Mariners Compasses
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1889
I, WALLACE JOHN REYNOLDS of 2 Heath Street, Commercial Road East, Middlesex,
Nautical Instrument Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to detail improvements in relation to Mariners Compasses.
The First part of my Invention may be described as an improvement on or an
extension to my previous Patent No. 12880) dated 22nd September 1887 in which I
make skeleton frames in solid metal by electro-deposition, said metal frames according
to my present improvement being covered with a metal or other foil having equivalent
properties to metal. The foil is preferably placed and made to adhere on both sides
of the skeleton frame and by a compression against a hard body on one side and a soft
yielding body on the other, one side of the frame which now constitutes a compass
card is kept perfectly flat while the other is indented.
The flat side is intended to receive painting or other devicing as a finished Compass
card or card proper.
In the preparation of the metal or other foil I cut one piece slightly larger than
the other and I wrap the edge over and secure it by any adhesive preferably before
the compression takes place. This overlapping is both on the outer and inner edges
or centre eye.
My Second improvement is in the construction of the float centre. This I make
from two cups of different diameters and bring their mouths together. Each of
them has a flange and the lower one is cone shaped in the interior for receiving the
jewel, and the lower part of the cone has an internal flange the aperture of which
corresponds to that of a disc mounted upon the centre pin said disc being above the
inside flange of the cone so that should the compass box be tilted the flange lodges
below the disc and prevents the jewel leaving the centre pin.
The float centre and card, when the compass card is made up are also prevented
leaving the centre pin should the compass bowl or box be turned upside down.
According to the usual method of mounting a compass card upon its under frame,
screw pins are used to fix them together, the heads of the screws being seen on the

page_text: compass card itself, and where the compass card requires adjustment or balancing to
make it truly horizontal within the bowl other screws-have been inserted in the
compass card for balancing purposes.
Now according to the next part of my invention I make a skeleton 'framework
below and secure the card thereto from the underside so that no screw heads need be
seen on the card itself and I also, as another improvement fit a ring of wire to the
skeleton frame under the card for the attachment of weights for balancing the card.
The under frame may have the magnet bars attached, or they may be secured to the
underside of my foil covered metal frame or card.
Dated this 10th day of July 1888
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the said Wallace John Reynolds.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Marine Compasses.
I, WALLACE JOHN REYNOLDS; of 2 Heath Street, Commercial Road East, Middlesex,
Nautical Instrument Maker, 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 detail improvements in relation to Mariners Compasses.
The first part of my invention may be described as an improvement or an extension
to my previous Patent No. 12880, dated 22nd September 1887, in which I make
skeleton frames in solid metal by electro deposition, said metal frames, according to
my present improvement, being covered with a metal or other foil having equivalent
properties to metal. The foil is preferably placed and made to adhere on both sides
of the skeleton frame and by a compression against a hard body on one side and a
soft yielding body on the other, one side of the frame which now constitutes
a Compass card kept perfectly flat, while the other is indented.
The flat side is intended to receive painting or other devicing as a finished Compass
card or card proper.
In the preparation of the metal or other foil, I cut one piece slightly larger than
the other and I wrap the edge over and secure it by any adhesive preferably before
the compression takes place. This overlapping is both on the outer edges and also
on the inner edges or centre eye.
My second improvement is in the construction of float centres for compass cards.
These I make from two cups having flanges of different diameters. The lower
cup is cone shaped in the interior for receiving the jewel and the lower part of
the cone has an internal flange, the aperture of which corresponds to that of a disc
mounted upon the centre pin, said disc being above the inside flange of the cone,
so that should the Compass box be tilted, the flange lodges below the disc and
prevents the jewel leaving the centre pin.
My second improvement will be understood by the annexed drawings, in which
at Figures 1, 2 and 3 I show two cups A, B, constituting a float both with turned
out flanges C, D, but of different diameters, as indicated in the diagram Figure 2,
so that they can be readily soldered together to constitute a float. The bottom of the
lower cup B is made with an internal cone E, in the apex of which the jewel can be
cemented or otherwise secured and with an inside flange F. The jewel may be set
upon the upper part of the cone E, as at Figure 2, and held in place by a cap Ġ which
centralizes it and fixes it in position.
On the centre pin H, by which the float and Compass card is supported, is a disc I
of slightly smaller diameter than the hole in the flange F through which it passes and
occupies a position above the flange F when the card is supported by the centre pin.
The cap G may stop short, as indicated at Figure 2, or it may be carried down to
the bottom of the lower cup B and be secured by screw pins passing through a turned
out bottom edge of the cone into studs or small blocks placed within the lower cup

page_text: for the purpose. This will be understood by the modification shown at Figure 3,
where within the cone E I place another cone J, the jewel being set between the two
at the apex and easily adjusted.
This internal cone J has its bottom edge flanged and screws K passed through the
same and also through the lower cup B into small blocks K, L, to hold the two cones
in close contact.
The float constructed as above set forth carries the Compass card M, as indicated at
Figures 1 and 4, in which latter Figure I show a liquid Compass bowl in section
constructed substantially in a manner of a previous Patent granted to me on the
16th day of June 1887 No. 8714.
N, N, are the magnets.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner. the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Covering a frame produced by electro deposition of the shape and with indications
of an ordinary Compass card in skeleton form, with metal or other foil so as to
enclose the same, as and for the purposes herein before described.
وو
2. Making: Compass float " centres of two cups having flanges of different
diameters at their meeting faces as and for the purposes described.
3. Making Compass float centres with an internal cone E and with a bottom
internal flange F, as and for the purposo described, whether said cone E. has the jewel
cemented within it, or fixed by à cap G, or by an additional cone J on the inside of
the cone E, substantially as shown in the annexed drawings.
4. In connection with a float centre of a Compass card, the internal flange F and
disc I on centre pin H, as and for the purpose described.
The 10th day of Amil 1000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Wallace John Reynolds.