Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Obtaining Soundings of Depth from Ships or Vessels in Motion.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb.. 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Obtaining Soundings of
Depth from Ships or Vessels in Motion.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SCHWARTZ of 57 Eastcheap in the City of London Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows :-
The object of my Invention is to enable depths to be accurately and expeditiously
sounded and indicated without stopping or slacking the speed of ships or vessels from
which the soundings are taken. According to my Invention I provide a buoy or
floating device which contains or holds the sounding line or sinker and means
whereby the said line and sinker can be retained or released as desired and by which
the length of line payed out is indicated or transmitted to the ship or vessel. The
said buoy or float is provided with a line by which it is connected to the ship
or vessel preferably by means of a drum or windlass which will allow of the line
being payed out and wound up.
When the sounding is to be taken the buoy or float is lowered and floats on the
water and as the line by which it is connected to the ship or vessel runs out the
said buoy or float maintains its position at the surface of the water or practically so.
The sinker and sounding line being released descend perpendicularly or nearly so
until the sinker touches the bottom which touching is indicated by the running out
of the sounding line then ceasing or otherwise as may be convenient.
I do not limit myself to precise details by which the sounding line is released and
the length run out (and consequently the depth) is indicated. This may for instance
be effected by electricity or by the relief of a weight or the like when a buoy or float is
lowered into the water liberating a catch which releases a drum on which the
sounding line is wound.
When electricity is employed the buoy or float may be connected with the ship
or vessel by a line through which electric conductors are led, so that when the
electric circuit is completed an electro-magnet in the buoy is energized to release
the sounding line and afterwards if desired convey an electric signal to the ship or
vessel when the sounding lead or sinker reaches the bottom and the length of
sounding line then run out and consequently the depth. The indicating mechanism
may if desired be contained in the buoy or float to be referred to when the buoy or
float is hauled in after the sounding is taken.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1889.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47. Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Obtaining Soundings of
Depth from Ships or Vessels in Motion.
1 WILLIAM HENRY SCHWARTZ of 57 Eastcheap in the City of London Merchant
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:
The object of my Invention is to enable depths to be accurately and expeditiously
sounded and indicated without the necessity for stopping or slacking the speed of the
ships or vessels from which the soundings are taken. According to my Invention I
provide a buoy or floating device which contains or holds the sounding line or sinker
and means whereby the said line and sinker can be retained or released as desired
and by which the length of line payed out is indicated or transmitted to the ship or

page_text: vessel. The said buoy or float is provided with a line by which it is connected to
the ship or vessel preferably by means of a drum or windlass which will allow of the
line being payed out and wound up.
When the sounding is to be taken the buoy or float is lowered and floats on the
water and as the line by which it is connected to the ship or vessel runs out the
said buoy or float maintains its position at the surface of the water or practically so
the sinker and sounding line descending perpendicularly or nearly so until the
sinker touches the bottom which touching is indicated by the running out of the
sounding line then ceasing or otherwise as may be convenient.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure
is a side view partly in section, Figures 2 and 3 are end views. The
other Figures illustrate modifications and details as hereinafter described. B is a
water-tight casing constituting the float or buoy and having projecting from it a
framework F to support the one end of the axis of the drum C for the sounding
line the other end of the axis being supported in a bracket secured to the end
of the casing B.
A magnet and coils A. Figure 1 (which may be similar to that used for the
Wheatstone a b c instrument) is fixed in the casing B it being secured to a bracket a
fixed in the casing. E is an armature in proximity to the poles of the magnet the
spindle of the said armature passing through the stuffing box or bearing D and
engaging with the spindle of the drum C by a squared spigot on the one entering a
squared socket on the other so that they can be separated lengthwise. The other
end of the spindle of the armature is in the form of a pivot seated in a recess in the
end of the screw d and the opposite end of the spindle of the drum C has a bearing
in a screw G. The sounding line (which may be a thin wire or string) is coiled on
the drum C and carries the weight or sinker H. The descent of this weight causes
the drum and therefore the armature E to revolve before the poles of the magnet A.
thereby generating alternate electric currents which are conveyed by insulated wires
from the coils of the magnet A to and through the cable L and thence to a suitable
recording instrument on the vessel by which the number of revolutions can be
ascertained by reference to a scale and consequently the depth of the water in
which the sinker has fallen.
