IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN STOPPING AND CONTROLLING THE MOTION OF SHIPS' CABLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Jardine Alderman, of No. 6, Copenhagen Street,
Clondesley Road, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN STOPPING AND CONTROLLING THE
MOTION OF SHIPS' CABLES,"
Sealed the 6th March 1877, and dated the 11th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Jardine Alderman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September 1876.
ALEXANDER JARDINE ALDERMAN, of No. 6, Copenhagen Street, Cloudesley Road,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE
"
IN STOPPING AND CONTROLLING THE MOTION OF SHIPS' CABLES."
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 8th of
September 1862, No. 2476, I described apparatus for effecting the stopping of ships'
cables, in which both the upper or moveable pait and the lower or stationary part
were each formed with a ridge projecting from the surface thereof, longitudinally
and centrally of such parts for the purpose of aiding the correct laying and secure
holding of the respective links of the cable.
In practise in place of the longitudinal central ridge to the upper or moveable
part a curved and waved hollow surface was substituted, the central ridge being
still retained to the surface of the lower or fixed portion to aid the canting of the
links. The use of such central ridge to the lower or stationary part whilst it
accomplished the object desired was attended with disadvantages, and in place
thereof I now form such bottom or stationary surface with zig-zag sunken grooves
or channels, the curves of which are formed to alternate right and left from a
central line, and are in size and form adapted to the links of the chains to be used
therewith, by which whilst the necessary canting is attained a more certain and
efficient holding is secured. Such form to this lower surface admits of a smoother
or less undulatory surface being used with the upper or moveable part, by which
ease and general facility in working are obtained; I am thereby also enabled to
form the grooves in the sides of the lower part to act as guides by receiving
Dasion 71

page_text: *projections from the upper part at an increased angle, by which increased power in
action is secured.
I also form the inside surfaces of the side pieces to the stationary part with
recesses to receive the operating levers, and admit of those levers working the
moveable part within them in place of those levers working outside of such side
pieces, thus avoiding the inconvenience arising from the external position of those
levers and parts acting therewith.
I also employ a friction wheel or drum which is formed with flanges at the edges
of its periphery, this wheel or drum is supported so that its axis may be out of a
right line with the direction of motion to it, or by which the wheel is canted, and
the axis of it supported to revolve freely in one direction, but it is acted upon by
pauls acting in teeth on its surface or such like means to prevent its rotation in
the opposite direction.
The cable is wound one or more times around the periphery of this wheel or
drum which is arranged to revolve freely and offer no resistance to the cable in its
passage inwards, but by the action of the pauls or holding means it becomes
stationary to produce frictional holding on the cable when that is being dragged or
payed out. The canting of the wheel or drum prevents one part of the cable 11ding
on another or fouling. This wheel may be used in the lead of the cable to the stopper
or to the windlass, or capstan to control the motion of the cable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Jardine Alderman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th March 1877.
ALEXANDER JARDINE ÅLDERMAN, of No. 6, Copenhagen Street, Cloudesley Road,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE
IN STOPPING AND CONTROLLING THE MOTION OF SHIPS' CABLES"
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 8th of
September 1862, No. 2476, I described apparatus for effecting the stopping of ships'
cables, in which both the upper or moveable part and the lower or stationary part
were each formed with a ridge projecting from the surface thereof, longitudinally
and centrally of such parts for the purpose of aiding the correct laying and secure
holding of the respective links of the cable.
In practice in place of the longitudinal central ridge to the upper or moveable
part a curved and waved hollow surface was substituted, the central ridge being
still retained to the surface of the lower or fixed portion to aid the canting of the
links. The use of such central ridge to the lower or stationary part whilst it
accomplished the object desired was attended with disadvantages, and in place
thereof now according to my present improvements form such bottom or stationary
surface with zig-zag sunken grooves or channels, the curves of which are formed to
alternate right and left from a cental line, and are in size and form adapted to the
links of the chains to be used therewith, by which whilst the necessary canting is
attained a more certain and efficient holding is secured. Such form to this lower
surface admits of a smoother or less undulatory surface being used with the upper
or moveable part, by which ease and general facility in working are obtained; I am
thereby also enabled to form the grooves in the sides of the lower part to act as
guides by receiving projections from the upper part at an increased angle, by which
increased power in action is secured.
I also form the inside surfaces of the side pieces to the stationary part with
recesses to receive the operating levers, and admit of those levers working the
moveable part within them in place of those levers working outside of such side
pieces, thus avoiding the inconvenience arising from the external position of those
levers and parts acting therewith.

