136 



SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING AND REPAIRING. 



surface of the wheel. The ends of these straps are brought in 

 the usual way to horizontal levers pivoted near to the wheel 

 and to the points of attachment of the straps. Each of the 

 levers carries a vertical rod working in guides-, and on these 

 rods (each provided with a circular plate at the lower end) 

 weights are placed in accordance with the brake power required. 

 Each rod has a plunger below working in a cylinder of oil as 

 a steadiment. The levers are also connected by chains to a 

 horizontal shafb above, which can be turned round (by means 

 of a grooved pulley fixed on it at one end) so as to lift or wind 



Jo Hand Wheel 



Cable 



Fig. 66. — Brake on Paying-out Gear. 



up the chains and relieve the weights from the levers. This 

 operation puts the brakes out of action as is necessary some- 

 times on sudden increase of strain. In order to regulate this 

 by the indications of the dynamometer a hand-wheel is placed 

 jn or near the latter, connected by an endless chain or wire 

 cord with the grooved pulley on the chain shaft. A man 

 stationed by the dynamometer can then ease the brakes in a 

 moment if a sudden strain comes on (as for instance when the 

 ship's stern rises much while pitching) and can as quickly 

 re-apply them. If the ship is pitching heavily, or is in a sea 

 which checks her speed every now and then, the paying-out 

 drum on sudden removal of the strain may stop altogether. 

 At such times the brakes are very liable to set fast, and not 

 lift again when the strain comes on a moment or two later. 

 In such cases the levers can be instantly raised and the brake 

 slackened by turning the hand- wheel at the dynamometer. 

 This affords a quicker and safer control for sudden changes 



