US16621A - Improvement in apparatus for indicating the height of water in the holds of vessels - Google Patents

Description

W. R. WARDEN.

' APPARATUS FOR INDIGATING TH HEIGHT 0F WATER IN THE HOLDS 0F VBSSELS. N0. 16,621. Patented Feb. 10, 185'7.

. a M m 5 x g x l:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. WARDEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF WATER IN THE HOLDS 0F VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [6.62], dated February 10, 1857.

21) alt whom it may concern:

4 Be it known that 1, W1 mun. R. \VARDEN, of Boston, in the county ofbuiTolk and State of lliassachnsetts, have invented an Improved Apparatus for indicating the Height of Water in the Holds of Sea-Vessels; and l do hereby declare that the said apparatus'is fully dcscribed in tliefollowing specification, and rep resented in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 a similar elevation wit-h the'onter covers of the index-box, alarnrbox, inclined tube, float-tube, and weight-tube being removed to show their interiors.

I would remark that the indeX-box,with' its apparatus, and the HTMIIII-TJOX WlChdtS apparatus, are shown in the drawings as of about.

their proper or full size; but the tubes are necessarily-shown contracted, as at full size they extend'over many feet in length.

Aiin the drawings represents the index-box, having two apertures at its bottom, as seen at a I), from which extend down vertically two tubes, B C. These tubes are intended to reach to or about to the bottom of thehold or well of the vessel, one tube being made tight or closed at its bottom, as seen at 0, while the other is open at bot-tom 0r punctured with holes, as seen 'at d.

D is a drum or barrel placed within the box A,andfastened onto ashaft, d,which revolves .iii bearings made in the casing of the box A.

Around this barrel two cords or lines, ef, extend, one cord, f, after passing around in one direction, extending down into the float-tube B,whi1e the other,passing around it in the opposite direction,continues or extends down the weight-tube O, and has. a weight, attached to its end. The cord in the other tube has a light float, 71., attached to it, said float resting upon the surface of the water in the hold,which water rises to the same height in the tube as in said hold. As the water rises, and thereby raises the float h, the weight g is made of sufficient weight to turn the barrel and wind the float-cord upon its circumference, the weightcord being at the same time unwound therefroni, and vice versa as the water falls.

Upon one end of the drum-shaft d a small gear-pinion, i, is placed, said pinion meshing into the teeth of (and rotating when operated) the hammer-rod in position.

a gear-wheel, Said gear 7.: is placed on an index-shaft,'(, turning in bearings in the casing of the box A. Thisshaft extends through'the front of the box, and carries an inde.\' 'iointer, m, which, as the shaft revolves, points to the figures on a dial, ID, placed or made 'on the front of the box A. This dial indicates by means of the pointer the number of feet oi'water in the hold. liiis'o o are placed at regular intervals of space around the wheel 1.:, which, as the wheel revolves in the direction denoted by the arrow :0, (as the water rises,, strike,upon a stud, so, and draw down the short arm 1 of a bent lever, q, the other arm of said lever carrying a bell-haninier, i', which, when the stud is released from the pin 0 and the level retracted by a spring, s, strikes upon the bel i, as will be readily understood from the draw ingsi Now, as the water rises in the float-tube, raising the float and turning the barrel, as described, the index-pointer will be correspondiiigly turned,and will indicate the rise of the water, and at equal intervals of such rise the bell will be struck; but whcnzthe water falls, as the pins a strike the stud they turna plate, a, to which said stud is attached in such manner as not to agitate or turn the bent lever,

and the bell willnot be struck.

The register shown is so constructed that the bell will be struck at every SIX inches of rise from the bottom up to five feet, the indexpointerindicating theextent of such rise. Attached to'the float-cord, at a proper height above the float, is an inclined ball-carrier, 11, carrying on its top a heavy ball, 10. From the float-tube B- an inclined tube, E, extends, sa d tube passing to an alarm-box, F, situatedin the cabin or at any other convenient position for giving alarm. An alarm-bell and apparatus connected therewith-such as is commonly used in alarm-clocksis placed in the box F, said bell being seen at a, and having a hammer-rod, 1), spring 0, escapenient-wheel d", cs capement e, and key or winding shaft]- TVhen wound up, a stop, 9', pushed against one arni,' h', of a bent lever, i, serves to keep The other arm of this lever extends down into or in front of the inclined tube E, as seen at The inclined plate or ball-carrier o is placed at such height as that when the water shall have risen in the hold to a dangerous height, the ball shall have been raised up to the inclined tube E,and will slide off the plate '0 onto the bottom of the tube E, and will slide along the tube untiLreaehing the lever '1", it will tip it soas to release the bell-hammer and set the alarm in operation, the ball continuing on into the alarm-box F, from which it is removed and returned to the tube B.

My alarm and index apparatus will be found to be of great use on board of essels at sea, where it is oftentimes almost impossible to know the amount of water that may have leaked into the hold, and there being also constant danger that in the night the water may from some cause gain a rapid entryand a dangerous height without the fact being known.

.By my apparatus the height of water is always known, and if there is a sudden rise to a point of danger the alarm apparatus gives startling notice of the fact in time to take suitable measures to check or stop said rise of water,

I would remark that several alarms situated at differentparts of the vessel may be con nected with the float-tube, and made to operate

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