US52522A - Improvement-in ocean-telegraphs - Google Patents

Description

NO 52 522 PATENTED PEB.1-3, 1866.

Cm W. BOWLSBY. QGEAN TELEGRAPHr 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

their auxiliaries, the signal-buoys and. other[ 1 is a general view of the device in 'ertica-l re STATES PATENT raise.

BoWLsBY, or

orison, MICHLGAN.

FHSL

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,522. dated February 13, 1866'.

To all wh m it may cont-0r 3e it known that l, GEORGE BOWLSBY, of Monroe, in the county of Monroe aniigState of Michigan, have invented a new and improredl ilodc ct Ucean-Telegrapliing; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a. full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marlseii thereon.

The nature or lay-intention consists in aseries of electric submarine telegraphic cables somewhat similar in manufacture to those now in use, or, in other words, an ocean electric telegraphic cable divided into sections of suitable length and connected by means of ships, which are moored to their places at sea, by proper weights, anchors, and cables, and also by proper buoys, signals, &c., for finding such moorings or stations when abandoned tempo-v rarily by the vessel because of storms and various causes necessary in the working of the line, and also of proper devices forsupporlin'g the cables in the water between the surface and the bottom, and also of many other aux iliaries to the proper, convenient, and profitable working of the line and its dependencies, which will be described in this specification.

'lhe different parts are: the flying stations, consisting of ships or steamers and their tenders, the sections of electric cable, thefastening-cables and their buoys, the moorings with signal-iixtures,the bell-buoys, the water-proof chest for packing the ends of the cables when the station is abandoned temporarily by the ship, and other minor devioesforcarryin 9; them into'etiect. v I I In the accompanying drawings, Sheet So,

elevation, showing the stations, one occupied by thesteemer 35' or fiyingstation, and the other temporarilyabandoned with signals set,- by which to direct thcrcturii ot' thc flying station toits moorings B t r r Sheet No. 2 shows the difi'ercnt parts in dotail. Figure 1 shows the great surface-buoy with signals E if} set, packingboxll, and lanyard l in place, and the electric cable A pass mg; throughit, box-traveler l"-, and bell-buoy u attached. Figs. 2,3, and 4 are different views of the great mooring and its auxiliaries K K ll P 1?, Figs. 5, 6, T are modifications cable leaves the bottom to of the mooring-cable chain-links. -Figs. S and 9 of the electric and mooring cable buoys in section, showing the interior braces. Fig. 10 of the electric cable'near and a ends of sections, showing enlar 'em'ent between sea. bottom and surface. 1 lg. 110i packing-box and Fig. of electric-cable weights. Fig'.'13 of the joining-s oi the compartments of the great surface-buoy; Fig. l4 of the hol 10w links inthe mooring-cable before'welding. Fig. 15 shows the llag-stali' sockets. Fig. shows the grooves in the -moorings for the flanges. modified. l igs. l8andl9are sectionsol mooring-cablc buoys and links. Fig. 20 is a, holler: mooring-cable link in section, (verticah) with solid ends D Similar letters of reference refer to like parts.

A, Sheet 1, is the cable in sections, passing from one station to the other along the bottom of the sea, and passing to-and from thesurface of the water at intervals of twenty-five, fifty, one hundred, oriirc hundred miles, more or less, as proves most profitable in the tlifl'erent localities. ll; may be made of large sizesay two or tlire inches, or even more, in diameteras ii; will be laden on dili'ereni; vessels, and, being so short, will not overload the ship'by its bulk. it may also have a large number of UUIHlllUiillgrn'll'flfi, even hundreds, because of its great'size. These wires may alsobe made larger thah those heretofore in jiisoin ocean-cables for the some reason. {The whole cable may also, it small, be cnlargetl'at the ends to strengthen it, as shown in Fig. ill.

Buoys 0, ol'just suiiicient capacity and number to balance the weight of the cable-from the bottom to the surface, are bent on at proper intervals along the wire, so that thereneetl be.

no unduostrain upontlio greal; buoy, Fig. l. i

The ends thatrcach the surface arepassed into the ship 13; oneuench side or both on one side, as most con'\ enienr,aml communi cate with the operating room and instruments,

and the messages are repeatedirom one 8 h.-

tion to another, or past stations. according to the working strength of the currents onthe wires for the time andother circumstances attending it; At the point where the electric go to the surface a small mooring,'e, may be,

Fig. 17 the packing-box closed and madolfast to it to The buoys are made in the'com-rnon manner,v

2 cease keep iti'roni dragging about with the pressure of'thebuoys 0 and the swi i'g'ot the shi'pto the difierent" poiiitsbf the compass inihe wind. 1 r' The buoys, in; "very deep water shonld' be. braced across thoroughly inside ,to prevent collapse of the wallsby the immense pressure, and particularly at the join'tsto prevent leak This bracing is. shown in Figs. Sand-9.

of plates .ofiroh joined'into a water-proof'aircha|nber,.and ofthe proper size and number ways, among which are thoseshowu .in Fig.

for just sufficientlybuoyingup themselves and i also the weightofthe cable added.

