Improvements in Sounding Apparatus.
Year: 1888

page_text: decision of the Chief Examiner, acting on behalf of the Comptroller, of the
7th day of October 1892, allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883,
an Amendment of this Specification.
Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1888-Accepted, 28th Sept.; 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sounding Apparatus.
'
SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES of 3 Douglas Villas Greyhound Lane Streatham
Common in the County of Surrey Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention to be as follows:-
1
•
The object of this invention is to warn Mariners of the existence or approach of
shallow water without the necessity of slackening speed. In order to get an instru-
ment that will really sink when being towel swiftly through the water, I use a flat or
bevelled plate, board or boards preferably in the form of a wedge, arrow or plough the
bottom side thereof being weighted in order to give it a self righting tendency. I can
make this instrument of metal but prefer wood, weighting the bottom by means of a
rod of iron in the form of a lever, Tor angle iron so that its self righting tendency
shall act quickly, I prefer to make this sinking instrument (as a whole) of the same
weight as the water it diplaces so that when at rest it shall just float in order that
whether the vessel is travelling 5 or 15 miles an hour the sinking instrument may
keep in equilibrium at a fixed depth. If necessary it can be made heavier so that it
may sink while the vessel is scarcely moving through the water.
of a known
I attach this sinking instrument by means of a detaching hook, spring or thin
string rope or wire; to a stronger line of rope or wire or "lead line
length, & according to the angle at which the sinking instrument is set, it will when
towed through the water sink to a depth proportionate and so long as there is water
below this limit the line & instrument is simply dragged after the vessel, but when
shallow water is reached the instrument ploughs into the sand or mud or is caught by
the rocks or weeds & the tension of the line is increased until the breaking strain
of the detaching hook, spring or other suitable device is reached, when the instru-
ment is carried away & lost, instantly reducing the strain on the lead line, which is
connected with another Spring or Dynamometer on board the vessel which actuates
in turn either a common or electric bell or other audible warning so that the mariner
may know at once that he has only a depth of 30 40 or 50 fathomis &c. as the
case may be, I also run the lead line over a pulley or block attached to a quadrant,
dial plate or fixed angle so that the deflection of the lead line from the horizontal may
shew the depth attained by the sinking instrument, notwithstanding varying lengths
of lead line employed & sometimes weight the quadrant or dial plate so that the
zero point shall remain vertical notwithstanding the motion of the vessel, I graduate
the quadrant for fathoms &c. instead of degrees, I arrange that the string rope or wire
of the "lead line" is wound on a suitable reel or winch & provide for its being kept
in oil lime &c. when steel wire is used, though when phosphor bronze wire is used this
may not be necessary.
As the sinking instrument (or lead) when made of wood can be made at a trifling
cost I prefer for them to be lost outright rather than complicate the detaching hook
or.spring in order to save them & therefore provide several to each vessel fitted.

page_text: The especial features of novelty in this invention & what I intend hereafter to
claim inter alia are
1st. The use of an automatic righting board, plough wedge or arrow the top
part of which is lighter or more buoyant than the bottom part for a sinking
instrument:
2nd. The use of a Spring or Dynamometer on board the vessel connected to the
towing or lead line to shew when the sinking instrument has been detached or carried
away.
3rd. The application & use of a Dial plate Quadrant or fixed angle to shew the
angular deflection of the "lead line" thereby marking the depths the sinking instru-
ment has attained.
All for the purposes of taking soundings substantially as described.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Sounding Apparatus.
I SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES of 3 Douglas Villas, Greyhound Lane Streatham
Common in the County of Surrey Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of my said 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 this invention is to warn Mariners of the existence or approach of
shallow water without the necessity of slackening speed or stopping the vessel &
in order to obtain an instrument that will really sink & find the bottom (within
certain depths) when towed swiftly through the water I use a Kite or plough made
of flat or bevelled plates or boards, a long rod, hollow tube, or box, but preferably
in the form of a pointed wedge or arrow as shewn in Drawing figs. 1 & 2 or double
pointed as shewn in figs. 5 & 6 the bottom or lower part being weighted so that its
specific gravity shall be greater than the upper, or other portion bulk for bulk, so.
that it may have a quick self righting tendency causing one end or part to be.
always downwards. In general practice I use Wood for the upper part & a metal
for the lower part as marked in figs. 1, 4. & 5., I can make these Kites or ploughs
entirely of metal or entirely of wood if the upper part is made hollow or of two
metals or of two woods of different gravities or of other substances sufficiently
strong & otherwise convenient, these Kites, ploughs or Sinkers can be made as a
whole either of the same density as water or lighter or heavier than water (as.
in practise their total weights may be.disregarded at speeds over 4 miles an hour)
but in order to serve at all times I make these sinkers somewhat heavier than.
water.
Fig. 4 is the same thing without being pointed but this form of sinker is not
quite so steady in action though it has its advantages in being more convenient for
stowage on board &c. I do not however limit myself to either of the particular
forms here shewn as experiments prove that almost any forms from a square
flat board to a long rod, hollow tube, or box form answer more or less effectually
provided they are properly weighted & attached as Kites or ploughs to the towing
line.
I attach these Kites ploughs or sinkers by means of two ropes wires chains or
rods shewn in Drawing as a x & b which meet at the apex of the triangle at a,
between which point & the towing line L I insert a rope, wire or spring hook (S)
which is of somewhat less strength than the line wire L & which will give way
when a sudden jerk or strain (greater than that due to fluid pressure only) arises,.
so that when the Kite plough or sinker catches in, or strikes the bottom (ás
shewn in Fig. 10 No. 2) the part S. being the, weakest gives way & releases the
sinker.
At or near the top of these Kites ploughs or Sinkers 1 attach a slack rope, wire

page_text: or chain marked P the other end being fastened to the line wire L at a point
above or beyond the detatching wire or Spring S, so that when the sinker strikes
the bottom & the Spring or wire S gives way, the preserving slack rope wire or
chain becomes tight & being fastened to the top end of the sinker only, drags it
out when the sinker immediately begins to rise as shewn in (figs. 10 No. 3, 4 & 5)
at the same time the strain or tension on the line wire is reduced which fact I
make use of by means of a Dynamometer to actuate alarms &c. as hereafter
described.
I make these sinkers as thin & light as possible having regard to necessary
strength for hard knocking about sometimes weighting them with an iron shoe
which answers the double purpose of strengthening as well as weighting & having
an indentation or hollow on the under side brings up specimens of the bottom, but
if desired I can weight them by means of a long lever or bar.
I generally adjust these Kites, ploughs or sinkers to sink at an angle of about
45 degrees from the Horizontal, but this can be varied if desired, but for several
practical reasons I prefer half a right angle, for whereas the natural sine of 45°
is decimal 7 the depth the sinker attains is in that case 7 or 17ths of the length
of wire or line run out, thus if while the ship is in deep water a sinker is put
overboard & a length of say about 42 fathoms of line run out the sinker will go
down to about 30 fathoms & will remain towing behind the vessel at that depth
(see fig. 10 No. 1) until the bottom shallows to 30 fathoms when the sinker will
catch, strike or plough into the bottom & become detatched (fig. 10 No. 2) warning
thereof being given on board as hereafter described, if however the sinker is put
over when there is a less depth than 30 fathoms the sinker catches & gives warning
when only a shorter proportion of line has run out.
In fig. 10 I have shewn the fair lead & winch box placed at the stern of the
vessel but when required it can be put on the Bridge & be entirely under the
control of the Officer of the Watch or on the forecastle avoiding the necessity of
employing any one aft to attend to it & in vessels of 300 feet length or more
soundings to a depth of 30 fathoms can be obtained by the side of the vessel itself
& also (if under very special & exceptional circumstances it should be required)
soundings of moderate depths might be obtained even in front of the vessel by
placing the fair lead F at the end of the Bowsprit instead of the stern rail.
Fig. 7 F is an ordinary fair leader, wheel or roller fixed on the rail of the vessel
or other convenient place & to this I attach a quadrant 2 which I graduate in
terms of the natural sines corresponding to the angles of dip or depression, thus
30 degrees would be marked 5 & 45 degrees would be marked 7 & so on this
Quadrant is useful to shew that the sinker is properly adjusted & working freely
so that if the towing line was opposite 5 or 7 &c. it would shew that the sinker
was at a depth of 5 or 7 of the length run out as the case might be, this being
equally applicable to feet fathoms metres or other standard of length. In practise
I also graduate the dial plate of the counter or index of the winch drum not only
for the length of wire absolutely run out but also with a second graduation to
shew the depth of sounding which corresponds thereto, according to the angle at
which the sinker sinks.
