IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE THROWING OF LIFE LINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE THROWING OF
LIFE LINES." A communication from William P. Trowbridge, residing
at Washington Columbin in the United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th February 1859.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE
THROWING OF LIFE LINES," a communication from William P. Trowbridge,
residing at Washington, Columbia, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:--
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of appa-
ratus for taking soundings, and more particularly what are known as deep
sea soundings, but it is equally applicable to the throwing of life lines to
ships in distress, and in fact to the conveying or extending of lines across or
through any given space by the aid of a weight or projectile.
The essential feature of this Invention consists in having the line compactly
coiled in any suitable manner within a tube or case, which is attached to the

page_text: sounding weight or plummet, or to the projectile, and moves along with it,
the line being discharged as the weight or projectile descends or advances, one
end being secured or retained at the starting point, and the other attached to
the plummet or projectile.
The peculiar apparatus proposed to be employed in carrying out this Inven-
tion, consists of a metal tube or casing for containing a requisite number of
balls of line placed one above the other, and having the outside end of the
line of one ball connected to the inside end of the line of the next ball so as
to connect the whole of the balls. A suitable cap is fitted to the top of the
casing to prevent the balls escaping, but allowing of the free passage of the
line.
For deep sea soundings, the weight has a hole made longitudinally through
it, and a shoulder at the top, which being lapped with a portion of the line is
made to fit into the lower mouth of the casing. Within the longitudinal hole
is an iron bolt fitted with a suitable specimen box at its lower end, and a ring
at the opposite end by which it is connected to the line of the last ball.
In using the instrument one end of the line is retained on board the vessel,
whilst, as the weight and case descend, the line passes out through the top of
the casing as fast as required without being subjected to any resistance by
moving through the dense mass of water. As the last ball is payed out, the
line uncoils from the shoulder of the weight, and releases it from the case,
which are both left at the bottom, the only article to be hauled up being the
iron bolt with its spécimen box.
Various forms of indicators may be used in connection with this apparatus
for determining the depth of the water, "Saxton's current indicator" will be
found suitable for the purpose. When using this apparatus for conveying a
line from the shore to a stranded vessel, the line case is attached to a rocket,
or other convenient projectile, thus avoiding the resistance of the air to the
motion of the line which occurs in the modes hitherto used for throwing lines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed g
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentle- s
man, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said. John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE
THROWING OF LIPE LINES," a communication from William P. Trowbridge,
residing at Washington, Columbia, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the 'Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus for taking soundings, and more particularly what are known as
deep sea soundings, but it is equally applicable to the throwing of life lines to
ships in distress, and in fact to the conveying or extending of lines across or
through any given space by the aid of a weight or projectile.
The essential feature of this Invention consists in having the line compactly
coiled in any suitable manner within a tube or case which is attached to the
sounding weight or plummet or to the projectile, and moves along with it,
the line being discharged as the weight or projectile descends or advances,
one end being secured or retained at the starting point, and the other attached
to the plummet or projectile.
The peculiar apparatus proposed to be employed in carrying out this In-
vention consists of a metal tube or casing for containing a requisite number of
balls of line, placed one above the other and having the outside end of the line

page_text: of one ball connected to the inside end of the line of the next ball so as to
connect the whole of the balls. A suitable cap is fitted to the top of the casing
to prevent the balls escaping, but allowing of the free passage of the line.
For deep.sea soundings, the weight has a hole made longitudinally through it,
and a shoulder at the top, which being lapped with a portion of the line is
made to fit into the lower mouth of the casing. Within the longitudinal hole
is an iron bolt fitted with a suitable specimen box at its lower end, and a ring
at the opposite end, by which it is connected to the line of the last ball.
In using the instrument one end of the line is retained on board the vessel,
whilst as the weight, and case descend, the line passes out through the top of
the casing as fast as required without being subjected to any resistance by
As the last ball is payed out, the
moving through the dense mass of water.
line uncoils from the shoulder of the weight, and releases it from the case,
which are both left at the bottom, the only article to be hauled up being the
iron bolt with its specimen box.
Various forms of indicators may be used in connection with this apparatus
for determining the depth of the water, but I prefer to employ "Saxton's
current indicator." When using this apparatus for conveying a line from the
shore to a stranded vessel, the line case is attached to a rocket or other suitable
projectile, thus avoiding the resistance of the air to the motion of the line
which occurs in the modes hitherto used for throwing lines.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents an external eleva-
tion of the apparatus complete; Figure 2 is a partial section of the case
shewing the arrangement of the balls of string, plummet, and bolt; Figure 3
is an enlarged elevation of the indicator detached, shewing the mode of discon-
necting or throwing out of gear the indicating wheels; Figures 4 and 5 are
full-sized details of the same; and Figure 6 is a plan of one of the vanes
connected with the indicating apparatus; Figure 7 is an elevation of the case
attached to a rocket for throwing a life line. A is a tube of tin or other
metal which contains the balls of line B, B' placed one above the other, this
tube may be about four inches in diameter, its length being such as to carry
the requisite length of line. At its upper end there is a movable conical
cap C, which prevents the balls from escaping, having an aperture at the top
through which the line D passes. The iron or leaden weight E, has a hole

