Improvements in Rolling Rules.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 14th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Rolling Rules.
I, LOUIS CHARLES JACKSON, Captain Royal Engineers, of No. 202 Herbert Road,
Woolwich, S.E. in the County of Kent, do hereby declaro the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention relates to certain drawing instruments known as Rolling Rules,
employed for drawing lines parallel to each other, and an important point of the
invention, is, by means of an addition to the Rule, to make it possible to draw lines
with this instrument parallel and at given distances apart.
The invention consists essentially in the fixed or removable attachment to or
combination with the Rolling Rule of one or more scales, in such a manner that if
the edge of the Rule is first made to coincide with a given straight line, and the
Rulo is then rolled away to a new position, the distance of the edge of the Rule in
its new position, and consequently of a line drawn along that edge, from the first
line, may be shewn on the scale, or scales.
An
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1. shews the plan of a Rolling Rule, and
Fig. 3 the end elevation of the same. Fig. 2 shews a plan of one form of the
proposed scale attachment, its position when attached being shewn by the dotted
lines in Fig. 1: and Fig. 4 shews the side elevation of the attachment.
advantageous manner of attaching a scale would be by means of a pair of projecting
limbs on the scale fitting into slots cut in the rule, and secured therein by a revolving
bolt, as shewn in the drawing. The edges of the scale may be bevelled and divided
in any manner required. At the point A in Fig. 1, an arrangement is indicated,
whereby if a line is drawn to the end of the rule, the edge of the scale will overlap
it, in order to ensure accuracy of adjustment. At the point B, Fig. 2, a joint may
be made in the scale if desired. One of the edges of a scale is shewn at C & D,
Figs. 1, & 2, as being graduated to angles with reference to the point C. The zero of
the scale may with advantage be placed a little clear of the edge of the rule, as shewn
on Fig. 1, it being impossible to make a line drawn along that edge to coincide
exactly with it.

page_text: Among other uses to which this Rolling Rule with attachment may be put, are the
following:
1. By using a single scale, divided in any required manner, a complete series of
parallel lines may be drawn in any required relation of distance from each other.
2. By using two similarly divided scales one at either end of the Rule, the
parallelism of the lines can be checked
3. If an edge of a scale is divided to angles with reference to a point on the rule,
lines may be drawn making any required angle with each other.
4. By inserting a joint at the point B, Fig. 2, with a clamp if required, the scale
can be adjusted to make any angle with the edge of the Rule, and a double set of
parallels to two lines differently inclined can be drawn.
5. Co-ordinate points for curves can be obtained with great rapidity and accuracy.
Dated this 14th day of January 1887.
LOUIS CHARLES JACKSON,
Captain Royal Engineers.

page_text: Improvements in Rolling Rules.
1 LOUIS CHARLES JACKSON, Captain Royal Engineers and of No. 202 Herbert
Road, Plumstead in the County of Kent do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain drawing instruments known as Rolling Rules,
employed for drawing lines parallel to each other and an important point of the
invention is by means of an addition to the Rule to make it possible to draw lines
with this instrument parallel and at given distances apart.
The invention consists essentially in the fixed or removable attachment to or
combination with the Rolling Rule of ono or more scales, in such a manner that if
the edge of the Rule is first made to coincide with a given straight line, and the
Rule is then rolled away to a new position, the distanco of the edge of the Rule in
its new position and consequently of a line drawn along that edge, from the first
line, may be shown on the scale or scales.
An advantageous form of attachment for a scale would be by means of a joint as
shown in the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1, shows the plan of one end of a Rolling
Rule with scale attached. The joint is shown in plan with shade lines. Fig. 2 is a
cross section of the joint and scale, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same.
In this form of attachment the joint can be detached both from Rule and scale, and
the scale may be used as an ordinary plotting scalo if required. The joint consists of
a metal arm with a projecting leaf. The leaf slides into a groovo in the Rule and is
fixed in place by means of a milled-headed screw A. The arm has two guide pins p,p,
which fit into sockets in the scale, and the scale is further clamped to the arm by a
milled-headed screw B.
The edges of both scale and Rule may be bevelled and divided in any manner
required. The scale may with advantage be graduated from a point about roth of
an inch clear of the edge of the Rule, it being impossible to make a line ruled along
that edge to coincide exactly with it.
At the point C in Fig. 1, an arrangement is indicated, whereby if a line is drawn
to the end of the Rule, the edge of the scale will overlap it, in order to ensure
accuracy of adjustment. At the point d, Fig. 1, a joint may be made in the scale if
desired.
One of the edges of a scale is shown at e and f,ƒ, Fig. 1, as being graduated to
angles with reference to the point e.
Among other uses to which this Rolling Rule with attachment may be put, are the
following:-
1. By using a single scale, divided in any required manner, a complete series of
parallel lines may be drawn, in any required relation of distance from each other.
2. By using two similarly divided scales, one at either end of the Rule, the
parallelism of the lines can be checked.

page_text: 3. If an edge of the scale is divided to angles, with reference to a point on the
Rule, lines may be drawn making any required angle with each other.
4. By inserting a sector joint in the scale, with a clamp if required, the scale can
be adjusted to make any angle with the edge of the Rule, and a double set of
parallels to two lines differently inclined can be drawn.
5. Co-ordinate points for curves can be obtained with great rapidity and accuracy.
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
I. With a Rolling Rule, the use of an attached scale or scales, whereby
(a) Lines can be drawn at a given distanco apart from each other.
(b) The parallelism of lines can be checked.
(c) Lines can be laid off making any required angle with a given line.
(d) Two sets of parallel lines, not parallel to each other, can be drawn
simultaneously.
(e) All kinds of curves can be drawn.
II. The general principle of an instrument composed of two or moro scales,
inclined to each other, and capable of being made to travel in a direction at right
angles to the length of one of them by means of a wheel or wheels.
Dated this 13th day of October 1887
LOUIS CHARLES JACKSON,
Captain Royal Engineers.