Improvements in Electrical Connections for Marine Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1884
4505 kanoated
DAIL
1805
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Connections for Marine Purposes.
I, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL of Culver Park, Saltash, in the County of Cornwall,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in the means of electrical connection
between one or more vessels free to swing with the tide or between one or more
vessels and the shore or other desirable point.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a vertical spar, to which is attached
the cable from the shore or other desirable point, and at the upper end of the spar
I arrange an electrical connection free to swivel, part of which is connected with
the continuation of the cable to the ship or vessel.
In order to maintain an efficient electrical joint at this swivel, I cover the said
joint with an air proof helmet in some cases fitted with a glass "dead-light," to
admit of inspection. This helmet is attached to a tube enveloping the spar and
reaching to any convenient distance below the water level.
The whole of the interior of the helmet and tube is air-tight, and they are free to
rotate around the spar, although held in position thereon.
In order to prevent water rising up the tube and reaching the joint, I prefer to
insert a quantity of oil or inexplosive gas, displacing the water down the tube and
of course causing the air in the helmet to be compressed or if wished expelled.
At the base of the spar is fastened a strong metal fitting to which is attached
such cables and anchors as may be considered necessary, and above the attachments
for cables and anchors, there is an endless chain, to which is attached the chain
cable of the vessel, thus permitting free rotation around the spar.
This spar may be conveniently formed of timber, sawn longitudinally, and
hollowed out to admit the cable, and fitted and bound together with hoops.
Should it be deemed advisable instead of using a concentric cable, two separate
cables might be used and the spar might have two parallel grooves therein to admit
the same.
As an alternative arrangement I may allow the helmet and its tube to form as it
were a buoy and I may so arrange the connection between the casing and the cable
that they may be free to rotate relatively to each other.
If increased buoyancy is necessary the helmet or its tube may have cork or other
convenient,attachment to increase the displacement.
Dated this First day of June 1894.
CUMPLEIE DIMITIATIVE
Improvements in Electrical Connections, for Marine Purposes.
I, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL, of Culver Park Saltash in the County of Cornwall,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and, ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the means of electrical connection.
D

page_text: The better to explain my meaning reference is made to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is an enlarged section and
Fig. 2 is a part section part elevation of the apparatus, with the cable led out at
the top and
Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are similar illustrations of a type in which the cable is brought
out at a low level and
Fig. 5 is a general view of a light ship connected with the apparatus which may
obviously be thereby put in connection with the shore or with a second vessel
similarly connected with a like-appliance.
Fig. 6 of which 6 is a continuation is a section of a modified form of joint and
Figs. 7 and 8 are details of the same.
Fig. 9 is a part section part elevation of a complete apparatus.
Fig. 10 is a plan of the anchor and
Fig. 11 shows how the chain is arranged around the body of the apparatus.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a vertical spar A (see Fig. 1) to
which is attached the cable B to the shore or other desirable point and at the upper
end of the spar I arrange an electrical connection free to swivel part of which is
connected with the continuation B' to the ship or vessel.
In order to maintain an efficient electrical joint at this swivel I cover the said
joint with an air proof helmet F in some cases fitted with a glass "deadlight" to
admit of inspection. This helmet is attached to a tube G enveloping the spar A
and reaching to any convenient distance below the water level.
The whole of the interior of the helmet and tube is air-tight and they are free to
rotate around the spar although held in position thereon.
The drawing shows a concentric cable connection in which C is the outer cable
and D the inner one E being the intermediate insulation. It will be seen that the
portions C¹ and D' are fitted with ferrules around which the metal connection may
rotate the shore going ends D and C however have the metal work firmly sweated
in place on the wires themselves and they remain rigid with the spar and cable, but
the metal helmet with the cable B' and the ferrule ends thereon rotate with the
connecting metal work or fitting. Insulation is provided by two insulators as shown
in section around the portions E & E' and insulation is provided around the two
vertical bars joining the yoke on C to the yoke on C' the latter having a vertical
slit to allow it a slight range of flexibility to compensate for wear.
