SURVEY & ARTILLERY

NOTE: This category comprises compasses utilised for civilian purposes (geology, mining industry) and also their military versions with which fire arms can be directed - although only in a gross manner.
The following list shows only the names of all manufacturers of the compasses exhibited here who could be identified. Other exhibits still lack identification. Discover them while browsing around.

A
ABNEY Level
Aiming Circle
ALOE
AINSWORTH
B
B-2 (Б-2 in cyrillic letters)
BARKER
B Sh-1 (БШ-1 in cyrillic letters)
BREITHAUPT
BROWN
BRUNTON
BÜCHI
BUSCH
C
CASELLA
CHAIX
CHINA
Clisimètre (French level)
COLLIGNON-HOULLIOT
CRC
C.Z. (Carl Zeiss)
D
DARLEY
DELCROIX
DIETZGEN
Dip Compass
E
F
FENNEL
FPM (Freiberger
  Präzisionsmechanik)

FUESS
G
GAMBS
GeoPriborTsvetMet
GK-2 (ГK-2 in cyrillic letters)
GOERZ
Goniometer
GURLEY
H
HUET
HUTCHINSON
I J
K
K&R (Kasper & Richter)
KERN
KEUFFEL & ESSER
KONUS
L
LADOIS
L.A.T. - Les Accessoires Topogr.
LAWES RABJOHNS Ltd
Level (French and Swiss)
Level (Abney)
LIETZ
M
M1918
Map Pocket
Map Reader
Mark IV
MashPriborIntOrg
(Машприборинторг)
MEOPTA (xbk)
Miners' Compass
MORIN
N O
P
PARKES
PEIGNÉ (Général)
Plane Table
Plane Table Compass
Protractor, square
Q R
RICHER
ROSPINI
ROSSIGNOL
S
SCHUBERT & VIALON
SCHMALCALDER
SECRETAN
S-L (Société des Lunetiers)
SPENCER BROWNING & RUST
SPRENGER
STANLEY
STOPPANI
T
TOPOCHAIX
Trough Compass
U V
VOIGTLÄNDER
W
WICHMANN
WILD
WILKIE
WINTERER
X - Y
XBK - Czechoslovakia
Germany (unidentified)
France (unidentified)
Z
ZEISS
ZMI (3MИ in cyrillic letters)

- A -

Aiming Circle

DESCRIPTION (Instrument called in French goniomètre-boussole and in German Richtkreis).
Source: French teaching manual (printed 1956) of the Saint-Maixent military highschool.
Two similar instruments are described herein: a French and a U.S. system (the abbrev. G.B. stands here for Goniomètre-Boussole !).





Click on the drawings for enlarged views (attention: oversize figures - long download time)
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AINSWORTH & SONS

PROFILE - William (Wm) A. & S. was a U.S. instrument manufacturer who was first to produce the BRUNTON-type compass.

ALOE

PROFILE - For information concerning this compass manufacturer and many others not listed here, visit the Virtual Survey Museum
(see LINKS).
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- B -

B-2 (Б-2 in cyrillic letters)

PROFILE - Russian compass (no other information momentarily available - your help is needed).

The three letters "3Mu" are the italic version of the upper case characters ЗMИ (i.e. ZMI, which maybe stand for Завод механических инструментов / zavod mechanicheskikh instrumentov - plant for mechanical instruments).




(Pictures Jaypee - priv. coll.)
Technical data
- Dimension : ... x  ... x ... mm
- Weight: g
- Graduation : 360 deg. counterclockwise, only the cardinal points North and South are indicated
-

BARKER (Francis BARKER & Son)

PROFILE - British Company (for more information click HERE).

Other examples of compasses made by F. BARKER & Son in his own name or for retailers:
- BROWN (below),
- Lawes Rabjohns Ltd,
- ABNEY level.

See also Marching, Escape, Pocket, Nautical and Wrist-top compasses

Collection of BARKER compasses.

NOTE: BARKER compasses are thoroughly described in the Book TRADEMARKLONDON (s. LINKS).

(Click on the picture for an enlarged view and raise your screen display from 100% to 200% for more details)
 

Surveyor's compass SCHMALCALDER type, i.e. with prism and vane (see F. Barker catalogue).
Early 20th. C.

