Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1887
Complete Left, 5th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London,
W.C., Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to sleeves for Electrical-Conductors whereby certain advantages
are obtained.
A convenient form of sleeve for the ends of electrical conductors has hitherto been
constructed as shown in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying sheet of drawings. A
solid cylinder of ebonite, or other similar non-conducting material, is bored out as
shown, the part A B being bored out sufficiently large to admit the conductor with
its full thickness of insulating material, or of insulating material and protecting
covering. The part B C is bored of smaller gauge to fit the conductor with one or
more layers of insulating or protecting material removed. The part C D is bored to
a still smaller gauge to fit the conductor when a further thickness of insulating
material has been removed. The other end D E is bored to a guage just sufficient
to allow the bare conductor or conductors to pass. Fig. 1 shows such a sleeve bored
for a single conductor cable and Fig. 2 a sleeve bored for a multiple conductor cable.
This form of sleeve is open to certain serious objections. There is great loss of time
and of material in boring out the solid block of ebonite. Sleeves cannot be kept in
stock unless a stock of almost infinite variety be kept to suit all likely requirements.
The object of my present invention is both to avoid the loss of material caused by
turning the sleeves out of a solid block of ebonite and to obviate the necessity either
of keeping a large variety of sleeves in stock or inaking them specially for each cable.
To accomplish these objects I form the main part of the sleeve, hereinafter called the
tube," of a single piece of tubing of ebonite, or other suitable material, into which two
separate and replaceable end pieces are secured by screwing or otherwise. The bore
of this tube is larger than the external diameter of the cable to which it is to be
adapted. One of these end pieces is perforated with a hole sufficiently large to admit
the cable and the other end piece is perforated by holes corresponding in number and
size with the number and size of the conductors so as to allow of the passage through
D
01

page_text: them of the said conductors when bare. In order to prevent access of damp to the
interior of the cable the sleeve may be filled with paraffin wax or other insulating
material after the end of the cable has been placed in it and for this purpose I may
leave one or more holes in any convenient part of the sleeve in order that it may be
more conveniently filled with the said insulating material.
By means of my invention a few sizes of tubes with a variety of end pieces will
suffice for many sizes of cables.
A stock may conveniently be kept consisting of a few sizes of tubes fitted with
unperforated end pieces so that all that requires to be done is to perforate the ends to
suit the cables for which the sleeves are required.
Dated this 4th day of June 1887.

page_text: I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London,
W.C., Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to sleeves for Electrical Conductors whereby certain advantages
are obtained.
A convenient form of sleeve for the ends of electrical conductors has hitherto been
constructed as shown in figures 1 and 2 of the sheet of drawings accompanying the
provisional specification lodged with the present application. A solid cylinder of
ebonite, or other similar non-conducting material, bored out as shown, the part AB
being bored out sufficiently large to admit the conductor with its fall thickness of
insulating material, or of insulating material and protecting covering. The part B C
is bored of smaller gauge to fit the conductor with one or more layers of insulating or
protecting material removed. The part C D is bored to a still smaller gauge to fit
the conductor when a further thickness of insulating material has been removed. The
other end D E is bored to a gauge just sufficient to allow the bare conductor or
conductors to pass. Fig. 1 shows such a sleeve bored for a single conductor cable,
and Fig. 2 a sleeve bored for a multiple conductor cable.
This form of sleeve is open to certain serious objections. There is great loss of
time and of material in boring out the solid block of ebonite. As the orifices at both
ends of the sleeve must be of the proper size to fit the particular cable or conductor
passing through it, this form of sleeve cannot be kept in stock unless a stock of
almost infinite variety be kept to suit all likely requirements.
The object of my present invention is both to avoid the loss of material caused by
turning the sleeves out of a solid block of ebonite, and to obviate the necessity either
of keeping a large variety of sleeves in stock or making them specially for each cable.
