A Gauge for Registering the Draught or Burthen of Ships.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th July 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION.
A Gauge for Registering the Draught or Burthen of Ships.
I, GEORGE ALFRED LOGSDAIL, of 29, Hampton Road, Forest Gate, in the
County of Essex, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
My invention relates to a gauge for registering the draught and burthen of
steamers or sailing vessels.
It is well known that when a vessel is lying in an open roadstead a certain amount
of difficulty exists in accurately gauging the draught of the vessel owing to the
motion imparted thereto by the waves, the result of which is that in some cases the
Plimsoll mark or load-line is more or less immersed.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the draught of a vessel
may be accurately ascertained notwithstanding the movements thereof.
According to my present invention I make use of a gauge placed within the
vessel and within which the water rises, the said gauge having a glass tube of
sufficient length to shew the water at the greatest and least draught.
Dated this 10th day of June 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Gauge for Registering the Draught or Burthen of Ships.
I, GEORGE ALFRED LOGSDAIL, of 10, Great St. Helen's, in the City of
London, Master Mariner, 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 :-
My invention relates to a gauge for registering the draught and burthen of
steamers or sailing vessels.
It is well known that when a vessel is lying in an open roadstead a certain amount
of difficulty exists in accurately gauging the draught of the vessel owing to the
motion imparted thereto by the waves, the result of which is that in some cases the
Plimsoll mark or load-line is more or less immersed.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the draught of a vessel
may be accurately ascertained notwithstanding the movements thereof.
According to my present invention I make use of a gauge placed within the
vessel and within which the water rises, the said gauge having a glass tube of
sufficient length to shew the water at the greatest and least draught.
To enable my invention to be fully understood 1 will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a vessel having my improved gauge applied
thereto :
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the gauge proper detached and drawn to an
enlarged scale; and,
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Figure 2.
a is a metal pipe extending through the bottom of the vessel at about the centre
of its length and as close to the keel as possible, and is the glass tube or
gauge proper which is carried upon the upper end of the pipe a and which is of
sufficient length to shew the water when the vessel is at its points of greatest and

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least immersion. The said tube 6 may be fixed upon the tube a in any convenient
manner. In the drawing it is represented as having its lower end located in a
stuffing-box c upon the upper end of the tube a, a gland d serving to compress the
packing in the said.stuffing-box around the tube b, as shewn most clearly in Figure 2.
The upper end of the said tube 6 is closed except through a very small opening
which allows the escape and entrance of air as the water rises or falls in the gauge.
Upon the pipe a beneath the gauge b I place a cock e which serves to prevent
the water from entering the vessel in case the glass breaks and also serves to
reduce the opening into the glass b to such an extent that the water cannot enter
the gauge or leave the same quickly enough to materially affect the height of the
water in the gauge during the motions of the vessel.
fis a guard which is placed around the tube b to prevent the same from being
injured, the said guard being provided with a longitudinal slot through which
the water in the glass may be seen. As shewn in the drawing this guard is
formed in two parts which at their lower ends are supported within a flange g
upon the gland d and at their upper ends provided with lugs h, h connected by
bolts i, i.
jjare stays which are connected to the guard f and to some suitable part of the
vessel to prevent the gauge from moving, and k, k are rings or cushions placed
between the tube and the guard f for ensuring that the said guard shall not come
into contact with the tube or vice versa.
is a cock which is placed upon the tube a in such a position that in case the
outer end of the said tube should become blocked by barnacles or sea-weed a rod
can be passed therethrough to clear the pipe.
In practice I prefer to place my gauge as near the centre of the vessel as
possible as hereinbefore stated but it is to be understood that the gauge. proper may
be placed in any other suitable position provided the opening through the bottom
of the ship is as near the centre as possible.
In some cases I may find it advantageous to combine with my gauge a float
within the tube connected by a rod or cord carrying an indicator working in con-
junction with a graduated scale placed above the deck, so as to render it possible to
ascertain the draught without going below to inspect the gauge.
My improved gauge may be so graduated that it may be possible to ascertain at
any time the quantity of cargo which has been introduced or removed from the
vessel and this is of special advantage in steam ships as the approximate quantity
of coal taken in at a port or consumed on a voyage may be ascertained. It also
serves to shew if any considerable quantity of water enters the vessel owing to
leakage or other cause.
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. A gauge for shewing the draught or burthen of vessels consisting of a trans-
parent tube extending between the light and heavy draught lines of a vessel and
connected at its lower end with the water outside the ship, means being provided
for controlling the entrance and escape of water into and from the said gauge,
substantially as described.
2. The manufacture and use of the gauge for indicating the draught or burthen
of ships, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 20th day of July 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.