(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)
Artillery compass FB2104 (early 80's)
Current version made by Pyser-SGI
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BREITHAUPT

PROFILE - German company located in Cassel (Kassel). For more information click HERE.
See also category MARCHING COMPASSES.


(Click on pictures to enlarge)

Model COVIS (1954, cat. no. 331)



Dial with the company's logo (1930?),
the letters F.W.B.S. in a cartouche.
Technical Data
- Dimensions: 100 x 85 x 18 mm
- Weight: 400 gr
- Divisions: 360 degrees counterclockwise, english cardinal points
- Serial no.: 38926
- Clinometer: locking in zero position by means of a piston (compare with FPM)
- Colour: bronze metallic (U.S. or British Army?)
The alidade is missing on this item. The needle locking system is a rather big screw (small one on the catalogue picture)

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BROWN

PROFILE - J. BROWN, 76 St. Vincent Street - GLASGOW (no other info available). Most probably made by F. BARKER (see catalogue below).


The clinometer's graduation is in inches per yard.
The compass as shown in the BARKER catalogues
(1909 and 1919)
SIGHT COMPASS AND CLINOMETER

Technical Data
- Diameter: 67 mm
- Height (vanes grip erected):
45 mm
- Weight: 155 g
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BRUNTON

Description: See LINKS for a comprehensive website in English




Note: This compass type was
also built by Keuffel & Esser.




(Click to enlarge)
BRUNTON POCKET TRANSIT
Technical Data
- Case: aluminium
- Division: four quadrants
- Dimensions: 75 x 70 x 30 mm
- Weight: 235 gr

IMITATIONS
Very heavy cheap imitations called BRINTON or BRONTON made of brass can be found (s. pict. below and MISCELLANEOUS / Fakes).
They cannot be used as measuring instruments but only for decoration purposes.


(Click on the picture for enlarged views)
BRUNTON - plain version without clinometre
dated 1920-1930
Technical Data
SN: 588
- Divisions: 6400 mils counterclockwise
- Dimensions: 75 x 70 x 25 mm
- Weight: 240 gr

 

BRUNTON M2 (US ARMY)
Technical Data
- Case: aluminum
- Divisions: 6400 mils counterclockwise
- Dimensions: 75 x 70 x 30 mm
- Weight: 230 gr

B Sh-1 (БШ-1 in cyrillic letters)

PROFILE - Russian compass (no other information momentarily available - your help is needed).




(Picture Jaypee - priv. coll.)
Technical data
- Dimension : ... x ... x ... mm
- Weight: g
- Graduation : ...
-
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BÜCHI

PROFILE - Swiss company (Berne). (see also category MARCHING COMPASSES).
For more information click HERE.

On this compass is a reference made to a NIEDERMANN patent. Albert Niedermann patented this system January 20, 1929 in Switzerland. This Museum has a copy of the French issue of this patent (no. 728.940, December 29, 1931). Büchi's name was at that time "E. F. BÜCHI, Sons, Optische Werkstätte, Spitalgasse 18 - Berne".
This patent is interesting since it shows a hinged mirror tilted by 45 deg. downwards, allowing for a look at the compass rose from below. This system was also used ten years later by RECTA on its matchbox-style compass and after WW II by the German WILKIE.

Model BÜCHI II (compare with BÜCHI I in the category Marching compasses)



A small device (two pins) allowed to measure slopes with the scale at the side of the brown bakelite central element (see techn. data)


Technical Data
- Dimensions : 94 x 65 x 20
- Weight: 190 g
- Double inclination scale:
0-110% (positive and negative)
- Distance scale:
1:50.000 = 8 km



NIEDERMANN's Patent no. 199512:
Fig. 1 on page 3

LEVELS

(see also LEVEL)
ARTILLERY LEVEL
(made by E. F. BÜCHI Bern)
in French: SITOMÈTRE
(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)


FUNCTION: Depressing the push-button located close to the leather strap releases the compass card and causes the metallic blade (visible from above, picture in the middle) to swing back.


(Function - cont'd)
This blade is a mirror reflecting the image of a small tube level (see next item below). It gives thus free vision onto a portion of the compass card (3200 mils) through a prism and onto two portions of rulers graduated from right to left from 0 to 8 (upper row) and from 24 to 32 mils (lower row).
The substraction disk for quick mechanical computing of angles difference.



