Featured Patents
Woodworking Newsletter
Vol. 8, Issue 4 - March 2014
William B. Melick’s improved clinometer patented in 1889.
There’s a fine line between manufacturing a product with great curb appeal and one with a no-frills approach
to functionality. Forcing a marriage between the two approaches sometimes results in a tool that’s prone to
breakage or, even worse, becomes totally redundant when non-repairable or non-replaceable components
fail. Once broken, such a device is often forgotten and pushed to the back of the shelf. The following
item is a classic example of that. It has a useful function and clean design, yet suffers from a less than
robust construction. As a result, the majority found are usually in poor condition. Fortunately this example
remained unscathed.
William B. Melick of St. Louis, Missouri, described in patent #416, 683 (dated December 3, 1889), his new
and improved features for a clinometer. Essentially, the mechanism was to be manufactured as a small
square device that could be used as the purchaser desired. It was completely self-contained (as per the
patent), and the wooden stock variations found required insertion only. The delicate cast-iron example
produced is the subject of this article. This metal version was somewhat different; it used only a portion of
the circular section and was self-contained in the cast body housing.
The face of the clinometer
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The back showing the manufacturer’s details
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Featured Patents
Woodworking Newsletter
Vol. 8, Issue 4 - March 2014
The device is basically a gravity level that uses a weighted pendulum to swing a pointer against a circular
graduated scale. Engraved on the face are the words “Grading Scale” and “1/2 inch to the foot”. Wooden
examples have been found in various lengths with additional conventional level parts inserted in the wooden
body, usually on the top of the rail. This was perhaps done by the owner to allow for the device to be used as
a regular level. The metal (cast iron) version may have been made in only one size, 12”. A large portion of
the metal variants found are damaged, as they had a high incidence of breakage. Both models had a push
device to lock the pointer after a measurement had been taken.
What makes this tool extraordinary and gives it its bling factor is that the metal version encompasses all
the great design aspects of presentation, decoration and superb foundry practices that today would be
overly costly and unrepeatable without great difficulty. These features are a melding of classic Victorian
embellishment without any regard to durability. The basic black, great gold leafing and striping, and hand
engraving on the face, coupled with the ultra-fine sand casting with the small graduated pillars, all create
a sense of quality craftsmanship.
D.S. Orr
D.S. Orr has been a collector, user and student of woodworking and metalworking tools and practices for
more than 40 years. Recently retired, he has devoted even more time to these endeavors.
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Woodworking Newsletter
Vol. 8, Issue 4 - March 2014
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Woodworking Newsletter
Vol. 8, Issue 4 - March 2014
Featured Patents
United States Patent Office
William B. Melick, of St. Louis, Missouri, assignor of one-third to Andrew Leslie, of same place.
Clinometer.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,683, dated December 3, 1889.
Application filed June 19, 1889. Serial No. 314,839. (No model.)
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, William B. Melick, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain
new and useful Improvement in Clinometers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.
Figure I is a front view. Fig. II is a longitudinal vertical section at II II, Fig. III. Fig, III is an oblique transverse
section at III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail section at IV IV, Fig. III. Fig. V is a detail section at V V,
Fig. I. Fig. VI is an axial section showing the instrument made with a face upon each side.
My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.
I will first describe the device as shown in Figs. I to V, inclusive.
The case or box may properly be made of a square block 1, of wood, with a circular recess 2 made in the
front side of the same. This recess is made with annular steps or grooves 3 and 4, and is shown lined with
metal 5.
6 is a cross-bar stretched diagonally across the recess and fastened at both ends.
7 is a glass face over the cross-bar, held in place by a ring or bezel 8.
9 is a spring-plate underneath the cross-bar, to which is attached one of the arbor-bearings 10, said bearing
having a conical recess to receive a conical end of the arbor II. The arbor-bearing 10 has a cylindrical end
having free bearing in a hole made through the middle of the cross-bar, so as to give the bearing steady
support. The other conical end of the arbor turns in a bearing 12, secured in the case at the rear of the
recess. To the arbor is fastened the weighted arm or pendulum 13, to which is attached the circular scale
plate or disk 14, whose periphery is concentric with the arbor.
15 is a curved bar serving to stiffen the scale plate or disk, which is soldered or otherwise fastened to the
arbor II and pendulum. The scale plate or disk has an inclination-scale 16 extending half a circle or one
hundred and eighty degrees, being marked “Zero” at its center and running to ninety degrees in each
direction.
17 are pointers set opposite to the middle of each side 18 of the case, so that when the sides are vertical
and horizontal there is always a point at zero, and any deviation from this in a vertical plane is indicated in
degrees on the scale 16.
The grading-scale 19 is so divided as to indicate the rise in a given horizontal distance. Thus the inclination
may be at all times read, either in degrees or as to inclination of grades.
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Vol. 8, Issue 4 - March 2014
One end of the spring-plate 9 is in a recess 20 beneath the ring 8, and upon this free end of the spring-plate
is attached a knob 21, by which the free end of the spring-plate may be pressed inward to bind the arbor
11 in its bearings to a slight degree, so as to check the oscillation of the pendulum and bring it to rest more
speedily.
It will be seen that the use of the four pointers just ninety degrees from each other enables the use of either
side of the instrument either as a level or as a plumb, and also one or more of the pointers will always be in
a proper position for observation whatever the position of the eye of the user.
The distances upon the scale 19 are not equal throughout the length of the scale, but decrease in distance
outwardly from the center of the scale, for the movement of the disk one degree would indicate a greater
change of grade as the inclination of the grade increase.
In the modification shown in Fig. VI the opening 2 extends through the block, and the disk 14, cross-bar 6,
glass 7, and pointers 17 are duplicated, so that the indicator may be read from either side. The spring-plate
9 is note duplicated, and the bearing 12 is secured to the cross-bar 6. In this modification, also, the arbor
10 is attached firmly to the cross-bar 6, and said bar is made to act as a spring-plate and to take the place
of the spring-plate 9, one end having a limited inward and outward movement and being attached to the
knob 21, by pressure upon which the inward movement is given to the free end, as described relative to
spring-plate 9.
I claim as my invention—
1. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having an arbour-bearing 12, the spring-plate having an arborbearing 10 and a push-knob 21, the arbor 11, and the eccentrically-weighted circular plate having a scale,
substantially as described.
2. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having an arbor-bearing 12, the spring-plate having an arbor-bearing
10 and a push-knob 21, the arbor 11, the pointers 17, and the eccentrically-weighted circular plate having
a scale, substantially as described.
3. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having an arbor-bearing 12, the spring-plate having an arbor-bearing
10 and a push-knob 21, the arbor 11, the pointers 17, and the eccentrically-weighted circular plate 14,
having an inclination-scale 16 and a grading-scale 19 on the face thereof and mounted on the arbor,
substantially as described.
4. A clinometer comprising a case 1, having a bearing 12, the bar 6, the spring-late 9, having the bearing
10 and push-knob 21, the arbor 11, and the eccentrically-weighted circular plate 14, having a scale on the
face thereof and mounted on the arbor, substantially as described.
5. A clinometer comprising a square case 1, having a circular recess 2, formed with annular steps 3 4, the
lining 5, the bearing 12, the diagonal bar 6, the spring-plate 9, having the bearing 10 and the push-knob 21,
the arbor 11, the eccentrically-weighted circular plate 14, having an inclination-scale 16 and a grading-scale
19, and the pointers 17, substantially as described.
Witnesses:
Saml. Knight
Benjn. A. Knight
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William B. Melick.
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