with gear teeth or cogs which gear into a wheel
marked 6 on the shaft y. The discs 4 and 10 are held by means of
set screws on the disc 19, which disc rests on pedestals X secured to

page_text: bottom piece 12 (shown in Figure 9) which is attached to the sleeve Z,
which is secured on the hollow arm C³ as represented in Figures 1 and 4
of Sheets 1 and 2. The rod 1 which supports the moon m is furnished
with a small wheel 3, which travels over the inclined face of disc 4,
and prevents the friction of the rod 1 on the disc; the rod 1 is also
provided with a small hook 16, which prevents the rod 1 from swinging
from its proper position. The shaft y is provided with an endless
screw 5 (shown in Figures 3 and 10), this endless screw gears into
teeth on the periphery of wheel 13. Above this wheel and on the
same shaft is a small wheel 15, which gears into the periphery of
the disk 4; the shaft of the wheels 13 and 15 is supported on the
arm 14 of the part 12, represented in Figure 9; the shaft of the wheels
13 and 15 is held and revolves on the spindle o which is secured in
a fixed position on the arm 14 of the part marked 12. The earth E
is pivotted on the end of the rod 20, so that by its own weight or
gravity, its axis will be constantly inclined at the desired angle to the
plane of its orbit. The rod to which the earth is pivotted is secured
to the hub of the wheel marked 8, which wheel revolves on a spindle
secured to the cross piece x¹ which is screwed to the disc marked 19.
The wheel 8 is revolved by the wheel 7 on shaft y.
Having thus described the construction of the mechanism for imparting.
the desired motions to the earth and its moon, I will now describe the
operation of said mechanism. The revolving of shaft y will revolve the
endless screw 5 and wheels 6 and 7%; the endless screw 5 revolves the
wheels 13 and 15, and the wheel 15 revolves the disc 4 which revolves in
the opposite direction to the axial motion of the earth and the orbital
motion of the moon. The wheel 6 revolves the disc 10 which will
give to the moon its orbital motion and cause the rod 1 and its wheel
3 to travel around on the inclined disc 4, and thereby cause the moon
to ascend and descend and cross the plane of the earth's orbit repre-
senting in a most perfect manner the inclination of the moon's orbit
to the plane of the earth's orbit and the retrogression of the moon's
nodes. The wheel 7 revolves the wheel 8, which will give to the
earth E its axial motion. The endless screw 5 should make twenty-
five revolutions to one revolution of wheel 13, and the wheel 15 should
make nine revolutions to one revolution of the disc 4, and the disc
10 should make 13 revolutions while the earth makes one revolution
around the sun. The fourth planet out from the sun which is Mars,
indicated by M', he rotates on his axis once in about twenty-four

page_text: hours and revolves around the sun once in about six hundred and
twenty-five (625) days and his axis is inclined to the plane of his
orbit at an angle of twenty-seven (27) degrees. J represents Jupiter
which is the fifth planet out from the sun, he rotates on his axis once
in about ten (10) hours, and revolves around the sun once in about
twelve (12) years, and his axis is inclined to the plane of his orbit at
an angle of about three (3) degrees; Jupiter has four satellites, 1, 2, 3,
and 4, which revolve around him in four different periods of time
varying from about two (2) to about seventeen (17) days. S¹ represents
Saturn which is the sixth planet out from the sun; he rotates on his
axis once in about ten (10) hours and revolves around the sun once
in about twenty-nine and one-half (29) years and his axis is inclined
to the plane of his orbit at an angle of about twenty-eight (28)
degrees and around him are rings which revolve nearly in the
plane of his equator and revolve around him in about ten (10) hours.
Saturn has eight satellites, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, which revolve
around him in eight different periods of time varying from about one
to seventy-nine days. U represents Uranus which I rotate on his
axis; he revolves around the sun once in about eighty-four (84) years.
and has six satellites 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, which revolve around him from
east to west, the periods of time required for the satellites of Uranus
to make a revolution around him are not definitely known, nor is it
known that he does or does not rotate on his axis. The satellites of
Uranus are revolved from east to west by placing wheel 3 which
revolves the discs which revolve the satellites around him on the
inner side from their axis, which it will be observed differs from the
position of the same wheel 3 used for revolving the discs or wheels
which revolve the satellites of the other planets. N represents Neptune
which I rotate on his axis, he revolves around the sun once in about
one hundred and sixty-four (164) years and is supposed to have two
satellites, 1 and 2. It is not known that Neptune rotates on his axis
nor are the periods of time known which are required for his supposed
satellites to make a revolution around him.
Having thus described the parts represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3,
and given the relative motion of the planets around the sun and the
various motions of the satellites around their primaries, I will now
proceed to describe more fully the mechanism which I use for
obtaining said motions in my improved planetelles.

