Improvements in Sounding Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: The decision of the Chief Examiner, acting on behalf of the Comptroller, of the
29th day of September 1892, allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c.
Act, 1883, an Amendment of this Specification.
Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1891-Accepted. 18th July. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sounding Apparatus.
I, SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES of 3 Douglas Villas Greyhound Lane Streatham
Common in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
I-use similar winches & sinkers to those described in my former Letters Patent
No. 6134 of April 25th 1888 entitled Improvements in Sounding Apparatus, but I
add to the bottom of the sinker or kite a trigger so arranged that the trigger shall
be the first part to strike the sea bottom in descending & thus release one (or both)
the bridle wires of the kite, so that the kite or sinker is then free to rise to the
surface as the vessel proceeds, this trigger can be used with or without the spring
hook or preventer described in the former Letters Patent.
I use the swinging winch & other means of causing alarms by the difference of
tension as described in my former Letters Patent but in addition I place a resonator
of some kind, either on or under the line wire, so that the vibrations of the wire, as
it tows through the water, may be heard until the bottom has been struck, when the
vibrations cease. The resonator may be a metal drum, a sheet of metal or wood,
a tambourine fiddle, bunch of keys, or a common match box, in fact anything which
will take up & be affected by vibration.
To the swinging winch. I sometimes affix or gear a semaphore arm & signal lamps,
which can visibly shew by their position or color, whether the sinker has or has not
struck the bottom.
In special cases, if desired, I make the sinker of a flat board with an upright
centre board forming a T, of course weighting the bottom end with metal or some
substance, whose specific gravity is heavier than water.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of October 1890
.COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Sounding Apparatus.
I SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES Civil Engineer of 3 Douglas Villas, Streatham
Common, in the County of Surrey 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 :-
This invention is an improvement on my former Letters Patent No. 6134 of 1888
entitled Improvements in Sounding Apparatus & consists chiefly in adding a
tripping trigger to the bottom of the kite or sinker & in a method of obtaining a
continuous alarm which shall cease upon the sea bottom being reached.
By reference to the drawing,
Fig. 1 represents the ordinary V form of kite or sinker, T being a pivotted

page_text: trigger held in position by a hook & spring S and it is therefore free to move in one
direction when a force greater than that of the counterbalance of the spring affords
is applied to the lower end of trigger, as is the case when it strikes the sea bottom
when being towed by a moving ship.
The top part of the trigger P moves forward to P¹ & releases the lever L when
immediately the front bridle wire B slips off the lever & the kite becomes converted
from a kite into a log pulled by one wire only viz. by B¹ & of course rises to the
surface. I do not limit myself to this special form of trigger as other forms could
be devised to serve the same or similar purpose.
Fig. 2 is a similar application of trigger applied to a kite made in the form of a T
instead of a V. I prefer to make both forms of kite of wood weighting the bottom
part with metal so that as a whole the kite or kites are of the same weight as their
bulk of water.
Fig. 3 shews the fairlead F fixed at the vessels stern rail & the line wire from
winch passing over it. While the kite is being towed at a fixed depth the line wire
is heavily strained & cutting through the water is in a state of vibration & these
vibrations I make use of by placing a resonator R on, or under or by the sides of
the line wire. I prefer it to rest on the wire as it can then be instantly lifted.off
if required. I find an ordinary thin coffee tin answers the purpose, but any
resonator which will make the vibrations audible will do. I do not therefore
limit myself to this particular form. The manifest advantage of this continuous
alarm during the time the kite is towing is, that upon the kite trigger tripping the
kite changes into a log the strain on the wire is reduced, the vibrations & consequent
sound from resonator practically cease the cessation of noise being a better alarm
than the creation thereof.
Having now particularly described & ascertained my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim are the especial
features of novelty viz.
I claim
1st. The combination of a kite or sinker furnished with and a tripping trigger
carried thereby which shall release one of the bridle wires of the kite upon striking
the sea bottom, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
2nd. A The combination with a kite or sinker of a resonator or resonators placed on,
under, or by the side of the line wire in order to make its vibrations audible,
substantially as described.
3rd. The special form of T kite shewn by (Fig. 2); substantially as described with
reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
All for the purpose of taking soundings or for use with my former patented
improvements (now better known as the "Submarine Sentry ").
Substantially as described herein.
Dated this Fifteenth day of June One thousand eight hundred and ninety-one.