Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Determining the Orientation of Strata in Boreholes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
CAMILEIN DITUITIVATION,
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Determining the
Orientation of Strata in Boreholes.
I, HERMANN GOTHIAN, Restaurant Keeper, of Gosslar a.Harz, Prussia, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of the present invention is to render it possible to easily and accu-
rately determine the orientation of strata in bore holes, which could, hitherto,
only be ascertained by making several borings in different places, a process
possible only at a great expense of time and labour.
The essential feature of this invention consists in the arrangement of a freely
oscillating magnetic needle within a space enclosed by non-magnetic material,
which magnetic needle can be fixed in position at a predetermined moment, by
means of a mechanical device or otherwise, such fixed magnetic needle compared
with the position of some other body within the said apparatus, rendering it easy
to form a clear and exact estimate as regards the position and direction of the
masses of fluid under investigation.
In the accompanying drawings an example is given where the apparatus is
used for ascertaining the position and direction of strata under the surface of the
earth.
Figure 1 is a cross-section of part of a boring cylinder.
Figure 2 is a cross-section on a larger scale of the head of a boring cylinder,
with the apparatus out of action.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sections
of the apparatus when set for action."
Figures 6 and 7 show a plan and underside view of Figures 4 and 5 respec-
tively, and
Figures 8 and 9 represent the device for use in finally ascertaining the position
of the body to be examined.
The boring cylinder a consisting of several parts screwed together, the head b
of the boring cylinder and the first connecting rod c, are made of a non-magnetic
material. The end of the boring cylinder is provided with the usual boring
crown d provided with the usual core retainer for the core k. For the purpose
of holding and fixing the magnetic needle and comparing its relative position,
a clockwork mechanism is made use of, in this case serving as an example.
The clockwork mechanism is contained in a casing which is fastened to a
plate e fixed to the boring cylinder a and close up to the protecting head b also
screwed into or connected to the boring cylinder. In this casing is set, by
means of guides or ribs Figures 2 and 3, the clock-case proper h, so as not
to be movable, to which case the bottom plate h¹ carrying the clockwork
mechanism is fastened by means of a bayonet or other connection. The
clockwork is similar to that of an ordinary alarum clock, but without
SD: 037

page_text: of
the sounding device, or minute hand, and is provided with a spring
hand. The settling hand r can be set as required, as in the case
alarum clocks. On the upper end of the minute-wheel-shaft oscillates, freely,
a magnetic needle which can, by suitable means be suddenly lifted and securely
held against a bar m on the inner side of the clock-case h. For this purpose
the magnetic needle may be provided with small pin-like projections, and the
bar covered with a layer of paper leather or material with which the pins may
engage. The holding device for the magnetic needle, consists of a spring n
(Figures 2 and 4 to 7), which is fastened at the upper part of the mechanism and
provided at its lower end with a conical pin 0. The pin O rests against a
conical projection or end of a lever p thereby keeping that lever and its pin pl
out of engagement with the balance q of the clockwork (Figures 5 and 7). The
hand being set at any desired number (Figures 2 to 5) the dial 2,
and with it, the
the number 11 (Figure 3) the spring n
lower hand will move upwards the moment the projection S Figures 4
and 5 enters a corresponding recess in the setting disc connected to the hand ¹.
The magnetic needle 7, is, thereby, pressed against the bar m and held securely
Figure 2. At the same moment, the conical pin O is freed from contact with
the lever and the pin is pressed by means of the spring t, against the
balance Figure 7, thus stopping at the same moment the action of the clock-
work mechanism. The clock-work thus stopped and the magnetic needle fixed
in the position it occupied at that moment pointing due north, as shown by the
hatched needle in Figure 8; the boring rods and cylinders are drawn up to the
surface to be examined.
say
on
The apparatus is used in the following manner. At the lower edge of the
boring cylinder there are two marks opposite to each other say marks A and B,
Figure 8. The core that had been drawn up with, and inside the cylinder, is
then marked when still undisturbed in the cylinder, with a line corresponding
to the above marks A B Figure 8, and then placed, contained as it is in the
cylinder, in a socket piece Figure 9 also provided with marks exactly corre-
sponding with the marks A and B, of the cylinder, so that the marks correspond
on the cylinder with the marks on the socket. The socket with the cylinder,
and cone inside, is now placed perpendicularly on a horizontally revoluble disc v
Figures 8 and 9, also marked with a straight line marked A 1, the socket being
so placed on it that the marks A B of the socket exactly correspond with the
line marked A B on the disc.
The connecting part 6 of the boring cylinder is next taken off, as well as the
cover of the clockwork casing, thereby exposing to view the time-dial and
the magnetic needle. By means of plumbs w the direction of the fixed magnetic
needle is ascertained, the points indicated on the disc by the plumbs, joined by
a straight line and the N. pole indicated by the needle marked thereon. The
different parts of the cylinder are now unscrewed until the core is exposed with
the several strata exhibited in their true relative position to the pole N. The
clock-work is now set on the case and so arranged that the still stationary mag-
netic needle is again placed in a vertical plane passing through the line deter-
mined by means of the plumbs. The magnetic needle is now set free to oscillate
by turning back the hand r. The needle will now seek the true north pole and
stop oscillating. Now the core together with the clock mechanism on it is
turned by means of the revoluble disc on which it stands, until the N. pole of the
magnetic needle again comes over the number on the dial over which it was found
when brought to the surface, i.c., where it was fixed at the bottom of the boring.
The position of the core so fixed as regards the N. pole is the same as that it
occupied originally in the earth. In case the lowest portion of the core is to be
examined, which is still contained in the crown of the boring cylinder and held
by the core-retainer, the core is drawn out upwards, care being taken to keep the
line marked on the core in the direction A B and then placed as before, on
the line A B and the operation carried on as before,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. Apparatus for determining the orientation of strata in boreholes charac-
terised by a freely oscillating magnetic needle which can be fixed at a predeter-
mined time by mechanical or other means, and means for regulating and com-
paring said position with a known position, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the kind described, for ascertaining the position or dip of
strata or the like a boring cylinder, provided with clockwork mechanism and a
magnetic needle adapted to be secured in a stationary position by the operation
of the clockwork at a predetermined time and means whereby after the boring
cylinder has been withdrawn from the earth, its core contents may be adjusted
as regards position, until the position the core occupied when still part of the
earth is again exactly reproduced substantially as described.
3. In a boring cylinder of the kind described the arrangement of a fixed disc
supporting a clockwork mechanism so arranged that by means of a lever con-
nected with the setting hand (r) the clockwork mechanism can be stopped and at
the same moment the magnetic needle fixed in the position it then occupied,
substantially as described.
4. In apparatus of the kind described clockwork mechanism provided with a
dial or equivalent, bearing figure or like marks, in combination with a mag-
netic needle and means for fixing same at a predetermined time, substantially
as described.
5. In apparatus of the kind described a revoluble disc provided with a straight
line A B, in combination with sockets, as u and u¹, also provided with indi-
cating marks, and plumbs for the purpose of comparing the marked boring-
cylinder, the core and the magnetic needle in relation to the scale disc, substan-
tially as described.
6. The complete apparatus for determining the orientation of strata in bore-
holes substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 31st day of January 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.