IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUBMERGING OR LAYING DOWN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Grylls, of 47, Mark Lane, in the
City of London, Licensed Custom House Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUBMERGING OR LAYING DOWN
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES."
Sealed the 18th March 1859, and dated the 18th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Grylls,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his l'etition, on
the 18th September 1858.
I, HENRY WILLIAM GRYLLS, of 47, Mark Lane, in the City of London,
Licensed Custom House Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUBMERGING OR
LAYING DOWN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in an apparatus to be used when a submarine or
other cable is being either submerged or laid down, or when it is being again
taken up, by means of which, in case of fracture or other accident, a hold may
be taken of the cable at any required distance from the stern of the ship and
the portion of cable saved which may have been already payed out, if such
fracture take place at any point between the stern of the vessel and the portion
of the cable where my improved apparatus is situated, and I propose to carry

page_text: out my said Invention in the following manner, that is to say, I pass the cable
through a strong metal guide ring, which is suspended to the stern of the
vessel by chains, or wire or other rope of any required length. To this guide
ring is attached a second ring formed of two or more segments connected
together by hinges or otherwise, and constructed so that when a chain or rope
attached to one segment is drawn tight by means of any apparatus on board
the vessel, the segments collapse and grasp the rope firmly between them.
The portion of cable so held may then be drawn on board to be spliced or
repaired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry William Grylls in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WILLIAM GRYLLS, of 47, Mark Lane, in the City of London, Licenced Custom
House Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry William Grylls, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
William Grylls, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as J, the said Henry William Grylls, 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 ARPARATUS EMPLOYED IN SUBMERGING OR LAYING DOWN
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry William Grylls, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Henry William Grylls, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and the accompanying, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in an apparatus to be used when a submarine or other
cable is being either submerged or laid down, or when it is being again taken
up, by means of which, in case of fracture or other accident, a hold may be.
taken of the cable at any required distance from the stern of the ship, and the
portion of cable saved, which may have been already payed out, if such fracture
take place at any point between the stern of the vessel and, the portion of the
cable where my improved apparatus is situated, and I propose to carry out my
said Invention in the following manner, that is to say, I pass the cable through
a strong metal guide ring which is suspended to the stern of the vessel by
chains, or wire or other rope of any required length. To this guide ring is
attached a second ring formed of two or more segments, connected together by
hinges or otherwise, and constructed so that when a chain or rope attached to
one segment is drawn tight by means of any apparatus on board the vessel,
the segments collapse and grasp the rope firmly between them.
The portion of cable so held may then be drawn on board to be spliced or
repaired.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed. The Drawing represents a perspective view of my complete appa-
ratus, in which A, A, is the metal guide ring formed by preference in two
parts or segments and fitted with lugs E, E, through which the arbors or
bolts B, B, pass for the purpose of connecting the parts together. These
arbors or bolts are made sufficiently long to pass through and secure the eyes
of the shackles C, C; F, F, are thimbles moving freely upon the shackles C, C,
and to which chains, or wire or other ropes, may be attached; D is a bolt
securely fastened to the guide ring A, A, upon which the sockets of the jaws
or gripers G, G, are placed, thereby forming a hinge joint fixed in position by the
nut I; H, H, are staples securely rivetted to the jaws or gripers G, G ; K is
a staple or guide also securely fixed to the guide ring. When the before
described apparatus is used for the purpose of saving a telegraphic cable in
case of fracture, it is made fast to the stern of the vessel by chains, or wire or
other ropes of any required length attached to the thimbles F, F. Wire or
other ropes or chains are also made fast to the staples H, H, and having passed
through the staple or guide K, are continued to the deck of the paying out
vessel. The cable X, X, is passed through the guide ring A, A, and between
the open jaws of the gripers G, G. The apparatus being thus suspended to
the stern of the vessel allows the cable to pass freely through it as long as may

page_text: be required, but should the cable part between the stern of the vessel and the
part of the cable at which the apparatus is situated, the rope or chain attached
to the stapes II, II, is immediately bauled taut by any convenient means.
This causes the jaws or gripers G, G, to turn upon the hinge bolt D and
collapse, thereby grasping the cable tightly, and it may then be drawn upon
deck or otherwise disposed of..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the means of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood, that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details shewn
and described; but what I claim is the combination herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry William Grylls, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day, of March, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
year of
HENRY WILLIAM GRYLLS. (L.S.)