IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOTTING INSTRUMENTS FOR USE BY SURVEYORS AND OTHERS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR PROJECTIONS AND ANALOGOUS USES IN DRAUGHTING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOTTING
INSTRUMENTS FOR USE BY SURVEYORS AND OTHERS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR
PROJECTIONS AND ANALOGOUS USES IN DRAUGHTING." A communication
from abroad by Henry Wadsworth, of Duxbury, in the County of Plymouth,
State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August 1877.
"
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOTTING INSTRUMENTS FOR USE BY SURVEYORS
AND OTHERS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR PROJECTIONS AND ANALOGOUS USES IN
DRAUGHTING." (A communication from abroad by Henry Wadsworth, of
Duxbury, in the County of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, United States of
America.)
In communicating this Invention to me my foreign correspondent says:-
"I produce on the surface of a plane table, or on a plate sunk flush therewith, an
accurately divided circle with the four cardinal points of the compass distinctly
marked, and to the centre of that circle secure by a thumbscrew a metallic eye, to
which is fixed a straight edge of metal or wood, having the line of one edge crossing
the centre of the circle. This straight edge I will term a degree indicator. On
slacking the thumbscrew, this degree indicator may be swung around to any desired
position, and the circle being graduated and marked in degrees, the degree indicator
may be placed at any angle desired, and by turning the thumbscrew may be firmly
clamped there. I secure the paper on the board by the side of the circle, or on a
separate board held in position against the edge of the first, or partly on each. I
draw the several lines by the aid of a T shaped piece, which I will call a right-
angle and parallel indicator, either part of which may be held in a close-fitting
[Price 6d1

page_text: groove made across the degree indicator. There are preferably two or more of
these grooves to allow the parallel indicator to be shifted from one to another
at will.
"I prefer to make the graduated circle with several concentric lines, the outer
one being divided in fine graduations without interruption by figures or the like,
the next graduated in fives, and the third in tens of degrees, one or both of the
inner circles carrying the appropriate figures, and within the whole engraving or
otherwise producing the conspicuous marks N., E., S., W., for North, East, South,
West.
$6
Many modifications may be made in the details by any good inechanic.
"A degree indicator may serve in a cheap form, of well-seasoned wood, simply
fortifying the edges with metal to increase the perfection and durability. But there
may be various refinements, as the addition of a projecting plate from the degree
indicator adjacent to the finest graduations of the circle, which plate may be
engraved with a vernier scale; a tangent screw may be applied to aid in adjusting
the straight edge with delicacy; and, when the expense will be warranted, the
instrument may be further provided with an efficient microscope permanently
mounted over this point to increase the accuracy of the readings."
A cheap instrument, sufficiently exact for ordinary purposes, inay be made of fine
wood for the degree indicator and right angle and parallel indicator, and with the
graduated circle on pasteboard.
To promote durability there should be a brass nut let into the under side of the
instrument into which the screw shall engage. The instrument may be used for
other purposes than plotting, among which are projections for architects and
draughtsmen generally.
"The parallel and right-angle indicator may be used either side up. I propose
to graduate one side in any convenient units to facilitate measuring."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
January 1878.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOTTING INSTRUMENTS FOR USE BY SURVEYORS
AND OTHERS, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR PROJECTIONS AND ANALOGOUS USES IN
DRAUGHTING." (A communication from abroad by Henry Wadsworth, of
Duxbury, in the County of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, United States
of America.)
In communicating the Invention to me my foreign correspondent says:—
"I produce on the surface of a plane table, or on a plate sunk flush therewith, an
accurately divided circle with the four cardinal points of the compass distinctly
marked, and to the center of that circle secure by a thumbscrew a metallic eye, to
which is fixed a straight edge of metal or wood, having the line of one edge crossing
the center of the circle. This straight edge I will term a degree indicator. On
slacking the thumbscrew, this degree indicator may be swung around to any desired
position; and the circle being graduated and marked in degrees, the degree indicator
may be placed at any angle desired, and by turning the thumbscrew may be firmly
clamped there. I secure the paper on the board by the side of the circle, or on a
separate board, held in position against the edge of the first, or partly on each.
I draw the several lines by the aid of a T shaped piece, which I will call a right-
angle and parallel indicator, either part of which may be held in a close-fitting
groove made across the degree indicator. There are preferably two or more of
these grooves to allow the parallel indicator to be shifted from one to another
at will.
The accompanying Drawings form a part of this Specification.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the entire device in condition for work.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a portion on the line S, S, in Fig. 1.
And Fig. 3 is a section on the line T, T, in Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the Figures.
A is a well-seasoned board of suitable size, and a is a plate of metal sunk in its
upper surface, and carrying a carefully-graduated circle M, distinctly divided in four
quarters, east, west, north, and south. B is the degree indicator, preferably of
metal, having a firmly fixed eye b, through which a thumbscrew is inserted (through
the center of the circle M) into the board A, the whole being prepared with reference
to easy and correct adjustinent of the upper edge of the degree indicator B
to the proper number of degrees and parts of degrees from any of these cardinal
points.
D is the right-angle and parallel indicator. The part d thereof corresponds to
the blade of a T square, and the other part corresponds to the head, or what is
generally known as the T part of a T square.
The widths of the head and the blade are exactly equal the one to the other.
B', B2, are grooves across the degree indicator B, near each end. The width of each
groove corresponds accurately to the width of either part of the parallel indicator.
It is shown with the blade d in one of the grooves, and it is thus applied for
most uses.
The paper on which the Drawing is to be made is represented by E. Any ordinary
or suitable means may be employed to hold this paper.
I have indicated pins e, e, e, e. In plotting, if, for example, the notes call for a
first line, "South 79°, West 20 rods, 19 links," the thumbscrew C is slackened, and
the degree indicator B turned on its center, and so set on the circle M that its edge
shall stand in the required approximately north-east and south-west position. It is
then clamped in that position by tightening the screw C. The part d is now
applied in the cross groove B', and the parallel indicator or T piece D, moved
inward or outward, sliding in the groove. Of course the T part of D is always

