A NEW METHOD OF RENDERING SHIPS' CABLES AND ANCHORS MORE SECURE, AND LESS LIABLE TO STRAIN AND INJURY WHILE THE VESSEL IS LAYING AT ANCHOR
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
Cook, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of November, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Benjamin Cook, His especial licence that I, the said Benjamin Cook, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Cook, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "A NEW METHOD OF RENDERING SHIPS' CABLES AND ANCHORS MORE SECURE, AND
LESS LIABLE TO STRAIN AND INJURY WHILE THE VESSEL IS LAYING AT ANCHOR;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said Benjamin Cook, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to
be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Benjamin Cook, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to bo performed, is described and ascertained
in the following explanation thereof (that is to say):-
By means of iron or steel spiral or helical springs, or by means of a spring
or springs confined in a barrel or round box, or boxes, like the main spring of
a clock, or of a box spring used for shutting doors. If I use spiral or helical
springs, I confine them in long iron or wood boxes, or otherwise fastened
to the vessel, and the spring attached to the cable, in such way as I find
most convenient to take off the strain; for when the strain comes on
the cable, it being fastened to the springs, the helical spring is drawn
close together, which lets out the cable according to the length of the
spring (say) six or twelve feet, and when the swell or strain on the cable
is gone off, the spring extends itself and draws the cable up again to its
former position. If I use a spring contained in a barrel or round box, the
cable passes over the round box or wheel; and the cable being attached to it
at one part, when the strain or pull comes on the cable the wheel turns round,
say three parts of a circle, which gives out so much cable, according to the
circumference of the wheel box or barrel in which the spring is contained; the
wheel returns again to its former position, drawing back again the cable when
the strain is gone off it, so that in every instance, according to the swell of the
sea, the springs are continually giving out-and-drawing-the-cable-in-again,
which will prevent the cable parting, as is often the case, when the cable is drawn
tight, and the ship is riding at anchor in a heavy sea or swell.
But I do not confine myself to these two particular modes.; I claim the
exclusive privilege of using springs of every sort, and attaching them in every
way to cables to take off the strain of vessels while riding at anchor. I also
regulate the strength of my springs according to the size of the vessel to which
the cable belongs.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Cook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixth day of May,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Benjamin Cook came before our
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Eighth day of May, in the year above written.