Improved Means of Indicating the Depths of Water in Rivers, Harbours, Seas, and the like, and Photographing said Depths to Scale or otherwise.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Indicating the Depths of Water in Rivers,
Harbours, Seas, and the like, and Photographing said Depths
to Scale or otherwise.
JAMES DILLON, 36, Dawson Street, Dublin, Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is designed to provide a simple and effective apparatus for indicat-
ing at a glance and recording found desireable the depth and variation of depth
of water in seas, rivers, harbours, lakes, and the like and is intended to improve
and simplify the apparatus described by me in the Specifications of Letters Patent
No. 3418 of 1881, No. 9969 of 1885, No. 16817 of 1889, and No. 19845 of 1893,
and also to provide means whereby a serious of soundings may be photographed
in succession upon a continuous photographic film showing also the speed of the
vessel and the year, day, hour of high water (if tidal) and hour in which the
sounding was recorded, thus admitting of comparison, with ancient or other charts,
tidal records and ancient water channels depths and the like.
In carrying out my said invention I attach to the side of the sounding ship or
steam launch at about the ships length from the bow, a metal rod or tube
called the inverted mast or fulcrum arm, putting it into the water to be sounded
at an angle of about 45 degrees with the water surface sloping towards the
ships stern, pivoting the upper end of it to the ship near deck, and fixing with wire
ropes to the ships sides the lower end of it, about half way between the sea or
water surface and the maximum depths to be sounded, resembling an inverted
staged mast.
To the lower end of this mast which reaches to about half the water depth to
be sounded pivot the middle of the sounding ladder, the latter may be longer
than the maximum soundings required, the upper end of this ladder resting above
the pivot resembles in form the letter A, while the lower half below the pivot
resembles in form an inverted letter A, a metal axle passing through the four
ends of the top and bottom portions, the end of this axle being pivoted to the lower
end of the inverted mast or fulcrum, so that the latter is pivoted to the sounding
ladder and forms part of it.
This sounding fadder is composed of metal tubes screwed together, of variable
lengths and diameters, and can be hinged and made to fold up in 2, 3 or more
sections, or can be reduced in length by striking out certain short lengths of
tubing, so also can the inverted mast be shortened in a similar way to suit lessor
maximum soundings.
When the ship is steaming and the soundings are being taken the resistance
of the water against the top half of the ladder above its pivot tends to press the
upper half downwards and the lower half upwards, and as the difference of this
water pressure (if any) against the top & bottom halfs, is less than the total weight
of the sounding ladder, its lower end trails along the sea bed with no tendency
to rise from off the undulating surface of the sea bed as the ship steams along.

page_text: To the lower end of this ladder trailing on the sea bed, I attach a flexible air
tube lashed to the lower half of the sounding ladder, until it reaches the pivot on
which the ladder works, from this point I carry the flexible tube along the inverted
mast to the ships deck, where I attach it to an air pressure guage, on which are
indicated the air pressures due to depths of 1, 2 or more feet of water pressure
over the immersed nozzle of the flexible tube, or I could substitute for the flexible
tubo the metal tubes in the side of the sounding ladder with flexible joints around
the pivot on which ladder works.
I use an ordinary air pump to make good any air leakage in the tubes and I cover
the submerged nozzle with an ordinary metal perforated. bonnett to preserve the
true water pressure at nozzle when ship is in motion, in this way the pressure
guage will indicate the true depth of water in feet in which the ship is steaming.
I attach the air pressure guage to the top of a white painted board on deck
about 6 feet in height, on this board and under the pressure guage I draw circles
in a verticle line in which are marked the year month day and hour the observa-
tions are taken, and time of high water (if tidal) under all-I fix the ships logg
recording dial.
In a vertical slott or grove adjoining the circles I place a black button working
vertically to scale, which rises and falls up and down the board as the depth of
the water increasses or diminishes, under the sounding ship, this black button being
worked by a lever effected by the rising and falling of the trailing end of the
sounding ladder on the undulating sea bed.
