Caliper Compasses

From Inventions

Current revision as of 16:01, 7 September 2010

Name currently used to indicate the compass with curved points.

Historic Period

15th cent.

Description

Compass for measuring the diameters of columns, cannonballs, calibers and shot. It could have legs curved inward, to measure the "diametri di fora" (outside diameters) of columns and cannonballs, or straight legs with points curving outward, to measure "diametri di dentro" (inside diameters) (mouths of cannon). It is also known as spherical compass.

Bibliographical Resources

Pomodoro, Giovanni. Geometria prattica tratta dagl'Elementi d'Euclide ed altri Auttori da Giovanni Pomodoro Venetiano Mathematico eccellentissimo descritta et dichiarata da Giovanni Scala Mathematico, Stefano de' Paulini, Roma, 1599.

Existing Instruments

- Museo Galileo, Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Florence
Florence, Museo Galileo. Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Inv. 3693.
Florence, Museo Galileo. Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Inv. 3706.

- Musée des arts et métiers, Paris
Paris, Musée des arts et metiers, inv. 06760-0000-

Links (External)

http://museo.liceofoscarini.it/virtuale/compgross.phtml (Italian)

Images

Jacob Leupold. Theatrum machinarum, oder Schau-Platz des grundes mecanischer Wissenschaften / deutlich vor Augen gestellet von Jacob Leupold, Leipzig, 1724-1739, tav. XXIV-XXV.

Nicolas Bion. Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instruments de mathematique, Paris, 1725, tav. 8.

Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota