IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF WATER IN ONE OR MORE PARTS OF A SHIP, OR IN ANY OF THE WATER-TIGHT COMPARTMENTS THEREOF, AND FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE HEIGHT AND APPROXIMATE QUANTITY OF SUCH WATER, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE DRAUGHT OF WATER OF SHIPS, AND TO REGISTERING THE RISE AND FALL OF TIDES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Cornelius Edward Kelway at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1878.
CORNELIUS EDWARD KELWAY, of Portsea, in the County of Southampton.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND INDICATING THE PRESENCE
OF WATER IN ONE OR MORE PARTS OF A SHIP, OR IN ANY OF THE WATER-TIGHT
COMPARTMENTS THEREOF, AND FOR ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE HEIGHT
AND APPROXIMATE QUANTITY OF SUCH WATER, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO ASCERTAINING AND INDICATING THE DRAUGHT OF WATER OF
SHIPS, AND TO REGISTERING THE RISE AND FALL OF TIDES."
My Invention relates more especially to apparatus used for the purpose of
detecting and indicating the presence of salt water from leakage or other cause in
any part of a ship, or of any of the water-tight compartments into which such ship
may be divided, and it has for its objects improved methods of constructing and
arranging such apparatus, so that the presence of such water and its approximate
quantity may be indicated both by sound and to the eye more readily and certainly
than in any such apparatus as heretofore constructed and used.
In each water-tight compartment into which the ship is divided, to which my
improved apparatus is to be applied, or if the ship is not divided into water-tight
compartments, in each part of it in which it is desired that the presence of water
shall be indicated, I arrange two metallic wires electrically insulated, but having
their lower ends (which are preferably platinized to prevent oxidation) exposed and
brought into close proximity for a sufficient distance, but without contact. These
exposed ends are arranged near the floor of the compartment at a height at which
the presence of water there should be indicated. The other end of one of these:
insulated wires is carried up and brought to a convenient position to be attached
to the "relay" apparatus herein-after described, which is to be observed and used
by the captain of the vessel or other person in charge. The upper end of the other
insulated wire is brought to the same locality and is connected electrically, to part

page_text: of a contact block, over or upon which sweeps the end of a switch," shunt," or
moveable metallic bar, the other end of which is pivotted upon a fixed metallic
centre, which is in electric communication by means of a wire or otherwise with
one pole of an electric battery, the other pole of which is in similar communication
with an electro-magnetic "relay" apparatus, and is afterwards connected with the
insulated wire first described. This "relay" apparatus consists of a frame containing
an electro-magnet, the armature of which is put into operation by the passage of
electricity through its coil from the battery first described. If therefore salt water
rises in the compartment sufficiently high to cover the exposed ends of the wires
an electrical current is thus completed, and the armature is operated as above
described.
In its operation the armature actuates a contact piece which completes the
electrical circuit through a wire connected by a corresponding binding screw with
one pole of a second electric battery, which operates an electro-magnetic apparatus
actuating a shutter or indicating hand, which discloses or points out the particular
compartment in which the exposed ends of the insulated wires are arranged, as first
described. From the other extremity of the indicating apparatus a wire passes to
a binding screw at one end of the coil of an electric or electro-magnetic bell, the
other end of which coil is provided with a series of binding screws, from one of
which a wire passes back to the contact piece actuated by the armature already
described, thus completing the circuit through the battery, the bell, and the
indicator.
At a sufficient height above the floor of the compartment in which the exposed
ends of the insulated wires are arranged, as first described, I arrange a second
insulated wire having an exposed end, and at or near the ceiling or roof of the
compartment I arrange a third such wire. Each of these wires is connected to a
separate part of the metallic contact block first described, and each of these parts is
electrically insulated from the others. Each of these second and third wires may
have a separate return wire from the indicating apparatus, if desired.
By the action of the switch or moveable metallic bar either of the wires may be
put in communication with the electric battery, which by the "relay" apparatus
actuates the magnetic indicating apparatus and the electric bell, and the action of
the entire apparatus is as follows:-The switch or moveable bar, being in such a
position that the pair of wires occupying the lowest position in the compartment
are in communication with the first battery, if the salt water rises sufficiently high
to complete the circuit between their ends, the attention of the captain or other
person in charge is called by the ringing of the bell, and the indicating apparatus
points out the particular compartment or part of the ship in which the water
has risen. He then moves the switch over until the second wire is in com-
munication with it, and if the bell again rings he knows that the water has half
filled the compartment. He then moves the switch again until the upper wire
communicates through it, and when the bell rings for the third time the compart-
ment is filled with water.
Each separate compartment or part of the ship which it is desired should be
under observation is fitted with insulated wires, an electric battery, and switch
similar to those already described, the ends of the wires passing to a separate division
of the indicating apparatus, where they operate, by means of a "relay," a separate
electro-magnetic indicator or hand similar to that already described. The armature
of this separate "relay" coil completes the circuit through the battery and through
a corresponding second indicator, and through the bell which was used for the
apparatus applied to the first-described compartment; or a separate bell and battery
may be used.
I prefer to arrange the moveable switches or shunts so that in one position all
electric circuits are broken.
Any desired number of insulated wires may be used in each compartment instead
of three, as described; and apparatus constructed according to my Invention may

page_text: be used for the purpose of ascertaining and indicating the draught of a vessel, or
the depth at which she floats in the water; or for indicating the rise and fall of
tides. In such cases I arrange the apparatus as above described, so that the salt
water flowing round the exposed ends of the insulated wires completes the circuit
of an electric current through them, and through apparatus similar to that
already described.