Improvements in Hydrometers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Hydrometers.
I, HERBERT WILLIAM BUTLER of 52 Onslow Gardens Highgate in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in the means of measuring the
specific gravity of liquids and has for its object the facilitating and expediting
of the operation of removing and replacing of a portion of the liquid, the specific
gravity of which it is required to measure, into a separate vessel in which the
hydrometer can float, and is especially applicable to the measurement of the
specific gravity of the electrolyte in electric accumulator cells contained in opaque
retainers and also those in which the plates are spaced too close together to allow
the ordinary hydrometer to float conveniently. between them.
In carrying out the invention a specially constructed containing vessel of glass
or other suitable transparent material is used into which is placed an ordinary
floating hydrometer, the containing vessel being so constructed that while having
an opening at or near the bottom to enable the liquid to enter, the hydrometer
cannot fall out when the instrument is held upright; the containing vessel has
fixed to it by a suitable air tight joint a closed compressible hollow ball or vessel
of india rubber or other suitable material in such a way that when the ball or
vessel is compressed it forces part of the air out of the containing vessel from an
opening or openings specially provided for the purpose. In using the instrument
the vessel is held so that the hydrometer can float freely and also so that the
opening or openings mentioned above is or are under the liquid, the specific
gravity of which it is desired to measure; the ball or vessel is then compressed
and when released the liquid enters the containing vessel to take the place of the
air expelled and allows the hydrometer to float and the specific gravity to be read
off in the usual way. When this has been done the ball or vessel is again
compressed which drives the liquid out of the containing vessel and before
allowing the ball or vessel to again expand the instrument is removed from the
liquid. It is obvious that the size of the ball or vessel should be so regulated
that only a sufficient quantity of liquid enters the containing vessel to enable the
hydrometer to be easily read, further that the opening or openings referred to may
have a tube or tubes attached to them of convenient length and that any such tube
may be constricted at its free end or may be syphon-shaped so that the
instrument may be removed from the liquid without allowing the liquid in the
containing vessel to run out, and thus enable the instrument to be removed in
order to take the reading of the hydrometer.
Dated this 12th day of January 1897

page_text: I, HERBERT WILLIAM BUTLER, of 52 Onslow Gardens, Highgate, in the County
of Middlesex, Electrical 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:-
A hydrometer manufactured in accordance with my invention consists of two
essential elements, a graduated float or hydrometer proper and a containing vessel.
In addition to or in combination with the said essential elements I may employ
a filling device, a cushion, a guiding device and a liquid retaining device.
The graduated float or hydrometer proper may consist of any of the usual well
known forms of floating hydrometer.
The containing vessel may consist of any suitably shaped, readily fillable vessel
of such size as to conveniently contain the hydrometer proper and of material
sufficiently transparent to enable the readings of the hydrometer proper to be
visible from the outside and which will not be deleteriously acted upon by the
liquid whose specific gravity it is desired to ascertain. The said containing vessel
has an opening at or near the bottom which whilst enabling the liquid to enter
will at the same time prevent the hydrometer falling out when in an upright
position.
The filling device may consist of any convenient collapsible device such for
example as an india-rubber ball and it is fixed in an airtight manner to the
containing vessel so as when compressed to force out any fluid in the containing
vessel and when released to draw in any fluid within which the containing vessel
or a part thereof is immersed, all as will be hereinafter explained.
The cushion is designed to admit liquid to the containing vessel or that part
thereof which contains the graduated float or hydrometer proper, and at the same
time prevent the hydrometer proper from passing through or damaging itself
when allowed to drop suddenly within the containing vessel.
The guiding device may consist of one or more constrictions, indentations, ridges
or the like in the containing vessel and its object is to prevent adhesion of the
graduated float or hydrometer proper to the containing vessel as will be herein-
after described.
The liquid containing device may consist either of a constriction at the opening
through which the liquid is to be sucked or of a syphon device all as will be
hereinafter set forth.
In order that my invention may he readily understood I shall now proceed to
describe two typical forms thereof the said typical forms giving good results in
practice and in order that the description may be more readily grasped I have
appended hereto a sheet of drawings illustrating the said typical forms. In the
drawings,
Figure I is a part elevation part section of a hydrometer in which the essential
elements of my invention as well as certain other elements are shown in position.
Figure II shows in elevation a. part of a modified form of containing vessel.
This containing vessel with its enclosed graduated float or hydrometer proper,
constitutes a second typical form of my invention.
Referring now to the Figures, 1 is the graduated float or hydrometer proper
consisting in this case of a well known form of hydrometer, and 2 is the
containing vessel consisting of a long pipette-like glass tube through the walls
of which the scale of the hydrometer proper may be easily read. 3 is the filling

page_text: device consisting in this case of an elastic ball of indiarubber 4 attached to the
vulcanite tube 5 by the screwed flanges 6. The said tube passes through the soft
rubber cork 7 which fits into the mouth 8. of the containing vessel 2. The
connection between the filling device and the containing vessel is thus airtight.
9 is the opening through which the containing vessel is filled with the liquid
whose specific gravity it is desired to ascertain. 10 is the cushion consisting of
a plug of rubber or other convenient soft material against which the hydrometer
proper may come in contact with some force without being broken. 11, 11 are
orifices or ducts in the said plug which are preferably bored at an angle as shown
so that their mouths will not be closed by the bottom of the hydrometer when the
latter descends to its lowest position. 12 is the guiding device consisting in the
case shown in Figure I of an annular constriction and in Figure II of an
indentation in the wall of the containing vessel. It is obvious that to fuifil the
same function a number of indentations might be employed and arranged in one
or more tiers: or a number of vertical ridges on the inner wall of the containing
vessel would act equally efficiently to prevent contact between the float & the walls
of the containing vessel.
In Figure I the liquid retaining device consists of the constriction 13, the
object being to retain the liquid after it has been drawn into the containing vessel
and prevent its running out as would be the case if the constriction were absent.
In Figure II the liquid retaining device consists of the syphon 14 which fulfils
the same function of preventing the liquid running out when the hydrometer is
carried from one place to another. The free end of the syphon tube may also be
formed with a constriction as is shown in Figure II. This form has an additional
advantage in that by means of the syphon form of the tube it can be hung on to
the side of a tank or other vessel containing the liquid whose Specific Gravity
has to be ascertained.
The action of my invention is as follows. Let us assume that it is desired to
ascertain the specific gravity of a liquid contained in a vessel situated in a dark
place or where it is inconvenient to insert a hydrometer in the ordinary manner.
I take my hydrometer and compress the filling device so as to expel the air
contained in the containing vessel through the opening 9. I then dip this opening
into the liquid whose specific gravity has to be ascertained and release the
pressure upon the filling device. This now expands, either under the influence
of the elasticity of its walls or by the action of a spring therein as is well
understood, and a quantity of liquid is drawn into the containing vessel. The
amount of liquid drawn in varies with the capacity of the filling device which
capacity is adapted to the purpose in view. My hydrometer may now be removed
with the liquid inside it to a convenient place for the purpose of enabling the
reading to be made. When this has been done the filling device may be again
compressed so as to expel the liquid in the containing vessel.
my said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a hydrometer, the combination of a graduated float or hydrometer proper
and a containing vessel, substantially as set forth.
2. in a hydrometer, the combination of a graduated float or hydrometer proper,
a containing vessel and a filling device substantially as set forth.
3. In a hydrometer, the combination of a graduated float or hydrometer
proper, a containing vessel and a liquid retaining device, substantially as set
forth.
4. In a hydrometer, the combination of a graduated float or hydrometer
proper, a containing vessel, a filling device and a liquid retaining device,
substantially as set forth.
5. In a hydrometer embracing the essential elements mentioned in Claim 1 the

page_text: employment with the said essential elements of a syphon shaped liquid retaining
device, substantially as set forth.
Dad ih 19th da of Ontaha 100%
For the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.