Improved Apparatus for Indicating the Depth at which Liquids stand in Vessels out of sight, irive the Indicating Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
Improved Apparatus for Indicating the Depth at which Liquids stand
in Vessels out of sight, irrespective of the relative horizontal
position of such Vessels to the Indicating Apparatus.
I, LEONARD MURPHY, of Lizzieville, Richmond Road, County Dublin, Ireland,
Distiller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus whereby the depth
of liquids in vessels or tanks out of sight may readily be indicated in a simple,
convenient and accurate manner and irrespective of the distance or the position
at which such vessels or tanks may be placed.
In carrying out my invention I first arrange in the vessel or tank, respecting
which it is desired to record the depth of the contents a suitable pipe which may
be of any convenient bore, but whose length should correspond to the depth of
the contents.
The pipe is provided with a bell shaped Hange on its lower end to facilitate its
standing vertically, and to its upper end is connected a tube which is conducted
through the upper shell of the vessel or tank to the recording instrument which
as already stated may be fixed in any convenient position irrespective of distance
or horizontal plane.
The recording instrument consists of two vertical glass tubes arranged parallel
to each other and connected at lower extremities.
These tubes are of a predetermined bore and in length should be slightly greater
than the full depth of the contents of the vessel or tank in question.
The top of one glass tube is open, while to the top of the second tube the con-
necting pipe is hermetically sealed, and both tubes are charged with water or
other suitable liquid until about half full.
A suitable air valve is provided in the connecting pipe to receive the nozzle
of an air pump or other air compressing device.
The action of the apparatus thus arranged is as follows:-
Air is pumped through the valve into the connecting pipe which immediately
causes the liquid in the recording instrument to rise in the open ended limb or tube,
while at the same time expelling any liquid which may have risen in the vertical
tube standing in the vessel or tank and finally escaping through the liquid.
The apparatus is now in working order and will automatically indicate the
depth of liquid in the distant vessel or tank, thus:-
The hight of water or other liquid in the respective limbs of the instrument
will be different and will vary according as the depth in the distant vessel or tank
varies and the difference between the two levels will give the depth required, it
being understood that liquid of the same density is used in the vessel, or tank, and
the recording instrument, otherwise it is obvious the reading. will be in proportion
to densities of the liquids employed.
A graduated sliding rule fitted with a pointer at base is provided for reading

page_text: the number of inches registered, it being necessary to set pointer to the level of
the liquid in limb connected with distant vessel or tank and read figure on rule
marked by liquid in open limb of instrument.
Should the vessel or tank be of an inconvenient depth the reading of the instru-
ment may be reduced to half scale by allowing the compressed air to escape where-
upon the liquid in both limbs will stand at same level.
The pointer is then fixed at this level and having again pumped in an excess of
air, the number of inches to which the liquid rises indicates half the total difference
or depth of liquid in the distant vessel or tank.
By increasing the bore of the open limb of the instrument and fixing pointer
as before a reduced reading of any scale may be obtained, provided always that
both limbs are of greater length than the depth of the contents of the distant
vessel or tank.
Dated this 24th day of T1007
J. K. FAHIE & SON,
Agents for Applicant, 9, Westland Row, Dublin.
Improved Apparatus for Indicating the Depth,at which Liquids stand
in Vessels out of sight, irrespective of the relative horizontal
position of such Vessels to the Indicating Apparatus.
I, LEONARD MURPHY, of Lizzieville, Richmond Road, County Dublin, Ireland,
Distiller, 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 improvements in apparatus whereby the depth
of liquids in vessels or tanks out of sight may readily be indicated in a simple,
convenient, and accurate manner and irrespective of the distance or the position
at which such vessels or tanks may be placed.
A depth indicator according to my invention may be used for showing, not only
the depth of liquid in any vessel or number of vessels connected with it, but also
for indicating the depth of lakes, rivers, or waters generally, reservoirs, sewage
tanks, wells, sewers, pits, receivers, ship's holds, casks etc. It may also be used
for measuring the depth of liquids generally such for instance as coal-tar, oils,
acids or spirits etc., and in a modified form for boilers, stills, vacuum pans, or other
vessels in which the pressure differs from that of the atmosphere. The registering
part may be placed in any position relative to the vessel or vessels or at any distance.
from them, provided that a close tube is led from each vessel to the registering
instrument.
1.
There are no working parts between the register and vessel or in the vessel or
register, and the liquid in the vessel is not affected by the register or used for it.
