AN IMPROVED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR FOR TELEGRAPHIC TELEPHONIC OR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR FOR TELEGRAPHIC TELEPHONIC OR
SIMILAR PURPOSES" communicated to him from abroad by Thomas Harrison
Dunham of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd July 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & C° Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR FOR
TELEGRAPHIC TELEPHONIC OR SIMILAR PURPOSES "[A communication to him
from abroad by Thomas Harrison Dunham of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America]
This invention relates to an improved insulated electrical conductor.
In carrying the said invention into practice a number of wires are laid parallel
to each other between two laps of raw cotton saturated with tar, asphalt or the
like; the cotton laps being then compressed around the wires by suitable rollers.
The tarred cotton lap provides a more perfect insulation, and its cost is much less
than any covering heretofore used, so far as I know.
I will now describe a convenient apparatus for manufacturing the said
conductors but wish it understood that other devices for tarring the bats and
enclosing the wires between them may be found equally efficient.
In this machine a vat is surrounded by a steam jacket which is kept full of
steam to heat the tar, asphalt or the like with which the vat is kept filled to the
required depth. A series of rollers are mounted in boxes secured to the side of
the vat. Two endless webs or aprons pass between these rollers and over other
rollers. The first pair of rollers fit as closely as the nature of the liquid will allow
about an opening in the end of the vat below the top of the liquid. A lap of raw
cotton wound on a reel is mounted on a stand and a similar lap is mounted lower
[Price Cd1

page_text: '
down on the same stand. A reel containing a number of coils of wire is mounted
on a stand in a plane between the rolls of lap. The lap from the lower roll
is first drawn through the vat and laid evenly on the lower web, the wires are
then drawn from the coils passed through holes in the guide plate then over the
'lower lap on which they are laid equidistant from and parallel to each other. The
upper lap is now drawn over and evenly laid on the wires. The upper web is
then lowered until it rests on the upper lap and is held there by the upper rollers
which are placed in position. The axles of the lower rolls project through
stuffing boxes in one side of the vat and are all geared to be revolved together in
the same direction by a belt or any suitable well known connections. The vat is
now filled with hot tar or the like, and as soon as the laps, already in place, are
sufficiently saturated, the rolls are made to revolve, thereby drawing in the
continuous laps and the wires placed between them. The first rolls are smooth
and as they are adjusted more or less closely according to the viscidity of the tar,
about the opening in the vat, they, together with the partially compressed laps,
prevent any excessive leakage,, The other rolls are provided with properly spaced
grooves gradually increasing in depth the last pair of rollers are above the tar
and are held together by weights or springs with sufficient force to squeeze out the
surplus tar. From these rolls the laps and wires emerge cemented together
containing about ten insulated wires for every foot in width of the laps, and may
be collected in rolls of any desired size; sixty or seventy yards in length, make a
convenient roll for handling. In this shape my improved conductors are admirably
adapted for underground use, iand can be readily laid, by simply spreading the roll
flat in a properly prepared trench or box or by rolling the flat band edgewise to a
cylindrical form, and secured at proper intervals.. This covering not only provides
insulation but also effectually protects the wires from the air and moisture.
It is often desirable to have single insulated wires both for overhead and under-
ground use, and 'for this reason' I pass the laps and their enclosed wires as they
come from the squeeze rolls, between revolving knives and cut them in strips of
equal width, each strip containing one wire. By keeping the knives wet with
water the tarred cotton is readily cut. These strips are then passed through a
steam-heated revolving former by which the tar is softened and the wings or ribs
are folded around and cemented to the covering over the wire, and made round by
being drawn through the cylindrical part of the revolving former! A remark
remarkable
strength is imparted to unspun cotton by saturating it with tar or the like, and
this improved, covering, will resist all the strains and wear to which overhead wires
are liable, better than any covering that I am acquainted with:,;

