ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Boyd's Automatic tide signalling apparatus

Okay kiddo, have you ever been to the beach and noticed how the water goes in and out? That’s called the tide. Sometimes the tide can be really high and sometimes it can be really low.

Well, a long time ago, people needed a way to know when the tide was going to be high or low so they could plan their day. That’s where Boyd’s Automatic Tide Signalling Apparatus comes in!

Boyd’s invention was a special machine that could tell people when the tide would be high or low without them having to look at the water. It worked by using something called a float. The float was put in the water and it would go up and down with the tide.

The float was connected to a special machine that would measure how high or low the float was. And then the machine would show a signal to people so they could know if the tide was going to be high or low. The signal could be something like a light or a bell.

So, in short, Boyd’s Automatic Tide Signalling Apparatus was a machine that helped people know when the tide would be high or low by measuring the height of a float in the water and showing a signal to people. Cool, huh?