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Portable Sundials

Interesting Sundials of the World

PORTABLE SUN sundials - Page 5

A folding style at the north end of the sundial plate is held in a perpendicular position by a lock spring attached to the base. The angle or slope of the thread gnomon can be adjusted to suit the various circles by raising or lowering the small pin attached to the perpendicular style. The sundial at the lower left is another brass sundial, but of the equatorial type, which can be adjusted by the quadrant at the right of the circle, to any latitude. It is a variety of the universal ring type. The whole is collapsible, and the base is fitted with a compass, which has the names of various cities and their latitudes engraved on the bottom. The third sundial, at the upper left, is made of silver. There are four hour circles on the sundial plate, for use in different latitudes. It is a horizontal sundial fitted with an adjustable, folding gnomon. A compass let into the sundial plate aids in setting. The sundial is shown in its carrying case. The small ivory book sundial has everything. The lower portion contains a horizontal sundial and a compass. In the bottom of the compass box is an elliptical sundial, which is adjustable for each day of the year in relation to a perpendicular pin placed at the center. The movement or setting of this sundial is accomplished by turning a silver disc on the bottom of the ivory base, where the settings for each day are indicated. This is an analemmatic sundial, which enables the horizontal sundial to be properly set without the aid of a compass or meridian line. The compass rim has been graduated in degrees on either side of the north point, thus making it possible to set the sundial if the mechanism of the analemmatic sundial should go wrong. Not content with telling the hours by sunlight, several graduated pewter discs were placed in the lid or cover as shown in the illustration, in order to tell time by the light of the moon.

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