page_text: The second part of my Invention relates to the employment of a friction wheel.
or drum formed with flanges at the edges of its periphery, and supported so that its
axis may be out of a right line with the direction of motion to it, or by which the
wheel is canted and the axis of it supported to revolve freely in one direction, but
it is acted upon by pawls acting in teeth on its surface or such like means to prevent
its rotation in the opposite direction.
The cable is wound one or more times around the periphery of this wheel or
drum which is arranged to revolve freely and offer no resistance to the cable in its
passage inward, but by the action of the pawls or holding means it becomes
stationary to produce frictional holding on the cable when that is being dragged or
payed out. The canting of the wheel or drum prevents one part of the cable
riding on another or fouling This wheel may be used in the lead of the cable to
the stopper, or to the windlass or capstan to control the motion of the cable.
But that the Invention may be the more fully understood I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by mo in carrying
the same into effect
Figure 1 shows an external side view; Figure 2, a sectional side view; Figure 3,
a plan view; and Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, parts separately of apparatus arranged
according to the first part of the Invention.
In each of these views the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, is the central stationary part of the stopper, and b, b, the side pieces or walls
thereof, whilst c is the upper or moveable portion. The upper or operating surface
of this central portion a I now form of a waved or zig-zag undulatory form, similar
to the under or operating surface of the upper and moveable portion c, but I form
the indentation or waves in the surface of the lower part a somewhat deeper than
that to the upper part c; b', b', are inclined grooves formed in the side pieces or
walls b, b, to receive projections c¹, c¹, from the moveable portion c, and thereby
control the direction of the rising and falling motion to that part c and d; d, e, form
the lever arrangements, by which pressure is put on the part c, or the part c is
lifted as desired. The parts d, d, one on each side are supported to turn on axes
d, d, in recesses 6s formed for them in the side picces b, b, and these parts d, d, arc
each connected by links f to the moveable part c, one end of each link being
connected by pin joint ƒ¹ to a piece d, and the other end by pin joints f² with the
part c. These parts d, d, are also formed with recesses d² to serve as sockets to
receive the forked ends e¹ of the lover e, so that when the stopper is not in use the
part e may be removed from the parts d for convenience of stowage.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention which is represented by
plan and side views at Figures 9 and 10; A represents the friction wheel with
flanges A¹ and A, and supported to turn by its axis A³ in the framing B; C is a
pawl or stop, of which there may be more than one to operate when desired in teeth
A formed in the flange A². This wheel in use is fixed to act at an angle, such that
the line D, D, would about represent the line between the windlass and the hawse
hole, by which as the cable passes round this wheel it will be prevented from riding
one part on the other, and aided by the surface of the flange A² have a tendency to
assume the direction indicated by the dotted line E
It will be evident that although I have shown the axis of the wheel A as
supported in a horizontal direction, it may if desired be applied with the axis
inclining in other direction.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
First. The adaptation or combination of parts of ships' stoppers for operating upon
chain cables, whereby the upper or operating surface of the part a is formed with a
curved or zig-zag groove to act with a somewhat similar operating or under surface
to the upper or moveable piece c; also I claim the arranging or combining parts of

page_text: such ships' stoppers, whereby the leverage operating on the moveable part thereof
is enclosed within the side plates b, b, thereof, substantially as described.
Secondly. I claim in arranging or combining parts forming a friction wheel or
drum to operate on ships' cables, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Jardinc Alderman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of March in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
62, Chancery Lane,
London,
A. J. ALDERMAN. (L.S.)