IMPROVEMENTS IN CABLE STOPPERS AND CONTROLLERS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Saunders, of Croydon, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABLE
STOPPERS AND CONTROLLERS."
Sealed the 27th July 1869, and dated the 1st May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Saunders at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st May 1869.
I, ROBERT SAUNDERS, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CABLE STOPPERS AND CONTROLLERS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention of improvements in cable stoppers and
controllers is to construct these appliances in such a manner as to
give them a certain amount of elasticity so that when the ship is holding
on to the cable it will not be subjected to shocks and jars as is now
the case, and which shocks have a great tendency to injure and destroy
the cable.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention the stopper proper or controller may
be of the ordinary or any suitable construction, and instead of being
rigidly secured to the deck as is now generally the case it is to be
placed on a metal plate, in which may be made grooves or guides for
the stopper to work upon. One end of the foundation plate of the
stopper is connected to a sliding rod which carries a cross bar that
works in a spring frame provided with discs of india-rubber with washers
between them. The other end of this spring frame is secured either
to the pawl bit of the windlass or any other fixed and rigid part of
the vessel. It will now be understood that when any sudden strain
is put upon the cable the stopper will move forward on its plate and
compress the springs and thus yield and afford temporary relief to the
cable until the undue strain is taken off or diminished.
As a modification the stopper or controller may be placed on a
moveable box which is capable of motion on a foundation plate. The
spring is placed inside the box, and when any undue strain is put on the
cable the stopper with the box will be drawn forward and will compress
the spring as in the other instance. An alarum may be adapted to
the upper or other convenient part of the stopper or controller or near
thereto for the purpose of indicating when the ship is dragging her
anchor. When this is the case a tremulous motion is imparted to the
chain cable, and this motion will be communicated to the alarum on
the stopper or controller, so that on hearing the alarm the commander
of the vessel may adopt the proper measures for ensuring the safety
of the ship.
I would observe that although I prefer to use india-rubber springs
for the purpose of my Invention strong steel coiled or convolute springs
similar to those used for railway buffers may be employed in place of
rubber.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Saunders, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Saunders, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Saunders, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CABLE
STOPPERS AND CONTROLLERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Robert Saunders, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under ny, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention,, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Saunders, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say)-
The object of my Invention of "Improvements in Cable Stoppers and
Controllers" is to construct these appliances in such a manner as to give
them a certain amount of elasticity so that when the ship is holding on
to the cable it will not be subjected to shocks and jars as is now the
case, and which shocks have a great tendency to injure and destroy the
cable. Attempts have been made to effect this object by the employ-
ment of apparatus (composed of metallic and other springs) to which
the cable stopper is connected, but these arrangements have heretofore
been so cumbrous as to be practically useless on shipboard.
By my improvements and Invention the cable stopper or controller is
constructed, arranged, and combined with the elastic devices in such a
manner that the entire apparatus occupies but little more space than

page_text: an ordinary stopper, and may be taken away and stowed below with the
anchors when the latter are no longer required.
In carrying out my Invention the stopper proper or controller may be
of any suitable construction, but instead of being rigidly secured to the
deck as is now generally the case it is to be placed on a metal plate,
in which may be made grooves or other guides for the stopper to work
upon.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side
elevation of a cable stopper or controller with my improvements adapted
thereto. The stopper a is placed on a pivotted table or platform 6 which
is capable of horizontal action on the centre pin b' to suit the angle at
which the cable c lies. One end of the foundation plate a¹ of the
stopper a is connected by a short chain and shackle to a rod d which
carries a travelling plate or disc d' that works in a spring frame e
provided with discs of india-rubber f with washers f, f, between them.
The other end of this spring frame e is secured either to the pawl bit g
of the windlass or to any other fixed rigid part of the vessel. It will
now be understood that when any sudden strain is put upon the cable c
the stopper a, which is mounted in V guides, will move forward on the
table or platform 6 and will compress the springs f and thus yield and
afford relief to the cable c until the extra strain or shock has boen
overcome. Various other forms of guides may be adapted to the stopper
according to the position the apparatus is intended to occupy on the
deck of the vessel.
Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation of a modification
of the above. In this instance the stopper or controller is placed on a
moveable box a which is capable of motion on a foundation plate b.
The spring f which, as in the former instance, is formed of discs of
india-rubber is placed inside the box, and when any undue strain is put
on the cable the stopper with the box a will be drawn forward and will
compress the spring f as in the other instance.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, Fig. 6 a plan view, and Fig. 7 an end
view of another modification, in which the stopper is placed between two
sets of springs. The foundation plate a¹ of the box a containing the
stopping apparatus is made with V edges which work under corre-
sponding guides in the platform or table on which the box a rests.
A cross head a² is cast on the end of the box a and bears against tho
ends of the springs f, f, on each side. The cable c passes through the

page_text: stopper box over a lever block k, Fig. 5, which is worked by means of a
hand lever . When the hand lever is in a vertical position, as shewn
in the Drawing, the cable is free to run out over the block k, but when
the lever is depressed, as indicated by dots in the Figure, the block k
will lift up the cable, which will be stopped by a link coming against
the fixed shoulder inside the box a. Immediately the block k is
lowered the cable will drop out of the stop; but in extreme cases it may
be assisted by the lever 1, which is provided for that purpose.. An
alarum may be adapted to the upper or other convenient part of the
boxes or cases of any of the stoppers or controllers, or upon the cable, or
connected therewith for the purpose of indicating when the ship is
dragging her anchor. When this is the case a tremulous motion will
be imparted to the chain cable, and this motion will be communicated
to the alarum placed on the stopper or cable, so that on hearing the
alarum the commander of the vessel may adopt the proper measures for
ensuring the safety of the ship.
I would observe that although I prefer to use india-rubber springs
for the purpose of my Invention strong coiled or other steel springs
may be used as well, as discs formed of cocoa-nut or other fibre may
be employed in place of rubber. When cocoa-nut fibre is employed
it should when in use be well wetted with water, which will keep it in
an elastic state and will act in a very satisfactory manner.
Having now described my Invention of " Improvements in Cable
Stoppers and Controllers," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, the construction, arrangement, and combination
herein shewn and described constituting an elastic cable stopper or
controller.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Saunders, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundwall and sixty ning
ROBT. SAUNDERS. (L.s.)