IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES AND CABLES, AND FOR PAYING-OUT AND PICKING-UP SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH CABLES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Henley, Telegraph Engineer, of
St. John Street Road, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF ROPES AND CABLES, AND FOR PAYING-OUT AND PICKING-UP SUBMARINE
TELEGRAPH CABLES."
Sealed the 14th February 1860, and dated the 19th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Henley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1859.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, Telegraph Engineer, of St. John Street Road,
Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES
AND CABLES, AND FOR PAYING-OUT AND PICKING-UP SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH CABLES,"
to be as follows:-
1stly, my improvements relate to a system of rollers, consisting of three or
more, used for compressing a cable when made so as to prevent the wires
riding, and to give an even and uniform appearance. Plate I. shows a frame
carrying four rollers a, a, a, a, which is the number I prefer; they are fixed
by thin axles to blocks sliding in the frame A, and are all pressed towards the
centre by the spiral springs b, b, b, b, which are adjusted by the screws c, c, c, c.

page_text: The grooves of the rollers are made to suit the intended rope, and compress
it equally on four sides, so that there is no danger of flattening. The frame,
with the rollers, is shewn fixed to the framework of the cable machine a little
in advance of the lay plate, so as to press the rope or cable just after the lay
of the strands or wire takes place, and presses any slack of the strands or
wire back, and causes the rope or cable to be smooth and uniform.
Plate II., Figs. I and 2, show a similar system of grooved rollers applied to
the paying-out of cables. This would be found useful when the rope is very
large, instead of using a paying-out drum, as the outer wires in the latter case
break very often; but with the rollers the cable would pass out without
receiving any curve. I should propose to use several frames with rollers, say
four or five, one behind the other, the cable to pass through them all. On the
screws for compressing the spirial springs, I place small bevel wheels a, a, a, a,
which gear into a large bevel wheel C revolving on the frame A; the outer
edge of the wheel C forms also a spur wheel, which wheel on each frame
gears into separate pinions b, b, b, b, on a long shaft, at the end of which is a
handle or wheel D, by the motion of which the whole of the rollers are simul-
taneously tightened upon the cable or slackened, as the case may require. If
any enlargement of the cable should be passing through the lapping of a
broken wire, or any other cause, the springs would allow the rollers to open
sufficiently to let it pass. A small stream of water should be allowed to fall
on each frame of rollers during the paying out of the cable to keep them cool.
When using the rollers in making cables, it is best to have bevel wheels on
each screw geared with large bevel wheel on frame, as motion given to one
screw moves them all equally at the same time.
In paying out hemp covered cables, or any other kind of cable where it
may be necessary, I propose to give motion to the rollers as shewn in
Plate II., Figs. 1 & 2, where small bevel wheels c, c, c, c, are shewn fixed on
the axis of each roller gearing together, the axis of one being prolonged to
receive motion from a steam engine or other motive power fixed on board a
ship, which motion should be regulated to the speed of the ship, so as to wind
the cable a little faster than the rate at which the ship moves. An indicator
on board would enable the man at the engine to regulate with the greatest
nicety; reversing the engine or machinery would draw the cable back again
if anything wrong had gone out.
The latter arrangement of rollers could be
combined with the former for laying heavy cables, as shewn in Plate II.,
Figs. 1 & 2.
Plate II., Figs. 3, 4, 5, & 6, represent an apparatus for catching the cable
in case of breaking whilst paying out or picking up. It consists of frame A

page_text: carrying two cams B, B, shewn in the Drawing extended, allowing the cable
to pass freely through; they are kept in that position by the two magnets c, c,
keeping the two armatures D, D, attracted, which form the levers keyed on
the axles of the cams. a, a, a, a, are rollers to enable the cable to pass
through without touching the cams. The frame, with cams and magnets, is
attached to the ship by one or more ropes of a convenient length, in which
may be placed the conducting wires for the magnets, which may be either
electro-magnets or permanent steel magnets. In the former case a current
from a battery on board must be passing through the coils of the magnets
during the laying of the cable, causing them to keep the armatures attracted,
and if the cable should break on leaving the ship, any one on board imme-
diately breaking contact with the battery, the spiral spring overcoming the
slight residual magnetism of the electro-magnets, the cams would close on the
cable, taking the position shewn by the dotted lines in Plate II., Fig. 5, and
by their eccentric action biting the cable with such force that it could not pass
them.
As contact with the battery might by some accidental cause be broken
on board or in the water, and thus endanger the cable when it was running
out properly, I prefer using permanent magnets surrounded with coils of wire;
in this case the armatures and cains could not be liberated until a current was
passed from the vessel polarising the magnets the reverse of their natural
character, or a current could be continually passing in the direction to increase
their usual polarity, and then suddenly reversed; when requiring the cams to
act in this way, any accidental rupture of the conducting wire or breaking of
battery contact would do no harm. A battery and relay apparatus might be
enclosed in a water-tight case attached to the frame carrying the cams, the
relay being in circuit with the cable, a battery with the cable & relay, thus
making it self-acting, as in case of the cable breaking in running out or the
conducting wire of the cable parting, the relay would immediately act and
cause the cams to close. I should propose to introduce a few feet of some
very elastic material between the frame and rope leading to the ship, so that
the sudden arresting of the cable by the cams should not break it between
them and the bottom of the sea. The conducting wires could be made to
accomodate themselves to this stretching, but if they parted within this
material it would be of no consequence, as they would have done their work,
and could be joined again on hauling the end of cable with the frame on board
when using the apparatus self-acting by passing current through the cable, the
end left on shore would be connected with earth plate, the end on board, with
the wire leading to the relay in the frame, a battery on board in circuit.

page_text: between them, a wire from the relay leading to earth plate attached to the
frame in the sea. It is necessary to use local battery in the frame, as the
resistance of the cable would prevent any battery acting direct on the magnets
with sufficient force to have the desired effect. Instead of the ropes attaching
the catching apparatus to the ship being permanently fixed, they are passed
several times round a drum provided with a strong friction break, and the
ends are connected to a strong line of three or four miles, also wound round
the drum; this would be used in case of the cable getting entangled in the
frame otherwise than by the action of the cams, and would also enable the
cable to be cut in a storm and afterwards recovered.
The action of the battery and magnets may be applied to actuate any other
arrangement of apparatus for arresting the end of the cable when it breaks,
and I also propose when using the cams or eccentrics to sometimes use a
trigger and line to start them instead of the battery and magnet. Instead
of two cams one only may be used, acting against a fixed stop. I also
propose to use a small frame, with one or two cams or eccentrics as a
stopper for a rope or cable to hold it fast or haul it on board; it
lowered over the rope or cable, and when pulling the reverse way it will
nip it fast.
may be
SPECIFICATION, in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS HENLEY, Telegraph Engineer, of St. John Street Road, Clerkenwell,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, 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 William Thomas Henley, IIer special licence that I, the said
William Thomas Henley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Thomas Henley, 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 MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ROPES AND CABLES,

page_text: AND FOR PAYING-OUT AND PICKING-UP SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Thomas Henley, 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 William Thomas Henley, 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 :-
My improvements relate, firstly, to a system of rollers consisting of three or
more, used for compressing a cable when made so as to prevent the wires
riding, and to give an even uniform appearance.
Plate 1 shows a frame carrying four rollers (a, a, a, a,), which is the number
I prefer; they are fixed by thin axles to blocks sliding in the frame A, and are
all pressed towards the centre by the spiral springs b, b, b, b, which are adjusted
by the screws c, c, c, c; the grooves of the rollers are made to suit the intended
rope, and compress it equally on four sides, so there is no danger of flattening.
The frame with rollers is shown fixed to the framework of the cable machine
a little in advance of the lay plate, so as to press the rope or cable just after
the lay of the strands or wire takes place, and press any slack of the strand or
wire back, and cause the rope or cable to be smooth and uniform.
Plate 2 shows a similar system of grooved rollers applied to the paying-out
of cables. This would be found useful where the rope is very large, instead of
using a paying-out drum, as the outer wires in the latter case break very
often, but with the rollers the cable would pass out without receiving any
curve. I should propose to use several frames with rollers, say, four or five,
one behind the other, the cable passing through the whole of them. On the
screw for compressing the spiral springs, I place small bevel wheels a, a, a, a,
which gear into a large bevil wheel C revolving out on the frame A; the
outer edge of the wheel C forms also a spur wheel, which wheel on each
frame gears into separate pinions b, b, b, b, on a long shaft, on the end of
which is a handle or wheel D, by the motion of which the whole of the rollers
are simultaneously tightened upon the cable, or slackened as the case may
require. If any enlargement of the cable should be passing through the
lapping of a broken wire, or any other cause, the spring would allow the
roller to open sufficiently to let it pass. A small stream of water should be

page_text: allowed to fall on each frame of rollers during the paying-out of cable to
keep them cool. When using the rollers in making cables, it is best to have
bevel wheel on each screw, geared with large bevel wheel on frame, as motion
given to one screw moves them all equally at the same time.
In paying-out hemp covered cables, or any other kind of cable where it
may be necessary, I propose to give motion to the rollers as shewn in Plate 2,
Figures 1 & 2, where small bevel wheels c, c, c, c, are shewn fixed on the
axis of each roller gearing together, the axis of one being prolonged to receive
motion from a steam engine or other motive power fixed on board the ship,
which motion should be regulated to the speed of the ship, so as to wind the
cable a little faster than the rate at which the ship moves. An indicator on
board would enable the man at the engine to regulate with the greatest nicety;
reversing the engine or machinery would draw the cable back again if any.
thing wrong had gone out. The latter arrangement of rollers could be com-
bined with the former for laying heavy cables, shown in Plate 2, Figs. 1 & 2.
Plate 2, Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, represent an apparatus for catching the cable in
case of breaking whilst paying-out or picking up. It consists of frame A
carrying two cams b, b; these are shown in the Drawing extended, allowing
the cable to pass freely through, and are kept in that position by the two
magnets c, c, keeping the two armatures D, D, attracted, which form the levers
keyed on the axles of the cams. a, a, a, a, are rollers to enable the cable to
pass through without touching the cams. The frame with cams and magnets
is attached to the ship by one or more ropes of a convenient length, in which
may be placed the conducting wires for the magnets, which may be either
electro-magnets or permanent steam magnets. In the former case a current
from a battery on board must be passing through the coils of the magnets
during the laying of the cable, causing them to keep the armatures attracted,
and if the cable should break on leaving the ship, any one on board imme-
diately breaking contact with the battery, the spiral spring overcoming the
slight residual magnetism of the electro-magnets, the cams would close on the
cable, taking the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, Plate 2, and by
their eccentric action biting the cable with such force that it could not pass
them.
1
As contact with the battery might by some accidental cause be broken on
board or in the water, and thus endangering the cable when it was running
out properly, I prefer using permanent magnets surrounded with coils of wire;
in this case the armatures and camis could not be liberated until a current was
passed from the vessel polarizing the magnets the reverse of their naturel
character, or a current could be continually passing in the direction to increase

page_text: their usual polarity, and then suddenly reversed when requiring the cams to
act; in this way any accidental rupture of the conducting wire or breaking of
battery contact would do no harm. A battery and relay apparatus might be
enclosed in a water-tight case attached to the frame carrying the cams, the
relay being in circuit with the cable, a battery with the cable and relay, thus
making it self-acting, as in the case of the cable breaking in running out, or
the conducting wire of the cable parting, the relay would immediately act and
cause the cams to close. I should propose to introduce a few feet of some
very elastic material between the frame and rope leading to the ship, so that
the sudden arresting of the cable by the cams should not break it between
them and the bottom of the sea. The conducting wires could be made to
accomodate themselves to this stretching, but if they parted within this
material it would be of no consequence, as they would have done their
work, and could be joined again on hauling the end of cable with the
frame on board. When using the apparatus self-acting by passing current
through the cable, the end left on shore would be connected with earth plate,
the end on board with the wire leading to the relay in the frame, a battery on
board in circuit between them, a wire from the relay leading to earth plate
attached to the frame in the sea. It is necessary to use local battery in the
frame, as the resistance of the cable would prevent any battery acting direct
on the magnets with sufficient force to have the desired effect. Instead of the
ropes attaching the catching apparatus to the ship being permanently fixed,
they are passed several times round a drum provided with a strong friction
break, and the ends are connected to a strong line of three or four miles, also
wound round the drum. This would be used in case of the cable getting
entangled in the frame otherwise than by the acting of the cams, and would
also enable the cable to be cut in a storm and afterwards recovered.
The action of the battery and magnets may be applied to actuate any other
arrangement of apparatus for arresting the end of the cable when it breaks;
and I also propose when using the cams or eccentrics to sometimes use a
tugger and line to start them instead of the battery and magnets. Instead of
two cams one only may be used acting against a fixed stop; I also propose to
use a small frame with one or two cams or eccentrics as a stopper for a rope
or cable to hold it fast or haul it on board; it may be lowered over the rope
or cable, and when pulling the reverse way it will nip it fast.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, and
the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it under-
stood that I do not bind myself to the precise details, as the same may be
varied without differing from the principle of the Invention; but what I desire

page_text: to claim and have secured to me by my Letters Patent is, the several
improvements in machinery for the manufacture of ropes and cables, and also
for paying out and picking up submarine telegraph cables, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Henley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
(L.S.) WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY.
Witness,
JOSEPH WILLCOCK,
Patent Agent & Engineer,
89, Chancery Lane, London.