CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-RECORDING THERMOMETERS, HYGROMETRES, AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and Foreign
Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-RECORDING THERMOMETERS, HYGROMETRES, AND OTHER
INSTRUMENTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE." A communication from Robert Kirk
Boyle, of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 20th October 1877, and dated the 26th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1877.
"
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-RECORDING THERMOMETERS,
HYGROMETRES, AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE." A communi-
cation from Robert Kirk Boyle, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
This Invention consists in the combination with a variable column of mercury,
such as is used in thermometers, barometers, hygrometers, and other like instru-
ments, of a tube made of alternate layers or disks of metal and rubber or other
insulating material, a recording strip of plain or chemically prepared paper, a stylus
or marking device, which is either moveable or stationary, and made in a number of
sections, and a galvanic battery, so that every change in the height of the column of
mercury is traced or marked in the recording strip.
The Invention consists further in the combination of a drum carrying a recording
strip of plain or chemically prepared paper, with a stylus or marking device mounted
on a screw shaft, with a tube which is composed of alternate layers of metal and of
india-rubber or other insulating material, and which connects with a bulb or fountain
containing mercury with a brush, one part of which sweeps over said tube, while
another part thereof bears against a metallic case enclosing said tube, two electro-

page_text: magnets, which are connected to a galvanic battery, and which actuate the screw
shaft of the stylus or marking device, and a mechanism for imparting a revolving
motion to the drum which supports the recording strip, so that the stylus or marking
device rises and falls with the column of mercury, and the variations of this column
are traced on the recording strip.
The Invention consists also in the combination of a recording strip of chemically
prepared paper, supported by projections which are in metallic contact with a
column of mercury, with a series of metallic fingers which bear at one end of the
recording strip, and with a galvanic battery composed of two elements which enclose
the fingers and the recording strip, so that the variations of the column of mercury
are automatically traced on the recording strip.
The Invention consists further in the combination with a bulb or fountain con-
taining mercury of a tube made of alternate layers or disks of metal and of india-
rubber or other insulating material, for the purpose of registering the variations of
the column of mercury by an electric current.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th October 1877.
HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue
de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-RECORDING THERMOMETERS,
HYGROMETERS, AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE." A communi-
cation from Robert Kirk Boyle, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
This Invention consists in the combination with a variable column of mercury,
such as is used in thermometers, barometers, hygrometers, and other like instru-
ments of a tube made of alternate layers or disks of metal and india-rubber or other
insulating material, a recording strip of plain or chemically prepared paper, a stylus
or marking device, which is either moveable or stationary, and made in a number of
sections, and a galvanic battery, so that every change in the height of the column of
mercury is traced or marked on the recording strip.
The Invention consists further in the combination of a drum carrying a recording
strip of plain or chemically prepared paper with a stylus or marking device mounted
on a screw shaft with a tube which is composed of alternate layers of metal and of
india-rubber or other insulating material, and which connects with a bulb or
fountain containing mercury with a brush, one part of which sweeps over said tube,
while another part thereof bears against a metallic case enclosing said tube, two
electro-magnets which are connected to a galvanic battery, and which actuate the
screw shaft of the stylus or marking device, and a mechanism for imparting a
revolving motion to the drum which supports the recording strip, so that the stylus
or marking device rises and falls with the column of mercury, and the variations of
this column are traced on the recording strip.
The Invention consists also in the combination of a recording strip of chemically
prepared paper supported by projections which are in metallic contact with a column
of mercury, with a series of metallic fingers which bear at one end on the recording
strip, and with a galvanic battery composed of two clements which enclose the
fingers and the recording strip, so that the variations of the column of mercury are
automatically traced on the recording strip.
The Invention consists further in the combination with a bulb or fountain con-
taining mercury of a tube made of alternate layers or disks of metal and of india-
rubber or other insulating material for the purpose of registering the variations of
the column of mercury by an electric current.

