Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Soundings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 8th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Soundings.
We, ALFRED JOPLING COOPER, Captain, and EUSTACE ERNEST WIGZELL, Engineer,
both of Billiter House, Billiter Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for taking soundings at sea without having to
stop the way of the vessel, such as has been already patented to us under No. 16720
and dated November 17th 1888 and our present improvements consist in a modification
of the construction of parts of the sounder itself and further in special attachments to
the exterior of the sounder case or of the sounder itself, to enable the sounder to be
readily attached anywhere in the length of the line without having to use an
independent cord or line, nor to make a knot in the line, nor to lash the instrument to
the line, & also in other parts of the apparatus.
We carry out our improvement in the sounder proper as follows:-The interior
mechanism of the sounder is of the same description as that already patented to us
under No. 16720 of 1888, viz.: a water pressed piston sliding watertight in a small
cylinder open at the end towards which the piston travels under pressure into an air
chamber. The piston travels against the reaction of a spiral spring and a self locking
marker is fitted to the rectangular piston rod provided with a locking rack on one side
as described in the Specification aforesaid No. 1672088.
The said marker when placed at zero is released from its catch with the rod or is
released when the piston begins to travel and thus allows the piston rod to travel
upwards without carrying the marker with it, but on the return of the rod by spring
recoil it brings the marker down with it, the marker being mechanically locked to
the bar.
Our present improvements consist in a modified arrangement of parts to each other,
a modified construction of the marker and a modified construction of the air vessel.
In our modified arrangement of parts we place the recoil spring at the bottom of
the sounder tube and the piston cylinder and air chamber at the top, the marker
occupying an intermediate position on the piston rod which also forms the rack.
The modified construction of the marker consists in forining the front face of the
marker of an arched spring, the ends being bent over in side wings to embrace the rod
and a piece of dermatine or india rubber or other suitable material being fitted inside
the said spring to slide on the face of the rod. The marker and rod is embraced at
the middle by a ring attached to the marker and there spread into a smooth button for
finger pressuro. The under inside of the ring is formed as a projecting tooth which
when the spring marker is in normal position with the spring face pressing outwards
by the elasticity of the spring, causes the said tooth to engage into the rack face of
the rod.
To ensure that the apparatus is brought home to normal starting position a spring
button at the bottom end of the rod is caused to appear through the centre of the
scaled slot in the case,
and should be home on the bottom of the said slot before the
recorded depth is read. To avoid the inconvenience of this projecting button being a
separate part such as a screw head which must be taken out to allow the interior
mechanism to be removed, we construct it in the form of a spring button which can
be pushed by the finger pressure within the case when it is desired to withdraw
the rod.
At the end of the aforesaid piston cylinder where it opens into an air chamber we
extend such air chamber into the form of an enlarged chamber or bulb which provides
the necessary air volume to prevent noticeable compression of the air and at the se

page_text: time forms a convenient and neat termination to the instrument preventing it from
slipping through the hands.
Our improved attachment to the exterior of the sounder case or sounder proper, is
in the form of stout wire twisted cork screw fashion in the longitudinal axis of the
sounder. We fit one of these cork screw twists at one side of the upper-most neck of
the sounder case or sounder proper, projecting backwards parallel to the case or
sounder free at one end; and we fix another at the bottom of the case or sounder
proper projecting to the same side as the other twist and longitudinally with the
sounder, being free at the outer end.
The line may thus be engaged into one of the said screw twists it is then twisted
round the body of the case or sounder, & then finally engaged in the second screw
twist. The sounder or case will thus be found to be securely engaged with the line,
and can be as readily disengaged when required by untwisting the line out of the
said screws, whilst it is reliably secured during use.
The sounder proper is conveniently placed for protection in common use inside a
case, provided with holes to admit the water pressure freely, and the top of the said
sounder is provided with small projecting tongues or wings which engage in suitable
slots in the top of the case to make a bayonet joint.
The sounder or case is so fixed on the line at any given distance above the lead or
sinker, this sinker being of any suitable form or heavy material such as the vessels
ordinary deep sea lead, this being of sufficient weight to reach the sea bottom.
We find that for use with our sounder and for its ready attachment to a line as
above described, the line should be of special construction, riz. of twisted galvanized
steel wires covered with a braiding of hemp or cotton steeped in a solution of gutta
percha or tar or of a compound thereof.
This form of construction gives pliability to the wire and prevents the steel strands
from opening and the wire from kinking.
This sounder is used with the usual winch and fair lead but we find it advantageous
to use a special brake with the winch. We apply a hand wheel with a screw boss to
a screwed continuation of the bearing brasses between the reel and the pedestal.
By turning the hand wheel until it touches the cheek of the revolving reel, the
latter is at once checked and jammed by the said hand wheel.
The re-action on the bearing brasses is taken by a collar at the outside end of the
reel spindle.
Our fair lead is composed of two guide rollers mounted in a davit bracket, the wire
passing between the two rollers. The upper roller may be kept in place by a weight
or spring.
Dated this 19th day of Februar 1200
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Soundings.
We, ALFRED JOPLING COOPER, Captain, and EUSTACE ERNEST WIGZELL, Engineer,
both of Billiter House, Billiter Street, in the City of London do hereby declare the
nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to apparatus for taking soundings at sea, without having to
stop the way of the vessel such as has been already patented to us under No. 16720
and dated November 17th 1888 and our present improvements consist in a modification
of the construction of parts of the sounder itself and further in special attachments
to the exterior of the sounder case or of the sounder itself to enable the sounder to
be readily attached anywhere in the length of the line without having to use an
independent cord or line or to make a knot in the line nor to lash the instrument to
the line, and also in other parts of the apparatus.

