Improved Electrical Sounding Apparatus.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1889--Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electrical Sounding Apparatus.
We, PEDRO VIGIL (Civil Engineer) of No. 4, 4th Providencia Street, and
JUAN. N. REVUELTAS (Doctor) of No. 21, Chavarria Street, both in the City of
Mexico, Mexico, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
Our Invention consists in the combination with a weighted vessel of a 'non-
conducting tube provided with metallic contacts at its ends and containing mercury
and a cable carrying electrical conductors. The vessel is preferably made of cylin-
drical shape and is closed at top and bottom and filled with lead, shot, or other
suitable material. The bottom is provided with a wooden covering which is
chambered at its centre to receive the socket in which is inserted the lower end of the
mercury tube. This tube is made of insulating material, and is closed at its upper
and lower ends by conducting discs. The mercury in the tube is sufficient to about
half fill it. The vessel is closed at top by a plate which is provided with a metallic
collar enclosing an elastic packing which covers and seals the end of the mercury
tube. To the upper surface of the plate is secured a hollow cylinder, the top of which
is apertured to receive the end of the cable which is looped at its lower end and
fastened in the hollow cylinder by a coupling pin. The conductors of the cable are
connected with the discs at the upper and lower ends of the mercury tube. The
vessel is surmounted by a conical head which is rebated and secured to the vessel by
screws, a packing ring of india rubber or other analogous material being interposed
between the head and the top plate of the vessel. The head is centrally bored to
receive a tapering elastic packing piece which encloses the cable. The cable com-
municates with a battery and sounding device, such as
an electric bell, upon
shipboard..
The vessel with its contents is suspended and maintains a vertical position below
the bottom of the vessel and when it strikes a reef or high bottom it turns upon its
side and the mercury establishes electrical communication between the discs, thus
causing the alarm to be given on board the vessel.
Dated this 4th day of Santambor 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Electrical Sounding Apparatus.
We, PEDRO VIGIL (Civil Engineer) of No. 4, 4th Providencia Street, and
JUAN. N. REVUELTAS (Doctor) of No. 21, Chavarria Street, both in the City of
Mexico, Mexico, 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 our invention is to construct a simple and effective electrical device
for taking soundings.
Our Invention consists in the combination of a metallic vessel, a central tube of
non-conducting material having at its ends electrical conductors, a hody of mercury
placed in the non-conducting tube, heavy material surrounding the non-conducting
tube and filling the metallic vessel, a cap closing the vessel, and an electric cable
connected with the cap and with the conductors at opposite ends of the non-conducting
tube, all as hereinafter more fully described.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings forming part of this specification,
in which figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the contact-maker of our improved
sounding line; Figure 2 is a vertical tranverse section of the cap of the circuit-closer ;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the cap; and figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on
linex in figure 1..
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
с
The vessel A, forming the body of the sounding device, is preferably made of
cylindrical shape having an integral bottom a. The bottom of the vessel A is pro-
vided with a wooden covering b which is chambered at its centre to receive the
socket c in which is inserted the lower end of the tube B. The tube B is made of
insulating material,, preferably of glass, and is closed at its upper and lower ends by
discsid of conducting [material. Within the tube B is placed a body e of mercury
which is sufficient to about half-fill the tube. To the inner surface of the wall of the
vessel A are secured brackets f which support the plate g. The plate
9 is provided
with a metallic-collar enclosing an elastic packing which covers and seals the
end of the tube B. Within the vessel A, surrounding the tube B, are placed lead
shot which give the device sufficient weight to descend, rapidly. To the upper
surface of the plate g is secured a hollow cylinder & the top of which is apertured to
receive the end of the cable C. The cable C is looped at its lower end and fastened
in the hollow cylinder k by a coupling pin passing through the loop. The con-
ductor m of the cable is connected with the disc d and the conductor n is connected
with the disc d'. Upon the plate g is placed a packing ring o of rubber or analogous
material and to the top of the vessel A is fitted a conical head D which is rebated
around its periphery to receive the rubber ring o and is bored out conically to receive
the tapering elastic packing piece p which encloses the cable C and forms a water-
tight joint between the cable C and the head D. The head D is secured to the top
of the vessel A by screws q passing through the head into the upper edges of the
vessel. The cable C communicates with a battery and sounding device, such as an
electric bell, upon ship-board.
The vessel A with its contents is suspended and maintains a vertical position below
the bottom of the vessel, and when it strikes a reef or high bottom it turns upon its
side and the mercury e establishes electrical communication between the discs d d',
thus causing the alarm to be given on board the vessel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination with a weighted vessel, of a non-conducting tube provided
with metallic contacts at its ends, a body of mercury placed in the tube, and adapted
to establish communication between the contacts at the ends of the tube, and a cable
carrying electric conductors, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a vessel A, of the non-conducting tube B provided with
metallic discs d d¹, the mercury filling e, the shot j, the plate g, the head D, the
packing ring o, and packing p, and the cable C, and conductors m n, substantially as
described.
Dated this 6th day of May 1889.