IMPROVEMENTS IN CON- STRUCTING AND INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC CONDUCTORS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macintosh, of North Bank, Regent's Park, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CON-
STRUCTING AND INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC CONDUCTORS, AND IN APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 14th November 1865, and dated the 12th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macintosh at. the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th,
September 1865.
I, JOHN MACINTOSH, of North Bank, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
IN CONSTRUCTING AND INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC CONDUCTORS, AND IN.
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:
The first part of my Invention consists in taking a number of small wires of
pure copper, alone or in combination with other good metallic conductors of
electricity, and passing these through revolving dies or grooved rollers, which
press them into a cylindrical form. The wires' may be laid parallel or with a
slight twist. I then bind them with ribbons or fillets of sheet gutta percha or
other insulating material, or cement them externally with a coating of collodion,
as described in a Patent granted to me on the 14th May 1858, No. 1090, or
the wires may be tinned and passed through heated grooved rollers, which
will cause them to adhere together, thus forming electric conductors of any
required length without stranding, as heretofore. I then cover the conductor

page_text: thus formed with numerous thin fillets, tapes, or ribbons of india-rubber, gutta
percha, or of compounds of paraffin, as described in a Patent granted to me,
and dated 27th June 1860, No. 1560, stretched to their full extent and put
on the conductor longitudinally. The fillets, tapes, or ribbons may be
rendered adhesive by a solution of india-rubber or heat, the whole being passed
through a series of grooves in rollers under pressure with uniform tension,
thereby giving great longitudinal strength and solidity. I sometimes put on
an outside protection of india-rubber and sulphur brought up to a state of
semi-vulcanization in the masticator, and take it therefrom in a hot plastic
homogeneous state and roll it on the covered wire, or I use a compound of
india-rubber and carbon, as described in my Patent dated 5th October 1859,
No. 2269.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 24th August 1858,
No. 1924, there is described machinery for insulating telegraphic wires in
numerous thin coatings and in one operation by means of four rollers mounted
in a frame and geared together so as to run at the same surface speed. The
two middle rollers have semicircular grooves cut on their peripheries, which
coming together form an eye of the size of the coating required. The top and
bottom rollers have projecting beads on them, so as to make indentations in
the fillets of india-rabber or other insulating material, which coming together
leave a space corresponding with the size of the covered wire. When more
coatings than one are desired, the four rollers mounted in their frames are
placed one behind the other, so that it requires as many machines as there are
coatings required.
Now the present improvement consists in insulating or covering telegraphic
wires or conductors in numerous thin coatings and in one operation, for which
purpose I employ two rollers about one foot in diameter and two feet long,
mounted in a suitable frame, and geared together so as to run at the same
surface speed. The rollers have semicircular grooves cut on their peripheries
close together, each groove increasing progressively in size from one end of
the roller to the other, and each uniting so as to form an eye of the size of the
coating required. I also employ other rollers or pullies having grooves
corresponding with those on the insulating or covering rollers at a suitable
distance apart to guide the wire or conductor in and out of the insulating or
covering machine.
The insulator I prefer to use is india-rubber rendered adhesive by a solvent,
and brought to a homogeneous state by mixing rollers, as is well understood.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Macintosh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1866,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACINTOSH, of North Bank, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Macintosh, Her special licence that I, the said John
Macintosh, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Macintosh, 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 CONSTRUCTING AND INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC CONDUCTORS, AND
IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said John Macintosh, 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 Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performied, 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 Macintosh, do hereby declare
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 (that is to say) :-
-
The first part of my Invention consists in taking a number of small wires
of copper, alone or in combination with other good metallic conductors of
electricity, and passing these through revolving dies or grooved rollers, which
press them into a cylindrical form. The wires may be laid parallel or with a
slight twist. I then bind them with ribbons or fillets of sheet gutta percha
or other insulating material, or cement them externally with a coating of
collodion, as described in a Patent granted to me on the 14th May 1858,
No. 1090, or the wires may be tinned and passed through heated grooved

page_text: rollers, which will cause them to adhere together, thus forming electric con-
ductors of any required length without stranding, as heretofore. I then cover
the conductor thus formed with numerous thin fillets, tapes, or ribbons of
india-rubber, gutta percha, or of compounds of paraffin, as described in a
Patent granted to me, and dated 27th June 1860, No. 1560, stretched to
their full extent and put on the conductor longitudinally. The fillets, tapes,
or ribbons may be rendered adhesive by a solution of india-rubber, the whole
being passed through a series of grooves in rollers under pressure with uniform
tension, giving great longitudinal strength and solidity. I sometimes put on
an outside protection of india-rubber and sulphur brought up to a state of
semi-vulcanisation in the masticator, and take it therefrom in a hot plastic
homogeneous state, and roll it on the covered wire, or I use a compound of
india-rubber and carbon, as described, in my Patent dated 5th October 1859,
No. 2269.
In a Patent granted to me on the 24th August 1858, No. 1924, there is
described machinery for insulating telegraphic wires in numerous thin.coatings
and in one operation by means of four rollers mounted in a frame and geared
together so as to run at the same surface speed. The two middle rollers have
semicircular grooves cut on their peripheries, which coming together form an
eye of the size of the coating required. The top and bottom rollers have pro
jecting beads on them, so as to make indentations in the fillets of india-rubber
or other insulating material, which coming together leave a space corresponding
with the size of the covered wire. When more coatings than one are
desired, the four rollers mounted in their frames are placed one behind the
other, so that it requires as many machines as there are coatings required.
Now the present improvement consists in insulating or covering telegraphic
wires or conductors in numerous thin coatings and in one operation, for
which purpose I employ two rollers about one foot in diameter and two feet
long-mounted in a suitable frame and geared together so as to run at the
same surface speed. The rollers have semicircular grooves cut on their
peripheries close together, each groove increasing progressively in size from
one end of the roller to the other, and each uniting so as to form an eye of
the size of the coating required. I also employ other rollers or pullies having
grooves corresponding with those on the insulating or covering rollers at
a suitable distance apart to guide the wire or conductor in and out of the
covering or insulating machine.
The insulator I prefer to employ is india-rubber rendered adhesive by
a solvent, and brought to a homogeneous state by mixing rollers, as is well

