IMPROVEMENTS IN CAPSTANS, WINDLASSES, AND STOPPERS, FOR WORKING CHAIN CABLES."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Horatio Harfield, of Royal Exchange
Buildings, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CAPSTANS, WINDLASSES, AND STOPPERS, FOR WORKING CHAIN CABLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Horatio Harfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th October 1864.
I, WILLIAM HORATIO HARFIELD, of Royal Exchange Buildings, in the City
of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVES
MENTS IN CAPSTANS, WINDLASSES, AND STOPPERS, FOR WORKING CHAIN CABLES," to
be as follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in capstans, windlasses, and.
stoppers, for working chain cables.**
In constructing the chain holders or flanges of capstans and windlasses the
radial stops which receive between them the alternate links of the cable have.
in some cases heretofore been made moveable and arranged so that they can
be shifted towards and from the centre as desired. By this means the chain.
flange can be adjusted to take chains of the sizes it is intended to work what-.
ever be the form of the liuk, whether it be long or short, but this adjustment
has not enabled the chain holder to work properly with chains of other sizes.
than those for which it is made, because the distance between the stops on the

page_text: two sides of the chain holder remains constant, the stops having heretofore
been arranged to slide parallel the one to the other. In some cases however
chain holders are required capable of being adjusted to take chains of a
greater number of sizes than they could work without adjustment, all the
chains being of the same make or nearly so. For this purpose I make the
stops to slide on inclined in place of on parallel guides, so that as they are set
inwards to suit a small chain, the distance between them diminishes, and thus
not only is the required adjustment obtained for the diminished length of link
by allowing it to come in nearer to the barrel, but_also_the_necessary_adjust-
ment is made for the diminished thickness of the metal by bringing the stops
nearer together.
Chain stoppers such as are used to stop chain cables either in advance of or
in rear of the capstan or windlass are at present commonly constructed in the
following manner:-The cable is caused as it is hauled in to travel over a casting
in which are two inclines with a groove between them. The inclines support on
each side the alternate links of the chain, which lay horizontally whilst the
vertical links are received in the groove between the inclines. From the top
of the inclines there is a sudden descent, so that the horizontal links of the
chain which, as the chain is being hauled in travel up the inclines, when they
come to the summit drop down, and each link as it falls becomes secure
against return, for should the hauling cease or the hauling power. be over-
powered, the horizontal link which last fell will bear on the ends of the inclines,
and so will be securely beld. Now it is found that in such stoppers the
summit of the inclines gradually wears down, and the stopper is thus
ultimately rendered useless, I, however, according to my Invention, make the
upper ends of the inclines as a separate piece in place of forming the whole in
one casting as heretofore, and then, should this part of the stopper wear, the
worn part may be readily replaced and at a very small cost. The separate
piece drops into a recess formed for it in the main casting, and is securely
fixed by a key....
In order to let the chain run out freely, over the stopper when required,
a block sliding up and down vertically is now employed; this block, when
up, stands as high as the summit of the inclines before; mentioned, and it
converts the drop at the end of the inclines into a gradual slope, and if the
chain was on the stopper when the. block was raised, it lifts the link which
was stopped, clearing it from the ends of the inclines, and then it is free to
run out. On dropping the block again the cable will be immediately stopped.
This block has heretofore been lifted by means of a horizontal axis placed
beyond the block, and having a short straight arm fixed upon it, the outer end

page_text: of which enters a recess in the block. The axis has a lever handle at its end
by which it can be partly rotated, and so the block is raised or lowered.
It will be seen from the nature of this arrangement that the block when
raised will not remain up unless the lever be held or secured, as its own
weight and that of the chain will cause it to fall to its lowest position. Now
according to my Invention I arrange the parts so that the block will remain
as it is placed, either up or down, without the lever handle being held'or
secured. For this purpose I place the axis directly under the block, and the
arm on it I by preference curve to render it smoother in its action. When
the block is down the arm lays flat under it to raise the block. The arm is
by means of the lever handle at the end of its axis turned through about a
quarter circle, and then, being vertical or somewhat over the vertical, the
weight on the top of it has no tendency to cause it to return, but rather the
contrary. "In order to prevent the possibility of the chain jumping off the
stopper, I employ, to secure the link which is bearing on the ends of the
inclines, a key, which is passed horizontally and immediately over the link,
through a bow frame fixed to the sides of the stopper, and passing over the
top of it. This key is removed when the chain is to be heaved in or run out,
and when the block is raised for running out, the key can be inserted under it
to lock it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Horatio Harfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HORATIO HARFIELD, of Royal Exchange Buildings, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant, unto me,
the said William Horatio Harfield, Her special licence that I, the said William
Horatio Harfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
.I, the said William Horatio Harfield, 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.

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAPSTANS, WINDLASSES, AND STOPPERS FOR WORKING
CHAIN CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Horatio Harfield, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and, seals, should. parti-
cularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the samo was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Scal 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 Horatio Harfield,' do hereby
declare the nature of the 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:
This Invention has for its object improvements in capstans, windlasses, and
stoppers for working chain cables.
In constructing the chain holders or flanges of capstans and windlasses," the
radial stops which receive between them the alternate links of the cable have
in some cases heretofore been made moveable and arranged so that they can be
shifted towards and from the centre as desired; by this means the chain
flange can be adjusted to take chains of the sizes it is intended to work, what-
ever be the form of the link, whether it bo long or short. But this adjust-
ment has not enabled the chain holder to work properly with chains of other
sizes than those for which it is made, because the distance between the
stops on the two sides of the chain holder remains constant, the stops having
heretofore been arranged to slide parallelly the one to the other. In sonie
cases, however, chain holders are required capable of being adjusted to take
chains of a greater number of sizes than they could work without adjustment,
all the chains being of the same make or nearly so.
For this purpose
make the stops to slide on inclined in place of on parallel guides, so that as
they are set inwards to suit a small chain, the distance between them
diminishes, and thus not only is the required adjustment obtained for
the diminished length of link by allowing it to come in nearer to the barrel,
but also the necessary adjustment is made for the diminished thickness of the
metal by bringing the stops nearer together.
I
Figure 1 is a section of the chain holder or flange of a capstan or windlass
'constructed according to this Invention; this section is taken in the direction
of the length of the capstan or windlass and through the centre thereof.
Figure 2 is a section taken at the line 1, 1, Figure 1. a is a solid ring of
cast or wrought iron firmly fixed to the capstan or windlass body; b, b, are

page_text: adjustable stops capable of sliding radially in dovetail guide grooves formed for,
them in the ring a; c, c, are filling pieces also fitting the guide grooves; they,
are placed either in front of or behind the stops b, according to the position
these are required to occupy; d, d, are locking pieces which secure the stops b
and the filling pieces c in the guide grooves. The whole construction is
similar to that of chain holders or flanges which have before been employed,
excepting only that the stops b in the upper and under parts of the ring (as
represented in the Drawing) approach each other in sliding in towards the
centre in consequence of the guide grooves of the stops in the upper and
under parts inclining inwards as they approach the centre in place of being
parallel, as heretofore.
Figures 3 and 4 show a slightly modified arrangement, according to which
the whole of the incline is given to the guides in the lower part of the ring in
place of its being divided between the upper and lower guides, as in Figures 1
and 2.
:
i
Chain stoppers, such as are used to stop chain cables either in advance of
or in rear of the capstan or windlass are at present commonly constructed in
the following manner: The cable is caused as it is hauled in to travel over a
casting in which are two inclines with a groove between them; the inclines
support on each side the alternate links of the chain which lie horizontally,
whilst the vertical links, are received in the groove between the inclines.
From the top of the inclines there is a sudden descent, so that the horizontal
links of the chain which as the chain is being hauled in travel up the inclines
when they come to the summit drop down, and each link as it falls becomes
secure against return, for should the hauling cease or the hauling power be
overpowered, the horizontal link which last fell will bear on the ends of the
inclines, and so will be securely held. Now it is. found that in such stoppers the
summit of the inclines gradually wears down, and the stopper is thus ultimately
rendered useless. I, however, according to my Invention make the upper
ends of the inclines as a separate piece in place of forming the whole in one
casting, as heretofore, and then should this part of the stopper wear; the worn
part may be readily replaced, and at a very small cost. The separate piece
drops into a recess formed for it in the main casting, and is securely fixed by
a key.
In order to let the chain run out freely over the stopper when required, a
block sliding up and down vertically is now employed; this block when up
stands as high as the summit of the inclines, before mentioned, and it converts
the drop at the end of the inclines into a gradual slope, and if the chain was
on the stopper when this block was raised, it lifts the link which was stopped,

