IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SPHERES."
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Betts, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Publisher, for the Invention of ". IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SPHERES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Botts at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th June
1856.
I, JOHN BETTS, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SPHERES,"
to be as follows:-
For the use of schools and similar establishments, as well as for private use,
it has long been desirable that a cheap means of shewing the surfaces or
structure of the earth, heavenly bodies, sphere, et cetera, should be found; maps,
from their nature, require much explanation before the youthful can be made
to comprehend that they are the representatives of spherical structures. Efforts
have been made to supply the want alluded to; but the productions have
either been as expensive as the artificial globe or sphere in ordinary use, or of
such inferior description as not to meet with general approval. I propose to
construct a sphere on a shaft or rod, by securing to one portion thereof the
ends of several ribs of metal wire (or other suitable material), these ribs are

page_text: so prepared or made as to form each a segment (of any extension) of a circle,
the other ends of said ribs are secured to a common centre, such centre sliding
on the shaft or rod aforesaid, which is furnished with a stop or stops for
holding the structure in position when the whole is made to represent a globe
or sphere. I propose to cover the whole with silk, linen, or any suitable
material, such material having impressed or printed thereon the map of the
earth, the celestial or other phenomena. When out of use, the whole forms a
figure similar to an umbrella, and may be covered and put away in an upright
or other position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Betts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BETTS, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Publisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Betts, Iler special license that I, the said John Betts, my exccu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Betts,
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
yend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION
OR MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SPHERES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Betts, 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 causo 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 John Betts, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, referenee being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and

page_text: forming part of this my Specification, and to the letters of reference placed
on the different Figures or Diagrams drawn thereon, such letters of reference
serving to denote similar parts where such parts appear or can be seen at each
of the Figures respectively.
The nature of my Invention consists in the production of an artificial
extending and collapsing sphere, enabling one to shew the celestial or terrestial
world, or other phenomena, in a similar manner as they are now exhibited on
those articles called "globes." It is well known that the production or manu-
facture of the celestial or terrestial globe at present in use is attended with
considerable labour, occupies considerable time in the preparation, and the cost
is commensurate therewith. Attempts have been made on or with paper or
cardboard to imitate the "globe," but these productions are of such inferior
nature as not to meet with general use or approval. It is considered that the
sphero made under this Invention will supply the want so long felt, for while
it possesses the surfaco and detail of the "globe," the expense or cost will be
nearly as moderate as that of the inferior imitations. For all educational
establishments, as well as for private use, this Invention will be found desirable,
as it is not liable to be scratched or fractured, and occupies little space when
not in use. Collapsed, it can be placed away in a drawer, on a shelf, or
against a wall. It is scarcely needful to remark on the superiority of the
spherical globe over the map, the latter gives an unsatisfactory idea of the
reality, and much time is expended in training the youthful mind to a compre-
hension thereof, while, if the fact of the rotundity of the earth be demonstrated
and comprehended, the mind casily adapts itself to the peculiar forms traced
on the sphere.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention, I will
proceed to describe its construction, and by reference to the accompanying
Drawing, it will be seen that Figure 1 represents a view of a hemisphere as it
would appear according to my Invention when ready for use; Figure 2 shews
Figure 1 collapsed or folded up; Figure 3 shews a vertical side view of the
skeleton or framing over which the map cloth is drawn or fitted, as at
Figure 1. In order to make the framing, I take a shaft or rod a, of any
suitable material, securing to one extremity (or nearly at the end) thereof the
ends of several ribs b, b, composed of metal, wire, or other suitable material,
these ribs may be made round, flat, square, or of any suitable form, and solid
or hollow in substance. I form these ribs with such a curve, that when com-
pressed, each forms an exact half circle. It will be perceived, on reference.
to Figures 2 and 3, that the ribs do not lie flat against the rod a, in con-
sequence of their curved form. The number of these ribs I use to make my

page_text: skeleton sphere is usually eight or twelve, but I do not confine myself to these
numbers. These ribs are all of the same length, and the ends not fixed on
the rod are gathered together in a common sliding centre, as shewn at c,
Figure 3. I would hero observe, that although I prefer the use of ribs made
in the curved form herein-before stated and shewn in the Drawings, I desire to
reserve to myself the privilege of making them of material to lie straight
or close to the rod or spindle a when not in use; the sphere in this case will
not be so perfect as when the ribs are made as previously described, but the
article may be carried in a smaller compass, such as a walking cane. Or,
instead of causing the ribs to allow of the expansion and collapse of the
covering, I may make some spheres to remain always in a state of expansion,
not using the spring or catch hereafter described, and in this case the centre c
would be fixed. The ribs b are usually covered with some light material to
prevent their friction wearing the map cloth too quickly. The ribs having
been fixed on the rod at the upper end, and gathered together at their lower
ends, as aforesaid, the whole would appear as at Figure 3. On the rod at the
particular spot where the expansion of the sphere becomes complete when it
is pushed into shape (as at Figure 1), is placed a catch d (or stop of any
suitable description), to retain the sphere in position, and prevent the ring or
ferule c from sliding down the rod when the pressure of the hand is removed.
Assuming the preparation or manufacture of the skeleton sphere to be now
fully explained, it remains to cover it with the map of the earth, or any other
design that may be desired. Having printed on a suitable material the map
or design, I pass the whole on to the framing, securing or attaching portions
of the inner surface thereof to the ribs b, b, as may be convenient, to prevent
its getting out of place or position when the frame is distended or folded in.
I do not confine myself to any particular material in making what I term
the map or design cloth, nor to any particular mode of printing the design
thereon, or to any definite mode of cutting tho said cloth for fixing, whether
the same be in gores corresponding with the ribs of the framing, having the
inner edges or selvedges attached to said ribs by sewing, or whether the cloth
be put on in halves, or otherwise; the object and intention of my Invention,
being the production, by means of a suitable framing and covering, of an
artificial sphere, more especially adapted shewing the terrestial, celestial,
or other phenomena, in the same manner as on the articles termed "globes"
now in use. Supposing the artificial sphere to be in a state of repose, (as
shewn at Figure 2,) and to be required for use, it is only necessary to take hold
of the lower (projecting) end of the rod a with one hand, and with the other
to push up the centre slide c, until it passes the catch d, then withdrawing the

page_text: pressure (the slide c being caught in the catch), the whole assumes and retains
the form or shape of a sphere, with the design fully displayed; pressure of the
catch d will allow the slide to pass over it (the clasticity of the ribs maintaining
a constant pressure against the catch), and the whole to resume its original
position, as shewn at Figure 2 in the Drawing.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the means by
which it is to be performed or carried into practical effect, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-
before set forth, or to the size of the said artificial sphere or parts thereof,
made under and according to my Invention, as such details and sizes may be
varied without in anywise departing from the principle of my improvements;
nor do I lay claim to the exclusive use of any of the parts or materials used
in the manufacture of said artificial spheres, if they be considered separately
and not in combination or for the purposes of my Invention, which I declare
to be, and I claim the mode or means of preparing or manufacturing a framing
and covering, as herein-before described, such framing and covering producing,
when so prepared or made and manipulated (as herein explained), an
expanding and collapsing spherical form, on which the celestial or terrestial
world or other phenomena may be or may have been printed or drawn.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Betts, have hereunto affixed my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
4, Wellington Street South, Strand,
⚫ London.
JOHN BETTS. (L.S.)