IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR RENDERING SHIPS' CABLES LESS LIKELY TO PART DURING HEAVY RIDING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert
Surrey, Gentleman, for the
Saunders, of Croydon, in the County of
Invention of "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF
APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR RENDERING SHIPS' CABLES LESS LIKELY
TO PART DURING HEAVY RIDING."
Sealed the 3rd June- 1864, and dated the 12th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Saunders at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th December 1863.
.I, ROBERT SAUNDERS, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS
OF APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR RENDERING SHIPS CABLES LESS LIKELY TO
PART DURING HEAVY RIDING," to be as follows:-
Attached to the cable I have a bar or rod of iron, steel, or other metal or
material, which acts in conjunction with a spring, whether of coiled metal
working in a cylindrical case or otherwise, or formed of india-rubber or other
analagous springy substance. Instead of or in addition to the above I would
apply similar spring arrangements to the windlass or other rigid fitting in lieu
of a windlass for the same object, viz., for the preventing of the sudden jarring
or strain to which cables are at present frequently subjected. The following is
the arrangement I at present prefer to adopt :-The aforesaid rod or bar of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: iron passes through a spiral or laminated spring, and is fixed to the cable by a
claw or stopper, the after end being securely fastened to the windlass or other
rigid fixture. The windlass in some instances may be allowed to revolve
whilst riding at anchor, so as to ease the sudden strain produced in "pitching;"
and when arranged for this purpose a second stopper behind or abaft the
windlass could then be used in order to bring back the portion of the chain
just before strained out of the hausehole by the sudden jerk. And with the
view to promote greater efficiency, I should sometimes fix one or more spring
buffers at the bow or other part of the ship or vessel, if desired, acting in
conjunction with or independently of the foregoing appliances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Saunders in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SAUNDERS, of Croydon, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh 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, 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
"IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS OF APPARATUS OR MECHANISM FOR RENDERING SHIPS
CABLES LESS LIKELY TO PART DURING HEAVY RIDING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Saunders, 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 months next and imme-
diately 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

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
!
This Invention consists in using the particular arrangements hereafter
described, wherein a bar or rod of iron. steel, or other metal or material acts
in conjunction with a spring, whether of coiled metal working. in a cylindrical
case or otherwise, or formed of india-rubber or other analagous springy
substance. In addition to the above I should sometimes apply similar spring
arrangements to the windlass, or to a rigid fitting or apparatus in lieu of a
windlass for the same objects, videlicet, for preventing of the sudden jarring or
strain to which cables are at present frequently subjected. In some cases I
should give to the capstan or the windlass a slight horizontal movement in
the direction of the hawsehole, controlled by the above springs, so as to easo
the cable at the critical moment of a sudden strain by the action of such spring
or springs. In other cases I should use between the ordinary windlass and
the hawse pipe one or more springs of the kind hereafter described, one end
of any such spring being securely attached to the upright bitts or other timbers
of the deck, and the other end secured by a claw or other suitable stopper to
the cable, so that by slacking the chain a few inches at the windlass the strain
is thrown on the springs, which at their extreme action will still be checked
by the windlass.
Another method which I should adopt is to use a powerful spring (see
Figure 1, Sheet III.) in immediate connexion with the anchor itself, and of
equal or greater strength than the links of the cable. When a vessel is riding
at anchor, any spring in this position will act much more freely than on board
the vessel, as its action is not retarded by the dead weight of the chain cable,
and it has the further advantage of preventing all friction at the hawsehole or
windlass. When used in juxtaposition with the anchor, the ironwork of
these springs should be made of considerable weight, so as to secure the
requisite strength for being submerged with the anchor, and such additional
weight will be no objection, as the weight of the anchor may be reduced in
proportion, and upon the spring sinking into the mud or sand the holding
power will be increased. The extreme tension on the anchor and cable of a
ship of five hundred tons is computed to be from thirty-five to forty tons, and
for the largest anchors with two and a quarter chain cables, the proof test is
ninety-one tons. I should supply springs which shall bear the usual test,
from the smallest to the largest size cable in use, and which will greatly tend
by their elasticity to prevent the cable from parting. The weight of such a
spring requisite for a five hundred ton ship would be from two to two and a
half hundred weight, and by increasing the power of the spring and the weight

page_text: of the iron work in proportion, sufficient strength and holding power may be
obtained for the largest vessels. Another form of spring which I sometimes
use is intended to act vertically (see Figures VIII. and IX., Sheet III.) It
is placed immediately in front or just inside of the hawse pipe, and its object
is to prevent the damage which often occurs to the cable and anchor from the
pitching of a vessel either when weighing the anchor or riding at a short
distance from it.
