Improvements in Rain Gauges and Indicators.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by STEVEN WATKINS, of The Ottoman Railway,
Smyrna, Turkey, Civil Engineer.]
Improvements in Rain Gauges and Indicators.
I WASHINGTON HUDSON of 2 Elliscombe Villas Charlton in the County of
Kent, Consulting 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 object of my invention is to measure and indicate the rainfall by a rain gauge
at any distance from, and electrically connected to, an indoor indicator recording
the rainfall at all times and during a season or year.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters refer to like parts.
Sheet 1. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2. a plan of the rain gauge in
outline suitable only in certain cases.
Sheet 2. Figs. 3 and 4 show a plan and an elevation of the electric mechanism.
Sheet 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation shewing the wheels for measuring and reading the
rainfall on the rain gauge itself.
Sheet 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation shewing an automatic arrangement for
opening and closing the reservoir of the rain gauge so as to allow any desired
quantity of water to enter or be discharged and at the same time making the gauge
continuous and endless in its action.
Sheet 5. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the float wheel and electric switch action.
Fig. 8 is an arrangement of index wheel and electric switch for shewing the amount
of evaporation.
Sheet 6. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are three views of the indoor indicator or recording
apparatus. Fig. 12 is a diagram of the rain gauge indicator and battery
connected up.
The rain gauge consists of two cylinders or vessels A and B, Fig. 1 and 2. of
different diameters, the smaller or reservoir B firmly fixed inside the larger, and
upper ends of both brought flush, or in a horizontal plane.
The water enters the reservoir from the bottom by means of a feed pipe C.
soldered on the outside of the reservoir and carried through a hole made in the
base board G resting on the top of both cylinders.
A short bent tube D, is attached to the cup E, and fits loosely into the feed pipe
and serves to conduct the rain water from the funnel or mouth of the gauge to the
reservoir.
The mouth F forms the cover and the casing fitting over the outer cylinder thus
encloses the reservoir.
A brass bed plate H, is screwed on the upper side of the base board G and on
the underside another circular plate I fitting inside the reservoir. The bed plate H
supports a grooved wheel K, Figs. 3 and 4. provided with a pawl P, on one of its
flanges and over which runs a thin cord or chain fixed to a float at one end L (Fig. 1.)
and to compensating weight M, at the other. The lower portion of the float L, is
weighted so that when balanced by the counter weight M the widest part rests a
little under the surface of the water to prevent friction. Two holes H' and H'
are bored through the plates H, and I, and board G, to allow the cords to pass
through.
The grooved wheel K freely revolves round the spindle N, Fig. 3 which carries
a ratchet wheel O, with a wide rim divided into very minute teeth (the more the

page_text: :
As the water enters the reservoir B the float L rises and propels the grooved
wheel K, by means of the cord and counter weight, and the pawl P, on the wheel K,
impinges against the teeth of the ratchet wheel O, causing it to be driven forward.
The float in its descent turns the grooved wheel K backwards, but the ratchet
wheel Ö, is held fast and prevented revolving in a contrary way by a stop Q,
engaging the teeth on the rim.
The ratchet wheel therefore turns in a forward direction only; whereas the
grooved wheel is free to turn either way.
One end of the spindle N passes through the centre of an upright card or metal
disc R. Fig. 5 conveniently fixed to the support S and has its circumference divided
into 100 parts, thus representing one inch of rainfall for every revolution of the
ratchet wheel O indicated by a finger or pointer S¹ secured in the extremity of the
spindle N.
A pinion V, Fig. 3, fixed on the spindle N, drives a train of wheels X, W, the
number of the teeth of which are so arranged as to show by means of a dial U,
revolving with and attached to the axle of wheel W, the number of revolutions
performed by the ratchet wheel. A fixed pointer Y, projecting from the top of the
supports S, indicate each revolution or inch on the dial U.
To avoid the necessity of removing the cover each time a reading is required out
of doors, an opening protected by a piece of glass Z. Fig. 3. is made in the casing
sufficiently large to see the two dials R and U.
Evaporation does not affect the reading for as already stated, the motion of the
ratchet wheel O is in one direction only and is held in position by the stop Q, when
the float is descending during any evaporation in the reservoir, and owing to the
float always resting on the surface of the water, the gauge is at all times set and
ready for usc..
When using the rain gauge at a distance I electrically connect it with an indoor
indicator (see Fig. 12) that will record the quantity of rainfall for a whole season
or a year.
A disc wheel a, Figs. 3, 4 studded with a series of equidistant pins projecting
from its face, is secured tightly in the other end of the spindle N. If one revolution
of the spindle is required to represent one inch of rain, aud the indicator to
show 10ths or 20ths parts of an inch, the disc wheel must be provided with a
corresponding number of pins. For any number of parts above 20ths or 30ths
the disc wheel, a, instead of being secured direct on the spindle N, is fixed on an
extra centre or axle with a wheel and pinion (not shewn) geared off the spindle N,
for instance if the wheel drives the pinion five times faster, then the number of
pins on the disc wheel, a, must be 20 if it is required to show 100ths on the
indicator.
Instead of pins on the disc wheel, a, cogs or teeth may be substituted.
Hanging from an insulated pin joint on the support d (Figs. 3, 4,) an arm, e,
with a hooked piece, f, projecting from one of its sides and also insulated from it,
butts against a stud, g and is so weighted at the top, that the lower end of it
slightly touches each pin in succession as the disc wheel, a, rotates.
A lever h, moving in a pivot fixed to the support, d, under the arm, e, having a
toothed projection, i, on the top facing the underside of the hooked piece, f, of the
arm, e, and a notch, j, cut in the lower corner at the back, rests on the armature, k,
of an electro magnet, l, as shewn in Fig. 4.
The action of this "make and break" contact is as follows, As the disc wheel, ȧ,
turns, one of its pins touches the lower end of the arm, e, and causes a current to
be transmitted through the coils of the electro maguet, l, which attracts the
armature, k, and permits the lever, h, (which is resting on it) to drop by its own
weight into the notch, j, and so lock the armature--at the same time the toothed
projection, i, of the lever, h, strikes the hooked piece, f, on the arm, e, and draws it
away from the pin, on the disc wheel; thus breaking the current. The pin
travelling in the direction of the arrow, then pushes down the lever, h, in front
until the notch, i, at the back releases the armature, k, which returns to its original

