IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHIC CABLES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR PAYING OUT OR LAYING DOWN THE SAME
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles de Bergue, of No. 9, Dowgate Hill, in the
City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHIC CABLES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR PAYING OUT OR
LAYING DOWN THE SAME."
Sealed the 25th January 1859, and dated the 31st July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles de Bergue at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st July 1858.
I, CHARLES DE BERGUE, of No. 9, Dowgate Hill, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHIC CABLES, AND IN MACHINERY POR PAYING OUT OR
LAYING DOWN THE SAME," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of improvements upon my former Invention relative
to electric telegraph cables, in respect of which I have recently filed an appli-
cation, (dated 16th July, No. 1605,) for the grant of Letters Patent, and which
said improvements are as follows:-
The constructing such cables (or those having only a specific gravity some-
what greater than water, with only one instead of two layers of binding
passing around the longitudinal cords.
The forming each of the longitudinal cords of the cables (whether such cords

page_text: be of hemp, flax, silk, or other material,) of two or more strands twisted
together, so that in making up the cables the rough or projecting surfaces of
such double or compound cords may become pressed and more or less im-
bedded into the gutta percha core enclosing the copper wire or wires, and
thereby be prevented from slipping thereupon.
The forming the longitudinal cords of twisted or plaited strands of hemp,
flax, silk, or other fibrous material, and the cementing such strands together
and to each other by Jeffrey's marine glue, or other suitable cement.
The saturating or coating the longitudinal cords (in whatever manner
constructed) with gutta percha, and in consolidating them with the gutta
percha core by heat or otherwise.
The saturating or coating the binding twine with gutta percha, and in con-
solidating it with the longitudinal cords by heat or otherwise ;
The creosoting the materials, or some of them, employed in and for the
manufacture of electric telegraph cables.
The constructing an apparatus for enabling a reserve of cable to be at all
times ready in advance of the main coil in the hold of the vessel, so that if in
case of some accident or entanglement, or other cause, it should be requisite
to stop the progress of the uncoiling of the cable suddenly, the paying out
might still be going on from the said reserve for a limited period, and thus
give time either to stop the way of the ship or rectify the disaster, and let it
go on as before, and save the breakage and loss of the cable.
And this apparatus I propose to construct of a compound series of pulleys
or tackle, through or over the sheaves of which the cable is to pass, one system
or half of the number of the said sheaves being situate at a distance from a
second system, or the remaining half of the said number of sheaves, the distance
being as great as the length of the deck or other position where the apparatus
is used will allow, but one or both of the said system is to be made adjustable
in respect of distance, so that on an emergency occurring the causing or
allowing the two systems to approach will in itself give or pay out a quantity
of cable, and afford the desired relief.
The construction of machinery which shall pay or deliver the cable out of
the ship or vessel into the sea, by an actual emissive or propulsive force, as
great or even greater than the strain which without such machinery would be
due to the simple weight and strain from the cable itself, and which shall
always be delivered out from the ship at a greater speed than that at which
the ship passes through the water.
And I propose to obtain the said emissive or propulsive action by means of
grinning rollers or pullore which are intended to
the cable

page_text: are drawn by steam power or otherwise at such a velocity as to draw out the.
cable from the hold of the vessel, and force or deliver it out into the water at a
speed equal to or exceeding that at which without such arrangement it would
leave the vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles de Bergue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DE BERGUE, of No. 9, Dowgate Hill, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of July, 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
Charles de Bergue, Her special licence that I, the said Charles de Bergue,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
de Bergue, 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 SUBMARINE TELE-
GRAPHIC CABLES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR PAYING OUT OR LAYING DOWN THE SAME,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles de Bergue,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Charles de Bergue, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of improvements upon my former Invention relative
to electric telegraphic cables, in respect of which I have recently obtained the
grant of Letters Patent (dated 16th July 1858, No. 1605,) and have also

page_text: duly filed a Complete Specification in pursuance of the proviso therein
contained.
My present Invention comprehends, firstly, the constructing such cables (or
those having only a specific gravity somewhat greater than water) with only
one layer of binding passing around the longitudinal cords, instead of two
such layers, as specified under the former Patent.
The Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing will serve the more
explicitly to illustrate the manner of performing this part of my Invention,
Figure 1 being a transverse section of one of my improved cables constructed
in accordance therewith; and Figure 2, a side elevation or view of a short
length of the cable, the several parts of which it is constructed being shewn
as exposed to view by removal of the parts overlying each other along suc-
cessive portions of the length represented.
a is the copper wire conductor or actual telegraph; b is the gutta percha
covering or core enclosing the wire; a and c, c, the longitudinal strengthening
cords enveloping the circumference of the core, all which parts are in every
respect similar to and susceptible of the same modifications of arrangement
as the corresponding parts of the cables described under the former Patent,
whether in respect of the number of the conductors or of the longitudinal
strengthening cords, or otherwise. But it is to be noted that only one layer
of binding twine (marked d in the Figures) is paid or bound upon, across, or
round the outside of the longitudinal cords; which binding may however be.
so paid or bound thereupon, either in the direction represented, or in the
opposite direction.
The Figures above referred to are drawn to a scale of about three times the
actual dimensions of the cable represented.
My Invention comprehends also the forming each of the longitudinal cords.
of the cables (whether such cords be of hemp, flax, silk, or other material) of
two or more strands twisted together, so that in making up the cables the
rough or projecting surfaces of such double or compound cords may become
pressed and more or less imbedded into the gutta percha core enclosing the
copper wire or wires, and thereby be prevented-from-slipping thereupon.
The Figures 3 and 4 are intended to illustrate this improvement, Figure 3
being a view of a short length or piece of one of the longitudinal cords, and
Figure 4 a diagram of the fluted or grooved form given to the exterior of the
gutta percha core by the pressure of the cords upon it, both Figures being
drawn to the same scale as Figures 1 and 2. It will readily be understood
that the hard character of the cords, especially if they be twisted tightly like
whipcord (as it is intended they should be), will produce the flutings or grooves

page_text: represented, and to effect which the more completely the surface of the gutta
percha core may be heated in and during the process of manufacture.
My Invention comprehends also the forming the longitudinal cords of
twisted or plaited strands of hemp, flax, silk, or other fibrous material, and
the cementing such strands together and to each other by Jeffrey's marine
glue or other suitable cement; also, the saturating or coating the longitudinal
cords (in whatever manner constructed) with gutta percha, and in consolidating
them with the gutta percha core by heat or otherwise; also the saturating or
coating the binding twine with gutta percha, and in consolidating it with the
longitudinal cords by heat, or otherwise; also the creosoting the materials or
some of them employed in and for the manufacture of electric telegraph
cables.
The several improvements lastly above mentioned are to be performed in
accordance with the ordinary well known and approved practice in dealing
with or using the several and particular cements or materials selected or em-
ployed, as, for instance, the Jeffrey's marine glue is to be applied by dissolving
it in naptha or other suitable solvent, and the gutta percha by dissolving it in
any of the approved solutions specially prepared for its use, the cords or twine,
and likewise the cement or material with which they are to be treated, being
one or both of them heated at the time of application. And the creosoting
process is to be performed by steeping the cords or twine or the cable in tanks
containing the oil of creosote. This last process being one requiring time, a
complete saturation cannot be effected during the actual manufacture of the
cable itself, and must therefore be performed previously or subsequently, but
the marine glue and gutta percha applications may and are to be effected
either during the actual manufacture of the cable, or partly so, or otherwise
they may be performed subsequently to such actual manufacture.
My Invention comprehends also the constructing an apparatus for enabling
a reserve of cable to be at all times ready in advance of the main coil in the
hold of the vessel, so that if in case of some accident or entanglement or other
cause it should be requisite to stop the progress of the uncoiling of the cable
suddenly, the paying-out might still be going on from the said reserve for a
limited period, and thus give time either to stop the way of the ship or rectify
the disaster, and let it go on as before, and save the breakage and loss of the
cable.
And this apparatus I propose to construct of a compound series of pulleys.
or tackle, through or over the sheaves of which the cable is to pass, one.
system or half of the number of the said sheaves being situate at a distance
from a second system or the remaining half of the said number of sheaves, the

