Kelvin, Bottomley, & Baird Ltd. Vertical Force Instrument

Description

Vertical force instrument from the company of Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird Ltd. Originally this company was founded in the 1850s by William Thomson (later known as Lord Kelvin) and James White in Glasgow, Scotland. By 1913 they had formed a new partnership and they then became Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird (1913-1942), located at 16-20 Cambridge St. Glasgow. In 1915 they opened their London branch at 11 Billiter St under the partnership of Kelvin, White, & Hutton, so I would date this instrument to after 1915, since it includes the address of this London branch on the lid of the box. This nautical instrument is used to correct the heeling error in a ship's compass created by the vertical force of the ship; if you want a more complete description of how this instrument works please visit the website of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments Harvard University at chsi.harvard.edu. Click on their "waywiser" section and type "dip needle" into the search field. In the search results you will find this same instrument in its case, and an explanation of how it works. A full description of my instruments physical condition is below. I do not have the technical expertise to tell you if this instrument still works as intended, I can only describe its physical appearance.
Wood Storage Box: Measures 13 1/8" long x 6 1/2" wide x 3" tall; the hinges and latches work well, but are a bit stiff and have slight oxidation; the box has some stains, scratches and gouges to its surface, especially to the lid; the painted label on the top is well scratched, but still readable; inside the box lid is a label that reads "con st 0 218", and "Martinez Pereira y Cia Lta Valparaiso" written in crayon-I believe the last company that owned this instrument; there are no large chips or missing pieces, just surface wear.
Instrument: Measures Approx. 11 3/4" long x 4 7/8" tall x 1 1/2" thick; includes a label inside the instrument that reads "Lord Kelvin's Vertical Force Inst. No. 18930 Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird Ltd. Glasgow & London"; there is no physical damage to any part of the instrument that I can ascertain- though there are some small surface scratches to the paint and some white scuffs to the red paint; the front crystal has no deep scratches or chips, but is dirty; there is some dirt and grime visible inside the instrument as well; all the original knobs and parts appear to be present.
Note: Shipped free with USPS Priority Mail.