Unpublished paper, 'The hydrostatic log' by E L [Edward Lyon] Berthon

Description

Berthon presents his new invention, the hydrostatic log. The object of the invention is to obtain a register of the speed of ships, by a column of mercury, in such a manner that the height of the column shall depend upon the velocity alone, and not be affected by any disturbing causes, such as alteration of draught of water or pitching and rolling. The principle embraces that of Pitôt’s tube, inasmuch as the force of the resistance due to the velocity is communicated through a small pipe projecting into the water below the bottom of the ship. This force, acting upwards, compresses a portion of enclosed air in a small cylinder, which air communicating by means of a little pipe with the bulb of a glass tube, bent like a common barometer, raises the mercury in the tube, by depressing it in the bulb.

Preceded by diagrams of Benthon's hydrostatic log.

Subject: Engineering / Hydrostatics

Received 5 December 1849. Communicated by Francis Beaufort.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 5 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'Description of the hydrostatic log'.

Reference number

AP/32/4

Earliest possible date

December 1849

Physical description

Ink on paper

Page extent

14 pages

Format

Diagram
Manuscript