IMPROVEMENTS IN BAROMETERS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Symons, of Hatton Garden, in the County
of Middlesex, Philosophical Instrument Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BAROMETERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Symons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
March 1863.
I, WILLIAM SYMONS, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Philo-
sophical Instrument Maker, do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAROMETERS," to be as follows:-
The objects of my Invention are to produce standard and other barometers
in which the mercury is contained in a syphon tube, in which the reading
takes place at one point, and in which mercury is stopped, and the barometer
thereby rendered portable, all as herein-after explained. I enclose the syphon
tube in a tube or tubular case with parts cut away for reading the scale,
and for adjusting the bottom of an inner tube to the level of the mercury
in the short leg of the syphon. This inner tube carries or has marked upon
it the usual scale of inches; a rack is also formed in one side of the scale and
on another part of the inner tube opposite to the scale, up and down which a
vernier is free to be adjusted by a thumb-screw protruding through the outer
case, or motion may be otherwise communicated to the vernier. Another

page_text: rack is fitted or formed on the inner tube for the purpose of adjusting the
lower end of the said inner tube to the level of the mercury in the short leg
of the syphon. Motion is communicated to the inner tube through a thumb-
screw and toothed pinion, or otherwise, from the outside of the case.
For the purpose of stopping the mercury I employ a leather or other
stopper on the end of a rod, which is worked up and down by a knob moving
in a slot in the outer case or otherwise, so as to bring the stopper on the
surface of the mercury in the short leg of the syphon when the barometer is
required to be moved or carried. Sometimes I employ an iron stop-cock
instead of the stopper to render the barometer portable. Although I have
described and prefer to use continuous tubes as herein-before set forth, yet
rods or plates of metal or other substance may be substituted for either or
both the outer case and inner tube, or portions of tubes held together by rods
or plates may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Symons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SYMONS, of Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Philosophical Instru-
ment Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Symons, Her special licence that I, the said William Symons, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Symons, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAROMETERS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Symons,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Symons, 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
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say:
The objects of my Invention are to produce standard and other barometers
in which the mercury is contained in a syphon tube, in which the reading.
takes place at one point, and in which the mercury is stopped, and the
barometer thereby rendered portable, all as hercin-after explained and repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawings.
:
Figure represents one of my barometers in sectional elevation, Figure 2
in external elevation, and Figures 3 and 4, also in external elevation, seen on
looking at the barometer in different positions.
I enclose the syphon tube a in a tube or tubular case b, with parts cut
away from a to a for reading the scale, and from to for adjusting the
bottom of an inner tube c to the level of the mercury in the short leg of the
syphon. This inner tube carries or has marked upon it the usual scale of
inches, as seen at Figure 2. A rack d is also formed on one side of the scale
and on another part of the inner tube opposite to the scale, up and down
which a vernier is free to be adjusted by a thumb-screw f protruding through
the outer case; or motion may be otherwise communicated to the vernier.
Another rack is fitted or formed on the inner tube for the purpose of adjusting
the lower end of the said inner tube to the level of the mercury in the short
leg of the syphon. Motion is communicated to the inner tube through a
thumb-screw g and toothed pinion or otherwise from the outside of the case.
For the purpose of stopping the mercury I employ a leather or other
stopper on the end of a rod i, which is worked up and down by a knob k
moving in a slot in the outer case or otherwise, so as to bring the stopper on
the mouth of the tube 2 in the short leg of the syphon when the barometer is
required to be moved or carried. Sometimes I employ an iron stop-cock
instead of the stopper to render the barometer portable.
Although I have described and prefer to use continuous tubes as herein-
before set forth, yet rods or plates of metal or other substance may be
substituted for either or both the outer case and inner tube, or portions of
tubes held together by rods or plates may be used.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-

page_text: First, constructing standard and other barometers combined and formed
substantially in manner herein-before described and represented in the accom-
panying Drawings.
And, second, constructing stoppers for standard and other barometers
substantially in manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Symons, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM SYMONS. (L.S.)