Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
I EUGENIO TORTORA of Florence in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
My invention relates to improvements in insulating electrical conductors; and the
objects of my improvements are to replace insulating materials now in use by the
employment of dry atmospheric air or non conducting gases and glass.
It is a well known fact, that dry air does not conduct electricity; and glass also is
a very important non-conducting material. But dry air and glass combined have not
hitherto been used for insulating wires conducting the electrical current.
According to my invention 1 place the conducting wires in short glass tubes or
boxes hermetically connected together by leaving sufficient space within the glass
tubes or boxes to form a layer of air around the wire. The air to be supplied to the
interior of such glass boxes or tubes should be dried by passing the same through
sulphuric acid, over caustic lime or other hydroscopic material or by similarly treating.
Instead of dry air a non-conducting gas or gases may be employed in the glass tubes
or cases.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Insulating Electrical Conductors.
I EUGENIO TORTORA of Florence in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
My invention relates to improvements in insulating electrical conductors; and the
objects of my improvements are to replace insulating materials now in use by the
combined employment of dry atmospheric air or non conducting gases and glass.
It is a well known fact, that dry air does not conduct electricity; and glass also is a
very important non conducting material. But dry air and glass combined have not
hitherto been used for insulating wires conducting the electrical current.
According to my invention 1 place the conducting wires in short glass tubes or
boxes hermetically connected together leaving sufficient space within the glass tubes or
boxes to form a layer of air around the wire. The air to be supplied to the interior
of such glass boxes or tubes should be thoroughly dried by passing the same through
sulphuric acid, over chloride of calcium or other hygroscopic material, or by passing
it through refrigerated tubes where it precipitates its water on the sides instead of
carrying it into the interior of the cool glass tubes or by similar treating.
Instead of dry air a non conducting gas or gases may be employed in the glass tubes
or hoxes.
In order to make my invention more clearly understood I will describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which several examples of the practical
application of my improvements are shown.
Figures 1 to 4 illustrate the method of constructing underground conductors
according to my invention.
a is the glass box of wedge-shaped or inclined sided base; b is the cover and c the
. conducting wire. The different pieces a are connected to each other by placing the
narrow end of the one into the wider end of the adjacent one thus producing an
uninterrupted glass channel. The wire is then put correctly in place and the
channel covered by the semi-conical pieces b of form also corresponding with a and
the wide end of one piece covering the narrow end of the next one. The joints of
the parts a and b are made tight by some suitable material as asphaltum, bitumen or
other cement. The air contained within such glass tubes is dried as above mentioned
and the ends hermetically closed by suitable insulating material.
Figures 5 to 10 show a convenient method of producing flexible cables particularly
adapted for submarine uses according to my invention. The cable is formed by a
number of glass rings d arranged side by side and connected by an outer rubber
hose a for protection against the attacks of fishes, insects et cetera, I make use in
some cases of a second series of glass rings (Figures 9 and 10) which are striped or
layered over the rubber.

page_text: The conducting wire passes through all the rings d which inside are of angular
form as shown in Figure 5 so as to offer a minimum of contact to the wire. The
wire is surrounded as beforesaid by dried air and the ends of the cable, outside of the
water hermetically closed as above mentioned.
As the water has at a certain depth a determined density, which can be calculated
by the height of hydraulic column, this cable can be made of a corresponding specific
weight and suspended in any convenient depth by means of loops e attached to a
number of buoys and by means of ropes i provided with suitable branches do d¹ d²
to weights, preferably a stone of inalterable composition. The cable thus floating in
a depth beyond that of liability to be struck by the hull of ships, by iceborgs and
beyond the range of oceanic currents, and its direction being indicated by the buoys
it can be lifted when desired or when necessary for repairing or for other purposes.
Also by means of these buoys marine telegraph stations may be located.
To insulate the wire of the bobbins for electro-magnets I dip the same into molten
glass which after hardening will prevent the current from quitting its normal course
through the whole length of the wire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same, is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The method of insulating electrical conducting wires by enclosing them within glass
tubes which are filled with dried air or other non-conducting gases, substantially as
described and in the manner specified.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
Dated the 28th day of December 1887.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.