Technical Data
- Dimensions: 60 x 49 x 29 mm
- Weight: 140 g
- Divisions : 2 x 3200 mils.
- Protection grid: swiveling by 180 deg.
Users instructions
(German version - see next row).

Leather pouch

SIMPLE LEVEL
(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)


Rulers are graduated from right to left from 0 to 8 (upper row) and from 56 to 64 mils (lower row).

Technical Data
- Dimensions: 60 x 49 x 29 mm
- Weight: 110 g
- Divisions: 6400 mils

Original patent (1930) with external level and sight
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BUSCH

PROFILE - Former German company (for more information click HERE)

Basic model of the GRUBENKOMPASS (miner's compass, c. 1920-1930) which had in addition a "geodesic" division (400 grades) and a clinometer.


Technical Data
- Dimensions: 85 x 85 x 26 mm
- Weight: 160 gr
- Metallic side ruler
Patent for a compass system with telescope sight (no. 908918, 1953)
This system was first defined in 1941 by Karl Martin and Dr. Helmut Naumann.

(Click on the drawing at right for an enlarged view)


Pictures Treodelmarions
(Click for detailed view)


Artillery compass

Technical Data
Dimensions:
. Height: 100 mm
. Diameter (compass): 90 mm
- Weight: 1170 gr
- Tube levels: two

Compare with GOERZ and ZEISS
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- C -

CASELLA

PROFILE - British manufacturer (more information HERE). See also Nautical compasses.

WARNING - CASELLA NEVER PRODUCED THE BRUNTON TRANSIT COMPASS.



(Click for detailed views -
Pictures Michael Curtis)
Technical Data
- Dimensions (diam): 2" (50 mm)
- Separate transit locks for both compass and clinometer cards
- Clinometer: There is a ‘flat’ on one side of the instrument so that it can stand on a flat surface.
- Markings: The instrument is signed CASELLA LONDON on the lid. On the clinometer card is the Patent no. 1926, whilst on the mask is no. 1909.

Clinometer side

(Click for detailed views -
Pictures Michael Curtis)


Compass side
Technical Data
Late 19thC Military Pocket Altazimuth
- Diam.: 2.25 inches,
- Thickness 1.4inches
- Weight 5 ½ Oz.
Has a telescope, transit locks for compass and clinometer, compass damper, and blue filter. The Clinometer dial is signed L CASELLA LONDON, and the War Department Arrow surmounting the letter ‘I’ (for India perhaps). The instrument has a threaded bush underneath for a tripod.
Compare with the Abney Level.
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CHAIX

PROFILE - Sturdy and precise compasses for survey and forestry works manufactured by the French company TOPOCHAIX (see also Plane Table).

  



Pict. Jaypee - private coll.

(Click on pictures for enlarged views)

PROTOTYPE

TechnicalData
- Material: Aluminum
- Dimensions:  x  x  mm
- Weight:  g
- Clinometer: Pendulum
- Alidade: Plexiglas

 

Pict. at right: The pouch with a window.


Model BROUSSARDE
built c. 1970-80

Technical Data:
Prismatic compass, model BROUSSARDE.
The currently produced items are now red.
- Dimensions: 120 x 85 x 25 mm
- Weight: 310 gr
- Serial-no.: 6639
- Level: visible while sighting in a flexible metallic mirror
- Sighting system: notch above the prism (can be fixed in the optimum position by a knurled screw) and point at the far end of the lid.

(Click on pictures for enlarged views)
Model BROUSSARDE with LASER POINTER

Technical Data
- identical with the basic Broussarde model but with an additional laser pointer for high precision sightings.
The prototype of the UNIVERSELLE model: it was a smaller BROUSSARDE wih a dendrometer

Technical Data
- Dimensions: .. x .. x .. mm
- Weight: ... gr.

(Private collection CHAIX)
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How to use the vane
There are two scales: left side stadimetric (?), right side in MILS. It must be held in 50cm (20in.) from the eye (lanyard around the neck) to assess distances. Hereto one needs a measuring rod with two targets 2m apart from each other.

 
50 c/m de l'oeil = 50 cm from the eye

Drawing at right:
Measuring a tree trunk diam.
with the mils vane.
 


