AN IMPROVED PORTABLE MEASURING INSTRUMENT PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Griffiths, of Moorgate Street, in the City
of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PORTABLE
MEASURING INSTRUMENT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said .James. Griffiths at the
"Office of the Commissioners. of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
April 1854.
I, JAMES GRIFFITHS, of Moorgate Street, in the City of London, Gentleman,
ido hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "; AN IMPROVED
PORTABLE MEASURING INSTRUMENT" to be as follows
My Invention relates to an instrument which may be used, to, supercede the
usual fixed standard employed for measuring. horses, and will also be found
useful for measuring cattle, and for other like purposes.*
I will describe one form of my portable measuring instrument. It may
have a straight handle, or one in the form of a pistol stock, about seven inches
long; one end to be grasped in the hand is left plain, and in the side of the
handle at the other end insert. a common tape measure, rolled on a small
drum by a suitable winch; to the extreme end of the handle I attach a tube,
like a small pistol barrel, about seven inches long, and insert therein a second
tube, about five inches long, and within it another tube or pillar about four
; inches long; graduated and tipped with a small milled ball, being altogether
:sixteen inches, or can be pushed into the first tube to seven inches. Between
the junction of the handle with the first tube is, a small vertical standard,
O carrying a balance or plumb, to indicate when the handle and tubes are held
exactly horizontal, and having a butt hinge joint, it can be pressed-down to
the handle for the convenience of portability.

page_text: The instrument is used by placing the foot on one end of the tape measure,
or on a foot pedal affixed to 'it, and raising the ball end of the instrument until
directed to the most elevated point of which the height is required to be known,
keeping the instrument level, guided by the centre balance or plumb, and thus
the exact measure will be indicated by the scale marked off on the tape. The
telescope-formed end of the instrument is useful, as will be readily understood,
in measuring horses or cattle, being regulated by their varying bulk and height,
and renders it more compact when out of use.
I would observe, that a variety of forms may be given to the handle and
other parts of the instrument, without deviating from the principle of my
Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Griffiths in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GRIFFITHS, of Moorgate Street, in the City of London, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her.
reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Griffiths, Her special licence that I, the said James Griffiths,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Griffiths, 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
vend; within-the-United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PORTABLE MEASURING
INSTRUMENT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Griffiths, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 James Griffiths, do hereby declare the 3
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
My said Invention relates to an instrument which may be used to supercede
the usual fixed standard employed for measurg horses, and will also be found
useful for measuring cattle, and for other like purposes.
13
I will now proceed to describe one form of my portable measuring instru-
ment. It may have
a straight or curved handle, or one in the form of a pistol
stock, about seven inches long; one end to be grasped in the hand is left
plain, and in the side of the handle at the other end I insert a common tape
measure, rolled on a small drum by a suitable winch; to the extreme end of
the handle I attach a tube, like a small pistol barrel, about seven inches long,
and insert therein a second tube, about five inches long, and within it another
tube or a pillar about four inches long, graduated and tipped with a small milled
ball, being altogether sixteen inches, or can be pushed into the first tube to
seven inches; or this arrangement may be reversed. Between the junction of
the handle with the first tube or the pillar is a small vertical standard, carry-
ing a balance or plumb, to indicate when the handle and tubes are held
exactly horizontal, and having a butt hinge joint, it can be pressed down to
the handle for the convenience of portability. The instrument is used by
placing the foot on one end of the tape measure, or on a foot pedal or stirrup
affixed to it, and raising the ball end of the instrument until directed to the
most elevated point of which the height is required to be known, keeping the
instrument level, guided by the central balance or plumb, and thus the exact
measure will be indicated by the scale marked off on the tape. The telescope-
formed end of the instrument is useful, as will be readily understood, in
measuring men, horses, or cattle, being regulated by their varying bulk and
height, and renders it more compact when out of use.
I would here observe that a variety of forms may be given to the handle and
other parts of the instrument, but without deviating from the principle of my
said Invention, and I do declare that what I claim is, namely, an improved
portable measuring instrument, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Griffiths, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord 1854.
JAMES GRIFFITHS. (L.S.)