General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON/ STEEL/ BRASS/ SILVER

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

160.0 cm

Width

120.0 cm

Height

93.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Industrial Technology

Category

Tools-Machine

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Brightly

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Pennsylvania

City

Philadelphia

Context

Country

North America

State/Province

Unknown

Period

1890 TO 1970

Canada

USED BY A CANADIAN FIRM IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS. THE FIRM, THOMAS POCKLINGTON INSTRUMENTS CO. OF TORONTO, BOUGHT THE DIVIDING ENGINE C.1939. IT WAS USED MOST HEAVILY DURING WWII. THE COMPANY WENT INTORECEIVERSHIP IN 1992 [REF.1].

Function

USED TO DIVIDE THE CIRCULAR SCALES OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS OCTANTS, SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS ETC.

Technical

A RELATIVELY RARE TYPE OF MACHINE- TO THE END OF THE 19C ONLY ABOUT 50 HAD BEEN MADE. PRECISION REQUIRED WAS 1 TO 40,000 INCH. UNTIL C.1880 DIVIDING ENGINES WERE THE MOST PRECISE MACHINE MADE. AT THAT TIME RELATED MACHINES USED TO EXECUTE SPECTROSCOPIC GRATINGS SURPASSED THIE PRECISION OF SCALE DIVIDING ENGINES [REF.1]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

ENGRAVED ON TOP MECHANISM: 'CHAS H. BRIGHTLY/ PENNA./ 1890'/ GRADATIONS ENGRAVED ON TOP WHEEL: '0' TO '350' IN UNITS OF 10/ OTHER GRADATIONS ON CIRCLE/ NUMBERS '1' TO '4' ON BRASS KNOBS ON TOP OF WHEEL

Missing

2 MISSING CAP SCREWS ON RACK/ SEE CONDITION REPORT

Finish

TABLE, EXCEPT TOP SURFACE, PAINTED GREY. BRASS SURFACES LACQUERED

Decoration

N/A