Improvements in Telegraphic Communication between Light-ships and the Shore.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraphic Communication between Light-ships
and the Shore.
We, JOHN BROWN, of 5 Newland Street, Tate Road, Silvertown, in the County
of Essex, Engineer, and ROBERT LLEWELLYN PRUTTON, of 77 Earl Street,
Plumstead, Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for establishing telegraphic
communication between light-ships and the shore, its object being to reduce the
chance of breakage of the cable and to facilitate the re-establishment of that
connection in the event of its being broken.
According to this invention we employ a main cable of considerable strength
between the shore and a fixed buoy which is suitably constructed to provide an
insulated support for the end of the said cable and for one end of an auxiliary cable
of much lighter construction communicating with the light-ship. We prefer that
the buoy should be provided with a central vertical tubular aperture or passage
lined with a tube capable of being withdrawn upwards for the purpose of making
contact between the two cables. The coupling employed for this purpose may be
provided with suitable outer flanges or lugs to take a bearing on some suitable part
of the buoy. The other end of the auxiliary cable is wound upon a drum mounted
upon a truck or carriage arranged to travel upon a railway or track extending
round the light-ship, and which may be supported by the bulwarks of the same..
The said drum is free to turn so that it may feed out the cable as the movements of
the vessel require it. It is also provided with a brake so that it may be held in
any required position when necessary, and with a winch handle for the purpose of
winding in the cable. The truck or carriage is provided with the necessary
mechanism for turning the drum about so that it may deliver or receive the cable in
any direction horizontally. The end of the cable upon the drum is in electrical
communication with the telegraphic instruments on board. This communication
may be made through the drum itself, or in any other suitable manner.
It will be seen that as the position of the vessel changes the truck or carriage
carrying the drum will move around the railway or track so that it will lie at the
point nearest the buoy. Two or more auxiliary cables may be connected to one
buoy in order to establish communication with as many light-ships.
Should the auxiliary cable at any time break or become disconnected, those in
charge of the light-ship can at the first opportunity lower a boat and row off with a
new cable wound upon a spare drum kept for the purpose. The free end of this
cable can then be secured to the main cable. As they return to the light-ship the
cable will be payed off the drum which of course will be suitably supported in
bearings in the boat. On their reaching the light-ship the drum carrying the
new cable will be mounted upon the carriage in place of the one carrying the
broken cable.
Dated this 30th dex of December 1809
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention " Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Telegraphic Communication between Light-ships
and the Shore.
We, JOHN BROWN, Engineer, and ROBERT LLEWELLYN PRUTTON, Engineer,
both of 77 Earl Street, Plumstead, Woolwich, in the County of Kent, 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 apparatus for establishing telegraphic
communication between light-ships and the shore, its object being to reduce the
chance of breakage of the cable and to facilitate the re-establishment of that
connection in the event of its being broken.
According to this invention we employ a main cable of considerable strength
between the shore and a fixed buoy which is suitably constructed to provide support
for the end of the said cable and for one end of an auxiliary cable of much lighter
construction communicating with the light-ship.
We prefer that the buoy should be provided with a central vertical tubular
aperture or passage lined with a tube capable of being withdrawn upwards for the
purpose of making contact between the two cables. The coupling employed for this
purpose may be provided with suitable outer flanges or lugs to take a bearing on
some convenient part of the buoy; or instead of this arrangement the cable may be
secured in the central tube of the buoy by securing clamping plates thereon the
ends of which may rest on the upper and lower parts of the buoy. The ends of the
main and auxiliary cables may then be directly connected together, the strain being
taken off the connection by first seizing a thimble near the end of the auxiliary
cable so that it can be shackled on to a projection or ring on the buoy before the
connection is made. The other end of the auxiliary cable is wound upon a drum
mounted upon a truck or carriage arranged to travel upon a railway or track round
the light-ship, and which may be supported by the bulwarks, or other convenient
part of the same. The said drum is free to turn so that it may pay out the cable
as the movements of the vessel require it. The drum spindle is provided with a
winch handle for the purpose of winding in the cable, or may have a gear wheel
keyed on it in gear with a second gear wheel mounted on an independent spindle
and provided with a winch handle, and the said drum spindle is provided also with
a band brake the pressure of which is regulated by a helical spring between the free
end of the band and the head of the bolt so that the auxiliary cable may be held
taut whilst the carriage is held in any required position when necessary by a second
brake acting directly on the track. The truck or carriage is provided with the
necessary mechanism for turning the drum about so that it may pay out or haul in
the cable in any direction horizontally. The end of the cable upon the drum is in
electrical communication with the telegraphic instruments on board. This
*communication may be made through the drum itself, or in any suitable manner.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings, of which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view shewing the application of our invention ;
Fig. 2 a plan of a light-ship shewing the manner of applying the railway or
track;
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 enlarged end and side elevation and plan of the carriage
respectively;
Fig. 6 a partial end elevation of the carriage shewing one manner of connecting
the auxiliary cable to the instruments on board

page_text: Figs. 7 and 8 respectively a sectional elevation and plan of the buoy, and
Figs. 9 and 10 an elevation and plan respectively of the carriage and track
slightly modified.