The following description of the Drawings will fully exemplify how the
different arrangements are carried into practical effect.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures I., II., III., IV., Sheet I., represent different views of an improved
form of windlass which I employ where the springs are designed to give an
horizontal movement to the barrel of the windlass in the direction of the
hawse pipe. Figure I. is a plan view shewing part of the deck of a vessel
with the windlass and bitts; Figure II. is a side elevation of the pall bitt,
shewing also a section of the windlass from A to B; Figure III. is an eleva-
tion of the windlass taken from abaft, and shewing the foundation plate 0, 0,
and the deck; Figure IV. is a side view of the garrick bitt, shewing the
position of the spring F working in a slot upon the slide rod f, f. (The same
letters, when referred to, apply to all the four Figures aforesaid, as far as the
same are used at any of the Figures.
A, A, (Figure 1) is the deck; C and D the windlass; E is the fixed post
against which the centre or pall bitt and spring work; F, F, are the springs;
G, H, the pall bitt and knee; J, J, are two wrought-iron connecting belts
which pass round the windlass to ensure the correct action of the pall bitts;
K, K, are the pall and purchase; L, L, the iron whelps; M, M, are the two
wrought-iron garrick bitts; N, N, are two side stays connected with. wrought-
iron belts to secure equal pressure on the springs; P, P, are two side blocks
in which the axis of the windlass is inserted so as to admit of the horizontal
movement; 0, 0, is the foundation plate which secures the parallel movement
of the centre or pall bitt. It will be seen on examination that when the full
stress of the cable is exerted upon the windlass all the three springs will act
in unison and give that relief to the sudden strain which averts the danger of
the cable parting. The exact form and details of construction of this windlass
I do not consider any essential part of my Invention, and therefore do not intend
to confine myself thereto. It may, for instance, be made in two distinct halves,
each windlass having its own separate action upon the springs; or I might
dispense with the sheet iron covering which I usually prefer to adopt, sub-

page_text: stituting in lieu thereof a framework partly of cast and partly of wrought
iron. The method of getting or raising the anchor may also be varied in
different ways, the essential part of my improvement consisting in the action
of the windlass or windlasses on the springs, as herein described, the other
arrangements being subordinate thereto.
Figures I., II., III., Sheet II., represent different views of another improved
form of windlass which moves horizontally on friction wheels and grooved rails.
Figure I. is a plan view; Figure II., a side elevation; and Figure III., an
end view. The letters of reference correspond in each Figure.
:
A, A, A, represent parts of the deck of a vessel; B, B, B, a platform
mounted on friction wheels to facilitate the horizontal movement. This plat-
form may be framed all in one, with the axis of the windlass passing through
the whole lengths, or it may be constructed in two halves, as is here shewn,
each with its own windlass; and the advantage of such an arrangement is,
that in case of one windlass being disabled, as often happens in severe weather,
the second remains available for use. b, b, b, (Figures II. and III. are the
upright bitts or side timbers in which the axis of each windlass works; F, F,
is a projecting cheek bolted to the inner side of the pall bitt, and upon which
the palls are fixed. The strain upon the cable will compress the springs E, E,
and relieve the sudden stress or jerk which is apt to part the cable. e, e, e,
represent the rail and dovetail groove. In some cases it might be an advantage
to dispense with the platform and to connect the outer and inner bitts by a
framework of iron or of wood and iron combined, which shall effect the same
object, videlicet. the securing a parallel movement to the windlass or wind-
lasses in their action on the front springs.
