Ebony and brass octant.

Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810 Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810 Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Octant made by Spencer, Browning and Rust, London, about 1810. Ebony frame and limb with a brass index arm and fittings, a brass stop for the index arm; inlaid ivory plates on the crossbar and on the back of the frame. Signed on the ivory plate on the crossbar: Spencer, Browning & Rust London. Marked (stamped) at the centre of the scale (at 47°) SBR. Inlaid ivory scale from -2° to 99° every 20', measuring to 89°. Ivory vernier to 1', zero at the right. The tangent screw is on the top of the index arm; the clamping screw is on the back. Three socket shades (two red, one green). Index-glass adjustment by screw; adjustment of the horizon glass by lever, worm gear, and a milled clamping screw; adjustment of the back horizon glass by a lever, wing nut and a milled clamping screw. The sight vane has two pinholes and a swivelling shutter; the back sight vane has one pinhole. A capped screwdriver or pencil is missing from the crossbar. No box.

Details

Category:
Navigation
Object Number:
1908-128
Materials:
ivory, brass (copper, zinc alloy) and ebony (wood)
type:
octant.
credit:
Adams, E.T.