IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING CHAIN CABLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Charles Lennox Lenox, of the Firm of
Brown, Lenox, & Co., of 8, Billiter Square, in the City of London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR HOLDING CHAIN
CABLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Charles Lennox
Lenox at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 6th January 1874.
I, GEORGE CHARLES LENNOX LENOX, of the Firm of Brown, Lenox,
& Co., of 8, Billiter Square, in the City of London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN Apparatus for
HOLDING CHAIN CABLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
holding chain cables. For this purpose I employ an apparatus by means
of which any desired length of cable may be run out, and by which it
may be gradually checked and stopped, and held either rigidly or so that

page_text: It may be able to. run for a new inks when sudden and s
come upon it.
The apparatus consists of a barrel mounted upon a horizontal axis
immediately over the point where the chain rises from the chain locker.
The barrel has four double claw-like teeth upon it. Between each tooth
and the next there is room for one link of the chain to lie flat on the
barrel, and the notches between the parts of the double teeth receive
the alternate links. The chain rises vertically or nearly vertically to the
barrel, and passing about one quarter around it leaves it in a horizontal
direction or nearly so;, thus one tooth of the barrel always gets a firm
and secure hold of the chain before the preceding tooth loses its hold.
On the barrel on one side of the teeth there is a flange receiving a brake
strap. The ends of the brake strap are securely held, and the strap can
be tightened upon the barrel by means of a hand wheel, screw, and
lever so as to oppose any desired amount of resistance to its rotation.
Thus as the chain is running out it may be gradually checked by nipping
the barrel tighter and tighter with the brake strap, and finally the barrel
may be held so that it will not yield to any ordinary strain upon the
cable and yet will give slightly to a sudden jerk and so ease the severer
strains to which otherwise the cable would be exposed. On the side of
the barrel, opposite to the break, ratchet teeth are also formed, and a pawl
is arranged to drop into these teeth to hold the barrel positively.
I also employ to hold chain cables a double claw which enters between
the links of the chain. It is mounted upon an axis and held in a
portable frame, which by a short chain is securely attached to a ship's
deck or otherwise where the instrument may be required. The same
portable frame also carries the axis of a lever having a short and a long
arm, also a trigger or catch to hold the end of the longer arm of the
lever, and there is an eccentric which blocks the trigger or catch. The eye
of the claw through which its axis passes has a projection upon it which
abuts upon a similar projection on the shorter arm of the lever and so
the claw is prevented turning upon its axis so long as it is required to
hold the chain, but upon turning round the eccentric, which may be
done by a lanyard passing to a distance, the block is removed from the
trigger or catch; the lever at once escapes, and the claw turns upon its
axis and frees itself from the cable.

page_text: With this apparatus however heavy the strain on a cable may be
there is no difficulty in letting the cable go at any instant when it may
be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Charles Lennox Lenox in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GEORGE
CHARLES LENNOX LENOX, of the Firm of Brown, Lenox, & Co., of 8,
Billiter Square, in the City of London, send greeting. .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Charles Lennox Lenox, Her
special license that I, the said George Charles Lennox Lenox, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Charles Lennox Lenox, 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 HOLDING CHAIN
CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Charles Lennox Lenox, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Charles Lennox Lenox, 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 for

page_text: holding chain cables. For this purpose I employ an apparatus by means
of which any desired length of cable may be run out, and by which it
may be gradually checked and stopped, and held either rigidly or so
that it may be able to run for a few links when sudden and severe
strains come upon it.
The apparatus consists of a barrel mounted upon a horizontal axis
immediately over the point where the chain rises from the chain locker.
The barrel has four double claw-like teeth. upon it. Between each tooth
and the next there is room for one link of the chain to lie flat on the
barrel, and the notches between the parts of the double teeth receive
the alternate links. The chain rises vertically or nearly vertically to the
barrel, and passing about one quarter around it leaves it in a horizontal
direction or nearly so; thus one tooth of the barrel always gets a firm
and secure hold of the chain before the preceding tooth loses its hold.
On the barrel on one side of the teeth there is a flange receiving a brake
strap. The ends of the brake strap arc securely held, and the strap can
be tightened upon the barrel by means of a hand wheel, screw, and
lever so as to oppose any desired amount of resistance to its rotation.
Thus as the chain is running out it may be gradually checked by nipping
the barrel tighter and tighter with the brake strap, and finally the barrel
may be held so that it will not yield to any ordinary strain upon the
cable and yet will give slightly to a sudden jerk and so ease the severer
strains to which otherwise the cable would be exposed. On the side of
the barrel, opposite to the brake, ratchet teeth are also formed, and a pawl
is arranged to drop into these teeth to hold the barrel positively.
Figure 1 shews a plan view and Figure 2 a side view of apparatus
constructed as above described. a is the barrel mounted on a horizontal
axis immediately over the point where the chain rises from the chain
locker; a¹ are the double claw-like teeth upon it, with spaces between
them for one link of the chain to lie flat upon the barrel. The chain,
as shewn, rises vertically or nearly so to the barrel, and after passing
about one quarter around it leaves the barrel in a horizontal direction
or nearly so. On one side of the barrel is the brake wheel b, embraced
by a strap 6' which can be tightened up around the wheel by the lever c
and screw and hand wheel d, as shewn, so as to oppose any desired
amount of resistance to the rotation of the barrel; on the opposite side

page_text: of the barrel is a ratchet wheel e into the teeth of which a pawl or pawls
may be dropped when it is desired to hold the barrel positively.
* I claim as respects this part of my Invention the combined arrange-
ment of apparatus, substantially as above described, for holding chain
cables.
I also employ to hold chain cables a double claw, which enters
between the links of the chain. It is mounted upon an axis and held
in a portable frame which by a short chain is securely attached to a
ship's deck or otherwise where the instrument may be required. The
same portable frame also carries the axis of a lever having a short and a
long arm, also a trigger or catch to hold the end of the longer arm of
the lever, and there is an eccentric which locks the trigger or catch.
The eye of the claw through which its axis passes has a projection upon
it which abuts upon a similar projection on the shorter arm of the lever,
and so the claw is prevented turning upon its axis so long as it is required
to hold the chain; but upon turning round the eccentric, which may be
done by a lanyard passing to a distance, the lock is removed from the
trigger or catch, the lever at once escapes, and the claw turns upon its
axis and frees itself from the cable.
With this apparatus however heavy the strain on a cable may be
there is no difficulty in letting the cable go at any instant when it may
be required.
Figure 3 shews an elevation and Figure 4 a longitudinal section of a
chain cable holder constructed as above described. a is the double claw
turning on an axis 6 carried by the frame c which by a short chain may
be attached to a ship's deck or otherwise secured wherever the instru-
ment may be required; d is the lever, which is also carried by the
frame; e, the trigger catch; and f, the eccentric for locking this catch.
a¹ is the projection on the boss of the claw a which abuts against a
similar projection on the short arm of the lever d and is thus prevented
from turning so long as the trigger catch hooks over the upper end of
this lever, but if by pulling the lanyard g the eccentric fbe turned into
the position shewn by the Drawing the trigger catch is set free and the
lever d allowed to turn on its axis, and thus the claw being no longer
retained releases its hold of the chain.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of this part of my Invention and
the manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim, the combined arrangement of apparatus for holding chain cables,
substantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 3 and 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Charles Lennox Lenox, 5
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.