Improvements in Historical Charts.
Year: 1895

page_text: 'Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
Improvements in Historical Charts.
I, ARTHUR HODGKIN SCAIFE, of No. 15, Broad Street, in the City of
Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, in the Dominion of Canada, News-
paper Editor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a scale for historical charts which is
adapted for use in any country to indicate graphically the dates of the happening
of historical facts or events, such as the births and duration of the lives of cele-
brated persons and when they held high office, periods and subdivisions of periods
during which rulers or dynasties governed, the dates when important laws were
passed, changes carried out in the Constitution of the 'State, inventions made
affecting its well being and promoting the arts and sciences, or such other matters
as go to make up the history of a country, and it consists, essentially, of a marginal
and vertical column for centuries in which the centuries are arranged in regular
sequence one above the other with dividing index lines between each century, a
small vertical column adjacent to the century column and subdividing the centuries
into aliquot portions of any convenient number of years, parallelograms or oblong's
arranged lengthwise of the chart in separate columns or contiguous 'to or over-
lapping each other, so that horizontal lines drawn from the top or bottom of the
oblong to the side scales shall indicate the birth or death of 'the individual, or the
period of the war or other remarkable event which may be indicated in the oblong,
as well as indicated on the same horizontal line cotemporary events or periods or
sovereigns or rulers, as hereinafter specified.
The vertical century columns are arranged one over the other in regular
sequence, with dividing index lines and immediately adjacent is a vertical sub-
division column preferably divided into equal portions of five years each, there
being twenty of these subdivisions in each century, so that with a pair of compasses
the horizontal line indicating any particular year during the century may be
selected.
Adjacent to the subdivision columns are a series of oblongs or parallelograms
adjacent to and overlapping each other, on which may be inscribed the names of
celebrated soldiers, statesinen, poets, historians or authors: by producing the top
and bottom of each oblong over to the side scale, the date of birth and death of
each person is indicated, also the extent to which they were contemporaries, and
by producing these tops and bottoms of oblongs over to a central vertical column
which is divided to denote the reigning sovereign or ruler, the regime under which
they lived may also be ascertained.
The skeleton chart is so arranged that the parallelograms at the top of the
centre column may indicate a sovereign's reign and the length thereof, and the
parallelograms underneath those of the predecessors of the house or dynasty to
which the sovereign named in top space of the column belongs, or the series of
parallelograms in the central column may indicate a succession of presidents or
rulers of republics.

page_text: A horizontal line may indicate, in the first instance on the marginal scales, when
the particular house or dynasty, to which the sovereign, named in the top parallelo-
gram of the centre column belongs, commenced to reign; and another horizontal
line may indicate on the side scales when the preceding house or dynasty
commenced to reign; the portion between the two horizontal lines indicating the
period of this latter house; and on the chart this latter house, as well as the
periods of the other historical houses of the country, may be distinguished each by
its own peculiar color, the names of the reigning sovereigns and the duration of
each reign being indicated by the parallelograms in the central column, and by the
production of the upper and lower sides of the parallelograms to the side scales, the
years may be ascertained.
A further series of parallelograms to the right of the central column may be
taken to indicate by inscription, wars, for instance the Crusades, the Peninsular
War, the Civil War of America, and the periods when they took place; the
dates of the happening of decisive battles; the foundation of public schools or
universities; the date of the Union of Great Britain and Ireland, of Catholic
Emancipation, of the Corn Laws, of the Reform Bill, &c. may also be indicated
on separate horizontal lines, their height when produced to the side scales ascer-
taining the year; a consecutive vertical column of oblongs may also serve to
indicate the Archbishops of Canterbury, the Prime Ministers, etc., and such other
important matters as may be recorded on the oblongs or parallelograms, or on
horizontal lines leading or pointing to the scales as to make up a complete synopsis
of the history of a country; the dates of all important events and periods being at
once ascertained by reference to the side scales.
By using an historical chart provided with my vertical side scales, the dates and
sequence of events are impressed indelibly on the memory, and one is enabled
very readily to learn and to remember the history of any country; my scales and
the arrangement of the parallelograms or oblongs act as a sort of "memoria
technica to aid the memory by picturing to the mind events in proper chrono-
logical order.
The scale and chart is particularly adapted for use in public schools, and while
the scale is of universal adaptability, the chart may be printed in the characters
and language of the country where the history is being taught.
Instead of the column of centuries displayed in large figures, which is specially
designed for the large sized historical charts to be used in public schools, univer-
sities, or in public places, it is obvious that for small historical charts, a vertical
column of years may alone suffice. The chart scales are preferably arranged on
the margins of the chart.
It is essential that the scale should be vertical, and that it should be arranged
on the sides; as a scale in a horizontal position on the top or bottom of the chart
would not answer the purpose intended, viz., that of making it possible to arrange,
side by side, a series of charts made to a corresponding scale, and indicating the
cotemporary history of foreign or other countries, so that corresponding centuries
in history of the various countries may be seen at a glance on the walls of the
room and as occupying the same horizontal plane.
Dated this 3rd day of April 1895.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, M.1. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.

