AN IMPROVED INSULATING COMPOUND FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the. Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INSULATING COMPOUND FOR TELEGRAPHIC
PURPOSES." -A communication from abroad by Zalmon G. Simmons,
of Kenosha, Wisconsin. United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th December 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED INSULATING COMPOUND FOR
TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a composition of materials producing an
insulating compound, by means of which a more perfect insulation of
telegraphic conductors is obtained than by the ordinary means.
compound is at the same time cheap and durable, and is not easily.
This

page_text: affected by the action of the elements or weather to which it may be
exposed.
The cheapest and best material heretofore known for insulating tele-
graph wire is perhaps glass. The chicf objection to its use is that the
glass insulator, when the air surrounding it is in motion, parts rapidly
with its heat, and becomes lower in temperature than the atmosphere,
and so condenses and gathers in moisture upon its surface any vapours
which may be in the atmosphere. The moisture thus condensed upon
the surface is a conductor of electricity, and greatly impairs the efficiency
of the insulation.
The compound which is the subject of this Invention is a poor con-
ductor of heat, does not part with its heat readily, and hence inclines to
remain at a uniform temperature, that of the atmosphere surrounding it;
it is not therefore liable to be covered with moisture by condensation.
It is at the same time as perfect an insulator as glass, and is made with
less cost. This compound is composed of one part coal tar or its equi-
valent, and two parts charcoal or sawdust, tan bark, or any other organic
body having a fibre and being a poor conductor of electricity, and which
may be ground or cut up to mix with the tar. The coal tar is brought
to a boiling temperature, when the charcoal is introduced and thoroughly
combined with it by agitating the entire mass by any mechanical means.
The proportions may be varied without changing the nature of the
Invention.
In place of the charcoal sawdust may be employed, or wood chips or
shavings may be rendered suitable for this purpose in combination with
coal tar or its equivalent.
In case wood fibre is used it should be reduced to the condition or size
of ordinary fine sawdust, although this in all cases is not absolutely
necessary, as fine shavings or turned wood chips may not need any
further reduction.
The particles of wood or other fibrous material suitable for this
purpose, when combined with the hot tar, become completely saturated;
thus each particle of the material is as much insulated as the tar
itself, while the organic material gives strength, body and character to
the compound..
To render the woody or organic element of the compound as poor
a conductor of electricity as possible, the material may be baked to

page_text: eliminate the watery or gaseous properties therefrom before mixing with
the tar or its equivalent. Wood when baked or thoroughly kiln dried
becomes a poor conductor of electricity, and when combined with the
tar in this condition each woody fibre or particle becomes charged with
the hot tar, which prevents the absorption of moisture, and is perfectly
insulated.
อ
When this compound is thus combined it may be cast in moulds of
suitable form for the purpose designed, or articles such as telegraph wire
holders or supporters of wood may be coated with the compound. Tho
articles thus formed or coated are then placed in an oven and baked.
The compound is thereby rendered hard but elastic; it will not be easily
affected by the action of the weather to which it is exposed, and a
durable insulating holder is produced.
It is not necessary that all the materials enumerated should be at the
some time combined with the tox
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 6th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "AN IMPROVED
INSULATING COMPOUND FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," a communication to me

page_text: from abroad by Zalmon G. Simmons, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said 5
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 William Robert Lake, do hercby 1
leclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This Invention relates to a composition of materials producing an
insulating compound, by means of which a more perfect insulation of 1
telegraphic conductors is obtained than by the ordinary means. This
compound is at the same time cheap and durable, and is not easily
affected by the action of the elements or weather to which it may be
cxposed.
The cheapest and best material heretofore known for insulating tele- 2
graph wire is perhaps glass. The chief objection to its use is that the
glass insulator, when the air surrounding it is in motion, parts rapidly
with its heat, and becomes lower in temperature than the atmosphere,
and so condenses and gathers in moisture upon its surface any vapours
which may be in the atmosphere. The moisture thus condensed upon
the surface is a conductor of electricity, and greatly impairs the efficiency
of the insulation.
The compound which is the subject of this Invention is a poor con-
ductor of heat, does not part with its heat readily, and hence inclines to
remain at a uniform temperature, that of the atmosphere surrounding it;
it is not thereforo liable to be covered with moisture by condensation.
It is at the same time as perfect an insulator as glass, and is made with
less cost. This compound is composed of one part coal tar or its equi-
valent, and two parts charcoal, sawdust, tan bark, or any other organic
body having a fibre and being a poor conductor of electricity, and which
anay be ground or cut up to mix with the tar. The coal tar is brought
to a boiling temperature, when the charcoal is introduced and thoroughly

page_text: combined with it by agitating the entire mass by any mechanical means.
The proportions may be varied without changing the nature of the
Invention.
In place of the charcoal sawdust may be employed, or wood chips or
shavings may be rendered suitable for this purpose in combination with
coal tar or its equivalent.
In case wood fibre is used it should be reduced to the condition or size
of ordinary fine sawdust, although this in all cases is not absolutely
necessary, as fine shavings or turned wood chips may not need any
further reduction.
The particles of wood or other fibrous material suitable for this
purpose, when combined with the hot tar, become completely saturated;
thus each particle of the material is as much insulated as the tar
itself, while the organic material gives strength, body, and character to
the compound.
To render the woody or organic element of the compound as poor
a conductor of electricity as possible, the material may be baked to
eliminate the watery or gaseous properties therefrom before mixing with
the tar or its equivalent. Wood when baked or thoroughly kiln dried
becomes a poor conductor of electricity, and when combined with the
tar in this condition each woody fibre or particle becomes charged with
the hot tar, which prevents the absorption of moisture, and is perfectly
insulated.
When this compound is thus made it may be cast in moulds of
suitable form for the purpose designed, or articles such as telegraph wire
holders or supporters of wood may be coated over with the said com-
pound. The articles thus formed or coated are then placed in an oven
and baked. The compound is thereby rendered hard but clastic, and
will not be casily affected by the action of the weather to which it is
exposed, and a durable insulating holder is produced.
It is not necessary that all the materials enumerated should be at the
same time combined with the tar.
The scope of this Invention is not confined in making this insulating
compound to the use of all the articles specified at the same time, but
extends to the using of either one of them in combination with coal tar
or its equivalent; hence this improved compound may be made by com-

page_text: bining with coal tar or an equivalent substance charcoal, sawdust, tan
bark, or any organic vegetable material capable of being rendered
suitable for this purpose.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the 5
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the insulating compound, con-
sisting of the ingredients specified in or about in the proportions hercin
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of 1
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
HENRY J. NOONE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)