IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAKING THE SHAPE OR PROFILE OF THE HEAD AND OTHER PARTS OF THE HUMAN FRAME, AND FOR REPRODUCING OTHER CURVED OR IRREGULAR OUTLINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAKING THE SHAPE OR PROFILE OF THE HEAD AND
OTHER PARTS OF THE HUMAN FRAME, AND FOR REPRODUCING OTHER CURVED
OR IRREGULAR OUTLINES."-A communication from abroad by André
Drague, of Lyons, France.
Sealed the 10th March 1874, and dated the 29th September 1873.
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th September 1873.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAKING THE SHAPE OR PROFILE OF THE
HEAD AND OTHER PARTS OF THE HUMAN FRAME, AND FOR REPRODUCING OTHER
CURVED OR IRREGULAR OUTLINES," to be as follows:-

page_text: A, spring pin; and B, its spring, which may be of spiral or other form
attached to pin A, and enclosed in an independent sheath O. The
sheaths for the whole of the pins are fitted at regular distances apart in
the box H. D, blocks placed between the pins A, by which the said
pins are clamped or locked securely in any position they may assume
after being placed on the surface to be copied by means of a binding
screw E mounted on the outside of the box H, whose pressure is thus
applied simultaneously to the whole series of pins; G, Figure 2, spring
or elastic cord attached to the heads of the whole series of pins, which
are held in the desired position by means of screw E and blocks D, as
before. This single spring arrangement is especially applicable when a
small number of pins are used, but if independent springs are used the
pins may be in any desired number. H, box containing the springs and
the pins, which project through one side, as shown.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and 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
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TAKING THE SHAPE OR PROFILE OF THE HEAD
AND OTHER PARTS OF THE HUMAN FRAME, AND POR REPRODUCING OTHER Curved
OR IRREGULAR OUTLINES," a communication to me from abroad by André:

page_text: Drague, of Lyons, France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describo and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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 by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus which may be termed a
mechanical mould or templet for taking, preserving, and reproducing the
configuration or profile of all kinds of figures or objects having irregular
surfaces, either sunk or in relief.
In many branches of industry and the arts it is often necessary to
take patterns or counterparts of the outlines or configuration of figures
or objects with great exactness, either with a view of preserving or
reproducing the same therefrom, or for checking the correctness of such
reproduction. In the arts, for example, in statuary and ornamental
sculpture this is done by drawings, which however satisfactory aro far
from attaining the perfection ensured by the employment of an instrument
which will gauge or take a counterpart or pattern of the human form,
and retain the same for future use.
Again, in certain manufactures it is often requisite to speedily obtain
a counterpart or pattern, in order that the article to be produced may
adapt itself accurately to the part on which it is to be applied. For 3
example, a mechanical orthopedist required to apply one of his ingenious
apparatus to one or other part of the human frame, which he cannot
always have before him as a guide, might dispense with repeated trials
were he able to obtain by means of a suitable instrument an exact
counterpart of the limb or part to which the mechanical contrivance is 3
to be applied.
The wig maker also, who is required to provide an exact imitation of
nature, would be enabled to operate with the greatest accuracy and

page_text: facility with the assistance of an instrument capable of taking and
preserving a counterpart of the configuration of the head at different.
points, so as to produce a sort of skeleton mould without the necessity of.
actually moulding and its accompanying inconveniencies.
The above are only two out of many applications which might be
adduced to show the utility of an apparatus such as that forming the
subject of the present Invention.
•
This Invention comprises a whole series of apparatus, which may differ
from one another as regards their general form and dimensions, but have
one main feature in common, namely, a number of pins or rods pressed
outwards by springs from a box or case in which they are placed, but
free to be compressed or recede under a pressure sufficient to overcome
that of the spring or springs, and to return to position when the
pressure is removed, unless fixed by means of binding screws in any
position which they may be. caused to assume. Thus, a line or surface
-formed by the ends of these spring pins. on being pressed against a relief
surface or variable contour will be depressed at all projecting points
until the pins corresponding to the concave parts of the surface come in
contact therewith; then by securing the pins in their new position and
removing the apparatus an exact counterpart of the surface or contour
of the object on which the apparatus has been applied will be formed by
the ends of the pins, and may be retained any length of time for future
use.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood I have
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings one or two forms of the
apparatus by way of example.
Figure 1 shows one form of apparatus suitable for taking a counterpart
of curved outlines and surfaces in relief, consisting of a box of straight
form with any convenient number of projecting pins, each provided
with an independent spring.
Figure, 2 shows a similar apparatus, in which one spring only is used
for a set of several pins, or the whole of the pins may be acted on by the
same spring.
Figure 3 shows a section of an ornamental moulding, and the manner.
of gauging the profile of same by means of the apparatus.
Figure 4 shows the apparatus made in two parts, jointed together for.
gauging or taking a counterpart of a concave moulding.

page_text: Figure 5 shows the apparatus made of curvilinear form, and consisting
of several branches jointed on a common centre. The pins may be
placed either on the concave side of the apparatus, as shown, or on the
convex side, according to the form to be reproduced, and the pins may
eitlier bo acted on by independent springs, or one spring may serve for a
series of several pins, as before described.
•
"
either bo acted on by independent springs, or one spring may serve for a
series of several pins, as before described.
Figures 6 and 7 show detailed views on a larger scale of the
independent spring arrangement, and, Figure 8 similar views of the
other arrangement, in which several pins are operated by the same
spring.
The reference letters apply to all the Figures.
A, spring pin; and B, its spring, which may be attached to pin A, and
enclosed in an independent sheath C. The sheaths for the whole of the
pins are fitted at regular distances apart in the box H. D, blocks
placed between the pins A, by which they are clamped or locked securely
in any position they may assume, after being placed on the surface to be
copied by means of a binding screw E, whose pressure is by this means
applied simultaneously to the whole series of pins; G, Figure 2, spring
or elastic cord attached to the base of each pin of the series, the whole
of which are held in the desired position by means of screw E and
blocks D, as before described. This single spring arrangement is
especially applicable when the extent to which the pins are required to
move is inconsiderable, but if independent springs are used the extent
of movement of the pins is only limited by their dimensions. H, box or
frame of the apparatus containing the pins; which project through one
side of said box, as shown. This box also encloses entirely the springs,
blocks, and other parts for fixing or operating the pins, only the pins,.
the binding screws for fixing the same, and the joints of the box, if any,
being visible outside the said box.
The box may be of any form or dimensions, and may be made in one
or several parts connected together, the details of construction admitting
of considerable variation, according to the object to which the apparatus
is to be applied, and the same remark applies to the other parts of the
apparatus, as the Invention consists not in the form or material
employed, but in the combination and application of devices by which a
series of independent movable points maintained by an clastic force, and

page_text: capable of yielding under slight pressure, and of being secured when so
depressed are rendered available for the purposes before mentioned.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to bo
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
apparatus consisting of a hollow bar or box (or several such jointed
together) of convex, concave, or other form, fitted with one or more
series of spring pins or pegs capable of receding or yielding under
sufficient pressure, and of being secured by series in any position they
may be caused to assume, for the purpose of obtaining at the points of
the pins an exact counterpart of the contour or profile of any object,
figure, or thing having surfaces, either sunk or in relief, substantially as
herein-before shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.