All these movements and dial records being in a vertical line can be photo-
graphed on a roll of photographic paper or other substance in the ordinary way,
each exposure being only 1% or more inch in breadth, the number of exposures
depending on the will of the operator at certain intervals of time agreed upon,
or at certain distances traversed by the ship as defined by her logg dials, or fixed
points on shore, or defined by a paid out measuring wire or by angular measure-
ment from off or on to the shore.
In this way after 100 or more photographs are completed on the one paper roll
a pencil line drawn through the photographic impressions of the black button
that represents the depth of each sounding, will give the contour of the sea bed at
each point of observation, while there is also recorded the exact hour of observa-
tion and date and hour of high water (if in tidal waters).
This sounding machine designed for soundings of about 40 or more feet, can be
made to fold up so as to suit lessor depths of about 20 or more feet, by pulling
up the lower half of the sounding ladder and folding it back on the upper half,
and freeing the lower end of the inverted mast or fulcrum from the wire ropes
fixing it to the ship, then the folded sounding ladder trails along the shallow sea
bed the unner half being pivoted to the ships side, above water level, this arrange-
ment will work up to speeds of 5 or more miles per hour without any tendency
to rise from off the surface of the undulating sea bed, but it can be worked at
much higher speeds when the whole ladder is opened out and working on its
middle pivot.
To the upper end of this folding ladder I fix a pointer capable of indicating upon
a graduated quadrant scale the depth of water bed or submerged rock or the like,
said quadrant is pivoted and may be balanced by a weight so that oscillations
of the vessel may not throw it out of the perpendicular.
I may also dispense with the pointer and quadrants and use the folding ladder
as follows:-
I take a triangular frame and attach to it by staples or otherwise a triangular
tube one side of which at least is composed of glass and contains sufficient colored
liquid to fill one arm, the three armis being continuous throughout and hermeti-
cally sealed, the frame is so adjusted that when the maximum depth to be sounded
is reached, one side of the triangle is filled with water to its maximum, indicating
the maximum depth, while the other two sides of the triangle are clear of water,
With the aid of this sounding ladder I can when the ship is in motion, signal

page_text: to 'observers on shore or in following ships, the water depths under the sounding
ship, by pivoting a semaphore signal to the ships mast and connecting the senia-
phore with the sounding ladder.
A drawing of the surface of the sea bed according to scale can also be obtained
by any of the well known methods, by using clock work to move a paper roll in
contact with a lead pencil or other metallic pointer, the pencil to be actuated by
a lever connected with the sounding ladder, and as the trailing end of the ladder
rises & falls with the undulating surface of the sea bed, so will the lead pencil
rise & fall while drawing the contour line of the sea bed on the paper roll to the
required scale, the latter being determined by wheel gearing or other well known
methods.
I may use any one of my devices seperately to ascertain the depth of water, or
may employ any two or more of them together, and to ensure perfect accuracy of
calculation may take the mean of two or more simultaneous soundings as may
be required for civil, military or naval engineering purposes.
JAMES DILLON,
36, Dawson Street, Dublin.
Improved Means of Indicating the Depth of Water in Rivers,
Harbours, Seas, and the like, and Photographing said Depths
to Scale or otherwise.
I, JAMES DILLON, of 36, Dawson Street, Dublin, Civil Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention is designed to provide a simple and effective apparatus for indicat-
ing at a lance and recording if found desireable the depth and variation of the depth
of water in seas, rivers, harbours, lakes and the like, and is intended to improve
and simplify the apparatus described by me in the Specifications of Letters Patent
No. 3418 of 1881, No. 9969 of 1885 No. 16817 of 1889, and No: 19845 of 1893,
and also to provide means whereby a series of soundings may be photographod
in succession upon a continuous photographic film showing also the speed of the
vessel and the year, day hour of high water (if tidal) and hour in which the
sounding was recorded, thus admitting of comparison with the ancient or other
charts, tidal records, and ancient water channels, depths and the like.
