IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING THE PRESSURE OF AIR, STEAM, GAS, AND LIQUIDS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUCIEN
VIDIE, 14, Rue du Grand Chantier, Paris, in the Republic of France, French
Advocate, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Ninth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Lucien Vidie, my exors, adñors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power,-
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Lucien Vidie, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lucien. Vidie, my exors, admors, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURING THE PRESSURE OF AIR, STEAM,
GAS, AND LIQUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that.
I, the said Lucien Vidie, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months. next and immediately,
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Lucien Vidie, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and' letters marked thereon,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in several improvement for measuring the pressure
of steam, air, gases, and liquids in pneumatic (instruments having a hand
indicator, that is, to say...
Firstly, in producing in those instruments a more extensive scale of
'divisions.
"
Secondly, in setting in those instruments the hand at the point of division.
Thirdly, in the means of adjusting the hand by transmission of jointed
movements.
Fourthly, in regulating the length of the range of the hand.
Fifthly, in regulating the course of the said instruments.
*First improvement relates to introducing in pneumatic instruments a second
hand, which, for instance, in performing one hundred revolutions, will exhibit
the hundredth whilst the former would only make one turn and indicate' the
unit. To obtain that result, it suffices to set on the principal axis a wheel
which gives the motion to a pinion set on an axis placed close to the first;
and also on the said second axis, to set a wheel putting in motion a pinion
fixed on a third axis revolving in the centre of the first, or on any point of
the dial on which there would be another and special circle of divisions. It
is on that last axis I place the second hand which comports this improvement.
As the adjusting spiral spring set on the aforesaid axis would be obliged to
perform too many revolutions, I set it on a special axis, "and "by means of
multiplying cogs it will be made to act on the last-pinion. I also "render the
instrument much more sensitive, by causing one single hand to perform maný
revolutions, by means of cog wheels, or by the adapting of a chain sufficiently
long. To distinguish the 'revolutions one from the other as an improvement
on the means herein-before described in this part of my Invention; I trace
the lines of divisions in the form of a spiral figure 7, and I have the hand
moveable in a slide through its centre, with a small vertical rod fixed to the
said hand, and set in a groove "cut spiral-like on the dial, so that the hand by
turning is forced to follow with its point the spiral of the divisions.
Second improvement, relating to the setting at the desired point "the hands'
of pneumatic instruments, is divided into three parts, that is' to say:-
Firstly, a, Figure 1, is a rod having its point bearing on any oscillating

page_text: part of the instrument; that rod is screwed through a joint to the extremity
of a lever b,c,giving motion to. the mechanism: By turning the screw
to the right or left; the position of the lever is altered, and naturally that of
the hand.
1.
Secondly, I set a small plate a;: Figure 2, on any oscillating part of the >
instrument; and above that plate I place the blade, of the spring b,-the extre-
mity of which hasta tendency to approach the said platea. The blade of the
spring can be replaced by a lever acted upon by a spring. An axis c, turning.
on itself within the bearing-m,"sets in motion; by means of a thread or worm,
the small cylinder d, which, according to its advancing, or receding movement,
causes to ascend or descend the end of the blade of the spring to which the
mechanism is fixed..> I can replace the small cylinder d either by a wedge ca
or an inclined plane, which advancing or receding will cause any point of the
mechanism to ascend or descend.
Thirdly, Figure 3 represents a wheel, underneath which abuts the end of
a lever b. The axis of the said wheel a (which axis is a screw) turns, and
therefore ascends or descends in the piece ic, attached" to an oscillating part' of
the instrument. When the wheel: a is put in motion, it follows 'naturally,
that the position of the lever bovaries. The said wheel a is put in motion' by '
the pinion d, which ascends or descends with the said wheel a. The pinion d'
is placed at the end of the rode, which is directed" in a grööve in which it
slides in order to move only in a vertical direction. I will observe, that I do
not confine the application of the means herein before described in this part.
of my Invention only to the arrangements of organs I have set down, for I
can apply the said means to any other part of the apparatus." Thus, instead of
operating on the mechanism, I can act by means of those adjusting arrange-
ment on the barometic chamber itself, by fixing it, for instance; to the end of
the blade of the spring b, Figure 2, or on the steam gauge chamber, by fixing
it to the extremity of a conduct pipe sufficiently flexible. I use for the baro-
meter only the three above described means 'relating to the second part of mya
Invention; and for the steam gauge I make the application of all. means
whatever for, adjusting the indicator.hand!
* crit*
Third improvement relates to the means for transmitting the motion, either-
by jointed organs, or organs susceptible of extension, to cause the action to:
take place from the outside of the box of the instrument, to the adjusting.
arrangements of the hand herein-before described) and also to all other con-
trivances for adjusting. In Figure 1, c' is an axis turning in a socket-fixed to
the box, or to any permanent part of these pneumatic instruments. Asquare
tube'd is attached to the end of the axis c by means of a pin and the tube-d

