IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN EFFECTING DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ferdinand Walker, of the Firm of Thomas Walker
and Son, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN EFFECTING DEEP
SEA SOUNDINGS."
Sealed the 24th February 1880, and dated the 30th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ferdinand Walker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1879.
THOMAS FERDINAND, WALKER, of the Firm of Thomas Walker and Son, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR USE IN EFFECTING DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS."
The improvements relate to that class of sounding apparatus in which a
proportional increase of density or pressure with the increased depth of the
sounding is made use of, and the object of the Invention is to secure simplicity
with economy in manipulation with such apparatus.
It has been proposed to employ a glass tube sealed at its upper end, and coated
internally by some agent readily acted upon by the salt water to effect a marking
in the interior of such tube corresponding with the pressure exerted thereto by
the depth reached by it; but, practically, various objections arise in the use of
such means, partly from the difficulty of constructing glass tubes of uniform
sectional area, but more particularly from the necessary delicacy of the glass tubes
and the necessity for keeping a stock of them, owing to the fact of a fresh one or
one fresh prepared being required for each operation, entailing considerable risk
and cost increased, by the absence of the skilled labor required for the said
preparation on board ship.
According to my Invention I employ a tube of suitable material open at its
lower end but closed at its upper end. Within this tube I apply a rod of metal
or glass, or other suitable material capable of being readily removable and replaced,
the surface of which rod I coat with whitening and red prussiate of potash, or
collodion and nitrate of silver, or gum and red prussiate of potash, or any suitable
material or combination of materials adapted to form a coating, readily acted upon
to effect a change of color or appearance by the action of salt water thereon.
ว

page_text: In use I sink this tube by suitable weights, retaining its upper end by a suitablo
wire line, when according to the depth of immersion effected so will be the extent
of rising of the sea water therein to effect a marking on the enclosed rod.
On raising the tube and removing this rod the extent of depth effected will be
ascertained by the position of the mark thereon in relation to a scale of indications.
In order to aid in ascertaining variation of indications at great depths I vary
the relative size of the internal rod to the containing tube so as progressively to
diminish the space between the one and the other.
According to another method I avoid the necessity for the use of any coloring or
other indicating matter by employing a glass tube opening at its upper end into
another tube, and provided with a valve at its lower end capable of closing
internally to retain water passing therein. The external tube is open at its
lower end.
As these tubes are sunk in the water that water will rise alike in both tubes in
proportion to the depth attained by them, but on raising them again the water
will be retained in the interior tube by its valve, and will become a measure to
indicate the depth attained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the. Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Ferdinand Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th February 1880.
THOMAS FERDINAND WALKER, of the Firm of Thomas Walker and Son, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR USE IN EFFECTING DEEP SEA SOUNDINGS."-
The improvements relate to that class of sounding apparatus in which a propor-
tional increase of density or pressure with the increased depth of the sounding is
'made use of, and the object of the Invention is to secure simplicity with economy
in manipulation with such apparatus.
..It has been proposed to employ a glass tube seated at its upper end, and coated
internally by 'some agent readily acted upon by the salt water to effect a marking
in the interior of such tube corresponding with the pressure exerted thereto by. the
depth reached by it; but, practically, various objections arise in the use of such
means, partly from the difficulty of constructing glass tubes of uniform sectional
area, but more particularly from the necessary delicacy of the glass-tubes and the
necessity for keeping a stock of them; owing to the fact of a fresh one or one fresh
prepared being required for each operation, entailing considerable risk and cost
increased, by the absence of the skilled labor required-for the said preparation on
'board ship.
According to my Invention I employ a tube of suitable material open at its lower
end but closed at its upper end. Within this tube I apply a rod of metal or glass,
or other suitable material capable of being readily removable and replaced, the