Winch box (fig. 8) R is a roller or wheel supported by a moveable crank & over
this roller the line wire is placed, the tension of the wire causing the roller to move
upwards or downwards as the tension decreases or increases thus forming a Dynamo-
meter actuating (by means of the arm G¹) any gearing which may be geared thereto
for the purpose of creating or working alarms, or it may be a fixed roller & the
line wire led to the Dynamometer, moveable pulley block or swinging winch
drum D over or around which the line wire is wound, so that while the sinker is
being run out as also while in deep water, the strain on the line is sufficient to cause
the moveable pulley block or swinging winch drum to assume the position
approximating to that shewn in full lines, but directly the sinker touches the
bottom & becomes detached the strain. on the wire is immediately reduced & this
moveable pulley block or swinging winch drum falls back into the position shewn

page_text: **
by dotted line by its own gravity or by the addition of a spring if required," the
winch drum itself being thus made to act as a Dynamometer, the arm G on the
other side of the centre of motion moving correspondingly, I attach this arm G by
means of a rod or other convenient device to one flap of a pair of bellows B (the
other flap being fixed) so that the swing or motion of the pulley block or winch
drum D opens the bellows when the sinker is running out. & keeps them open until
the bottom is struck, when the tension of the line then being reduced the return
swing or motion of the pulley block or winch drum gradually closes them forcing
the air therein through a pipe to a whistle or other wind instrument, either at the
winch box itself or the pipe may be led away to the Captains Cabin, the Bridge
or wherever required to give audible warning to the Officer in Charge. I do not
however limit myself to this particular method of giving warning, for it is clear
that having already got motion at either R or D or both, this movement can be easily
geared to turn the tap of a steam whistle to actuate a common or electric bell,
clockwork alarum or to fire off a.gun &c. as desired.
Fig. 9. shews another view of the winch drum upon which I sometimes turn a
screw thread; the threads being deep enough to receive the line wire & keep each
turn separate from its neighbour, I encircle the greater part thereof with a circular
cap or cover (C) allowing sufficient clearance between the inside of this cover &
the extremity or circumference of the screw thread for the drum to revolve easily
but not enough for the wire to slip between, thus preventing any kinking or fouling
of the wire.
As in practise I generally use a steel pianoforte wire for the towing line I makė
that part of the winch box where the winding drum is situate watertight keeping
it filled with a mixture of lime & water or oil to prevent rust & of course provide
any ordinary break for the winch drum or spindle of the handle & also attach some
common counting arrangement to shew the revolutions of the winch drum &
consequently length run out.
For Vessels of War I can if desired place the winch box under deck' a small
port or aperture only being required for the wire & sinker to pass through so that
when in "Action" the men would be under cover. If desired the audible warning
can be disconnected as a man holding a bar on the wire can instantly detect' when
the sinker has touched bottom, the jerk on the break handle itself can be
.unmistakeably felt & is sufficient when paying out.
Although I have shewn the Winch. Drum itself acting as a Dynamometer by
making it moveable or swinging from the centre of the single purchase winch
handle I do not limit myself to that especial kind as I can employ an ordinary
fixed winch & almost any kind of Dynamometer on or in connection with the line
wire so long as the varying strains give motion to an arm or wheel to actuate
alarms.
CONTINUOUS SOUNDING.
T
When this is desired without the trouble & delay attending the drawing of the
sinker out of water & resetting it I use a somewhat similar sinker to any of those
previously mentioned but instead of using two wires ropes or chains a '&' as
shewn in Dg. 1 for the attachment I use a bent metal bar marked M (fig.11
Drawing No. 2) which is pivoted or hinged' to the Sinker at H this point being
somewhat below the centre of fluid pressure so that when towed through water it
assumes the position shewn in full line but upon striking the bottom (being free
to move in one direction only) the sinker assumes the position shewn by dotted
line & forthwith begins to rise but as soon as it is clear of the bottom the fluid
pressures reassert their righting tendency & the sinker automatically falls back to
the position shewn by full line, when it again
it, again sinks, these' alternations of the
positions of the sinker causing
a series of
jumps on the bottom which can be felt
by the man holding the handle of the winch of the break these jumps & their
action are approximately shewn in (fig. 12′Dg. No. 2).
Of course such a pivoted hinged or moveable sinker would turn when first let

page_text: down to the water if let down slowly with a tight line & so skid & jump along the
surface of the water, but if let down suddenly with a few feet of slack line so that
the sinker has time to become immersed before the straiu of towing is brought to
bear upon it, then when once the sinker is wholly under water there is no difficulty
as it automatically rights itself, but to add to its certainty of action on first taking
the water I sometimes use a thin wire rope or spring hook shewn by dotted line S
(fig. 11 Dg. No. 2) (an ordinary piece of spun yarn or string being perhaps the
simplest & handiest device) if this is added before the sinker is thrown overboard
then it takes the water properly with or without the use of slack line, no change
taking place until the sinker first strikes the bottom when the jerk breaks the spun
yaru or thin wire S" & the sinker is then free to move as before described.
