Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 27th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1838
1, ANNIE MATILDA WOOD of 13 Delahay Street, London, in the City of
Westminster, Gentlewoman, do hereby the nature of this invention, to be as
follows:-
This invention consists in an improved floating or buoyant cable suitable for various
purposes but especially for the protection of ships, fleets, harbours and other naval or
marine constructions from the attacks of torpedoe or other boats.
The cable consists essentially of a core by which the requisite strength is given to
the improved cable, and a casing or surrounding layer of buoyant material adapted to
sustain the cable so that it may be more or less immersed in the water.
The core is
generally composed of rope or steel or iron wire and may be either plain wire or
woven wire galvanized or otherwise. The outer buoyant casing is preferably
composed of a spongy rubber or equivalent compound over which in some cases is a
thin layer of ordinary rubber or caoutchouc or of waterproofed canvas or other
substance.
The improved cable may be paid out from a ship or boat and will lie upon the
surface of the water or partly or wholly submerged and form a cordon about the place
to be protected which will prevent the approach of torpedoes by becoming entangled
in the propeller of torpedoe or other boat or otherwise.
The cable may be anchored down where required and may serve to explode
submarine mines or stationary torpedoes when violently struck, broken or moved by
the collision of any object or by making contact on any of the means adopted for
exploding mines or torpedoes. It also forms a protection for other purposes.
Dated this 2nd dor of April 1987
HERBERT & Co.,
67, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.

page_text: A New or Improved Buoyant Cable.
I, ANNIE MATILDA WOOD, of 13 Delahay Street, London in the City of
Westminster, Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 the covering of wire, rope or chain with a light, elastic,
spongy compound to cause the same to Hoat either wholly or partially submerged so
that it may be used for the protection of fleets ships harbours and other naval or
marine constructions from the attacks of torpedo and other boats.
It is well known that in barbours, creeks, or bays, vessels may be and are protected
from the attack of torpedo or other boats by floating booms of timber, baulks,
spars &c. but it is obvious such cannot be conveniently carried while cruising and also
require time to construct and afterwards remove.
I therefore take any ordinary wire, wire rope, rope or chain or specially prepared
cable, used for stopping torpedoes, torpedo boats or other vessels and cover the same
in a like or similar mechanical manner to that in which electric or submarine cables
are covered with compounds which having a low specific gravity, a small covering
only is necessary to float the wire or cable, the-same may, then be paid out from the
ship, floated and anchored where desired, and owing to its color and specific gravity,
it is not visible on the water and will afford protection as aforesaid against the
approach of torpedo and other boats by becoming entangled about the blades of the
propellor thereof or otherwise.
If small nines or torpedoes are attached they can also be made to explode on the
'main cable being drawn in or fouled.
My invention thus consists in covering the cable with a compound of caoutchouc or
its equivalent or analogous gums and ingredients which during vulcanisation cause the
compound to swell or expand to form a spongy rubber compound having great
elasticity.
It is necessary to exercise great care in the manipulation, more particularly with
the cotton envelope or taping to be used during vulcanisation or the latter will burst
in which case the covering compound will be spoiled; if also the envelope or taping
be too confined the cable will not have sufficient displacement to float. Care must
also be taken to place the cable in the vulcaniser on radial arms or other convenient
supports or suspend the same by tape, wire or similar means, so that the steam in the
vulcaniser may act equally on all parts of the cable, if this is not attended to, the
latter will not be of equal specific gravity throughout and will be distorted and not
swell equally.

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 :-
A cable rendered buoyant by a covering of spongy compound of rubber or analogous
Dated this 2nd day of January 1888.
ANNIE MATILDA WOOD..
By Herbert & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.