Improvements in Mining Stadiometers, Theodolites, and Tacheometers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left. 1st May, 1890-Accepted 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mining Stadiometers, Theodolites, and
Tacheometers.
WILLIAM FORD STANLEY of Cumberlow South Norwood Surrey Engineer and
Optician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The stadiometer consists of two pieces of apparatus, which can only be used con-
jointly, termed technically when in use the stadia and the instrument. This invention
relates to modifications in both of these pieces, the object being to modify or produce
apparatus for stadiometrical measurements adapted for use in the surveying of mines,
more particularly for workings in shallow strata. The invention consists in a dovice
for making the stadia very low working and portable and in making the instrument
low working and adjustable to level, and position, so that it may work in close workings
of any ordinary inclination, and from its position when set up take distance, direction,
and bearing of the stadia from the vertical of a point on the floor of the mine.
Certain parts of the apparatus are also adapted to surface workings and may be applied
to less portable instruments or to theodolites or tacheometers.
The improvements in the stadia consists in making it very portable by a construction
somewhat resembling a French pocket rule in which one divided flat rule is placed
upon another with a swivel joint formed of a rivet joining up each alternate pair of
ends, so that the closed rule will be short, and yet open by its swivel jointing to
any required length. In this adaptation to a stadia, if the single rule be made ono foot
it will stand in a one foot working, or two rules may be opened out for two
feet and so on.
The stadia of this invention has each of its rules which are about
24 inches wide and 3 of an inch thick, sunk on one face to the depth of of an inch
except at a narrow margin along the edges. The face is painted and figured as an
ordinary stadia in the sunk part which is protected from scratching by the raised
marginal edges produced by the sinking. One end of the stadia is tipped with a metal
socket to stand on the floor of the mine. The swivel joints are separately held open
when the stadia is erected by a spring and notch fitted to each joint, or by a simple
catch which keeps the stadia rigid at any required extension of its parts.
The instrument may have no modification from the construction used in Edgecomb's
stadiometer, or in the tacheometer or in the theodolite-souterraine of the French as
regards general structure, or in the telescope, or subtense arrangements, the modifica-
tions in this invention being in the compass and in adjustments only. For the compass
I use the prismatic form, but as in close mines if this be placed high on the instrument
or what is equivalent if the instrument be made low it is difficult to light it for
observation. In my improvements I place the lights below the compass as in a
ships compass, and make the compass ring of a transparent material such as tale,
but to avoid heating I throw the light through the compass ring by means of a
prism or reflector fixed under the compass box, from a lamp placed at the side of
the instrument, a hole being cut through the compass box under the reading prism
to receive the light. 1 mount the instrument on three adjusting screws on what is
termed the tribrach system, such as is common with tacheometers, I place on the
upper plate of the tribrach frame a slide rest adjustment somewhat similar to that
upon a microscope stage, but in this invention it is made of triangular form and is
supported on three points of contact and three points only of sliding surface,
or of one long sliding surface and one short opposite sliding surface, this
sliding arrangement is kept low and brings by its action in use the centre
of the instrument to vertical position after it is set up as well as it may be in a close
mine.
The tripod legs are attached to the tribrach in the ordinary manner but they
are made much shorter for close work and do not depend for levelling the instrument

page_text: upon the extension of one or other of the legs to a greater inclination, but each leg
is provided with a screw up it which is placed in a tube or pair of tubes so that the
legs can be separately extended for adjustment of the instrument to level by this screw
adjustment only. The statiometer made according to these particulars will work well
in workings of two feet or less. The stadia and instrument pack together to form
the complete stadiometer in one case, which if made in leather and sail cloth hangs
comfortably upon the back to enable the surveyor to reach a point in a mine in a
crawling position.
I intend to call this apparatus "Stanley's low working Mining Stadiometer."
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mining Stadiometers, Theodolites, and
Tacheometers.
WILLIAM FORD STANLEY Engineer and Optician Cumberlow South Norwood Surrey
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:
The stadiometer consists of two pieces of apparatus which can only be used con-
jointly termed technically, when in use the stadia and the instrument. This Invention
relates to modifications in both of these pieces, the object being to modify or produce
apparatus for stadiometrical measurements adapted for use in the surveying of mines,
more particularly for workings in shallow strata. The invention consists in a device
for making the stadia very low working and portable and in making the instrument
low working and adjustable to level and position, so that it may work in close work-
ings of any ordinary inclination; and from its position when set up, take distance,
direction and bearing of the stadia from the vertical of a point on the floor of the
mine. Certain parts of the apparatus are also adapted to surface workings and may
be applied to less portable instruments or to theodolites or to tacheometers.
The improvements in the stadia consist in making it very portable by a construction
somewhat resembling a French pocket rule in which one divided flat rule is placed
upon another with a swivel joint formed of a rivet joining up each alternate pair of
ends, so that the closed rule will be short and yet open by its swivel jointing to any
required length. In this adaptation to a stadia, if the single rule be made one foot
it will stand in a one foot working, or two rules may be opened out for two foet and
so on. The stadia of this Invention has each of its rules which are about 24 inches
wide and of an inch thick sunk on one face to a depth of inch except at a
narrow margin along the edges.
The face is painted and figured as an ordinary stadia in the sunk part which is
protected from scratching by the raised marginal edges produced by the sinking.
One end of the stadia is tipped with a metal socket to stand on the floor of the mine.
The swivel joints are separately held open when the stadia is erected, by a spring and
notch fitted to each joint, or by a simple catch which keeps the stadia rigid at any
required extension of its parts.
The instrument may have no modification from the construction used in Edgecomb's
stadiometer or in tacheometers or in the theodolite sousterraine of the French as
regards general structure or in the telescope or subtense arrangement the modifica-
tions in this Invention being in the compass and in adjustment only. For the
compass I use the prismatic form, but as in close mines, if this is placed high on the
instrument, or what is equivalent, if the instrument is made low, it is difficult to light
it for observation. In my improvement I place the light below the compass as in a
ships compass and make the compass ring of a transparent material such as tale, but
to avoid heating I throw the light through the compass ring by means of a prism or
reflector fixed under the compass box, from a lamp placed at the side of the instru-
ment, a hole being cut through the compass box under the reading prism to receive