The sinker having struck bottom I wind up a foot or two of line till the bumping"
ceases keeping hold of the winch handle & when shallower water is reached the
bumping begins again & is felt & so on or if desired I let out a fixed length of
wire & watch the difference in the angle of dip or depression as shewn by the
Quadrant on the fair lead F (fig. 7 Dg. No. 1) when in order to obtain the depth
I multiply the lengths run out by the decimal part shewn by the Quadrant for the
various angles of depression but as a rule prefer to adjust the sinker as
previously mentioned so that it sinks at an angle of about 45° & keep the hand ou
the winch hauling in or
letting out line as required so as to "feel" the bottom all
the way.
Although I have shewn in drawing No. 2 a double pointed sinker I do not limit
myself to that special form for continuous sounding, as sometimes I employ a
pivoted or hinged Hat or straight bottom Sinker similar to that shewn in (Dg. 1
fig. 4) which for bumping the bottom has advantages.
39
In some cases instead of using only one Sinker I employ two or more Sinkers on
the same line one below the other as shown in (fig. 13 Dg. No. 2) & for continuous
sounding this arrangement has advantages because in that case a small "donkey
'hinged or pivoted Sinker "A" of a type similar to (fig. 11 dg. No. 2) can be used
to do all the bumping & scraping of the bottom & thus the larger Sinker B may
be say 2 or 3 fathoms above it, this larger sinker B does all the work of overcoming
the resistance of the long main line wire while the small "donkey" need only be
large enough to overcome the resistance of say 2 or 3 fathoms of line, & the
bumping & jerking due to the small donkey striking the bottom (while. casily felt)
is not so severe as in the case of a larger one.
At slow speeds & for shallow depths a small pivoted or hinged sinker of this kind
can be used by the hand without a winch (similar to the cominon hand lead) but
the depth is limited first by the area of the sinker as compared with the area of
line exposed to the action of the water, & secondly the speed, for though speed
does not affect the depth that the sinker will sink to, it does affect the strain
on the line & consequently the power of a man to hold or handle the line.
The very essence of this invention is in the sinker & consists in the application
thereto of the principle of a common air kite reversed & so adapted that it shall
sink when towed through water instead of rising in air or in other words a water
plough, the chief secret of success, certainty & steadiness of action consisting in
making the top part lighter or more buoyant than the lower part, (the greater this
difference between the specific gravity of the top & bottom parts the better) so
that one end shall always point downwards & in also making them of a form
similar to that shewn in the drawings viz, an arrow or wedge so that they auto-
matically find their own equilibrium.
The towing line is not of course a perfect straight line being in reality part of
a very flat curve but may be treated as a straight line for all practical purposes.
I sometimes use a pivoted rod of wood weighted at the bottom for a sinker or a
hollow pipe or tube the upper part being either hollow or filled with cork, wood or
light material & the bottom either solid or filled with lead (as per dg. No. 2
fig. A 1) this form stands plenty of knocking about & readily clears itself from
bottom.

page_text: 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 adaptation & application of the principle of a common-air kite reversed,
for a Sinker or sinking instrument, so that it shall sink when towed through water
instead of rising in air.
2nd. 1st. The use & employment of such Sounding Kites or Sinkers made in the
form of a wedge; arrow, plough, long rod or hollow tube, with attachments as
illustrated herewith.
3rd. 2nd. The use & employment of Such Kites or Sinkers the top parts of which
are of a lighter specific gravity than the bottom parts, as described herewith.
4th 3rd. The use & employment of such Sounding Sinkers made chiefly of Wood
weighted with metal or shod with an iron shoe, substantially as described.
5th. 4th. The use & employment of In such kites or sinkers a detaching spring
hook or thin wire to give way &. release the Sinker, upon striking the bottom,
substantially as described.
6th. The use of a slack preserver or safety rope or chain to save the Sinker after-
it has become detutehed.
7th 5th. The use & employment of Means operated by the different tensions of
the line wire as a means to actuate a Dynamometer, pulley block or swinging
winch.drum, actuating. in turn bellows & wind Instruments or other alarms, sub-
stantially as described.
8th. The use & employment ef a-serew threaded wineh drum partly encircled by a
eap or cover to keep each turn of the wire separate from its neighbour.
