IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRICAL TELEGRAPHIC CON- DUCTORS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Gray, of Binswood House, Highbury Hill,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRICAL TELEGRAPHIC CON-
DUCTORS."
Sealed the 13th December 1867, and dated the 17th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Gray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th June 1867.
I, MATTHEW GRAY, of Binswood House, Highbury Hill, Islington, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRICAL TELEGRAPHIC
CONDUCTORS," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to give and preserve strength to electrical
telegraphic conductors, especially to adapt them to submarine purposes, and
the improvements relate to applying strands of manilla, hemp, silk, or other
yarn between layers of gutta percha or compounds thereof, or of india-rubber
or compounds thereof, or other suitable insulating material enclosing the wire,.
such yarns being saturated with a protecting and preserving material.
In carrying out the improvements after applying one or more coatings of the
gutta percha or compounds thereof, or of india-rubber, or of other suitable insu-
lating material upon the wire or series of wires, I apply strands of manilla;
hemp, silk, or other yarn saturated with gutta percha, bitumen, or gutta percha

page_text: and tar and bitumen, or with other suitable matter, and I then apply one
or more coatings of gutta percha, india-rubber, or compounds thereof, or
other suitable matter. A convenient method I find for carrying out my improve-
ments is to pass the wire or series of wires coated, as desired, with one or more
coatings of gutta percha or compounds thereof, or of india-rubber, through the
opposite sides or surfaces of a box or chamber containing heated compound of
gutta percha, bitumen, and tar, or other suitable matter, by which it becomes
coated, and simultaneously to pass the hemp or other yarns through other
holes around, but at some distance from that through which the coated wire
enters, in order that these yarns may all become thoroughly saturated with the
bitumen or other suitable material. The yarns and coated wires then pass out
together from the box or chamber, and together pass through the chamber for
receiving a coating of gutta percha or other insulating material, and the yarns
are laid parallel or nearly so to the axis of the enclosed wire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Gray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th December 1867...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, MATTHEW
GRAY, of Binswood House, Highbury Hill, Islington, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Matthew Gray, Her special licence that I, the said Matthew Gray, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthew
Gray, 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 MANUFACTURE OF
ELECTRICAL TELEGRAPHIC CONDUCTORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Matthew Gray, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under py, 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in

page_text: 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 Matthew Gray, 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
thereof, that is to say:-
The object of the Invention is to give and preserve strength to electrical
telegraphic conductors so as especially to adapt them to submarine purposes.
The improvements relate to applying a covering of strands or threads of
manilla, hemp, silk, or other yarn upon gutta percha or compounds thereof,
or india-rubber or compounds thereof, or other suitable insulating material
enclosing the conducting wire, which yarns may be saturated and coated with
a protecting and preserving material.
In carrying out the improvements after applying one or more coatings of the
gutta percha or compounds thereof, or of india-rubber, or other suitable insu-
lating material upon the conducting wire or series of conducting wires, and
which forms no part of the Invention, I apply strands of manilla, of hemp, of
silk, or of other yarn which may be saturated with tar or other preservative
matter, and which is then coated with gutta percha and bitumen, or gutta percha
and tar and bitumen, or with other compound of gutta percha, and in some
cases I then apply a coating or coatings of gutta percha or compounds thereof.
A convenient method I find for carrying out my improvements is to pass the
wire or series of wires coated as desired with one or more coatings of gutta
percha or compounds thereof, or of india-rubber, through the opposite side or
surface of a box or chamber containing a heated compound of gutta percha,
bitumen, and tar, or other compound of gutta percha, by which it becomes
coated, and simultaneously to pass the hemp or other yarn (which may have
been previously saturated as stated) through other holes around but at some
distance from that through which the coated wire enters, in order that these
yarns may all become thoroughly coated with the gutta percha and bitumen
or other compound of gutta percha. The yarns and coated wires then pass
out from this box or chamber through the same aperture or die so as to be
compressed closely upon the insulated conductor, and, if desired, the insulated
conductor with its covering of yarn may then be passed together through a
chamber for receiving a coating of gutta percha or other insulating material.
The accompanying Drawing represents on an enlarged scale a section of a
series of conducting wires enclosed in the manner described. The circles a, a,
represent seven wires enclosed in four separate coatings b, b, b, b, of gutta
percha or a compound thereof or of india-rubber, and c, c, c, represent the

page_text: strands of yarn which may have been saturated, as stated, and are then coated
with a compound of gutta percha, and d represents what may be when desired
an outer coating to the whole. I also in some cases enclose the whole in coils
of tape or other woven fabric formed from cotton, hemp, or flax, such coils
being laid on the coated conductors from a bobbin or other carrier caused to
rotate round the coated conductor, as that conductor travels forwards; I do
not however claim the application of such coating of tape.
Having thus described my Invention and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details referred to, as the same may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I claim is, the manu-
facture of electrical telegraphic conductors by enclosing the insulated wire
with strands or threads of manilla, hemp, silk, or other suitable yarn coated
with gutta percha and bituminous substance, or gutta percha, tar, and bitu-
minous substance, or with other compound of gutta percha, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Gray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
MATTHEW GRAY. (L.S.)