A "Beam Compass 26 inch" by Aston & Mander, dated 1917, made for the British Government. The lath is made of mahogany with an inlaid boxwood scale.
A mid-twentieth century beam compass. The four foot beam is in five, eight inch, aluminium sections. Both trammel heads are adjustable by a similar wheel and spring arrangement to that in one of the Norton & Gregory fittings below. A set of similar but larger fittings can be seen in the Harling page as well as a later version of this type.
W H Harling made this pattern of beam compass, which they called the “Roller Pattern Portable Beam Compass” and it is possible that they made this set.
For drawing very large arcs and circles trammels were sold in sets for attaching to a wooden lath. These are known as the "Swiss Pattern" and it can be seen that the position of the insert in one can be finely adjusted by a screw. These are of English manufacture and early to mid twentieth century, possibly by J J Threadwell.
These beam compass fittings by Norton & Gregory are of the cheaper pattern, one clamped to the beam, and the other adjusted by a wheel and spring arrangement.
A fine, brass beam compass by Gebruder Wichmann of Berlin, No.1070. The two section,septagonal beam is 43.5 inches long. It dates from about 1910. There is a screw for fine setting of the left hand trammel at the end of the beam.
A Lee Guinness beam compass with a five section alloy beam which is fifty inches long when fitted together. Lee Guinness were set up in Northern Ireland after World War II to make pirated Riefler designs.
Super Takeda Drawing Instruments, Japan beam compass fittings. Plated metal. A cheap version of Swiss pattern fittings, the clamp outer is bent up from sheet rather than milled from solid and the clamps are smaller than usual with English or Continental fittings. The fine adjusting screw is also an unusual type. The box is covered in grey fabric and lined with red velvet.
Probably dates from 3rd quarter twentieth century.
Probably dates from 3rd quarter twentieth century.
Beam compass by unknown maker. The case is covered with paper imitating morocco and lined with blue velvet. The beam is 10” long and 1/4” square. The dotting pen has two wheels and is missing a third at least. The fitting for the point is of the roller type but unusually is moved by a thumb screw. The pen/pencil insert is reversible and the mechanical dotting pen can also be placed in the fixed fitting.
11” beam compass by Lilley & Son, 10 London St, Fenchurch St, London EC dating from ca.1900. The firm was in existence from 1846 to 1913, and at this address from 1890 to 1901 (address after 1901 not known).
Two pieces are missing, probably a needle point and a pen handle. Faux Morocco covered case lined with blue silk and velvet.
Two pieces are missing, probably a needle point and a pen handle. Faux Morocco covered case lined with blue silk and velvet.
The Lilley beam compass ready for use with the ink point in place in the roller fitting.
Woolwich pattern 26” beam compass no.790 made by Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Co Ltd in 1917. The screw at the left hand end is to adjust the position of the fixed fitting to the zero mark on the beam. The moving fitting has a vernier with a clamp and slow motion screw for fine adjustment. It is missing pen and pencil points and a clamping screw. The beam is mahogany with an inlaid boxwood scale.
The varied selection of beam compasses and fittings includes aluminium, brass and wood beams and a variety of types of fitting. More beam compasses and fittings can be seen in the Major Makers pages for W H Harling, W F Stanley and Riefler.
