US158581A - Improvement in globes - Google Patents

Description

EL'LEN g. F ITZ. Globes.

158L581. Y I Paten ted;ian..12,1875- WITNESSES; 1.1.7321

an. 1 ir JOEENEW'BRUNSWICK" J it-maritimem lons;

l Specification"forn'ring' part of Letters Patent-No. 158,581,

December-9,1874] To wll whom it may concern: y Belt known that I, ELLEN E.. v 1T2, of St. John, N ewBrunswick, haveinventeda Method of Mounting andjOperating Globes, of which the following is a, specification:

The purpose of my inventionis to provide an instrument or apparatus foru-se in'schools,

- families, &c., to illustrate and explain them-anner intvvhich' the earth, in accordance witli'its diurnal and; annual motions, presents its surfaceitothe ':suns 'lrays my especial object being to ascertain the various durations of day,

night, and twilight throughout the year at any given terrestrial positions or localities, and also, in treatingof day, to ascertain thepoints of. the rising, setting, and cuhninati-on' of the sun, and the yarious cour'se's the latterpur-j suesinv itsrelation' to different horizons,

The drawings accompanyingthis specilica- 7 tion represent in Figure 1, a perspective view of an instrument or apparatus embodying my improvements, Fig: 2 being. a vertical section of the same, taken through post or axis of revolution ofthe'globe'. v

In carrying out'the objects I have in, View I provide a fiat Ztabletor vbase-plate, A, of suit able size and materiah usually ofwood, and

upou the top ofthis tablet I add or create, for convenience of. manufacture, a lesser plate or extension, 13 Upon the plate B .I erect a perpendicular .pos't,- G, which constitutes an axis or point of revolution to a-horizontal disk or cylinder, D, whichis disposed upon the topof the plate B, andpractically, centrally thereof,

the said disk turning freely upon its pivot '13, and being preferably, provided withknobs a a; which stud its periphery, by which itsrevolution may be facilitated. Upon the upper surface or plane of the disk B, and to one side of the center of the same, l erec ta post or rod, E, which slopes inward toward and be yondthe center of such disk at van angle-of twenty-three, anda half degrees (or at suchan auglethat a prolongation of thepivot or axis of the disk shall intersect the center of the globe) with the plane of the disk,,- such rod constituting the axis abont whichthej globe G revolves, and being formed withja shoulder,

11,-} to maintain 'suchglobe at some,= -f,a1titude above the disk B, thediameter of the; rodim= mediately outside of the globe beingas small the ,sl pporting the accompanying earths surface,

dated January l2,1875;application filed i in order to obseurethe south as little aspossible. H1, in

drawings; represent two which span the globeand as is practicable, pole of the globe arched standards,

:areelected upon the plate B, with theirifeet 'upon opposite sides of the latter; and, these standards approach the south pole of said globe upon each 'sideas nearlyas may be andallow space for the 'passageof the post E as itrotates past them, The standards H Iserve to separate the two hemispheres Whichilenoteday and night upon the earths surface, thei'ormer', H, reprcsentin g the circle ofilluniination uponthe and the latter,thecirclefwhich divides the section of the earthsi'sur'face within total night from that in twilight, the former a phase being shown to the right of the standard I, and thatin twilightbetween the twostand- 'ards. @As the standards 'H I- cannot, owing to the passage of the post E,- completely encirclethe globe the circle of illumination is .necessarily incomplete or, broken for, a short distan'ce upon eitherside of the south polebut this defect is unimportant. As the globe is to be manipulated at certain times Without the aid of these standards, -I prefer thatatsuch times they should be'removed from close contact with said globe; and to this end Idispose them upon a frame, J, which slides horizontally upon the plate B, and by means of which they may bemoved into action in the position shown in, the drawings, or removed a short distance therefrom when not needed.

