Improved Submarine Cable Grapnel.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd July, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Submarine Cable Grapnel.
I, WALTER CLAUDE JOHNSON, of 14 Union Court, Old Broad Street
London, E.C. and of Charlton, Kent, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :--
•
My invention relates to an improved construction of submarine cable grapnel for
recovering cables that are buried in a mud bottom.
For this purpose I construct the grapnel with two prongs formed by preference
of one piece of plate steel, the prongs being made comparatively thin but deep in
section, so as to offer little resistance to their penetration into the mud and yet be
of considerable strength. These prongs are fixed to the one end of a broad flat
plate constituting the shank, the plane of which is at right angles to the plane of
the prongs, and whose other end is attached by a suitable swivelling connection
to the grapnel rope.
Thus on dragging with this grapnel, the shank slides with its flat face on the
surface of the mud while the downward directed prong penetrates to its full length
into the mud so as to seize the cable imbedded therein.
The prongs, which are preferably curved and of considerable depth at their
combined base, tapering up to more or less pointed ends, may be fixed to the flat
shank in various ways; thus they may be secured by screw bolts in a slotted
socket, which fits with a second slot at right angles to the first one, upon the shank
plate, to which it may either be rivetted or bolted; the prongs can thus at any
time be removed and replaced by new ones. Or the prongs may have slotted lugs
"bolted, rivetted, or welded to each side thereof, into the slots of which fit the edges
of a slot in the shank plate into which the prongs fit, the lugs being secured by
screw bolts to the shank plate.
Dated this 24th day of October 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Submarine Cable Grapnel..
I, WALTER CLAUDE JOHNSON of 14 Union Court Old Broad Street,
London, E.C., and of Charlton, Kent, Electrical 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved construction of submarine cable grapnel for
recovering cables that are buried in a mud bottom.
For this purpose I construct the grapnel with two prongs formed by preference
of one piece of plate steel, the prongs being made comparatively thin but deep
in section, so as to offer little resistance to their penetration into the mud and
yet be of considerable strength. These prongs are fixed to the one end of a
broad flat plate constituting the shank, the plane of which is at right angles to
the plane of the prongs, and whose other end is attached by a suitable swivelling
connection to the grapnel rope.
Thus on dragging with this grapnel, the shank slides with its flat face on the
surface of the mud while the downward directed prong penetrates to its full length
into the mud so as to seize the cable imbedded therein.
The prongs, which are preferably curved and of considerable depth at their
[Price 8d.1

page_text: combined base tapering up to more or less pointed ends may be fixed to the flat
shank in various ways; thus they may be secured by screw bolts in a slotted
socket, which fits with a second slot at right angles to the first one, upon the shank
plate, to which it may either be rivetted or bolted; the prongs can thus at any
time be removed and replaced by new ones.
Or the prongs may have slotted lugs bolted, rivetted or welded to each side
thereof into the slots of which fit the edges of a slot in the shank plate into
which the prong fits, the lugs being secured by screw bolts to the shank plate.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings shew respectively a front view and
side view of a submarine cable grapnel constructed according to my above described
invention.
A is the broad flat plate constituting the shank of the grapnel, which is by
preference made of the diamond shape shewn, but which may be of various other
forms, and which, for the sake of lightness may be formed with a central opening B.
To the one end of this plate are fixed the prongs C C, which are by preference
formed of one piece that passes through a slot in the plate, to which they are
secured by two socket plates D D rivetted to the plate A, and secured to the
prongs C C by screw bolts and nuts E E. As before stated, the prongs which are
situated at right angles to the plane of the shank plate A are made broad and
comparatively thin so as, while affording the necessary strength, to penetrate
readily into the mud. To the other end of the plate A is bolted a socket piece F
carrying a swivel G to the loop G of which the grapnel rope is attached.
It will be readily understood that there might be more than one prong on each
side of the shank plate, though I prefer to use only one for easy penetration.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
-claim is :-
1. A submarine cable grapnel consisting of a broad flat shank to one end of
which are fixed the prongs projecting at or about right angles to the plane of the
shank, while to the other end is secured a socket piece carrying the swivelling
connections for the attachment of the grapnel rope so that on dragging with the
grapnel over mud, the shank plate will slide with its flat face over the surface
thereof while the one prong or set of prongs will penetrate to its or their full length
into the mud substantially as described.
2. In a submarine cable grapnel, the combination of a broad flat shank plate A,
prongs CC, secured to one end of the plate A by socket plates D D, and a socket
piece F secured
the other end of a plate and carrying the swivelling connection
for the grapnel substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
-drawings.
Dd of Tul. 1900