To accomplish these objects I form the main part of the sleeve, hereinafter called
the "tube," of a single piece of tubing of ebonite, or other suitable material, into which
two separate and replaceable end-pieces are secured by screwing or otherwise. The
bore of this tube is larger than the external diameter of the cable to which it is to be
adapted. One of these end-pieces is perforated with a hole sufficiently. large to admit
the cable, and the other end-piece is perforated by holes corresponding in number
and size with the number and size of the conductors so as to allow of the passage
through them of the said conductors when bare. In order to prevent access of damp
to the interior of the cable the sleeve may be filled with paraffin wax, or other insulating
material, after the end of the cable has been placed in it; and for this purpose I may
leave one or more holes in any convenient part of the sleeve in order that it may be
more conveniently filled with the said insulating material.
Having now described my invention in general terms, I shall proceed to describe
in detail the manner in which I carry it into effect; and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several figures in the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Figure 3 shows a cable sleeve with a single stranded conductor therein. It will
be seen that the tube has an end-piece at each extremity. These end-pieces are in
this case fitted with flanges, and are screwed into the tube, the extremities of which
latter are threaded for the purpose. One of the end-pieces, hereinafter distinguished

page_text: by the term "butt-piece," is bored of a size to grasp the cable with its protecting
and insulating coatings on; and the other end-piece, hereinafter distinguished by the
term "point-piece," is bored with a smaller hole of a size to take the bare conductor.
Figure 3A is an end view of the sleeve shewn in figure 3, and shows the point-piece.
It will be noticed that the flange of this point-piece is cut away at two opposite parts
so as to enable it to be readily grasped by a spanner. or. key, and so more easily held
stationary or rotated so as to be screwed in or out of the tube. Figure 4 shows part
of a cable sleeve differing from the last only in the point-piece, which is one adapting
it for a multiple conductor cable. Instead of being bored with a single orifice it has
a number of orifices corresponding in number and size. with the conductors to be
passed through it. Figure 4 A is a view of the point-piece shown in figure 4. At
the top and bottom of the point-piece as shewn in figures 4 and 4 A are shown notches
for the purpose of enabling the point-piece to be firmly held by a well known forni
of key. Figure 5 differs from figures 3 and 4 in that it shows an end piece screwing
onto or over instead of into the tube... To fit the sleeve on a single conductor cable I
proceed as follows. Having bored the end pieces to the required sizes, and trimmed
the extremity of, the cable, I hold this extremity end upwards, and pass the butt-picce
over it. I then pass the tube over the end of the cable, and, holding the butt-pieco
firmly, screw the tube on to.it, taking care to rotate the tube and not the butt-
piece, as, otherwise the exterior of the cable might be abraded.
I then pour melted paraffin wax into the tube till it is full, and, before it has had
time to solidify, I pass the point-piece over the bare conductor, and screw it
tightly into the tube. Any superfluous paraffin is prossed out between the cable and
the end-pieces, and can be wiped off. A thoroughly waterproof and protective
covering is thus adapted to the cable and enables it to be frequently and roughly
handled without damage: To fit the sleeve on a multiple conductor cable I proceed
in a manner slightly different from that just described. Having bored the end-pieces
as required and trimmed the extremity. of the cable to suit, I first pass the cable
through the butt-piece, then through the tube, and then I pass the several bare con-
ductors through the corresponding orifices in the point-piece. I then hold this point-
piece firmly and screw the tube on to it taking care in so doing to rotate the tube and not
the point-piece. This done; I hold the cable and tube with the point-piece downwards,
and pour in melted paraffin wax as before, afterwards screwing home the butt-piece,
and wiping off any paraffin that may have exuded as just mentioned. In the case of
multiple conductor cables the point-piece cannot safely be rotated so that I rotate the
tube and the butt-piece when placing these in position.. When. however there is
danger of abrading the exterior of the cable by such rotation of the butt-piece, I
adopt one of the following methods. I cut the screw. threads at the two extremities
of the tube in directions corresponding with the screw threads on a union for gas or
water pipes, and the threads on the end-pieces to correspond therewith. I then
proceed as follows. Having passed the cable and bare conductors through the end-
pieces, I turn the cable point downwards so that the tube shall just rest firmly on
the point-piece. I then pour in the melted paraffin wax and place the butt-piece in
contact with the tube. I now hold both end-pieces firmly, and pressed against the
tube, and proceed to rotate the tube so as to cause it to engage with the end-pieces,
and screw into or onto them. Or I attach the end-pieces to the tube by other means
than screwing the one into the other-for example by means of separate screws as
shewn in figure 6, or by means of a clamping device of metal or other suitablo,
material which screws over the end of the tube and presses the end-pieces against the
end of the tube as shewn in figure 7, or by simply driving the end-piece into the tube
as shewn in figure 8, or by binding by a ligature of wire or the like. I sometimes
fill the cavity of the sleeve by the following method. I bore an orifice which I call a
filling orifice through any convenient part of the sleeve. Through this filling orifice
I pour the melted paraffin wax or other equivalent material into the cavity of the
sleeve, and afterwards close it by means of a peg of wood or the like, or by a screw.
