IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, THE PRESSURE OF FLUIDS, BY THE FLEXION OF DIAPHRAGMS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lucien Vidie, of Paris, in the Empire, of France,
and No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING, THE PRESSURE OF FLUIDS,
BY THE FLEXION OF DIAPHRAGMS,"
Sealed the 11th March 1859, and dated the 14th September 1858..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lucien Vidie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th September 1858:
I, LUCIEN VIDIE, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and 4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE PRESSURE OF
FLUIDS BY THE FLEXION OF DIAPHRAGMS," to be as follows, that is to say:
The Invention relates to improvements in the construction' of apparatus for
ascertaining the maximum or other pressure of water or other fluid by flexible
diaphragms, acting either by their own elasticity or by the aid of accessory
internal or external springs.
The improvements consist, first, in employing bent or corrugated tubes
attached to a fixed' plate, and closed at top by an annular lid or cover; by
which means the pressure of the 'fluid is lessened on tubes of a certain
diameter.
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page_text: Secondly, in combining flexible plates or covers with bent or corrugated
tubes when a great flexion is required.
Thirdly, in an apparatus which is immersed in the liquid when required
to indicate the pressure. This apparatus is composed of a box, provided at its
lower part with a diaphragm formed with one or more large bends or cor-
rugations, each of which also may be corrugated. This diaphragm, which
receives the pressure, depresses a spring, and communicates motion to a main
axis by means of a lever and chain, or by other suitable means. The box is
closed at top by a glass cover fastened to it by a bar or bridle with openings,
and fastened by bolts screwed to the lower part, which serves as a weight for
the immersion of the apparatus. A fixed or oscillating stop, or simply a
vertical plate, is placed between the fastening point of the spring and its
extremity, which permits of a more flexible spring being employed. The dial
turns on an axis, and exhibits the scale under an index. When the apparatus
is employed to indicate a maximum pressure, the dial or its axis is provided
with a ratchet wheel and pawl or catch. After the apparatus has been
immersed in the fluid and inverted for ascertaining the amount of pressure, it
may be put out of gear or action without opening it, by means of a small
weight, conical at one end, and placed in a vertical guide narrowed at top,and
which weight, when the apparatus. is inverted, removes the spring catch. The
weight may be retained in the guide by a spring, so as to render it necessary
to strike the reversed apparatus to obtain the action of the weight. The
apparatus may be put out of gear with the hand by turning or pulling a knob,
while communication is shut of by flexible diaphragms. The same object
may be attained by means of a magnet held to the ratchet wheel spring.or
pawl. The extent of range and regularity of the indicating apparatus is
obtained by means of a screw provided with an elastic thread or cord.rolled
round the axis of the hand or other driving axis. This thread receives or
transmits the movement by its pressure against the end of a lever, for example,
the thread may be fitted in the middle of its length to a small arm separating
it from the axis; the extremities are held by two or more small friction arms
or shoulders on the axis. They may also be guided by means of adjusting
screws attached to the shoulders or small arms, so as to twist the cord or
thread more or less. The chain is guided by fixing it to the extremity of a
lever set on an axis parallel to the axis of the haud. The first axis may also
receive a slight inclination relatively to the other axis, in order that the chain
may rise obliquely when it arrives near the pulley, if the thread requires to be
coiled. Two parallel chains may be made, to turn once or more on a pulley
without ascending on its pin for actuating the index. Instead of connecting
.
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page_text: the rods together with pins, pointed rods placed in grooves may be used, or in
din
lieu of knife edges using two points with the same end, one in a hole, the
other in a groove, and providing these rods with a small cross piece or shoulder
for preventing their escape through the small hole in which they are placed.
A vertical movement is transmitted to a horizontal rotatory axis by means of
a connecting rod moving obliquely from the end of one lever on the end of
another lever. This connecting rod may be pointed or knife-edged, or with
an articulated joint, and the fastening or supporting points of these rods
being screw-wise, so as to ascend or descend at will, and consequently vary
the angles of the transmission of motion and regulation of the play. The indi-
cating hand or lever is moved by applying to its centre of rotation a cam,
against which the end of a lever is made to bear, which may be provided with
a small antifriction roller.
Fourthly, in soldering the vacuum under the pneumatic pump by means of
the electric spark.
Fifthly, in the simultaneous employment of internal and external springs..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Lucien Vidie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUCIEN
VIDIE, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and No. 4, South Street, Finsbury,"
London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing dite the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Lucien Vidie, Her special licence that I, the said Lucien
Vidie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Lucien Vidie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain aud Ireland, .
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE PRESSURE OF FLUIDS BY THE FLEXION OF
DIAPHRAGMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Lucien,
Vidie,my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my

page_text: or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lucien Vidie, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to various improvements in the construction of
barometers and other apparatus without liquid, and acting by the flexion of
diaphragms for measuring the pressure of air and water, and my Invention
consists,―
First, in using two corrugated tubes soldered at their lower ends to a
stationary plate, and closed at their upper ends by an annular plate, by which
mean's the pressure is lessened on tubes of a given diameter, and such tubes
may be made thinner or more flexible.
Secondly, in combining flexible plates with corrugated tubes (forming the
covers or closings), if a great deflexion is required.
To enable some of the improvements herein-after enumerated to be more
fully understood, 1 have shown some of them in the annexed Drawing,
Figure 1 of which represents a vertical section of an apparatus for measuring
the pressure or depth of liquids, and preserving on the dial the indication
obtained after the immersed instrument is drawn out of the liquid. This
apparatus is composed of a box b, closed at the upper extremity by means of a
glass plate c, and fastened down by an open frame or grating to the box b
by screws d, d, and closed at its lower part by means of a flexible diaphragm
a, a, which may be of any other suitable form, or by a flexible tube for
receiving the pressure. The diaphragm acts on a spring n, which com-
municates motiou to the principal axis by means of a lever, chain, and pulley,
or by means of a segmentary toothed rack, or by any other convenient
mechanism. The box.is provided at its lower extremity with a weight e to
insure its immersion. The hand is stationary, whilst the dials turns with
the axis, and is provided on its circumference with ratchet teeth; a small
spring k gearing with the ratchet teeth prevents the return of the dial when
the apparatus is taken out of the liquid.
Thirdly, in causing a spring to bear between its fastening point and that at
which it receives the pressure on an intermediate stopping point, which is

page_text: formed either by means of an oscillating support f, Figure 1, or by a flexible
support fixed at one end to the fixed point, and at the other to a spring.
This contrivance permits the use of a more flexible and thinner spring.
Fourthly, for preparing the instrument for another immersion after reading
off the indication of the dial without opening the apparatus, in employing a
small conical weight i placed in a vertical guide, and which weight, when
the apparatus is inverted, causes the spring to gear with the teeth on the
dial. The guide jis narrowed at top, so that the apparatus must be sensibly
reversed to cause the egress of the weight from its guide. The weight may
be retained within the guide by means of a suitably disposed spring, which
renders it necessary to shake the reversed apparatus to cause the weight
to act.
Fifthly, in obtaining the same result by releasing the spring by means of a
rod and knob made to act by hand, communication being prevented between
the inside and outside of the apparatus by means of a flexible envelope con-
nected to the box and to the knob.
Sixthly, in obtaining the same result by attracting the spring with a magnét
held in front of it outside the box, which at that part is made much thinner
than the other parts.
Seventhly, in determining the range and regularity of the indicating appara-
tus by employing a screw having a flexible metallic thread coiled round an axis.
This screw thread receives or transmits the movement by its pressure against
the end of a lever; for instance, this screw thread can be fitted in the middle
to the end of a small arm fixed to the centre of the axis The extremities of
this thread are held by small arms or friction collars fixed to the extremities
of the axis. The two extremities of the screw thread are held by two other
friction arms on the axle, with which arins the thread may be more or less
twisted, and thus allow of varying the inclination of the thread at option.
Eighthly, in replacing the arrangements hitherto known for conducting the
chain serving to transmit the motion, by fixing it to the extremities of a lever
attached to an axis parallel to that of the pulley.
Ninthly, in forming a chain, composed of one single part and one double
part, in such manner that one of them being coiled on the pulley does not
wind upon the other; this arrangement is represented at 1, Figure 1.
Tenthly, in employing pointed rods instead of pinned joints for the con-
necting rods. These pointed rods are placed in conical holes, which lessen
the friction and simplifies the mechanism.
Eleventhly, in transmitting the motion from the end a, Figure 2, of a lever
acting vertically, to the extremity b of another lever rotating horizontally by

page_text: means of a rod moving obliquely from the end of one lever to the extremity
of another.
Twelfthly, instead of employing fixed conical holes in the ends of the levers,
in hollowing them out of the ends of screws set across the extremities of these
levers, as shown in Figure 2; by this means the connecting rod acts on the end
of a lever at an angle variable according as the screw has been set in an
advanced or backward position across the end of the lever.
Thirteenthly, for soldering the closing of the vacuum under the air-pump
receiver, in employing the electric spark by known means, and in use for
melting metals.
Fourteenthly, in employing simultaneously internal and external springs,
which arrangement is specially advantageous when the mechanism of the
instrument is in connection with the moving end of a spring. This spring has
then to support less pressure, and may be made more flexible and produce
a wider range of motion.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, what I claim as new and intended to be
protected by the said Letters Patent, is,
First, the application of arrangements described under the heads firstly,
secondly, thirdly, and seventhly to fourteenthly, and partly referred to in the
Figures of the Drawing, to the construction of barometers without liquid,
acting by the flexion of diaphragms.
Secondly, the application of the arrangements described under the heads
thirdly to sixthly, and shown in Figure 1 of the Drawing, to the construction
of apparatus acting. by the flexion of diaphragms for indicating the pressure
or depth of liquids in which it may be immersed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lucien Vidie, have hereunto set.my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight, hundred and fifty-nine..