atica " ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁places ▁it ▁twenty ▁years ▁before ▁this ▁date — at ▁least ▁in ▁Italy . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁older ▁design ▁sets , ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁prot ractor ▁head ▁was ▁assured ▁by ▁a ▁p ant ograph ▁system ▁that ▁could ▁keep ▁the ▁head ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁angular ▁position ▁throughout ▁its ▁range ▁of ▁motion . ▁The ▁arms ▁were ▁bal anced ▁by ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁counter we ights ▁or ▁spr ings . ▁ ▁Typ ically , ▁the ▁machine ▁is ▁mounted ▁on ▁a ▁drawing ▁board ▁with ▁a ▁hard ▁and ▁smooth ▁surface , ▁anch ored ▁to ▁a ▁base ▁that ▁allows ▁its ▁til ting ▁and ▁lif ting . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁real ization ▁of ▁a ▁drawing ▁can ▁be ▁achieved ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁convenient ▁way ▁on ▁a ▁working ▁surface ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁t ilt ed ▁at ▁any ▁angle ▁from ▁horizontal ▁to ▁vertical . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁special ▁versions ▁for ▁A 0 ▁double - s ized ▁bo ards , ▁to ▁make ▁large ▁draw ings , ▁or ▁copying - boards ▁with ▁background ▁ill um ination , ▁which ▁have ▁all ▁that ▁is ▁necessary ▁to ▁provide ▁specific ▁support . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁draft ing ▁machine ▁one ▁can ▁perform ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁drawing ▁operations ▁that ▁otherwise ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁achieved ▁with ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁complex ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁classic ▁r uler ▁square ▁and ▁prot ractor , ▁as , ▁for ▁example , ▁drawing ▁parallel ▁lines , ▁ ▁orthogonal ▁lines , ▁incl ined ▁lines ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁pres et ▁angle , ▁measurement ▁of ▁angles , ▁etc . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁development