SEVERAL NEW IMPROVEMENTS TO THE AZIMUTH AND AMPLITUDE COMPASSES, BY THE ADDITION OF A REFLECTING QUADRANT AND HORIZON, BY WHICH ANY ONE PERSON, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, IS ENABLED TO TAKE THE AZIMUTH OF ALL CELESTIAL OBJECTS AND THEIR ALTITUDES AT THE SAME TIME AND IN EVERY LATITUDE OR ALTITUDE OF THE OBJECT; ALSO A NEW AND MORE CORRECT METHOD OF STOPPING THE CARD OF THE COMPASS, AND READING THE DEGREES AND MINUTES FROM OFF THE VERNIER, WITH OR WITHOUT THE CARD BEING STOPPED, WITH AN APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY WORKING AND SOLVING THE PROBLEMS FOR FINDING THE MAGNETIC AND TRUE AZIMUTHS OF OBJECTS TAKEN BY THE COMPASS, BY WHICH MEANS NAVIGATION IS MUCH IMPROVED, AND THE USE OF THE COMPASS RENDERED MORE FAMILIAR AND PERFECTLY EASY TOEVERY CAPACITY
Year: 1796

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GABRIEL
WRIGHT, of Leadenhall Street, in the Parish of Saint Peters, Cornhill, in
the City of London, Mathematical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Nineteenth day of January, in the thirty-sixth year of His reign, give and
grant unto me, the said Gabriel Wright, His especial licence that I, the
said Gabriel Wright, during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "SEVERAL NEW IMPROVEMENTS
TO THE AZIMUTH AND AMPLITUDE COMPASSES, BY THE ADDITION OF A REFLECTING
QUADRANT AND HORIZON, BY WHICH ANY ONE PERSON, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, IS
ENABLED TO TAKE THE AZIMUTH OF ALL CELESTIAL OBJECTS AND THEIR ALTITUDES
AT THE SAME TIME AND IN EVERY LATITUDE OR ALTITUDE OF THE OBJECT; ALSO A
NEW AND MORE CORRECT METHOD OF STOPPING THE CARD OF THE COMPASS, AND
READING THE DEGREES AND MINUTES FROM OFF THE VERNIER, WITH OR WITHOUT
THE CARD BEING STOPPED, WITH AN APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY WORKING AND
SOLVING THE PROBLEMS FOR FINDING THE MAGNETIC AND TRUE AZIMUTHS OF OBJECTS
TAKEN BY THE COMPASS, BY WHICH MEANS NAVIGATION IS MUCH IMPROVED, AND THE
USE OF THE COMPASS RENDERED MORE FAMILIAR AND PERFECTLY EASY TO EVERY
CAPACITY;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Gabriel Wright, under my hand and seal, to cause a particular
description of the nature of the said Improvements and Invention, and how

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within one calendar month after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto bad) may more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Gabriel Wright, do hereby declaro that my said Invention of Several New
Improvements to the Azimuth and Amplitude Compasses, by the Addition of
& Reflecting Quadrant and Horizon, by which any One Person, without
Assistance, is enabled to take the Azimuth of all Celestial Objects and the
Altitudes at the same Time and in every Latitude or Altitude of the Object;
also a New and more Correct Method of Stopping the Card of the Compass,
and Reading the Degrees and Minutes from off the Vernier, with or without
the Card being stopped, with an Apparatus for Mechanically Working and
Solving the Problems for finding the Magnetic and true Azimuths of Objects
taken by the Compass, by which Means Navigation is much Improved, and
the Use of the Compass rendered more Familiar and perfectly Easy to every
capacity, is described in the Plan thereof hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Gabriel Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-six.
W. W. PEPYS.
GABRIEL WRIGHT. (L.B.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirteenth day of February,
in the year above written, the aforesaid Gabriel Wright came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Thirteenth day of February, in the year above written.

