IMPROVEMENTS IN MATHEMATICAL DRAWING INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ford Stanley, of 3, Great Turnstile,
London, W.C., Mathematical Instrument Maker, for the Invention of
Sealed the 17th July 1863, and dated the 26th January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ford Stanley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1863.
I, WILLIAM FORD STANLEY, of 3, Great Turnstile, London, W.C.,
Mathematical Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MATHEMATICAL DRAWING INSTRUMENTS," to be
as follows:-
Principally for the construction of instruments for describing circles or
ares of circles, and constituting altogether a set of mathematical drawing
compasses.
First improvement consists of an improved instrument or an improve-
ment in an instrument or compass for describing circles or arcs of large radius,
say, from two feet to two hundred feet. For this purpose I make an instru-
ment in the form of an ordinary centrolineod, that is, two legs jointed to the
end of a bar; a slide is made on or in this bar, which slide works up and
down, say, half the length of the bar; in connection with this slide is a
clamping screw, which will fix the slide in any part of its course; to the slide

page_text: are. fixed the upper ends of two converging stay rods, the lower ends of which
stay rods are carried and jointed to the legs of the instrument; the purpose of
these stay rods is, that the legs of the instrument may be fixed firmly at any
required angle. The slide will be generally graduated that the angle of the
legs may be set as required to describe any are when the arms are working as
intended through or against centres, which are most convenient if fixed (or
sliding and clamping) upon a piece of wood or metal. A suitable head is
constructed at the end of the bar to carry pencil, pen point, or other tool
required to describe the circle or arc.
Second improvement consists of an improved instrument or improvement in
an instrument compass or bew for describing smaller circles or arcs than the
first improvement, say, from 0 to twenty-four inches radius, holding the points
of the compass erect. For this purpose I make an instrument in the form of
an ordinary double or knee-jointed compass or bow, a portion of the head, or
a piece connected with the head or handle of the compass is carried down a
short distance from the head joint between the legs of the compass; upon this
piece are fixed the upper ends of two converging stay rods, the lower ends of
which stay rods are carried and jointed to the legs of the compass, the same
distance below the knee joints as the upper ends of the stay rods are jointed on
the piece mentioned below the head joint; the purpose of these stay rods is
that the legs of the instrument may be held firmly in an erect position, being
self-adjusting to that position.
Third improvement consists of an improved instrument spring compass
or bow for describing small circles or ares, with the points of the bow erect,
say, from 0 to two inches radius. For this purpose I make an instrument in
the form of an ordinary spring bow, except that the legs are double or knee-
jointed; screwed bar is fixed in one of the legs of the bow below the knee
joint; in the other leg of the bow is fitted a milled-edged nut, which is tapped
to receive the bar; the purpose of this bar is that the legs of the instru-
ment may be held firmly in an erect position, being self-adjusting to that
position.
Fourth improvement consists in the manner of making the points of the
instruments above mentioned, or any other mathematical drawing instrument,
and consists in the manner of holding moveable needles to form the points!
For this purpose I make a hole transverse through the leg of the compass,
bow, or other instrument, and place a small bolt through this hole, tapped at
one end to receive a milled-edged nut; at the other end of the bolt is a small
hole through which the needle is passed to form the point of the instrument,
which bolt draws the needle tightly to the side of the leg and holds it firmly.

page_text: There is a small hole or click at the point of the leg through which the point of
the needle is passed; the purpose of this improvement is that the leg will-hold.
different sized needles and hold them firmly.
Fifth improvement consists of another manner of making. the points of
mathematical drawing instruments to be applied sometimes in place of the last
described improvement, and consists of forming a hole up the point of the
instrument, in which hole a needle or bolt is placed loosely,,so that by pressure
on the point of the needle the needle will retire up the hole;. this needle is
pressed forward by a spring. There is a kind of spring bow in use which has
a spring point of a somewhat similar description, upon which the above is an
improvement. In the spring bow already in use the point passes through the
entire instrument, the instrument being held by the upper part of the point,
and the bow passing round the point and requiring the point to be held whilst
the other part of the instrument is turned. In this improvement the spring
point does not pass through the centre of the instrument, but is solely a part of
the point moving round with the point and being self-acting; the improved
point can also be applied to any form of compass, which the other could not.
Generally, I claim the principles conveyed by the above improvements in
their application to drawing instruments generally, also for cutting or other-
wise describing the circles or arcs. I claim the use of any part of the above
separately or combined, as the instrument may require. These improvements
are also applicable to mathematical drawing instruments of every construction,
and may be added to old instruments for their improvement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of, the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Ford Stanley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FORD STANLEY, of No. 3, Great Turnstile, London, W.C., Mathematical
Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Ford Stanley, Her special licence, that I, the said
William Ford Stanley, my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Ford Stanley, my executors, administrators,

