US569340A

US569340A - Tide-lndicator

Info

Publication number: US569340A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1913-10-13

Description

(-No Model.)

- A. A. LOW.

TIDE INDICATOR.

N0. 569,340. Patented Oct; 13, 1896.

a'rnivr rricn ABBOT AUGUSTUS LOW, OF BROOKLYN, NEW? YORK.

TIDE-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,340, dated October 13, 1896.

Application filed September 18, 1895- Serial No. 562,837, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABBOT AUGUSTUS LOW, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tide-Indicators, of which the following is a specification sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to whichthe invention appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is designed. to afford a simple and effective device for indicating upon and by means of an ordinary clock the relation of high and low tide to the meridian, as well as the exact hour and condition of the tide at the time of consultation; and the invention consists in the special combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, whereby a ring adjust-able with relation to the clockdial is made to perform the double function above set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of a clock provided with my tidal ring; and Fig. 2, a top view, partly in section, of the same, the parts being shown in the simplest form and arrangement.

In carrying out my invention it is not essential whether the tide-ring A is incorporated with the clock B or simply forms an adjunct or attachment thereto, the essential feature being the combination and arrangement with the clock, so as to be adjustable with relation to the dial-thereof, of the tidal ring A, having the semicircular divisions of contrasting shade or color, these sections a a" being divided into six equal parts (1 representing approximately the several hours of the tide.

In the accompanying drawings a plain cylindrical clock-case is shown, over the front of which the tide-ring A fits snugly, while permittin g of the turning of the ring around the clock-case in either direction in order to adjust it with relation to the clock-dial O.

The distinction between the rising and falling of the tide may be emphasized by making one semicircle a white or light in color, while the other semicircle a is of a darker shade or color.

To set the device for use for twelve hours, one of the main division-lines a a is brought into coincidence with the subdivision in the clock-dial nearest to that corresponding to the time designated by the local tide-table as the time of high water, after which the hourhand of the clock 0 will not only indicate the hour of the day, but will also point out approximately the hour of the tide. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, we will suppose that the ring A is set for high tide at half-past one p. m., or nearly so. The position of the lines a a with relation to twelve in. shows at a glance the relation of tide to meridian. It will be seen that at three oclock the hour-hand 0 will point to about the middle of the second subdivision a of one semicular half a of the ring, thereby indicating that it is an hour and onehalf, approximately, since high tide, and so on until it passes the other registering-line (L3, when it will begin to indicate relatively the lapse of time since low tide.

My tide-indicator affords a simple, cheap, and convenient device adapted for use on vessels, in hotels and bathing establishments, and in various situations in which it is desirable to indicate visually the relation of time and tide.

It will be seen that my contrivance or attachment, simple as it is, performs a double function, in that it indicates at a glance the relation of the tide to the meridian, while simultaneously indicating both the hour of the day and the hour of the tide.

I am aware that in patent of Ralph, No. 425,08i, a disk is shown as arranged in connection with a clock-dial for the purpose of denoting the arrival and departure of railroad-trains, &c., but in this case the disk moves with the hour-hand and is read with relation to an arbitrary design on the clockdial, whereas in my device the hour-hand is movable with relation to my tidal ring and indicates thereon the hour of the tide, the tidal ring being set in such relation to the hour-marks on the dial as to indicate approximately the rise and fall of the tide for twelve hours, or with relation to the meridian, while the hour-hand indicates approximately the actual condition of the tide at the time of observation, as well as the hour of the day.

I am also aware that in patent to Treat, No. 2 l8,624:, a moving pressure-indicator is shown, made in two contrasting colors, grad ually blending one into the other from a single radial line of sharp contrast, but this is not the equivalent of my invention. In the first place, the Treat indicator moves continuously under pressure and simply points out the degrees of pressure on an annular scale, whereas my tidal ring is only movable for the purpose of setting it with relation to the clocleclial, and the real index, the hourhand of the clock, not only designates the hour of the day, but also the hour or age of the tide. Furthermore, my tidal ring is divided into two equal parts sharply defined by opposed radial lines in the same plane, whereas the Treat indicator has only one clearly-defined line, which acts as a pointer and not as a subdivision.

Neither the Treat patent nor the Ralph patent shows the equivalent of my tidal ring divided into two sections representing six hours each, which two divisions are subdivided to representthe six hours; nor the arrangement of a ring so divided and subdivided with relation to a clock-dial that the hour-hand of the clock will not only indicate the hour of the day, but also the hour or age of the tide. Both show moving indicators in cont adistinction to mystation ary ring,whioh is movable only for the purpose of adjustment, the hour-hand of the clock being the real. index or indicator, while my tidal ring performs the function of an auxiliary dial to the clock to show the relation of tide to diurnal time as well as the actual age of the tide when the clock is consulted.

It will thus be seen that neither of the devices shown in the patents referred to is adapted to effect the results sought and attained by my invention, either alone or combined, without radical change in structure, operation, and function.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of a clock and dial, a ring adjustable on the clock with relation to the dial thereof, said ring being divided into two equal parts, distinguished by contrasting shades or colors, representing approximately high and low tide, saidtwo equal divisions being subdivided into six parts and numbored to represent approximately the hours of the tide, and the hour-hand oi theclock, the, whole arranged and operating in such manner that the said hour-hand indicates simultaneously both the hour of the day and the hour of the tide, while the position of the ring with relation to the dial indicates the relation of the tide to the meridian, substantially as herein set forth.

ABBOT AUGUSTUS LOW.

Witnesses:

LUDLow llIAHAN, JAMES BARTLETT.