IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND RECOVERING SUBMERGED TELEGRAPH CABLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Latimer Clark, of Beechmont, Sydenham
Hill, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND RECOVERING SUBMERGED TELEGRAPH CABLES,"
Sealed the 9th February 1866, and dated the 18th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Latimer Clark
-at-the-Office-of-the-Commissioners_of_Patents,_with_his_Petition,-on-
the 18th August 1865.
I, JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK, of Beechmont, Sydenham Hill, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND RECOVERING SUBMERGED TELEGRAPH
CABLES," to be as follows:-
My first improvement is in an apparatus for regulating and easing the
strain on submarine cables while they are being raised to the surface.
Between the bows of the vessel and the hauling-in machinery I place. an
apparatus consisting of an air or vacuum cylinder and piston, placed (by
preference) vertically. On the top of the piston is fixed a pulley or set of
pulleys revolving loosely on a common axis, and immediately above is a
similar set of fixed pulleys. The cable lifting rope after entering at the bow
[Price 8d.]

page_text: of the vessel passes over the upper pulley, then round the lower pulley which
is attached to the top of the piston, then over another of the upper pulleys,
and thence to the hauling-in machinery; a certain regulated degree of vacuum
or pressure is maintained in the cylinder, which draws or forces the piston
down, but allows it to yield if the strain on the cable or lifting gear exceeds
the regulated amount, and by its elasticity allows the cable or gear to give
and take according as the rise and fall of the vessel renders it necessary. As
the cylinder is lifted in the piston the vacuum or pressure, and the consequent
strain on the cable, becomes greater, and the amount of this increase may be
regulated by connecting the cylinder with other vacuum or pressure chambers
of suitable dimensions, so as either to make the strain nearlyuniform through
the whole length of its stroke, or to make it increase rapidly with the move-
ment of the piston. Vacuum is employed by preference, and the cylinder and
piston are connected with an air pump in constant action so as to maintain a
continual vacuum; and the degree of vacuum is kept constant by a self-acting
pressure regulator, which opens a connection with the air pumps whenever the
vacuum falls below its desired minimum; this minimum is regulated at will
by the simple movement of a handle and index. The piston and pulleys are
controlled by suitable guides, and should be made of steel, aluminium, or other
like material.
Mysecond improvement consists in a grapnel for raising submerged cables,
and is designed to obviate the strain which arises when the bight of a cable
is hooked on the grapnel and raised to the surface in deep water. For this
purpose I so make the grapnel that it grips the cable securely, and im-
mediately after severs it in two, so that one end falls back to the bottom, and
the other end is retained and raised to the surface. The grapnel in its
general form resembles more or less an anchor, that is to say, at the end of a
shank connected with the raising tackle are grapnel arms, it may be on one
or both sides of it; at the lower or inner end of the grapnel arm is the
clamping or holding apparatus; it consists of two cheeks with suitable vice-
like teeth upon them; these cheeks are connected together by screws, it may
be three or other convenient number. On these screws are spur wheels
gearing them altogether, so that they all act simultaneously in closing the
jaws. The screws are also geared with a roller, round which a chain or rope
is wound, and its end is connected to the main grapnel rope a short distance
above the grapnel. As soon as the cable is caught by the grapnel arms it is
led by them into the holding jaws. When fairly in this position the cable
press on a small roller or other suitable instrument placed between the
jaws with sufficient force to move it and cause it to withdrawa bolt and unlock
will

page_text: the roller on which the chain or rope is wound, and the chain or rope will
then by the strain on the tackle at once be drawn off the roller, which being
thus rotated will turn the screws, and force the jaws together, so as tightly to
nip the cable. In order to divide the cable outside the grapnel so as to avoid
the strain arising from raising a bight of the cable, cutting or crippling blades
are applied, which either entirely divide the cable or else so weaken it as to
ensure its breaking at this point as soon as a heavy strain comes upon it. It
will be obvious that in place of screws other mechanical instruments, such as
eccentrics, wedges, or cams, may be substituted, aud these may either act on
nipping jaws or directly on the cable.
The form of this apparatus may otherwise be much modified, but I would
remark that the combining cutting or crippling apparatus with a gripping
grapnel is an important feature of my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Josiah Latimer Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
LATIMER CLARK, of Beechmont, Sydenham Hill, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josiah Latimer Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Josiah
Latimer Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, 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 FOR RAISING AND RECOVERING
SUBMERGED TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
executors or administrators, by an
the said Josiah Latimer Clark,
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