page_text: I, ARTHUR HODGKIN SOAIFE, of 15, Broad Street, of the City of Victoria, in
the Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, Newspaper Editor, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a scale for historical charts which is
adapted for use in any country to indicate graphically the dates of the happening
cf historical facts or events, such as the births and duration of the lives of
celebrated persons and when they held high office, periods and subdivisions of
periods during which rulers or dynasties governed, the dates when important
laws were passed changes carried out in the Constitution of the State, inventions
made affecting its well being and promoting the arts and sciences, or such other
matters as go to make up the history of a country, and it consists, essentially, of &
marginal and vertical column for centuries in which the centuries are arranged in
regular sequence one above the other with dividing index lines between each
century, a small vertical column adjacent to the century column and subdividing
the centuries into aliquot portions of any convenient number of years, parallelo-
grams or oblongs arranged lengthwise of the chart in separate columns or
contiguous to or overlapping each other, so that horizontal lines drawn from the
top or bottom of the oblong to the side scales shall indicate the birth or death of
the individual, or the period of the war or other remarkable event which may be
indicated in the oblong, as well as indicated on the same horizontal line
colemporary events or periods or sovereigns or rulers, as hereinafter specified.
The drawing represents a skeleton of a part of a chart with the scale of centuries
and subdivisions thereof arranged on either side thereof.
Four centuries are shown in the vertical century column A viz., the 16th., 17th.,
18th., and 19th arranged one over the other in regular sequence, with dividing
index lines a, b, c and immediately adjacent is the subdivision column B. This
subdivision column is also vertical, and is preferably divided into equal portions of
five years each, there being twenty of these subdivisions in each century, so that
with a pair of compasses the horizontal line indicating any particular year during
the century may be selected-the index line a, b and c represent respectively the
commencement of the 17th., 18th., and 19th centuries respectively.
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are a series of oblongs or parallelograms adjacent to and over-
lapping each other, on which may be inscribed the names of celebrated soldiers,
statesmen, poets, historians or authors: by producing the top and bottom of cach
oblong over to the side scale, the date of birth and death of each person is indicated,
also the extent to which they were contemporaries, and by producing these tops
and bottoms of oblongs over to the central vertical column C, on which is inscribed
the figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 the reigning sovereign or ruler, during whose regime
they lived, may also be ascertained.
The skeleton chart shown in the drawing is so arranged that the parallelogram 6,
for instance, may indicate a sovereign's reign and the length thereof, and the
parallelograms, 8, 9 and 10 those of the predecessors of the house or dynasty to
which the sovereign named in No. 6 belongs, or the series of parallelograms in
the central column C may indicate a succession of presidents or rulers of
republics.
The heavy horizontal line X indicates in the first instance on the marginal
scales, when the particular house or dynasty, to which the sovereign named in the
rarallelogram 6 belongs commenced to reign; the heavy horizontal line Y, also

