Jan. 5, 1937. G. R.

FISHER 2,066,561
METALOSCOPE
Original Filed Jan. 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l

Gaalaad RA 5Afee.

ATTORNEY
Jan. 5, 1937. G. R. FISHER 2,066,561
METALLOSCOPE
Original Filed Jan. 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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 Patented Jan. 5, 1937 2,066,561

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,066,561
METAL LOSCOPE
Gerhard R. Fisher, Palo Alto, Calif.
Application January 16, 1933, Serial No. 651974
Renewed August 6, 1936
3 Claims. (C1. 175-182)
Line invention relates to a metalloscope; that yS. stened at the other ends by means of wing
is, to method and means for indicating the pres
ence of buried metals such as Ore, pipes, or the The transmitter and receiver 4 are preferably
like. Spaced apart a sufficient distance, and are prefer
5 According to other methods in use, it has been ably wide enough so as to permit the operator 5
proposed to send an electrical current or a mag to stand between the two handles 6 and between
netic field into the earth and to make observations the transmitter and receiver, as shown in Fig. 1,
as to the equal potential lines or as to the mag whereby the apparatus may be conveniently car
netic conditions set up in the earth, and thereby ried.
O calculate the presence of metal or perhaps faults The receiver 4 is provided with a jack 8 to O
in the surface of the earth. Such methods have receive the plug 8 connected to the headphones 9.
the very great disadvantages that it is necessary Referring to Fig. 2, the transmitter sets up
to make a large number of observations and there one field portion 0 above the horizontal plane
from to calculate the results, which involves con and another field portion i? below the horizon
siderable expense and delay. tal plane. These two field portions, in the ab 15
An object of the present invention is to pro Sence of metal in proximity thereto, being iden
vide a simple apparatus which is preferably uni tical in strength and distribution. The receiver 4
tary and which is entirely portable, for instanta in lying horizontal is acted on similarly by these
neously indicating the presence of metal, such as two fields and therefore when the transmitter
20 This ore,
buried pipes, or the like. sends out modulated high frequency waves (30,000 20
is accomplished by generating electrical cycles or higher modulated by an audible tone
waves in balanced relation to a receiver, whereby Such as 500 cycles) the receiver 4 will detect these
the balanced relation is upset when the appara radio waves and the 500 cycle tone will be audible
tus is brought into the vicinity of a metallic body, in the headphones.
Theoretically at least, with the receiver 4 in
25 this unbalanced condition arising from the fact horizontal position, no waves should be detected 25
that the field is generated in such a way that the
metallic body affects one portion of the field more in the position indicated in Fig. 2, because the
than it does the other. loop antenna is at right angles to the transmitter.
For further details of the invention reference In actual practice, however, the receiving loop is
30 may be made to the accompanying drawings, not confined to a single plane as it is a spiral and 30
wherein: a very Small amount of indication has been ob
Fig. 1 illustrates schematically the invention in served in the headphones even with the appara
Se tus as arranged in Fig. 2. Therefore, in practice,
Fig. 2 illustrates the electro-magnet field set instead of getting a zero indication with the parts
35 up by the apparatus and the unbalanced condi as in Fig. 2, actually a tone of small volume is
tion of the field due to the presence of metal. observed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the receiver shown If now the apparatus is brought in a horizontal
in Fig. 1. position into proximity to buried metal indicated
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the transmitter of at 2 in Fig. 2, the lower field portion f will be
40 Fig. 1. modified due to the Opposing induced field set 40
Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the transmitter. up in the metal 2, thereby increasing the in
Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of the radio re tensity of the field which produces a stronger
ceiver. tone indication in the headset 9, thereby indi
Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus comprises a cating the presence of metal.
45 radio transmitter having a vertical loop 2 The metal 2 may be a body of ore, a pipe 45
therein, as shown in Fig. 3. This transmitter is buried under the ground, buried treasure or the
conveniently housed in a box 3 as shown in Fig. like. In actual practice, the apparatus has been
1, and the receiver 4 is arranged in a similar successfully used in all of these instances.
The distance apart of the transmitter and the
horizontal box. The loop antenna, 5 for the re
50 ceiver, however, extends in a horizontal direc receiver is not determined solely by the conven 50
tion. The transmitter f and the receiver 4 are ience of permitting the operator to stand between
in effect a unitary apparatus by reason of the them, as shown in Fig. 1. In fact the transmitter
fact that the handles 6 connect them to each and the receiver may be separate units, in which
other, these handles for instance, being rigidly case the transmitter may be placed in a vertical
55 fastened at one end to the receiver and adjust position on the ground or on any suitable sup 55
 2 2,066,561
port and the receiver 4 held in a horizontal posi found at the terminals of the loop 25. The R. F.
tion and moved about the transmitter at differ amplifier 27 is connected through a choke coil
ent angles and distances therefrom. coupling 28 to a second R. F. amplifier 29 which,
The depth to which the apparatus is effective in turn, is connected through a choke coil coul
is a function not only of the distance apart of the pling 30 to the detector 3 which in turn, is cou
transmitter and receiver but also of the fre pled through an audio frequency transformer 32
quency used. Generally speaking, the apparatus to an audio frequency amplifier 33, in the output
is effective for a depth comparable to the dis circuit of which are the headphones 9. The jack
tance apart of the transmitter and receiver. It is 8 in Fig. 1 is preferably a double jack so that it
O also evident that the greater the power of the Serves not only to connect the headphones 9 to
transmitter, the greater the depth which can be the output circuit of the amplifier 33 but also 0.
explored. serves to close the circuit of the A battery 34.
As to the frequency, I have found that 175 kilo The B battery for the tubes shown in Fig. 6 is ill
