IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCER- TAINING SPECIFIC GRAVITIES AND THE BULK OF SOLIDS, AND ALSO FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Alfred Mosley Bennett, of Oakfield Gateacre, near
Liverpool, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCER-
TAINING SPECIFIC GRAVITIES AND THE BULK OF SOLIDS, AND ALSO FOR OTHER
SIMILAR USES."
Sealed the 20th March 1866, and dated the 28th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Mosley Bennett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th September 1865.
I, ALFRED MOSLEY BENNETT, of. Oakfield Gateacre, near Liverpool, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING SPECIFIC GRAVITIES AND THE BULK OF SOLIDS, AND
ALSO FOR OTHER SIMILAR USES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for ascertaining
the specific gravities and the bulk of solids, and also for other similar uses. For
these purposes I use a vessel which is provided with an overflow spout, and
suitably mounted in conjunction with this vessel, one or more graduated tubes
or measuring vessels, so placed that any liquid escaping from the first vessel
may be delivered by the spout into one or other of the graduated vessels.
By preference the spout presents a nearly vertical knife edge next the fluid,

page_text: and this is cut to the meniscus of the fluid used, but in some cases the fluid is
drawn to a level by a capillary opening. The tubes are graduated fractionally
of some standard of number or weight, that is so as to indicate the greater
number the less they contain, also so as to shew cubic contents and the weight
of fluid they contain. Loosely fitting the overflow vessel is a floater or scale
pan. In using the apparatus the larger vessel is at the commencement of the
operation filled with water or liquid, and made to overflow, and then the spout
-is-put-into-connection_with_one_of_the_tubes or measuring vessels. In order
to immerse the body, or such part of it as it may be intended to immerse, I
use a bed plate or cradle with machinery for immersing it so arranged that
whatever part or parts are withdrawn from immersion are compensated for
by other parts immersed, so that the cradle can be placed at any, height or
position in the fluid without causing any overflow. The adjustment being
effected, and supposing, for example, that it be required to ascertain the
specific gravity of a body lighter than the liquid employed, say water, the
body is placed upon the bed plate and allowed to float on the water, and thus
a quantity of water is caused to overflow into a graduated vessel, and the.
quantity so overflowing is carefully observed. This being done the body is
entirely immersed in the water, and so a further quantity of water is caused
to overflow into the graduated vessel, which is again observed. Then the
specific gravity required will be the decimal obtained by dividing the number
of divisions first observed by the number of divisions representing the water
displaced by the total immersion of the body.
To find the specific gravity of a body heavier than the fluid, say water, the
substance is first immersed, and the overflow is observed; it is then attached
to the floater made to suit the overflow vessel, and whose displacement and
weight are marked on it; it is then floated, and the overflow again carefully
observed. The displacement of the floated is subtracted from the last obser-
vation, and then the specific gravity of the body is the decimal obtained by
0¹
dividing the first observed overflow by the last, less the constant, thus
specific gravity-of-the-body, and if-the-water be the fluid_used,
one cwt. of those bodies.
3100
No. in
The machine registers the number of objects in some standard of measure
or weight by means of its fractional index. It is an accurate balance, no
matter what its load. . Objects are weighed by putting them within the scale
pan, and subtracting from the. weight indicated by the measure the weight of
the floater, which is a constant. Where the scale pan is large its weight is

page_text: compensated. Again, if it be desired to ascertain the bulk of an irregular or
other solid it is necessary only to immerse it in the liquid, and observe in the
graduated vessel the quantity of water which it displaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Mosley Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
MOSLEY BENNETT, of Oakfield Gateacre, near Liverpool, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Mosley Bennett, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Mosley Bennett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Mosley Bennett, my 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING SPECIFIC GRAVITIES.
AND THE BULK OF SOLIDS, AND ALSO FOR SIMILAR USES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Mosley Bennett, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Alfred Mosley Bennett, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bu
performed, be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
For
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for ascertaining.
specific gravities and the bulk of solids, and also for other similar uses..
these purposes I use a vessel which is provided with an overflow spout, and
" '

