Improvements in Submarine Cable Laying Appliances.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Submarine Cable Laying Appliances.
I, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL, of Culver Park, Saltash, in the County of Cornwall,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in connection with methods of laying
submarine cable, and it consists in the application of means to lay the cable in
a tortuous path from a ship keeping a straight course, whereby a large amount
of slack or excess of cable may be laid with much lessened risk of "kinks."
This may be effected by passing the cable over a sheave on the stern, which
sheave is capable of transverse movement across the ship, and which is caused
to change its position at intervals; or a similar movement may be obtained by
attaching the sheave to a swinging boom and causing it to be oscillated so as to
produce a like result.
In cases however where the cable is thrown out from the stern by a sheave or
drum driven by power, it is plain that the swivelling of the whole system on a
vertical axis, will, by suitable oscillation cause the cable to be thrown now on one side,
now on the other side of the ship. I prefer however, instead of using a vertical
sheave, to place it horizontally, and maintain a grip on the cable by a jockey
pulley pressing the cable upon the periphery of the sheave. The jockey pulley
I mount upon an arm, or in an equivalent manner, so that its position can be
altered, causing the cable to be thrown into the water either astern, or say over
a range of 90 degrees each side.
In the sheave and pulley so employed cutting devices, such as a chisel and anvil,
may be mounted so as to be readily brought into action and sever the cable when
desired.
I, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL, of Culver Park, Saltash, in the County of Cornwall,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in connection with methods of laying
submarine cable, and it consists in the application of means to lay the cable in
a tortuous path from a ship keeping a straight course, whereby a large amount
of slack or excess of cable may be laid with much lessened risk of "kinks."
FD077

page_text: This may be effected by passing the cable over a sheave on the stern, which
sheave is capable of transverse movement across the ship, and which is caused
to change its position at intervals; or a similar movement may be obtained by
attaching the sheave to a swinging boom and causing it to oscillated so as to
produce a like result.
In cases however where the cable is thrown out from the stern by a sheave or
drum driven by power, it is plain that the swivelling of the whole system on a
vertical axis will, by suitable oscillation cause the cable to be thrown now on one side,
now on the other side of the ship.
I prefer however, instead of using a vertical sheave, to place it horizontally,
and maintain a grip on the cable by a jockey pulley pressing upon the periphery
of the sheave. The jockey pulley I mount upon an arm, or in an equivalent
manner, so that its position can be altered, causing the cable to be thrown into
the water either astern, or say over a range of 90 degrees each side.
In the sheave and pulley so employed, cutting devices such as a chisel and anvil,
may be mounted so as to be readily brought into action and sever the cable when
desired.
The better to explain my meaning reference is made to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows by dotted lines the course of a ship A which
has laid a cable as shown by a full line in her wake.
Fig. 2 shows a horizontal sheave B and a jockey pulley C, the latter as will
be seen by reference to Fig. 3 being carried by a bracket projecting from a
boss D, which is free to oscillate about the axle E of the sheave B. This axle
may be power driven by an engine on the deck below which carries the sheave
and accessories.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are diagrams showing the cable ejected in three different
directions, according to the position in which the jockey pulley is placed, the cable
is marked and is ejected over a guard rail F into the sea.
In Figs. 7 and 8 are shown cutting devices, on an enlarged scale, Fig. 7 being
a plan and Fig. 8 a cross section. It will be seen that the sheave B is provided
with an anvil G whilst the jockey has a chisel H. These are caused to project
radially and to sever the cable by means of levers G¹ H¹ which, though in different
planes, as shown in Fig. 8, may be made to diverge by means of a metal blade
or parting lever I, shown in side elevation in Fig. 9. The blade normally stands
well above the two levers as in Fig. 8, the lowering of it causes the cable to be
severed.
For the sake of clearness the parting lever is not shown in Fig. 2, it is shown
dotted in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and would of course only be brought into action when
the two wheels were in a favourable position, such as in Fig. 5 and in Fig. 2;
in the latter it will be seen that pins are provided in the jockey pulley which
engage with recesses in the sheave, so that synchronism is ensured. A recipro-
cating engine may be attached at J.
Figs. 10 and 11 show a sheave mounted vertically, with a jockey pulley K on
top, a cylinder L rotates the sheave, steam being supplied through a flexible
pipe M to admit of oscillation of the whole system by the cylinder Ñ. The cable
may thus be projected upon the water in a tortuous path.
Where the stern of the ship is of considerable width as in Fig. 12, the sheave 0
may be mounted on a carriage P, travelling in a channel Q, and by means of an
engine R, be run forward and backward, thus depositing the cable in a tortuous
path.
A sheave S as shown in Fig. 13 may be attached to a swinging boom T, which
may be oscillated by any convenient means, thus causing the cable to be laid in a
tortuous path.
Obviously these arrangements may be modified to suit various build of vessels,
without departing from the spirit of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. The general arrangement and manipulation of the cable sheave, whereby
the cable may be deposited in a tortuous path, from a ship keeping a true course,
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
2nd. The arrangement or combination of parts, in which a horizontal sheave
is fitted with a moveable jockey pulley, and cutting devices; substantially as herein
described and illustrated.