A NEW TRACING APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DRAWING FROM NATURE
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
RONALDS, of Croydon, in the County of Surry, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King Georgo the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of March, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Francis
Ronalds, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence that I.
the said Francis Ronalds, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Francis Ronalds, my executors, adñiors, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and send, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A NEW TRACING APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE
DRAWING FROM NATURE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging.me, the said Francis Ronalds, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be enrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within two calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Ronalds, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to

page_text: consist in a tracing apparatus, whereby a moveable point being caused to
nove in a direction corresponding with the lines of any object in nature, cor-
responding lines are traced on a board or paper in manner to constitute a
drawing. And I do hereby also further declare, that my said Invention
doth consist in two modifications of my said Invention berein-after ex-
plained, one to be applied to the purpose of making an original drawing,
and the other to make a perspective drawing from a plan and elevation. And
in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Francis Ronalds, do
hereby describe the manner in which I perform my said Invention by the
following descriptions thereof, reference being had to the Drawings annexed
and the letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawing marked No. 1 annexed represents one modification of my said
Invention in use, and as it would appear when used to trace a plaister figure
on paper, for the purpose of making an original drawing or sketch. A is a
board supported on legs at any convenient height, either for the operator to
stand or sit to. B, B, are two small studs of brass fixed to the top of the
board, having holes through them which receive rollers; and C is a rod or
light tube, which traverses easily from right to left, or left to right, upon the
rollers. D is a tube raised at right angles with the rod C, and fixed in its
position by the screw E; it should be observed that the tube D is screwed
into the block F, through which block the rod or light tube C passes. By this
arrangement it will be seen that the tube D may be raised to a perpendicular
or depressed at pleasure, while the block F turns round upon the rod C. By
this means, however inclined the board may be for the convenience of the
operator, the tube C may still be raised to its perpendicular; and G is a
plummet occasionally applied to ascertain when the tube actually is in a per-
pendicular position. H is a steel rod tapped into the square J, which is fixed
to the rod C. At the opposite or lower end of this rod H is a wheel X, for
the purpose of assisting it to traverse backwards and forwards. K is a slide,
which may be moved freely up and down the rod H; this slide may be stopped
in any place on the rod H by means of the small screw, shewn in the slide for
purposes herein-after to be mentioned. In one part of this slide is a hole,
tapped with a screw, through which a pencil is inserted (P), and beside the
pencil is a ball and socket, to which is screwed a haudle M, to be used by the
hand of the operator. It is evident from this arrangement, that if the operator
take the handle M between his fingers in the same manner that he would a pen
or pencil, he will be able to move the slide, and the point of the pencil with it,

page_text: to any part of the board A within the range of the two rods C and H, the
side motions being obtained by the sliding of the rod C on the rollers contained
in the studs B, B, and the motions to and from the operator being obtained
by the motion of the slide itself on the rod H. Thus it will be evident that
5 the operator may draw any figure he pleases on the board A, from the point of
the pencil P, by means of the ball and socket and handle. M.
This motion being obtained, I will now proceed to describe the mode in
which I apply this motion to the tracing from nature of the plaister figure S on
paper. At the corner N of the board A the adjusting sight O is supported in
such manner that it is situated opposite to or in the point of sight chosen for
the subject to be drawn. A small silk thread R is fastened to the slide K,
and lend through a small eye r, provided for that purpose on the square J, and
thence upwards by the side of the tube D, over a small pulley at the top of the
tube D, and thence downwards into the tube, where it is fastened to a small
weight, which weight traverses up and down in the said tube D, as will be
explained more particularly hereafter. On the thread R is fixed a small bead
T, which I call my moveable point: And the said apparatus being arranged
as aforesaid, I place the said 'plaister figure S.at a convenient distance before
the drawing board A. I then look through the adjusting; sight O, and' by
means of the handle M bring the bead T in a line with any point of the outline
of the figure S, as at ȧ. I then move the slide K to which the thread is fastened
in such a direction, by means of the handle M, that, the bead T shall be con-
tinually brought into visual or apparent contact with or (as it will appear to
the eye) pass over the outline of the figure S, and the pencil P will trace a per-
spective outline thereof on the board-A, while the string on which the bead is
fixed will always be kept tight by means of the balance weight inside the tube,
which weight will of course rise when I move the slide K towards me, and fall.
when I move the slide from me.
.
ハ
The Drawing No: 2 represents my said second modification of the Invention
as it would appear when used to trace over a ground plan for the purpose of
producing a perspective drawing or sketch thereof upon paper. A, A, is a
board; B, B, are two rollers fixed at the upper end of supports, erected
perpendicularly upon A, A. These 'rollers support the rod a, bar C,.C,. and.
allow it to be move freely from right to left and from left to right. D, D, is a
5 bar fixed at:right angles to C, C, and carried therefore to the right, and left.
with it. This-bar D, D, has grooves cut through it, extending nearly. the
whole length of its upper and lower portions. E, E, is a drawing board..
Fand C are small bars of steel, fixed in such manner to the upper part of the
drawing board and to the lower ends of the supports that they, may-keep tha

page_text: bar in the requisite position. H is a slido, to which is fixed a ball and
socket joint, and it is capable of being slid easily along the lower portion of
D, D, I is another ball and socket joint, supported by a rod K, which passes
through the piece P, P, and may be properly adjusted for the horizon. The
piece P, P, slides into a grove on the under side of A, A, and can be firmly
secured at any required distance from the board A, A. L, L, is a steel rod
passing easily through the balls of H and I, having a point (e), which I call
my moveable point. M is a slide, which is capable of being slid easily along
the upper portion of D, D. In this slide is a tapped hole, through which a
pencil passes, which pencil is made to press with a proper force upon the paper.
N is a wire, which unites the two slides H and M. O is a handle, which I
now place near my moveable point, to be used by the hand of the operator.
It is evident from this arrangement, that if the operator take the handle O
between his fingers, as before mentioned, he would be able to trace or move the
point (e) of the rod freely over any lines or objects which may be drawn or
planned upon the board A, A; and that if such lines or objects constitute a
ground plan, then a perspective view or sketch of that ground plan will be
produced upon the drawing board E, E. It is also evident that if the operator
wishes to obtain a perspective view or sketch of an elevation, he has only to
trace or move the point (e) over the lines of that elevation drawn upon a
drawing board erected perpendicularly upon the board A, A, and for the
greater convenience to the operator the drawing board E may be arranged
horizontally instead of vertically, whilst other parts of the apparatus may be
supported and placed in proper positions accordingly.
Now whereas my said apparatus is applicable to the purposes of ruling all
perpendicular and horizontal lines, perpendicular lines being ruled by stopping
all motion of the wheel X whilst the slide K is drawn up or down the rod H,
and horizontal lines being ruled by stopping all motion of the slide K upon
the rod II, either by turning the before-mentioned screw or by applying the
second finger of the right hand of the operator against the rod H whilst tho
wheel X traverses the board; and whereas I make no claim to the said
herein-before mentioned ball and socket and handle M, but the remainder of
the said apparatus herein-before described in both its modifications being, to
the best of my knowledge and belief, entirely new and never before used
within His said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, His Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I
do hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily
believe this said my Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without
reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited

page_text: Letters Patent contained; wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive
right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Ronalds, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
above-named Francis Ronalds, in the
presence of
FRANCIS (L.B.) RONALDS.