page_text: can oscillate of a certain quantity. The adjusting screw is provided with
square head, which, being set in the tube d, is therfore forced to turn with it
I will observe, that I do not confine myself to the herein-before described
arrangements of this part of my Invention, as I make use, to obtain the same
effect, of all the means of transmitting the motion obliquely, and to the points
which are susceptible of approaching or receding, such as the connected rods
united in the form of lozanges, connected joints, rods, or axes ending fork-like
and kept intermixed by means of a pin.
Fourth improvement consists in elongating or shortening one arm of the
lever to regulate the length of the range. In Figure 1, through the hole m
of the axis of a beam lever passes another axis n, provided with a circular
groove, into which projects the pointed end of the screw o, by which the said
second axis n is kept in the first one, which allows it merely to turn on itself.
In the centre of the said second axis the stem a is screwed, and forms the
arm of the lever, which consequently is 'lengthened or shortened according as
the axis x is turned on the right or on the left. It is also easy to cause the
arm of the lever l, x, to work in a straight line through the axis of the beam
lever, with an adjusting screw on each side, or with a screw on one side and
a motion spring on the other. In this last case, the rod x must be provided
with a longitudinal groove, in which the pointed end of the screw 'o' will
be made to advance. By this contrivance the said rod x will be able to
advance without turning. The screw o, after having served to maintain the
axis during the time necessary for the regulating, can be screwed on to fix
the rod x permanently. I apply to the means of regulating the length of the
range herein-before described in the fourth part of my Invention, and to all
others whatever, the arrangements of jointed transmission herein-before
described, in order to regulate the acting of the instruments without opening
them.
Fifth improvement consists in regulating the course of the apparatus by
means of a pulley, or of the part of a pulley, the curve of which may vary.at
will. A, Figure 4, represents the blade of a spring on which the chain is to
be coiled; by means of the cramp screw f, and of counter cramp screws if
necessary,
it receives the required shape. The same result will be obtained
by means of a pulley, Figure 5, composed of bars a, which are made to
approach or recede from the centre, for instance, by means of screws having
different threads. The top of the said bars are to be guided in the grooves
of the collar c, above which they will be made to elbow each other, and to
come closer the centre to form a pulley of a smaller diameter above the said
collar c. I do not confine myself to the arrangements berein-before described

page_text: in this part of my Invention; and I can apply all the 'means known under the
name of variable periphery pullies, for regulating the action of those said
pneumatic instruments, and even vary the length of their range. I can also,
for the same effect, make use of the following arrangement, which is repre-
sented by Figure 6:-On a board a I place an arc b, on which the chain 'is
set; that arc is moveable on a second axis c by means of the cramp screw d,
and it receives, relatively to the circumference, any required inclination. The
spring fexerts a tendency to press it against the cramp screw d.
And having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner.
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I do not
claim as my Invention any of the organs herein referred to, taken separately.
But what I claim as new, and intended to be protected by sd Letters
Patent is,
Firstly, the arrangements for obtaining in pneumatic instruments, already
provided with an indicator hand, more extensive divisions, as herein-before
described, reference being had to the Figure 7 of the Drawing.
Secondly, the several arrangements in pneumatic instruments for setting
the indicating hand at its proper point of division, and for adjusting the same,
as herein-before described, reference being had to Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the
Drawing.
Thirdly, the arrangements of jointed organs, or organs susceptible of exten-
sion, for transmitting the motion from outside the box of pneumatic instru-
ments to apparatus setting the hand at the point of divisions, as herein-before
described, reference being had to Figure 1 of the Drawing.
Fourthly, the arrangements for lengthening or shortening the arm of the
lever in pneumatic instruments provided with an indicating hand, for the
purpose of regulating the length of their course, as herein-before described,
reference being had to Figure 1 of the Drawing.
Fifthly, the arrangement for regulating the action of pneumatic instruments,
and also for varying the length of their course, as herein-before described,
reference being had to Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lucien Vidie, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of May, in the
years of our Lord 1851; the aforesaid Lucien Vidie came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery; and acknowledged the Specification' afore-
said; and all and every thing therein contained and specified;' in form above-
written And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose...