Year: 1886

page_text: We JAMES JOSEPH HICKS, of No. 8 Hatton Garden, Meteorological Instrument
Manufacturer, and CHARLES TIGHT of No. 12, Percival Street, Cabinet Maker, both in
the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to the construction of a cheap and efficient level which is
capable of ready application to either vertical, inclined or horizontal surfaces.
For this purpose we employ a flat chamber preferably circular in shape, that is to
say in the shape of a hollow disc partly filled with liquid preferably spirit and
mounted in a suitable frame or carrier so that the flat side of the disc is flush or
nearly so with the side of the frame or carrier.
Around the edge of the hollow dise or vessel we arrange a divided scale which
may be formed on the surface of the glass itself or on the holder or carrier or on a
piece of metal or other material fixed on the holder or carrier.
The back of the hollow dise or chamber we preferably form of white enamel either
on the interior or exterior surface or embedded within the thickness of the glass
forming such hollow chamber or a separate dise or plate of white enamel or other
material may be employed.
The hollow glass dise or chamber is formed preferably by blowing, in which case we
form a neck or nozzle through which the liquid can be introduced and which can
afterwards be sealed so as to secure its contents; or the hollow chamber can be built
up of two discs of glass, or of one of glass and one of suitably colored enamel or
pottery or enamelled metal held at the requisite distance apart by a ring of any
suitable material and made fluid tight in any well known manner.
In this latter case mercury would be employed by preference.
The liquid in the hollow chamber may occupy any suitable proportion thereof; for
instance it may about half fill the same, when a straight line of fluid will be shown
which will indicate at both ends against the scale, or the chamber may be nearly filled
when a bubble of air will be formed at the periphery of the disc which bubble will
travel around the same in proportion to the change of level.

page_text: Improvements in Levels.
We JAMES JOSEPH HICKS of No. 8. Hatton Garden, Meteorological Instrument
Manufacturer, and CHARLES TIGHT of No. 12, Percival Street, Cabinet Maker, both in
the County of Middlesex, 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:—
Our invention relates to the construction of a cheap and efficient level, which is
capable of ready application to either vertical, inclined, or horizontal surfaces.
For this purpose we employ a flat chamber preferably circular in shape, that is to
say, in the shape of a hollow dise, partly filled with liquid, preferably spirit, and
mounted in a suitable frame or carrier so that the flat side of the disc is flush, or
nearly so, with the vertical side of the frame or carrier. If desired the said flat
chamber may be made square or of other form.
Around the edge of the hollow dise or vessel we arrange a divided scale which may
be formed on the surface of the glass itself or on the holder or carrier or on a piece
of metal or other material fixed on the holder or carrier. The back of the hollow
dise or chamber we preferably form of white enamel either on the interior or exterior
surface or embedded within the thickness of the glass forming such hollow chamber
or a separate dise or plate of white enamel or other material may be employed.
The hollow glass disc or chamber is, in some cases, formed by blowing, in which
case we form a neck or nozzle through which the liquid can be introduced and which
can afterwards be sealed, so as to secure its contents; or the hollow chamber can be
built up of two discs of glass, or of one of glass, and one of suitably colored enamel
or pottery, or enamelled metal held at the requisite distance apart by a ring of any
suitable material and made fluid tight in any well known manner.
The liquid in the hollow chamber may occupy any suitable proportion thereof; for
instance it may about half fill the same, when a straight line of fluid will be shown
which will indicate at both ends against the scale; or the chamber may be nearly
filled, when a bubble of air will be formed at the periphery of the disc or chamber
which bubble will travel around the same in proportion to the change of level.
And in order that our said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of our improved level: Figure 2 is a cross section of the
same and Figure 3 is a separate view of the liquid containing chamber thereof.
Figures and represent to a larger scale a face view and a cross section of a
differently constructed liquid containing chamber, and Figures 6 and 7 represent two
levels formed with square chambers set therein in two different positions.
According to our invention we employ a flat chamber a preferably circular in shape,
that is to say, in the shape of a hollow disc, partly filled with liquid preferably, spirit

page_text: and mounted in a suitable frame or carrier so that the front side of the disc is flush,
or nearly so, with the side of the frame or carrier b.
Around the edge of the hollow dise or vessel we arrange a divided scale which
may be formed on the surface of the glass itself or on the holder or carrier or on a
ring or picce e of metal or other material fixed on the holder or carrier b.
The back of the hollow dise or chamber a we preferably form of white enamel
either on the interior or exterior surface, or embedded within the thickness of the
glass forming such hollow clamber or a separate disc or plate of white enamel or
other material may be employed.
The hollow glass disc or chamber a is formed in some cases by blowing, in which
case we form a neck or nozzle a on the same through which the liquid can, be
introduced, and which can afterwards he scaled so as to secure its contents or as
shown at Figures 4 and 5 the hollow chamber a can be built up of two dises of glass
or one of glass and one of suitably colored enamel or pottery or enamelled metal
held at the requisite distance apart by a ring of any suitable material, and made
fluid tight in any well known manner. Such ring a² is formed with an internal flange
against which the dises rest in such manner as to be flush with the outer portions of
such ring.
Any suitable waterproof cement being employed to retain the discs in position. In
this form of chamber a hole is formed in the ring by which the liquid is supplied
to the chamber a screw or other plug a being employed to close the same.
The liquid in the hollow chamber a may occupy any suitable proportion thereof;
for instance it may about half fill the same as represented in the drawings, when a
straight line of fluid will be shown which will indicate at both ends against the scale,
or the chamber a may be nearly filled when a bubble of air will be formed at the
periphery of the hollow dise or chamber, which bubble will travel around the same in
proportion to the change of level.
In Figure 6 the chamber a which is square is mounted in its carrier in diamond
fashion, that is to say with one of its diagonals at right angles and the other parellel
with the top and bottom of the frame whilst at Figure 7 the square chamber a is
mounted with two of its edges parallel with the top and bottom of the frame. This
form of level is very suitable for use as a clinometer for ships and for other uses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is
A level consisting of a thin or flat glass disc or chamber, or glass fronted disc or
chamber partially, or nearly completely filled with liquid, and with or without a
reflecting back mounted vertically in a frame or carrier and surrounded by a divided
scale substantially as herein shown and described.