page_text: indicates on the side scales when the preceding house or dynasty commenced to
reign the diagonally shaded portion between the lines X and Y indicating the
period of this latter house; and on the chart this latter house, as well as the
periods of the other historical houses of the country, may be distinguished
each by its own peculiar colour, the names of the reigning sovereigns and the
duration of each reign being indicated by the parallelograms in the central column C,
and-by the production of the upper and lower. sides. of. the parallelograms to the
side scales, the years may be ascertained:.
The series of parallelograms 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 to the right of the
drawing may be taken to indicate by inscription, wars, for instance the Crusades,
the Peninsular War, the Civil War of America, and the periods when they took
place; the dates of the happening of decisive battles.; the foundation of public
schools or universities; the date of the Union of Great Britain and Ireland, of
Catholic Emancipation, of, the Corn Laws, of the Reform Bill, &c. may also be
indicated on separate horizontal lines, their height when produced to the side
scales ascertaining the year; a consecutive vertical column of oblongs may also
serve to indicate the Archbishops of Canterbury, the Prime Ministers, etc., and
such other important, matters as may be recorded on the oblongs or parallelograms,
or on horizontal lines leading or pointing to the scales as to make them a complete
synopsis of the history of a country; the dates of all important events and periods
being at once ascertained. by reference to the side scales.
By using an historical chart provided with my vertical side scales, the dates and
sequence of events are impressed.indelibly on the memory, and one is enabled very
readily to learn and to remember the history of any country; my scales and the
arrangement of the parallelograms or oblongs act as a sort of "memoria
technica" to aid the memory by picturing to the mind events in proper
chronological order.
The scale and chart is particularly adapted' for use in public schools, and
while the scale is of universal adaptability, the chart may be printed in the
characters and language of the country where the history is being taught.
Instead of the column of centuries.displayed in large figures,, which is specially
designed for the large sized historical charts to be used in public schools,
universities, or in public places, it is obvious that for small historical charts,, a
vertical column of years may alone suffice. The chart scales are preferably
arranged on the margins of the chart as indicated'in the drawing.
It is essential that the scale should be vertical, and that it should be arranged on
the sides.; as a scale in a horizontal position on the top or bottom of the chart
would not answer the purpose intended, viz., that of making it possible to arrange,
side by side, a series of charts made to a corresponding scale, and indicating the
cotemporary history of foreign or other countries, so that corresponding centuries
in history of the various countries may be seen at a glance on the walls of the room
and as occupying the same horizontal plane.
Having now, particularly described and ascertained the nature of my. said
invention and in what manner, the same is. to be performed, I declare that what
I claim,is.:-
(1.) In an historical chart, the combination of a vertical column of centuries, a
vertical column adjacent to the century column dividing, the centuries into
convenient portions so that! an horizontal line drawn to oblongs or parallelograms
or to a record of an event may indicate a date or period substantially as described
and specified.
(2.) A scale for historical charts, comprising a marginal vertical column of
centuries in which the centuries are arranged in regular sequence one above the
other, a small vertical column adjacent to the century. column and dividing the
centuries into aliquot portions of any convenient number of years, so that
horizontal lines drawn from the marginal scale to parallelograms or oblongs
arranged lengthwise of the chart in separate columns or contiguous to or over-

page_text: lapping each other may indicate times or periods, substantially as described and
specified.
(3.) In a scale for historical charts, marginal vertical columns of centuries with
dividing index lines between consecutive centuries arranged on each border of the
historical chart, a small vertical column adjacent to each of the century columns
dividing the centuries into convenient and equal subdivisions, so that horizontal
lines drawn from the marginal scales to parallelograms or oblongs or to a record
of an event, may indicate dates, times or periods, substantially as described and
specified.
d this 31st day of July 1895.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.