IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DEEP SEA SOUNDING
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Grafton Jones, of Stoke Newington, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, and James Barnard Saunders, of Southampton,
in the County of Hants, Mariner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DEEP SEA SOUNDING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Grafton Jones and
James Barnard Saunders at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 31st October 1879.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and JAMES BARNARD SAUNDERS, of Southampton, in the County of
Hants, Mariner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DEEP SEA SOUNDING."
This improved apparatus for deep sea sounding acts on the well known law of
the pressure of liquids and fluids. For example, the weight of water or other fluid
is as the quantity, but the pressure exerted is as the vertical height.
In applying this law in accordance with our improvements, we construct a tube
or cylinder in two parts, the lower part being formed into an air and watertight
chamber; the upper part screws into the lower part, and a bush and cup leather
form a water tight partition between the upper and lower chambers of the
apparatus. The upper chamber is open to the water, and a plunger is arranged
therein and passes through the cup leather and bush into the lower chamber.
An eye is formed at the top of the upper chamber to which the sounding line is
attached.
To the lower side of the bush a Salter's spring balance is fixed, the other end of
the spiral spring being attached or secured to the bottom end of the plunger. The
upper end of the plunger has a collar or projection upon it, which in its descent
acts upon a pointer moving over a graduated scale fixed in the upper chamber, so
that as the plunger descends by the increasing pressure of the water as it sinks it
draws with it the pointer. Upon being hauled up the plunger returns to its
normal position, leaving the pointer behind, or in the position to which the plunger
had moved it, thus showing the exact vertical depth to which the apparatus had
descended.
The sectional area of the plunger is such that it represents a given weight upon
the index for every fathom of water above the plunger, and the spring balance is
made correspondingly to represent this weight.

page_text: In order to adjust the apparatus and set out the graduated scale or index the
apparatus is so formed that weights to indicate fathoms can be hung on to the
lower end of the plunger, the lower chamber being air tight. By this means
allowance is made for friction and the slight compression of the air by the descent
of the plunger into the lower chamber.
A tubular cover is placed over the upper chamber having a slot in it cor-
responding with the width of the graduated scale, which when opposite is seen
through the slot; but when the cover is turned partly round it covers and protects
the graduated-scale from injury.
The instrument or sounding apparatus may be used in like manner to the
ordinary lead line by simply casting it overboard, but when drawn up it will
indicate the exact vertical depth only, and is not affected by currents.
As the plunger descends it may be arranged to make and break contact in con-
nection with electric or magnetic apparatus, so as to give signals on deck at various
depths.
We have stated that this instrument may be used in like manner to the ordinary
sounding lead, but according to another part of our improvements it may be
Jowered by means of a rope or wire (insulated if desired) coiled around a drum or
pulley. This drum or pulley has a brake race upon it so arranged that by a
counter balance weight, the self acting brake.is held out of contact with the pulley
(or only partially out of contact) when the sounding apparatus is attached; but so
soon as the sounding instrument reaches the bottom and the, weight is taken off,
the self acting brake comes into action and prevents any slack wire or rope being
run out, thus preventing any accident caused by a kink" when raising the in
strument from accumulation of slack of line or wire on the bottom.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Grafton Jones and James Barnard Saunders in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th April 1880.
JAMES GRAFTON JONES, of Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex,.
Engineer, and JAMES BARNARD SAUNDERS, of Southampton, in the County of
Hants, Mariner. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DEEP SEA SOUNDING."
This improved' apparatus for deep sea sounding acts on the well known law of
the pressure of liquids and fluids. For example, the weight of water or other fluid
is as the quantity, but the pressure exerted is as the vertical height.
In applying this law in accordance with our improvements, we construct a tube
or cylinder a, a', in two parts, as represented in Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereto
annexed,
Figure 1 being a vertical section, Figure 2 an external view, and Figures
3 and 4 transverse sections of our improved sounding apparatus.
The lower part a' is formed into an air and water tight chamber, the upper part
being screwed into the lower part with a bush and cup leather or stuffing box so
as to form a water tight partition between the upper and lower chambers of the
apparatus. In practice we find it advantageous to employ a stuffing box a², as
shewn in the Drawings, packed with cotton and soft soap. The upper chamber a
is open to the water, a hole being formed at the top to afford free access thereto,'
and a plunger b is arranged therein and passes through the stuffing box a² or bush
into the lower chamber a¹. An eye a³ is formed at the top of the upper chamber a
to which the sounding line is attached.
To the lower side of the bush or stuffing box a² a spring balance c is fixed, the
other end of the spiral spring c being attached or secured to the bottom end of the
hollow plunger b. The upper end of the plunger 6 has a collar or projection 6¹
upon it, which in its descent acts upon a pointer d moving over a graduated scale
or index e fixed in the upper chamber a, so that as the plunger b descends by the
increasing pressure of the water as it sinks the collar b¹ upon it draws down with
it the pointer d. Upon being hauled up the plunger 6 returns to its normal
position, leaving the pointer d behind, or in the position to which the plunger b had.
moved it, thus showing the exact vertical depth to which the apparatus had
descended.
The sectional area of the plunger 6 is such that it represents a given weight
upon the indexe for every fathom of water above the plunger b, and the spring.
balance c is made correspondingly to represent this weight.
In order to adjust the apparatus and set out the graduated scale or index e
at its completion in the workshop, the apparatus is so formed that weights to
indicate fathoms can be hung on to the lower end of the plunger 6 (if solid).
attached by the rod 6x thereto, the lower chamber a¹ being made air tight by
means of a stuffing box in place of the screw plug.a* for the suspending rod 6*,,
Figure 5, to pass through.
By this means allowance is made for friction and the slight compression of the
air by the descent of the plunger b into the lower chamber a¹. But when 'the
plunger b is made hollow, as shown in the Drawings, it forms an air chamber
itself when the apparatus is in use, and in its descent into the lower chamber a','
the compression of the air in that chamber is inappreciable, and in marking the
index the stuffing box at ax is dispensed with, the screw plug being removed, and
the rod or suspending instrument 6x is simply passed through the opening at a*,i
and the end screwed into the bottom end of the plunger b. By this means the
accuracy of the instrument can be tested at any time on board.
A tubular cover f which partially revolves is placed over the upper chamber a
having a slot or opening in it corresponding with the width of the graduated
scale e, which when opposite is seen through the slot or opening, but when the'

