A New or Improved Apparatus for Indicating the Flooding of any One or Several Watertight or other Compartments of a Ship or the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1900--Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
A New or Improved Apparatus for Indicating the Flooding of any One
or Several Watertight or other Compartments of a Ship or the like.
I, CARLOS GUZMÁN DE LA PAZ, of Admiralty Buildings, Valparaiso, Chili,
Lieutenant in the Chilian Navy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for indicating the flooding of
any one or several water-tight or other compartments of a ship or the like.
The apparatus consists of three principal parts, viz. an indicator and alarmı
bell, an electrical battery and switches.
The indicator is of any ordinary electric type, and has the several compart-
ments indicated by numbers, letters or other convenient marks. A reference list
may be placed close to same.
The battery may be formed of Leclanché or other cells, and preferably should
be able to give off an electro motive force of about 8 volts.
Each switch is composed preferably of two platinum plates parallel to each
other and a certain distance apart. The two plates are encased in two pieces of
ebonite or other insulating material, the plates being bound together by ribbon
of india rubber and canvas or by other suitable method. Grooves in the
ebonite permit the access of water to the platinum plates when the latter are
immersed. The terminal of a conducting wire is soldered to each platinum plate
and it is evident that the current circuit will be complete when the switch is
placed in water. The indicator and alarm bell may be put on the first deck near
the bridge, so as to be easily heard and seen by those on deck, or it may be placed
in any other suitable and convenient position. The wire from the positive pole
of the battery is led to the bell and the indicator, and from there a wire is led
to a plate of each switch. The other plate of the switch is connected to the
negative pole of the battery. The wires may be led down, and the switches
placed in the sounding tubes, or special tubes may be provided to accommodate
them. As a rule in most of the compartments there is always a certain quantity
of water either due to leakage or required for ballast. The switches should there-
fore be placed a certain suitable distance above the normal water level. If from
any cause, such as valves left open, collision, wreck or other accident the level
of the water rises above this distance the current circuit will be completed and
the alarm bell will ring, the indicator at the same time shewing which compart-
ment or compartments is or are flooded.
As the air is very foul in the lower compartments of some ships, accidents
often occur to men occasionally engaged in these compartments. If this in-
vention is used on the ship, these men, in case of necessity or as a signal that they
are all right can, by using their knives, or other piece of metal, easily attract
the attention of those on deck, by completing the circuit of the current."
Dated this 15th day of July 1899.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.

page_text: A New or Improved Apparatus for Indicating the Flooding of any One
or Several Watertight or other Compartments of a Ship or the like.
I, CARLOS GUZMAN DE LA PAZ, of Admiralty Buildings, Valparaiso, Chili,
Lieutenant in the Chilian Navy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
This invention relates to improved apparatus for indicating the flooding of
any one or several water-tight or other compartments of a ship or the like.
The apparatus consists of three principal parts, viz. an indicator and alarm
bell, an electrical battery and switches.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of
the general arrangement of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is detail view partly in
section on a larger scale Fig. 3 is a plan view of a switch.
The indicator A is of any ordinary electric type, and has the several compart-
ments A¹, indicated by numbers, letters or other convenient marks. A reference
list may be placed close to same.
The battery B may be formed of beclanché or other cells, and preferably
should be able to give off an electro-motive force of about 8 volts.
Each switch C is composed preferably of two platinum plates C¹ C² parallel
to each other and a certain distance apart. The two plates are encased in two
pieces of ebonite D or other insulating material, the plates being bound together
by ribbon or india rubber and canvas held in the channels or by other suitable
method. Grooves or openings E passing right through the ebonite permit the
access of water to the platinum plates when the latter are immersed. The water
must be admitted between the plates to complete the circuit. The terminal of a
conducting wire E is soldered to each platinum plate and it is evident that the
current circuit will be complete when the switch is placed in water. The indi-
cator A and alarm bell F may be put on the first deck near the bridge, so as to
be easily heard and seen by those on deck, or it may be placed in any other
suitable and convenient position. The wire G from the positive pole of the battery
is led to the bell and the indicator, and from there wires G are led to a plate of
each switch. The other plates of the switches are connected to the negative pole
of the battery by wires H. The wires may be led down and the switches placed
in the sounding tubes I, or special tubes provided with stuffing boxes M may
be used to accommodate them. As a rule in most of the compartments there is
always a certain quantity of water either due to leakage or required for ballast.
The switches should therefore be placed a certain suitable distance above the
normal water level K. If from any cause, such as valves left open, collision,
wreck or other accident the level of the water rises above this distance, for in-
stance, to level L the current circuit will be completed and the alarm bell F will
ring, the indicator A at the same time showing which compartment or compart-
ments is or are flooded.
As the air is very foul in the lower compartments of some ships, accidents
often occur to men occasionally engaged in these compartments. If this inven-
tion is used on the ship, these men, in case of necessity or as a signal that they
are all right can, by using their knives or other piece of metal, easily attract
the attention of those on deck, by completing the circuit of the current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A new or improved annaratus for indicating the flooding of any one ስዞ

page_text: several water-tight or other compartments of a ship or the like comprising in
combination a suitable battery, an indicator and alarm bell and switches arranged
in the sounding tubes or otherwise in the said compartments, said switches being
suitably connected with the battery and indicator, so that on water rising above
the normal level in said compartments an electric circuit is completed and an
alarm given, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus as described in Claim 1 the construction of the switches con-
sisting of two platinum plates parallel to each other and a certain distance apart,
said plates being encased in ebonite or other suitable insulating material, and
bound together by india rubber and canvas ribbon or other method, the ebonite
or other insulating material being provided with grooves or the like to permit
of access of water to the platinum plates when the latter are immersed substan-
tially and for the purpose described.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.