In carrying out my said invention I attach to the side of the sounding ship or
steam launch at about the ships length from the bow, a metal rod or tube
called the inverted mast or fulcrum arm, putting it into the water to be sounded
at an angle of about 45 degrees with the water surface, sloping towards the
ships stern, pivoting the upper end of it to the ship near deck, and fixing with wire
ropes to the ships side the lower end of it, about half way between the sea or
water surface and the maximum depth to be sounded resembling an inverted
staged ships mast.
To the lower end of this mast which reaches to about half the water depth to
be sounded, I pivot the middle of the sounding ladder, the latter may be longer
than the maximum soundings required, the upper end of this ladder resting above
the pivot or axle on which it works resembles in form the letter A while the lower

page_text: half below the pivot or axle resembles in form an inverted letter A, a metal
axle passing through the four ends of the top and bottom portions, the end of
this axle being pivoted to the lower end of the inverted mast or fulcrum, so that
the latter is pivoted to the sounding ladder and forms part of it.
The sounding ladder is composed of metal tubes screwed together, of variable
lengths and diameters and can be hinged and made to fold up in 2, 3 or more
sections, or can be reduced in length by taking out certain short lengths of tubing,
so also can the inverted mast be shortened in a similar way to suit less maximum
soundings.
When the ship is steaming or otherwise propelled and soundings are being taken
the resistance of the water against the top half of the sounding ladder above its
pivot, tends to press the upper half downwards and the lower half upwards,
and as the difference of this water pressure (if any) against the top and bottom
halves, is less than the total weight of the sounding ladder, its lower end trails
along the sea bed with no tendency to rise from off the ground under water as
the ship moves along.
To the lower end of this sounding ladder trailing on the sea or other bed, I
attach a flexible air tube lashed to the lower half of the sounding ladder, until it
reaches the first pivot on which the sounding ladder works, from this point I carry
the flexible tube along the inverted mast to the ships deck where I attach an air
pressure gauge on which are indicated the air pressures due to depths of 1, 2 or
inore feet of water pressure over the immersed nozzle of the flexible tube, or I could
substitute for the flexible tube the metal tubes in the sides of the sounding ladders
with flexible joints around the pivots on which ladder works.
I use an ordinary air pump to make good any air leakage in the tubes, and I
cover the submerged nozzle with an ordinary metal perforated bonnett, to preserve
the true water pressure at nozzle when ship is in motion, in this way the pressure
gauge will indicate the true depth of water in feet through which the ship is
moving.
I attach the air pressure gauge to the top of a white painted board on deck or
to the triangular water scale fixed at top of sounding ladder above level of ships
deck about 6 or more feet in height, on this board or triangular scale and under or
over the pressure gauge in a vertical line, are marked the year, month, day, and
hour by a clock the observations are taken and time of high water (if tidal)
under all I fix the ships log recording dial and other information.
In a vertical slot or groove adjoining the circles I place a black button working
vortically to the scale, which rises and falls up and down the board as the depth
of water increases or diminishes under the moving ship, this black button being
worked by a lever actuated by the rising and falling of the trailing end of the
sounding ladder on the undulating ground under water, this board with its figures
may also be attached to the ships mast.
All these movements and dial records being in a vertical line, can be photo-
graphed on a roll of photographic paper or other substance in the ordinary way each
exposure being only 1 or more inch in breadth, the number of exposures
depending on the will of the operator at certain intervals of time agreed
upon, or at certain distances traversed by the ship or steam launch as defined by
her log dial, or fixed points on shore, or defined by a paid out measuring wire, or
by angular measurements from off or on the shore.
In this way after 100 or more photographs are completed on the one paper roll,
a pencil line drawn through the photographic impressions of the black button or
the top of the photographed black water in the triangular glass water scale at top
of the sounding ladder, that represents the depth of each sounding, will give the
contour of the sea bed at each point of observation, while there is also recorded
the exact hour of observation and date and hour of high water (if in tidal waters)
speed of ship and the magnetic bearings of the line of soundings.