page_text: We carry out our improvement in the sounder proper as follows:-
The interior mechanism of the sounder is of the same description as that already
patented to us under No. 16,720 viz. a water pressed piston sliding water-tight in a
small cylinder under pressure. The piston travels against the reaction of a spiral
spring, and a self-locking marker is fitted to the piston rod provided with a locking
rack on one side as described in the Specification aforesaid No. 16,72088.
The said marker when placed at zero is released from its catch with the rod when
the piston begins to travel and thus allows the piston rod to travel upwards without
carrying the marker with it, but on the return of the rod by spring recoil it brings
the marker down with it the marker being mechanically locked to the bar.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had
to letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an external elevation of our sounder removed from the case.
Figure 2 is a view of our sounder in case, attached to a sounding line.
Figure 3 is a sectional view through the external case showing the sounder
within.
Figure 4 is enlarged details of the line gripping hooks and locking ring at either
end of our sounder.
Figure 5 is a sectional view through our sounder.
Figure 6 are two perspective views of the locking spring marker.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of our sounding winch on chest.
Figure 8 is a transverse section through the same showing wheel brake.
Figure 9 is a sectional elevation of chest with winch folded away.
Figure 10 is an elevation of the winch drum with lever brake, and recording
gear.
Figure 11 is a detail of said lever brake.
Figure 12 is the fair lead for the sounding line.
A is an external case perforated with holes a at suitable intervals to permit the
free entry of the surrounding water and uninterrupted communication of surrounding
water pressure.
The sounding apparatus is enclosed in a tube B provided with an open slot b
so that the water has free entry therein and is inserted within this outer case A,
and secured therein by a bayonet joint having a pin C or other convenient
means.
The sounding appliance proper consists of a water-tight piston D attached by a
stem d to a spiral spring E secured to a plug F secured by a bayonet attachment
into the bottom of the tube B. The water-tight piston I) works in a tube or cylinder G
prepared with a true bore, and terminating in a globular or enlarged end air
vessel H. The said cylinder and air vessel G. H are fixed in the tube B by a screw
neck
9 the end of the cylinder G fitting into a collar K for support in the tube B.
Upon the stem d of the piston D is provided a sliding marker L shown in alternative
detail at Figure 6 which consists of a button with an indicating marker graved
thereon mounted on a spring at each end of which wings n in one form are bent
over so as to embrace the stem or rod d on which is cut a rack on the opposite side
to that of the spring marker L and one or both of the said wings lock normally into
the said rack.
In the modified arrangement of spring marker the button is continued in the form
of a ring n' to embrace the rod and the lower inner edge of the ring is sharpened 30
as to engage into the rack when the spring is undepressed and in normal position.
The operation of our sounding device is as follows:-When attached to a sounding
cord or line, hereinafter more fully described and provided with a sinker, it is thrown
into the sea, the water pressure entering the external case A through the porforited
and passing through the slot b in the external tube B of the sounder causes
hydraulic pressure upon the water-tight piston D proportionate to the depth of
holes
a,
immersion.