At B and B are'the stations where the ca- ,bles come to the surface and pass into the ship.

Theyare surveyed and charted upon the map in a precise point of latitude and longitude, so that they can be readily found by the telegraph-ships and all the shipping of the world,

and are occupied in the following manner: r A mooring, Figs. 2, 3,4, Sheetfl, is sunk to the bottom, of great weight, and, with its auxiliaries l P R, sufiicient'to hold a ship or steamer steadily in place on the surface in fair weather by means of a cable, 1), which is self-supporting, and a long mast-like buoy, Fig. 1,:1t top. to which the telegraph-ship B is tied in fair weather, and in ,foul weather a signaL'E. is set at the top of this. consisting'of a tall fla stafi', with or without other signals, as flags, balls. and other well-known means of sighting objects at long distances, andthe ship then 'abandonsits moorings till a return of fair weather, when, by means of said signals, to-.

gether with proper observations for latitude amllongitmle, it linds its station. These sta-. tions should be planted at convenientdistances for all the objects of the line, and on the'most frequented-routes of travel between great martsot' commerce. for the accommodation of shipping in transit, as well as for the terinini of communication, and may branch off .vate the signals a great distance in the air,

and also to hold the packing-box, Fig. 11, below the agitated surface in quiet water while the ship is absent from the station, and. also to compensate for any urplus weight in the appendages and for accumulations of deposits on the buoy and lines, and to provide for accidental leakage of itself or the buoys below. It has a ring, Q, at its foot for the great mooring-cahle,a traveler, F, of iron rod or rope, its whole length, and proper staples or a socket, Fig. 15, or other means at top of fastening in place the .siguahstafi E. It is best to make it of difi'erent compartments, and then waterproof. for the followingpurposes: greater con;

venience in transporting it to its place of destination, of sinking it to its proper place in i'he sea, and otiiftiug'it out; of the sea for re"- pairs, and also-that, if t suddenly leaks and tends to" fill,-"oiiiyfoiieof the tanks will fill;

otherwiseitworild sink and carry with it the whole'lixtnresotthestation if the ship were. tiliJSSlii'fdXr thejtime, and thus destroy the work- ,hrgptthe two adjoiniugcables till relairl,

The compartment-s may he joined in various 1, and in R. and 0, Fig. 13. In Fig. 1 the joints are stepped into each other, and the flanges, as shown in S, Fig. 13, are bolted through and through with screw or key bolts, so thatthey can be separated when necessary. in E, Fig. 13, are flanges a, projected outward, and jamming up againsteaoh other, and throsgh' the lianges, which stand at right-angles with the walls of the tanks, short bolts pass vertically, and are secured with screwnuts or keys.

The traveler F may be a rigid rod of iron the whole length ofthe buoy, and secured at a short distance from and parallel. to it by elbow-joints s s at each end. The socket or staples, Fig. 15, orother iastenings for the signal-staff, may be made in any desirable and convenient manner. The bell-buoy n will be made as well known. and attached to the footring Qoi' the great buoy by a rope-cable, b,

and given a sufficient length to clear it from all danger of collision with the other buoy.

Figs. 2, 3', and 4.- areviews of the great mooririgs and their auxiliaries. They consist, first, of an immense mass of iron, haviugconsiderable breadth andv width, been? little comparative thickness, and weig hing from two or three tons to ahundrerhmore or less, with a. strong ring, G. in the center of the top for the ships cable D to enter, and other rings, H, at the corners to tie the auxiliary anchors or moorings Ito.

Iron stakes P P P, either fiat, square, plain,

or barbed, or spiral like an anger, may be bedded into the under side of the moorings, having the same effect as the flanges K, or any other convenient'devioe that will sink into and take hold of the mud upon the botfi tom of their own accord. (See the different forms at P P 1?, Fig. ti)

Other fixturesmay be added to these, as broad thin flanges K, Fig. 2, bolted to the lower edges of the moorings and extending electric circuit past that station to the next. a

5, 6. and 7 are modifications of the lowering-cable, made of water-proof" an; nders stapled together, Fig. 7, or ot'romr aed o'rcoved air-chambers m, inclosed in either or hollow links, Figs. 6 and 1b, or of round chambersnot inclosed, Fig". 5, and various other modifications er self-supporting chains, of iron tanks, or otT-buoys strung upon ca do of rope or chain orwires, as seen at D, station B.v The buoys should be braced across internally in those that are strung on the cable at great depths, to prerent collapse by the pressure of the water-externally. (Seelfigs. S and 9.)

it found necessary, the electric cables may be enlarged at; the ends, as in Fig. 10. for increased strength.

