New MACHINERY AND METHODS FOR WRITING, PAINTING, DRAWING, RULING LINES, AND OTHER THINGS, AND FOR APPLYING PARTS OF THE AFORESAID MACHINERY TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1803

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ISAAC HAWKINS, or Bordenton, in the United States of America, now residing
in King Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, do send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of Sep-
tember, in the Forty-third year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said
John Isaac Hawkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, His special
license, full: power, sole privilege, and authority that I, the said John Isaac
Hawkins, during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might niake, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "New MACHINERY AND METHODS FOR
WRITING, PAINTING, DRAWING, RULING LINES, AND OTHER THINGS, AND FOR APPLYING
PARTS OF THE AFORESAID MACHINERY TO OTHER PURPOSES;" in which Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said John Isaac Hawkins, under my
hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and manner in which the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and.by the same
(relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said John Isaac Hawkins, do hereby declare that my said Invention for new
machinery and methods for writing, painting, drawing, ruling lines, and other

page_text: things, and for applying parts of the aforesaid machinery to other
described in manner following, that is to say:-
purposes,
is
For writing, I affix two or more pens to a horizontal and perpendicular
parallel ruler, so that no motion, either up, down, sideways, forward, or back-
ward, can be made by one of the pens without moving the other or others in
a similar manner; by which means I make as many letters or figures at the
same time as there are pens, each latter resembling the other or others. By
the same machine I rule as many lines at once as I put pens to the parallel
ruler. By the same machine also I paint or draw two or more pieces at the
same time resembling each other, by putting to the ruler camel's hair or other
pencils instead of pens; for drawing with chalk or other substances, I put the
substances into port-crayons or cases, and affix them to the parallel ruler
instead of pens. To draw likenesses of persons, I fix a tracer, upon a principle
hereafter to be described, to one or more parallel rulers, and also as many
pens, pencils, or metal points as I intend to multiply likenesses. This tracer
is to be passed over the face, head, and such other parts of the body or other
object as is wished to be represented in the Drawing, and the pens, pencils, or
points will mark on paper or other thing placed against them similar lines to
that passed over by the tracer. I take likenesses in perspective of various
sizes at the same time by a particular mode of placing the parallel ruler. I
also take them of various sizes by fixing the tracer, pens, pencils, or points to
a pantograph. I write, draw, or paint, pieces of different sizes at one operation,
by attaching pens, pencils, &c. to a double pantograph. I also distort writing
for the purpose of secret correspondence, by putting the pen in a particular
part of the pantograph or parallel ruler, which writing must be retraced by a
similar instrument to make it legible. I take outlines of landscapes also with
some of the aforesaid machinery. I also fix a marking point to a small panto-
graph in a case which may be carried in the pocket, to write memorandums on,
a slip of a paper stretched on two rollers in the said case, which slip of paper
is moved along every time the line is written, so that a person can write
memorandums, &c. in the dark without any fear of writing two lines on one
place. The essential principle in the construction of the tracer above mentioned
is that it has a rotation on its axis, and that the tracing edge be in a line with
that axis, so that turning the tracer round shall not alter the place of the
tracing edge.
.
•
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a geometrical side view of a machine and desk, made up in a
portable form, for writing two letters at once; A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, the
desk as it appears when open; the suspending frame C, D, E, F, is represented