page_text: suitably mounted in conjunction with this vessel one or more graduated tubes
or measuring vessels so placed that any liquid escaping from the first vessel'
may be delivered by the spout into one or other of the graduated vessels. By
preference the spout presents a nearly vertical knife edge next the fluid, and
this is cut to the meniscus of the fluid used. The tubes are graduated
fractionally of some standard of number or weight, that is so as to indicate
the greater number the less they contain, also so as to show cubic content,
and the weight of fluid they contain. Loosely fitting the overflow vessel is a
floater or scale pan. In using the apparatus the larger vessel is at the com--
mencement of the operation filled with water or liquid, and made to overflow,
and the lip of the spout is put into connection-with one of the tubes or
measuring vessels. In order to immerse the body, or such part of it as it
may be intended to immerse, I use a bed plate or cradle with machinery for
immersing it so arranged that whatever part or parts are withdrawn from
immersion are compensated for by other parts immersed, so that the cradle
can be placed at any height or position in the fluid without causing any
overflow..
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
⚫ In Sheet I., Figure 1 is a side view about one-half the real size of an
apparatus constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a vertical
section; Figure 3 a side view'; Figure 4 a plan, and Figure 5 a horizontal
section of the same; Figure 6 is a side view, and Figure 7 a plan of the
floater or pan k; Figure 8-is a plan of the bed plate or cradle f. à, a, is the
overflow vessel supported on two standards b and c springing from the hollow
base d. In the standards b and c the measuring tubes are formed; this is
conveniently done by grooving the standards and closing the grooves in front
by a strip of glass, which is held in its place either by angle pieces of brass, as
is shown at 6', b, or as is shown on the other side of the Figure; the glass
strip, together with a strip of boxwood, are dropped-into-chases-formed-for-
them in the sides of the standard c, and the joint is made tight by white lead
or cement. The graduations in the first case are made on the metal angle
pieces, and in the latter on the boxwood strip on each side of a slot made
down the centre of it. I prefer in instruments of this size to graduate the
larger tube to the following scales :-(1), cubic inches and decimals thereof;
(2), grains of distilled water at 60°-Fahrenheit; (3), a scale for floating

page_text: At the
bodies showing the number of similar bodies required to weigh one hundred-
weight; (4), a scale for immersed bodies, showing the number required to
make up one cubic foot in bulk. The smaller tube I graduate as follows:-
(1), to cubic inches; (2), a scale for immersed bodies, shewing the number
of wrought-iron bodies of similar size which weigh one hundredweight, and
it is obvious that other scales may be applied for special purposes.
lower end of each tube is a stop-cock e, by which when required the tubes can
be emptied into the hollow base d; f is a bed plate or cradle fixed at the
upper end of the rod g, which passes through' a stuffing box into, the
vessel a! To the bed plate or cradle f two metal strips h, h, are fixed, one
on each side; these lie in grooves formed in the sides of the vessel ¸u,
and they serve as the bed plate is raised or lowered to effect an exact
adjustment to the disturbance which the rod g would otherwise produce,"
for it will be seen that at the same rate that the rod g is moved into
or out of the liquid in the vessel a, the strips h, h, which are of the same!
sectional area as the rod, rise out of or are depressed into the liquid and
a compensation is thus effected. The strips h, h, also at their upper end:
support a cross bar i on which, are pins , , which are used for submerging
a floating body, and it also carries a hook on which the floater or pan k
can be hung. The stem of the book is straight, so that when the floater
or pan is supported by the liquid it may be able to adjust itself freely to
its proper line of floatation. The vessel a has two overflow notches made
in it, one on each side, and the edge over which the liquid. flows.is, as is
shown, made in a separate piece l, and is ground to an acute angle, and the
curve of the edge is made to correspond with the curve at which the liquid
which is being used naturally stands in the vessel; a form suitable for this
edge when water is used is shown at Figures 9, or for a larger size of opening
at Figures 10. m is a ring with a lip m¹ upon it; it is capable of turning on
the upper part of the vessel a, so as to bring it opposite one or other of the
overflow edges to lead the overflowing liquid into one or other of the
measuring tubes as may be required. For mercury the form is such as is
shown at Figure 11. To prepare the instrument for use, both the cocks e are
opened and water is poured into the vessel a until it overflows; the stop-cock e
of the measuring tube which is to be employed is then to be closed and
the object to be experimented with is floated or immersed as may be required.
Thus the adjustment being effected, and supposing, for example, that it be
required to ascertain the specific gravity of a body lighter than the liquid
employed, say water, the body is placed upon the bed plate and allowed to

page_text: float on the water, and thus a quantity of water is caused to overflow into one
of the graduated vessels, and the quantity so overflowing is carefully observed
on either the contents or weight scale; this being done the body is entirely
immersed in the water, and so a further quantity of water is caused to over-
flow into the graduated vessel which is again observed. Then the specific
gravity required will be the decimal obtained by dividing the number of
divisions first observed by the number of divisions representing the water
displaced by the total immersion of the body. To find the specific gravity of
a-body-heavier-than-the fluid, say water, the substance_is_first_immersed and the
overflow is observed. It is then attached to the floater or pan k, whose displace-
ment and weight are marked on it. It is thus again floated, and the overflow
again carefully observed. The displacement of the floater or pan is subtracted
.from the last observation, and then the specific gravity of the body is the decimal
obtained by dividing the first observed overflow by the last, less the constant,
specific gravity of the body, and if water be the. fluid used, the
thus
0º
01
-
3100
scale being employed O₁ = No. in one cwt. of those bodies.
To use the instrument as rivet metre, push up the face plate, take a rivet
as long as any to be used of that diameter, mark on it the different lengths
required, place it head downwards upon the face plate, which draw steadily
down until the water wets the first mark, water will flow into the tube,
and the graduation it indicates in the right-hand column is the number of
these rivets in one cwt., draw down the rivet to the next mark, inspect the
graduation as before, and so on till the rivet is immersed.
To find the solid content of the whole or any part of a body immerse the
whole of the body or its part. The graduation on the cubic inch scale is the
content in cubic inches and decimals thereof. To find the exact sectional arca
of rods measure an exact inch of their length an inch from the end. Draw
down the face plate to the first mark and then to the second; the difference
of the two graduations is the area. If the bar is not burred or screwed the
end inch may be taken, and then the column gives the area by inspection.
To find the solidity of a zone having its sphere, or generally to find the
solidity when a part supervenes, immerse the segment or supervening part,
take the graduation, then immerse the zone or other part of the body, and
the difference of the graduation is the cubic content.
The machine registers the number of objects in some standard of measure
or weight by means of its fractional index. It is an accurate balance, no

page_text: matter what its load.
Objects are weighed by putting them within the scale
pan or floater k, and subtracting from the weight indicated by the measure
the weight of the floater, which is a constant.
In Sheet 2 of the Drawings Figures 1 and 2 show an instrument of a
larger size, real size. Figure 1 is a plan showing gear and spouts in dot..
Figure 2 is a section through the measuring vessel, and it shows the way of
taking the graduation by means of a graduated rod and piston; the fluid rises
on the rod to zero line, and is seen through a glass tube at the top of the rod.
Figures 3 and 4 are size, and show the trough used to find the displacement
of ships.
What I claim is the arranging apparatus as herein-before described for
ascertaining specific gravities, and the bulk of solids, and for other similar.
uses.
I also claim the method of arranging the base plate or cradle f and
parts in connection therewith in such manner that whatever part or parts
are withdrawn from immersion are compensated for by other parts immersed
as described.
I also claim the method of constructing the overflow edges as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Mosley Bennett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
בזירז
(L.S.)