Fig. 11 shows the box for packing the ends of the cable in when thrown overboard in a storm, and is an iron chest ot'suitable size and form, the joints being: packed with rubber, as also the apertures L L where the ends of the cable enter. Inside of this the conductingwires are properly joined to complete the The cable is laid in the-rubber beds LL in the apertures, and the'two halves of the chestarc joined by powerful screw clamps and bolts u 10 and hands 1; a passing around the chest, or by logs or flanges upon the edges of the seam or elsewhere. Upon one side of the box the bands have loops to to, which open out by hinges :c m and pass around the traveler F which fits loosely into the loops. The box is then closed, when the ends of the bands c c, which project from the front edge. of the cover, lock down onto the straps v o. The screw-bolts are then inserted in the lugs 31 3}, and the box is lowered to the bottom of the great surface-buoy in 'still water by the lanyard F, and when the ship returns to its station the box and cable 'are lifted on board again by the lanyard F,

the signals E are taken in aboard, and the line is again complete. A bell-buoy, n, is attached to the foot ot'the great buoy to assist in finding the station, especially at night and in fogs. Small moorings may be set zit-"the" point where the electric cable leaves the ground to go to the surface, and tied to it to prevent its swinging around with the veering ot the vessci or the upper end, and to overcome any extra buoyancy of the fixtures on the ,perpen dicular ends of the cables. They are .show(n in Fig. 12. r

Fig. 13 shows the joinings-ot' .the compartments of the great surfacelbnogg and consist through from side to side.

.-extendingontwardjrom the ends of open tubes P reaching ing' cable B before welded down and drawn heyon d-the air-chambers, which slip into each other and are bolted B. shows flanges and jamming impossible to do by any Fig. 15 shows the flag-staff setting. In tthe socket or cylinder for the reception of the stat? is on the inside of thetube that is lifted into the air. In (2 it is on the outside.

Fig. 16 shows the groovcsf in the under side of the moorings for the flanges K, with the bolts passing through them from the edges. They may also be packed with lead, instead ot the bolts.

Fig. 17 shows the packing-box closed eady l'or throwing overboard, and also with the apertures L L both on one side, in which case theconnection of the conducting-wires on the inside will be bent short to match them, and the cables will then both pass out at the under side of the box, directly downward, without any bend in the cable proper.

Figs. 18 and 19 are cross-sections, of the mooring-cable. D is atop View of one of the air-chamhersin Fig. l) is a cross-section of the same. in perspective, showing one halt. D is a cross-section ot'one of the. hollow links in Fig. 6, with'the iuclosed chamber m having the corners rounded. l) is a top View of the same.

Fig. 20 is a vertical section of hollow link, in which the ends D are solid to increase the tortive strength, and also to prevent the wear through ot' the chafing-links into the air-chainber of the link.'

Havingdescribed my invention, 1 will set forth some of its advantages over other ocean telegraphs now in use, and also some of the uses to which it will necessarily be applied independcntoteleetric tclegraphing, and some of which are of as much or more importance than the conununieatiou with the opposite shores.

First, it makes it possible to telegraph by electric current across a wide and deep expanse of ocean, which, with a continuous cable, ii; is

known means practically, because principally of the waste of electric force from imperfect insulation; out there are other causes which operate to add to the difficulty, one of which is 'indnctiomeren where the insulation is comparatively perfect, and which .is increased by theiininenee pressure exerted by the overhanging bod y of water,

and also by thehigh conducting powers of the medium through which the cable passes, consisting ocean-water, mud, and minerals, &c. all good conductors-and to add to theresistance nearly all ocean-cables will have to he laid acrossthe eartlrcurrents, instead of along with them, thereby greatly increasing the resistance to the free passage of the artificial current. The earth, in its revolution on axis, sends the electric fluid, by centrifugal force, totne circumference, and draws the supply from the center. 0n reaching the sur face it moves in right lines to the nearest pole,

where it enters atthe magnetic pole-a point near the entire absence of rotary modem-and travels down the statioz'ia-ry line called the axis, and returns again to the surface, '8 so on continually. These currents are of rying, but generally too great, intensity to permit the profitable working-of long deepsea-lines, and impossible in the case of the great ocean stretches. These currents also attach the line \vitlftiie.v advantage of great pressure. The overlying weight forces the "ultimate atoms oi water between the ultimate atoms at the insulator, and every little cell in the cable is soon tilled with these minute stepping-stones, on which thenatural. currents leap across and through the artificial current, carrying along" with them, little by little, the fluid from the wires, and thus step by step the force grows weaker, till it is finally all clestroyed. Thiscan be overcomeouly by powerful batteries exerted through short circuits, and by thicker insulation. The powerful hatteries make the force'of the current greater than the aggregate force of the counter-currents. The short circuits enable the signals to reach. their destination before they are stopped-by the induction, and the thicker insulation prevents the stepping-stones from reaching the wires in so great number, and therefore retardsthe leaping of the enemy across the path. From these reasons I am fully convinced that a continuous cable cannot he worked successfully across even the Atlantic, although laid upon the famous plateau. I

