A NEW METHOD OF FRAMING (COMPOSED OF DOUBLE PARALLEL FLAT BARS CONNECTED BY COCKS OR PILLARS), TO BE USED IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF OCTANTS, SEXTANTS, AND QUADRANTS OF EVERY DENOMINATION, AND OF ALL OTHER NAUTICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS WHOSE LIMB OR LIMBS IS OR ARE FORMED OF A CIRCLE, OR ANY PART OF A CIRCLE
Year: 1788

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, EDWARD
TROUGHTON, of Fleet Street, in the City of London, Mathematical Instrument.
Maker, sends greeting.
WHEREAS the said Edward Troughton did, by his Petition, humbly
represent unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
that he, the said Petitioner, had, after much trouble, labour, and expence,
found out and invented "A NEW METHOD OF FRAMING (COMPOSED OF DOUBLE
PARALLEL FLAT BARS CONNECTED BY COCKS OR PILLARS), TO BE USED IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF OCTANTS, SEXTANTS, AND QUADRANTS OF EVERY DENOMINATION, AND OF
ALL OTHER NAUTICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS WHOSE LIMB OR LIMBS IS OR
ARE FORMED OF A CIRCLE, OR ANY PART OF A CIRCLE," which Invention the Peti-
tioner conceived would be of great public utility, and that the said Petitioner
was the first and true Inventor thereof, and that the same had never been
made or used by any other person or persons, to the best of the Petitioner's
knowledge and belief; and the said Petitioner therefore humbly prayed His
said Majesty to grant unto him, the said Petitioner, his exors, admors, and
assigns, His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain.
for the sole use, benefit, and advantage of his said Invention, within that
part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of
fourteen years, according to the Statute in that case made and provided;
and His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all arts and
inventions which might be for the public good, was graciously pleased to

page_text: condescend to the said Petitioner's request, and did, therefore, by His Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the First day of April, in the
twenty-eighth year of His reign, of His especial grace, certain knowledge,
and meer motion, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto the said Edward Troughton; his exors, admors, and assigns, His especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that he, the said Edward
Troughton, his exors, admors, and assigns, and every of them, by himself
and themselves, or by his and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents,
or such others as he, the said Edward Troughton, his exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend his said Invention,
within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called Eng-
land, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such
manner as to him, the said Edward Troughton, his exors, admors, and
assigns, or any of them, should in his or their discretions seem meet, and
that he, the said Edward Troughton, his exors, admors, and assigns, should
and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity,
and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and. arising
by reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein
mentioned; to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers,
privileges, and advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted.
unto the said Edward Troughton, his, exors, admors, and assigns, for and
during and unto the full,, end and term of fourteen years from the date of
the said Letters Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be com-
pleat and ended, according to the Statute in such case made, and provided;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that if the said. Edward
Troughton should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of his
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under his hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then
the said Letters Patent, and all, liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein-
before contained to the contrary. thereof in anywise notwithstanding, as in
and by the said Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, may more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, he, the said
Edward Troughton, doth hereby describe. and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as follows
(that is to say):-
This framing is composed of two flat bars or plates, which at some distance.
are placed with their planes parallel to each other, and parallel to the plane
of the circle or arch on which the instrument measures angles. These plates,.
being firmly connected by means of pillars or cocks placed at convenient;
distances, form, when thus united, what is called the limb or frame of the
instrument; in the formation of which limb or frame the said Edward
Troughton does not mean to confine himself to any determined shape or form
of these plates, nor to any particular shape, position, or number of the pillars
or cocks which connect and unite them, but to apply the general principle of
superior firmness and truth thus obtained in any manner most convenient to
the nature or form of any of the said instruments, this Invention being
particularly applicable to the instrument called Hadley's sextant. The prints
in the margin of these Presents are subjoined to elucidate this Specification.
(Fig. 1) shews a perspective view of a Hadley's sextant, framed agreeably
to this plan, in which the double framing is apparent throughout the whole
frame and arch. (Fig. II.) is a section or edge view of the double framing
according to the general principle, without regard to any particular instrument.
(A, B, C, D,) shew the edges of the two plates (a, a, a), the pillars standing
perpendicularly between them. (b, b, b,) the screw cheeks by which the plate
(A, B,) is firmly connected with one end of the pillars or cocks. (c, c, c,) the
screw cheeks by which the other plate (C, D,) is firmly connected with the
other end of the said pillars or cocks.
In witness whereof, the said Edward Troughton, hath hereunto set his
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, in the twenty-eighth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the
grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and eighty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
within-named Edward Troughton
(being first duly stampt), in the
EDW. (L.S.) TROUGHTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of April,
in the year of our Lord 1788, the aforesaid Edward Troughton came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specifica-
tion aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to
the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight.