IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUSES FOR PAYING-OUT AND HAULING-IN TELEGRAPH CABLES."
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Brooks, of Great George Street,
in the City of Westminster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUSES FOR PAYING-OUT AND HAULING-IN TELEGRAPH
CABLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Brooks
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th November 1859.
I, CHARLES HENRY BROOKS, of Great George Street, in the City of West-
minster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUSES FOR PAYING-OUT AND HAULING-IN TELEGRAPH
CABLES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in paying-out and hauling-in telegraphic cables consist
of various arrangements whereby the tension of the cable is made entirely or
nearly independent of the inertia of the heavy drums or revolving sheaves
generally in use, and the normal pressure of the cable on the apparatus
decreased and equalized, this I accomplish in various ways, of which the
principal are as follows:-
First, I pass the cable over a spiral drum or apparatus, of which the
radius of curvature varies, being least at the point where the cable reaches
the apparatus and greatest where it leaves it, thus the normal pressure upon the
spiral is equalized either entirely, or to such extent as may be desirable along

page_text: the whole of the drum or spiral. This spiral may either be continuous, or
may be divided into sections with points of inflexion between them, and then
spirals or sections may be laid either vertically or horizontally along the deck
of the paying-out vessel. The spiral or any portion of it may be either fixed
rigidly, or it may be arranged with springs, &c. so as to have a certain latitude
of motion either vertically or horizontally,
Second, instead of a spiral as above described, I sometimes propose to use
a spiral groove cut along the exterior surface of a cylindrical drum. The
cable is wound round this axis in the threads of the spiral. The drum is
mounted so as to rotate on its axis, but is furnished with a friction brake or
other apparatus, so as to prevent rotation until the strain shall exceed the
desired limit. Up to this limit the cable slides along the groove in the drum,
and its friction thereon prevents its running out too quickly, and is equivalent
to the tension required during the process of laying. The spiral groove may
be made either with a uniform or with a variable pitch, and the drum may be
either parallel or varying in diameter. In other cases the cable may be passed
through a spiral tube of uniform or variable pitch or diameter.
Third, in other cases I propose to use one or more endless belts, passing
over one or more pulleys, and so arranged that the cable rests upon or between
the belt or belts, and is free to slip on or between them whenever the tension
exceeds the proper amount. This amount may be regulated' in various ways
by springs, levers, friction rollers, or otherwise.
Fourth, in some cases I propose to use an ordinary drum connected to the
break drum or sheave, or to the winding-in engine, by means of a friction
apparatus of such a nature that whenever the tension exceeds a certain amount
regulated by the last-named apparatus, the paying-out drum slips round, so
avoiding the inertia of the break drum. All these methods, except the first,
are applicable to picking-up as well as to paying out cables, by connecting
them with a small steam engine or other source of power, and simply reversing
their motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Henry Brooks in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HENRY BROOKS, of Great George Street, in the City of Westminster, Engineer,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date.the Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Henry Brooks, Her special licence that I, the said
Charles Henry Brooks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Henry Brooks, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 APPARATUSES FOR PAYING-OUT AND
HAULING-IN TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Charles Henry Brooks, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals
should particularly 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 Charles Henry Brooks, do hereby
declare.the.nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of certain arrangements whereby the strain or tension
upon the cable during the processes of submerging or raising is regulated,
varied, or maintained in such manner as to be entirely or nearly independent
of the inertia of the apparatus or its parts, and whereby the normal pressure of
the cable upon the apparatus is decreased or equalized to such extent as may
be desirable.
In some cases I pass the cable over a spiral drum or apparatus, the radius
of curvature of which.varies, being least at the point where the cable coming
from the coil reaches, the apparatus, and greatest where it leaves it. This
spiral drum or apparatus, may be either continuous or it may be divided into
sections, and these sections and spirals may be laid either vertically or hori-
zontally, along the deck of the paying-out vessel. The spiral or any of the
sections composing it may be fixed rigidly, or may be connected with springs,
so as to have a certain latitude of motion either.vertically or horizontally.
In some cases instead of the spiral drum or apparatus above described, I
use a spiral groove or channel cut along the surface of a cylindrical or conical

page_text: drum, or formed by flanges thereon. The cable is wound round the drum in
this groove or channel. The drum is mounted on standards, so as to be able to
rotate on its axis, but is furnished with a friction break or other apparatus, so
as to prevent rotation until the strain or pull of the cable shall reach a certain
limit, which limit is regulated at will by the break or apparatus just named:
When this limit is exceeded the drum rotates, and at once relieves the cable.
Up to this limit the cable slides along the groove or channel, and its friction
thereon prevents it running out too fast, and balances the excess of tension of
the cable beyond what is required to draw it out of the ship at a proper
velocity. The spiral groove or channel may be made with either a uniform
ör à variable pitch, and the drum may be either cylindrical or varying in
diameter.
In some cases I use instead of, or in combination with, the above apparatus
a system of one or more endless belts passing over pulleys, and so arranged
that the cable rests upon or between the belt or belts, and is pressed in
contact with them by springs, rollers, or levers, or other convenient apparatus,
so that the pressure may be varied at will. When the tension or pull of the
cable does not exceed the desired limit which is measured by the friction of
the cable on the belt or belts, the belt or belts and the sheaves connected
therewith all move with the cable, and the strain of the cable is balanced and
absorbed by a friction break or other apparatus connected with the belt
sheaves; but so soon as the strain or pull of the cable exceeds the proper
amount, the cable slips on or between the belts without increasing the rotative
motion of belts or sheaves.
In other cases I use an ordinary cylindrical drum, round which the cable is
coiled, and which revolves with it. This drum is mounted on a shaft or axis
and connected therewith is a break apparatus, but the connection of the drum
and the axis is not rigid, but is made by means of a friction apparatus, so that
when the pull of the cable exceeds the amount of friction as regulated by this
apparatus the drum slips round on the axis, thus avoiding any increased
rotative velocity in the break apparatus. The whole of these methods, except
the first are applicable to raising as well as to laying cables by connecting them
with a small steam engine or other source of power, and then reversing their
motion..
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in apparatuses for paying out and hauling in telegraph cables,―
First, the method of balancing the pull or strain of the cable by the friction
of the cable itself upon drums or cones or cylinders or spirals on which the

page_text: cable slides without causing these drums or cones or cylinders or spirals to
move or rotate with it.
Second, the use of curves or spirals of variable curvature whereby the
normal pressure of the cable is equalized to such extent as may be desired.
Third, the use of endless belts on or between which the cable passes and is
pressed, but always in such manner that when the pull of the cable exceeds the
desired amount the cable is free to slide along the belt or belts without im-
parting to it or them any increased rotation.
Fourth, the use of a cylindrical drum attached to its axis by means of any
suitable friction strap or apparatus in such manner that when the pull of the
cable exceeds the amount of friction of this apparatus, the drum is free to
revolve without increasing the rotative velocity of the axis.
And, fifth, the combined employment of any two or more of the apparatuses
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Brooks, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.