In figure 7 I show. a filling orifice in the side of the tube; and in figure 9 I shew
one in the point-piece of a sleeve for.a three-conductor cable. Figure 9 also illustrates

page_text: a point-piece made hexagonal so as to be readily grasped and held by a hexagonal
spanner. 1 sometimes find it convenient to form the tube of metal, but in this
case I generally line the tube with an insulating varnish or a layer of paper
or both, and wrap the whole of the cable and conductor inside the sleeve with yarn
in addition to filling the cavity with paraffin wax, and so prevent any chance of
contact between the conductor and the metal tube. I may even make the butt-pieces
and, in the case of single conductor cables, the point-pieces of metal but when this
is the case the tube must be of insulating material, or be otherwise insulated from
the end-picces. Though I may employ such materials as papier maché, paper, rubber
or wood to form the tubes, I prefer to use ebonite for this purpose. When howover the
sleeve is not likely to be subjected to rough or repeated handling one of the cheaper
materials just mentioned may be employed. Though I prefer to fill the cavity of the
sleeve with paraffin wax this is not absolutely necessary, and the cavity may remain
empty.
have mentioned alternative methods of attaching end-pieces to tubes to prevent
abrasion of the cable through rotation of an end-piece. It will be readily understood
that such methods are applicable to sleeves for single conductor cables as well as to
sleeves for multiple conductor cables.
In some cases it may happen that the tube itself is just of a size to fit the cable
(with its insulating and protecting coverings on) in which case it will be evident that
the sleeve may consist of a tube and a point-piece, the butt-piece being dispensed
with.
My invention, though suitable for all types of electrical conductors, is specially
applicable to cabies of the class, now coming so largely into use, in which the conductor
is insulated by servings of tissue or fibrous material impregnated with a suitable
insulating material, and protected by an external sheathing of lead or other metal.
In cables of this class it is necessary to prevent any contact between the conductor
and the external metallic sheathing, as well as to prevent the access of damp to the
insulating material; and in addition such cables will not withstand constant handling
without damage. It is therefore necessary to provide them with sleeves at those
ends where they are attached to the terminals of dynamos, lamps, motors or other
appliances, with which they require to be frequently and directly connected or
disconnected.
By means of my invention a few sizes of tubes with a variety of end-pieces will
suffice for many sizes of cables.
A stock may conveniently be kept consisting of a few sizes of tubes fitted with
unperforated end-pieces; so that all that requires to be done is to perforate the end-
pieces to suit the cables for which the sleeves are required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improvement in Cable Sleeves consisting in the combination of a tube and
two end-pieces substantially as set forth.
a
2. The improvement in Cable Sleeves consisting in the combination of a tube and
point-piece substantially as set forth.
3. The improvement in Cable Sleeves consisting in the combination of a tube
an end-piece and a clamp for securing the end-piece to the tube substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 4th day of March 1888.
J. G. LORRAIN.