Or the electricity may be generated on the vessel by voltaic batteries or other
convenient generators or magneto-electric or induced currents may be used the
circuit of which is completed and broken at each revolution of the drum C or the
direction of flow of the current may be changed by a commutator in a similar
manner. This may be done by any convenient or known means but preferably as
follows and as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
A float and a drum are used as in Figure 1 but the spindle D carries on its end
an arrangement for breaking and completing the circuit at each revolution and the
following is found to be a convenient arrangement. The metal disc I Figures 4 & 5
which is secured to and revolves with the spindle D carries on its surface a sector
of ebonite or other non-conducting material i and the ends of the insulated wires
from the vessel are connected respectively to two metal springs jj insulated from
each other and pressing on the disc I the circuit being completed when both springs j
are on the metallic portion I at the same time; thus an electro magnet in the
indicator is actuated at each revolution of the drum. Or I may use a drum C
preferably of light wood (as shewn in Figures 6 and 7) divided longitudinally into
halves which are held together by the sounding line which is coiled round them.
The spindle G for the drum has a projection 9 which engages in recesses in the
halves of the drum so that the spindle revolves with the drum. The spindle G is
carried in the holder or frame F which is in electric connection with the wires of the
cable L and is provided with springs ; bearing on metal plates i secured to the ends
of the drum and electrically connected so that at each revolution the circuit is

page_text: completed as the springs at the same time make contact with the metal plates at each
side of the drum and so the number of revolutions and consequently the depth can be
ascertained as hereinbefore stated.
When the sounding line has all run off the halves of the drum separate from the
spindle and so only the frame has to be pulled in. I may of course use a drum
which does not separate and be lost as described but this will increase the labour and
time of pulling in.
In order to facilitate the pulling in of the float the line to which the sinker is
attached may be run entirely off the drum and be lost or the sinker may be released
on reaching the bottom by any convenient device for instance as follows (shewn in
Figure 8). The sinker H is cast with a hole lengthwise through it and is supported
by the arms m centred at m³ in the body part or core piece N which has in it a hole
allowing of longitudinal movement of the head p of the plug P. This head p when
in the position shewn keeps the arms m in the position shewa so that the sinker H is
supported by them.
When the part p² reaches the bottom the plug P ascends and as the head p leaves
the inner ends of the arms m they fall so as to allow the sinker H to be left on the
bottom when the apparatus is hauled in. If the part p² be cupped and adhesive
matter be placed therein it will serve to bring up a sample of the bottom in the usual
manner. The commencement of the descent of the sinker simultaneously with the
float reaching the surface of the water may be accomplished by the following device.
The float is lowered lengthwise the weight hanging from the small hook 9 Figure 1
which is at such an angle that as soon as the float is horizontally on the water the
weight slips off.
The float may be kept broadside on while being payed out by means of a peg and
socket attached to the line similar to that used with the ordinary log.
If frequent soundings are required the empty drum may be replaced by a charged
one by removing the screw G at the end of the spindle and moving the frame from
the position Figure 2 to that shewn in Figure 3 and withdrawing the drum or a
hollow cylinder on which another length of line is coiled may be slipped over
the drum.
If desired (and especially in making shallow soundings) the line and weight
attached may be run off the drum and be left at the bottom.
of
The indicator or recorder may be either in the buoy or on board ship and may be
any usual description either electrical or mechanical.
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 :-
1. In apparatus for obtaining soundings of depth from ships or vessels in motion
a buoy or float supporting the sounding line and connected to the ship or vessel and
means for indicating the length of sounding line payed out so that a vertical-or
approximately vertical descent of the sounding line is obtained with the ship or
vessel in motion substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus for obtaining soundings of depths from ships or vessels in motion
the combination of a float and drum for the sounding line with means for indicating
the length of line payed out substantially as herein before described and shewn in
Figure 1 and also the modifications shewn in Figures 4 5, 6 and 7.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1889
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.