Randolph Compass
Theodore Randolph worked in Ohio from about 1850 to about 1900
This instrument is based on a patent taken out in 1879 and has a detachable telescope.
Note the counter for recording of the number of lengths that a Gunter's Chain was laid out. The counter is situated just above the W on the right hand side. The counter was operated by the wheel on to the right of the counter as shown on the second photograph. The original spanner for removing the telescope from the instrument is shown in the first and last photos.
It is interesting to note also that the E and W cardinal points are transposed as in a lot of instruments in my collection -
"To use the compass the surveyor should keep the south end towards
his person and read the bearings from the north end of the needle. He will observe that the E and W letters on the face of the compass are reversed from their natural position in order that the direction of the line of sight may be correctly read.
The compass circle being graduated to half degrees a little practice will enable the surveyor to read the bearings to quarters or even finer - estimating with his eye the space bisected by the point of a needle and as this is as low as the traverse table is usually calculated, it is the general practice".
The last four documents relate to the patent on this compass. Note the detailed diagrams. I have the original key, shown on the diagram, to remove the telescope.