An Apparatus for Indicating the Height of the Water or Bilge in the Holds of Ships, of Water or other Liquids in Cisterns, Tanks, and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Indicating the Height of the Water or Bilge in
the Holds of Ships, of Water or other Liquids in Cisterns, Tanks,
and the like.
I, THOMAS FAIRLIE FAIRLIE, of 17 Cedars Road, Stratford, London, E., Engineer,
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 has for its object the construction of an apparatus for indicating the
height of the water or bilge in the holds of ships, of water or other liquids in cisterns,
tanks and the like, and consists of a vessel or container of suitable capacity, which
is half or partly filled with water oil or other liquid. This vessel is fixed in any
suitable position near to the hold of the ship or in proximity to the cistern or tank of
water or other liquid, or elsewhere.
To the top of the vessel or container is attached a tube or pipe which is placed in
connection with a pipe dipping into the water or bilge in the ship's hold or water or
other liquid in the cistern or tank. To the bottom of the vessel or container is fixed
a bend or arm to which is attached a graduated glass tube or cylinder of suitable
height. The upper end of the glass tube is open to the air, and the tube is so marked
as to directly indicate the height of the water or bilge in the said hold or water or
other liquid in the said cistern or tank.
It is necessary that the connections of the tubes or pipes with the vessel and with
each other should be air-tight, and in order to ensure this I surround the junction of
the aforesaid bend or arm and the graduated glass tube with a gland and stuffing-box
arrangement, hereinafter described.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood I have appended
the accompanying sheet of drawings.
c
In which, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the vessel, bend and graduated glass
tube, etc., and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the whole apparatus.
In these Figures similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the vessel or container filled with water, oil or other liquid B.
a, a are the
lugs for the attachment of the vessel A to any part of the ship or other structure.
(is the tube or pipe attached to the top of vessel A, and placed in connection with
the pipe D dipping into the water or bilge E (Fig. 2) in the hold of the vessel or
water or other liquid in the cistern or tank. To the end of the pipe D is fastened a
rose-box b (Fig. 2) to prevent said pipe becoming choked. F is the arm or bend
attached to the bottom of the vessel A. The outer end of this bend is screwed to
receive a cap-nut G. Inside the cap-nut G is the gland H, which by turning the
cap-nut G is caused to press upon the packing I surrounding the end of the graduated
glass tube J.
The tube J may be provided with a flange at its lower end to
additionally aid in keeping it in its position in the bend or arm.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The rise of the water or bilge in the hold of the ship or of the water or other
liquid in the cistern or tank will cause a corresponding rise in the pipe dipping into
the same; this rise will compress the air in the said pipe and in the tube or pipe
fixed to the vessel or container and also in the vessel itself, thus causing the water,
oil or other liquid in the container to be depressed and to simultaneously rise in
the bend and graduated glass tube. When the level of the water or bilge in the
hold of the ship or the water or other liquid in the cistern or tank becomes lower
a fall of the liquid in the graduated tube takes place simultaneously. These rises and
falls in the graduated tube, owing to the graduation, thus afford a means of
ascertaining from a distance the height of the water or other liquid as aforesaid, and
it is consequently applicable wherever this end is desired.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
The improved apparatus for indicating the height of the water or bilge in the
holds of ships, of water or other liquid in cisterns, tanks and the like, substantially as
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of September 1889.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, W.C., Agent for Applicant.