With reference to Sheet III., I will now describe the kind of spring which
I should use in connexion with the anchor. Figure I shews the form of such
a spring. A is the outer framework or shackle in which the spring is con-
tained, and I prefer it to be all of one piece bent to the required shape; B is
the end plate (see Figure II.) against which the spring is compressed. This
plate is secured to the shackle A by two collars b, b, welded on and two large
nuts C, C, screwed on to the ends of the shackle or frame A. I prefer these
nuts to be permanently fixed, and therefore the ends of the bolts should
be rivetted over so as to give additional strength and holding power. D,
Figure III., is the top plate, of nearly similar shape and thickness to the
plate B; but as it is intended to slide up and down freely on the parallel sides
of the shackle A its shape is slightly varied. The compression of the spring
(whether of steel or india-rubber) takes place between the two plates B
and D, which must be of sufficient strength for the purpose. Another and

page_text: essential part of this spring is a strong stay or cross piece E, without which
the two sides of the shackle A would have a tendency to collapse and be
drawn out of a parallel, and the free action of the spring would be thereby
prevented. This cross piece may be square or round, driven tight home, and
welded in the solid, or held in place by small collars welded on so as not to
interfere with the strength of the shackle A. F represents the centre bolt.
which, when in use, by acting on the nut G and plates B and D, compresses
the spring H and gives the necessary relief to the cable attached thereto. This
bolt must be of a strength fully equal to that of the cable and also of the two
sides of the shackle A united. Either end of this spring, may be attached to
the anchor by an ordinary shackle or a swivel if preferred; but as the centre
bolt itself can be made to work as a swivel, it is not in all cases necessary.
Figure V. represents a spring slightly varied in form from Figure I., two
The
end plates being used instead of one, secured by corresponding nuts.
cross stay E is in this case dispensed with and a shackle rivetted into the top
plate B.
Figure VI. represents another variation of form in which four bolts are
used instead of two to enclose the spring.
Figures VIII. and IX. represent the form of spring intended for vertical
action, and which is situate just inside the hawse pipe. A, A, is part of the
deck; B, B, two cast-iron plates with sockets let into the deck; C, C, upright
bolts upon which the springs work; D, D, the springs; E, the washers;
K, K, the top plates or castings in which the bolt F is securely fixed; G, a
roller to receive the chain cable; and H, H, two strong stays by which it is
fixed to the bows of the vessel.
Figure VII. represents a steel spring of a spiral or helical form, similar to
those employed as buffer springs on railways, and which must be made of
great strength and of the best material, the ends being so constructed as to fit
the centre rod or bolt and keep it in place. The india-rubber springs which
I use consist of a series of rings with alternate plates, commonly known and
used as railway buffers, and for other purposes where great strength and power
of resistance are required. The diameter and strength of such rings may be
readily adapted to the utmost pressure required by cables and chains of every
size; and as sea water causes no injury to the material, I prefer to employ
such springs for submersion with the anchor. In the Drawings of india-
rubber springs shewn a ring or disc of a square section is represented, which
on some accounts I consider best adapted for the present purpose; but I do
not confine myself to that form exclusively, but use rings of round, or conical,
or oval section, as may be found most convenient.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would now
further observe that I do not claim the adaptation of springs to anchors and
cables generally, but limit myself to the particular arrangements herein spe-
cified, and which I believe will render this Invention thoroughly practicable
and useful; what I do claim as new in my present Invention being,-
1. The horizontal movement of the windlass or the capstan in the direction
of the hawse pipe, controlled by springs of steel or india-rubber, as described.
2. The peculiar forms of shackles or frames shewn in Figure I. (Sheet III.),
with a cross stay to prevent collapse under the extreme pressure to which
these springs are necessarily subjected.
3. The attachment of a spring or springs in juxtaposition to the anchor,
but not forming a part thereof.
4. The double vertical spring and roller fixed above and near to the hawse
pipe, shewn in Figures VIII. and IX., Sheet III.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Saunders, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
WALTER T. SHUTE.
ROBERT SAUNDERS. (L.s.)