IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MEANS OF LAYING AND SECURING THE SAME; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Donald Nicoll, of Oaklands Hall, West End,
Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
LAYING AND SECURING THE SAME; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 28th February 1868, and dated the 31st August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Donald Nicoll at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st August 1867.
I, DONALD NICOLL, of Oaklands Hall, West End, Kilburn, in the County
of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
''IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
LAYING AND SECURING THE SAME; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY AND. APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in electric telegraph
conductors for underground lines, and in the means or methodof laying down
the same, and securing and uniting them; also in the machinery and
apparatus to be employed for such purposes.

page_text: The conducting wires are first to be prepared in the manner or manners
described in my former Patents, dated February 15th, 1866, No. 480, and
March 11th, 1867, No. 694, and will be secured and united during the
process of laying them in trenches by the methods hereafter described.
For the purpose of laying, depositing, or casting in blocks or slabs any
number of wires prepared as stated, I propose to employ a road locomotive
or traction steam engine of any suitable kind and power capable of travelling
on a portable tramway, or along ordinary highways or open land, and I
apply to such engine midway in front thereof, or at any suitable position, an
ordinary ploughshare for cutting a trench on soft soils, or clay, or open land;
such trench being of sufficient depth and length to contain a trough, or mould,
or casting to form the blocks or slabs in which the conductors are embedded
and secured. The material for the blocks or slabs being bitumen, asphalte,
or other suitable composition of a waterproof and non-conducting material, as
hereafter described. But for roads or hard ground, instead of a plough-
share I propose to apply one or more picks or steel teeth set in bearings
attached to the engine and worked by steam power, so as to act with force on
the proposed line of trench, whereby the ground will be loosened and broken
to the required length and depth. Over the ordinary furnace I fix two
receptacles or holders, in which cauldrons are set, capable of being easily
raised from such receptacles in order to regulate the heat to be applied
to the contents of the said cauldrons, in one of which I place molten
bitumen, pitch, or tar, or other non-conducting material, and mix therewith a
quantity of sand, gravel, or other earthy substance abounding in the neigh-
bourhood where the engine may be employed, in order that a hard con-
glomerate may be formed of the mass when cool, similar to the ordinary
asphalte for pavements or foundations of buildings. I keep the contents of
this cauldron iu motion by agitators worked by steam, and a valve or plug is
arranged at a convenient part of the cauldron of such dimensions as to permit
a sufficient quantity of the molten mass to fall into the trench cut by the
plough or steel teeth, so as to form therein a block or slab of the requisite
length for the prepared wires to be embedded therein, and I then supply a
further quantity of the compound or conglomerate in order to completely
cover and enclose the wires, whereby they will be protected from decay and
moisture. The trench is theu to be filled in and levelled to its original
surface. The other cauldron may contain the same species of composition or
merely insulating material. In order to form the junctions of the lengths of
wires, where a small number are employed, I use a screw press, the ram of
which is brought to bear upon two or more plates of metal, having a matrix

page_text: or matrices cut therein to receive the wires, which overlapping each other
are then joined by compression, the screw being suddenly lowered tightly on
the plates, thus welding the wires into one; or lever power may be used for
the same purpose. But where the number of wires is large, as will generally
happen in casting slabs or blocks, strong percussive action will be required to
join them together, and I use a steam hammer forming part of and set in
motion by steam communication from the boiler of the said engine, such
hammer being brought to bear upon a piston or ram placed immediately over
the plates containing the said grooves or matrices, and thus the wires are
crushed or welded together. The hammer or ram, or a substitute, may be
applied in the same manner to level the trench before depositing the con-
glomerate, and also for levelling the ultimate filling in and close packing of
the trenches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Donald Nicoll in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DONALD
NICOLL, of Oaklands Hall, West End, Kilburn, in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Donald Nicoll, Her special licence, that I, the said Donald Nicoll,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Donald Nicoll, 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 ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHIC CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
LAYING AND SECURING THE SAME; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Donald Nicoll, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe aud ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in 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 Donald Nicoll, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :---
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of electric
telegraph conductors for use in underground lines, and in the means or method
of laying down the same, aud securing and uniting them together; also in the
machinery and apparatus to be employed for such purposes.
The conducting wires are first to be prepared in the manner or manners
described in my former Patents, dated February 16th, 1866, No. 480, and
March 11th, 1867, No. 694, and are to be secured and united together during
the process of laying them in trenches by the methods hereafter described.
For the purpose of laying, depositing, or casting any number of wires pre-
pared as stated in blocks or slabs, I employ a road locomotive or traction
steam engine of any suitable kind and power, capable of travelling on a
portable tramway, or along ordinary highways, or open laud, and I apply to
such engine, midway in front thereof, or at any suitable position, an ordinary
ploughshare for cutting a trench on soft soils or clay, or on open land, such
trench being of sufficient depth and length to contain a trough, or mould, or
casting to form the blocks or slabs, in which the wire or wires prepared in
any way referred to in my previous Patents are embedded and secured; the
material for the blocks or slabs being bitumen, asphalte, or other suitable
composition of a waterproof material as hereafter described. But for roads
or hard ground, instead of a ploughshare I propose to apply one or more
picks or steel teeth set in bearings attached to the engine and worked by
steam power and suitable gearing, so as to act with force on the proposed line
of trench, whereby the ground will be loosened and broken to the required
length and depth. Overthe furnace I fix two receptacles or holders in which
cauldrons are set, capable of being easily raised from such receptacles by
lifting gear in order to regulate the heat to be applied to the cauldrons, in one
of which I place molten bitumen, pitch, or tar, or other non-conducting or
insulating material or compound, and I prefer to mix therewith a quantity of.
sand, gravel, lime, or other such substance abounding in the neighbourhood
where the engine may be employed, in order that a hard conglomerate may be
formed of the mass, similar to the ordinary asphalte for pavements or founda-
tions of buildings. The cauldrons may be heated direct from the furnace, or

page_text: by means of steam entering a jacket enclosing each cauldron, or by other
arrangements for heating by steam, and the contents are to be kept in motion
by agitators worked by steam, and a valve or plug is arranged at a con-
venient part of each cauldron of such dimensions as to permit a sufficient
quantity of the molten mass to fall into the trench cut by the plough or steel
teeth in order to form therein a block or slab of the requisite length for the
prepared wires to be embedded therein, and after such wire or wires are so
embedded I then supply a further quantity of the compound or conglomerate
in order to completely cover and enclose the wire or wires, whereby they will
be further protected from decay and moisture; the trench is then to be filled in
and levelled to its original surface. The other cauldron may contain com-
position or insulating material prepared at a higher temperature for the
completion of junctions at the collars, described in my Patent dated February
15th, 1866, No. 480. In order to form the junctions of the lengths of wires
where a small number are employed I use a screw press, the ram of which is
brought to bear upon two or more plates of metal having a matrix or matrices
cut therein to receive the wire or wires which are then joined by compression
or percussion, the screw being suddenly lowered tightly on the plates, thus
welding the wires into one. Or lever power may be used for the same purpose,
but where the number of wires is large, as will generally happen, and stronger
percussive action than hand power affords, will be required to join them
together, I then use a steam hammer set in motion by steam communication
from the boiler of the locomotive or traction engine, such hammer being
brought to bear upon a piston or ram placed immediately over the plates con-
taining the said grooves or matrices, and thus the several wires intended to be
joined together, one being by preference twisted spirally or helically so as to
receive a joining wire, are then crushed or welded together. The hammer or
ram, or a substitute, may be applied or worked in the same manner to level
the trench before depositing the conglomerate, and also to level the ultimate
filling in and close packing of the trenches.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect I claim, the use and application of a
locomotive steam engine or machine for opening and preparing earth, soil, or
sand to receive underground telegraphic wires, and for supplying the trenches
so prepared with insulating material or waterproof compound for an extra or
final insulation and protection of the wire or wires, when such have been
received or laid therein in lengths or rigid sections; such wire or wireshaving
been previously and separately insulated, and when several are used solidified

page_text: together, as described in my said two former Patents, and more particularly in
that dated March 11th, 1867, No. 694.
I also claim the completion of the junctions of a continuous wire or wires
by the use of percussion or compression obtained by steam, hand, or other
machine power, all substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Donald Nicoll, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
DONALD NICOLL. (I..S.)