cycles is satisfactory for the apparatus arranged lustrated at 35. The A and B batteries and the
as shown in Fig. 1 and for exploring depth of
5 tubes in Fig. 6 may be conveniently arranged as 5
from 0 to 10 feet. High frequencies make it illustrated in Fig. 3, the loop 2 being supported on
easier to detect smaller objects but the apparatus wooden pins around the inside of the periphery
then becomes effective for shallower depths due of the box 4, just as in Fig. 4, for the transmitter.
to absorption of the very high frequency energy As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and as is obvious
20 by the ground. from Figs. 1 and 2, the A and B batteries and all 20
The transmitter f may conveniently be a vac circuit connections are arranged within their re
uum tube oscillating circuit as shown in Fig. 5. Spective loops 2 and 5, whereby there is no radio
While a Hartley type oscillator is here shown, any frequency potential difference outside of each
other suitable type of oscillating circuit may be loop (and between each loop and its batteries or
25 used. This oscillating circuit comprises a vacuum circuit connections) because the batteries and
tube 3, having a B battery 4 connected between circuit connections are wholly contained within
the anode 5 and cathode 6. In circuit there their respective loops. If, for example, the A and
with is a retard coil 7. The grid circuit includes B batteries in Fig. 3 were placed on the ground
a condenser 8 of .00025 m. f. shunted by a re outside of the box 4 and connected thereto by
30 sistance 9 of about 2 megohms. wires, these connecting wires would function as
In series in the grid circuit is a loop circuit 30
a vertical antenna to give an Open antenna, effect
comprising inductance 5 shunted by a variable which would render the apparatus substantially
condenser 2 and from an intermediate point impractical for the reason that the radio fre
35
on the inductance 5, a tap 22 is taken to the neg quency current in an open antenna, is 90° out of
ative terminal of the filament battery 23. The phase with the current in a loop, which would 35
tuned circuit 5 and 2 is in series with a stop or make it practically impossible to set the receiver
feedback condenser 24, the other terminal of in Fig. 4 into a minimum position for both of
which is connected to the plate 5. Energy is
therefore fed back from the plate circuit to the these currents as is well understood in the com
paSS art.
40 grid circuit and at a super audio frequency, and Furthermore, in the case last assumed, it
the frequency thereby generated is interrupted would be necessary to balance the receiver for
at an audio rate such as 500 cycles by reason of each setup of the transmitter due to the fact that
the high resistance 19 in shunt to the condenser the capacity to ground is different in different
8. The circuit in Fig. 5 therefore serves to gen localities.
45 erate high frequency current modulated at an Therefore, by arranging the A and B batteries
audio frequency rate, without however the gen with the tube circuits therefor inside of their 45
eration of audio frequency currents. The ad respective loops, such difficulties are avoided and
vantage of interrupting the radio frequency it is a very simple operation to arrive at the angul
waves at an audio frequency rate without gen lar position of the receiver for minimum tone
50 erating modulating current of audio frequency reception.
is that it becomes necessary to balance the trans Having thus described the invention, what is 50
mitter and the receiver only at a radio frequency claimed
and not at an audio frequency. The difficulty of Patent is:as new and desired to secure by Letters
attempting to balance the transmitter and re 1. Metal finding apparatus comprising the com
55 ceiver both at a radio and at an audio frequency bination of means for radiating modulated high
will be well understood. This difficulty is avoided frequency waves, means for receiving and de
by the modulating arrangement herein provided, modulating said waves, separate containers for
as above described. said radiating means and for said demodulating
The A and B batteries of Fig. 5 and the vacuum means, and handles spaced apart a sufficient dis
60 tube 3 may be conveniently arranged as shown tance to permit an operator to stand between said
in Fig. 4, the energy being radiated from the coil containers for mechanically connecting said con 60
5 of Fig. 5 which is illustrated as loop antenna 5 tainers to provide a portable unit, said radiating
in Fig. 4. - -
means and said receiving means each comprising
The circuit for the receiver 4 is illustrated in a loop, the axes of said loops being substantially
65 Fig. 6 wherein the loop 25 is tuned to the high at right angles, the connecting means between
frequency generated by the circuit in Fig. 5. 65
said handles and said containers comprising
One terminal of this loop is connected to the grid means for varying the angular relation of said
26 of the R. F. amplifier 27 and the lower ter loops.
minal of this loop is unconnected to the circuit 2. The method of indicating the presence of
70 except for the fact that it is in effect connected metal which comprises Supplying an audio fre
to the filament circuit by an inherent capacity ill quency modulated high frequency wave to an 0.
lustrated at 37. The capacity illustrated at 37 ungrounded loop and thereby radiating waves in
is a balancing capacity and equals in value the Space free from ground waves, said radiating be
capacity from the grid 26 to the cathode of the ing directed so that the field on one side of the
5 tube 27, whereby in effect equal capacities are axis of said loop is in a region to be explored and
s
 2,086,561 3
explored and an equal field outside thereof, with
the field on the other side of said axis is not in a
Out conductively producing earth currents due to
region to be explored, receiving both of said fields
said generating, translating the modification of
in fixed balanced relation in a non-Oscillating re
said first mentioned radiated field due to the
ceiver, upsetting said balance in said non-oscillat
ing receiver by the presence of metal, and trans presence of metal, in comparison to said second
lating said unbalanced condition into an indica mentioned field into a signal which indicates such
tion. presence simultaneously with the receipt of mod
3. The method of indicating the presence of ulated high frequency waves producing the signal,
metal which comprises generating an audio fre and in thus translating the received Waves into
10 quency modulated high frequency wave without the signal without locally generating Oscillations 10
generating audio frequency current, radiating at the receiver.
Said wave to produce a field in the region to be GREARD R. SER