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Patent Office on the 2nd January
1884.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR FOR
TELEGRAPHIC, TELEPHONIC, OR SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication to me
from abroad by Thomas Harrison Dunham, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
This invention relates to an improved insulated electrical conductor
According to the said invention a number of wires are laid parallel to each other
between two laps of raw cotton saturated with tar, asphalt or the like;. the cotton
laps being then compressed around the wires by suitable rollers. The tarred cotton
lap provides a more perfect insulation, and its cost is, less, than that of the coverings
heretofore employed
Suitable apparatus for manufacturing the improved electrical conductor is
illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section.
Figure 2 is an end view of the wires encased in the laps, passing through the
severing rolls.
Figure 3 is a cross section of one wire as severed from the rest. :
Figure 4 shows the device for finishing the separate wires, and
Figure 5 is a cross section of a finished conductor.
A vat A is surrounded by a steam jacket a which is kept full of steam to heat
the tar, asphalt or the like B, with which the vat is kept filled to the required
depth.
'
A series of rollers C C¹ C² C³ C are mounted in boxes secured to the side of
the vat A. Two endless webs or aprons D D¹ pass between these rollers and over
other rollers d d¹. The first pair of rollers C fit, as closely as the nature of the
liquid will allow, an opening in the end of the vat below the top of the liquid.
A lap of raw cotton E wound on a reel is mounted on a stand e, and a similar
lap E¹ is mounted lower down on the same stand. A reel containing a number of
coils of wire F is mounted. on a stand fin a plane between the rolls of laps E
and El.
The lap from the lower roll E¹ is first drawn through the vat A and laid evenly
on the lower web D', the wires are then drawn from the coils, passed through
holes in the guide plate fl; then over the lap E¹, on which they are laid
equidistant from and parallel to each other. The upper lap E is now drawn over
and evenly laid on the wires. The upper web D is then lowered until it rests on
the upper lap and is held there by the upper rollers which are placed in position as
shown. The axles of the lower rolls project through stuffing boxes in one side of
the vat and are all geared to be revolved together in the same direction by a belt
or any suitable well known connections. The vat is now filled with hot tar or the
like, and as soon as the laps, already in place, are sufficiently saturated, the rolls
are made to revolve, thereby drawing in the continuous laps and the wires placed
between them. The first rolls are smooth and as they are adjusted more or less
closely according to the viscidity of the tar, about the opening in the vat, they,
together with the partially compressed laps, prevent any excessive leakage. The
other rolls are provided with properly spaced grooves gradually increasing in depth.
The last pair of rollers is above the tar, the said rollers being held together by
weights or springs with sufficient force to squeeze out the surplus tar. From these

page_text: rolls the laps and wires emerge cemented together, as shown at H in Figure 2,
containing about ten insulated wires for every foot in width of the laps, and may
be collected in rolls of any desired size. Rolls sixty or seventy yards in length, are
a convenient size for handling In this shape the improved conductors are
admirably adapted for underground use, and can be readily laid by simply spreading
the roll flat in a properly prepared trench or box, or by rolling the flat band
edgewise to a cylindrical form secured at proper intervals. This covering not
only provides insulation but also effectually protects the wires from the air and
moisture.
'
It is often desirable to have single insulated wires both for overhead and under-
ground, use, and for this, reason I pass the laps and their enclosed wires as they
come from the squeeze rolls between the revolving knives I I', see Figure. 2, and
cut them in strips h of, equal width, each strip, containing one wire as shown in
Figure 3. By keeping the knives wet with water the tarred cotton is readily cut.
These strips are then passed through a steam heated revolving former K by which
the tar is softened and the wings or ribs are folded around and cemented to the
'covering over the wire, and made round by being drawn through. the cylindrical
part of the revolving former K. A remarkable strength is imparted to unspun
cotton by saturating it with tar or the like. This improved covering will resist
all the strains and wear to which overhead wires are liable, better than other
coverings
I do not confine myself to the employment of the apparatus above described
for manufacturing the improved electrical conductors, as I may use any other
suitable devices for tarring the laps and enclosing the wires between them.
* . Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondentland the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I Claim :-
The insulated electrical conductor above described, consisting of one or more
wires placed between two laps of raw cotton, the fibres of which are cemented
together by tar or the like
In witness" whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my hand
and, seal this Second day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
14.
HENRY. H. LAKE
(L.S.)