Device for illustrating the position of the earth in relation to the sun during the solar year

摘要

1,124,326. Educational appliances. C. E. FISK. 1 Dec., 1965 [2 June, 19651, No. 51004/65. Heading G5G. A device for illustrating the position of the earth relative to the sun during the year comprises a globe corresponding to the earth, a member corresponding to the sun, and a main base, the globe being carried by a rotatable arm pivotally mounted on the main base and having its own base which is removably interlocked with a globe-supporting platform which is independently rotatably mounted on the arm, the globe being supported on the platform at an axial tilt corresponding to that of the earth. The platform has a selected point which can be kept on a line at a predetermined angle to a datum line on the main base outside the area bounded by the projection on the main base of the globe orbit. As illustrated, the device comprises a base 10, a sphere 45 representing the sun, a globe 60 representing the earth, a platform 70 supporting the globe, and an arm 22 which is movable relative to the base and which carries the platform 70 rotatably mounted thereon. The arm is rotated until pointer 20 reaches a specific date indicated on the base (Fig. 1, not shown), and the platform is adjusted until pointer 81 is pointing in a direction normal to the edge 16 (datum line) of the base. An arch 56 separates the areas of the earth which would be in daylight and darkness. The globe also carries pins 68 located at 15 degree intervals on a circle of latitude, which coact with a substantially resilient tab 69. The period of daylight of a particular location will be indicated by rotating the globe about its axis 61 so that that location is taken from a position adjacent one leg of the arch to a position adjacent the other leg, and by counting the number of engagements of the tab with the pins. The sphere 45 may be adjusted vertically, and a rod 47 represents the sun's rays.