But another advantage, and perhaps the greatest, is the benefit, direct and indirect, not only to commerce generally, but to shipping in transit. it will be a great inducement to all vessels to travel along the route, and thus addto each others safety and convenience. Every ship owner and consignee may know just where his property is, and what condition it is in all the time, and when they may expect ocean highway assist each other, like travelers along a frequented road. Before leaving its station the ship may notify the next stations each way of the direction, force, particulars of the coming storm,- ioe fieldsand bergs, &c.,, and thus notify-all the shipping along the whole line to more out of its path and thus avoid it altogether. A snpercargo may watch the market quotations all the way across the sea, and so prepare himsc'if'for his sales on arrival.

It will so increase the conveniences of conimerce as to greatly increase the commerce itself, and the ocean will soon he a peopled continent alive with the rush of travel. Trail-- ing vessels will flock along the line and belighters, the, and become means of communication come tugs, salvors, mail harges,

and other .i v eases generally between the stations and passing ships. Ihe routes will soon become immense mail-lines for the exchange of letters, sale oi newspapers,.carriage of parcels, &c. Express companies will he established, and most of the -transitconveniences of the land will be created for the new order of things. Every passengercan have his daily papers, eyen from both shores, thus breaking up the monotony of a sea yoyage; can communicate with his friends quickly and cheaply, (for hundreds of wires will soon be at work to supply. the demand,) and more full y every day and hour by letter, and it he finds it necessary to return while yet at sea, can do so by waiting at a station the hourly arrivals of returning" vessels. Pirates could not prey so readily upon weaker vessels because of, so many enemies within lldll. Beingin sections, it may be laid with-safe y, as fairweather only need be chosen. it can, all he laid within a few hours, from one shore to the other, after the station-moorings are all set, as each vessel will have to steam but a short d'istanccto connect with the others. The electric cable can be made oi any desirable dimensions antl any number of wires and any thickness of insulatiouend if any of it'fails only the defective-piece need he laid aside,- and thatonly temporarily, as, being so strong, it can be raised, instead of losing the whole line, as in long weak cables. Many such lines may be laid-across the same ships when needed. Many intermediate stations may he, posted along the route for separate lines, thus short ening the distance between the safety-beacons and cheapening' the priceof connnunication, I Shipping would travel-so closely, alon-gf the routethatnll sunken rocks could be well known and guardethaml so avoided. Electric lights may be used on board the stationsto signal passers and act as beacons and light up the surrounding fogs. The supply of electric fluid for all purposes may be generated by the engines of" the stations. A passing ship;.may send a message at one station and receive a reply at another. The messages could lie-written rapidly, because of so little resistance, and a therefore cheaply. The curren t bein g5 so strong, llcss mistakes would be made in writing. What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- 'ters- Batent, is-- l. The flying-telegraph stations B, consis inp; of ships or steamers, when. used for the purpose specified, and. in combination with thepertnaneut stations B and the partiallysuoinerged electriccable sections.

2. The electricoable. sections, lying for the niostpart upon the bottom of the sea, and the ends coming-to the surface of the water and supported by buoys, substantially as described. 3. The combination of moorings, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 2, with buoys B and B, cables D D, and auxiliaries 1 1,1? P, K K, H H,anai G, Sheet hand made substantially in the man nerclescrihee, and for the purpose specified."

- A The water-proof packing-chest, Figail and 17 with its appurtenances, for the joinin; of'the ends of thee-ables, or any mechanical modification of the same for the same object, find substantially similar.

5. The combination of the great buoy, Fig. 1, with its traveler F hell-buoy n, detachahie signals E E, separate waterproof-compartments h,-joining flanges and fastenings up i; but 1 do not claim any of them specially and separately.

6. The hollow-linked mooring-cable, Figs. 5,

6, 7, 14, 18, 19, 20, with the inolosed waterproof chamber m, for self-support in the Water.

7. The flanged and staked moorings shown in Figs. 2, 3. and 4,'f0r the purpose of adding to the weight of the mooring by taking Fig. 20.)

GEORGE W. BOWLSBY Witnesses:

GUeTAvE VERGHQ, LOUIS FREmENBERe

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