page_text: 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 Josiah Latimer Clark, 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:-
My first improvement in is an apparatus for regulating and easing the
strain on submarine cables while they are being raised to the surface. Between
the bows of the vessel and the hauling-in machinery (which I suppose to be
near the bows) I place an apparatus consisting of an air or vacuum cylinder
and piston, placed (by preference) vertically. On the top of the piston is
fixed a pulley or set of pulleys revolving loosely on a common axis, and im-
mediately above is a similar set of fixed pulleys. The cable lifting rope after
entering at the bow of the vessel passes over the upper pulley, then round
the lower pulley which is attached to the top of the piston, then over another
of the upper pulleys, and thence to the hauling-in machinery. A certain
regulated degree of vacuum or pressure is maintained in the cylinder which
draws or forces the piston down, but allows it to yield if the strain on the
cable or lifting gear exceeds the regulated amount, and by its elasticity
allows the cable or gear to give and take according as the rise and fall of the
vessel renders it necessary. As the piston is lifted in the cylinder the vacuum
or pressure and the consequent strain on the cable becomes greater, and the
amount of this increase may be regulated by connecting the cylinder with
other vacuum or pressure chambers of suitable dimensions, so as either to
make the strain nearly uniform through the whole length of its stroke, or to
make it increase rapidly with the movement of the piston. Vacuum is
employed by preference, and the cylinder and piston are connected with an
air pump in constant action so as to maintain a continual vacuum, and the
degree of vacuum is kept constant by a self-acting pressure regulator, which
opens a connection with the air pumps whenever the vacuum falls below its
desired minimum; this minimum is regulated at will by the simple move-
ment of a handle and index. The piston and pulleys are controlled by
suitable guides, and should be made of steel, aluminium, or other light
material.
Apparatus arranged according to this part of my Invention is shewn at
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings.
A, A, is a vertical cylinder which may be, say, five or six feet in diameter ;
it is open at the top, which is level with the deck, and of as great a height as
the depth of the vessel will permit. A piston B works up and down within

page_text: in carrying a pulley C, underneath which the cable or grapnel line passes.
This piston fits very loosely and lightly in the cylinder, and is by preference
made of steel or aluminium to avoid unnecessary weight. To prevent the
air entering too freely between it and the side of the cylinder a small stream
of oil or water trickles constantly into the cylinder above the piston, and as
much of it as enters the cylinder is continually ejected by the exhaust pump D,
and thrown back into the top of the cylinder. E is an air reservoir of
moderate size, and placed in any convenient position; in this reservoir a con-
siderable vacuum is maintained by air pumps kept in constant action by a
steam engine or other meaus, its pressure being maintained constant by
means of the safety valve V opening inwards. This air reservoir is connected
with the main cylinder Aby a pipe containing a valve F which opens: inwards
towards E, but is generally kept closed by the pressure of the spring G; the
pressure of this spring is regulated by a handle and screw outside furnished
with a dial to indicate the pressure of the spring.
It will be seen that when
the pressure of this spring is removed the air in the cylinder A communicates
freely with that in the cylinder E, and whatever vacuum is maintained in E
is also kept up in the interior of the cylinder; but if the valve F be held close
by the spring with greater or less force the vacuum in the piston A may be so
controlled that it will never be less than a certain regulated amount dependent
on the degree of the vacuum in E and the strength of the spring G. If, on
the other hand, the vacuum in the cylinder A becomes temporarily increased
beyond this amount by reason of the strain on the cable the valve F will
remain firmly closed. The cable after leaving the winding apparatus, which
may be of any suitable construction, passes over one of the two wheels H
down the cylinder, and round the floating pulley C, and up again over the
other wheel H, and thence passes over the stern of the vessel into the sea;
and if any greater strain comes on the cable than that due to the vacuum in
the cylinder, immediately the piston B rises to the strain, the air within
expanding until the strain on the cable is counterbalanced by the increased
vacuum in the cylinder, and on the removal of the strain the piston will
descend to the bottom of the cylinder, or to such a position that its pressure
may be in equilibrium with the strain on the cable; the piston, in fact, acts
as an elastic spring adjustable at will to any required degree, alternately
taking up and giving out a certain surplus length of the cable in accordance
with the rise and fall of the vessel, and the varying strain on the cable.
Sets of pulleys may be employed in place of the single pulleys H, H,
and C.
In the arrangement above described the pressure on the piston would

page_text: increase in a rapid ratio as it was raised more or less within the cylinder
in consequence of the rapid increased vacuum caused by its rise; to moderate
this increase within certain regulated limits an additional air cylinder or
cylinders I, I, of convenient size are connected with the main cylinder by
pipes and taps J, J, which may be closed at will, but which when open will
modify the increase of pressure within the cylinder A to such extentas may be
found desirable, it is evident that vacuum gauges L connected with the
cylinder and suitably graduated will indicate accurately the amount of strain
on the cable, and form a dynamometer of the most perfect construction.
The apparatus above described is also useful in paying-out cables. When
in paying out the strain on the cable becomes excessively great, as in the
case of a storm, it is sometimes desirable to ease the breaks for a short
time, and allow the cable to run out freely for a moment, rather thau risk
the straining or breaking of the cable. This may be effected much more
perfectly than it can be done by hand by means of a pipe K leading from the
cylinder A to a piston and cylinder fixed near the breaks, and so adjusted
that when acted upon by the vacuum communicated from the cylinder A
they may tend to oppose and lift the breaks on the cable, and permit it to
A valve fixed
run out more freely so long as the extra strain is maintained.
on the pipe connecting the two cylinders, and of similar construction to the
valve F permits of the pressure being so regulated that the breaks are only
acted upon by the cylinder when the strain on the cable exceeds a certain
fixed amount, which may be regulated from time to time according to the
exigencies of the hour.
It is evident that a vacuum gauge or gauges L connected with the main
cylinder, and suitably graduated, will indicate accurately at any convenient
spot the amount of strain on the cable or grapnel line, the whole forming a
dynamometer of the most perfect construction.
In working this apparatus the engineer in charge, watching the grapnelline
or cable and the strain on it as indicated on the vacuum gauge L, so adjusts
the valve F that the piston B at the ordinary existing strain on the cable
rests upon or plays lightly up and down near the bottom of the cylinder, any
sudden strain on the cable being relieved by the temporary rise of the piston
within its cylinder; and the valve F should be placed in a convenient position
on deck for this purpose. As before-mentioned pressure may be employed in
place of vacuum but less conveniently.
My second improvement consists in a grapnel for raising submerged cables,
and is designed to obviate the strain which arises when the bight of a cable
For this
is hooked on the grapnel, and raised to the surface in deep water.

page_text: purpose I so make the grapnel that it grips the cable securely, and im-
mediately after severs it in two, so that one end falls back to the bottom, and
the other end is retained and raised to the surface. The grapnel in its
general form resembles more or less an anchor, that is to say, at the end of
a shank connected with the raising tackle are grapnel arms, it may be on
one or on both sides of it. At the lower or inner end of the grapnel arm is
the clamping or holding apparatus; it consists of two cheeks with suitable
vice-like teeth upon them; these cheeks are connected together by screws.
These screws act simultaneously in closing the jaws. On the axis of the
screws are rollers round which a chain or rope is wound, which is connected
to the main grapnel rope. As soon as the cable is caught by the grapnel
arms it is led by them into the holding jaws. When fairly in this position
the cable will press on a suitable instrument placed between the jaws with
sufficient force to move it, and cause it to withdraw a bolt, and allow the
chain or rope to be drawn off the rollers by the strain on the tackle, which
being thus rotated will turn the screws and force the jaws together so as
tightly to nip the cable. In order to divide the cable outside the grapnel so
as to avoid the strain arising from raising a bight of the cable, cutting or
crippling blades are applied which either entirely divide the cable or else so
weaken it as to ensure its breaking at this point as soon as a heavy strain
comes upon it. It will be obvious that in place of screws other mechanical
instruments, such as eccentrics, wedges,cr cams may be substituted, and these
I may either act on nipping jaws or directly on the cable. The form of this
apparatus may otherwise be much modified.
Figure 2 is a front view, Figure 3 a vertical section, and Figure 4 a plan
in section of a grapnel constructed according to my Invention for raising sub
marine cables in deep water. In general form it resembles an ordinary
anchor of grapnel.
A is the shank, which is hollow; it carries in its interior a rope or chain
which is a continuation of the grapnel line; and the shank at its lower end
has formed upon it the double T-head A¹, A. B, B, and B¹, B¹, are bolts
connecting together the two parts of the doubleT-head,and the bolts B project
ou either side so as to form guides for the moving jaws or cheeks C; C, on
which the flukes C¹, C, are formed. D, D, are screws, they are able to
turn freely in bearings in the T-head A., and they have rollers D¹ fixed on
them; these screws are right and left handed, and when they revolve they
cause the jaws C, C, to open or close, and, when closed to grip firmly the
cable which is caught between them. E represents a section of the cable
thus caught in the grapnel.
In order to prevent slipping the jaws C,C, and

page_text: the outer sides of the T-head A' should be roughened, or plates with file-like
teeth may be fixed on them. F represents a sliding frame capable of
traversing along the slots A2 in the shank A; to it is fixed a rope or chain
connecting the grapnel with the grapnel line. G is a toggle jointed to the
frame; F and G¹ are lumps at the end of the toggle arms which catch under-
neath pins A³ on the shank A to hold the sliding frame Fat the lower end
of the slot A2. G2 is a blocking piece for holding the toggles apart so as to
secure the sliding frame F in the position described when the blocking piece
is inserted between the toggles. H is a trigger acted upon by the cable D;
when the cable presses with a sufficient strain upon this trigger it depresses it,
and partly rotates the centre or pin on which it is mounted, and an arm on
the pin being linked with the blocking piece G2, this is withdrawn from
between the toggles G leaving the frame I at liberty to slide up the shank of
the grapnel. This frame F is connected to two ropes or chains I, I, which
are wound on the drums D¹ fixed on the screws D, so that when the sliding
frame is set free it causes the screws to revolve, and to close up the cheeks or
jaws of the grapnel, and to grip the cable fast. Steel cutters with jagged
edges K, K, K¹, K¹, are connected to the cheeks and the body of the grapnel,
which either entirely divide the cable or so cripple it that it breaks under the
strain applied to it. These cutters are applied at opposite ends on the two
sides,from which arrangement it results that when grappling in anyparticular
direction (say from south to north) a certain section of the cable (say the
westerly) will be severed and dropped, and the other portion gripped and
retained whichever side of the grapnel happens to be undermost. It will be
perceived that as the jaws close upon the cable the screws D, D, will protrude
more and more through its exterior, and if it be preferred to give the crippling
blades more power it may be done by making one of them moveable to slide
through a groove in the cheek, and connecting it with one of the screws D by
means of a hinged lever, so that as the screw protrudes it may press, through
the intervention of the lever, upon the cutters K', K, and cause them to cut
the cable more certainly.
I would remark that the combining a cutting or crippling apparatus with a
gripping grapnel is one important feature of my Invention.
In using grapnels made according to my Invention I prefer to employ two
vessels simultaneously, one of them nearest the end of the cable using a cutting
grapnel, as above described, and the other or cable vessel using a grapnel
without cutters; and I prefer to use with this latter vessel the apparatus first
described for easing the strain on the cable as it rises towards the surface,
the free end is brought to the surface and transferred to the cable vessel; and

page_text: I prefer in the event of a joint being made in the cable to avoid any strain on
this joint by lashing the parts of the cable together in the manner shown in
Figure 5. The intermediate grapnel is lowered again to the bottom by
means of a hempen rope, which is afterwards cut and left attached to the
cable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK. (L.S.)