page_text: distance being as great as the breadth or the length of the deck or other
position where the apparatus is used will allow, but one or both of the said
systems is to be made adjustable in respect of distance, so that on an emer-
gency occurring the causing or allowing the two systems to approach will in
itself give or pay out a quantity of cable, and afford the desired relief.
I have furnished four diagrams or sketches in the accompanying Drawing
for the purpose of illustrating the general construction or arrangement of the
apparatus, not representing the construction of the pulleys, &c. in detail, as
being obviously unnecessary for the purposes of this Specification.
Figure 5 is a Diagram plan generally explaining the apparatus. m, m*,
are intended to indicate the sides of a vessel or framing attached thereto;
n and n* are two bars or frames, each carrying a system or set of pulleys or
sheaves o, o, and ox, ox, respectively, and being adjustable in respect of
distance from the opposite bar and system of pulleys by means of tackle, as
shown at p and p* respectively; s represents the cable passing through and
around the pulleys, as represented by the direction of the arrows. It is
evident that at any time, on releasing the tackle and allowing the two systems
to approach, although no further cable be delivered from the hold of the
vessel over the fair leader pulley t into the apparatus, a considerable quantity
may be withdrawn from the apparatus, and passing over the fair leader
pulley u, may be paid out into the sea.
Figure 6 is another diagram to represent that instead of each pulley
having only one sheave two or more may be employed in combination; the
difference in respect of the arrangement of the passage of the cable through
the apparatus affords the means of accumulating a larger or longer reserve
length of cable to meet emergencies. With this object in view, a double set
of the apparatus may also be used, the cable passing through, from, and out of
one, and into and through and out of the other, before being finally paid out
or delivered into the sea; or, a larger number than two of such apparatus may
be employed, if desired.
The diagram, Figure 8, is intended to represent that the arrangement of the
apparatus may be longitudinal instead of transverse, with regard to the length
of the ship or vessel, and in this case, also, one, two, or more of such
apparatus may be employed in combination. Tackle p and p* is shewn at one
end for adjusting the distance, and may be provided at the other also, if
desired. It is also to be understood that a vertical arrangement of the
apparatus may be substituted in place of or in addition to a horizontal
arrangement, as intended by the above description.
Lastly, my Invention comprehends the construction of machinery which

page_text: shall pay or deliver the cable out of the ship or vessel into the sea by an actual
emissive or propulsive force as great, or even greater, than the strain which
without such machinery would be due to the simple weight and strain from
the cable itself, and which shall always be delivered out from the ship at a
greater speed than that at which the ship passes through the water.
And I propose to obtain the said emissive or propulsive action by means of
gripping rollers or pulleys, which are intended to clip or hold the cable, and
are driven by steam power or otherwise, at such a velocity as to draw out the
cable from the hold of the vessel, and force or deliver it out into the water at
a speed equal to or exceeding that at which without such arrangement it
would leave the vessel..
Figure 9 is a diagram in illustration of the intended machine or apparatus,
x, x, being the gripping rollers, y, y, y, y, gearing for driving them, and z, z,
indicating curved paths for the axes of the gripping rollers, which paths should
be arranged by slots formed in the framing for the bearings to travel in, or by
radius arms carrying the bearings, the object being that a regulation of the
distance of the rollers may be effected without interrupting or disconnecting
the gearing by which they are driven. And this regulation is to be effected
by screwing up or otherwise forcing the bearings of the rollers to approach
each other. Finally, I would remark that it is desirable to afford a proper
gripping surface to the rollers, which I prefer to effect by making the edges
slightly hollow, so as partially to embrace the cable s, and by making serrations
upon or giving rough surfaces to the hollow or channel so formed, or other-
wise by lining the said channel with a packing of indian-rubber, or some other
elastic or semi-elastic material.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles de Bergue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.