IMPROVEMENTS IN TAKING SOUNDINGS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fielden Sutcliffe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1882.
FIELDEN SUTCLIFFE of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TAKING SOUNDINGS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whereby soundings may
be taken much more expeditiously and accurately than is at present the case by
the hand line and which will facilitate the plotting out of the plans descriptive of
the surface of the ground beneath the water
The apparatus consists of a wheel with a spiral reel attachment, around its
periphery is wound a line or wire from which is suspended the lead and from the
spiral a preventer line is led over suitable supports through a block fixed in the
forward part of the boat which carries the apparatus and from thence to the lead
to which it is attached. The function of this line is to prevent the lead trailing
astern when the boat is moving ahead and thus to obviate the necessity of casting
the lead in the direction of the boat's travel for each dip or sounding taken and
to allow of the lead being worked within a range of a few feet of the bottom to be
sounded in order that its surface may be closely and expeditiously traced.
To this end the wheel and its spiral attachments are so proportioned relatively to
each other and to the base or horizontal distance from the lead to the leading block
on the fore part of the-boat that both the lead line and the preventer line remain
taut and cause the lead to continue in the same horizontal position, relative to the
boat at all depths that may be sounded.
One end of the axle of the wheel on which the lead line is wound has a sleeve
bearing that may be revolved within its pedestal, and to this sleeve are attached
two pointers, the longer pointer to indicate the readings on the rim of the wheel
aud the shorter one to mark the reading on a disc which is similarly divided to the
wheel. The above arrangement admits of soundings, reduced to any datum, being
obtained direct and without calculation.

page_text: On commencing to take soundings the lead is lowered on to the surface of the
water and the disc which is adjustable is set to give the same reading at both
pointers, and the pointers placed at Zero. or turned to the figures representing the
level of the tide in relation to any.datum level. The lead is lowered to the bottom,
and the sounding may be read at the long pointer on the markings on the wheel
which carries the line, while the short pointer indicates the level of the tide and
may be adjusted to the varying tidal level as the work proceeds As the long
pointer is carried round with it, all readings obtained at the long pointer will be
reduced soundings or depths relative to the datum-level used
The weight of the lead causes the wheel to revolve and slack wire is taken up by
a spring which counteracts the paying out movement. To raise the lead the wheel
is turned by hand.
On a small drum I carry a fine crucible steel wire which is hauled off the drum
by the forward movement of the boat. One end of the wire being attached at the
starting point and the required amount of tension being secured by a brake on
the drum spindle provides for a correct, horizontal measurement over moderate
distances.
The wire on leaving and entering on the drum is passed through a pad which
keeps it lubricated and is so arranged as to lead the wire on to the drum when it
is being hove in and to prevent it getting into kinks-a similar pad is used for
the sounding wire to pass through.
A registering apparatus or section plotter consisting of a drum which carries the
paper on which a section is to be plotted is rotated through suitable. gearing by
the distance line drum before mentioned, so that the travel of the paper represents
to a given scale the length of distance line paid out. A block sliding in guides
carries a marker vertically across the paper, it is actuated by a cord from a small
barrel clamped to the end of the axle of the large wheel capable of being turned
about the same for adjustment and so proportioned as to indicate to the required
scale the rise and fall of the lead by the motion it imparts to the marker
This drum may be rotated by clockwork or otherwise
In using the plotting arrangement it is nece-sary only to set both pointers to
zero when the lead is on the surface of the water theu to strike a horizontal line
by rotating the drum and holding the marker in contact with the paper put the
drum in gear with its driver and then proceed with the soundings tapping the
marker each time the lead is felt to touch the bottom a dotted section is thus
produced representing depths below the surface of the water from which time
being noted, and a tide gauge record a corrected datum line may be plotted
Cross sights may be indicated by vertical lines produced by holding the marker
to the paper while the lead is being raised from the bottom

