An Electrical Water Level Indicator or Recorder.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1897
An Electrical Water Level Indicator or Recorder.
I, PERCY RHODES COBB, of The British Aluminium Company Limited, Foyers,
N.B., Engineer, 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
This invention relates to an electrical water level indicator or recorder.
instrument is designed for the purpose of reading in an office or other convenient
place, the water level in a river, lake, tank or reservoir, which may be at a con-
siderable distance away. It consists of a transmitter, a line wire, or wires, and
a receiver. The transmitter is worked in the usual way by a float
and counterweight on a cord or chain, and consists essentially of a wheel, with a
number of projections round or near its circumference; these projections make
definite short contacts with two springs, or contact pieces, mounted on the fixed part
of the instrument, and at opposite ends of a diameter of the wheel.
These contacts are so designed that only one of them comes into play when the
wheel revolves in one direction, and only the other when the wheel revolves in the
other direction. The projections on the wheel are spaced out so as to represent
inches or half inches or other convenient intervals of water rise. The receiver
consists of an electromagnet (or two electro magnets, in which case more than one
line wire must be used) having an armature (or armatures) which on the magnet
(or magnets) becoming magnetized by a current from the transmitter, transmit
their motion by ratchet and pawl, or other suitable gear to an index, reading on
a graduated dial, or to a pen working on a recording drum.
The action is as follow:-
If the water is rising, the wheel revolves in a right handed direction and the
one contact-piece or spring is out of action entirely until the water falls. When
one of the projections on the wheel comes opposite the other contact piece or spring
a short and definite contact is made and broken by a simple device. A current
flows in a certain direction (from a battery, or other suitable source) through the
line wire to the receiver. The magnet is magnetized, the armature deflected, and
the index is moved round one division on the dial (or in the case when there are
two in the receiver, the current goes along one wire, to one magnet "No. 1" say).
If the rise of water continues, another projection makes contact with the second
referred to contact piece of spring and the index is moved on another division.
When the water falls, the said contact is thrown out of action, and the other
contact comes into action, and, on being touched by one of the projections on the
wheel sends a current in the reverse direction through the receiver magnet, and
the armature (which must be polarized) moves the index back one division on the
dial.
In the case when two magnets are used in the receiver, the other magnet (No. 2)
is magnetized.
1

page_text: the other, according as the water is rising or falling, the number of impulses being
proportioned to the rise or fall of the water.
Dated this 17th day of September 1897.
JOHNSONS,
Petitioner's Agents, 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.
I, PERCY RHODES COBB, of The British Aluminium Company Limited, Foyers,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an electrical water level indicator or recorder for auto-
matically indicating and recording in an office or other convenient place, at a
distance, the level and changes of level or position of water or other fluid in rivers,
tanks, reservoirs or other vessels containing fluid.
The apparatus consists of a transmitter, a line wire, or wires, and a receiver.
But in order that my said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation and
Fig. 2 an end view of the transmitter.
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation and Fig. 4 an end view of the receiver as constructed
in accordance with my invention:
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the said drawings, the transmitter, which is placed
at or near the fluid, the level of which it is desired to indicate, consists of a large
drum A and a small drum B both keyed upon the spindle a so that they revolve
together. A cord U carrying a counterweight (not shewn) is wound round the
drum B whilst a second cord D which is fastened to a float in the water or fluid, is
wound round the drumi A.
By these means any change of position of the object or fluid level which the
apparatus is employed to record will transmit a rotary motion to the drums.
Situated around and at a position near the periphery of the drum A, are fastened
a number of metal pins E. The said pins are arranged parallel to the axis of the
drum and their number decided by the amount of the minimum change of position
of the level which it is desired to transmit.
Thus supposing the circumference of the drum A to be 18" and the minimum
change which it is desired to transmit to be 1" there will be 18 pins E, the space
between each representing 1" of movement of the fluid level. On each side of the
drum A and secured to the plate a' which forms one of the bearings for the
spindle a
and the main frame of the instrument, is mounted, by means of screws f,.
an ebonite block F. These blocks each carry an ebonite lever G of the shape shewn,
pivoted at so that they are free to turn and tipped with metal at the pointe g.
Springs H keep the levers G, normally, in the lower position as indicated in the
left hand side of Fig. 1.
For the purpose of lucidly explaining the operation of the apparatus it will only
be necessary to describe the action of one side of the instrument, both sides being
. exactly similar in their action.
When the lever G is in its lower or normal position, the bent metal contact
blade g is pressed against the regulating stop g² and the point of the lever G
is in such a position that when the side of the drum A nearest to the lever is rising

