IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF BILGE WATER IN SHIPS AND VESSELS.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolph Strauss, of Basinghall Street, in the
City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF BILGE WATER IN SHIPS AND
VESSELS. A communication from abroad by Abraham Harris, of
New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd September 1872, and dated the 11th March 1872.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th March 1872.
I, ADOLPH STRAUSS, of Basinghall Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF BILGE WATER
IN SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
-
These improvements relate to apparatus for indicating the height of

page_text: removed by the pumps or the increase of the water therein, as the case
may be.
The apparatus consists mainly of a valve composed of hollow discs
arranged in a superposed manner, each one being fastened to the other
to form an air vessel; this vessel is open at one end and its nozzle has
a flexible tube attached for forming the connection between the bilge
water space and the dial or indicator, which may be arranged in the
captain's cabin or other part of the vessel. The other side or end of
the valve has an arm or branch attached, this being in connection with
a quadrant and an index hand on the outside, the travel of which hand
over the scale or divisions enables the officer to ascertain the quantity
of water that may be in the bilge at any moment. The valve and index
hand are caused to move by the compression and expansion of the air
under the rise and fall of the column of water which is allowed to enter
the lower end of the flexible tubing.
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cavoval branch tubes mov bo omnloved to the came
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Adolph Strauss in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th September 1872.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPH
STRAUSS, of Basinghall Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Adolph Strauss, Her special licence that
I, the said Adolph Strauss, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Adolph Strauss, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,

page_text: should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF BILGE WATER IN SHIPS AND VESSELS," (a commu-
nication from abroad by Abraham Harris, of New York, in the United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Adolph Strauss, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Adolph Strauss, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :—
These improvements relate to apparatus for indicating the height of
the bilge or other water in a vessel, and also to indicate the quantity
removed by the pumps or the increase of the water therein, as the case
may be.
I
The apparatus consists mainly, as represented by the accompanying
Drawings, of a valve composed of hollow discs a, a, arranged in a super-
posed manner, each one being fastened to the other to form an air
vessel;
this vessel is open at one end b, and its nozzle c has a flexible
tube d attached for forming the connection between the bilge water
space and the dial or indicator, which may be arranged in the captain's
cabin or other part of the vessel. The other side or end e of the valve
has an arm or branch attached, this being in connection with a quad-
rant g and an index hand on the outside, the travel of which hand
over the scale or divisions on the dial i enables the officer in charge to
ascertain the quantity of water that may be in the bilge at any moment.
The valve and index hand are caused to move by the compression and
expansion of the air vessel under the rise and fall of the column of water
which is free to enter the lower end of the flexible tubing, or a metal
tube j at its end.

page_text: In some cases several branch tubes may be employed to the same
apparatus, these being led to different parts of the vessel, the branches
starting preferably from the end piece b, or the upper part of the flexible
tube d, as desired.
The Invention will be well understood by reference to the accompany-
ing Drawings, Figure 1 of which is a face view of the dial divided into
fect and inches, the exterior casing having lugs k, k, on it to permit of
its being fitted to any part of the vessel and within sight of the officers
or of the crew.
In Figure 2 I have shown a sectional view of a vessel with the
apparatus fitted in the captain's cabin upon the upper deck 7. .
A view of the apparatus is represented at Figures 3 with the dial
removed to show the quadrant which oscillates upon the pivot m under
the action of the arm f in connection with the quadrant g, a cord n
from which is twisted one or more times round the axle p upon which
the index hand is mounted, the quadrant and also the index hand being
returned to their normal positions by the spring q gradually as the water
decreases. This is more clearly shown in the sectional view, Figure 4.
I have referred to one index hand only as being employed, but another
one can be fitted loosely on the same axle to be moved over by the
action of the first to any part of the dial, and remain there to register
the maximum amount of water in any given period, a button " on the
outside serving to return it to zero as often as desired.
Mention has been made of a flexible tube as forming the connection
between the bilge and the dial apparatus, but this tube may be substi-
tuted by a rigid one and fixed to the framing of the vessel by any
appliance, the end of it being preferably spread out or cone-shaped to
pocket the air and the water more readily. It may also be notched or
perforated at the lower end to give freer access for the air and the water
to enter, the main thing being to give freedom of action for the air
vessel to expand and contract as the water becomes higher or lower in
the bilge to obtain a true reading upon the dial at all times.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, claim is made,-
Firstly. To the apparatus herein-before described and shewn for
indicating the varying heights of water in the bilge of a vessel.

page_text: And secondly. To a series of discs arranged in a superposed manner,
substantially in the manner set forth, in combination with the other
appliances for indicating and registering the height of bilge water in a
vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolph Strauss, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Ninth day of September One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.