U.S. Patent Office Model for an Improvement in Pantographs by Lucien F. Bruce and Newlan J. Wolcott

U.S. Patent Office Model for an Improvement in Pantographs by Lucien F. Bruce and Newlan J. Wolcott

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Description
Lucien F. Bruce and Newlan J. Wolcott received U.S. Patent 118,902 for this “Improvement in Pantographs.” This is their patent model. It consists of eight metal bars, two 21.6 cm. long and six 11 cm. long. Holes in the bars and suitable pivot points allow one to alter the enlargement or reduction of the image. A pivot-post on the right side at the center (now missing) held the instrument to a drawing-board or table at the desired height. To enlarge drawings, once the bars were suitably set, a tracer-point was placed at the joint nearest the pivot-post. The drawing point was on the same line, at the joint furthest from the pivot-post. To reduce drawings, the tracer point and drawing point were reversed. No points survive.
Lucien F. Bruce (1835-1910) and Newlan J. Wolcott were employees of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Bruce spent over fifty years at the Armory and took out a variety of patents. City directories indicate that Wolcott spent the years from 1859 to 1872 in Springfield and suggest that he eventually moved to Lowell, Massachusetts.
References:
US Patent 118902, September 12, 1871.
“Obituaries,” Machinery, vol. 16, May, 1910, p. 784.
City Directories for Springfield and for Lowell in Massachusetts.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
pantograph
Object Type
Patent Model
date made
1871
date patented
1871 09 12
maker
Bruce, Lucien F.
Wolcott, Newlan J.
place made
United States: Massachusetts, Springfield
place patented
United States: Massachusetts, Springfield
United States: Massachusetts, Springfield
Physical Description
german silver (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 2.8 cm x 21.4 cm x 27 cm; 1 3/32 in x 8 7/16 in x 10 5/8 in
ID Number
MA.309334
catalog number
309334
accession number
89797
patent number
118902
subject
Mathematics
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Pantographs
Science & Mathematics
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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