page_text: FIELDEN SUTCLIFFE of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
IN TAKING SOUNDINGS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
IMPROVEMENTS
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whereby soundings may
be taken more accurately, expeditiously, and with less labour than it is possible for
such work to be done by any existing means known to me, and to admit of
soundings reduced to any given datum level to be obtained direct without
calculation, and further to enable the taking of soundings and the plotting of the
same in section, to be performed simultaneously and by one person.
Referring to the drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a boat shewing the apparatus fixed for sounding.
Fig. 2 plan view of the same
Fig. 3 elevation with part of boat shewn in section.
Fig. 4 end elevation partly in section.
A is a wheel or drum with a groove a round its periphery, on which a line b
carrying a lead B is wound. Attached to the side of the wheel A is a spiral
reel C; on this reel is wound a second line c hereinafter called the preventer line,
which is led over suitable supports c¹ through a block c" fixed at the forward part
of the boat which carries the apparatus, and from thence to the lead B to which it
is attached. The function of the preventer line c is to keep the lead B from
trailing astern when the boat is being moved ahead, and thus to obviate the
necessity of casting the lead in the direction of the boat's travel for each dip or
sounding to be taken, and to allow of the lead being worked within a few feet of
the bottom to be sounded, in order that its surface may be closely and expeditiously
traced.
To this end the horizontal distance from the block o' to the lead line bis
treated as the base of any right angled triangle, of which the depth below that base
to the lead is the perpendicular, and the distance from the lead to the leading
block is the hypothenuse.
The reel C is so designed and proportioned to the wheel A and to the base, that
the reel and the wheel both pay off or take in the required amount of their
respective lines to maintain the lead vertically under the after end of the base line
at all depths of its range.
d is a sleeve bearing in which one end of the axle D of the wheel A revolves,
and to this sleeve are attached two pointers, the longer pointer Ę to indicate
readings or measurements marked on the rim of the wheel A, and the shorter one G
to mark the readings on the disc I, which is to a reduced scale, similarly marked to
the rim of the wheel A, and the sleeve d with its pointers F and G may be
revolved in its pedestal E in the frame-work H, which supports the wheel and may
be of any suitable construction of wood or metal.
The object of this arrangement is to obtain soundings reduced to any datum
level at sight on the rim of the wheel A, which if the unit of measurement be a
foot is marked feet and tenths, and preferably measures 10 feet in circumference.
When commencing to take soundings, the lead is lowered to the surface of the
water (shewn at B' fig. 3) or to any convenient or given depth below the surface.
The pointer F is turned to indicate zero on the rim of the wheel A, or to a position
thereon representing the situation of the lead in relation to the datum level, and
the disc I, which may be moved about its centre for adjustment, is set to give the

page_text: same reading at its pointer G as appears at F, and from the markings on the
wheel A when the lead has been lowered to the bottom, soundings reduced to the
datum may be read. Should the sounding operations be carried on in a tideway
or in any other situation where changes in the level of the water are occurring,
such changes may be compensated for by turning the pointers to the right or left
to the extent of such change indicated on the disc I, and soundings reduced to
datum will continue to be indicated by the pointer F.
When the wheel is free, the weight of the lead B is sufficient to cause it to
revolve and pay off the lead line b, and the preventer line c simultaneously from
its periphery and from the spiral reel, and at the same time wind up a spring
contained in the box K, by unwinding the wire or chain h from K, and winding
it on to the barrel Li fixed on the axle D of the wheel A to both of which it is
attached. The function of this spring is by counteracting the paying off motion of
the wheel to pick up slack in the lines b and c when the lead bas reached the
bottom; to raise the lead, the wheel is turned by hand.
When soundings are being taken in confined spaces as in docks, basins, canals,
or between the banks of narrow rivers, I provide means for recording the distance
from a given point at which each particular sounding is taken. A fine line or
wire m preferably of crucible steel, is wound onto a drum M and passed from it
over the stern of the boat; the end is made fast to a fixed object, and as the boat
moves away therefrom, the drum M is rotated, and the wire paid off, the
revolutions of the drum indicating on a counter the length of wire paid off, and
thus the distance travelled. This can be noted at any time by the surveyor in
charge or registered automatically by the section plotter hereafter described. M¹is
a handle attached to drum M. N is a strap brake working on the pulley N',
keyed to the shaft of the drum M. n is a lever for actuating the brake. M¹ is a
handle by which to rotate the drum M.
The wire on leaving and entering upon the drum is passed through an oiled
pad O, which keeps it lubricated, and is so arranged as to lead the wire on to the
drum when it is being hove in, and to prevent it getting into kinks-a similar
pad O is used for the sounding wire b to pass through.
Another arrangement is to have two drums on the same shaft, the one fast and
the other loose, each carrying a wire but wound in opposite directions; the ends of
these wires are made fast rospectively at the opposite ends of the line to be sounded,
and the loose drum is turned round until botls wires are taut, it is then pinned to
the fast drum, and they may then be turned together the one paying off and the
other taking in line, causing the boat to be propelled in a straight line between
the points of attachment.
If it be required to plot soundings at the same time that they are being taken,
a registering apparatus or section plotter is attached; this in a simple form is shewn
on the drawings, where P represents a drum carrying a roll of paper, pa pencil for
marking the several soundings taken. The pencil p is carried in a block pl, sliding
in guides p, and is moved to and fro across the drum P as the wheel A is moved
in one direction or the other by means of the cord pl, which has both its ends
attached to the block p", and is led round a pulley o at each end of the drum P
over a tightening pulley o' on a radial arm, and has several turns round a pulley Q
on the axle D of the wheel A.
The pulley Q is not made fast to the axle D, but is caused to turn with it by
simple clutch motion to the pulley L, which is keyed thereon; the spring q keeps
the pulley Qin gear by engaging its fiuger attachment in the slots in the rim
of the pulley L, and admits of the pulley Q being disengaged from L in order that
it may be turned about for adjustment.
The pulley is proportioned to the wheel A, so as to indicate to the required
scale the rise and fall of the lead by the motion it imparts to the pencil. The
drum P is rotated by gearing from the shaft of the distance line drum M, a
worm n' being placed thereon, into which gears the wheel r on one end of the
7

