An Improved Instrument for Forecasting the Weather.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Instrument for Forecasting the Weather.
I WILLIAM MALIN GARDNER of Westbrooke House, Byfield, in the County of
Northampton, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an instrument to give certain indications which taken in
relation with readings from a barometer will serve to assist in forecasting the state of
the weather.
According to my invention I provide in a vertical position a short length of glass
tube hermetically sealed at its base and fitted with a stop cock at its upper part
surrounded by a cup or well sufficiently large to contain water in quantity sufficient
to submerge the stop cock and thus avoid any admission of air which otherwise might
leak through its plug.
Below the stop cock and extending at right angles from the vertical glass tube I
carry a branch tube extending to a short distance horizontally and then being bent
downwards vertically and gradually reduced in diameter to form a length of capillary
tube about 9 inches long having a bore of about one sixteenth of an inch.
The vertical glass tube hereinbefore referred to is charged with distilled water
admitted through the stop cock and allowed to rise therein until it fills this tube to
the level of the branch pipe and then delivers a sufficient additional quantity to admit
some water to the capillary tube leaving the branch pipe connecting the capillary
tube and the store tube to act as a reservoir charged with air. The stop cock is then
closed and the instrument is ready for use.
The operation of the instrument depends upon the barometric pressure, the tem-
perature and the humidity of the atmosphere upon which conditions the level of the
water in the capillary tube depend so that by making allowance for the atmospheric
pressure as indicated by a barometer, and the temperature as indicated by a ther-
mometer the movement in the capillary tube due to the humidity of the atmosphere
may be taken into account for forecasting the weather.
When the water in the capillary tube descends so low as to form a drop suspended
at the lower extremity of the capillary tube there is a loss by evapouration and this
loss must be recovered by periodically admitting small quantities of water through
the stop cock bereinbefore mentioned.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1889
AYRTON & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Instrument for Forecasting the Weather.
I WILLIAM MALIN GARDNER of Westbrooke House Byfield in the County of
Northampton, Gentleman 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 relates to an instrument to give certain indications which, taken in
relation with readings from a barometer will serve to assist in forecasting the state of
the weather.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Instrument for Forecasting the Weather.
I WILLIAM MALIN GARDNER of Westbrooke House Byfield in the County of
Northampton, Gentleman 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 relates to an instrument to give certain indications which, taken in
relation with readings from a barometer will serve to assist in forecasting the state of
the weather.
The accompanying drawing shows the instrument made in accordance with my
invention.
A is a short length of glass tube hermetically sealed at its base and fitted with a
stop cock B hermetically sealed upon the upper extremity of the glass tube A. The
•

page_text: stop cock B is surrounded by a cup or well C large enough to contain water in
quantity sufficient to submerge the stop cock and thus avoid any admission of air
which otherwise might leak through its plug...
Below the stop cock B and extending at right angles trom the vertical glass tube A
I carry a branch tube of glass D extending to a short distance horizontally and then
being bent downwards vertically and greatly reduced in diameter to form a length of
capillary tube E about nine inches long having a bore of about one sixteenth of
.an inch.
The glass tube A is charged with distilled water admitted by the funnel end F of
the stop cock B and allowed to rise therein until it fills this tube to the level of the
branch tube D and then delivers a sufficient additional quantity to admit some water
to the capillary tube E leaving the branch tube D and the upper part of the store
tube A to act as a reservoir charged with air disconnected from the atmosphere by
closing the stop cock B.
The operation of the instrument depends upon the barometric pressure, the tem-
perature and the humidity of the atmosphere upon which conditions the level of the
water suspended in the capillary tube E depends so that by making allowance for the
atmospheric pressure as indicated by a barometer and the temperature as indicated
by a thermometer, both of which conditions influence the elasticity of the cushion of
air locked in the tubes A and D above the level of the water contained in the tube A,
the movement of the water suspended in the capillary tube E, due in part to the
humidity of the atmosphere, may be taken into account for forecasting the weather.
When the water descends so low as to form a drop suspended at the lower extremity
of the capillary tube E there occurs a loss by evaporation which loss must be
recovered by periodically admitting small quantities of water through the stop
cock B.
The apparatus may be mounted upon a board or upon any suitable stand allowing
the capillary tube E to occupy a vertical position.
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
Apparatus for forecasting the weather consisting of a reservoir of water, a capillary
tube with water suspended therein and a cushion of air, isolated from the atmosphere,
intervening between the reservoir of water and the water suspended in the capillary
tube, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1890.
AIRION & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.