This sounding machine designed for soundings of about 40 or more feet, can be

page_text: made to fold up so as to suit less depths of about 20 or more feet, by pulling up
the lower half of the sounding ladder and folding it back on the upper half, and
freeing the lower end of the inverted mast or fulcrum from the wire ropes fixing it
to the ship, then, the folded sounding ladder being lashed to the inverted mast
trails along the shallow sea or other bed, this arrangement will work up to speeds
of 5 or more miles per hour without any tendency to rise from off the surface of
the undulating sea bed, but it can be worked at much higher speeds when the whole
ladder is opened out and working on its middle pivot.
To the upper end of this folding ladder I fix a pendulum pointer weighted,
capable of indicating upon a graduated quadrant scale, the depth of water the
ship is passing through owing to the oscillations of the sounding ladder and the
quadrant.
I may also dispense with the pointer and quadrants and use the folding ladder
as follows,
I take a triangular frame and attach it to a triangular tube, one side which at
least is composed of glass and contains sufficient coloured liquid to fill one arm
of the triangle, the three arms being continuous throughout and hermetically
sealed, this triangular frame is so adjusted that when the maximum depth to be
sounded is reached, one side of the triangle is filled with the coloured liquid to
its maximum, indicating the maximum depth through which the ship is passing,
while the other two sides of the triangle are clear of water.
With the aid of this sounding ladder I can when the sounding ship is in
motion signal to observers on shore, or in following ships the water depths. under
the sounding ship, by pivoting a semaphore signal to the ships mast and connect-
ing the semaphore with the sounding ladder.
A drawing of the surface of the sea bed or other submerged surface according
to scale can also be obtained by any of the well known methods, by using clock-
work to move a paper roll in contact with a lead pencil or other metallic pointer
or pen, the pencil to be actuated by a lever or weighted pendulum attached to
the sounding ladder, and as the trailing end of the ladder rises or falls with the
undulating surface of the sea-bed or other submerged surface so will the lead
pencil rise or fall between the top and bottom of the roll of paper while drawing
the contour line of the sea-bed on it to the required scale, the latter being deter-
mined by wheel gearing or other well known methods.
:
I may use any one of my devices separately to ascertain the depths of water.or
may employ two or more of them together, and to ensure perfect accuracy of
calculation may take the mean of two or more simultaneous soundings as may be
required for civil military naval or other engineering purposes.
In order to more fully explain the nature of my invention, I have attached to
this specification two sheets of drawings to the figures and letters of reference on
which I shall now refer.
Figure 1 is a view of the steam launch or ship showing how the inverted mast
or fulcrum is pivoted to the ship near deck, to which is pivoted the folding sounding
ladder near submerged end of the sounding mast.
Figure 2 is a front view of the steam launch, showing how the lower end of the
sounding ladder when not required is made to fold back on the upper half of
the sounding ladder when the upper half only of the sounding ladder is used for
sounding.
Figure 3 is a front view of the triangular water scale, the quadrant and weighted
pendulum, the glass case containing the roll of section paper, and the position of
the small circles each containing No. of section, dates, clock, hours of high water,
log, air pressure guage, ships speed, and magnetic bearings of a line of soundings.
Triangular water scales may be attached to either top of inverted mast or top of
sounding ladder or both as in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the triangular water scale showing how the, photo-.
graphic camera is held by a metal frame in front of the triangular water scale.

page_text: 1
Referring to Figure 1, T, Q, is the inverted tubular mast or fulcrum pivoted to
ship at a, and when necessary made rigid by the wires X, W, Q, Y, and Q, V,
and QS Figure 2.
When these wires are secured Q becomes a fulcrum to which the axle Q, R, is
.pivotod.
(>
Working on this axle is the upper half of the rigid sounding ladder built up of
short lengths of tubing Q, n, m, 0, braced together at n, and, m, and by
wires, m, u, Q, to this ladder is holted the triangular frame A, B, C, Figures 1, and 3.
