Left: Length of armoured coaxial submarine cable Images for Information Age Wispering Gallery signs. Images for Information Age Wispering Gallery signs. Left: Length of armoured coaxial submarine cable Lucas grapnel Lucas grapnel

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

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Left: Length of armoured coaxial submarine cable
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Images for Information Age Wispering Gallery signs.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Images for Information Age Wispering Gallery signs.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Left: Length of armoured coaxial submarine cable
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Lucas grapnel
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Lucas grapnel
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Lucas grapnel, designed by F R Lucas and manufactured by the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company Limited, British, 1888-1960.

This grapnel was used to raise cables from the seabed in order to carry out repairs. It used a mechanical pulley system to grip the cable so that it could be pulled up to the surface. Deep sea cables were repaired by cutting the cable on either side of the fault, then bringing the two ends to the surface, where a new portion of cable could be added to close the gap. It was designed by F R Lucas, who patented it in 1888, and was first used in 1891 to make repairs to the cable that connected Lisbon and Madeira.

Details

Category:
Telecommunications
Object Number:
1974-213
Materials:
iron
Measurements:
overall (jaws open & cable extended)): 2820 mm x 1060 mm x 450 mm,
overall (jaws closed): 1310 mm x 450 mm x 450 mm, 285 kg
type:
grapnel
credit:
Donated by STC plc