page_text: The sliding marker L has been placed at the point indicating zero, before the
sounder is used.
The water-tight piston D now ascends in the cylinder, or tube G by reason of the
hydraulic pressure, the air volume contained in the cylinder G and globular enlarged
end air vessel H being sufficiently large not to show any sensible increase of air
pressure by reason of the compressing action of the piston D.
The button of the sliding marker L when placed at zero, enters just under the
collar K of the external tube and upon the piston tending to rise under the
hydraulic pressure the spring marker is depressed by the said collar K or a projecting
piece and thus disengaged from the rack teeth of the said rod or stem d. The
piston and rod, or stem thus rise independently of the marker L which is kept in
zero position by collar K or projection until the maximum depth has been recorded.
Upon raising the sounder to the surface the water piston D and stem d fall back to
the original position by reason of the recoil action of the spring E.
Upon the return movement of the stem d the marker L is removed from the
pressure of the collar K or projection k and engages itself by its elasticity into the
rack teeth upon the said stem.
The marker L is thus for the time being rigidly secured to the said stem and travels
down with it marking on an external scale the amount of the return travel of the
said piston D and stem, thus affording a record upon examination of the maximum
hydraulic pressure, that is to say of the maximum depth in the sea to which the
sounder has been lowered.
In our above modified arrangement we placo the recoil spring at the bottom of the
sounding tube, and the piston cylinder and enlarged end air vessel at the top the
marker occupying an intermediate position on the piston rod. This latter also forms
the locking rack. The globular construction of the said air chamber forms a con-
venient handle for the withdrawal of the sounder from its case for examination.
insure that the apparatus is brought home to its starting position for dead readings a
pin or button M is inserted in the bottom of the stem so as to project into the slot /
in the outer tube B.
To
The said pin should be home on the bottom of the slot before the recorded
depth is read.
To avoid the inconvenience of this projecting button being a separate part such
as a screw head which must be taken out to allow the interior mechanism to be
removed, we construct it in the form of a spring button, which can be pushed by.
finger pressure within the case when it is desired to withdraw the rod from the
tube B.
The piston D is rendered water-tight by the employment of an elastic washer c
of dermatine which may be compressed by screwing down the piston upon a rod
and thus effectively form a water-tight and air-tight joint of great durability.
Our attachment of the sounder case or sounder to the line W is effected by a
corkscrew twisted wiro N at the top of the outer case A or equivalently by two
adjacent reversed hooks or fingers.
This wire is in the form of a turn and a half of a corkscrew spiral.
At the bottom end of the case we may apply a similar corkscrew twist or may
provide a circumferential groove P in which fits a split metallic ring p which is
constructed so that it will not readily turn without the exertion of force from one
position to another.
A further groove Q is provided longitudinally in the axis of the sounder through
the circumferential groove P to the end of the instrument through which the line
may be threaded and locked under the ring p for the attachment of the sounder as
shown in Figure 1.
The line is first engaged between the two adjacent hooks or in the corkscrew
twist at the top end, and then twisted round the body of the case, or sounder, and
finally passed through the gap of the split ring p till it issues from the groove Q
in the axis of the sounder. The ring p is turned partially round to move the gap

page_text: through which the line was inserted, so that the latter is locked in place in the
groove Q.
The sounder or case A will thus be found to be securely engaged with the line W
and can be as readily disengaged when required, by untwisting the line from under
the said ring, from the body of the case and from the reversed hooks at the upper
end. The sounder or case A is fixed on the line W at any given distance above a
lead, or sinker this sinker being of any suitable form or heavy material, such as
the vessels ordinary deep sea lead of sufficient weight to reach the bottom.
We find that for use with our sounder A and for its ready attachment to the
line W as above described, the line should be of special construction viz. :-of twisted
galvanized steel wire, covered with a braiding of hemp or cotton, steeped in a
solution of gutta-percha, or tar, or of a compound therefore.
This form of construction gives pliability to the wire and prevents the steel
strands from opening, and the wire from kinking.
This sounder A is used with the usual winch R (Figure 7) and fair-lead S,
Figure 12. We find it convenient to mount this winch upon a box T with a hinged
top which after use may be lowered into the box carrying the said winch so that
the whole may be packed compactly away inside the said box as shown in section
in Fig. 9.
The fair-lead S is composed of one, or two guide rollers mounted on a davit
bracket, the wire passing over the periphery of the lower roller.
:
Where an upper roller is used it may be kept in place by a weight, or spring.
To our winch we apply a brake viz, a hand wheel with a screw boss (Figure 8)
is fitted to a screwed continuation of the bearing brasses between the reel R and the
pedestal V.
By turning the hand wheel until it touches the cheek of the revolving wheel R,
the latter is at once checked and jammed by the hand wheel v.
The reaction on the bearing brasses is taken by a collar a at the outside end of the
reel spindle, or we can use a shoe brake Y brought against the edge of the discs
forming the sides of the winch drum with a lever attached to the same for putting
pressure on or off as desired.
A line recorder may also be attached to the winch, the recording mechanism of
which, consists of a train of friction wheels geared together, and to the winding
drum by V grooves and V rings on the peripheries of the wheels.
The recording wheel is calibrated to correctly record the paying out of the line at
the varying radii.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. In a deep sea sounder the combination with a water-pressed spring-controlled
piston of an air cylinder terminating in a globular or enlarged end air vessel,
substantially as described.
2nd. In a deep sea sounder the combination with a rack-cut water-pressed piston
spindle of a spring marker provided with a central button and ring and guiding lugs,
or wings at either end, one or two lugs or wings or the central ring being formed
norinally to lock with the said rack and to be readily released by pressure on the
said button, substantially as described in relation to Figures 5 & 6.
3rd. In a deep sea sounder the combination with the outer case of one or more
corkscrew spiral twists or equivalent adjacent books or fingers N and a split locking
ring and grooves p P. Q by which the case may be connected to a line without
knotting the same or using independent lashings substantially as described in relation
to Figures 2 & 4.
4th. In a deep sea sounder the combination with a recording piston rod of a
spring button M projecting through a slot in the sounder tube, thus forming a dead
stop for zero position, and permitting when pressed inwards, the said piston and rod

page_text: to be readily withdrawn from the said sounder tube, substantially as described in
relation to Figures 1 & 5.
5th. In a deep sea sounder, the construction of a water tight piston with a
dermatine washer subjected to screwed pressure to make an air and water tight joint
in the surrounding cylinder tube substantially as described.
6th. The general construction and combination of parts of an improved sounding
apparatus substantially as described and illustrated herewith.
Dated this 8th day of November 1890.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.