Scientific American Supplement, No. 794, March 21, 1891 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 135 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 794, March 21, 1891.

Scientific American Supplement, No. 794, March 21, 1891 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 135 pages of information about Scientific American Supplement, No. 794, March 21, 1891.

Two points deserve special attention.  In the first place, the fixed frame is abolished, and the horizontal motion of P (Fig. 3), the guide point, is produced by putting the whole frame on friction rollers; in the second place, as a necessary result of the first change, the guide point carries about with it its own polar system, which renders the changes in length of “rays” much more manageable. f f, f’ f’ is a frame moving on four roughed wheels, e e e e, so that it can only move in the direction, f’, which we may term horizontal. f f and f’ f’ are rails guiding the chariots, A and B, from f to f and from f’ to f’.  Of these chariots, A contains the guide point, P, to trace out the primitive with, and B the pencil, P’, to draw the sum curve, i.e., the tracer.  The chariot, B, like Boys’ tracer, is heavily loaded. g g is a horizontal bar rigidly attached to the crossbars, q q and q’ q’, of the frame.  On g g is a movable pivot, to which h, which determines the pole, k0 h being the polar distance. k0 is the position of a second point, k, on the chariot, A, when the guide point, P, is on the initial line, g g. l l is a bar with a long slot in it, in which work the pivots, h and k; this bar represents the “ray.”  A projecting arm k k’ has been introduced to enable me to shorten the polar distance down to 2 in. and under by removing the pivot, k to k’. m m is a bar attached to the block, n, which runs on l l, so that m m is always perpendicular to l l.  On the chariot, B, is another bar, m’ m’, capable of turning round the pivot, d, and always maintained parallel to m m by the rods, m m’, m m’.  Attached to m’ m’ is a wheel, w, whose axis is parallel to m’ m’.  This wheel, therefore, always moves perpendicular to m’ m’, and therefore to m m; hence it moves parallel to the ray, h k.  A pencil, P’, attached traces out the sum curve.  If we wish to use the machine as an integrator, we have merely to measure the vertical distance traversed by P’, or the distance B has run along f’ f’.  This is done by means of a scale on f f’.  If k be brought down to k0, w runs parallel to g g, or P’ traces out a horizontal straight line, which is thus the base line.  If k be fixed as near as possible to k0, which is done by means of a screw in f f at k0, the chariot, B, can be run down f’ f’ as nearly opposite to k0 as can be guessed at; a horizontal line may then be drawn as base line, and the guide point, P, brought into this line by a clamping screw with which it is provided.  The instrument is then ready for action.  There is a brake on one of the roughed wheels to check or stop the motion of the integraph when required.

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Scientific American Supplement, No. 794, March 21, 1891 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.