In Fig. 1 at the lower end of the enveloping pipe G it will be seen that a collar H
is clamped on in two halves and is provided with a ring I (running in a suitable
groove) to which is attached the tube end by screws J.
In order to prevent water rising up the tube and reaching the joint I prefer to
insert a quantity of oil or inexplosive gas which will occupy the annular space G
thus displacing the water down the tube and causing the air in the helmet to be
compressed or if wished (as when gas is used) expelled.
At the base of the spar is fastened a strong metal fitting K (unable to shift on
account of the clamps L. L.) to which is attached such cables and anchors as may
be considered necessary and above the attachment for cables and anchors there is an
endless chain M to which is attached the chain cable of the vessel, thus permitting
free rotation around the spar.
This spar may be conveniently formed of timber sawn longitudinally and hollowed
out to admit the cable, and fitted and bound together with hoops.
Fig. 3 is an elevation and Fig. 4 a section of an arrangement whereby the place
of the stuffing box in the helmet, for the exit of the cable, is taken by a vertical
tube so that the cable makes its exit into the surrounding water at the level of the
main tube G, a small pipe O being provided to join the two pipes or tubes that the
oil sealing may be common to both.
Should it be deemed advisable, instead of using a concentric cable two separate

page_text: cables might be used and the spar have two parallel grooves therein for the same.
It is however unnecessary to illustrate this or the use of a single conductor as these
are simple details which do not affect the spirit of my invention and although at or
near the electrical swivel or other convenient position a transformer to convert the
current from say a high to a lower potential might be introduced, it is not necessary
to describe the same as it would not alter the character of this invention, to which
it would simply be an accessory.
As an alternative arrangement to the use of a spar I may allow the helmet and
its tube to form as it were a buoy and 1 may arrange the connection between the
casing and the cable that they may be free to rotate relatively to each other, this is
shown in Sheet 2 where similar letters refer to similar parts as in Sheet 1.
A. small modification is made in the joint shown in Fig. 6, that is the metal parts
encircling the ferrules are caused to grip them by the use of separate caps with
springs as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, which are sections respectively of Fig. 6 on the
lines A-B and C-D. This method would wear longer than that shown in Fig. 1
and would preferably be adopted in districts where inspection is less frequent. The
use however of the cable without the protecting spar would lead to a smaller
euveloping tube G being needed and make armouring P necessary on the cable to
take the wear.
If the flange of the copper tube (see 64) be likely to wear, a ring O of harder
metal such as phosphor bronze may be dropped in place before the clamp R (which
is in two halves and preferably of phosphor bronze or delta metal) be bolted up.
The anchorage in this case may consist of a metal fitting as before but fitted
direct with flukes as in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 for in this case that is where the rigid
upper portion is separated from the anchorage by a certain length of free cable the
flexibility of the cable would admit of the joint and appurtenances lying at an angle
in a strong tideway without disturbing the anchorage whereas with the spar
directly attached to the metal fitting that must itself take up an inclined position if
need be.
If increased buoyancy is necessary the helmet or its tube may have cork or other
convenient attachment to increase the displacement, in Fig. 9 a separate buoy is
shown but it might equally well be built around the helmet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is
1st. The construction or combination of the parts forming an electrical connection
between a vessel and the shore or between two or more vessels, whereby the
nen-rotating ground cable is brought up through a non-rotating anchoring fitting
and joined to a cable from the vessel through a swivelling electrical connection,
which is protected from contact with the water by an enveloping casing in which the
water is wholly or partially displaced by a less objectionable medium preferably
oil or inexplosive gas substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. In an apparatus for the purpose herein described the use of a swivelling
electrical joint with a protecting casing or helmet having a tubular elongation
below the level of the said joint substantially as herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
This 1st day of April 1805