page_text: as broken in order to shew the apparatus more distinctly. The dotted lines B,
L, K, C, represent the desk when shut up; the writing apparatus in Fig. 1
and the whole of Figs. 2 and 3 will be best explained together; the letters of
reference are the same in each. Fig. 2 is a view from above of the horizontal;
and Fig 3, a front view of the perpendicular parallel ruler, with their appen-
dages,y; is the horizontal parallel ruler; the bar z has a pivot in each end
working in the studs a, a; these studs are screwed down to the desk at a. The
bar y has also a pivot in each end working in the studds b, b; c, d is the per-
pendicular parallel ruler. The pivots of the bar & work in the studs c, c, which
studs are screwed to the upper part of the suspending frame; the pivots of tho
bar c work in the studs v, v. The studs b, b, & v, v, are made fast to the
end of the bar u, through which bar go the arins t, t, turning on their axis
and carrying the arins w, w. The arms t, t, are made crooked, to make room
for the fingers in holding the pen firm; to the other end of the arm t is a
socket r, s, into which slides another socket o, p, having a shoulder or stop at
o; this inner socket is to contain a pen of quill or metal; the inner socket
must slide into the outer from the end r. It is immeterial what distance the
nib of the pen is out of the socket, provided all the pens are out of the sockets
an equal length. Instead of one of the fixed studs e in the suspending frame,
I sometimes put a moveable one as represented by Fig. 4, where the pivot hole
a is raised or lowered by the screw b, and moved forward or backward by the
screw c. The two screws d, d, are to fasten the whole to the suspending frame;
the paper for writing on in the machine is held at its upper end by two plates
of brass or other metal, the one plate let in and screwed to the lower part of
the suspending frame at 7, flush with the plane of the desk; into this plate are
rivetted several studs with mortises in them, projecting through holes in the
upper plate, as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6; n, n, the studs; c, c, wedges joined to a
rod b, put into all the mortises. The rod 6 is moved by a lever d, the paper
e, e, being put between the plates and the wedges forced into the mortises by
the lever d, is held tight; a metal ruler is laid on the paper near to the place
of writing, to keep it from rising when the pens are lifted up; f.f, are spiral
springs to support the weight of the apparatus; k, Fig. 1, is an ink-holder,
of which there must be as many as there are pens, and placed at the same
distances, so that every pen may dip in ink at the same time.
struction, it is evident that when one pen is lifted up or pressed
From this con-
down, the per-
pendicular parallel ruler will give the other the same motions. When one pen
is moved forward or backward the horizontal parallel ruler will move the other
in the same manner. If one pen is moved sideways the other inust be so like-
wise, because they are both fixed to one bar; and for the same reason, if one

page_text: is inclined forwards or backwards, the other must move in like manner; and
if one is inclined sideways, the other will be so inclined by means of the arms
w, w, and connecting rod x. The rods or bars of the parallel rulers I prefer
making of a light wood called lime tree, through any other wood or even metal
may answer the purpose. They will be about a quarter of an inch wide, and
one eighth of an inch thick; the bar a will be about three quarters of an inch
wide, and half an inch thick, the other pieces in about the same proportions as
they are drawn; I make the rods h, h, of the parallel rulers double, because in
that manner they are much stronger with the same weight of wood than if
'made single. Fig. 1 is drawn to a scale of about four inches to a foot; Figs.
2 and 8 about three inches to the foot; Fig. 6, six inches to the foot; and Figs. 4
and 5 of the full size, but specific measurements need not be given for this
machine, as the dimensions should be according to the size of the paper. The
parallel rulers should be large enough to suffer the pen to move freely over the
whole surface of the paper, to be larger is not necessary; the pens should be a little
farther apart than the width of the paper. When more than two pens are used, it
is necessary to widen the machine and add the peus to the bar u. The accuracy of
this machine depends, first, on the desk being a perfect plane surface; secondly,
on the rulers being perfectly parallel to themselves, to each other, and to the
plane of the desk; thirdly, on the joints moving freely without any play; and
fourthly, on the nibs of the pens being equidistant from and parallel to the rulers.
All this point being proved, and if it were possible to obtain pens of an equal
degree of elasticity, the ink of one and the same quality, and an equal equality
in each pen, no difference whatever could be discerned between the writing.
To use this machine for painting or drawing, it will be best to fit it to an easel,
the horizontal parallel ruler becoming the perpendicular, and vice versa. Such
pencils are to be put into the sockets as are commonly used in painting or
drawing. It will be well to have several sets of inner sockets, and as many
pencils fixed in them as colours to be used; they will then be exchanged with
but little loss of time; pallets are to be constructed with as many chambers in
them as colours may be wanted; each chamber about one-twentieth of an inch
deep and half an inch diameter, the chambers in one pallet corresponding with
the chambers in the other or others. Adjoining to each chamber a level
surface is left in the pallet to touch the pencil on and equalize the colour. The
corresponding chambers of the pallets being filled with the same colour, and
the pallets fixed to the easel at the same distance apart as the pencils are, the
beforesaid rules being observed with respect to the paralelism of all the parts
to the plane of the canvas or pannel, and the length and elasticity o the pencils
being similar as possible; two or more paintings or Drawings may be made at

page_text: once, so nearly alike as scarcely to be distinguished the one from the other;
chalks or other substances being put into the sockets, Drawings may be mul-
tiplied with them. Fig. 7, A, front view of a pen for ruling lines, to be put
into the machine instead of the bar u, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and its pens; B, end
view the same; b, a canal to contain ink, which will run through the slits c, c,
and mark lines on the paper over which it was drawn; e, f is made of metal,
f, g of wood. Fig. 8 is another plan of ruling pens: A, front view; B, end
view. The construction of this is evident on inspection; b, b, are made of
steel, c, c of brass, and e, e of wood. This is to be supplied with ink by dipping
in a shallow trough, placed in some convenient situation. In both Figs. 7 &
8, a is the pivot hole for the horizontal and d for the perpendicular ruler.
Fig. 9 is a side view of a machine for writing two different sizes at once.
Figure 10 is a view of the same from above; Fig. 11, a perspective view of
the same, represented only in lines, in order that the principle on which tho
effect depends may be more fully understood; the workman must clothe these
line with as much substance as is necessary to give strength to the machinery.
The letters of reference answer for all three figures. This machine consists of
two pantographs, whose planes and the plane of the desk or table whercon the
machine acts coincide at their fulcra, and from thence diverge at an angle of
from five to ten degrees each plane from the other; b, b, c, c, separating bars,
which are united to the pantographs by universal joints, whose centres are in
the centres of the joints of the pantographs, as well as in their planes. The
universal joint I prefer is that by which the mariners compass is kept on a
level. From the separating bars b, b, proceed arms d, d, carrying sockets for
pens, which having been already described, need not here be repeated; e, f are
little wheels and springs to support the weight of the apparatus. The paper
may be kept in its place in the same manner as above described. By this
machine, whatever is written by the pen g will be copied by the pen k, on as
much smaller a scale, as it is nearer the fulcrum. It is necessary to the proper
action of this machine, that the nib of the pen be in a line with the axis of the
separating bar to which it is attached; a pen fixed to a separating bar anywhere
about i, i, will so distort any thing that is written by the pen gas to render it
illegible. If this distorted writing be traced over by a pen or a point in a similar
situation in another machine of the same size, it will be written in the same
hand as before. Writing done by a pen fixed to the bar d, f, Fig 16, will ho
distorted by another pen anywhere in either of the bars e, e; pencils being put
into the sockets of this machine, viz, Figs. 9, 10, and 11, and pallets, as above
described, with chambers in proper proportions, being provided and filled with
colours, two or more pieces may be painted at once of different sizes; chalks,

page_text: &c. being fitted to the sockets, drawings in various sizes may be made with
them. Fig. 12 is a front and end view of a pocket machine to write memo-
randums on a, a slip of paper on two rollers b & c passing over the flat bar
d, which bar is covered with two or three thicknesses of paper or a piece
of thin leather; e, a pantograph; f, its fulcrum, turning on the piece y, which
moving on two pivots h in the studs i, allow the pantograph liberty to move up
and down; kc, a crank connected with an arm 7, to the underside of which is a hook
catching in a ratchet wheel, on the end of the roller c; m is a conical
steel point to mark on the paper; n, a handle to write by, terminating
in a round end, just under the pantograph. Whatever is written with this
handle on the edge k will not appear there, but in a reduced size on the
paper. When one line is written and the handle brought back to begin
another, press against the crank k, and it will pull the lever l, and by the
ratchet wheel turn the roller and thereby move the paper the distance of one
line. A spring pulls back the lever and crank. The rollers b and c have
a slit in them to receive the end of the paper, to keep it from slipping, as
represented by the section A. The whole of this Figure is drawn at full size.
Fig. 18, the tracer for the profile outline; a, the tracing edge, which is thin
like the edge of a knife, in a line with the axis c. The projection d at the
back is to turn it round by. It is to be fitted by the shank 6, (which is a
frustam of a cone) to the parallel ruler or pantograph, at right angles to the
plane on which the parallel ruler or pantagraph moves. E, an end view of
the tracer; a, the tracing edge, the shank is about one inch, and the tracing
edge five or six inches long. Fig. 14, another form of the tracer; A, a ring
with two projecting arms, to be fastened to the arm of the pantograph or
parallel ruler by the screws 9, 9; B is another ring, which revolves on the
ring A; C is a section through the diameter of the two rings, shewing the
manner of their connection; a is the fixed ring, and b, the moveable one, which is
made in two parts, screwing together at c; on one side of the moveable ring.
is a picce d, having a dovetailed groove, parallel to the axis of the ring, into
which groove the tracer e, f, g, slides; the tracing edge g, being perpendicular
to the plane of the parallel ruler or pantograph, and always in the axis of the
ring, so that the revolution of the ring makes no alteration in the place of the
tracing edge. The revolving ring is milled at the outer edge, in order that it
may easily be turned. This ring will be made from one to three inches
diameter, and from a quarter to half an inch thick; the sliding tracer about
one foot long. Fig. 15, another tracer, somewhat similar to Fig. 13, but
differing in this circumstance, that the tracing edge need not be more than
three inches long, and the shank of a cylinder form in general from one to

