Underwater thermometric apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR INDICATING VERTICAL TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS IN THE OCEAN COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A NEGATIVELY BUOYANT HOUSING SUITABLE FOR DROPPING IN THE OCEAN; A SEALED CAPILLARY TUBING OUTSIDE THE SAID HOUSING EXPOSED TO THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SURROUNDING MEDIUM; A THERMALLY EXPANDABLE FLUID INSIDE THE SAID CAPILLARY; A DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE SWITCH HAVING A REFERENCE PRESSURE AT THE FIRST INPUT AND THE CAPILLARY FLUID PRESSURE AT THE SECOND INPUT AND INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND CONTACTS; MEANS FOR CLOSING SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACT IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED DECREASE OF PRESSURE IN THE SAID CAPILLARY RELATIVE TO THE SAID REFERENCE PRESSURE, AND FOR CLOSING SAID SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED INCREASE OF PRESSURE IN THE SAID CAPILLARY RELATIVE TO THE SAID REFERENCE PRESSURE; A VALVE SEPARATING THE TWO INPUT PRESSURES OF THE SAID DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE SWITCH; A BATTERY; A SERIES OF ELECTRICALLY DETONATED EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, EACH VENTABLE TO THE OUTSIDE MEDIUM; MEANS FOR DETONATING AT LEAST ONE EXPLOSIVE CHARGE IN RESPONSE TO EACH CLOSURE OF THE SAID FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTACT; MEANS FOR DETONATING AT LEAST TWO EXPLOSIVE CHARGES IN RAPID SUCCESSION IN RESPONSE TO EACH CLOSURE OF THE SAID SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACT; AND MEANS FOR MOMENTARILY OPENING THE SAID VALVE IN RESPONSE TO THE CLOSURE OF EITHER THE SAID FIRST OR SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, THE SAID DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE SWITCH BEING THEREBY RESTORED TO EQUILIBRIUM AFTER EACH INCREMENTAL TEMPERATURE CHANGE AS THE SAID HOUSING SINKS IN THE OCEAN.