IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Chatterton, of Highbury Terrace, and
Willoughby Smith, of Pownall Road, Dalston, both in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
CONDUCTORS."
Sealed the 6th November 1860, and dated the 12th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Chatterton and
Willoughby Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 12th May 1860.
We, JOHN CHATTERTON, of Highbury Terrace, and WILLOUGHBY SMITH, of
Pownall Road, Dalston, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
CONDUCTORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in electric telegraph con-
ductors; for these purposes in preparing strands of wires to be used as electric
telegraph conductors, in place of laying the outer wires directly on to and
around the inner or central wire, such central wire is caused to pass through
and to be coated with a suitable material or composition, preferring for such
purpose a mixture of gutta percha, Stockholm tar, and resin, in such manner
that when the outer wires are laid around such inner wire the outer wires may
eimbed themselves in such coating, whilst in a soft or plastic state, by which
the passage through a strand will be filled up, and the whole rendered solid.

page_text: In order to protect gutta percha or other insulating material when used for
coating and insulating metallic conductors from the effect of heat, beads of
wood or other suitable non-conductors of heat are threaded or placed on or
around such insulated electric telegraphic conductors, and over such beads a
coating or tube of lead is applied, or other coatings may be used. By these 5
means insulated electric telegraphic conductors (amongst other advantages)
are rendered more suitable for use in hot climates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Chatterton and Willoughby Smith in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 12th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonn
CHATTERTON, of Highbury Terrace, and WILLOUGHBY SMITH, of Pownall Road,
Dalston, both in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Chatterton and Willoughby Smith, Her special licence that we, the
said John Chatterton and Willoughby Smith, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Chatterton and
Willoughby Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland. the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Chatterton and Willoughby Smith, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Chatterton, on behalf of myself
and the said Willoughby Sinith, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-

page_text: Barly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in electric telegraph con-
ductors; for these purposes in preparing strands of wires to be used as electric
telegraph conductors, in place of laying the outer wires directly on to and around
the inner or central wire, such central wire is caused to pass through and to be
coated with a suitable material or composition, preferring for such purpose
a mixture of gutta percha, Stockholm tar, and resin, in such manner that
when the outer wires are laid around such inner wire, the outer wires may
embed themselves in such coating, whilst in a soft or plastic state, by which
the passage through a strand will be filled up and the whole rendered
solid. In order to protect gutta percha or other insulating material when
used for coating and insulating metallic conductors from the effect of heat,
beads of wood or of other suitable non-conductors of heat are threaded or placed
on or around such insulated electric telegraphic conductors, and over such beads
a coating or tube of lead is supplied, or other coatings may be used. By these
means insulated electric telegraphic conductors (amongst other advantages) are
rendered more suitable for use in hot climates.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out the first part of our Invention we prefer as the waterproof
material for coating the internal wire, and for filling the interstices between it
and the surrounding wires, and between the surrounding wires themselves, to
employ a composition consisting of about three-fifths by weight of gutta percha,
one-fifth of Stockholm tar, and one-fifth of resin, but other waterproofing
material may be employed in place thereof, and we apply the waterproof
coating to the inner or central wire as it is being worked up into a strand
suitable for forming an electric conductor, and such coating may be applied
in any convenient manner, and as is well understood in coating wires with
such like materials. By these means in laying the outer wires of the strand
around the inner wire of the strand, the coating of waterproof material is
pressed from the central wire, and passes between the outer wires and
fills the interstices between the outer wires and the inner wire, and also
those between the outer wires, which prevents water passing along the interior
of a conductor. The strand thus formed is then conted with gutta percha or
other suitable insulating material, in the ordinary manner in which such like
electric conductors which have not had the interstices filled up in the manner
above described have heretofore been coated with an insulating coating or
coatings. We would state that the inner or central wire may when greater

page_text: strength is desired, be of steel, or other metal than copper, or the inner or
central wire may be of copper, and be surrounded with steel or other metal
wires, to which however separately we make no claim.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention we cause an insulated
conductor to have threaded thercon or applied around it beads of wood, or it
may be of other non-conductor of heat, such beads being of a greater or less
diameter according to the distance it is desired the insulating material should
be kept from the outer surface where it is liable to be subjected to heat, and
then such insulated conductor (covered with beads) is to be coated with a tubo
of lead by introducing the conductor into a tube of lead of larger diameter, and
then reducing such diameter by grooved rollers or otherwise, or in place of
using a covering of lead, other materials may be used for the outer coating.
By these means an insulated conductor may be largely protected from heat,
and yet remain to a considerable extent flexible.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Chatterton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN CHATTERTON. (..)