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a simple form of the apparatus drawn to a
scale of half the real size. A is a round brass or copper tube of uniform cross
sectional area; B is a strip of cardboard also of uniform cross sectional area. This
strip B has marks upon it corresponding to the heights 'inside the tube to which
the water will attain at varying depths of sounding. The divisions and figures
may be printed or otherwise marked on the strip B, and this strip B is subse-
quently coated with chromate of silver, or other suitable coating that on contact
with salt water will receive a decided change.
,
The cap is for the purpose of retaining the strip B inside the tube, and has
formed, in it small holes D, D, 'to cause the interior of the tube to be open to the
external pressure.
F
:
✓
When taking a sounding, the tube A with the prepared strip B inside it is
attached with the cap. C downwards to the line of an ordinary sounding lead
close to the lead or sinker. As the lead sinks, carrying with it the tube A, the
increasing pressure compresses the air confined in the tube A into a decreasing
space, the water continuing to rise in the tube A until the bottom is reached or
the desired depth attained. When the tube is hauled in on removing the strip B it
will be found to be discolored or changed in appearance up to the division
corresponding to the greatest depth sounded.
In cases where it may be advisable repeatedly to use the same indicating rods
or strips in place of employing cardboard to receive the indications I prefer to
employ suitably shaped rods or strips of glass with the divisions and figures etched
or engraved thereon. If a supply of the necessary solutions or matters is kept on
board these same rods or strips may readily be used over and over again, their
preparation requiring but little skill, all that is necessary being to cleanse their
surface, then to coat them with the chosen solution or matter, and in the case of a
solution being used to allow them to dry. These rods or strips need not of
necessity have divisions upon them as the extent of change of surface thereon
could be compared with a separate standard guage properly divided and figured.
In place of the indicating rods or strips required for repeated use being formed of
glass they may be formed of or coated with silver or other material adapted to
receive a suitable coating to be acted upon by the salt water, and to be readily
cleansed and reprepared for repeated use.
In Figure 2 the space between the internal rod or strip and the containing tube
is diminished upwards by enlarging the lower end L of the tube. This admits of
the registering divisions being wider apart at the upper portion of the rod or strip
by which the depth of sounding may be ascertained with greater accuracy. The

page_text: same result is produced by making the tube of uniform cross sectional area and
increasing the cross sectional area of the internal rod at its upper end.
Figure 3 is a full sized Drawing of portions of Figure 2, the part from X to Y
of Figure 2 being removed.. Figure 4 shows a modification of the arrangement
indicated by Figures 2 and 3. In this case the area between the internal rod or
strip B and the containing tube is diminished by four gradations, each of definite
area. The short chamber L contains the same amount of free space as the long
narrow tube A; by free space I mean that space in each compartment unoccupied
by the indicating rod or strip.
The
The chamber K contains the same free space as L and A combined.
chamber I contains the same free space as the total of the three chambers K, L,
and A, and the chamber H, the same as the total of the other four chambers.
If the lower divisions of the registering scale are of no importance the four
chambers H, I, K, L, might be replaced by one enlargement of any convenient
form. But the arrangement shown by Figure 4 enables the position of the indica-
tions on the lower end of the rod or.strip to be more conveniently ascertained.
The external conical parts E and F are to facilitate the descent and hauling in of
the apparatus.
In Figures 3 and 4 the enlargement.or enlargements at the bottom of the tube A
may be varied so that the indications commencing at the bottom of the tube
A may begin at any given depths of sounding at which it may be desired to begin
the record.
Although the above description refers to a round tube and a flat rod it is obvious
that both the tube and the rod, or either of them, may be of other convenient form
of cross section. The other portion of the Invention referred to in my Provisional
Specification I have not found to be of that practical value to render it desirable
to include it in the present Specification.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is the improvements
in apparatus for effecting deep sea soundings by the use of a tube or chamber
adapted to receive the water whose depth is to be ascertained for the purpose of
such water acting on the prepared surface of a moveable rod or strip placed therein,
and whose surface is prepared to receive indications of the height of such water in
such tube, according to the pressure or density due to the depth attained by such
tube, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ferdinand Walker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.