On January 12, 1937, U.S. Patent No. 2,067,717 issued on a Plough for Laying Submarine Cables:

This was the first U.S. patent for a submarine cable plow. The plow was designed to simultaneously dig a trench into the ocean floor and feed a cable into the trench. It could be used at depths of up to a half mile.

Efforts began in 1854 to build the first transatlantic cable from Valentia Island off the west coast of Ireland to Newfoundland. The first communications occurred on August 16, 1858, although the line speed was poor. Queen Victoria famously sent the first official telegram to President Buchanan. Signal quality declined rapidly, and the cable was destroyed after just three weeks when excessive voltage was applied in an attempt to achieve faster operation.

The transatlantic ccable was laid in 1865 with improved material, but more than halfway across, the cable broke, and it was abandoned after several failed rescue attempts. In July 1866 a third cable was laid, and put in service on July 27. The 1865 cable was also recovered and spliced, so two cables were in service. There has been a permanent cable connection between the continents ever since.

Thanks to Lawton’s and Bloomer’s work the first transatlantic cable of high-speed permalloy in June 1938. Lawton also patented a Method of and Apparatus for Laying Submarine Cables on November 16, 1937 (U.S. Patent No. 2,099,526), a Releasing Gear on September 27, 1938 (U.S. Patent No. 2,131,445), a Method and apparatus for determining Topography of Ocean Bed on March 26, 1940 (U.S. Patent No. 2,194,947), a System and Apparatus for Determining at a Distance the Angular Position of a Submarine Device on August 29, 1939 (U.S. Patent No. 2,171,156), and a Submarine Apparatus on July 8, 1941 (U.S. Patent No. 2,248,243).