IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSULATION AND COVERING OF WIRE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles West, of 2, Derby Street, Westminster,
London, & of Chateau Lehocq, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSULATION AND COVERING OF WIRE,
Sealed the 22nd July 1862, and dated the 25th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
January 1862.
I, CHARLES WEST, of 2, Derby Street, Westminster, London, & of Chateau
Lehocq, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSULATION AND COVERING OF WIRE, AND IN THE
PREPARATION OF THE MATERIALS FOR INSULATING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
Since my Patent for improvements in the insulation & covering of wire,
dated October 18th, 1858, No. 2821, a Commission, consisting of highly.
scientific & practical men, has been appointed by the English Government to.
examine & enquire into the various modes of insulation. A quantity of insu-
lated wire, manufactured under my process, has been submitted to competitive.
examination with gutta percha covered wires & other wires variously insulated,
& tests of the most severe kind have been applied. The report of this Com-
mission states, "That india-rubber surpasses all other substances as a means

page_text: of insulation. In some cases, however, it has been found that the india
rubber has a tendency to soften & even liquify under certain atmospheri
influences. In order to remedy this, it is necessary that the india-rubbe
should be perfectly pure & free from adulteration, & not injured by the process
of mastication or from any other cause. To accomplish this I therefore use
only the very best South American rubber, not masticated, but in its native state
The difficulty I have had hitherto in using the native india-rubber has been
from not being able to consolidate it after it has been placed on the wire
This arises from the rubber in its native state containing a large per-centage of
moisture, which presents its cohesion even with the use of solvents. I have
overcome this difficulty by the following process:-I prepare the rubber by
boiling it in water, with or without any other mixture, or by steaming it after
it has been cut into ribbons or strips from the bottle or block.. After boiling
or steaming it, I then allow the moisture to evaporate until the rubber is
perfectly dry. In this state I place it round the wire in one or more coatings.
The rubber so prepared will then be open to the action of the solution I
purpose applying to it while placing it round the wire, which solution will
consist of india-rubber dissolved in benzoin, naptha, turpentine, or any of the
other solvents of india-rubber, either in combination or singly. I place a
trough over the wire, through which I allow the solution to percolate on the
wire or on the rubber just as it enters the mandril, with a receiving dish under-
neath to catch such of the solution as may fall from the passing wire or
rubber. After passing through the mandril, the wire or rubber thus saturated
with the solution receives the rubber to be wound upon it from the reel or bobbins
as it revolves round it, & the tension at which the rubber is placed round the
wire at each revolution of the reel or bobbin presses the solution through the
interstices of the overlapping, & thus unites it into one solid tube. I also
apply this system of insulating wire by my prepared native india-rubber to
wires that may already be covered with gutta percha or any other insulating
material, thus giving an additional security of insulation to all wires so
previously covered.
For the outer covering for the insulated wire, whether insulated by india-
rubber or gutta percha, or any other insulating material, I prepare the cotton,
hemp, or any other fibrous material to be used, by placing it in or passing it
through a solution of india-rubber, either alone or in combination with any of
the metallic oxides or carbonates, either singly or in combination, or mixed
with oil, or any of the resinous or bituminous or other substances singly or in
combination that will unite with the solution of india-rubber, & which it
may be deemed expedient to use.
.

page_text: The advantages of using rubber are many, being of itself an excellent pre-
servative of the various fibrous materials & giving elasticity to all other
materials that may be used for the same purpose, which would otherwise be
brittle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles West in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WEST, of 2, Derby Street, Westminster, London, and of Chateau Lehocq,
Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles West, Her special licence that I, the said Charles West, and.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
West, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
INSULATING AND COVERING OF WIRE, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF THE MATERIALS
FOR INSULATING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles West, or my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles West, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following:
statement:-
Since my Patent for improvements in the insulating and covering wire,-
dated October 18th, 1858, a Commission, consisting of highly scientific and
practical men, has been appointed by Her Majesty's Government to examine.
and inquire into the various modes of insulation for telegrapbic cables.. A.

page_text: quantity of insulated wire manufactured under my process has been sub-
mitted to competitive examination with gutta percha covered wires and other
wires variously insulated, and tests of the most severe kind have been applied.
The report of this Commission states, "That india-rubber surpasses all other
substances as a means of insulation." In some cases, however, it has been
found that india-rubber has a tendency to soften and even to liquify under
certain atmospheric influences. In order to remedy this, it is necessary that
the india-rubber should be perfectly pure and free from adulteration, and not
injured by the process of mastication or from any other cause. To accomplish
this I therefore use only the very best South American rubber, not masticated,
but in its native state. The difficulty I have had hitherto in using the native
india-rubber has been from not being able to consolidate it after it has been
placed on the wire. This arises from the rubber in its native state containing a
large per-centage of moisture, which prevents its cohesion even with the use of
solvents. I have overcome this difficulty by the following process:-I prepare
the rubber by boiling it in water, with or without any other mixture, or by
steaming it, after it has been cut into ribbons or strips from the bottle or block..
After boiling or steaming it, I then allow the moisture to evaporate until the
rubber is dry, and in this state I store it until required for use. Or, I adopt
another and most efficacious process, namely, after the rubber is cut into
ribbons or strips, I immerse each strip for a few seconds in benzine; or any of
the other solvents of india-rubber; after such immersion I suspend these strips:
on a cradle constructed for the purpose, until the solution has. evaporated and
the rubber is perfectly dry. Previously, however, to placing the rubber on
the wire, I steep it in warm water, according to my present usual practice..
The rubber so prepared will then be open to the action of the. solution. I
purpose applying to it while placing it, round the wire, which solution will
consist of india-rubber dissolved. in benzine, or any of the other solvents of
india-rubber, or it will consist of the solvents themselves, either in combination
or singly. I place a trough over the wire, through which I allow the solution,
to perculate on the wire or on the rubber just as it enters the, mandril, with, a
receiving dish underneath to catch such of the solution as may fall; from the
passing wire. After passing through the mandril the wire or rubber thus satu-
rated with the solution receives the rubber to be wound upon it from the reel or
bobbin as it revolves round it, and the tension at which the rubber; is placed.
round the wire at each revolution of the reel or bobbin presses the solution
through the interstices of the overlapping, and, thus unites it into, a solid tube.
I also apply this. system of insulating wire by my prepared. native, rubber to
wires that may be already covered with gutta percha or any other insulating

page_text: material, thus giving an additional security of insulation to all wires so pre-
viously covered. But in placing india-rubber over gutta percha covered wires,
I use a solution of india-rubber and gutta percha together, that is, for the
junction of the coating of india-rubber immediately in connexion with the
covering of gutta percha; but if a second or third coating of india is required,
I use only the india-rubber solution to join these.
For the outer covering for the insulated wire, whether covered by india-
rubber or gutta percha, or any other insulating material alone, or afterwards
covered with cotton, hemp, or other material, I pass the wire through a solution
of india-rubber, either alone or in combination with any of the metallic oxides
or carbonates, singly or in combination, or mixed with oil, or any resinous or
bituminous or other substances that will unite with the solution of india-
rubber, and which it may be deemed expedient to use.
The advantages of using india-rubber are many, being of itself an excellent
preservative of the various fibrous materials, and giving elasticity to all the
other materials that may be used for the same purpose, which would otherwise
be brittle.
CHARLES (L.S.) WEST.