Surveying Compasses

From Inventions

Revision as of 08:21, 10 September 2010 by Ghada (Talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Current revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

Current name for a surveying instrument widely used in Renaissance times.


Contents

Historic Period

16th-17th C.


Description

Compass used for surveying, generally consisting of two flat graduated legs, a magnetic compass in the hinged joint and sighting devices. In its simplest form, this type of compass is well represented by the so-called florentine archimeter. In a version described by Giacomo Contarini, which may have been invented by Fabrizio Mordente, the instrument has two graduated legs with a magnetic compass in the joint, a graduated arm also pivoted at the joint, two small graduated arms connected to cursors sliding along the legs, and a 180° graduated arc.


Bibliographical Resources

Contarini, Giacomo. Figure d'Istromenti Matematici e loro uso, ms, ca. 1590, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms. Canon. Ital. 145.


Existing Instruments

- Museo Galileo, Institute and Museum of the History of Science, Florence
Florence, Museo Galileo. Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Inv. 645.
Florence, Museo Galileo. Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Inv. 1280.
Florence, Museo Galileo. Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Inv. 1471.
Florence, Museo Galileo. Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Inv. 3687.
Florence, Museo Galileo. Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Inv. 2527.


Images


Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota

Personal tools
Categories
In other languages