page_text: the light. I mount the instrument on three adjusting screws on what is termed the
tribrach system such as is common with tacheometers, place on the upper plate of
the tribrach frame, a slide rest adjusting somewhat similar to that upon a microscope
stage, but in this invention, it is made of triangular form and is supported on three
points of contact and three points only of sliding surface or of one long sliding surface
and one short opposite sliding surface, so that it is equivalent to the three point
surface. This sliding arrangement is kept low and brings by its action, in use, the
centre of the instrument to vertical position after it is set up as well as it may be
in a close mine. The tripod legs are attached to the tribrach in the ordinary manner,
but they are made much shorter for close work and do not depend for levelling the
instrument upon the extension of one or other of the legs to a greater inclination,
but each leg is provided with a screw up it, placed in a tube or pair of tubes, so that
the leg can be separately extended for adjustinent of the instrument so as to level by
this screw adjustment only.
The stadiometer made according to these particulars will work well in a working of
2 feet or less.
The stadia and instrument pack together to form the complete stadiometer, in one
case which if inado in leather and sailcloth hangs comfortably upon the back to enable
the surveyor to reach a point in a mine in a crawling position. I intend to call this
apparatus Stanley's low working Mining Stadiometer.
The drawings attached will particularly describe the general structure of this
apparatus.
Fig. 1. A is the back view of the stadia B, a portion of the front as an ordinary
stadia. C. C. C. are spring catches. D. D. D. are notches which the catches fall into
when the stadia is closed.
Fig. 2. is a cross section of the stadia.
Fig. 3. a longitudinal section through the joint.
Fig. 4. is a section through the centre of the instrument. E. F. F. are the subtense
lines of sight over points upon the sight vanes G and H shewn in detail in Figs. 5
and 6. The subtense lines cut the stadia Fig. 1 at a distance beyond F F, the number
of divisions cut by these lines shewing by proportional tangents the actual distance.
This part of the instrument may be replaced by a telescope with adjustable points in
the diaphram to give the subtense upon the stadia. I I is a transparent compass card
carried by the magnetic needle J. K. is the prism by which the card is read. L is a
prism or reflector which throws light upon the under side of the transparent card from
a lamp. The lamp is shewn in detail, Fig. 7. M the axis of the stand. N. O. P. are
the sliding parts of the tribrach, by which the instrument is brought to position.
This part is shewn in perspective detail in Fig. 8. Q. is the lower part of the tribrach
which is adjusted by three screws, two of which U U only are shewn. R. R. legs of
the tripod jointed to the bible plates of the lower tribrach plate Q in a usual way.
These legs have each a screw up it which moves by the milled head, S. lengthening the
point Tout so as to adjust the instrument to level entirely by this means or to bring it
nearly level for final adjustment by the tribrach screws Û U.
Fig. 5. H the back sight for subtense. E point for sight lines. V opening for sight
of prism.
Fig. 6. G. foresight. W. slider carrying subtense points, F F¹.
W¹ is another slider
to carry another pair of subtense points at a different angle which are not shewn to
save confusion.
Fig. 7. X lamp for illuminating the under side of transparent card 1. L prism for
throwing the light up. Y Y section of wooden sheath to prevent the heat of the lamp
reaching the instrument.
Fig. 8. P upper tribrach plate. 0, 0, lower slide fitted by adjusting piece Z and
carried by the milled head screw O'. N upper slide fitted upon the lower slide by
in under tongue Y fitting, this is carried by the milled headed screw N. Many parts
of the instruments may be varied by using mechanical equivalents, as for instance
netal reflectors may be used in place of prisms. The light may be thrown direct upon

page_text: A telescope may
the under side of the card through an opening in the compass box.
be used instead of sights, maintaining still the principles herein set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim is
1. The general structure of the stadiometrical apparatus described and illustrated
herein.
2. The jointed folding stadia to be used for levelling as well as subtense
measurements.
3. The illumination of the card from below instead of from the top, upon a
stadiometer.
4. The tribrach sliding stage as herein described.
5. The screw up adjustment for tripod legs herein described.
6. An instrument constructed to employ any of the above parts claimed omitting
other parts.
Dated this 1st dow of ML... 1800
H. T. TALLACK,
28, Hatton Garden, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.