AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AT A DISTANCE THE EXTENT TO WHICH GAS AND OTHER FLUID RESERVOIRS OR HOLDERS ARE FILLED
Year: 1881

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Ernest de Pass, of the Office for British and Foreign
Patents, 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, for an
Invention of AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AT
A DISTANCE THE EXTENT TO WHICH GAS AND OTHER FLUID RESERVOIRS OR
HOLDERS ARE FILLED." A communication from abroad by Philipp Otto
Oechelhäuser, of Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest de Pass at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1881.
ERNEST DE PASS, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, 68, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC APPARATUS
FOR INDICATING AT A DISTANCE THE EXTENT TO WHICH GAS AND OTHER FLUID
RESERVOIRS OR HOLDERS ARE FILLED." A communication from abroad by
Philipp Otto Oechelhäuser, of Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineer.
This Invention has for its object to provide means whereby the extent of filling
of a gasometer or other reservoir for holding fluids or liquids may be read at any
desired distance from such reservoir with certainty.
For the purpose of the Invention a pump or other suitable apparatus for
displacing liquids is employed, the rod of which is provided with a rack which,
through suitable gearing is connected to the bell or holder of a gasometer, and is
caused to rise and fall. A pipe is connected at one end to this pump, and is laid
underground so as to remain unaffected by frost; and at its other end it is
connected to a level indicator, provided with a suitably graduated scale. This
indicator is of serpentine form, and is erected at any suitable distance from the
gasometer or reservoir.
The gearing above mentioned may consist of a pulley or drum mounted on a shaft,
which carries & pinion in gear with a toothed wheel upon another shaft. On this latter
shaft there is also another toothed wheel which gears into the rack on the pump rod.

page_text: A rope, cord, or chain is attached to the bell or holder of the gasometer or reservoir
(or to a float when the Invention is applied to reservoirs for liquids), and passes
thence over a guide roller to the pulley or drum whereon it is wound several times;
it then passes upwards over another guide roller and its free end carries a counter-
weight. By means of this rope, cord, or chain, the rising and falling motion of
the bell or holder is transmitted to the cord, pulley, or drum which is thereby
correspondingly rotated, and motion is thus transmitted through the gearing to
the pump rod.
The pump as well as the pipe and the level indicator are filled with liquid not
liable to freeze, such as glycerine, or alcohol of great strength. The movements of
its rod are by the liquid contained in the pipe transmitted to the column of liquid
in the level indicator, causing such liquid to rise and fall in a manner corresponding
with the rising and falling of the bell or holder.
If the level indicator is made of glass the level may be observed directly, but if
of iron or other non transparent material, a float and pointer are provided.
Stop cocks are provided to ensure the exclusion of air from the pump, pipe, and
level indicator, one such being placed on the pump, and the others on suitable
places on the level indicator.
To avoid any evaporation of the liquid and that it may always be under
pressure, the level indicator may be filled with mercury, upon which the liquid
in the pipe would act.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest de Pass in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd September
1881.
ERNEST DE PASS, of the Office for British and Foreign Patents, 68, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC APPARATUS
FOR INDICATING AT A DISTANCE THE EXTENT TO WHICH GAS AND OTHER FLUID
RESERVOIRS OR HOLDERS, ARE FILLED." A communication from abroad by
Philipp Otto Oechelhäuser, of Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineer.
This Invention has for its object to provide means wherby the filling of a
gasometer or other reservoir for holding fluids or liquids, may be read with certainty
at any desired distance from such reservoir.
As an example I proceed to describe the application of this Invention to a
gasometer. A chain is ordinarily connected with the bell of a gasometer, which
chain passing over rollers carries at its other end an index which descends upon a
scale in the same degree as the bell rises; this is done for the purpose of rendering
the movements of the bell of a gasometer which may be surrounded by a building
visible outside such building, and to enable the contents of the gasometer to be
always read upon the scale. For gasometers standing above the structure close by
the bell, a scale visible at a distance was sufficient.
For the purpose of exact control it is however desirable to be able to ascertain
the exact quantity contained in the gasometer within the works, either in the
locality where the retorts are, or in the office, or in some other suitable place.
For this purpose the apparatus represented on the annexed Drawings has been
devised.
It consists of a pump A, whose rod a is provided with a rack b, which is caused
to rise and fall by gearing B connected with the bell; it furthermore comprises
conduit pipes C which are connected with the aforesaid pump, and which are laid
under ground so as to remain unaffected by frost.
A level indicator D is connected with these pipes and has the form of a bifurcated
tube; it is erected at any suitable distance from the gasometer or reservoir.
The gearing B consists of a pulley or drum c, mounted on a shaft d, which also
carries a pinion e in gear with a toothed wheel f, upon another shaft g; upon the
last named shaft g there is also another toothed wheel h, which gears into the
rack b forming an extension of the pump rod herein before mentioned. A rope,
cord, or chain i is attached to the bell F of the gasometer (or to a float when the
Invention is applied to reservoirs for fluids), and passes thence over a guide roller /
to the pulley or drum c and is wound round the same; it then passes again
upwards over another guide roller l, and carries at its free end a counterweight m.
By means of this rope, cord, or chain the rising and falling motion of the bell is
transmitted to the cord-pulley or drum, which is thereby correspondingly rotated
and transmits motion through the gearing B to the rod of the pump A.
The pump A, as well as the conduit pipes C, and the level indicator D are filled
with a liquid not liable to freeze under the influence of great cold in winter, such
as glycerine, or alcohol of great strength. The movements of the pump rod are
by the liquid contained in the pipes transmitted to the column of liquid in the level
indicator in such a manner that in exact unison with the rise and fall of the
gasometer bell, a rising or falling of the level of this column of liquid takes place.
The capacity of the bell is proportionate to its rise, consequently if suitable numbers
are marked upon a scale n provided on the level indicator D, which numbers
correspond with the contents of the gasometer bell at various heights, such contents
may be read from the scale.

page_text: If the open branch of the level indicator be made of glass, the level may be
observed directly, but if made of iron or other non transparent material, a float 8
and pointer are provided as shewn in the Drawings.
It is clear that according to the proportion between the diameter of the pump
piston and the width of the open branch of the level indicator, the stroke of the
piston will be represented at a higher or lower level upon the scale, but in all
cases the level in the indicator has a fixed ratio with the volume of the contents of
the gasometer.
To ensure the proper filling of the pump A, conduit pipe C, and level indicator D,
so as to exclude all air, stopcocks o and p are provided, one being placed on the
pump, and the other at the highest point of the curvature of the short limb of the
level indicator.
When the apparatus is first filled, say with glycerine or with alcohol, an air pump
is applied to the open stop cock o, whilst the stop cock p remains closed, the longer
limb or branch of the level indicator D being closed at top by a plug so as to be
airtight, the air in the conduit pipe C is now exhausted, and the stop cock p is
opened, this being connected with a reservoir E containing liquid, the liquid will
rush with an increased velocity, and under the full pressure of the atmosphere into
the conduit pipe and will fill the whole apparatus without leaving any air bubbles.
When the plug is removed from the top of the indicator D, the slight quantity of
air remaining, which could not be exhausted by pumping, will by hydrostatic
pressure of the column of liquid in the indicator D be driven out of the pump
barrel when the cock p is opened for a little time; both stop cocks are then closed.
By opening a third stopcock q at the lower extremity of the level indicator as
much of the liquid may be exhausted as may be necessary for setting the level to
the correct number on the scale. To avoid any evaporation of the liquid, and so
that it may be always under pressure, the level indicator may be filled with mercury,
upon which the liquid in the conduit pipe would act.
Although in the instance specified a pump is used for transmitting the motion
of the gasholder to the indicator, it is clear that any other suitable apparatus
for displacing liquids may be used, and that the gearing may also be varied if
desired.
This apparatus may be used for gasometers surrounded by buildings as illustrated
in Fig. 1 as well as for such as stand above buildings, as shewn in Fig. 3.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
The combination of the pump A or other liquid displacing device on the one
hand, with the bell of a gasometer, or with a float, or with any other fluid
containing reservoir, and on the other hand with an indicator D in connection
therewith in such manner that by means of gearing B, or its equivalent, the pump,
or other liquid displacing device is actuated, so that the motion of the gasometer
bell or the like is transmitted in an exact predetermined proportion to the column
of liquid in the indicator, all substantially as shewn, and as herein described for
the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest de Pass, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentyfirst day of September, in the year 1881.