Military Compasses

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|nome= Nome attribuito in questa sede (l'inventore non indica un nome specifico) per sottolineare la principale applicazione dello strumento.
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Name used here (the inventor assigned it no specific name) to indicate the instrument's chief application.
|inventore= Carlo Teti
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|descrizione= Descritto da Carlo Teti (1575) come strumento d'uso militare, questo compasso anticipa il più noto [[compasso geometrico e militare]] di Galileo. Le gambe sono lunghe palmi 1, 25 in modo che aperte fino a formare una riga la loro lunghezza sia uguale a un braccio (2,5 palmi) e serva da unità di misura; sulle loro facce sono incise varie scale e unità di misura come il palmo e il piede romano. Due braccetti imperniati alle gambe consentono di bloccare l'apertura del compasso ad angolo retto per formare la [[squadra dei bombardieri]] e il [[quadrante]]; sulle facce di questi braccetti si trovano infatti la scala dei gradi e il quadrato delle ombre. Le punte ricurve servono a misurare i calibri e, grazie alla relativa scala dei pesi, a calcolare il peso dei proiettili. Altre operazioni indicate dall'autore sono la divisione in parti uguali di angoli e circonferenze, la lettura delle ore diurne e notturne, il rilievo delle piante di edifici e territori (servendosi di appositi traguardi montati sulle gambe del compasso), il controllo dell'orientamento nello scavo di miniere e gallerie, il livellamento dei piani e "altre cose, le quale per non esser molto necessarie, lascio di dire...".
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Described by Carlo Teti (1575) as an instrument of military use, this compass was a forerunner of the better-known [[Geometric and Military Compasses | geometric and military compasses]] of Galileo. The legs are 11/4 palms long, so that when opened they form a ruler one braccio long, serving as unit of measurement; engraved on their sides are various scales and units of measurement such as the palm and the Roman foot. Two arms pivoting on the legs serve to lock the compass setting at right angles to form a [[Gunner's Square |gunner's square]] or a [[quadrant]]. Engraved on the sides of these arms are the degree scale and the shadow square. The curved points serve to measure calibers and, through the relevant weight scale, to calculate the weight of cannonballs. Other operations described by the author include dividing angles and circumferences into equal parts, reading diurnal and nocturnal hours, surveying  the layouts of buildings and territories (using special sights mounted on the compass legs), determining direction in excavating mines and tunnels, levelling planes and "other things, which I will omit insofar as they are not truly necessary ...".  
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- Museo Galileo, Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Florence <br>
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[http://catalogue.museogalileo.it/object/MilitaryCompass_n01.html Florence, Museo Galileo. Institute and Museum of the History of Science, inv. 3692.] <br />
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[http://catalogue.museogalileo.it/object/MilitaryCompass.html Florence, Museo Galileo. Institute and Museum of the History of Science, inv. 1277.] <br />
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Current revision as of 15:37, 7 September 2010

Name used here (the inventor assigned it no specific name) to indicate the instrument's chief application.

Contents

Inventor

Carlo Teti


Historic Period

1575


Description

Described by Carlo Teti (1575) as an instrument of military use, this compass was a forerunner of the better-known geometric and military compasses of Galileo. The legs are 11/4 palms long, so that when opened they form a ruler one braccio long, serving as unit of measurement; engraved on their sides are various scales and units of measurement such as the palm and the Roman foot. Two arms pivoting on the legs serve to lock the compass setting at right angles to form a gunner's square or a quadrant. Engraved on the sides of these arms are the degree scale and the shadow square. The curved points serve to measure calibers and, through the relevant weight scale, to calculate the weight of cannonballs. Other operations described by the author include dividing angles and circumferences into equal parts, reading diurnal and nocturnal hours, surveying the layouts of buildings and territories (using special sights mounted on the compass legs), determining direction in excavating mines and tunnels, levelling planes and "other things, which I will omit insofar as they are not truly necessary ...".


Bibliographical Resources

Teti, Carlo. Discorsi delle fortificationi, del sig. Carlo Tetti, ove diffusamente si dimostra, quali debbano essere i siti delle fortezze... et altre cose a loro appartenenti, con le figure di esse, Venetia, appresso Bolognino Zaltiero, 1575.


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. 3692.
Florence, Museo Galileo. Institute and Museum of the History of Science, inv. 1277.


Images


Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota

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