page_text: In the Drawings A represents the case in which is enclosed a large
portion of the operating gear; the sides A¹ and A' of the case A serve
as bearings or supports for the shafts w0, 201, 203, B, and the hollow
shafts marked D', D³, D³, D', D³, D', D', D³, which are concentric
with shaft B, which shafts and the relation they bear to each other
and to the operating gear is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 8, Sheet 2;
one end of the shaft w is supported and held in position by the picce
marked 21 (see Figure 4, Sheet 2). The pieces marked 22, 23, and 25
are supports or bearings for the shafts o, o¹, and o³ of the endless
screws, f¹, and c. The shaft is provided with a small wheel u
which gears into the wheel t on the shaft wo', which is also provided
with a wheel which gears into the wheel 13 on shaft w³, on which
also are secured permanently the wheels 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, e, d,
and bevelled wheels 4, 1, and n; the wheels 5 and 6 are held firm by
braces 30. The mechanic in tracing out the different wheels and
their connections with each other, and their relation to the several
parts as given in the description which follows it will be necessary
for him to refer back and forward to Figures 4 and 8 of Sheet 2.
The wheel 12 gears into the wheel i on shaft B and the wheel 11
gears into the wheel on the hollow shaft D¹; the wheel 10 gears
into wheed g on hollow shaft D; the wheel 9 gears into wheel fon
the hollow, shaft D³; the wheel 8 gears into wheel e' on the hollow
shaft D'; the wheel 7 gears into wheel e on the hollow shaft D"; the
wheel 6 gears into a bevel wheel on the shaft o³ which is provided
with an endless screw x which gears into wheel e on the hollow shaft
D; the wheel 5 gears into wheel on the hollow shaft D"; the bevel
wheel 4 gears into the wheel 3 on the shaft of which is provided with
an endless screw c which gears into the wheel e on the hollow shaft D';
the wheel e gears into wheel e on the hollow shaft D; the bevel
wheel 1 gears into wheel 2 on the shaft o' provided with an endless
screw which gears into wheel e on the hollow shaft. D'; the wheel d
gears into wheel e on the hollow shaft D'; the bevel wheel 12
gears into the wheel m on shaft o provided with an endless screw
which gears into wheel e' on the hollow shaft Ds. The hollow arms C³
is secured on the projection near the outer end of the hollow shaft Ds.
The wheel B is secured on the hollow shaft D' near its outer end.
The hollow arm C'. is secured on the projection 10 near the outer
end of the hollow shaft D'. The wheel B is secured on the hollow

