IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIN GAUGES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward John Stutter, of Ramsgate, in the County of Kent,
and James Joseph Hicks, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIN GAUGES."
Sealed the 8th August 1876, and dated the 17th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward John Stutter and
James Joseph Hicks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th
February 1876.
EDWARD JOHN STUTTER, of Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, and JAMES
"IMPROVEMENTS
JOSEPH HICKS, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex.
IN RAIN GAUGES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in rain gauges, whereby a simple,
cheap, and efficient means for ascertaining the rainfall during any given period is
obtained, and consists in recording the rainfall by distributing the rain water into
different receivers or reservoirs, the number of which will vary according to the
intervals they have to record.
.
We propose to carry our Invention into effect somewhat in the following
manner-We employ a receiver of any suitable construction and dimensions as
heretofore. Under this receiver we place a funnel or secondary receiver, provided
with a conducting tube or spout to conduct the rain water to a number of reservoirs
arranged in a circle within the outer case of the apparatus, and concentric with the
receiver. The secondary receiver or funnel is fixed to and rotated by a clock or
clockwork apparatus of any suitable construction, arranged to work for any desired
length of time, according to the length of time for which the gauge is arranged to
operate. The reservoirs are each by preference of such a size as to be capable of
holding the greatest quantity of rain water capable of falling within one hour, and
consequently if the rain gauge is desired to act for 24 hours there will be 24 of
such reservoirs; but the reservoirs may each be of dimensions suitable for holding
a greater or less rainfall than that above referred to, when the number thereof will
be proportionately decreased or increased. In the event of any of the reservoirs
overflowing during an extraordinary rainfall, the surplus water will be received
into the tray or case containing the reservoirs. These reservoirs may each be pro-
vided with a scale or graduation, or only one thereof may be so provided, or if
desired a separate measure may be employed into which the rain water is poured.
Price 6d.l

page_text: by hand from each reservoir in succession to measure the quantity thereof when
taking the state of the gauge.
In order to ensure the rain water from the spout of the funnel before described
falling correctly within each reservoir, we arrange immediately over such reservoirs
a circle of secondary funnels divided from each other by a very thin division, and
each of these secondary funnels is marked with the hour of the day or night
during which it is intended to act. We make these divisions as thin as possible in
order that the rain water from the spout or tube may not when the spout or tube
is gradually rotated be long divided by such partitions, and be so caused to fall
partly into two adjacent reservoirs, and for this same purpose we form the mouth of
the spout or tube narrow in a horizontal direction. This division of the rain water
between two reservoirs when the spout is passing the division between the secondary
funnels, may practically be altogether avoided by causing the clockwork to work
the spout somewhat in the manner of a dead beat minute hand, except that the
spout will for a longer period (as long as may be required for the peculiar arrange-
ment of the gauge) remain stationery, when it will receive a sudden impulse to
carry it from over one secondary funnel to over the adjacent one.
In order to relieve the clockwork from undue friction, the weight of the spout is
suitably counterbalanced.
In order to obviate the necessity of removing all the reservoirs when ascertaining
the state of the gauge, we provide doors in the side of the case, by opening which
it will be readily seen which of the reservoirs are empty and which it is necessary
to remove.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward John Stutter and James Joseph Hicks in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th August 1876.
EDWARD JOHN STUTTER, of Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, and JAMES JOSEPH
HICKS, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex. * IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIN
GAUGES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in rain gauges, whereby a simple,
cheap, and efficient means for ascertaining the rainfall during any given period is
obtained, and consists in recording the rainfall by distributing the rain water into
different receivers or reservoirs, the number of which will vary according to the
intervals they have to record.
We propose to carry our Invention into effect somewhat in the following
manner-We employ a receiver of any suitable construction and dimensions as
heretofore. Under this receiver we place a funnel or secondary receiver provided
with a conducting tube or spout, to conduct the rain water to a number of reservoirs
arranged in a circle within the outer case of the apparatus, and concentric with
the receiver. The secondary receiver or funnel is fixed to and rotated by a clock
or clock work apparatus of any suitable construction, arranged to work for any
desired length of time, according to the length of time for which the gauge is
arranged to operate. The reservoirs are each by preference of such a size as to be
capable of holding the greatest quantity of rain water known to fall within one hour,
and consequently if the rain gauge is desired to act for 24 hours there will be 24
of such reservoirs, but the reservoirs may each be of dimensions suitable for holding
a greater or less rainfall than that above referred to, when the number thereof will
be proportionately decreased or increased. In the event of any of the reservoirs
overflowing during an extraordinary rainfall, the surplus water will be received into
the tray or case containing the reservoirs. These reservoirs may each be provided
with a scale or graduation, or only one thereof may be so provided, or if desired a
separate measure may be employed, into which the rain water is poured by hand
from each reservoir in succession to measure the quantity thereof when taking the
state of the gauge.