page_text: through its entire length, and a shoulder F at the top which enters a corre-
sponding recess I of a little larger diameter, made at the bottom of the case
or line holder A. Within this hole in the weight an iron bolt G is placed
having a suitable specimen box H at the lower end, and a ring at the upper
end, to which the end of the line leading from the outside of the last ball in
the tube is fastened, a few feet of the slack of the line being coiled around
the shoulder F, which is thus made to fit snug in the recess I above named.
When the instrument is used, the end of the line D, leading from the
inside of the upper ball, is held at the deck of the vessel, while as the weight
descends the line passes out from each ball in succession, the other end of
every ball being secured to the inner end of the ball below it. The length of
line contained in the case must be equal to or greater than the depth of the
sounding, the surplus being given out as the line is hauled on deck. As the
outer layer of the last ball is paid out, the line then unwinds from the shoulder
F, thereby liberating the plummet E, and leaving it at the bottom, whilst the
the bolt G, and its contained specimen box H are drawn up through the tubo
or case (which is also left at the bottom) and brought to the surface. The
endwise resistance to the line is thus entirely obviated, as it remains stationary
at the very point in space in which the cylinder or case leaves it, the plummet
is not retarded by the line, and it descends with a rapid and uniform velocity
to the bottom, the paying out, and all the circumstances of motion being
uniform, great depths present no additional obstacle to the descent of the
plummet.
Various forms of apparatus may be used in connection with the node
herein described of conveying and discharging the line for the determination
of the depth of the water. The instrument preferred for this purpose is
known as "Saxton's current indicator;" its construction is shown in Figures
3, 4, 5, and 6. The recording spiral vanes J, J', have each a distinct ver-
tical axis K, K', upon which there is an endless screw L, which plays in the
differential worm wheels M, N, the number of their revolutions showing the
distance passed through. These wheels have their centre at ☐ within a frame,
so supported that when the levers R, R', are drawn upwards from the position
S, S', the indicating wheels are thrown out of gear with the endless screw L,
so that as the instrument is drawn up the vanes J, J', revolve without moving
these wheels. A string T is so fastened to the case A, and to the ends of
the lovers R, R', that the wheels are thrown out of gear, when by the pull
upon the main line the register is drawn off from its socket upon the top
of the conical cap C, Figure 1. Double vanes are used in order that one
may afford a check to the other in case of derangement of the mechanism,

page_text: they also, by revolving in opposite directions, prevent the instrument from
acquiring a rotatory motion. The line may be coiled in balls as herein
described, or in such other mode as will secure its rapid discharge from the
case. The line is of small size, and its strength need not be greater than will
suffice to bring up the register and bolt, which weigh about three pounds.
The hemp line employed bears a direct strain of forty pounds, and a case four
inches in diameter will contain about one mile of the line to each foot of its
length. This instrument is used for various other purposes besides the mea-
surement of depth as herein described, namely, for conveying a line from the
shore to a stranded vessel, the case containing it being attached to a rocket
or other projectile (as shewn at Figure 7), thus avoiding the resistance of
the air to the motion of the line, which takes place when it is thrown by
the modes heretofore used.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus for taking deep
sea soundings and throwing life lines, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a sounding plummet carrying its own
line in any suitable case attached thereto, as herein-before described.
Third the application and use of a line case or receptacle attached to a
rocket or other projectile which is thereby made to carry its own line, as
herein-before described.
Fourth, I claim generally the system or mode of conveying or extending a
line through a given space by means of a weight or projectile carrying the line
in a tube or case attached to such weight or projectile and moving along with
it, thereby paying out the line from the tube or case as fast as the weight or
projectile advances.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)