Upon the upper surface of the disk l), and immediately about its periphery, 1 inscribe. a scaleof divisions, which divides the said disk intotwelve equal intervals, these division's representing the imaginary plane of the eclip tic or orbit'of the earth about thcsun, the

names of the signs Of; the. ecliptic being added, as represented in the drawing. These twelve divisions are, in turn, each subdividedinto ten equal divisions, which embrace or represent three days each,the first day of the month 7 within each sign being. indicated by an additional mark, which extends nearer the axis of the disk than the others, as the signs of the ecliptic do notreclgon from the first day of the calendar month, but from the first day ofthe monthuponwhieh the equinoxes and .solstlces occur. The degree of an y si gn inwhi ch the sun rod or pin, 0,

may besi tuated upon any givend ate may also be reckoned by means of the subdivisions of thescale upon the disk D. ,For instance, when:

the pointer c (to be hereinafter explained) points to the first :m-arki 'within- Scorpio, the

' sun has entered the fourth degree of said sign,

to the second mark of Scorpio, the seventh 7 degree, and so on, as the beginning of a sign,

as before stated, takes date from the first, in-

stead of the twenty-first, in reckoning degrees in lieu of days uponthescale.

In order to represent the passage of the sun through the signs of the ecliptic, or of' the earth through the months of the .year,

I employ a pointer composed of a pointed I which projects horizontallyeinward into close proximity to the disk from ,a vertical post, 41, erected upon the plate B, and operates in connectionwith the scale of divisions upon the disk D, while in order to rep resent thedirection of the sun from the earth, or the situation of the sun with regard to the earths surface, I employ a second pointed pin, e, likewise proje iting inward from the top of the post'd, and or incident with the pathof- It-will be observed that as the disk D revolves, the rod E (which serves as an axis to 1 the globe) describes a path of the form of a cone, while the. globe itself occupies a given position in space, which,.theoretically and literally, is not a correct representation of the annual motion of the earth, as the latter body is constantly moving forward in its orbit around thesun, with its axisfixed in one direction; but this difference of motion between the true one of theearthandthat of the globe intending to represent it is attendant with no difference in the movement of their surfaces-the former before the sun, and the latter before an object representing such sun, as shown by the index-pointer c, which, as before stated, is coincident with the center of the globe G. My present instrument does practically exhibit the diii'erence of motion in the surfaces of the earth before the sun, as I am enabled, by confining-my apparatus to the purposes hereinbefore premised, to construct it with much' greater simplicity than would be possible did I intend it as aplanetariuman instrument which mine is in no sense expected to supplant.-

In order. to obtain an adjustable device for readily defining and illustrating any required globe G, and is divided horizon, I employ a ring, K, which closely fits the greatest upon its outer face into a scale of divisions of any. desired nunr' ber of degrees, while spanning this ring, centrally thereof and at right angles to its plane, I employ a semicircular band, L, also of thin metal, which is similarly provided with a graduated scale upon its outer surface. this of thin metal,

means is obtained.

diameter of the seniicircular'band being intended to represent a semi-meridianat any point upon the globe with which a central perforation, g, of the'said band .rnay coincide. As the standards- H I {and the horizon-ring K1 are not to be brought into'use at one and the same time, the latter shouldbe removed and laid carefully to one. .side while the standards are in use and when the ring is in use the standards, by means of the sliding frame J, are to beremoved from immediate proximity to the globe. -By.-this I avoid injury to either thestandards or ring, which might otherwise ensue on rotatin g the globe with the latteraffixed toit. By

means of the standards H I, which, as before stated, separate the two hemispheres representing day and night, we can illustrate the seasons, ascertain clock time, define twilight in its various phases, compute length of day and night, &c.

lhe diurnalcourse of the sun is ascertained by the ring K, as the passage of the pointer or needle 0 above it denotes the horizon of the given .place 5 and by so adapting the band L to the globe that it corresponds with the meridiau 'of this given place, and itsperforation or peep-hole g is coincident with such place, the course of the sun WIth IGSDGClJ to the horizon before briefly stated, has twomotions-one a revolution of the disk D about the pivot O, which is intended to represent thepassage of the sun through the signsof the elliptic, and therefore of the earth through the months of the year, and the second a revolution of the globe Gr about My present instrument, as

the rod E, which is to represent the passage 7 of the earths surface through day, twilight, and night, i

The half of the globe Gmearest or adjacent to the solarium or needle c denotes the hemisphere of the earths surface which is in day,

and the opposite half that which is in night. When the globeis to be revolved into a given time of year, it is to be moved bodily byand with the disk D, which latter is rotated upon its axis 0. When the globe is to be revolved I for the purpose of describing the daily course ofthe sun,'it is to be rotated upon its axis E,

the disk D remainm g stationary. It requires one diurnal revolution of the earth to complete a vertical illumination, to which allusion has previously been made in this specification, and whenever a circle upon the earths surface is said to be thus illuminated vertically it should be borne in mind that but one position within this circle is illuminated at any one instant.

