the Supply Conductors for Electric Lighting.
Year: 1889

page_text: the Supply Conductors for Electric Lighting.
We, WILLIAM LOWRIE, Engineer, and CHARLES JAMES HALL, Electrician, both of
117 Bishopsgate Street Within, in the City of London, 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:-
Our invention relates to a system of underground pipes or conduits in which are
placed conductors for supplying currents of electricity for electric lighting. For such
a purpose it is highly desirable to avoid disturbing the roadway, or the conductors,
after the latter have been laid and connected. Furthermore it is required to quickly
ascertain and localize faults, to isolate such faults with a minimum of inconvenience to
other points of the installation, to provide a bye way or pass around a fault, and
convenient points from which new extensions of the system may be made. To accom-
plish this, we lay or arrange the pipes or conduits in the manner shown by Figs. 1, 2
and 3, (or combinations thereof), according to the local circumstances, and place
therein the electric supply cables. -
The drawings indicate a number of houses A, A, which may be taken to represent,
also, other structures, or separate installations. In Fig. 1 is shown a line of main
pipes a, a, containing the main supply cables, having street boxes b, b, at rather distant
intervals, with junction, boxes c, c, between the same. These, and branch boxes,
hereinafter to be referred to, are similar in character and are provided with lids or
covers made flush, or approximately flush, with the surface of the street or pavement.
By removing any of the covers, access is had to the pipe lines beneath to insert new
cables or cut out old ones, to make connections with the branches, or the separate
installations, for testing and other like purposes without disturbing the roadway.
In the figure, house pipes, each containing the insulated conductors for a single
installation, are laid direct from the main line a to the houses A, A.
In Fig. 2 branch pipes d, d, are laid from the street boxes-b, b,-towards the centre
of a group of separate installations, having a branch box e at the extremity of each
branch pipe. From the several installations of each group, separate house pipe
lines, varying in length, converge upon e, each with its own particular supply cable,
and they are there connected to the branch cable or cables.

page_text: In Fig. 3, the same arrangement of branch pipes d, d, with the branch box e at the
extremity of each is shown. A single cable pipe tine g, g extends in each direction
from its connecting point e with the branch line, to supply a group of installations;
and is laid as close thereto as may be convenient. Boxes c, c are also laid in this line
at intervals, and from these, short house pipe lines are connected directly to their
corresponding installation.
In the main and branch pipes there are, or may be, more than one complete line of
conductors, but in the honse pipes one line only is placed. The street and branch
boxes afford every facility for making the necessary cable connection, and for
testing purposes. Should a fault be found between any particular branch box and an
installation connected therewith the latter can be cut out without detriment to the
other installations supplied from the same box.
If a fault be discovered in the branch.cable or cables supplied from the main line,
the branch can be readily cut out at the street box at which it is connected to-the
main cables, without disturbing the roadway. In this emergency a group of
installations is cut out entirely, but we may temporarily (or otherwise), connect the
group by one or both of its extremities to the adjoining group or groups, as indicated
by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.
In the same manner we may temporarily connect and conduct current around a
fault between two street boxes as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, due, for
example, to roadway repairs, sewer operations or the like, with rapidity and ease.
Furthermore we can repair and renew the cables. and make new connections between
and at the said street and branch boxes without disturbing the roadway.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A system of distributing pipes or conduits for containing conductors for electric
lighting, comprising the combination of a main line of pipes provided at intervals
with street boxes, branch pipes leading therefrom having a branch box at the other
extremity thereof, and groups of house or separate installation pipes of varying lengths
converging upon and connected to the branch lines at the said branch boxes; substan-
tially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.
2. A system of distributing pipes or conduits for containing conductors for electric
lighting, comprising the combination of a main line of pipes provided at intervals
with street boxes, branch pipes leading therefrom having a branch box at the other
extremity thereof, a supply or distributing pipe line embracing a small group of
separate installation with a short house pipe leading directly therefrom to each
installation; substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and
described.
Dated this 19th day of Jannary 1889
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicants.