IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE LEVEL OR DEPTH OF WATER OR ANY LIQUID IN THE HOLDS OF SHIPS AND IN OTHER VESSELS OR RECEPTACLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Rayne and Robert Charlton, both of Newcastle-
on-Tyne, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS
FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE LEVEL OR DEPTH OF WATER OR ANY
LIQUID IN THE HOLDS OF SHIPS AND IN OTHER VESSELS OR RECEPTACLES."
Sealed the 20th October 1877, and dated the 27th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Rayne and Robert
Charlton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April
1877.
ROBERT RAYNE and ROBERT CHARLTON, both of Newcastle-on-Tyne. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE LEVEL
OR DEPTH OF WATER OR ANY LIQUID IN THE HOLDS OF SHIPS AND IN OTHER
VESSELS OR RECEPTACLES."
Our Invention has for its object more particularly the provision of reliable, ready,
and efficient means of ascertaining the depth of water in the holds of ships on the
occurrence of a collision, but it is also applicable for determining the level or depth
of water in water ballast tanks, and the level or depth of water or other liquids in
tanks, cisterns, and the like, and it consists, as applied to a ship, for example, in the
employment of a pipe, the lower end of which dips into the water in the hold,
whilst the upper end is connected to a suitable manometer or gauge, or by a bend
or syphon, with a mercurial tube having a graduated scale, and, if desired, also sur-
mounted by a dial, the hand of which is operated by a rack and pinion, or similar
means acted upon by the mercury in the tube. As the lower end of the pipe dips
into the water contained in the hold (or as the water rises past the end of the pipe)
the water will rise in the pipe; when therefore the water level varies, a corresponding
variation will be produced through the intervention of the intervening column of
air in the level of the mercury; and by suitably graduating the scale and also the
dial (when the latter is used), the approximate depth of water may be readily
ascertained from an inspection of the indicator or indicators without the necessity for
the adoption of the tedious and uncertain methods ordinarily employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Rayne and Robert Charlton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th October 1877.
"
ROBERT RAYNE and ROBERT CHARLTON, both of Newcastle-on-Tyne. IMPROVE
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE LEVEL
OR DEPTH OF WATER OR ANY LIQUID IN THE HOLDS OF SHIPS AND IN OTHER
VESSELS OR RECEPTACLES."
Our said Invention has for its object more particularly the provision of reliable,
ready, and efficient means of ascertaining the depth of water in the holds of ships on
the occurence of a collision, but it is also applicable for determining the level or
depth of water in water ballast tanks, and in different parts of mines, and the level
or depth of water, or other liquids, in tanks, cisterns, and the like, and it consists in
the employment of a pipe, one end of which dips into the water or other liquid,
whilst the other end is connected to a suitable manometer or gauge, or by a bend or
syphon, with a mercurial tube having a graduated scale, and, if desired, also sur-
mounted by a dial, the hand of which is operated by a rack and pinion, or similar
means acted upon by the mercury in the tube. By means of this arrangement
any variation in the level of the liquid is, through the intervention of the column of
air in the pipe, caused to act upon the indicating apparatus, so that the approximate
level or depth of the liquid may at any time be ascertained from an inspection of
the scale or dial without the necessity for resorting to the tedious and uncertain
methods ordinarily employed.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood, we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus
constructed according to our Invention, and arranged for ascertaining the depth of
water in the hold of a ship.
Figure 2 is a view illustrating the application of the Invention for determining
the level or depth of water in a well or tank; and Fignre 3 is a similar view, with
the apparatus represented as applied to a cistern.
In the examples shewn in the Drawings, the apparatus is composed of a pipe A
consisting of a tube a, and an expanded or box-shaped extremity b, and of a glass
syphon tube B containing mercury, and having a graduated scale c. The tube a is
connected at one end to the mercurial tube B, and at or to its opposite end is
formed or attached the box b, which is submerged in the liquid contained in the
hold, well, tank, cistern, or other vessel or receptacle C. The liquid has access
through the orifice d (Figure 1) to the interior of the box b, which it partially fills,
a layer or superstratum of air (in communication with the air within the other
portions of the pipe A) being constantly maintained between the upper surface of
the liquid contained in the box b and the top e of such box. When therefore any
variation takes place in the height of the column of liquid contained in the vessel
or receptacle C, a variation is produced in the level of the liquid contained in the
box b, which variation is communicated through the intervention of the column of
air in the pipe A to the mercury in the tube B; and the scale c having been
suitably graduated, the figure opposite the level of the mercury, as observed through
the glass tube, will denote the approximate depth or level of the liquid which it is
desired to ascertain.
By reason of the box 6 being made of a considerable sectional area in proportion
to the area of the tube a, and also being made shallow in proportion to its cubical
capacity, the fluctuations due to the expansion and contraction of the air in the box
band in the pipe A, which fluctuations thus take place in the box b in lieu of in
the tube a, are rendered so insignificant as to have no appreciable influence upon
the indications of the scale; and by a similar compensating action any required

page_text: length of tube a may be used between the box b and the indicator B without
affecting the indications of the latter.
The box is protected from being obstructed with dirt or other extraneous matter
by means of a wire gauze guard or rose with which the orifice d is provided.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Invention
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we
would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, ascertaining and indicating the level or depth of water or other
liquid in the holds of ships, and in other vessels or receptacles, by the employment
of apparatus or means, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Rayne and Robert Charlton, have
to this our Specification set our hands and seals, the Twenty-third day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ROBERT RAYNE.
(L.S.)
ROBERT CHARLTON. (LS.)