page_text: parallel to the straight edge or degree indicator B. When moved till it strikes the
initial or starting point i it is stopped, and a fine line is drawn by its aid with a
pencil. The proper scale having been determined for the plot, the distance is laid
öff on this line, and the terminal point is marked. Suppose the next course and
distance to be "North 61°, West 13 rods, 10 links," the thumbscrew C is slackened,
the straight edge or degree indicator B is turned around to the required approxi
inately north-west and south-west direction, clamped anew, and the operation
repeated; but this time it will be found better to lay the T piece D in the other
groove B. This is the position in which the parts are shown.
Thus I proceed, each time carefully clamping B in the position indicated by the
graduations on the circle, and then applying the T piece in the most convenient
groove B or B2, and sliding it out with its T part necessarily parallel to B, until
its further edge coincides with the proper terminal of the desired line, and then a
fine line is drawn by its guidance. On this line the proper distance is laid
off, the terminal on which serves as the starting point for the next course, and
so on.
In drawing some of the lines, it may be more convenient to place the part of
the parallel indicator D in one of the grooves B¹ or B2, and allow the blade d to
extend parallel to the degree indicator, and serve as the rule for making the lines.
Either edge of the blade may be used as that by which to form the line. This is
more particularly important in the cases where a line may be almost or exactly
north and south, and near the center of the drawing.
I prefer to make the graduated circle M with several concentric lines, the outer
one being divided in fine graduations without interruption by figures or the like,
the next graduated in fives, and the third in tens of degrees, one or both of the
inner circles carrying the appropriate figures, and within the whole engraving
or otherwise producing the conspicuous marks N., E., S., W., for north, east,
south, west.
Many modifications may be made in the details by any good mechanic.
I form the eye 6 of thinner brass, setting flush on the under face of the degree
indicator B, and projecting to the required amount at the centre. But the part B
may be carried out the full thickness, being simply swelled at that point to
accomodate the screw with its centre in the line of the adjacent edge. I prefer to
form the grooves B1, B2, by simply thickening the straight edge on each side thereof,
leaving the proper upper surface of the straight edge for the bottom of the groove,
as indicated in Fig. 3. One alone may serve, or three or more may be used if
preferred.
Instead of mere open grooves, there may be a button or the like clamp for con-
fining the square in the recesses B1, B2.
A degree indicator may serve in a cheap form, of well-seasoned wood, simply
fortifying the edges with metal to increase the perfection and durability. But
there may be various refinements, as the addition of a projecting plate from the
degree indicator adjacent to the finest graduations of the circle M, which plate may
be engraved with a vernier scale; a tangent screw may be applied to aid in
adjusting the straight edge with delicacy, and, when the expense will be warranted,
the instrument may be further provided with an efficient microscope permanently
mounted over this point to increase the accuracy of the readings.
A cheap instrument, sufficiently exact for ordinary purposes, may be made with
fine wood for the movable parts B and D, and with the graduated circle M on paste-
board.
To promote durability there should be a brass nut let into the under side of the
instrument into which the screw C shall engage, as shown in Fig. 2. I believe
that the instrument may be available for other uses than plotting, among which are
projections for architects and draftsmen generally.
The parallel and right-angle indicator may be used either side up. I propose
to graduate one side in any convenient units to facilitate measuring."

page_text: Having described the said Invention as communicated to me as aforesaid, I
claim,―
1st. The degree indicator B, b, cross grooved, as shewn at B1, B2, and turning on
an axis in the centre of the circle M, in combination with the right-angle and
parallel indicator D, and with the board A, adapted to support the paper, as and for
the purpose herein specified.
2nd. The clamping screw C, in combination with the grooved degree indicator,
circle, and board, to allow the whole to be held firmly while the parallel indicator
is slid in and out in the grooves or guides and the lines drawn, as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TIL TIAD
W. LLOYD WISE.
HISE. (L.S.)