page_text: This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig. 1
represents a side view of an instrument with a moveable stylus or marking device,
and a moveable recording drum; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same; Fig. 3
is a longitudinal section of an instrument containing a stationary recording strip, a
series of marking fingers, and a galvanic battery; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section
of the same.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the letter A designates a tube, which is
composed of alternate layers or disks of metal and of india-rubber or other insulating
material with a fine bore, said disks being put under sufficient pressure to make
them perfectly impervious to air or moisture. In the example shown in the Drawing
this tube forms part of a thermometer, being connected to a bulb or fountain B
containing mercury, which is perfectly closed, so that when the mercury contained
therein expands it rises in the tube A, and vice versa.
The tube A is enclosed in a metallic jacket C, which rests on an insulated support
D, and it is open on one side, so that a metallic brush E can be brought to bear
upon the surface of the tube A. A portion of this brush, which is insulated from
the main section, bears upon the jacket C. The brush E is secured in a head F,
which is tapped to fit a vertical screw spindle G that revolves freely between centre
points. From the head F extends an arm H, in which is secured a pencil or stylus I.
The point of this pencil or stylus bears upon the surface of a sheet of paper or other
equivalent material which is stretched around a drum J, to which a revolving
motion is imparted by a clock movement or any other suitable mechanism. When
an ordinary pencil is used for marking common paper is placed on the drum J,
but when the marking device consists of a metallic stylus chemically prepared paper
must be used.
The variations of the column of mercury in the tube A are recorded by the
following mechanism:-In the lower part of the tube A is placed a thin strip a of
platina, which connects by a wire 10 with a post b, and which is also in metallic
connection with the mercury in said tube or in the fountain B.
On the bottom part of the screw spindle G is mounted a ratchet wheel C, which
is exposed to the action of two pawls d, e, one of which turns the same in one, and
the other in the opposite direction. The pawl d is connected to the armaturef of
an electro-magnet K, the helix of which connects at one end by a wire 11 with an
anvil g, and at the opposite end by a wire 12 with a post h. The arm which carries
the pawl d also carries a pin i, which engages with a forked lever j, to which is
attached a metallic switch k. When the armature fis attracted the switch k is
thrown off from the anvil g, but when the armature ƒ falls back, the switch comes
in contact with the anvil. The switch k connects by a wire 13 with a post l, and
by a wire 14 with a platinum strip a. The jacket C connects by a wire 17 with
the helix of the electro-magnet K.
The pawle is connected to the armature m of an electro-magnet L, the helix of
which is connected at one end by wire 15 with the brush E, while the other end of
said helix connects by a wire 16 with a switch o, which is actuated by a pin p
secured to the rod which carries the pawl e, said pin p being made to engage with a
forked lever which carries the switch o. A wire 25 runs from the anvil u to the
post m. The posts and are connected respectively to the poles of a battery S,
and the posts b and m to the poles of a battery T.
When the mercury in the tube A rises above the inner part of the brush E the
circuit of the battery S through the electro-magnet K is closed through wires 12, 17,
jacket C, brush E, strip a, and wires 14 and 13, the armature of the electro-magnet
K is attracted, and the pawl d is thrown out of gear with the ratchet wheel c, while
the switch is thrown off from the anvil g. At the same time the circuit of battery
T is closed through the post b, wire 10, strip a, brush E, wire 15, electro-magnet L
wire 16, switch o, anvil n, wire 25, and post m, the armature of the electro-magnet

page_text: Lis attracted, the pawl e acts on the ratchet wheel c, and at the same time the
switch o is thrown off from the anvil n, and the brush is worked up until it stops
just above the mercury. If the mercury sinks down the pawl d is actuated, and the
brush is lowered. Thus it will be seen the stylus or marking instrument is caused
to follow the variations of the column of mercury, and all these variations are traced
on the recording strip.
In the instrument represented by Figs. 3 and 4 the tube A is the same as above
described, and it connects with the bulb or mercury fountain B. The tube A is
enclosed in the metallic jacket C, which rises from a metal plate C° that also supports
a post Do, to which are secured a series of fingers I; these fingers bear on projec-
tions r, which rise from the metallic portions of the tube A. The mercury in the
tube A is in metallic contact with a thin metallic strip a, which is insulated from
the metal plate Co. This plate screws into one end of a copper cylinder M, while
the head V on the opposite end is in metallic contact with the zinc element, and
carries an eye 8, from which extends wire 19. This zinc element consists of
jacket O that encloses the copper cylinder M, and is retained in place by grooved
rings t, t, of rubber or other suitable material, so that the zinc jacket O is insulated
from the copper cylinder M; the metallic strip a being in metallic connection
with the mercury in the tube A connects with a metallic wire 20. When this
instrument is lowered into salt water a galvanic action is produced, and whenever
the metallic wires 19 and 20 are brought in contact with each other, the galvanic
circuit is closed through the fingers I and the mercury in the tube A. If a strip of
chemically prepared paper is placed between the projections r and the fingers I the
height of the column of mercury in the tube A is recorded. This instrument is
intended particularly for recording the temperature of the water in the ocean at
various depths. If the instrument is lowered and allowed to rest in the desired
depth until the mercury in the tube A has found the level corresponding to the
temperature existing at that depth, this temperature is recorded on the recording
strip by bringing the wires extending from the two elements M, O, in contact with
each other.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details above enumerated, as these may obviously be modified
without departing from the principle of the Invention, but what I claim is,-
1. The combination with a variable column of mercury, such as is used in thermo-
meters, barometers, hygrometers, and other like instruments, of a tube made of
alternate layers or disks of metal and rubber or other insulating material a recording
strip of plain or chemically prepared paper, a marking device, which is either
moveable or stationary, and made in a number of sections, and a galvanic battery,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.
2. The combination of a drum carrying a recording strip of. plain or chemically
prepared paper, with a stylus or marking device mounted on a screw shaft with n
tube which is composed of alternate layers of metal and of india-rubber or other
insulating material, and which connects with a bulb or fountain containing mercury
with a brush, one part of which sweeps over said tube, while another part thereof
bears against a metallic case enclosing said tube, two electro-magnets, which are
connected each to a galvanic battery, and which actuate the screw shaft of the
stylus or marking device, and a mechanism for imparting a revolving motion to the
drum which supports the recording strip, all constructed and operating substantially
as herein shown and described.
3. The combination of a recording strip of chemically prepared paper supported
by projections which are in metallic contact with a column of mercury with a series
of metallic fingers, which bear at one end on the recording strip, and with a galvanic
battery composed of two elements which enclose the fingers and the recording strip,
all constructed and operating substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a bulb or fountain containing mercury of a tube made

page_text: of alternate layers or disks of metal and of rubber or other insulating material,
substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
H. BONNEVILLE (LS.)