IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PAYING OUT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Gisborne and Henry Charles Forde, both of
Duke Street, Adelphi, Civil Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PAYING OUT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES."
Sealed the 5th February, 1858, and dated the 31st August 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lionel Gisborne and
Henry Charles Forde at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 31st August 1857.
We, LIONEL GISBORNE and HENRY CHARLES FORDE, both of Duke Street,
Adelphi, Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR PAYING OUT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for paying out
electric telegraph cables. For these purposes the cable is passed over a
pulley, which is carried by an arm suspended from a universal joint; and it
has also another universal joint near the pulley; thus the arm can oscillate in
all directions, and the pulley can follow the succeeding coils in which the cable
is laid in the ship or vessel. The cable next passes under a stationary pulley,
and then over a drum (which is governed by a break) around which it takes
several turns; the cable then descends under another pulley which is weighted,
and has a quantity of chain attached to it, and when the strain comes on the
cable it draws it more and more nearly into a straight line, lifting at the same

page_text: time the weighted pulley, and so becoming subjected to a continually increasing
weight. The weighted pulley in rising and falling is guided by two uprights,
at the upper part of which there is a spring or buffing apparatus to counteract
any sudden rising of the pulley. The cable lastly passes over two guiding
pulleys to the stern of the ship or vessel. On the upper coil of the cable are
placed numerous spherical weights which cover the whole upper surface of the
coils of the cable, and they at all times prevent the cable as it runs out from
drawing up portions of the coil with it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Lionel Gisborne and Henry Charles Forde in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th February 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, LIONEL
GISBORNE and HENRY CHARLES FORDE, both of Duke Street, Adelphi, Civil
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Lionel Gisborne and Henry Charles Forde, Her special licence that
we, the said Lionel Gisborne and Henry Charles Forde, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Lionel Gisborne
and Henry Charles Forde, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS POR PAYING OUT ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Lionel Gisborne and Henry
Charles Forde, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said Lionel Gisborne and Henry Charles
Forde, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: 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 apparatus for paying out
electric telegraph cables. For these purposes the cable is passed over a
pulley which is carried by an arm suspended from a universal joint; and it has
also another universal joint near the pulley; thus the arm can oscillate in all
directions, and the pulley can follow the succeeding coils in which the cable is
laid in the ship or vessel. The cable next passes under a stationary pulley
and then over a drum (which is governed by a break), around which it takes
several turns; the cable then descends under another pulley which is weighted,
and has a quantity of chain attached to it, and when the strain comes on the
cable it draws it more and more nearly into a straight line, lifting at the same
time the weighted pulley, and so becoming subjected to a continually increasing
weight. The weighted pulley in its rising and falling is guided by two
uprights, at the upper part of which there is a spring or buffing apparatus to
counteract any sudden rising of the pulley. The cable lastly passes over two
guiding pulleys to the stern of the ship or vessel. On the upper coils of the
cable are placed numerous spherical weights which cover the whole upper
surface of the coils of the cable, and they at all times prevent the cable as it
runs out from drawing up portions of the coil with it.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the stern part of a ship or vessel, having
apparatus combined and applied according to our Invention, Figure 2 shows a
plan of the same. The cable is coiled in any suitable compartment A, A, of the
ship or vessel, as shown in the Drawing; in the centre of the coils is fixed a cone
B, similar to what has before been used. On the upper surface of the coils of
the cable numerous spherical weights C, C, are placed, which cover the upper
layers or coils of the cable, so as to prevent the cable as it is run out from
drawing up other portions of the coils which are in contact with the parts,
which are in their proper turns being lifted from the coils, the consequence of
which is that, in addition to preventing other prejudicial consequences, the
application of the weights tends to keep a more uniform strain on the pulley D,
which is carried by the moveable arm E. The pulley D is attached to the
lower end of the arm E by a universal joint, and the upper end of the arm E
moves on a similar joint, so that it and the pulley can freely vary their
positions to suit the varying points from which the cable is from time to time

page_text: being lifted from the surface of the coils below. The cable from the pulley D
passes under the pulley F, up through the deck, over the drum G, around
which it takes several turns; the cable then passes over the pulley H, under
the pulley I, to the axis of which is attached a frame or suitable apparatus J
to carry moveable weights, so as to admit of having the cable subject to
a constant determined minimum weight, which should be considerably below
the weight it is known the cable is capable of sustaining without injury. This
apparatus has also attached to it several chains, the weight of which when all
lifted is to be the maximum strain to which the cable is to be put, which
should also be considerably within the weight the cable is capable of sustaining
without liability to injury. By this arrangement it will be seen that, when the
pulley I is so low down that the chains are for the most part resting on
a platform below, much of the weight of chains will not be supported by
the cable, and the only additional strain which can be brought on the cable
will be the amount of the weight of the chains supported below, for it will be
seen that the apparatus in connection with the pulley I is such, that when the
projections K, K, come under the chains L suspended. to the longer ends
of the levers L', L', the weight of such chains L acting on those levers will be
progressively reduced, and the friction on the bands on the ends of the drum G
will be also reduced, and the cable will be permitted to run out more freely;
or, as the pulley I descends, the breaks will again be applied more and more
strongly. The levers L, L', move on their axes L², L2, and the levers L', L',
are connected with the break levers L³, L³, as shown.
From the above description it will be understood that the object of the
Invention is to control the two extremes of strain to which a cable shall be
subjected within certain limits, and that those limits shall be arrived at, not
suddenly, but progressively, step by step, by reason of the governing weights
being taken up and again deposited in succession. From the pulley I the
cable passes over guide pulleys M, N, or is delivered out of the vessel by any
suitable apparatus. O, O, are upright guides for the frame and the bearings
of the axis of the pulley I; and it is desirable that there should be spring
buffers at P, P, as is indicated by the Drawing. We would state that,
although we prefer to use chains, it will be evident that the arrangements
of apparatus employed may be varied, so long as the arrangements are such as
to use a succession of weights, and to pick or take them. .up in succession.
We would remark that by marking on the posts O the weights the axis of
the pulley I is subject to when the axis comes to certain parts of those
uprights O, O, the observer may know at all times the strain to which the cable
is for the time being subjected.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we make no claim to
ny of the mechanical parts separately; but what we claim is the mode herein
lescribed of combining mechanism for paying out electric telegraphs.
In witness whereof, we, the said Lionel Gisborne and Henry Charles
Forde, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-second day
of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-eight.
Witness,
F. GISBORNE,
34, Bruton St., London, W.
LIONEL GISBORNE. (L.S.)
H. C. FORDE.
(LS.)