page_text: In order to ensure the rain water from the spout of the funnel before described
falling correctly within each reservoir, we arrange immediately over such reservoirs
a circle of secondary funnels, divided from each other by a very thin division, and
each of these secondary funnels is marked with the hour of the day or night during
which it is intended to act. We make these divisions as thin as possible in order
that the rain water from the spout or tube may not when the spout or tube
is gradually rotated be long divided by such partitions, and be so caused to
fall partly into two adjacent reservoirs, and for this same purpose we form the
mouth of the spout or tube narrow in a horizontal direction. This division of the
rain water between two reservoirs when the spout is passing the division between
the secondary funnels, inay practically be altogether avoided by causing the clock-
work to work the spout somewhat in the manner of a dead beat minute hand,
except that the spout will for a longer period (as long as may be required for the
peculiar arrangement of the gauge) remain stationary, when it will receive a sudden
impulse to carry it from over one secondary funnel to over the adjacent one.
In order to relieve the clockwork from undue friction, the weight of the spout is
suitably counterbalanced.
In order to obviate the necessity of removing all the reservoirs when ascertaining
the state of the gauge, we provide doors in the side of the case, by opening which
it will be readily seen which of the reservoirs are empty and which it is necessary
to remove.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
3
Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 is a vertical section of a rain gauge, con-
structed according to our Invention.
Figure 3 represents at A a quarter plan, at B, another quarter plan with the
cover a* removed, at C, a quarter sectional plan on the line 1, 1, of Figure 2, and
at Da quarter sectional plan on the line 2, 2, of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of parts showing one of the reservoirs in a position
it would take when being removed from or inserted into its place in the gauge,
and Figure 5 represents an enlarged view of the outlet orifice of the secondary
receiver or funnel.
a is a receiver which may be of any suitable construction and dimensions ; under
this receiver we place a funnel or secondary receiver b, provided with a conducting
tube or spout b¹ to conduct the rain water to a number of reservoirs e arranged
in a circle within the outer case of the apparatus, and concentric with the
receiver a.
The secondary receiver or funnel b is fixed to an axis e¹ rotated by a clock or
clockwork apparatus e of any suitable construction arranged to work for any desired
length of time, according to the length of time for which the gauge is arranged to
operate. The reservoirs c are each by preference of such a size as to be capable of
holding the greatest quantity of rain water known to fall within one hour, and con-
sequently if the rain gauge is desired to act for 24 hours, there will be 24 of such
reservoirs, but the reservoirs may be of dimensions suitable for holding a greater or
less rainfall than that above referred to, when the number thereof will be pro-
portionately decreased or increased.
In the event of any of the reservoirs overflowing during an extraordinary rainfall,
the surplus water will be received into the tray or case containing the reservoirs
which may be drawn off or poured out and separately measured. These reservoirs c
may each be provided with a scale or graduation, or only one thereof may be so
provided, or if desired a separate measure may be employed, into which the rain
water is poured by hand from each reservoir in succession to measure the quantity
thereof when taking the state of the gauge.

page_text: In order to ensure the rain water from the spout of the funnel before described
falling correctly within each reservoir c, we arrange immediately over such reservoirs
a circle of secondary funnels f, divided from each other by a very thin division f¹,
and each of these secondary funnels is marked with the hour of the day or night
during which it is intended to act. We make these divisions f¹ as thin as possible
in order that the rain water from the spout or tube b¹ may not when the spout or
tube is gradually rotated be long divided by such partitions, and be so caused to
fall partly into two adjacent reservoirs c, and for this same purpose we form the
mouth of the spout or tube b¹ narrow in a horizontal direction as represented in the
enlarged view of the end thereof at Figure 5. This division of the rain water
between two reservoirs when the spout is passing the division f¹ between the
secondary funnels, may practically be altogether avoided by causing the clockwork
to work the spout 6 somewhat in the manner of a dead beat minute hand, except
that the spout b¹ will for a longer period (as long as may be required for the peculiar
arrangement of the gauge) remain stationary, when it will receive a sudden impulse
to carry it from over one secondary funnel f to over the adjacent one.
In order to relieve the clockwork from undue friction, the weight of the spout b
is suitably counterbalanced by a weight 2, as shown, or otherwise.
In order to obviate the necessity of removing all the reservoirs c when ascertaining
the state of the gauge, we provide doors d¹ in the side of the case d, by opening
which it will be readily seen which of the reservoirs are empty, and which it is
necessary to remove.
The clockwork e is supported on a fixed plate g on which are marked the hours
of the day and night, and the series of secondary funnels f, which may be remove-
able, are also similarly marked. The plate g has formed therein a series of clongated
holes or apertures g¹, and a fixed plate has formed therein a series of circular
holes corresponding in number to the number of reservoirs c in the gauge. These
holes or apertures g¹, h¹, serve to hold the reservoirs c correctly in position, whilst
they also by the elongated form of the holes g¹ permit of the easy withdrawal of
the reservoirs therefrom when required.
-
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the mode in which
we carry the same into effect, we would have it understood that what we claim as
our Invention of improvements in rain gauges is the peculiar arrangement and
combination of parts substantially as herein shown and described, in which the
rainfall is recorded by distributing the rain water into different receivers or
reservoirs the number of which is varied according to the intervals they have to
record.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Joseph Hicks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One