page_text: cover fis turned partly round it covers and protects the graduated scale e from
injury.
In place of the plunger b previously described, the tube or barrel may be a
truly bored cylinder with a piston and rod working therein.
The instrument or sounding apparatus may be used in like manner to the
ordinary lead line by simply casting it over board, but when drawn up it will
indicate the exact vertical depth only, and is not affected by currents.
As the plunger descends it may be arranged to make and break contact in
connection with electric or magnetic apparatus, so as to give signals on deck at
various depths.
In place of the spring c for weighing the column of water being elongated as
in the ordinary spring balance, it may be an open spring dropped into the chamber
al, the bottom of the plunger being formed so as to compress the spring in place
of elongating it as previously described.
In constructing instruments in accordance with our Invention for taking very
deep soundings in order to reduce the pressure upon the spring c, the spring is
compressed in a cylinder (as shown at Figure 6) between two pistons A, B, of
different diameters, the pressure of the column of water being different upon the
piston A to that of the piston B, the pressure upon the spring being as the
difference between the area of the two pistons. The water in this arrangement of
sounding apparatus is admitted above the piston A and below the piston B, the
opening being protected by wire gauze to prevent the admission of foreign matters.
The construction of the upper part of the instrument shown at Figure 6 is the same
as that shown at Figures 1 and 2, and this instrument is indexed in like manner
to that previously described by hanging weights on. to the underside of the
piston B, the screw cap ax at the bottom of the cylinder a¹ being removed for this
purpose.
In order to compensate or reduce the compression of the air which is caused by
the larger piston Á in its descent forcing the air into the smaller cylinder, the tube
which carries the two pistons has a hole x in it between them, so that the whole
of the hollow piston rod A¹ forms an air chamber.
The space between the two pistons A and B may if desired be filled with oil, the
air in this case being compressed in the upper part of the hollow rod A'. In like
manner the lower chamber a¹, Figure 1, may be filled with oil.
The lower end of the cylinder a¹ is cupped to receive tallow, wax, or other
suitable substance for bringing up specimens of the bottom.
We have stated that this instrument may be used in like manner to the
ordinary sounding lead, but according to another part of our improvements it may
be lowered by means of a rope or wire (insulated if desired) coiled around a drum
or pulley. This drum or pulley has a brake race upon it, so arranged that by a
counter balance weight the self acting brake is held out of contact with the pulley
(or only partially out of contact) when the sounding apparatus is attached; but
so soon as the sounding instrument reaches the bottom and the weight is taken
off, the self acting brake comes into action and prevents any slack wire or rope
being run out, thus preventing any accident (caused by a kink when raising the
instrument), from accumulation of slack of line or wire on the bottom.
This part of our Invention is illustrated in Sheet 2 of the Drawings hereto
annexed, Figure 7 being a side elevation; Figure 8, a plan; and Figure 9, an end
elevation of lowering apparatus for sounding instruments arranged and constructed
in accordance with our improvements.
a is a drum or pulley the axis of which is supported in bearings a¹ on the end of
the forked lever b, which is carried by trunnions or bearings c! on the fixed-frame.c
mounted on the bed plate c² in the most convenient part of the ship or vessel bis
an adjusting weight on the end of the forked lever b, it being so adjusted on the
lever as to balance or nearly balance the drum alwith the rope or wire thereon, the
additional weight of the sounding instrument A causing the forked end of the
lever b to rest on the fixed stops cx on the frame c.
I

page_text: The drum is cast or formed with a brake race a² around which a brake strap a³
passes, one end of which is fixed at c³ to the frame c, the other end of the strap a³
being attached to the forked lever b by an adjustable screw b³.
When the sounding instrument A rests on the bottom the weight being thus
taken off the lever b, the weight 6' thereon preponderates and thereby puts on the
brake, and prevents any slack rope being run out from the drum a; a*, a*, are
crank handles for winding up the cord or wire on to the drum when raising the
instrument.
The number of revolutions of the drum a, and consequently the length of wire or
rope run out, is indicated in the following manner: -For this purpose the inner
circumference of one edge of the drum a is eccentric to the axis, and in each of its
revolutions acts upon the roller g' on the lever g, which carries a pawl acting on the
teeth of the ratchet wheel h which gives motion to toothed wheels to actuate a pointer i
upon the dial plate i¹, as will be readily understood on examining the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into practice, we would remark that we do not claim any of the parts
separately, which are well known and in common use, nor do we limit ourselves to
the exact details hereinbefore described, so long as the novel character of our
Invention is retained, but what we claim is,—
First. The improved arrangement, combination, and construction of apparatus
for taking deep sea soundings, in which the pressure of the column of water by
acting upon a plunger or. piston and spiral spring contained in a tube or cylinder
causes a pointer to indicate upon an index the depth or number of fathoms to
which the apparatus has descended, substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, Sheet 1 of the Drawings
annexed.
Second. We claim the improved arrangement and construction of automatic.
apparatus for lowering and raising deep sea sounding instruments, acting sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before fully described and
represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 2 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Grafton Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
35 Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
J. GRAFTON JONES. (L.S.)