. Appleton's dictionary of machines, mechanics, engine-work, and engineering. with sufficient accuracy, without resort-ing to the delicate and tedious process of manipulation, practised by Mr. Bird. He completed an en-gine with an indented plate, or wheel of thirty inches diameter, which, though it did not entirely answerhis expectations to their full extent, yet was found very useful for dividing theodolites, and such likeinstruments, with great facility. This was effected before the spring of 1768; and in 1774, a muchlarger and more efficient engine was produced, with an indented plate of fo
. Appleton's dictionary of machines, mechanics, engine-work, and engineering. with sufficient accuracy, without resort-ing to the delicate and tedious process of manipulation, practised by Mr. Bird. He completed an en-gine with an indented plate, or wheel of thirty inches diameter, which, though it did not entirely answerhis expectations to their full extent, yet was found very useful for dividing theodolites, and such likeinstruments, with great facility. This was effected before the spring of 1768; and in 1774, a muchlarger and more efficient engine was produced, with an indented plate of forty-five inches diameter,which divided a sextant for Mr. Birds examination so accurately, that the Board of Longitude, everready to remunerate any successful endeavor to promote the lunar method of determining the longi-tude at sea, did not hesitate to confer a handsome reward on the inventor, but on the express conditionthat the said engine should be at the service of the public, and that Mr. Ramsden should publish anexplanation of his method of making and using it.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectmechanicalengineering, bookyear1861