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
. In making the conductor of my cable I take as many rings of copper wire,
alone or in combination with other metallic wire, as there are wires required
for the conductor, and put them on to a revolving cone, or the wire may be
wound on bobbins or reels mounted on suitable frames, and I pass the wires,
through a guide ring or plate with small holes in it, through each of which a
wire passes, or the wires may be passed over guide rollers, and in this way I.
ensure their being laid parallel. The wires meeting altogether close to the.
revolving dies or grooved rollers are passed through them and pressed into a
smooth cylindrical form, which form offers the least surface for induction. I
then bind or lap the wires thus formed firmly round with films or ribbons of
paraffin compound, india-rubber, gutta percha, or other insulating material by.
any suitable covering machine. As the rings, bobbins, or reels of wire are
finished fresh ones are supplied, and in making a join the end of the wire of
the fresh ring, bobbin, or reel is put to the end or nearly so of the wire of the
finished one, but not so as to overlap each other, and together with the other
wires passed through the revolving dies or grooved rollers, and bound or
cemented together as herein-before mentioned. It is desirable that only one
join should be made at the same time and place, and thus a conductor may
be formed of any required length without stopping, stranding, or soldering, as
heretofore.
I then continue insulating the conductor with numerous fillets or ribbons.
of paraffin compound, or of india-rubber, gutta percha, or other insulating.
material, put on longitudinally, and which when desired may be rendered
adhesive by a solution of india-rubber or heat. These fillets or ribbons are
passed under tension and led down to the grooved rollers over guide pullies, or
rollers mounted around a ring or plate baving a central hole in it, through
which the said conductor is passed. These guide pullies or rollers are
arranged round the ring or plate and at equal distances apart, so that the
fillets or ribbons on coming together at the grooved rollers encircle or lap,the,
said conductor, and are together with it passed alone or in combination with
paraffin compound in a plastic state through the rollers under great pressure,
and thereby consolidated. When a small thickness of insulation is required,
one, two, or more fillets or ribbons, according to the thickness desired, may be.
employed, passed over guide rollers or pullies, and put on the, said, conductor
longitudinally by preference, so as to overlap, one another, and then passed
alone or in combination with paraffin compound through the grooved rollers.,
under great pressure and consolidated. The desired thickness being obtained,

page_text: I-pass the whole through a pair of grooved rollers with carbon compound in a
plastic state and cure it. These rollers are furnished with a hopper or hoppers
placed at such an angle with the surface of the roller as to form with it a
trough for receiving the insulating material, it being so formed as to allow
the plastic material to escape from the troughs at the grooves, but not
elsewhere.
:
Sometimes, when great strength is desired, I crush wire, or fibres, or yarns
in with the compound or hemp, or other fibrous materials, with carbon, or
paraffin compound may be spiralled round as an outside protection; or I
employ tapes made from unspun fibre in combination with paraffin or carbon
compound laid longitudinally or spirally.
My apparatus for insulating or covering telegraphic wires or conductors in
numerous thin coatings, and in one operation, consists of two rollers, each
about one foot in diameter and two feet long; mounted on a suitable frame,
and geared together so as to run at the same surface speed, with semicircular
grooves cut on their peripheries close together, each groove increasing pro-
gressively in size from one end of the rollers to the other, and each uniting so
as to form an eye of the size of the coating required. These rollers are
furnished with a bopper or trough for receiving the insulating material,
through which the wire or conductor passes, the hopper or trough being so
formed as to allow the insulating. material to escape from the trough or hopper
at the
grooves, but not elsewhere. The wire or conductor is firstly passed·
through a small groove in the insulating or covering rollers, and then led over
a corresponding groove in a guide pulley or drum placed at a suitable distance
from the insulating or covering rollers, and from thence returned over another
guide drum or pulley having corresponding grooves to those on the insulating
or covering rollers, which grooves keep the wire central to the front of the
said rollers. The wire or conductor is then passed through the next larger
groove, from which it receives a coating or covering, and over the guide pullies
or drums as before, and so on until the required thickness is obtained; the
wire or conductor receiving a coating from every groove through which it
passes; it may then be cold vulcanised and wound on reels or coiled into
tanks.
From the simplicity of my method and the apparatus I use in making and
insulating telegraphic conductors, I have not thought it necessary to give the
proportions, as they may be varied at the discretion of the persons employed,
which will readily be understood by any one accustomed to the insulating or
covering of telegraphic wires or conductors.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and how the same iş

page_text: to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to any precise arrangements as long as the peculiar features of my Invention
be retained; but what I claim and desire to secure by these Letters Patent
arc, the making of continuous conductors with small wires without stranding
or soldering, the insulating or covering of conductors with numerous thin
fillets or ribbons of insulating material laid longitudinally and stretched to
their full extent, and the apparatus for insulating or covering in numerous
thin coatings and in one operation, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macintosh, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN MACINTOSH. (LS.)