page_text: shaft Do near its outer end. The hollow arm C is secured on the
projection 11 near the outer end of the hollow shaft D. The wheel B³
is secured on hollow shaft D" near its outer end. The hollow arm C
is secured on the projection 12 near the outer end of the hollow
shaft D. The wheel B is secured on the hollow shaft D near its
outer end. The hollow arm C is secured on the projection 13 near
the outer end of the hollow shaft D'. The wheel B' is placed on the
hollow shaft D' near its outer end; and the arm C is secured on the
projection 14 near the end of the same shaft. The wheel B is placed
on the hollow shaft D* near its outer end, and the arm C³ is secured
on the projection 15 near the end of the same shaft. The wheel P
is placed on the hollow shaft D¹ near its outer end; and the arm C'
is secured on the projection 16 near the end of the same shaft. The
wheel R is secured on the shaft B near its outer end, and the sun S
is secured on the outer end of the same shaft. In the hollow arms
are placed shafts y; these shafts have each a universal joint as in-
dicated at 8 in Figure 7; the inner end of the long part of these
shafts are provided with bearings as shown at Xs in the hollow arm C
of Figure 8; and on these shafts near their inner ends are placed
wheels marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, which gear into the wheels
R, P, B, B1, B2, B3, B4, and B.. The short parts of the shafts
placed in the hollow arms are held in position by the means clearly
shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of Sheet 2; these short parts of the
shafts are provided with elongated wheels or rollers marked 3, and are
provided with gear teeth, which gear into teeth on the under side of
the discs marked 1, 2, 3, and 4, shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7. The
rods 5, 6, 7, and 8 for supporting the satellites are secured to the
upper side of the discs 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the motion of the wheel 3
(see Figure 7) will cause the disc to revolve, and the revolving of the
discs will cause the satellites to revolve around their primary. The
disc shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 are held to the part marked 28
by means of set screws o¹, o², and o³, which are screwed into the part 28,
which part is connected to the sleeve Z, which is placed on the hollow.
The short shaft y:
arm Cs and there secured by any known means.
(see Figure 7) is provided with a small wheel-1, which gears into the
wheel marked 2, which is secured on the lower end of the hollow
shaft 4 placed over the spindle marked X. The wheel 2 and its hollow
shaft is held in position on the spindle X by means of a pin or key.
passing through it at the end of the hollow shaft 4. The lower end of

page_text: the rod or tube which support the planet is fitted over the hollow
shaft 4 of the wheel 2, so that the revolving of the wheel 2 and its
shaft 4 will cause the planet to rotate on its axis. The device repre-
sented in Figures 5, 6, and 7 is substantially the means used at the
outer ends of the hollow arms for imparting the axial motion to the
planets and the orbital motion to the satellites.
As the skilful mechanic from the foregoing description and by
reference to the accompanying Drawings will readily understand the
construction and arrangement of the several parts of my improved
planetelles and the relation that the several parts bear to each other,
therefore, without further description of its construction, I will proceed
to describe briefly the operation of my improved planetelles, which is
as follows:-By turning the crank k which will revolve the shaft w and
wheel u, which will revolve wheels and r and shaft w', and the wheel r
which gears into the wheel 13, will revolve the shaft w and all the wheels
on it, thereby revolving the endless screws X, f¹, c, and u, and theso
endless screws and wheels being geared into the wheels on the part
of the hollow shafts, and shaft B within case A will cause said shafts
to revolve, thereby rotating the sun on his axis, and revolve the hollow
arms and wheels P, R, B, B1, B2, B3, B, and B, which wheels gear into
and revolve the wheels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on the shafts in the
hollow arms, and the revolving of these shafts will operate the
mechanism at the outer ends of the hollow arms and thereby impart
the axial motions to the planets and the orbital motion to the satellites.
It will be observed that by means of the mechanism herein-before
described I represent the axial motion of the sun, the axial and orbital
motions of the eight primary planets, and also the various motions
of the satellites around their primaries; and that by pivoting the
planets. to the rods which support them I am enabled to represent
the inclination of the axis of the planets to the planes of their orbits,
and that by the use of an inclined revolving disc, rim, or wheel, I
am enabled to represent the ascending and descending nodes of the
moon.
I may observe, in conclusion, that I am aware that the axial motion
of the sun and orbital motion of the planets have been represented
through the medium of a series of hollow concentric shafts operated by
suitable gearing; therefore I do not claim broadly the use of a series.
of hollow concentic shats in combination with gearing for the

page_text: purpose of representing the axial motion of the sun and orbital motion
of the planets; but what I do claim as of my Invention and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of
apparatus for representing the axial motion of the sun, and the
axial and orbital motions of the planets and the various motions of
the satellites around other primaries, as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. The mode or method of representing the axial motion of
the planets and the orbital motions of the satellites by imparting motion
to gearing on the outer ends of arms radiating from a series of revolving
concentric shafts, the said motion being conveyed from the said shafts
to the said gearing through the medium of other shafts parallel to
the said radiating arms, substantially as herein described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
Third. The employment of a revolving and inclined disc, rim, or
wheel in connection with other mechanism for representing the ascending
and descencing nodes of the moon, as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Fourth. Pivoting the spheres representing planets at one pole, so
that by the weight or gravity of the sphere itself its axis will be
constantly inclined at the desired angle to the plane of its orbit,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
In winess whercof I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.