page_text: clearing it from the ends of the inclines, and then it is free to run out; on
dropping the block again the cable will be immediately stopped. This block
has heretofore been lifted by means of a horizontal axis placed beyond the
block, and having a short straight arm fixed upon it, the outer end of which
enters a recess in the block. The axis has a lever handle at its end by which
it can be partly rotated, and so the block is raised or lowered.
It will be seen, from the nature of this arrangement, that the block when
raised will not remain up unless the lever be held or secured 'as its own
weight and that of the chain will cause it to fall to its lowest position. Now
according to my Invention, I arrange the parts.so_that_the_block_will_remain
as it is placed either up or down without the lever handle being held or
secured. For this purpose I place the axis directly under the block, and the
arm on it I by preference curve to render it smoother in its action; when the
block is down the arm lies flat under it to raise the block; the arm is by
means of the lever handle at the end of its axis turned through about a
quarter circle, and then being vertical or somewhat over the vertical, the
weight on the top of it has no tendency to cause it to return, but rather the con-
trary. In order to prevent the possibility of the chain jumping off the stopper,
I employ to secure the link which is bearing on the ends of the inclines a
key which is passed horizontally and immediately over the link through a bow
frame fixed to the sides of the stopper, and passing over the top of it. This
key is removed when the chain is to be heaved in or run out, and when the
block is raised for running out the key can be inserted under it to lock it.;
Figure 5 is a plan of a stopper having the improvements above mentioned
applied to it; Figure 6 is a section taken at the line 1, 1; Figure 5 and
Figure 7 is a section taken at the line 2, 2, Figure 5. a, a, is a base piece
usually of cast iron bolted firmly to the deck of the ship; a', a¹, are the two
inclines which support the horizontal links of the chain, and a the groove
between them receiving the vertical links of the chain; b is the separate or
'moveable piece with the upper ends of the inclines a¹, a¹, upon it; this piece
is, as is shown, fitted into a recess in the base a, and is secured by a key c
'passing through both; thus the piece b can readily be removed when it
becomes worn, and a new piece 'substituted. d is a block capable of sliding
up and down vertically in guides in the base a; when it is raised it prevents
the links of the chain .dropping-suddenly over the ends of the inclines a', and
catching thereon by converting the sudden drop into a gradual slope over
which the chain is able to run freely in either direction. This block is made
with lugs d' at the sides entering corresponding grooves in the base a to guide
the block truly in its rise and fall...e is the axis by which motion is given to

page_text: the block d; it is placed, as is shown, directly under the block d in place of
at one side of it as heretofore; f is a curved arm fixed on this axis; by
turning the handle f¹ this arm is brought to a vertical position, as is shown
at Figure 8, and so the block d is raised. 9 is a key which is used to ensure
the chain not escaping from the stopper; it is passed through the bow frame
over the chain, as is shown; this same key also serves when the block dis
raised to lock it, the key being then passed through the lower key way h.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Horatio Harfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
W. H. HARFIELD. (L.S.)