The lower half of this rigid sounding ladder Q, S, R, braced at o, p, also works
on axle Q, R swinging freely on this axle and can be folded back on its upper
half Q, n, m, 0, when not required for use Figures 1 and 2; and by removing
the guide rope k, l, can be lashed to the inverted mast T Q or disconnected by
removing axle Q, R.
When the ship is propelled forward the resistance of the water tends to press
down the upper half of the sounding ladder Q, n, m, while the same motion tends
to press upwards the lower half, Q, S, R, and the total weight of the top and
bottom halfs being much greater than any possible difference in the downward
and upward pressures, the trailing end of the sounding ladder S, keeps in close
contact with the sea-bed, no matter at what speed the ship is propelled through
the water; but as the end S rises & falls with the undulating sea-bed it causes the
triangular water scale A, B, C, Figures 1 and 3 to rock forward and aft, thus
causing the coloured liquid in the triangular glass tube N Figure 3 to rise and
fall in the glass tube according to scale, 5, 10 or more feet, corresponding exactly
with the depth of the water through which the ship is moving.
At the same time the weighted pendulum I), H, G, Figure 3 will also point to
the same depths marked in feet on the quadrant arm E, F, Figure 3. and the
same amount of rocking will cause the weighted pendulum J in the glass case L, M.
to which is attached a pencil pointer, to draw a contour of the sea bed over which
the ship is passing on the roll of section paper on the latter being set in motion
by clockwork, or being electrically connected with current meters or a paid out
wire, one end being attached to land or sea shore or ship and the other end paid
out by an operator or other well known method.
A wire rope, k, l, is passed outside the upper end of the sounding ladder Q, n, m,
and bolted to the ship at k, l, and a scale of feet larger than full size being attached
to the ships deck or near it between e, and f, the arm of the sounding
ladder Q, n, m, will stand opposite the figures representing the depth in feet that
the trailing end S, stands below surface of water the scale commencing with the
last half of the fifty feet.
When soundings for less maximum depths are required the sounding mast T, Q,
and both the upper and lower half of the sounding ladder, Q, n, m, and Q, S, R,
are shortened, by removing the longer lengths of tubing and inserting shorter
lengths in same, or by folding the lower half of the sounding ladder Q, R, S,
back on the upper half Q, n, m, 0, and disconnecting the wire Q, W, X or slackning
same, then according as the sea-bed, shoals towards surface of water the coloured
liquid in the glass triangular tube at top of inverted mast will stand at the figure
on the scale representing the depth of water through which the ship is moving.
The weighted pendulum D, F, G, will also point to the same number of feet
Figure 3.
The scale of feet on the triangular water scale shown in Figure 3 are prepared
for the first 25 feet of soundings; a scale of feet ranging from 25 to 50 feet is
placed at the side of the triangular water tube when soundings exceeding 25 feet
are required, or duplicate triangular water scales are used one for the first and the
other for the second 25 feet of soundings, one being placed over centre, a, and the
other on triangular frame on top of sounding ladder.
Figure 4 shows the metal frame v, w, r, removed from the triangular scale in
Figure 3 (for sake of clearness) for holding the photographic camera P containing

page_text: the prepared film roll to receive photographs of a line of soundings in the following
manner.
The metal frame v, w, a, to which the camera is attached by a thumb screw is
bolted to the triangular water scale and therefore the camera rocks with the tri-
angular water scale.
