AN IMPROVED OPTICAL INSTRUMENT OR PRACTICE REGISTER FOR RECORDING THE ANGULAR MEASURE- MENTS OF OBJECTS AT INACCESSIBLE DISTANCES, WITH AN ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLYING POWER."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Innes, Major Commanding 1st.
Kincardineshire Artillery Volunteers, Raemoir, and Cowie, County
of Kincardine, Scotland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED OPTICAL
INSTRUMENT OR PRACTICE REGISTER FOR RECORDING THE ANGULAR MEASURE-
MENTS OF OBJECTS AT INACCESSIBLE DISTANCES, WITH AN ADJUSTABLE
MULTIPLYING POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Innes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1871.
I, ALEXANDER INNES, Major Commanding 1st Kincardineshire
5 Artillery Volunteers, Raemoir, near Cowie, County of Kincardine,
Scotland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " AN
IMPROVED OPTICAL INSTRUMENT OR PRACTICE REGISTER FOR RECORDING THE

page_text: ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS OF OBJECTS AT INACCESSIBLE DISTANCES, WITH AN
ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLYING POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a contrivance when applied to artillery for
registering the position of every shot as it falls on the water around the
target with the utmost precision and expedition, so as to obviate the
possibility of the mistakes and inaccuracy which must prevail from a
continuance of the present rule of thumb, and the many difficulties and
objections to land ranges.
This instrument or "multiplying alidade and practice register" as
at present constructed is six feet long by eighteen inches in width, see
accompanying Drawing. When practice is about to commence the
gun is to be carefully aligned upon the target, the index of the instru-
ment being secured at zero. The back sight and cross wires of the
instrument being then in collimation with the target the micrometer
eye piece of the telescope will also be found in collimation, if not, the
necessary adjustment is also to be made. The alidade being then
liberated, the line of collimation traced on the register, and the hammer
raised, the instrument is ready to register the position of the first shot
as it falls. This operation is effected by bringing the falling shot or
bursting shell under the cross wires of the instrument as seen from the
eyc piece by moving the alidade index to the right or left, and by
recording the position of the shot on the register, which is perforated
by a steel point liberated and falling on the register E through the
action of a spring by touching the trigger, thus marking the position in
or the distance out of the line of collimation above referred to.
For the second and succeeding observations nothing further is required
but to raise the hammer as before, advance the register one-tenth of an
inch by one turn of the guide screw F, spotting the second shot, and so
on to the end of the practice.
The multiplying alidade is an optical instrument for recording
measural observations. It consists of two telescopes, quadrant, eye
pieces, diaphragm, hood, and cross wires mounted on a superior radial
arm six feet long, pivotting under the eye of the observer A, A, which
is acted on by an inferior radial arm B, B, pivotting at any distance on
the bed that may be required for recording the observations according
to the scale on the register that may be desired. The record is made
on a register of one or more thicknesses or sheets by means of perfora-

page_text: tion by a steel point D acted on by a lock. The observations under the
cross wires at the end of the superior radial arm are thus brought back
to the hand of the observer at the recording apparatus attached to the
inferior radial arm with a power of angular measurement which may be
multiplied or reduced by the position of the pivot of the inferior radial
arm to suit the nature and range of the observation.
tion by a steel point D acted on by a lock. The observations under the
cross wires at the end of the superior radial arm are thus brought back
to the hand of the observer at the recording apparatus attached to the
inferior radial arm with a power of angular measurement which may be
multiplied or reduced by the position of the pivot of the inferior radial
arm to suit the nature and range of the observation.
The instrument is intended to be employed vertically, horizontally, or
at any angle that may be required for all geometrical and astronomical
observations.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Alexander
Innes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
INNES, Major Commanding 1st Kincardineshire Artillery Volunteers,
Raemoir and Cowie, County of Kincardine, Scotland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by, Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Innes, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Innes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Innes, 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 "AN IMPROVED OPTICAL
INSTRUMENT OR PRACTICE REGISTER FOR RECORDING THE ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS
OF OBJECTS AT INACCESSIBLE DISTANCES, WITH AN ADJUSTABLE MULTIPLYING
POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Innes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe 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 on or before the Seventh day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Innes, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 consists of a contrivance for observing and recording
the magnitudes and relative distances of objects, and when applied to
the purpose of artillery practice it is used for registering the position
of every shot as it falls on the water around the floating target with
the utmost precision and expedition, so as to obviate the possibility
of the mistakes and inaccuracy which must prevail from a continuance
of the present rule of thumb and the many difficulties and objections to
land ranges.
This instrument, "the multiplying alidade," as at present constructed
for artillery purposes (see accompanying Drawing) is six feet long by
eighteen inches in width, when used and practice is about to commence
the alidade, secured to a gun or other convenient support, is to be
carefully aligned upon the target, the index being secured at zero.
The back sight and cross wires being then in collimation with the target,
the eye piece and cross wires of the telescope will also be found in
collimation, if not the necessary adjustment is also to be made. The
line of collimation being now marked on the register, the index liberated,
and the hammer raised, the instrument is ready to register the position
of the first shot as it falls on the water under the eye of the observer.
This operation is effected by bringing the shot or bursting shell under
the cross wires by moving the inferior radial arm or index to the right
or left and spotting it on the register by touching the trigger, thus
marking the position in or out of the line of collimation above referred
to, the register being perforated by a steel point acted on by the hammer
and trigger.
For the second and succeeding observations nothing further is required
but to raise the hammer as before, advance the register one-tenth of an
inch by one turn of the guide screw F, spotting the second shot, and so
on to the end of the practice.
The multiplying alidade is an optical instrument for recording
mensural observations. It consists of two telescopes, quadrant, eyc
pieces, diaphragm, hood, and cross wires, mounted on a superior radial
arm six feet long, pivoting under the eye of the observer A, A, which
is acted on by an inferior radial arm B, B, pivoting at any distance on

page_text: the bed that may be required for recording the observations according
to the scale that may be desired. The record is made on a register of
one or more thicknesses or sheets by means of perforation by a steel
point D acted on by a lock. The observations under the cross wires
at the end of the superior radial arm are thus brought back to the hand
of the observer at the recording apparatus attached to the inferior radial
arm, with a power of angular measurement which may be multiplied or
reduced by the alteration of the position of the pivot of the inferior
radial arm to suit the nature and range of the observation.
The instrument is intended to be employed vertically, horizontally, or
at any angle that may be required for all mensural observations.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Innes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.