page_text: two feet in length. All these tracers are to be made of metal; Fig. 16, a
parallel ruler, to which is attached the tracer, Fig. 14; the bar c is fixed to a
perpendicular plane, on which the ruler moves. A point or points anywhere
in the bar b, for instance at d, will mark a similar line on paper, or anything
clse pressed against it, as that passed over by the edge of the tracer; of course
if the tracer is passed over the outlines and features of the person f, they will
be marked by the points d, d, on the canvass or paper h, h. Fig. 17 is the
same tracer attached to a pantograph whose fulcrum is at b, moving in a
perpendicular plane. It is plain that any line passed over by the tracing
edge will be imitated by the marking points c, c, on as much smaller a scale
as they are nearer to the fulcrum. Fig. 18 is a pantograph, with the tracer
Fig. 13, to be used only in drawing the extreme profile outline. The arm d
is made crooked, in order to prevent its pressing on the shoulder while tracing
the breast; c, c, the marking points, which may be multiplied at pleasure by
adding bars parallel to those shewn in the Drawing. In both Figs. 17
and 18, the marking points must be in a line (f. f.) passing from the tracing
edge through the fulcrum b, and the joints e, c, in a line with the tracing edge.
Fig. 19 is a view from above, shewing the way in which each of the tracers
is used; a, the head of the person whose likeness is to be taken, resting
against the piece c; 6 the shoulder; A, part of the arm of the pantograph,
Fig. 18, to which the tracer Fig. 13 is fitted; the arm moves in a per-
pendicular plane on the opposite side of the head of the person whose likeness
is to be drawn to where the operator stands; B, part of the arm of the
pantograph, Fig. 17, or ruler, Fig. 16, which must move in a perpindicular
plane between the operator and the person to be drawn, as near to the person
as can be without touching him; the tracing edge is used on the extreme
outline, and the point or termination of that edge on the other features, &c.
The sliding shank d is to be moved in or out to meet the inequalities of the
features. By means of this tracer applied as described, it is evident that the
likeness of a full face can be drawn. C shows the mode of adapting the tracer,
Fig. 15, to the arm; the shank f slides in a collar e, and is used in the
same manner as the last described; Fig. 20, horizontal section of a box or
case a, a, in which the pantograph works, and out of the side of which the
arm containing the tracer projects at b; d, d, frames to hold the paper or
thing against the conical steel marking points c, c. These frames are hung by
hinges at the bottom of the box; they are made of two plates of brass
hinged together, between which the paper is put. In the plate nearest to the
point is an aperture large enough for the likeness to be marked through it on
the paper; at the opposite end of the plates is a button to keep them tight