Oth. The use & employment of a hinged, pivoted or moveable Kite, plough or
Sinker as per the principle shewn in (fig. 1 dg. No. 2).
10th. The use & employment of two or more Sinkers attached to the same line.
All substantially as described herein for the purpose of taking Soundings & for
taking Soundings only.
Dated this Third day of September 1888.

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept., 1888
SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES of 3 Douglas Villas Greyhound Lane Streatham Common
in the County of Surrey Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows
The object of this invention is to warn Mariners of the existence or approach of
shallow water without the necessity of slackening speed. In order to get an instru-
ment that will really sink when being towed swiftly through the water, I use a flat or
bevelled plate, board or boards preferably in the form of a wedge arrow or plough the
bottom side thereof being weighted in order to give it a self righting tendency. I can
make this instrument of metal but prefer wood, weighting the bottom by means of a
rod of iron in the form of a lever, T or angle iron so that its self righting tendency
shall act quickly, I prefer to make this sinking instrument (as a whole) of the same
weight as the water it displaces so that when at rest it shall just float in order that
whether the vessel is travelling 5 or 15 miles an hour the sinking instrument may
keep in equilibrium at a fixed depth. If necessary it can be made heavier so that it.
may sink while the vessel is scarcely moving through the water.
<
I attach this sinking instrument by means of a detaching hook, spring or thin
string rope or wire, to a stronger line of rope or wire or lead line of a known
length, & according to the angle at which the sinking instrument is set, it will when
towed through the water sink to a depth proportionate and so long as there is water
below this limit the line & instrument is simply dragged after the vessel, but when
shallow water is reached the instrument ploughs into the sand or mud or is caught by
the rocks or weeds & the tension of the line is increased until the breaking strain
of the detaching hook, spring or other. suitable device is reached, when the instru-
ment is carried away & lost, instantly reducing the strain on the lead line, which is
connected with another Spring or Dynamometer on board the vessel which actuates
in turn either a common or electric bell or other audible warning so that the mariner
may know at once that he has only a depth of 30 40 or 50 fathoms &c. as the
case may be, I also run the lead line over a pulley or block attached to a quadrant,

page_text: dial plate or fixed angle so that the deflection of the lead line from the horizontal may
shew the depth attained by the sinking instrument, notwithstanding varying lengths
of lead line employed & sometimes weight the quadrant or dial plate so that the
zero point shall remain vertical notwithstanding the motion of the vessel. I graduate
the quadrant for fathoms &c. instead of degrees, I arrange that the string rope or wire
of the." lead line" is wound on a suitable reel or winch & provide for its being kept
in oil lime &c. when steel wire is used, though when phosphor bronze wire is used this
may not be necessary.
:
As the sinking instrument (or lead) when made of wood can be made at a trifling
cost I prefer for them to be lost outright rather than complicate the detaching hook
'or spring in order to save them & therefore provide several to each vessel fitted.
The especial features of novelty in this invention & what I intend hereafter to
claim inter alia are
1st. The use of an automatic righting board, plough wedge or arrow the top
part of which is lighter or more buoyant than the bottom part for a sinking
instruinent.
2nd. The use of a Spring or Dynamometer on board the vessel connected to the
towing or lead line to shew when the sinking instrument has been detached or carried
away.
3rd. The application & use of a Dial plate Quadrant or fixed angle to shew the
angular deflection of the "lead line" thereby marking the depths the sinking instru-
ment has attained.
All for the purposes of taking soundings substantially as described."

page_text: I SAMUEL HUBBARD JAMES of 3 Douglas Villas, Greyhound Lane Streatham
Common in the County of Surrey Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
my said 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 this invention is to warn Mariners of the existence or approach of
shallow water without the necessity of slackening speed or stopping the vessel & in
order to obtain an instrument that will really sink find the bottom (within certain
depths) when towed swiftly through the water I use a Kite or plough made of flat or
bevelled plates or boards, a long rod, hollow tube, or box, but preferably in the form
of a pointed wedge or arrow as shewn in Drawing figs. 1 & 2 or double pointed as
shewn in figs. 5 & 6 the bottom or lower part being weighted so that its specific gravity
shall be greater than the upper or other portion bulk for bulk, so that it may have a
quick self righting tendency causing one end or part to be always downwards. In
general practise I use Wood for the upper part & a metal for the lower part as
marked in figs. 1, 4 & 5. I can make these Kites or ploughs entirely of metal or
entirely of wood if the upper part is made hollow or of two metals or of two woods of
different gravities or of other substances sufficiently strong & otherwise convenient,.
these Kites, ploughs or Sinkers can be made as a whole either of the same density, as
water or lighter or heavier than water (as inpractise their total weights may be dis-
regarded at speeds over 4 miles an hour) but in order to serve at all times 1 make
these sinkers somewhat heavier than water.
Fig. 4 is the same thing without being pointed but this form of sinker is not quito
so steady in action though it has it. advantages in being more convenient for stowage
on board &c. I do not however limit myself to either of the particular forms here
shewn as experiments prove that almost any forms from a square flat board to a long.
rod, hollow tube, or box form answer more or less effectually provided they are
properly weighted & attached as, Kites or ploughs to the towing line.
I attach these Kites ploughs or sinkers by means of two ropes wires chains or rods
shewn in Drawing as a x & be which meet at the apex of the triangle at x, between
which point & the towing line L 1 insert a rope, wire or spring hook (S) which is
of somewhat less strength than the line wire L & which will give way when a sudden
jerk or strain (greater than that due to fluid pressure only) arises, so that when the
Kite plough
or sinker catches in or strikes the bottom (as shewn in fig. 10 No. 2) the
part S being the weakest gives way & releases the sinker.
At or near the top of these Kites ploughs or Sinkers I attach a slack rope, wire or
chain marked P the other end being fastened to the line wire L at a point above or
beyond the detatching wire or Spring S, so that when the sinker strikes the bottom &
the Spring or wire S gives way, the preserving slack rope wire or chain becomes tight
& being fastened to the top end of the sinker only, drags it out when the sinker
immediately begins to rise as shewn in (figs. 10 No. 3, 4 & 5) at the same time the

page_text: :
Strain or tension on the line wire is reduced which fact I make use of by means of a
Dynamometer to actuate alarms &c. as hereafter described.
"I make these sinkers as thin & light as possible having regard to necessary strength
for hard knocking about sometimes weighting them with an iron shoe which answers
the double purpose of strengthening as well as weighting & having an indentation or
hollow on the under side brings up specimens of the bottom, but if desired I can weight
them by means of a long lever or bar.
I generally adjust these Kites, ploughs or sinkers to sink at an angle of about
45 degrees from the Horizontal, but this can be varied if desired, but for several
practical reasons I prefer half a right angle, for whereas the natural sine of 45° is
decimal 7 the depth the sinker attains is in that case 7 or oths of the length of wire
or line run out, thus if while the ship is in deep water a sinker is put overboard & a
length of say about 42 fathoms of line run out the sinker will go down to about
30 fathoms & will remain towing behind the vessel at that depth (see fig. 10 No. 1)
until the bottom shallows to 30 fathoms when the sinker will catch, strike or plough
into the bottom & become detatched (fig. 10 No. 2) warning thereof being given on
board as hereafter described, if however the sinker is put over when there is a less
depth than 3 fathoms the sinker catches & gives warning when only a shorter pro-
portion of line has run out.
In fig. 10 I have shewn the fair lead & winch box placed at the stern of the vessel
but when required it can be put on the Bridge.& be entirely under-the control of the
Officer of the Watch or on the forecastle avoiding the necessity of employing any one
aft to attend to it & in vessels of 300 feet length or more soundings to a depth of
30 fathoms can be obtained by the side of the vessel itself & also (if under very special
.& exceptional circumstances it should be required) soundings of moderate depths
might be obtained even in front of the vessel by placing the fair lead F at the end of
the Bowsprit instead of the stern rail.
Fig. 7 F is an ordinary fair leader, wheel or roller fixed on the rail of the vessel
or other convenient place & to this I attach a quadrant 2 which I graduate in
terms of the natural sines corresponding to the angles of dip or depression, thus
30 degrees would be marked 5 & 45 degrees would be marked 7 & so on this.
Quadrant is useful to shew that the sinker is properly adjusted & working freely
so that if the towing line was opposite 5 or 7 &c. it would show that the sinker
was at a depth of 5 or 7 of the length run out as the case might be, this being
equally applicable to feet fathoms metres or other standard of length. In practise
I also graduate the dial plate of the counter or index of the winch drum not only
for the length of wire absolutely run out but also with a second graduation to shew
the depth of sounding, which corresponds thereto, according to the angle at which the
sinker sinks.
Winch box (fig. 8) R is a roller or wheel supported by a moveable crank & over
this roller the line wire is placed, the tension of the wire causing the roller to move
upwards or downwards as the tension, decreases or increases thus forming a Dynamo-
meter actuating (by means of the arm G¹) any gearing which may be geared thereto
for the purpose of creating or working alarms, or it may be a fixed roller & the line
wire led to the Dynamometer, moveable pulley block or swinging. winch drum D over
or around which the line wire-is. wound, so that while the sinker is being run out as
also while in deep water, the strain on the line is sufficient to cause the moveable
pulley block or swinging winch drum to assume the position approximating to that
shewn in full lines, but directly the sinker touches the bottom & becomes detatched the
strain on the wire is immediately reduced & this moveable pulley block or swinging
winch drum falls back into the position shewn by dotted line by its own gravity or by
the addition of a spring if required, the winch drum itself being thus made to act as a
Dynamometer, the arm G on the other side of the centre of motion moving corre-
spondingly, I attach this arm G by means of a rod or, other convenient device to one
flap of a pair of bellows B (the-other flap being fixed) so that the swing or motion of
the pulley block or winch drum D opens the hellows when the sinker is running out &
keeps them open until the bottom is struck, when the tension of the line then being

page_text: reduced the return swing or motion of the pulley block or winch arum graduany
closes them forcing the air therein through a pipe to a whistle or other wind instru-
ment, either at the winch box itself or the pipe may be led away to the Captains
Cabin, the Bridge or wherever required to give audible warning to the Officer in
5 Charge. I do not however limit myself to this particular method of giving warning,
for it is clear that having already got motion at either R or D or both, this move-
ment can be easily geared to turn the tap of a steam whistle to actuate a common or
electric bell, clock work alarum or to fire off a gun &c. as desired.
"
Fig. 9. shews another view of the winch drum upon which I sometimes turn a
screw thread, the threads being deep enough to receive the line wire & keep each
turn separate from its neighbour, I encircle the greater part thereof with a circular
cap or cover.(C) allowing sufficient clearance between the inside of this cover & the.
extremity or circumference of the screw thread for the drum to revolve easily but
not enough for the wire to slip between, thus preventing any kinking or fouling of
the wire.
As in practise I generally use a steel pianoforte wire for the towing line I make that
part of the winch box where the winding drum is situate watertight keeping it filled.
with a mixture of lime & water or oil to prevent rust & of course provide any
ordinary break for the winch drum or spindle of the handle & also attach some common
0 counting arrangement to. shew the revolutions of the winch drum & consequently
length run out.
For Vessels of War I can if desired place the winch box under deck a small port
or aperture only being required for the wire & sinker to pass through so that when in
"Action" the men would be under cover. If desired the audible warning can be
5 disconnected as a man bolding a bar on the wire can instantly detect when the sinker
has touched bottom, the jerk on the break handle itself can be unmistakeably felt & is
sufficient when paying out.
Although I have shewn the Winch Drum itself acting as a Dynamometer by making
it moveable or swinging from the centre of the single purchase winch handle I do not
O limit myself to that especial kind as I can employ an ordinary fixed winch & almost
any kind of Dynamometer on or in connection with the line wire so long as the
varying strains give motion to an arm or wheel to actuate alarms.
CONTINUOUS SOUNDING.
When this is desired without the trouble & delay attending the drawing of the
sinker out of water & resetting it I use a somewhat similar sinker to any of those
previously mentioned but instead of using two wires ropes or chains a & bx as
shewn in Dg. 1 for the attachment I use a bent metal bar marked M (fig. 11
Drawing No. 2) which is pivoted or hinged to the Sinker at H this point being
somewhat below the centre of fluid pressure so that when towed through water it
assumes the position shewn in full line but upon striking the bottom (being free to
move in one direction only) the sinker assumes the position shewn by dotted line &
forthwith begins to rise but as soon as it is clear of the bottom the fluid pressures
reassert their righting tendency & the sinker automatically falls back to the position
shewn by full line, when it again sinks, these alternations of the positions of the
sinker causing a series of jumps on the bottom which can be felt by the man holding
the handle of the winch or the break these jumps & their action are approximately
shewn in (fig. 12 Dg. No. 2).
Of course such a pivoted hinged or moveable sinker would turn when first let down
to the water if let down slowly with a tight line & so skid & jump along the surface
of the water, but if let down suddenly with a few feet of slack line so that the sinker
has time to become immersed before the strain of towing is brought to bear upon it,
.then when once the sinker is wholly under water there is no difficulty as it auto-
matically rights itself, but to add to its certainty of action on first taking the water I
sometimes use a thin wire rope or spring book shewn by dotted line $ (fig. 11-
Dg. No. 2) (an ordinary piece of spun yarn or string being perhaps the simplest &

page_text: handiest device) if this is added before the sinker is thrown overboard then it takes
the water properly with or without the use of slack line, no change taking place
until the sinker first strikes the bottom when the jerk breaks. the spun yarn or thin
wire "S" & the sinker is then free to move as before described.
The sinker having struck bottom I wind up a foot or two of line till the bumping
ceuses keeping hold of the winch handle & when shallower water is reached the
bumping begins again & is felt & so on or if desired I let out a fixed length of wire &
watch the difference in the angle of dip or depression as shewn by the Quadrant on
the fair lead F (fig. 7 Dg. No. 1) when in order to obtain the depth I multiply the
lengths run out by the decimal part shewn by the Quadrant for the various angles of
depression but as a rule I prefer to adjust the sinker as previously mentioned so that
it sinks at an angle of about 45° & keep the band on the winch hauling in or letting
out line as required so as to "feel" the bottom all the way.
Although I have. shewn in drawing No. 2 a double pointed sinker I do not, limit
myself to that special form for continuous sounding, as sometimes I employ a pivoted
or hinged flat or straight bottom Sinker similar to that shewn in (Dg. 1 fig. 4)
which for bumping the bottom has advantages.
33
In some cases instead of using only one Sinker 1 employ two or more Sinkers on
the same line one below the other as shewn in (fig. 13° Dg. No. 2) & for continuous
sounding this arrangement has advantages because in that case a small donkey
hinged or pivoted Sinker "A" of a type similar to (fig. 11'dg. No. 2) can be used to
do all the bumping & scraping of the bottom & thus the larger Sinker -B may be say
2 or 3 fathoms above it, this larger sinker B does all the work of overcoming the
resistance of the long main line wire while the small "donkey" need only be large
enough to overcome the resistance of say 2 or 3 fathoms of line, & the bumping &
jerking due to the small donkey striking tlie bottom (while easily felt) is not so
severe as in the case of a larger one.
At slow speeds & for shallow depths a small pivoted or hinged sinker of this kind
can be used by the hand without a winch (similar to the common hand lead) but the
depth is limited first by the area of the sinker as compared with the area of line
exposed to the action of the water, & secondly the speed, for though speed does not
affect the depth that the sinker will sink to, it does affect the strain on the line &
consequently the power of a man to hold or handle the line..
The very essence of this invention is in the sinker & consists in the application
thereto of the principle of a common air kite reversed & so adapted that it shail sink
when towed through water instead of rising in air or in other words a water plough,
the chief secret of success, certainty & steadiness of action consisting in making the
top part lighter or more buoyant than the lower part, (the greater this difference
between the specific gravity of the top & bottom parts the better) so that one end
shall always point downwards & in also making them of a form similar to that shewn
in the drawings viz. an arrow or wedge so that they automatically find their own
equilibrium.
.
The towing line is not of course a perfect straight line being in reality part of a
very flat curve but may be treated as a straight line for all practical purposes.
I sometimes use a pivoted rod of wood weighted at the bottom for a sinker or a
hollow pipe or tube the upper part being either hollow or filled with cork, wood or
light material & the bottom either solid or filled with lead (as per dg. No. 2 fig. A 1).
this form stands plenty of knocking about & readily clears itself from bottom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that. what I
claim is
1st. The adaptation & application of the principle of a common air kite reversed;
for a Sinker or sinking instrument, so that it shall sink when towed through water
instead of rising in air.
2nd. The use & employment of such Kites, or Sinkers made in the form of.a wedge,
zraow plough long snd on bullam tube

page_text: 3rd. The use & employment of such Kites or Sinkers the top parts of which are of
a lighter specific gravity than the bottom parts.
4th. The use & employment of such Sinkers made chiefly of Wood weighted with
metal or shod with an iron shoe.
5th. The use & employment of a detaching spring hook or thin wire to give way &
release the Sinker upon striking the bottom.
6th. The use of a slack preserver or safety rope or chain to save the Sinker after it
has become detatched.
7th. The use & employment of the different tensions of the line wire as a means to
actuate a Dynamometer, pulley block or swinging winch druin, actuating in turn
bellows & wind Instruments or other alarms.
8th. The use & employment of a screw threaded winch drum partly encircled by a
cap or cover to keep each turn of the wire separate from its neighbour.
9th. The use & employment of a hinged, pivoted or moveable Kite, plough or
Sinker as per the principle shewn in (fig. 1 dg. No. 2).
10th. The use & employment of two or more Sinkers attached to the same line.
All substantially as described herein for the purpose of taking Soundings & for
taking Soundings only.