As shown (Figs. 1 and 7) the end of the main cable a is secured in the central
tube in the buoy 6 by two pairs of clamp plate c so arranged and formed that their
outer ends rest on the upper and lower part of the buoy respectively.
The inner insulated and outer bare parts of the cable a are connected directly to
the similar parts of the auxiliary cable d which cable projects out of the chamber e
formed at the top of the buoy b and after being seized into a thimble and shackled
on to a ring on the buoy as shewn (Fig. 7), is carried directly to the drum on the
carriage.
This carriage, which is arranged to travel round the light-ship on a railway or
track g consists of a base h on which are pivoted the wheels i arranged as clearly
shewn (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) to run on the track and retain the carriage thereon.
Pivotally mounted on the base his the bracket j capable of being turned in any
direction in a horizontal plane by a worm wheel mounted on the lower part
thereof and a worm / mounted in bearings on the base h.
Revolving in the upper ends of the bracket and secured by caps 1 is the drum
spindle m² of the drum m on which the surplus length of the auxiliary cable is
wound. On one end of this spindle m¹ is secured a band wheel n on which acts
the band o held in position by a projection of thereon projecting into a slot in the
bracket and the ends of which are drawn together or forced apart as desired by
a bolt p between the head of which and that end of the band nearest it is placed
a helical spring g, thus admitting of the pressure on the band wheel to be more
easily adjusted. On the same end of the spindle m¹ is keyed a gear wheel in
gear with a second gear wheels provided with a suitable handles and mounted on
a pint projecting from the bracket j and along which it may be slid out of gear
with when found desirable.
"
The carriage can be held stationary on the track by means of a brake consisting
of a screw passing through a lug u projecting from the base of the carriage so
arranged that the inner end thereof presses directly on the track when said screw
is revolved by means of a suitable handle.
The continuation of the circuit from the outer bare part of the auxiliary cable
to the instruments on board is effected through the carriage to the rail or track
from thence it is continued through a wire v whilst the end of the inner insulated
portion of the cable is passed through a hollow portion of the shaft m and connected
to a metal ring w mounted on the end of, but insulated from, the spindle m¹.
A second metal ring w' revolves in a groove in the first ring w and has connected
to it by the aid of the clamp w³ (Fig. 6) a second wire leading to the instruments
on board.
In the modified track and carriage shown in Figs. 9 and 10 double instead of a
single track is provided for the carriage, whilst a third insulated track is arranged
below the carriage track which is electrically connected with the insulated collar
on the spindle of the drum by a spring plate y thus obviating the necessity of
directly connecting the insulated collar with the instruments on board.
It will be seen that as the position of the vessel (which is preferably moored
with a running mooring) changes the truck or carriage carrying the drum will
move around the railway or track so that it will lie at the point nearest the buoy.
Should the auxiliary cable at any time break or become disconnected, those in
charge of the light-ship can at the first opportunity lower a boat and row off with
a new cable wound upon a spare drum, similar to the one used on the carriage and
kept for the purpose. The free end of this cable can then be secured to the main
cable. As they return to the light-ship the cable will be payed off the drum which
of course will be suitably supported in bearings in the boat. On their reaching
the light-ship the drum carrying the new cable will be mounted upon the carriage
in place of the one carrying the broken cable, and the communication is at once
restored.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The buoy b constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. An endless track or railway a round the light-ship substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. A carriage running on said endless track substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The system of electrically communicating between light-ships and the shore,
consisting of the combination of the buoy endless track g carriage running
thereon and an auxiliary cable d substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of September 1893.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.