IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMOMETERS
Year: 1853

page_text: time prescribed by the Act.)
I, EDWARD VIVIAN, of Torquay, in the County of Devon, Banker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THERMOMETERS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements on instruments at
present in use, and known as Rutherford's and Sixe's thermometers.
The improvement on Rutherford's thermometer consists in the combi-
nation of a minimum and maximum self-registering instrument, with-
out the liability to error existing in the present system, by reason of the
difference in the effect of the atmospheric changes upon the mercury
contained in the maximum and the spirit contained in the minimum
thermometer. My new instrument consists of one single tube bent
parallel, and containing spirit or other fluid at the bulb end of the tube,

page_text: with a column of air in the bent portion of the tube, intervening
between the column of spirit described, as contained in the bulb end of
the thermometer, and another column of spirit in the opposite end,
above a small air vessel, formed at that extremity of the instrument,
which is so recurved as to prevent the air escaping from it into the tube.
I propose also to use indicating pins, formed of glass or steel, with or
without porous heads, immersed in the spirit.
My improvements upon Sixe's thermometer are for the purpose of
obtaining an effective self-regulating instrument, with a metallic bulb,
and also to effect the object of doing away with the erroneous results
liable to take place in the present-instrument;-when-the-column of
mercury in one portion of the tube is very high, and consequently its
weight alone affects the position of the mercury in the other portion of
the tube, and causes a considerable variation between the readings of
the two. My new instrument-is-identical-in-form to that I have
already described, the only difference between the two being the substi-
tution of mercury for spirit, and spirit for air respectively and in this
instrument I propose to use spring indexes, so that the instrument,
when in use, is perpendicular.
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Another of my improvements consists in the production of a
simple self-registering thermometer, for measuring the intensity and
duration of sunshine, by the vaporization of spirit or other fluid,
and the condensation of the same; the apparatus consists of two
chambers, formed of glass or other suitable material, in one of
which the spirit or other fluid is exposed to vaporization, whilst con-
densation takes place in the other, the results being shewn by the
amount received in the condenser, or by a graduated tube attached.
The same instrument may also be used as a self-registering hygrometer,
one of the bulbs or chambers being kept wet, whilst the other is dry;
and also as a self-registering pluviometer, in which case the rain is
conducted by a funnel, or other means, to the wet bulb.
Also, I propose to use the same instrument to afford the means of
calculating the mean temperature, in combination with an improved
evaporating vessel. This vessel consists of a graduated tube with a bell

page_text: mouth, in which is introduced a surface of muslin, or other porou
material, upon which the water rests when the instrument is in use, and
from the underside of which the evaporation takes place, the results
being shewn by the descent of the water or other fluid in the tube.