IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker,
both of Oxford Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING
SOUNDINGS."
Sealed the 14th June 1867, and dated the 20th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Walker aud
Thomas Ferdinand Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th December 1866.
We, THOMAS WALKER and THOMAS FERDINAND WALKER, both of Oxford
Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS," to be as follows:--
Before using sounding machines for the purpose of taking soundings it is
desirable to turn the indicating wheels so that one of the figures thereon may
be definitely opposite a fixed pointer, in order to ascertain correctly after
taking a sounding the depth of such sounding by the extent of motion which
has been given to such wheels, and it is usual to move such wheels round so

page_text: that the pointers may point to the highest figures thereon as a starting point.
The adjustment for this purpose is ordinarily obtained by lifting the locking
lever and then moving the wheelwork to the starting point determined upon
by turning the vane spindle, an operation which is tedious in itself and involves
loss of time to perform it.
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, the said Thomas
Walker, bearing date the 13th of December 1861, No. 3130, I described a
method of remedying this evil by forming the figures of one of the wheels on
a separate plate, which is borne by spring pressure to its wheel, so as to give
it a tendency by the friction obtained to move with that wheel. By turning
this plate on its wheel the adjustment of the figures to the pointer for that
wheel is obtained. The other indicating wheel when a secondary indicating
wheel was used had still to be turned by the motion of the vane spindle as
heretofore.
Our present improvements consist in setting both indicating wheels at the
same time, and in affording facility for setting the wheelwork for use and then
after use of ascertaining the extent of motion obtained thereto without neces-
sarily looking at the instrument. For this purpose there is a plate connected
to one of the indicating wheels to move with it by spring pressure, and the
spindle of this plate carries a pinion, the teeth of which take into the teeth
of the other of the indicating wheels. This spring plate is, as in the Specifi-
cation referred to, capable of being moved by simply overcoming the frictional
pressure applied to it without turning its wheel, and it is notched at its edge
opposite to the figures thereon, and is provided with a notch or stop to act with a
spring click, so that in turning it its position for setting or starting and then
after use the distance of rotation from such starting point may be ascertained
without the necessity of looking at the indications by turning the stop to the
click, and then after use feeling the number of notches from such stop on the
wheel to the starting point.
According to present arrangements the weight used to aid the descent of
sounding machines through the water is attached close up to the lower part
of such machines, and we find that by such arrangement the "wake" of the
weight materially interferes with the correct registering of the machine, and
this evil is remedied by applying a rope or other connection between the weight
and the machine, we also find that it is important to have the length of this
connection between the weight and the machine not less than 2 feet, though
we do not confine ourselves to this length, and we find it convenient to employ
for this purpose a rope with its two ends connected together so as to form an

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WALKER and THOMAS FERDINAND WALKER, both of Oxford Street, Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, Her special licence that
we, the said Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Walker
and Thomas Ferdinand Walker, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TAKING SOUNDINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Walker and Thomas Ferdinand
Walker, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Walker, on behalf of myself
and the said Thomas Ferdinand Walker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
Before using sounding machines for the purpose of taking deep water

page_text: soundings it is desirable to turn the indicating wheels so that one of the
figures thereon may be definitely opposite a fixed pointer in order to ascertain
correctly after taking a sounding the depth of such sounding by the extent of
motion which has been given to such wheels, and it is usual to move such
wheels round, so that the pointers may point to the highest figures thereon as
a starting point. The adjustment for this purpose is ordinarily obtained by
lifting the locking lever and then moving the wheelwork to the starting point
determined upon by turning the vane spindle, an operation which is tedious in
itself and involves loss of time to perform it.
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, the said Thomas
Walker, bearing date the 18th of December 1861, No. 3130, I described a
method which partially remedied this evil by forming the figures of one of the
wheels on a separate plate which is borne by spring pressure to its wheel so
as to give it a tendency by the friction obtained to move with that wheel.
By turning this plate on its wheel the adjustment of the figures to the pointer
for that wheel is obtained; the other indicating wheel, when a secondary
indicating wheel was used, had still to be turned by the motion of the vane
spindle as heretofore.
Our present improvements consist in setting both indicating wheels at the
same time, and in affording facility for setting the wheelwork for use, and
then after use of ascertaining the extent of motion obtained thereto without
necessarily looking at the instrument. For this purpose there is a plate
connected to one of the indicating wheels to move with it by spring
pressure, and the spindle of th's plate carries a pinion, the teeth of which
take into the teeth of the other indicating wheels; this spring plate
is, as in the Specification referred to, capable of being moved by simply
overcoming the frictional pressure applied to it without turning its wheel,
and it is notched at its edge opposite the figures thereon, and is provided
with a notch or stop to act with a spring click, so that in turning it its
position for setting or starting, and then after use the distance of rotation
from such starting point may be ascertained without the necessity of looking
at the indications by turning the stop to the click, and then after use
feeling the number of notches from such stop on the wheel to the starting
point.
But that the Invention may be fully understood we will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by us in carrying

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 show two opposite side views, and Figure 3 an edge view,
partly in section, of apparatus for taking soundings with our improvements
applied to it; Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the same; Figures 5
and 6 show some of the parts on a larger scale. In each of the views the
same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts wherever they
occur.
a, a, is the main framing carrying the various parts; b, b, is the protector
or guard over the vanes c³ of the spindle c, but which protector b is removed
in Figure 1. Upon the spindle c is formed the thread c, which takes into
the teeth of the wheel d to cause the rotation of that wheel on its axis as the
spindle c is caused to revolve by the action of the water on the vanes c³ as
the apparatus is lowered through the water; this wheel d is the first indi-
cating wheel, but according to the Specification of the former Patent above
referred to the figures in place of being applied to the face of the wheel are
applied to a separate plate e capable of being moved thereon and retained to
the wheel d by spring pressure.
According to our present improvements a spindle from the plate e carries a
pinion f, so that the plate e and pinion f may move together, and the teeth of
the pinion gear with the teeth of the second indicating wheel 9, so that any
movement of the plate e on its axis effects simultaneously a rotative movement
of the second indicating wheel g.
According to the arrangement shown this is effected in the following
manner-The wheel d revolves on a hollow stem (1) affixed to or forming
part of the frame a, and at this part the wheel d is formed with a projecting
neck (2) adapted to receive the hollow neck (3) of the plate e; the neck (2)
of the wheel d is split, and the ends of the split parts are formed with a tendency
to spring outwards, and thereby exert friction to retain the plate e from freely
revolving without the wheel d, except when pressure is exerted to overcome
the force of the spring ends of the neck (2). The plate e is capable of being
thus turned independently of the wheel d. by acting on the projecting rim (4)
thereof, which I prefer to be milled. A spindle h is formed with a head h¹
at one end, and this head is provided with pins 5, 5, which pass into recesses
formed for them in the rim (4), so that the plate e and spindle h may rotate
together; the spindle h passes through the hollow stud (1), and at its other end
receives the pinion f, which is there fixed by a pin passed through it and the
spindle h; j, j, represent notches in the edge of the plate e, opposite the

page_text: respective figures on that plate; and k is a stop applied to the edge of the
plate e to act in the revolution of that plate against the projection l from
the cylinder which is acted on internally by the coiled spring m, one end of
which rests against a pin (6) standing out from the cylinder l, whilst the
other end acts in a notch in the neck (7) from the frame a ; n is a stud from
the frame a acting in a notch in the cylinder so as to regulate its motion;
the projection thereby acts as a spring click to admit of the passing of the
projection or stop k on the plate e with the movement of that plate in one
direction, and to prevent its passing in the opposite direction, and thereby
indicate the starting point.
According to arrangements of deep water sounding machines hitherto
generally in use the weight used to aid the descent of such sounding machines
through the water is attached close up to and immediately under the lower
part of such machines, and we find that by such arrangement the "wake" of
the weight in such position materially interferes with the correct registering
of the machine, and this evil is remedied by applying a rope or other con-
nection of some considerable length between the weight and the machine
when supporting such weight directly under the machine, we also find that it
is important to have the length of this connection between the weight and
the machine not less than 2 feet, though we do not confine ourselves to this
length, and we find it convenient to employ for this purpose a rope with it>>
two ends connected together so as to form an endless rope, or with a loop at
each end of it, and to connect the parts by looping.
Having thus described our improvements, and means which we adopt in
carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise arrangements of parts as shown and described
as these may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of tho
Invention; but what we claim is,-
The so arranging and combining parts of apparatus for taking soundings
that a plate e having on it the figures to correspond with the movements
of one of the indicating wheels, and connected to move with such wheel by
spring pressure, may be connected to the gear for giving motion to another
indicating wheel, so that any movement given to such plate may simul-
taneously effect the desired corresponding movement to such other indicating
wheel.
Also, we claim the application of means to such plate e to indicate the
point of starting.
Also, we claim the application of notches on such plate e in order that

page_text: its distance of partial rotation may be ascertained by feeling the same after
use.
We also claim the application of a rope or other connection applied between
the sounding machine and the weight used to aid the descent of such machine
for the purpose of keeping the action of the machine from being impeded by
the "wake" of such weight.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
THO. WALKER. (L.8.)