IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PAYING-OUT AND RAIRERO ELSORIA TELPARADE CARLESLECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jasper Henry Selwyn, of Woodland Craig, Grassmere,
in the County of Westmoreland, Captain in the Royal Navy, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PAYING-OUT AND
RAIRERO ELSORIA TELPARADE CARLES"
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 26th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jasper Henry Selwyn
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1862.
I, JASPER HENRY SELWYN, of Woodland Craig, Grassmere, in the County
of Westmoreland, Captain in the Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PAYING-OUT
AND RAISING ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus employed in
paying-out and raising electric telegraph cables. For these purposes in
paying-out and raising electric telegraph cables a buoy is used, which is kept
constantly at a distance from the machinery or apparatus employed for paying-
out or raising the telegraph cable, in order that in the event of the telegraph
cable breaking the broken end may after it has left the paying-out or raising
machinery have to travel a considerable distance before it can arrive at the
buoy; by this arrangement time is allowed after the breaking of the cable for
apparatus which the buoy carries to come into action, and prevent the passing
away of the broken end of the cable. The apparatus above mentioned is
suspended from the buoy so as to hang at a distance below the surface of the

page_text: water, and it contains two grooved pulleys, which constantly support the cable
as it is running out, or is being drawn in; the bearings of one of these pulleys
are moveable, so that the pulley can traverse a certain distance. When the
cable breaks, and the broken part descends into the water and sinks, it brings
the cable as it comes up to the moveable grooved pulley above mentioned to a
different angle to that at which it previously passed to this pulley, and then
the drag of the cable will cause the said pulley to rise towards a third grooved
pulley which is situated above the telegraph cable, but somewhat behind the
rising pulley, and thus the cable will be tightly held between the lower and
upper pulleys. In order that this result may be obtained, the axis of the 1
rising pulley is carried in inclined slots or grooves, whilst the bearings of the
axis of the upper grooved pulley are fixed and stationary. The three pulleys
and their axes are carried by a suitable frame, which is at its upper end con-
nected to the buoy by a short rope or chain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jasper Henry Selwyn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JASPER
HENRY SELWYN, of Woodland Craig, Grassmere, in the County of West-
moreland, Captain in the Royal Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jasper Henry Selwyn, Her special licence that I, the said Jasper
Henry Selwyn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Jasper Henry Selwyn, my executors, administrators, 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 APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PAYING-OUT AND RAISING ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jasper
Henry Selwyn, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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

page_text: 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 Jasper Henry Selwyn, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus employed in
paying-out and raising electric telegraph cables. For these purposes in
paying-out and raising electric telegraph cables a buoy is used, which is kept.
constantly at a distance from the machinery or apparatus employed for paying-
out or raising the telegraph cable, in order that in the event of the telegraph
cable breaking the broken end may. after it has left the paying-out or raising
machinery have to travel a considerable distance before it can arrive at the
buoy; by this arrangement time is allowed after the breaking of the cable for
apparatus which the buoy carries to come into action, and prevent the passing
away of the broken end of the cable. The apparatus above mentioned is
suspended from the buoy so as to hang at a distance below the surface of the
water, and it contains two grooved pullies, which constantly support the cable
as it is running out or is being drawn in. The bearings of one of these
pullies are moveable, so that the pulley can traverse a certain distance. When
the cable breaks, and the broken part descends into the water and sinks, it
brings the cable as it comes up to the moveable grooved pulley above
mentioned to a different angle to that at which it previously passed to this
pulley, and then the drag of the cable will cause the said pulley to rise towards
a third grooved pulley which is situated above the telegraph cable, but some-
what behind the rising pulley, and thus the cable will be tightly held between
the lower and upper pullies. In order that .this result may be obtained, tho
axis of the rising pulley is carried in inclined slots or grooves, whilst the
bearings of the axis of the upper grooved pulley are fixed and stationary.
The three pullies and their axes are carried by a suitable frame, which is at
its upper end connected to the buoy by a short rope or chain.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto

page_text: grooved pullies of the apparatus and the telegraph cable in the positions they
assume when the cable is being laid; Figure 3 shews the pullies in the
positions they assume when the cable breaks. The pullies are retained
between two plates a, and turn on pins carried by them; the plates are
carried at the lower end of an arm or bar a', which at its upper end is pin-
jointed to the lower end of the buoy. Attached to the lower end of the arm
is a shackle b, to which a tow line can be attached when it is desired to tow
the buoy at a distance from a ship or vessel; c, d, are the two grooved pullies
on which the cable is supported. The bearings of the pulley dare, as is
shewn, capable of sliding in grooves in the plates a, so that the pulley d can
move towards a third pulley e, this it will do in the event of the cable breaking
by reason of the weight of the broken end of the cable. The bearings of the
pulley e may, as above stated, be fixed, but in the arrangement shewn in the
Drawing they also are made capable of moving in the grooves in the plates a,
so that this pulley may when the pulley d comes towards it be pressed against
a curved plate ƒ held between the plates a, the pulley e will thus be prevented
from rotating, at the same time the cable will be nipped between the rollers d
and e, and will also be held by the rollers by reason of its passing in a
circuitous course between them.
In laying a cable the buoy may be towed by an auxiliary vessel, which is
constantly kept at a distance behind the vessel containing the cable and the
paying-out apparatus. This arrangement is shewn at Figuro 4, A being the
vessel containing the cable and paying-out apparatus, and B the auxiliary
vessel for towing the buoy. If, however, a constant steady strain can be kept
on the cable, so that it shall descend in a constant even curve, as shewn in the
Drawing, then it will be unnecessary to tow the buoy, as the buoy will run
along the cable as the cable sinks; a buoy thus running along the cable as it
sinks is shewn at C, Figure 4. Figure 5 represents the cable to have
broken;
the buoy then supports it, as is shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jasper Henry Selwyn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JASPER HENRY SELWYN. (L.S.)