As an instance of the value and practica- ,;bility of my system in this respect, revolve the disk I) a number of times, and it will be observed that the frigid zones continually pass to their full extent into one or the other of the hemispheres upon either side of the center of ilhunination, and a vertical sun (which in 'my instrument is represented by the needle 6) continually travels to and fro of the torrid zone, each movement necessitatiny; one-half a rcvolutionof thedisk to connileteit, or occu- 'iying six months of time. Thus the operator or student cannot fail to see that thcfive zones are natural divisions of the earths surface, and not theartificial and arbitrary ones of the geographer, and he is enabled to readily distinguish the prevailing climates of such earths surface. When it is not convenient to count the intervals upon a southern parallel,

they may be counted upon the corresponding northern parallel upon the opposite side of the circle of illumination-day'upon the lat ter being of the same length as night upon the former, and vice versa. As the axis or rod E, upon which the globe-rests and rotates, occupies a space of a few degrees about the south pole, -the. horizon-ring K cannot, under the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, be adjusted to represent the horizon of any situation ,upon the equator, or upon any parallel to either side of it within the distance thus occupied by the rod E; but the horizon of any situation" upon the equator may be represented by the meridian that is ninety degreesdistant, while there will be but a slight variation in the course of the sun in the zone comprised within a few degrees upon either side of the equator. This objection, however, may be remedied, wholly or in part,

by creating a notch in thering K to receive the base ofthe rod E, and permit the edge of the ring to coincide with the center of the globe. I

For the full details of the working of my system, reference must, of course, be had to the manual which I have prepared to accom pany it, as itwould manifestly be too prolix and unnecessary to make part of this specification. It may, however, be well in this con- 'nectionto' instanceseveral examples of such 'justed the horizon-ring, hereinbefore named,

to the situation of'Spit-zbergen, whichis done by adapting the peep-hole g to the locality of said place, with the band Linthe direction of themeridian of said place, and brought the globe into position'for June 21, I ascertain by rotating the said globe through one revolution upon its axis, that the sun describes its whole diurnal course above the represented horizon upon the given date, and therefore I start with the pointer opposite the. band L upon the side which describes the shortest" distance to the ring, this distance being twelve degrees, and denoting the nearest approach of the sun to the horizon of Spitzbergeu during j the twenty-tour houm of June 21. Y The globe being now rotated ton ard the left, the pointer gradually ascends to thirtytive degrees upon. I the semi-meridian of Spitzbergcn, and then again descends to its lowest position, thereby giving the required course of the sun to be performed in a similar manner.

Again, upon the. subject of twilight, I give the following brief example, and would preface it by the remark that for the sake of convenience in the practice upon the globe when considering this subject of twilight, I prefer to call the lesser standard, I, the twilightv circle. Required to ascertain the beginning,

duration, and ending of twilight at Stockholm upon J one 21, it being known that parallels have a twilight continuing through the night, when their unilluminated are is contained? wholly within the section of twilight. I first" revolve the globe into position for June 21",.v as before stated, and then backward in the year until the parallel ofiStockholm has its point most remote from ijhe sun within the twilight-circle, at which time the index 0 is opp,ositeApri1 2C. I now revolve the globe forward in the year until the parallel of Steele holm again rests its point most remote from the sun within the twilight-circle, when I find the index opposite August 24.. A season of twilight continuing through the night, therefore, begins at Stockholm on the 26th day of April, and terminates on the 24th day of August, or during an entire period of four months.

I claim- 1. The arched standards 11 I, in combination with the inclined globe Gr and disk D, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

2. Thestandards H I, mounted upon a frame 'or support independent of the base A, and

arranged to slide thereupon to and fro with respect to the globe, substantially as and for purposes stated. Y

3. The pointers c and e, in combination with the globe and the horizon-ring K and band L,

substantially as and for purposes stated.

4. The graduated disk D, pointers c and e,

and globe G, substantially as and for purposes stated.

5. In combination with the globe Gr, therotary disk D, supporting the same, and pro vided with a scale of divisions representing the signs of the ecliptic, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

6. The combination of the base A, stand ards H I, disk I),-globe G, pointers c and e, and ring K, the whole being substantially as and for purposes stated.

ELLEN 'E. FITZ.

Witnesses F. CURTIS,- W. E. BOARDMAN.

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