IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CABLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Grieve Lorrain of 2 Victoria Mansions, in the
City of Westminster Civil Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRIC CABLES." A communication to him from abroad by Jacques André
of Paris in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Grieve Lorrain at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1882.
JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN of 2 Victoria Mansions, in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CABLES" a communication to me
from abroad by Jacques André of Paris in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to improvements upon the Invention communicated by
my said Foreign Correspondent in respect of which Letters Patent were granted
to Arthur William Lovell Reddie dated 15th December 1880 N° 5268.
In the specification to the said former Letters Patent, there is described a cable
consisting of webs each composed of a warp of metallic conducting wires or
threads and a weft of textile, or non-conducting material, the said webs when used
for telegraphy, or similar purposes being by preference folded and superposed with
the interposition of non-conducting material between the layers of conducting
material, whilst the whole was conveniently enclosed in a tube, and the insulation
rendered complete by surrounding, and filling the interstices of the webs with any
suitable insulating composition.
According to the present Invention in lieu of weaving separately the series of
webs which are to form the cable, it is proposed to make the web with alternate
conducting and non conducting portions, and by preference with a wide selvage
or border at each edge, of non-conducting material.
This is accomplished by arranging the warp threads so that a series of metallic
conducting wires or threads shall alternate with a series of threads of textile, or
non-conducting material throughout the width of the web to be made, whilst the
weft of textile or non-conducting material is, in the process of weaving, carried

page_text: through the whole width of the compound warp. The entire web which is to form
the cable may thus be woven at one operation, and a considerable economy is
effected in the cost of its production.
The web so produced is then folded longitudinally along the lines marking the
change from the conducting to the non-conducting portions whereby a series of
plies will be obtained consisting of layers of conducting portions separated by non-
conducting portions, whilst when the wide non-conducting selvages or borders are
used, they may be caused to overlap and enclose the sides of the pile of layers, and
the top and bottom surfaces respectively of the upper and lower conducting layers.
The web thus folded may then if desired be enclosed in a tube, and its interstices
be filled with insulating composition as before explained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Grieve Lorrain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th January 1883.
"
JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN of 2 Victoria Mansions in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CABLES a communication to me
from abroad by Jacques André of Paris in the Republic of France
The said Invention relates to Improvements upon the Invention communicated
by my said foreign correspondent in respect of which Letters Patent were granted
to Arthur William Lovell Reddie dated the 15th December 1880 N° 5268.
In the Specification to the said former Letters Patent there is described a cable
consisting of webs each composed of a warp of metallic conducting wires or threads
and a weft of textile or non-conducting material, the said webs when used for
telegraphy or similar purposes being by preference folded and superposed with the
interposition of nonconducting material between the layers of conducting material,
whilst the whole was conveniently enclosed in a tube and the insulation rendered
complete by surrounding and filling the interstices of the webs with any suitable
insulating composition.
According to the present Invention in lieu of weaving separately the series of
webs which are to form the cable, the web is made with alternate conducting and
non-conducting portions and by preference with a wide selvage or border at each
edge of non-conducting material.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a part of a cable constructed
in this manner A A being conducting portions of the cable B B non-conducting
portions alternating therewith, and B' B¹ wide selvages or borders of non-conducting
material.
In the production of the cable the warp threads are arranged so that a series of
metallic conducting wires or threads a, shall alternate with a series of threads b of
textile or non-conducting material throughout the width of the web to be made
whilst the weft c of textile or non-conducting material is in the process of weaving
carried through the whole width of the compound warp a b. The entire web
which is to form the cable may thus be woven at one operation and a considerable
economy is effected in the cost of its production.
The web so produced is then folded longitudinally along the lines, 1. 2 marking
the change from the conducting portions A to the non-conducting portions B
whereby a series of plies will be obtained (as shown in the sectional diagram
Figure 2) consisting of layers of conducting portions separated by non-conducting
portions whilst when the wide non-conducting selvages or borders are used as
indicated at B¹ in the example illustrated, they may be caused to overlap and
enclose the sides of the pile of layers and the top and bottom surfaces respectively
of the upper and lower conducting layers The web thus folded may then if
desired be enclosed in a tube C (Figure 2) and its interstices be filled with insulating
composition as before explained.
In lieu of forming the conducting portions A A and non-conducting portions
BB all of equal width so that when folded the transverse section of the whole is
rectangular as shown in Figure 2, I may form them of varying width that is to say
the number of warp threads a b in the respective portions A B may increase or
decrease so that when the web is folded the transverse section of the same will
approximate to the form of a circle as shown in Figure 3. It will be seen from
this Figure that the width of the layers diminishes from the central one outward

page_text: on either side. This form of folded cable is very suitable for insertion in circular
pipes as represented in Figure 3. Or the said portions may be folded into other
shaped cables than rectangular or circular ones.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is.
Constructing electric cables substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said James Grieve Lorrain have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty fifth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
J. G. LORRAIN (L.S.)

page_text: B'
A
B
1
A
FIC.I.
B
A
B'
n.