200 



SUBMARINE CABLE LAYING AND REPAIRING. 



specially ribbed to form inclined shoulders, which constitute 

 the fixed gripping jaws of the grapnel. The boss is extended 

 laterally at DD below the ribs to form side brackets carrying 

 the bolts, CC, upon which the flukes are pivoted. They are 

 made bell-crank shape, with a long and short arm, pivoted at 

 the centre C. The long arms are the prongs to hook the cable ; 

 the short arms are specially shaped to engage in recesses in the 

 central boss A, as shown in the left-hand prong in the illustra- 

 tion (Fig. 112). When cable is hooked it bears hard against 

 the short arm and turns the fluke inwards as shown in the figure 



Fig. 112.— Benest's Grip 

 Grapnel. 



Cable- 



FiG. 113.— Benest's Automatic 

 Ketaining Grapnel. 



on the right-hand side at B (full lines). When this takes place 

 the cable drops into the recess in the central boss and, being 

 followed up by the prong, is gripped firmly in this position. 

 The dotted lines at B indicate the normal position of the prong 

 before cable is hooked. It sometimes happens after a cable is 

 caught that the strain is relieved by unevenness of bottom, 

 release of cable from obstruction, dropping of grapnel, or other 

 cause, and, as the gripping power depends upon the strain being 

 maintained, there is a liability of the cable lifting clear of the 

 prongs and getting out. To obviate the possibility of losing 



