IMPROVEMENTS IN DATE-CALENDARS OR ALMANACS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, GEORGE AMBROSE WILKINS, of 11 Fenchurch Avenue, in the County of
Middlesex, Machinery Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DATE-CALENDARS OR ALMANACS" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to date-calendars or almanacs and consists in combining
therewith means for showing the phase of the moon for each day of the year.
The calendar or almanac with which I prefer to combine my improvement is
that in which the numbers corresponding to the days of each month are arranged
in seven vertical columns, each of which contains all the days of one name
throughout the month.
•
In order to indicate the phases of the moon, each number is printed within a
circle which is intended to represent the moon. The space within this circle and
hereinafter termed a disc is shaded for a greater or less portion of its surface,
the shaded portion showing how much of the moon is either visible or invisible as
desired.
new
For instance, suppose the unshaded part of the disc to represent the visible
portion of the moon and the shaded part the obscure portion, then at
moon" the whole of the disc is shaded; on the next day a small unshaded crescent
is left at the right hand side of the disc which crescent is slightly enlarged for each
succeeding day until the "first quarter" phase is reached, when half the disc is
shaded and half unshaded. On each day after this the shaded portion of the disc
is crescent shaped, the crescent gradually decreasing in size towards the left hand
side of the disc until "full moon" when the whole disc is shown without any
shading. After this phase the shaded crescent is shown at the right hand side of
the disc and gradually increases in size until "last quarter" phase, after which the
light portion of the disc is crescent shaped the crescent being gradually reduced for
each succeeding day until "new moon."
Instead of shading the discs they may be printed in one or two colours, it only
being essential that one portion of each disc'should be made darker than the other
nortion

page_text: The shading or colouring, however, should not be so dark as to render it difficult
to read the figures upon the discs.
.
Although I prefer to show the light and dark portions of the discs at the sides of
the same, it is obvious that they may be at the tops and bottoms, or more or less
towards the sides as desired.
The figures, instead of being placed within the discs representing the moon may
be placed at one side of, or in proximity to, the same.
Also instead of arranging
the dates for a month in seven columns they may be arranged in a single column
or in any other suitable manner, the representations of the moon being placed over
or beside the same as desired.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Date Calendars or Almanacs.
I, GEORGE AMBROSE WILKINS, of 11 Fenchurch Avenue, in the City of London,
Machinery Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to date-calendars or almanacs, and has for its object to
provide means whereby the phase of the moon for any day indicated upon the
calendar can be at once ascertained.
The said invention consists essentially in providing, in combination with each
numeral or set of numerals denoting a date, a representation of the moon as it will
appear on that date.
The accompanying drawing shows a view of a calendar for one month, upon
which calendar are representations of the moon's phases for every day of the month,
the numeral or numerals denoting the days, and the said representations being
placed one over the other.
A represents the card or material upon which the various indications are printed
or otherwise produced; and B, B, represent the numerals for denoting the days of
the month. As shown in the drawing, the said card is made of a substantially
square shape, but it is to be understood that it may be of any other desirable
shape. Also, instead of placing the corresponding days of each month in seven
vertical columns, as shown, they may be placed in horizontal columns or in a single
column, or arranged in any other suitable manner.
CC are circles indicating the moon's disc. The space enclosed within each of
these circles is shaded for a greater or less portion of its surface, the shaded part
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page_text: indicating what portion of the moon's disc is obscured and the light part the
visible portion. For instance, as shown for Tuesday the 1st of the month, the
moon is on the wane, and less of it is seen on each succeeding day, until on the 7th
it is obscure. On the 9th a new moon appears and becomes more and more visible
until the 21st, on which day the moon is full, and so on.
Instead of shading the discs, they may be printed in one or two colours, it only
being essential that one portion of each disc should be made darker than the other
portion. The shading or colouring, however, should not be so dark as to render it
difficult to read the figures upon the discs:
Although I prefer to place the light and dark portions of the discs at the sides of
the same, as shown, it is obvious that they may be at the tops and bottoms, or more
or less towards the sides, as desired.
The figures, instead of being placed within the discs representing the moon, may
be placed outside of, but in proximity to, the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
A date calendar or almanac provided with an illustration representing a phase
of the moon in combination with each numeral or set of numerals denoting a date,
substantially as, and for the purpose, described.