page_text: position and the arm, e, falls back against the stud, g, ready to form another contact
with the next pin.
The wire connections are shewn in Fig. 3, those from the binding screws 1, 2, 3,
pass down the casing to the battery and also to the indoor indicator. The con-
ductor, 2, is connected with the indicator, which may be at any distance from the
rain gauge, see Fig. 10, in which, l, l, is an electro magnet with an armature, m,
which is attracted at the same instant, the armature k, in the gauge is actuated.
A light jointed click lever p, is attached to the armature, m, at each attraction
this lever falls into a tooth of a ratchet wheel, g.
When the connection with the battery is broken the armature, m, and lever, p,
are forced back by the spring, o, and advances the ratchet, qg, the space of one
tooth representing 16th or 100 of an inch as the case may be. A stop or pawl pl
prevents the ratchet, q, rotating backwards. A train of wheels r, s, t (Figs. 9,
10, 11) driven by the ratchet, q, propels 2 hands u, v, on a common centre round a
dial, w, graduated on two concentric cireles, x, y, the outer one a, shewing 10ths
or 100ths of an inch the other, y, full units or inches. The hand u, is fixed to the
inner axis, and the other hand, v, to the outer axis., Z and ' are index fingers.
In place of the click lever, p, a pallet may be used fixed to the armature, m,
arranged so as to propel the ratchet, q, one tooth for every attraction. The
connection from binding-screw 4 goes to earth also the battery wire 4' (Fig. 11).
The front of the indicator is filled with a glass door, u', u², and the dial, w, can be
removed in case of repair.
In Fig. 6 the automatic arrangement for opening and closing the reservoir of the
rain gauge consists of a feed pipe, C, with a cup E, at the top, into which the rain
is led down from the funnel, F, an opening at the bottom C3 admits the water
into B, a rod C passing loosely through an aperture E' and another at C² is fitted
with two pistons H³, H, with leather washers and an armature at the top and an
electro magnet 7 (with its legs downwards) over the armature. When the rod is
lifted the hole E' is closed by the valve H³ and the orifice C² opened by the valve H',
and vice versa..
On the flange of the grooved wheel K two pins K', K2, Fig. 7 project
radially at about the same distance apart as the height of the float L, is
required to ascend in the reservoir B. which height is to represent any desired part
or fraction of an inch. By the forward and backward oscillations of the grooved
wheel K the pins alternately push up and down a lever L' pivotted on a piece of
ebonite m' attached to the support N1 in switching on and off an electric current
passing through the pivot 2, and stud 3, and electro magnets, both in the gauge and
indicator.
As the rainwater is led through the mouth of the gauge F, to the cylinder B
the float in rising turns the wheel K Fig. 6 until the pin K, Fig. 7, pushes the
lever L', over the stud 3, the electro magnet 1, Fig. 6 attracts the armature and
rod C', closing the hole or valve E', this is to prevent any rain entering the pipe C,
which will be collected in the cup E, should it be raining at the time, the water in
the reservoir is running to waste (through D¹). The float now descends again until
the water has reached its original level, when at that moment the upper pin K2
Fig. 7 pushes the lever L', down disconnecting it from the stud 3, and breaking the
current. The armature and rod then drop and the opening H, Fig. 6, is then
closed and the water again collects. During the descent of the float the circuit is
kept closed by means of a light spring (not shewn) for pressing the lever against
the stud 3, Fig. 7.
The wheel K has a limited play and at rest is prevented from turning any further
backwards by the stop R, Fig. 7 when any evaporation takes place the float L by
its own weight causes the cord to slip on the grooved wheel K and still remain on
the surface of the water.
The wheel work, dials, etc. for outdoor reading (not shewn in Fig. 6,) may be
connected to spindle N.
For determining the amount of evaporation a wheel S2 Fig. 8, with a boss S³

page_text: revolves round a fixed axis S on the support T¹ and carries the lever L', and
ebonite plate, m', (before referred to) on its inner face. It is made to turn
rather stiffly on the axis, so that when the current is switched on and off, by the
forward and backward motion of the pins K', K2, it remains immovable, unless
sevaporation takes place, when the float descending by its own weight enables the
pin K to push hard against the lever and its stop and so to turn the whole together
with the wheel S2, backwards until evaporation ceases. The outer face of the
wheel S is graduated into 100 parts, that is if one revolution of the wheel K, is to
equal one inch a pointer S' fixed in any suitable position will show the quantity of
water evaporated. In this instance the current passes from the wheel K to stud 3,
of the lever L' from which it passes to an insulated ring Se round the boss S³
and from the ring to a binding screw 3, on the base board by means of a strip of
sheet brass S7.
I do not bind myself to use this kind of "make and break" contacts, other
varieties may be used to the same end. They can also be made to work mechanically
or by clockwork for instance the rain indicator can be combined with a clock so as
to register on paper the amount of rainfall at any hour of the day or night either
close by or many miles away.
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
1st. The rain gauge apparatus for measuring and indicating the amount of
rain-fall and evaporation, substantially as herein described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. The indoor indicator electrically connected with the rain gauge placed at a
long distance off, recording the amount of rainfall during any period, substantially
as described and set forth.