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MATHEMATICAL DRAWING INSTRU-
MENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Ford
Stanley, 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Ford Stanley, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention for the improvements in mathematical drawing instruments
relates principally for the construction of instruments for describing circles or
ares of circles, and would constitute, if the whole improvements were placed
together, a set of drawing compasses.
The first part of this Invention consists in an improved instrument or
compass for describing circles or arcs of large radius.
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawings represents the instrument in a con-
venient form. a, a, a, a, are two legs jointed to a bar b, b; a slide groove c, c,
is made in this bar, allowing the clamping screw d to fix the slide under it any
part of its course along the slide groove; to the slide is fixed the ends of the
two converging stay rods e, e, the other ends of which stay rods are jointed to
the legs at h, h; the purpose of these stay rods is that the legs of the instru
ment may be fixed at any required angle; the bar 6 will be generally graduated
to shew the angle at which the legs are placed. There are two centres i, i,
through which the legs work, fixed on a bar j. The point k carries pen, pencil,
or other instrument required for striking the arc. The principle of this instru-
ment is that of the side of an angle being moved upon two points; the angle
describes a portion of a circle. The novelty of this improvement consists in
adjusting this angle as required by stay rods and a slide or other similar equi-
valent contrivance. As it is the principle of construction of this improvement
is claimed, the form may be varied, for instance, slide may be put behind the
angle, as shewn by red lines, which is obvious is the same improvement in
another form.

page_text: The second part of this Invention consists in an improved compass for
describing circles or arcs of smaller radius than the before-mentioned, the
improvement consisting of means of holding the points of the compass erect by
means of converging or crossing stay rods attached to the two points or sides of
the compass.
Fig. 2 represents the converging stay rods m, m, attached to an ordinary
compass. As it is the principle of this improvement is wished to be conveyed,
the form may be varied, the essential part being the converging or crossing
stays so applied to drawing compasses, as illustrated by Drawing, to cause the
points of compasses to move in an erect position. Fig. 22 the head of the
compass is removed to the top of one of the legs, and the upper joints of
the compass are dispensed with. Fig. 222 two extra converging stay rods
are added, the same principle being mentioned, namely, that of holding the
points of compasses erect by means of converging stay rods.
The third part of this Invention consists of an improved compass or spring
bow for describing very small circles with the points erect.
Figs. 3, 33, and 333, represent the spring bow; the improvement con-
sists in making the bow double or knee jointed above the screw, and the screw
of such form as it will retain the points in an erect position, as shewn.
The fourth part of this Invention consists in an improved manner of making
the points of compasses or other instruments, and consists in the manner of
holding moveable needles to form the points.
Fig. 4 represents a side section of the point; Fig. 44, view from inside
the leg n, n, n, show a bolt through which the needle is passed, which holds
the needle by drawing it tightly to the side of the point by means of the
clamping nut O. The point of the needle is passed through a hole in the point
of the instrument tapered from the back, which holds it tightly at the point;
this improvement is also shewn on Fig. 22, 3, and 33, at 9, 9, 9, 9.
The fifth part of this Invention consists in another manner of making the
points of compasses or other instruments to be applied sometimes in place of
the last-described improvement, and consists in forming a hole up the point of
the instrument, in which hole a needle or bolt is placed loosely, so that by
pressure the needle will retire up the hole; the needle is pressed forward by a
spring. Fig. 5 represents a section of this point which illustrates the principle
of this improvement.
Having now described the Invention for which I have obtained Letters Patent
as aforesaid, and the best means with which I am at present acquainted for
carrying the same into effect, I would here remark that these improvements
are applicable to mathematical drawing instruments of other constructions

page_text: than those shown and described, and may be also added to old instruments for
their improvement, and that one or more of these improvements may be used
without adopting the remainder. And I will further observe, that I do not
mean or intend to confine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement or con-
struction of the parts herein shewn and described, although I have found by
experiment that they answer the purpose exceedingly well, as I have no doubt
but the arrangement of the several parts may be altered without departing
from the nature and object of my Invention; nor do I intend to claim all the
parts of the instruments herein shewn and represented in the Drawings, as I
am aware that some of such parts have heretofore been used for similar pur-
poses; but that which I consider to be new, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, is,―
Firstly, the method shewn and described of adjusting an angle which.slides
over two centres, so that any curve required may be produced; the means
employed are by regulating the angle by means of two converging stay rods
connected with a graduated slide.
Secondly, the application of converging or crossing stay rods, as shewn and
described, to form.part of a compass.
Thirdly, the application or placing of joints to the spring bow above, the
adjusting the screw, and also the making of the screw of such form as to hold
the points of the spring bow erect, as shewn and described.
Fourthly, the placing of a bolt through the leg of a drawing instrument to
draw a needle tightly to the side of the leg to hold the needle point firmly.
Fifthly, the method of making a needle point recede by pressure up the leg
of a compass.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ford Stanley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM FORD STANLEI. (L.S.)