The figures in the circles marked on scale are obtained as follows,
The operator having decided upon taking a certain line of soundings called a
section, knows the number of the section say, 8, also the date say 22nd July 1898,
the clock on, scale gives hour of observation, the hour of high water (if any) is
copied from the tidal tables, the current meter or log when set records the distances
traversed, and is connected electrically with the dial on scale, the air pressure
guage is connected with the submerged tube at S, Figure 1, the speed record is
obtained from observations or by any of the well known methods, so also the
magnetic bearings of the line of soundings in progress, all these figures having
been inserted on the scales A, C, and B, C, the operator standing behind the
camera follows with his hand the motion of the camera, and when he has fixed the
exact position of his ship by any of the well known methods, he touches the button
on top of camera and takes a photograph of one arm of the triangular scale only,"
say the left arm, adjusting the camera so that the photograph will be taken
vertically on the film roll, when the operation is repeated at intervals of time or
distance at the will of the operator until his line of sounding or section No. 8 is
completed, he will then have some 10 or 100 or more photographs of the heights
along the roll of film at which the black or coloured liquid stood in the triangular
glass tube. Each time he touched the button on camera and took a photograph,
the height of this liquid according to scale corresponding to the depth of water
through which the ship is passing.
Each photograph including the encircled figures adjoining the water tube may be
of an inch or less in breadth, a pencil line drawn through the top of the
photographed coloured liquid or water would give the contour of the sea bed and
all other figures relating to each sounding, such as the number of hours before
or after high water that the sounding was taken would also be photographed at
the side of the photographed colum of water, thus producing a record of im-
portant facts relating to each sounding.
If from any cause the glass tube, triangular water scales, quadrants and
weighted pendulums were damaged, then the operator could note in his note book.
all soundings as follows,-
Attached to the ship's mast are scales of feet, y, z, Figure, 1, one scale for the
first and the other scale for the second twenty five feet, at the side of these scales
can also be placed similar circles, dials, and figures to those marked on the tri-
angular water scale, a small spirit level is attached to the scales, y, z, and e, f,
denoting when ship is horizontal and as the inverted mast T, Q when freed from
the wire X, W, Q, when used only for 25 feet soundings will rise and fall with the
sea-bed, the rod C, T, will pull the weight, r, over the pulley at q on the mast
and thus indicate the depth of water in feet up to 25 through which the ship is
passing and for the second 25 feet up to 50 or more feet the arm, Q, n, m, 0, will
mark the depth of water on the scale, e, f, to be noted by the operator standing
on deck when the soundings exceed 25 feet, the stays of the mast Q, T, being
then tightened & the ladder fully extended.
A comparison of soundings taken at intervals of a month or other periods will
enable the operator to determine the exact changes that have taken place during
such intervals of time, or the amount of dredging work actually accomplished
during such intervals, while all unfinished excavations or other obstructions can
be discovered by trailing the sounding ladder over the dredged submerged bed
in any required direction, followed by another line of soundings taken at right
angles to the latter.
The whole apparatus can be erected on any description of good sea going vessels
propelled or towed by any well known method submerged or otherwise,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is performed I declare that what I claim
is;
1. In apparatus for indicating, taking, signalling, registering and photographing
soundings and the like, the use of a trussed folding sounding ladder, of sufficient
strength to resist all water resistance, divided into two rigid top and bottom parts
both working on one middle axle, the latter being pivoted to an inverted mast or
fulcrum, the lower end of the latter being submerged to about half
the maximum depth of the waters to be sounded the upper end being
pivoted near ships deck in such
a way that when the sounding ship
is propelled the resistance due to the action of the water does not
causo the sounding ladder to rise off the sea or other bed, because
the water tends to press the upper half of the sounding ladder above its working
centre downwards, while from a similar cause the lower half of the sounding ladder
below its working centre is pressed upwards, and the two pressures in opposite
directions destroying each other, the sounding ladder trails along the sea bed
irrespective of the speed at which the ship is propelled, the 50 feet or other length
of sounding ladder being so constructed, that by taking out the longer tubes and
inserting shorter ones in both the top and bottom parts as well as in the inverted
mast or fulcrum less maximum soundings can be taken, as the fulcrum and
central axle will still be left nearly midway in the water to be sounded.
2. In apparatus for indicating, taking, signalling, registering and photograph-
ing, soundings and the like the combination of a sounding ladder as before
described with the triangular water scale, quadrants, weighted pendulums, rolls
of paper, and the combined scales and dials, shown on scala substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
3. The means for and method of taking signalling and recording soundings in
shallow waters substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
15th day of July 1808