An Improved Covering for Steam Pipes, Electric Wires and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES TENNANT LEE, of Storey Place, Jamaica
Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Chemist.]
An Improved Covering for Steam Pipes, Electric Wires and the like.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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:—
In the accompanying drawings which form a pari hereof,
Figure 1 is a section, showing a steam pipe encased in my packing.
Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the packing or insulator applied to electrical
conductors.
The object of my invention is the production of a cheap and efficient packing or
insulator which shall present great resistance to the passage of heat or electricity,
and it consists in a layer or mass of comminuted mica in the form of flakes
applied so as to surround the pipe or conductor and retained in place by a suitable
case or boxing.
Mica is well-known to be a good non-conductor, and it has been employed as
such when applied in sheets to parts of electrical apparatus. A packing or
insulator should, to insure the greatest degree of non-conductivity, contain
numerous air spaces throughout its mass or body. For this reason, among others,
hair-felt is a good non-conductor and is frequently used for packing steam pipes,
although it is not long-lived and requires to be frequently replaced. Comminuted
mica in flakes or scales of varying size exists in large quantities where sheet mica
is cut or mined and is at present of little or no value. I employ this flake mica,
applying it as shown in the drawings, in which a represents a steam pipe and b.
electrical conductors or wires. The mica, shown at d, is placed around the pipe or
conductors in a casing f, which may be of any desired shape and of any suitable
material so long as it serves to retain the mica in place around the pipe or con-
ductor. The mass of flake mica encloses an immense number of air spaces and
forms an almost perfect non-conductor for heat or electricity. Such an insulating
material, applied in this way, has many obvious advantages besides its cheapness.
It is practically indestructable. When used around steam pipes, if a leak occurs.
it allows the water to drain off and when dry, is again in good condition. It is
easily removed when repairs are necessary and may be as easily replaced without
the aid of special skill. Electrical wires may be threaded through a casing or
conduit filled with it, as shown Fig. 2, and thus easily pulled into place. It forms
a close layer or mass around the conductor and combines the porosity or numerous
air spaces of the felt packings with the great durability of mica-itself one of the
best known non-conductors.
Having now particularly described and ascentained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
A non-conductor for heat or electricity, consisting of comminuted mica in a
loose state and unincorporated with other material and retained in position around
the pipe or conductor by a suitable box or casing, substantially as shown and
described
Dated MIS ITIN day of September 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant