IMPROVEMENTS IN CAPSTANS FOR WORKING CHAIN CABLES AND WIRE AND OTHER ROPES
Year: 1884

page_text: I SAMUEL BAXTER of Great St. Helens in the City of London, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
CAPSTANS FOR WORKING CHAIN CABLES AND WIRE AND OTHER ROPES to be as
follows:-
The object of these improvements is to facilitate the working of chain cables and
wire and other ropes, to ensure greater safety to the men whilst working them to
prevent the destructive effects of exceptional violent strains and to dispense with
the usual method of "fleeting" in the case of capstans or the men walking
backwards to slacken back or relieve the strain.
It has hitherto been customary for capstans to be mounted upon spindles and by
means of capstan bars inserted in the head the chain cables or ropes are hove in
and they are held from running out by hinged pawls dropping as the capstan is
revolved into spaces against stop pieces in a pawl rim which is bolted to the deck
or platform.
To carry out these improvements I make the body of the capstan with a wheel for
working wire or other ropes and with a cable holder for working chain cables in one,
free to revolve around the spindle and the bar head and pawl head separate from the
capstan but attached to the spindle, to the spindle is also attached a carrier in such
a way that it may move vertically free of the spindle but is compelled to revolve
with the spindle which carrier supports a series of frictional plates; intermediate
friction plates are compelled to revolve with the capstan body and the other of
such plates are compelled to revolve with the cable holder and wire or other rope
wheel or capstan body these two sets of plates are acted upon by tension rods
fitted to the carrier and passing to the head of the capstan where they are fitted
to another carrier which is acted upon by a screw and by this means a frictional
resistance is set up to the extent required to heave in, but should any violent strain
come upon the cable holder, wheel or body unexpectedly a yielding will take place
and thereby modify the strain upon the pawls as they are held by the stops in
the pawl rim and thereby prevent the men being hurled round with the capstan
bars.

page_text: As a modification I fit a pawl rim internally in the head, such pawl rim being
free to revolve when the brake is slack, and by means of the brake any sudden
strain can be checked when heaving in cable, or wire or other ropes either way by
throwing over the pawls.
SAMUEL BAXTER.
By his Agents,
Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings.

page_text: I SAMUEL BAXTER of Great St. Helens in the City of London, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CAPSTANS
FOR WORKING CHAIN CABLES AND WIRE AND OTHER ROPES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The object of these improvements is to facilitate the working of chain cables
and wire and other ropes, to ensure greater safety to the men whilst working
them to prevent the destructive effects of exceptional violent strains and to dispense
with the usual method of fleeting" or the men walking backwards to relieve the
strain.
"
It has hitherto been customary for capstans to be mounted upon spindles and by
means of capstan bars inserted in the head the chain cables or ropes are hove in,
and they are held from running out by hinged pawls dropping as the capstan is
revolved into spaces against stop pieces in a pawl rim which is bolted to the deck
or platform.
To carry out these improvements I make the body of the capstan with a wheel
for working wire or other ropes and with a cable holder for working chain cables
in one, free to revolve around the spindle and the bar head and pawl head
separate from the capstan, but attached to the spindle, to the spindle is also
attached a carrier in such a way that it may move vertically free of the spindle
but is compelled to revolve with the spindle which carrier supports a series of
frictional plates; an intermediate set of friction plates is compelled to revolve with
the capstan head and the other set of such plates is compelled to revolve with the
cable holder wire or other, rope wheel and capstan body, these two sets of plates
are acted upon by tension rods fitted to the carrier and passing to the head of the
capstan where they are fitted to another carrier which is acted upon by a screw
and by this means a frictional resistance is set up to the extent required to heave
in, but should any violent strain come upon the cable holder, wheel or body,
unexpectedly, a yielding will take place and thereby modify the strain upon the
pawls as they are held by the stops in the pawl rim and thereby prevent the men
being hurled round with the capstan bars.
As a modification, I fit a pawl rim internally in the head such pawl rim being
free to revolve when the brake is slack, and by means of the brake any sudden
strain can be checked when heaving in cable or wire or other ropes in either
direction by throwing over the pawls.
And in order that my said Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying Drawings fully to
docomile the man
Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent three capstans constructed according to my Invention
but representing three different modifications thereof. Each Figure shows on the
one half a vertical section and on the other half a vertical elevation of the capstan.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal section of parts drawn on the line 1. 1. of
Figure 1.
In all the Figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference. a is
the bar bead, u' is the capstan body, b is a waved wheel for working wire and

