A NEW OR IMPROVED County of, for the APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CABLES WHEN IN USE." STOPPING AND EASING STRAINS ON SHIPS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles De Vendeuvre, of Vendeuvre Jort, Calvados,
France, now residing at No. 21, Caversham Road, Kentish Town,
Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
County of Middlesex, for the
APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
CABLES WHEN IN USE."
STOPPING AND EASING STRAINS ON SHIPS'
Sealed the 12th December 1865, and dated the 14th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles De Vendeuvre
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th June 1865.
I, CHARLES DE VENDEUVRE, of Vendeuvre Jort, Calvados, France, now
residing at No. 21, Caversham Road, Kentish Town, County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STOPPING AND EASING STRAINS ON SHIPS' CABLES
WHEN IN USE," to be as follows:
My Invention relates to a method by which a chain cable whilst being
run out from a ship may be stopped at any point by the application to it of
an elastic apparatus, intended to avert any sudden jerk, and prevent the risk
of fracture. The apparatus is composed of two distinct parts, viz., the
stopper and the spring, the one being attached to the other. The spring

page_text: consists of a cylinder with closed ends, the one end having an aperture
sufficiently large to allow of the passage of a chain, the cylinder varying in
length in proportion to the strain which it is intended to bear, and fixed in
some convenient part of the ship. This cylinder is furnished with a piston,
to which is attached the chain leading to the stopper. Surrounding this
chain, and extending from the piston throughout the length of the cylinder,
are arranged cast-iron discs, separated by layers of elastic material or metallic
springs. The upper end under surfaces of these iron discs are surrounded
by raised rims. The surfaces themselves inclosed by the rims being divided
into cells formed by raised feathers, these feathers, however, not projecting to
the surface of the rims. The stopper consists of two arms working like a pair
of shears on a centre fixed at about one-third the distance of their length.
The longer ends being furnished with clutches, and so arranged that when
brought into contact with a moving cable, the shorter arms are drawn between
two pins, and act on the longer ones, which close on the cable, retaining it
in their gripe.
From the above explanation it follows that in using my apparatus for
stopping a cable in motion on the cable being clutched by the stopper tension
is communicated to the chain attached to the piston, the springs become
compressed and resist the tension of the chain by an elastic force, bringing
the cable gradually from a state of motion to one of rest.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles De Vendeuvre in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DE VENDEUVRE, of Vendeuvre Jort, Calvados, France, now residing at
No. 21, Caversham Road, Kentish Town, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles De Vendeuvre, Her special licence that I, the said Charles De
Vendeuvre, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles De Vendeuvre, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there.

page_text: after 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 "A NEW OR
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF STOPPING AND EASING STRAINS ON
SHIPS CABLES WHEN IN USE," upon the condition (amongst others) that.
I, the said Charles De Vendeuvre, 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 was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar mouths next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles De Vendeuvre, 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):
• My Invention relates to a method by which a chain cable whilst being run
out from a ship may be stopped at any point without the risk of breaking by
being submitted to a sudden jerk or shock. This object is effected by the.
application of an elastic apparatus which by yielding to a sudden pressure.
will prevent the cable and stopping apparatus from being injured. The
apparatus is composed of two distinct parts, viz., the stopper and the spring
or elastic apparatus, the one being attached to the other. One form of spring
or elastic apparatus consists of a cylinder or framing, with closed ends, the
one end having an aperture sufficiently large to allow of the passage of a rod
to which is attached the chain or cable whereby the vessel is held. The
cylinder may vary in length in proportion to the size of the cable or the
amount of strain which it is intended to bear. This cylinder or frame is
to be fixed in some convenient part of the ship. Surrounding the rod to
which the chain or cable is attached, and extending from the piston through-
out the length of the cylinder, are arranged cast-iron discs separated by
layers, rings, or blocks of elastic material, such as vulcanized india-rubber,
or in place thereof metallic springs may be employed.
In the accompanying Drawing I have. shewn two forms of apparatus
whereby the object of my Invention may be effected.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of an. apparatus in which metallic springs in com-
bination with elastic cords are employed to give the required amount of
elasticity; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same in the line 1, 2, of
Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3, 4, of Figs. 1 and 2 ;;

page_text: and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 5, 6, of Figs. 1 and 2. This
apparatus consists of an ordinary stopper mounted on four wheels B, which
run on rails C; other rails F are placed above the wheels B in order to
prevent the stopper from being turned over by the action of any sudden shock
of jerk. Springs of steel D are placed within a cylinder or frame, and in
addition thereto is a number of india-rubber bands or cords E to give
additional elasticity. The stopper is thus held and permitted to yield to any
slock or sudden strain to which the cable may be subjected. The effect of
the shock is thus considerably diminished; and when the shock is passed the
springs will force the stopper to regain its original position. The result of
this is that an elasticity is imparted to the whole apparatus, and the chains-
ate thus prevented from breaking and the anchors from dragging. Instead
of the springs D and E, discs, rings, or blocks of caoutchouc may be employed
as shewn at L in Fig. 5, which is a sectional view of another form of
apparatus.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing the stopping apparatus is placed between
two systems of springs D and E, but the elastic apparatus can be placed
either before or after the stopper. Figure 5 represents a plan view of the
stopping apparatus with the elastic apparatus adapted thereto; Figs. 6 is an
elevation, and Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line 9, 10, of Figures 5
and 6. The elastic stopping apparatus, shewn in Figures 5 and 6, is more
especially intended to replace the ordinary friction clutch. It consists of a
framing composed of röds of iron M screwed at one end to an iron plate N.
At the other end these rods are passed through another iron plate 0, and
serve as guides for the plate O to slide on. To this plate O an iron rod P is
firmly secured, and sustains the discs, rings, or blocks of caoutchouc. The
rod P passes through a hole in the centre of the plate N, and is secured to a
shackle to which a hook Q is attached in order to hold the chain or cable.
The discs of caoutchouc L are separated the one from the other by discs of
irou K which slide between the rods M, and thus serve to keep the discs of
caoutchouc in their places. A link or shackle R, or other suitable con-
trivance, is used to fasten the apparatus to a solid part of the vessel. When
the vessel is subjected to any shocks the discs, rings; or blocks of caoutchouc
still be compressed by the strain of the chain cable on the rod P, and when
the shock has passed the india-rubber discs will resume their original dimen-
slons; and force a portion of the chain to return into the vessel. This
arrangement imparts to the apparattis an elasticity that weakens the force of
the shock; and preserves the chain from undue tension. A pulley G is placed
Her the hawse hole to facilitate the re-entry of the chain into the vessel and

page_text: A ratchet
assist the play of the springs and the raising of the anchor.
wheel H and stop I fixed on the axis of the pulley prevents the pulley from
turning when the anchor is let go, so that the friction of the chain on the
pulley prevents it from running out too fast.
Having now described my Invention of "A New or Improved Apparatus
for the Purpose of Stopping and Easing Strains on Ships' Cables when in
Use, 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
means herein set forth of constructing cable stoppers so as to impart a
certain amount of elasticity to the cable while it is running out or is under
tension.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles De Vendeuvre, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHES. DE VENDEUVRE. (L.S.)