Viewing the card's rim through the Prism:



(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)
Model UNIVERSELLE (built c. 1970-80)
Made by Lecomte et Déglise Constructeurs

Technical Data
- Casing: aluminium
- Dimensions: 100 x 90 x 36 mm
- Serial no.: 1892
- Weight: 550 gr
- Angles measuring is made either from above through the magnifying glass on the crystal or through the folding prism.
- Clinometer/dendrometer clutch: tiny push-button at the rear face below the vertical MILS scale for slopes.
- Clinometer graduation: top half in grads, lower half in degrees.
- The dendrometer has two scales:
20 m (0-40) and 30 m (0-60)
- Compass rose diameter: 64 mm
- Compass graduation: 360 °



(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)


Clinometer (free ball) with two scales: degrees and grades
Model RECONNAISSANCE

Technical Data
- Dimensions: 85 x 85 x 30 mm
- Weight: 170 gr
- Shock absorbing rubber casing
- The foldable grip is also a 50 mm ruler

Donation of the French company TOPOCHAIX to the Online Compass Museum.
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CHINA

PROFILE - Chinese company (Union Instrument Factory).
(The Online Compass Museum doesn't possess any information about this company. Your help is welcome.
This company is kindly invited to contact the Museum.)

The text in the square window reads:
- Aluminium Precision Clinometer
- Beijing
- Public Private Company
- Union Instrument Factory
(Translation: Jen-Wen Chang)



(Click HERE for view of leather pouch)


Pin-hole ocular
and needle lock

Above: Reticle
Below: The reticle as seen through the pin-hole ocular (left)

Technical Data:
- Dimensions: 150 x 58 x 17 mm
- Weight: 220 g
- Compass diameter: 40 mm
- Level: red liquid
- Release of clinometer in square window: push-button (above level)
- Locking of magnetic needle and clinometer in round window: lever on pin-hole ocular face
- The pin-hole ocular tube can be extracted (click for detailed view):


Modern Japanese model made by Ginza TZS Tokyo
(Pic. Alex. Rogutskyi)
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Clisimètre (French artillerie level)

This instrument appears in a 1930 MORIN catalogue and is called clisimètre à collimateur respectively niveau-lyre du Colonel Goulier. It was used together with a survey compass like the CRC or HUET system. When hold by the ring, the pendulum's weight ensures a vertical position, i.e. the horizontal position of the scales' zero references. One can then look through a magnifying glass at a long vertical display. There were different versions for general survey works, for the Army, for the climbers association Club Alpin (C.A.F., also called Vallot model) etc.
Users instructions: Look through the magnifying glass and read the value on the scale of slopes which can be seen alongside the actual landscape.

MORIN catalogue

(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)

The sight and a picture showing the center of the display on one horizontal line:
0°/oo, ∞ (infinity), 0 grades
Military version - Technical Data
- Dimensions (folded): 95 x 50 x 10 mm
- Length (deployed): 190 mm
- Weight: 235 g
- Scales
. left: slope angles 0-400 mils (upwards and downwards)
. right: angles (vertically or horizontally) 2x  0-50 grades (gon)
. center (two survey scales to measure distances): one based on  a man's mean height (1,70 m) and the other on a survey pole's length (2 m)
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COLLIGNON-HOULLIOT

PROFILE - Former French company located in the Marais district in Paris (more information HERE).

The picture at the left and the following description are from a MORIN catalogue (1930):
Survey compass made of brass, with a slide-in lever for measuring slope angles. Double divisions: clinometer on the bottom plate and angles on superelevated ring (level with the needle) for azimut angles. Locking by piston through the attachment ring stud.

See also our comparable item made by the Italian manufacturer of optical instruments, SALMOIRAGHI.

Technical Data
- Diameter: 62 mm
- Depth: 17 mm
- Weight: 115 gr

CRC

PROFILE - Former French company that built (among others) the marching compass type Modèle 1922.
The instrument shown below is called Modèle 26. It is marked  Boussole topographique (i.e. Survey compass) but together with the abbreviation M.G. for Ministère de la Guerre, which meant it was issued to the armed forces by France's War Department (and probably also Belgium's).
For description and pictures, go to HUET who built a modernized version after WWII (modified in 1957).



(For more pictures see HUET)
Technical data
- Dimensions: 110 x 97 x 30/80 mm (prism folded/ erected) 
- Weight: 300 gr
- Divisions : 400 grades, clockwise
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CONT'D