An entrance into the top of each vessel is sufficient, and only a pipe of small bore
is necessary.
The indicator may be of various forms as I shall describe with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a building shewing how a single depth. indicator
may be employed to ascertain the depth of liquid in a tank, a number of separate.
vessels, and a well.
Fig. 2 is a section of a convenient form of indicator...
Fig. 3 shews a modified form:

page_text: Fig. 4 shews a form applicable for ascertaining the depth of liquid in vessels
in which the pressure is greater or less than the atmospheric pressure.
=
As shewn in Figure 1, a depth indicator or gauge G can be applied to ascertain
the depth of liquid in a tank T or a number of vessels A or a well W, all of which
may be at different levels relatively to that of the indicator itself. For this
purpose it is only necessary to lead a small pipe: P from near the bottom of each
vessel or body of liquid to the indicator. When a number of vessels have to be
gauged it is convenient to lead all the pipes P as branches to one common pipe S,
each separate pipe P' having a stop or valve which is opened when the particular
vessel to which it belongs is to be gauged. The indicator shewn in Fig. 1 is of
the kind shewn to an enlarged scale in Fig. 2. It consists of a bulb or reservoir R
communicating at its bottom with the lower end of a vertical glass tube G. which
when it contains liquid the same as that gauged should be of height somewhat
greater than the greatest depth to be gauged.. From the reservoir Ra pipe B
communicates with the pipe S, and from it a branch pipe C leads to the discharge
of an air pump D, a bell gas holder or other apparatus for delivering air under
pressure: When any one of the cocks at S is opened and air is forced by the
branch C into the pipe B with sufficient pressure to cause it to bubble through
the liquid in the vessel with which the opened cock corresponds, then as the
same pressure acts in the reservoir R it causes the liquid to rise in the tube G
to such a height that the column shall balance the column in the vessel A through
which the air is blown. When the liquid in A is of the same specific gravity as
that in the indicator, then the height of column in the glass G is the depth of the
liquid in the vessel A. When, however, the liquid in A is of a specific gravity
different from that in the indicator which might be mercury for instance then
the height of column in G bears to the depth of liquid in. A the proportion of their
respective specific gravities.
If the sectional area of the tube G is small relatively to that of the reservoir R,
then the lowering of the level in R as the liquid rises in G may be neglected. If,
however, great exactitude is required then a sliding scale may be applied to G,
the zero of the scale being set at the level of the liquid in R, if R is transparent,
or when it is not transparent, it may be set to the level seen in a glass gauge
applied to the reservoir R.
As shewn in Fig. 3 the indicator consists of two concentric glass tubes, an inner
tube g which is connected to the pipe B and an outer tube II to the bottom of which
the inner tube nearly reaches. By means of a sliding scale K the difference of
height of the liquid in the two tubes can be measured, that difference being equal
or proportional to the depth of the liquid in the vessel to which the inner tube is
connected.
For the pair of concentric tubes shewn in Fig. 3, a tube bent to U form may
be substituted, and when such a gauge or any gauge having an open tube is em-
ployed the air pump or compressor may be dispensed with, the depth in the distant
vessel or reservoir being ascertained in the following manner. The gauge being
emptied, liquid is poured into the open limb until the difference of level in the
two limbs remains unchanged even when more liquid is poured in, shewing that
this difference is equivalent to the column through which the air displaced has
to pass in the distant vessel or reservoir.
Although I have described gauges in which the pressure is indicated by a
column of liquid, obviously pressure gauges of other known kinds could be em-
ployed in connection with the air pump or compressor, the pressure indicated
always corresponding to that of the liquid column through which the air has to
be forced in the vessel or re:ervoir.
As shewn in Fig. 4, the U gauge may be employed to ascertain the depth of
liquid in a closed vessel subject to internal pressure less or greater than the atmo-
spheric pressure. In that case the one limb of the U is connected by a pipe to
the top of the vessel and the other limb to a pipe which extends nearly to the
bottom.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Apparatus for measuring, the depth of liquid in a vessel or at a place distant
from and not necessarily level with the indicator, the said apparatus comprising
a pipe leading from the bottom of the liquid to be gauged to a barometer bulb
or equivalent pressure gauge, and a branch from the pipe to an air pump or com-
pressor substantially as described.
2. The apparatus modified as applied to a closed vessel by connecting the one
column of a gauge by a pipe to the top of the vessel and the other column to a
pipe leading to the bottom of the vessel with branch to an air pump or compressor,
substantially as described.