page_text: other ropes, c is a cable holder for working chain cables, d is the pawl head, d' are
the pawls, e is the pawl rim and f is the spindle, g, g¹ are two sets of annular
frictional plates; the friction plates g are formed each on its outer periphery with
notches, feather ways, or recesses g² to fit corresponding feathers, tongues or ribs
formed on one or other part of the capstan apparatus whilst the friction plates g¹
which are placed intermediate of the friction plates g, are formed each on its inner
periphery with notches féather ways or recesses g³ to fit corresponding feathers
tongues or ribs i formed on another part of the capstan apparatus. I is a carrier
upon which the friction plates g, g¹ are supported.
In Figures 1 and 2 the carrier is fitted loosely on feathers upon the spindle f
in such manner that it may move vertically free of the spindle but is compelled to
revolve with it and such carrier k is connected by tension rods which pass to the
head of the capstan where they are fitted to another carrier m which is formed
with a female screw m¹ to fit a male screw n¹ formed on a head piece n fitted on
the upper end of the spindle f and capable of being rotated thereon by means of
bars inserted in the holes n² or in other suitable manner.
In Figure 3 the carrier k rests on a shoulder of the spindle f and is keyed
rigidly in position thereon, the rods and the carrier m are dispensed with whilst
the head piece n is formed with a female screw n³ to fit a male screw f1 formed.
on the spindle f and is caused to bear more or less strongly upon a pressure disc o
resting upon the top of the series of friction plates g, g¹.
By the means above described on rotating the head piece n in one or the other
direction the required pressure is transmitted to the friction plates or removed
therefrom as may be required.
In Figure 1 the bar head a and pawl head d are separate from the capstan but
are attached rigidly to the spindle f whilst the capstan body a waved wheel b
and cable holder care cast or otherwise rigidly fixed together but are capable of
revolving upon the spindle f whilst the tongues or ribs h are cast or fitted on the
capstan body a¹ and the tongues or ribs i are cast or fitted on the bar head a the
pawl rim e being fixed to the deck or platform.
According to this arrangement motion is transmitted from the bar head a
through the friction plates g, g' to the capstan body a' waved wheel b and cable
holder c whilst the bar head a and pawl head d revolve with the spindle. By
these means the destructive effects of exceptional violent strains are prevented
whilst greater safety is ensured to the men working the capstan as a frictional
resistance is set up by means of the friction plates g, g¹ to the extent required to
heave in but on any violent strain coming unexpectedly upon the body a¹ of the
capstan or upon the waved wheel b or cable holder c a yielding will take place
through the friction plates g. g. and thereby modify the strain upon the pawls as
they are held by the stops in the pawl rim and at the same time prevent the men
being hurled round with the capstan bars in the event of the pawls giving way.
The necessity for the men to walk backwards to relieve the strain is avoided as
is also the usual method of fleeting as the chain or rope may be veered or slacked
at will by a proper adjustment of pressure on the friction plates g gì.
In the modification represented at Figure 2 the bar head a and capstan body a¹
are cast or otherwise fixed rigidly together and the waved wheel b and cable
holder c are also cast or otherwise fixed rigidly together.
The bar head a capstan body a¹ and pawl head d are keyed rigidly on the
spindle ƒ but the waved wheel b and cable bolder care capable of revolving
thereon. The tongues feathers or ribs h are cast or fitted on the waved wheel b.
and the tongues feathers or ribs i are cast or fitted on the capstan body a¹.
In the modification represented at Figure 3 the bar head a capstan body a¹
waved wheel b and cable holder c are cast or otherwise fixed rigidly together, the
pawl head d is dispensed with and the pawls d are mounted upon spindles fitted
in the upper part of the capstan body a whilst the pawl rime is fitted in the
upper part of the capstan body a¹ and is supported on a ledge a³.
The tongues,
feathers or ribs h are cast or fitted on the pawl rim e and the tongues, feathers or

page_text: ribs are cast or fitted on the carrier k. In this modification the spindle f is a
fixture or it is provided with gearing in which latter case the capstan may be
driven either by such gearing or by the capstan bars.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what claim is
First: The combination with a capstan worked by capstan bars of friction
plates g. g. acting in combination with tongues, feathers or ribs h. i and having
friction applied thereto all in manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
Second-In a capstan the combination of waved wheel b cable holder c and
friction plates g. g' and tongues or ribs hi constructed and operated substantially
as herein shown and described.
Third The combination of bar head a capstan body a¹ waved wheel b cable
holder c pawl head d, pawl rim e spindle f and friction plates 9 9₁ acting in
combination with tongues, feathers or ribs hi and operated in inanner substantially
as herein shown and described.