page_text: by the action of the float and counterweight, the pins E engage with the point g
of the lever, and lift it up, releasing it again when the drum A has passed through
a certain distance, not more than what represents the minimum change which it
is desired to transmit. When the lever G, is released, it is pulled down again to
its lower position by the spring H and in falling, the contact blade sweeps across
and leaves the next pin E below that which released the lever G, thus making a
momentary contact with the frame of the instrument. The motion of the lever G
is prevented from being too rapid, and. regulated by means of the dash pot J which
consists of a piston pivoted to the lever G and working in a tube which may con-
tain oil or other suitable fluid, or merely air.
The spring H is in electrical contact with the blade g and is secured to the
terminal j, this and every part carried by the ebonite blocks being insulated from
the frame of the instrument.
When the side of the drum A nearest the lever G is passing downward, the
blade g¹ gives" a little when a pin E comes against the point of the lever thus
allowing the pin to pass its point. In this case, therefore, there is no contact made
between the blade g' and the frame of the instrument.
The apparatus is connected up with the receiver, hereinafter described, in the
following way. One end of a battery K is connected to each of the terminals j
which are connected to the blades g₁ as explained above. The line wire leading
to the receiving apparatus divides the battery in the centre and the body of the
transmitter is earthed at L. When the drum A turns in a right handed direction
under the influence of, say, a rise in the fluid level, the left hand lever G is raised
and released once for every interval of rise, and completes the circuit for a certain
short definite time, sending a current in, say, a positive direction through the line
wire . Similarly for a left handed motion of the drum, a momentary current
is sent in a negative direction through the line wire.
Referring now to the receiving apparatus shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 of the draw-
ings, I connect the line wire to one end of the coils M of an electro magnet having
a soft iron core m shaped at shewn, the other end of the coils being earthed at m
This magnet has four poles N¹, N³, N³, N, and the coils are so wound that the
poles N₁ & N³ are always of the same polarity as each other, the poles N2 and N
being also of the same polarity as each other; but of opposite polarity to the
poles N¹ & N. The magnet has two armatures P of hard steel, polarised, pivoted
at their centres and having like poles at the same end. Thus, on a negative current
passing through the coils, the poles N¹ & N³ will be (say) north poles and the
poles N & N south poles, and only one armature will be deflected. Conversely,
only the other armature will be deflected when a positive current passes through
the coils, since the poles N¹ & N³ will then be south and the poles N° & N* north.
Each armature carries an aluminium arm p projecting from one end and bent so that
the shoulders engage with pins or stops Q of which there are two secured to each
of the discs g, the latter being secured to spindles passing through the main frame
of the instrument.
The armis p are normally kept up against the stops Q by the spring 7. Over
each of the spindles R a long piece of "compounded "tape or other material capable
of taking a firm grip of the spindles is passed. To the ends of this tape are fastened
a weight and counterweight, the weight being the heavier and on the outside.
Taking the left hand side of the instrument only for the purpose of illustration,
when the pin Q by the deflection of the arm p, is released, the disc q under the
influence of the weight and counterweight turns in a left hand direction, and in
doing so, the pin Q engages with the spur wheel S and moves it in a right-handed
direction through one tooth. This motion of the spur wheel is transmitted through
suitable gearing to the hands on the dial s¹ which is divided and numbered so that
the movement of the spur wheel through one tooth imparts a movement to the
hand equivalent to the minimum interval of rise or fall of the original fluid level.
The period of contact of the blades g¹ is so adjusted, by means of the dash pots J,
that when the disc q has made half a revolution the armature of the magnet in the

page_text: receiver has returned to its original position, and the pin Q (which was originally
the upper but is now the lower one) is arrested by the shoulder p' and the dise
thus prevented from turning until the armature is again deflected.
The spur wheel S is prevented from over running by the small spring brake T.
It will thus be seen that every half revolution of the left hand disc q moves the
spur wheel S through one tooth in a right handed direction and of the right hand
disc through one tooth in a left handed direction whereby the hand on the dial will
exactly correspond to the motion and indicate the position of the original moving
object.
In place of an indicator dial and pointer being employed I may transmit the
motion to a pen working on a recording drum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts constituting
my electrical indicator or recorder, for automatically indicating and recording at
a distance the level and changes of level or position of water or other fluid in rivers,
tanks, reservoirs or other vessels containing fluid, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
-
2. In an electrical indicator or recorder, a rotating drum having a number of
projections in combination with two pivotted contact levers at each side of the
drum arranged to make short definite contacts alternately as the drum revolves in
the one or other direction, whereby the levels and changes of level or position of
water or other fluid in rivers, tanks, reservoirs or other vessels containing fluid,
can be indicated and recorded upon a receiver situated at a distance, substantially
as hereinbefore described and sliewn in the accompanying drawings.
3. In an electrical indicator or recorder, the arrangement of the receiver consist-
ing of a dial and pointer actuated by a magnet constructed and operating in the
manner as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompany-
ing drawings.
Dated this 17th day or June 19.
JOHNSONS,
Applicant's Agents, 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.