page_text: shaft R; a worm at the other end of the same shaft gears into the wheel on
the spindle of the drum P; the gearing between the distance line drum M, and the
registering drum P, is so arranged that the angular movement of the latter
represents to the required scale the paying off of the, distance line, and the paper
used with the drum may have a scale of distances marked thereon.
When the apparatus is designed for use in situations where it would be
impracticable to use the distance or measuring line m and drum M, the registering
drum P may be actuated by any ordinary form of clockwork arranged to move it
at any required speed.
1./
No drawings of such are shewn, as any mechanic or engineer will understand
how to apply the clockwork, and no specific claim is made for any particular kind
of clock-work or form of adjustment.
Instead of a single drum, a long length of paper may be used rolled on one
drum and drawn from that onto another dram, passing at the same time over an
intermediate drum, where it receives the markings from the pencil or marker. In
this case the intermediate drum would be driven, and the receiving drum be geared
thereto.
In using the registering apparatus or Section Plotter, the lead B is placed on the
surface of the water or at any convenient depth below the same, and the pencil p
is set to a line S on the paper representing that level, which may be termed the
trial datum line; such line may have been previously drawn, or it may be struck
by passing the paper along with the marker in contact, or by the use of a second
marker it may be produced while the soundings are being taken. The plotting of
the soundings is effected by simply tapping the marker, which is kept clear of the
paper by a spring, each time the lead is felt to touch the bottom, and thus there is
produced a dotted section to a trial datum, from which, and a tide gauge record,
the true datum line may be plotted, time having been noted at each end of
the line.
The position of cross-sights, bearings, etcetera, may be indicated by holding the
marker in contact with the paper while the lead is being raised, so as to produce a
vertical stroke against which their designation may be written.
Having now described my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as new the manufacture and
use of apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as herein set forth, and in
an especial manner :—
1 The method for taking or recording soundings, in which the sounding line is
paid out from one point, and is held approximately vertical by means of another
line attached to or near the sounder, and paid out from another point at a
considerable horizontal distance from the first mentioned point, the respective
paying out mechanisms being so designed and proportioned, that when the two
lines are taut, the sounding line shall always be vertical.
2nd The manufacture and use of apparatus for taking or recording soundings, in
which the sounding line is suspended from a drum, and is held practically vertical
by a second line coiled on a spiral reel on the side of the drum, and passing over a
leading block at some distance off; the lines forming approximately a right angled
triangle, and the spiral reel and drum being so proportioned to each other, as to
simultaneously pay out or take in such a length of their respective lines, as shall
maintain the sounding line perpendicular.
3rd In combination with apparatus for taking or recording soundings, in which
the sounding line is held perpendicular by means of a second line coiled on a spiral
reel or its equivalent, the use of fingers or pointers, in conjunction with markings
on a dial and on the rim of the wheel, on which the sounding wire is wound,
capable of being set to a datum, and of indicating the depth of soundings relative
to that datum, substantially as described and shewn.
4th In apparatus for taking or recording soundings, the use of registering

page_text: apparatus attached or geared to a wheel carrying the sounding line, whereby
soundings may be plotted to scale while they are being taken, substantially as
described and shewn.
In witness whereof I the said Fielden Sutcliffe have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty-third day of May in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness
J. O. O'BRIEN
Clerk to Messrs W P Thompson & Co
Patent Agents
Liverpool & London.
FIELDEN SUTOLIFFE (L.S.)