page_text: together. The frame is pressed against the marking point by a spring e,
which is turned aside when not wanted. This box is to be supported on, a
strong frame or easel, to which is also attached a piece for the head to rest
against, as shewn in Fig. 17. The arm of the pantograph will in general be
about two feet long, one inch and a half wide, and an inch thick, and the
other parts bear the same proportion to the arm as in the Drawing; Fig. 21
is a perspective view of a machine for drawing outlines of persons at full
length in perspective. A, a strong frame to be fastened to a wall having
projecting arms-b, b, between which the bar c turns on pivots; from this
bar is suspended the parallel ruler d, hinged to the barf of the perspective
parallel ruler c.
The bar 9 is supported by pivots, and turns in the frame
B, at the height and distance determined on for the points of sight of the
picture; a, a, are holes in the frame to vary the height: h, h, are weights
to counterbalance the weight of the apparatus on the opposite side of the bar
g; k, the canvas on which the picture is to be made, supported by the hook
m in the bottom of the frame A, and held firm by the screw buttons n, n,
which slide up and down in the grooves s, s, to suit the different heights of the
picture i, the person whose likeness is to be drawn standing on the step 7 by
the side of the canvas and supported at the head and waist by the bars p, p,
On these bars are other project-
which slide up and down in the grooves 1, 1.
ing ones to keep the head, &c. steady sideways; C. shews these bars more
plainly, where b, b, support the sides and a the back. To prevent confusion in
the perspective of this machine, the bars of the parallel rulers d and e are
represented without thickness. D therefore represents the manner and about the
size of the pieces of which I would make the parallel ruler d, and E is a section
of what the ruler e should be to give it strength without much weight. The
tracer, Fig. 15, which is here used about two feet in length, is let half its
diameter into the underside of the ruler e at u, over which is screwed a
cock v, Fig. E. The marking point w, which is shown on a larger scale in
Fig 22, is also let half its diameter into the underside of the other ruler and
kept there by cocks a, a; b is a block sliding in a dovetailed groove c, and drawn
by the springs d, d, against the end of the shanke of the marking point w,
which is thereby pressed out against the canvas. When the point is not to
touch the canvas it is pushed in till the spring catch f falls into the notch g;
h, a small catch to hold back the catch f when not in use. Fig. 23 is a shank,
with a hole in the end a to receive a piece of chalk, &c.; b, its shank, should
be of the same size as the shank of w, so as to be put in its stead at pleasure.
Fig. 24, a geometrical view of the perspective parallel ruler; g, the tracer; b;
the marking point; h, h; the hinges to attach it to the perpendicular ruler ;

page_text: a, a, the pivots which act in the frame B of Fig. 21; c, c, holes to which the
bar g may be removed to vary the distance of the point of sight; c, c, additional
bars and marking points to draw the figures of different sizes; f,f, the pannels
or canvas on which they are to be drawn; these are to be supported on easels.
It will be necessary sometimes to put a board behind the canvas to keep it.
firm against the point; the accuracy of this instrument, viz., Fig. 21, will
depend on the perpendicularity and planosity of the canvas, on the parallelism
of the rulers, and of the bars, g, &c., to the plane of the canvas on; the the
freedom but true sliding of the tracer and marker, and on the steadiness of
the frames A, B, and also the casels which support the canvass f. To use
this machine take hold of the trace w, and guide it over the parts to be
marked, sliding it in and out to all the protuberances and concavities of the
person. The size necessary for this machine may be judged from a
comparison of it with the figure i, i. The outlines of landscapes are taken
by No. 16 and 17; a hole being fixed for the eye to look through, pass
the edge of the tracer over the outline of the landscape, and it will be
delineated by the marking points. To make black lead lines, rub a piece of
thin paper with powdered black lead, and place it over the canvass pannel; a
paper mark on the back with the conical steel marking point of any of this
machinery, and a well defined black lead line, will be transferred from the paper
to the canvas, &c.
Having to the best of my knowledge and belief fully described and ex-
plained my machinery and methods for writing, painting, drawing, and ruling
lines, I now proceed to shew to what other purposes and things parts of the
same may be applied. Fig. 25, a parallel ruler, applied to the purpose of
turning a number of cranks in a row; a, a, the spindles or shafts;
c, c, the cranks joined to the bar b; the bar d being fixed, it is evident that
if any one of the cranks be turned, the bar 6 will turn the rest. Fig. 26,
the parallel ruler applied to the sun and planet wheel, by which the shaft or
spindle will have double the velocity of the shaft or spindle f. Motion
may be communicated in mill work in this way from one shaft to another at a
great distance, with much less weight of wood or metal than by connecting
shafts and wheels.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Isaac Hawkins have hereunto set
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and three.
my
JOHN I. HAWKINS. (L.s.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that upon the same Twenty-fourth day of
October, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Isaac Hawkins came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesoresaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year above
written.