An Improvement in Grapnels for Submarine Cables.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Grapnels for Submarine Cables.
I, WALTER CLAUDE JOHNSON, of The Dignaries, Westcombe Park, London.
S.E Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
My invention relates to a construction of grapnel for picking up submarine
telegraph cables, applicable especially in cases where the cable is laid on a rocky
bottom, the chief object being to provide against damage to the prongs or other
parts of the grapnel by coming in contact with or being jammed between rocks or
other obstructions, providing at the same time in such cases for the retention of the
cable that has been hooked. For this purpose, the prongs are jointed to the shank
by pivots situated somewhat above the level of the points of the prongs, which by
means of springs are caused to project beyond the edge of a conical shield which
encloses. all the internal parts of the grapnel. The conical shield may be fluted.
According to a modification the prongs themselves, instead of being pivotted are
made elastic so as to form springs.
When a grapnel thus constructed is worked, should any of the prongs come in
contact with rock, they can. recede within the shield sufficiently far to enable the
grapnel to clear the obstruction. When the obstruction is passed, the prongs are
made by the springs to resume their working position. The pivots of the prongs
being considerably above the points of the prongs, a slight movement of the points
is sufficient to bring them completely under the protection of the shield, and if a
prong is forced back after the cable has been hooked, it still retains the cable. As
the prongs are arranged to collapse inwards towards the centre of the grapnel, the
grapnel is enabled to pass through channels in which it would be held fast if the
prongs were arranged to open outwards from the centre of the grapnel on
encountering an obstruction as in other grapnels of the retractile type in which
the prongs expand when in action. The shank has jointed to its lower extremity
preferably five prongs, the pivots being considerably above the points of the
prongs, these are caused to project by means of strong helical springs attached to
the prongs and to the upper end of the shank.
A conical shield encloses the shank, and protects all the working parts.
D
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Grapnels for Submarine Cables.
I, WALTER CLAUDE JOHNSON, of The Dignaries, Westcombe Park, London,
S.E. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :--
.
My invention relates to a construction of grapnel for picking up submarine
telegraph cables, applicable especially in cases where the cable is laid on a rocky
bottom, the chief object being to provide against damage to the prongs or other
parts of the grapnel by coming in contact with or being jammed between rocks or

page_text: other obstructions, providing at the same time in such cases for the retention of the
cable that has been hooked. For this purpose, the prongs are jointed to the shank
by pivots situated somewhat above the level of the points of the prongs, which by
means of springs are caused to project beyond the edge of a conical shield which
encloses all the internal parts of the grapnel. The conical shield may be fluted.
According to a modification the prongs themselves instead of being pirotted are
made elastic so as to form springs.
When a grapnel thus constructed is worked, should any of the prongs come in
contact with rock, they can recede within the shield sufficiently far to enable the
grapnel to clear the obstruction. When the obstruction is passed, the prongs are
made by the springs to resume their working position. The pivots of the prongs
being considerably above the points of the prongs, a slight movement of the points
is sufficient to bring them completely under the protection of the shield, and if a
prong is forced back after the cable has been hooked, it still retains the cable. As the
prongs are arranged to collapse inwards towards the centre of the grapnel, the grapnel
is enabled to pass through channels in which it would be held fast if the prongs
were arranged to open outwards from the centre of the grapnel on encountering an
obstruction as in other grapnels of the retractile type in which the prongs expand
when in action.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a part elevation and part vertical
section of one form of the above described improved grapnel;
Fig. 2 shews a sectional plan.
In this construction the grapnel is composed of a stem A to the lower end of
which is fixed a head B to which are pivotted at 6 the grapnel prongs C..
The hooks of these prongs extend down some distance below the pivot, and they
are connected at a point near the pivot b to one end of a spring D the other end of
which is connected to a sleeve E on the upper part of the shank, so that such
springs tend to hold the prongs in the outward position in which their hooks
project beyond the conical shield F. Thus when the prongs come in contact with
a rock or other obstruction they can be pressed thereby within the shield so as to
clear the obstruction, and they will be made to protrude again by the springs after
this has been passed; if a cable has been hooked by a prong, it will be held
securely thereby when in the retracted position.
Fig. 3 shews a vertical section and Fig. 4 a cross section of a modified form in
which the grapnel prongs C are formed with long elastic shanks bolted to the upper
part of the stem A, so that when the protruding hooks of the prongs come in
contact with an obstacle, their shanks will act as a spring in allowing them to be
pushed inwards under the protection of the cone and then causing them to project
again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare 'that what I
claim is :-
1. In a grapnel, the combination of prongs connected to the grapnel stem with
spring action and a conical or tapering shield, so arranged that when a grapnel
prong comes in contact with an obstacle it can recede under the conical shield so as
to be protected thereby and is afterwards made to protrude again by the spring
action, substantially as described.
2. In a grapnel constructed as set forth in the first claim, pivotting the grapnel
prongs to the stem of the grapnel at a point some distance above their hooks, and
holding them in an outward position by means of springs so that a comparatively
small amount of motion of the prongs upon the pivots will bring them under the
protection of the shield, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2
of the drawings.
3. In a grapnel constructed as set forth in the first claim, forming the grapnel
prongs with spring shanks secured to the upper part of the grapnel stem within the

page_text: shield, so that when the hook of the grapnel comes in contact with an obstacle,.
the spring shank will yield so as to allow it to recede under the protection of the
shield and will then cause it to move outwards again substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of March 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.