page_text: personal
any
within su
assistance..
on
by Screws ..
Glass by which the points of the Compass, the graduated divisions of the lard and nonus
zontal view, to be read off by the Observer at the time of observation without
Represents the Brass rum of the Compass to which the Octant is fastened
The Glass Cover inside the rim
The Reflecting Octant in the position it is made use.
The Irinted sight Vane with a silk line fastened by
you
of, with the Compass
a Screw at L.
The sight Vane to look through when observe with the Compass, or Octant on the Compass in taking of ye Azimuth fo
A Brass Tube fastened to the sight Vane E
The Eye end of the Brass Tube that holds the magniffing Glass, this tube straws out to adjust the Glass to the Observes sight..
A Brass Arm fastened to the rim A.A. of the Compass Hettle at M, and to the other and at I. is the Brass Frame that holds the Speculum (of Glass or Mettal ) fustened, with a
Screw or Screws to place and adpist it to an Angle of about 45 degrees from the plane of the Glass Cover B.
Make
use.
mean.
..
a
A small dark Glass in a Brass rim, to screen the eye when you look at the Sun through the Vane E. on the back of the Brass Frame I that holds the Specula
is a vertical line to receive ye shaddow of the Sun from the line at ye sight Vene D, if you observe by the Sun's shaddow when yt Horizon at Sea is by any
a Mettal or Glass Speculum. hung
of the Artificial Horizon, which is a square Brass Box (Fig 2) containing
obscured, or observations are taken on shore, you
vertical position by two pevot o
- or center points that screw into the sides of the Box. On the front and back are two pollish'd parallel Glasses to admit the light and keep the wind from
disturbing the Speculum to the bottom of the Speculum, their is also suspended by a brass wire or line, a Cylindric mettal weight that goes through a hole at the bottom of the Brass Box
Cylindric Vessell containing some fluid substance into which the weight is immersed, this Vessell screws to yt bottom of the Brass Box, and thus togeather with the Octant ac
off when the Horizon of ye
A Black line is made on the inside of the sight Vane of the Octant which is reflected by the Speculum in the Box
being
to the Eye of ye Observer, in an Horizontal line, & from which line the Altitude is measured of all objects brought into Contact with it, the degrees and miniites
and read off from ye Index & Arch of the Octant as usual. –
into u
made use
Sea
is observed
Measured
Fig. 2. Represents the Artificial Horizon with its parts screwed togeather ready to apply to the Octant, and Fig 3 is the Brass Arm or Brunch by which it is suspended at I and fastened/
to the Octant by a Steady pin and Screw at B.
Stopping
it.-
an
come
through
Fig 4 is a section of the Azimuth Compass Hettle to shew the action of of 2 bent levers or bridles A.A. for spopping the Compass Card one end of each Lever sacrews on to the noniw price B. and the other end sour on to the open stop pu
C on the opposite side of the Kettle. To stop the Card, apply your hand to the milled nut E. that is fastened to a wire which goes through the Axis D. This were pushes the monivis B.,
against y² edge of the Card in opposite direction, which prevents the Card being
against
the mettal rim of ye Card, and the Levers A. A. at the same time push the open stop e,
moved from its Center of suspension or any error in
7. is a Section of the Card or fly suspended by an Agate in a Brass Box on the center point G.
1:5 is a Dial with Index and stops in a Bruss Bax containing wheel work calculated to carry the Index round on the Dial plate in about thirty seconds of time, the stops
two observations of the Sune Azimuth and Altitrades
plates to stop the Index at 14. 15. 28 or 30 Seconds, as may be required to shew the ships hun during the interval of time in making
by the Compass and Quadrant for finding the latitude to at Sex independant of a meridian observation ._.
Fig: 6 is a Screw on a Brass Axis which is turn'd round by a wheel fasten 'd at ye end of the Axis on the top of the Screw is a sumicide price of Brass with a projecting price or index which
slides in a grove.
· cut through a brass scale on which are divisions of equal parts to show the number of Revolutions the wheel makes in the time the index moves from one
to another on the scale this apparatus is made use off with the Dial (Fig 5.)
Fig 7. is a plane scale of Brass or wood with a
grove
on the top in which grove there slides a Brass socket from and to end, through this Socket at right angles to the large Scale, a smaller
scale slides at one end of which is a fine line to set to any devision required, on the Sines, or equal parts of a Quadrant that is made use of with it, having lines devided to 5
minutes the arch of the Quadrant is devided also into five minutes of a degree and a degrees and minutes of Altitude are drawn through the Quadrant in parallel lines, also a line of
Engraved mittel plak
equal parts, & the points, half points & ½ points of ye compass the Quadrant is made either of Brass or Wood or impressions may be taken from un
This Scale and Quadrant last described are togeather made use of for solving y problems for finding the true Azimuth of the Sun Moon or Stars also the time and latilua
by two observed Altitudes of ye Sun & elapsed time at sea, and the latitude by the Suns Azimuth at two different Altitudes also y: Amplitude of the Sun, at rising or setting
altitude & time of comming to off prime Vertical or E & W. points of y compass and solves a great variety of other nautical problems
given devision
its
Stone by 4