IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH CABLES AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TELEGRAPH CABLES AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME,
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES." A
communication from abroad by Morris Hopkins Alberger and Silas Wright
Pettit, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November 1878.
BRISTOW HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. “IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH CABLES AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF
MANUFACTURING THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO
OTHER PURPOSES." (A communication from abroad by Morris Hopkins Alberger
and Silas Wright Pettit, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States
of America.)
According to this Invention the improved cable consists of three main parts,
namely, an outer tube of wrought iron, a conducting wire, and a vitreous insulating
medium intervening between the outer tube and the conducting wire.
The following is the mode of manufacturing this cable:-The wire is first
introduced into a tube of vitreous material, preferably in the manner hereinafter
described; the tube and wire are then introduced into a lap or butt-welded tube of
wrought iron; the whole is then subjected to heat, and while in a heated condition
is subjected to a process of rolling or drawing by which the three elements are
reduced to a compact whole.
If the conducting wire is of copper care should be taken that the degree of heat
applied does not reach the melting heat of copper, but the heat should be sufficient
to induce the iron and vitreous material to yield readily in obedience to the rolling
or other reducing operation by which the three elements are compacted into a solid
cable.

page_text: A conducting wire of iron or decarbonized steel is however preferred, in which
case such a high degree of heat may be imparted to the cable that it may be
reduced in diameter and elongated by rolling or drawing to any extent desired
without impairing the wire core or the vitreous insulating medium.
It is not essential in all cases that the outer casing of the cable should be in the
first instance in the form of a tube; the vitreous material, for instance, with the
internal wire may be enclosed in two semi-cylindrical tubes or bent skelps of
wrought iron; or the vitreous material may be surrounded by a billet of wrought.
iron rods, reliance being placed upon rolling or drawing while the skelps or rods are
at a welding heat for a perfect union of the iron bars, and for their conversion into
a perfect outer casing for the cable.
The following plan of combining the wire core with a glass tube, or rather of
covering the wire with glass or other vitreous material, is preferred.
A glass-blower produces a bulb of glass or like vitreous material on the end of a
blow-pipe in the usual manner. The wire from a neighbouring reel is then passed
through the blow-pipe until its end reaches the outer end of the bulb, when an
attendant, by a suitable instrument, seizes the end of the bulb as well as the end of
the wire, and draws both outwards while the blow-pipe is held stationary, and this
is continued until or whilst a tube of vitreous material enclosing and tightly
embracing a wire core is produced.
It will be understood that the vitreous material is at a proper heat at the
commencement of the operation, and retains heat sufficient to ensure ductility until
the conclusion of the operation.
The mode of uniting lengths of the cable together is as follows:-By an emery
wheel or other suitable device the adjoining ends of two lengths of the cable are
rounded off, so that the conducting wire shall project slightly beyond the vitreous
material, and the latter beyond the outer tube; hence in uniting the two lengths
by an ordinary screw-coupling the two ends are brought forcibly together, the ends
of the wire cores being first compressed, then the ends of the vitreous coverings
which are crushed by the force applied, the pulverized material being compacted
together between the ends of the metal tubes and around the wires where they
meet each other, so that a positive and permanent metallic contact of the two wires
and their effective insulation at the point of contact are assured.
In some cases it is advisable to make a cable with two or more conducting wires,
in which case it is necessary or advisable to flatten the tube and to introduce as
many wires clothed with vitreous material as are required, and arrange them side
by side, the whole being reduced by rolling or drawing until a compact cable is
produced with wires embedded in vitreous material enveloped by wrought-iron.
Different plans of uniting lengths of the flattened cable may be adopted.
It has been ascertained by the inventors that by simply introducing a tube of
vitreous material into a wrought-iron tube, then subjecting them to heat, and
afterwards subjecting then to rolling or drawing so as to reduce the tube in
diameter and elongate it, the result will be the production of a tube lined with
vitreous material, the latter and the iron being in close union. Tubes of this class
may be used for containing clothed or unclothed telegraph wires and for other
useful purposes, such, for instance, as pipes for conveying water, acids, or gases,
which would have a corroding effect on a plain iron tube.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th May
1879.
BRISTOW HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH CABLES AND AN IMPROVED MODE OF
MANUFACTURING THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO
OTHER PURPOSES." (A. communication from abroad by Morris Hopkins Alberger
and Silas Wright Pettit, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States
of America.)
According to this Invention the improved cable consists of three main parts,
namely, an outer tube of wrought iron, a conducting wire, and a vitreous insulating
medium intervening between the outer tube and the conducting wire.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrate a portion of
a cable drawn to an enlarged scale. A is the outer tube of wrought iron; B, the
conducting wire forming the core of the cable; and D, the intervening vitreous
insulating medium.
The following is the mode of manufacturing this cable:-The wire is first
introduced into a tube of vitreous material, preferably in the manner hereinafter
described; the tube and wire are then introduced into the lap or butt-welded
tube A of wrought iron; the whole is then subjected to heat, and wltile in a heated
condition is subjected to a process of rolling or drawing by which the three elements
are reduced to a compact whole.
"
If the conducting wire B is of copper care should be taken that the degree of
heat applied does not reach the melting heat of copper, but the heat should be
sufficient to induce the iron and vitreous material to yield readily in obedience to
the rolling or other reducing operation by which the three elements are compacted
into a solid cable.
A conducting wire of iron or decarbonized steel is lowever preferred, in which
case such a high degree of heat may be imparted to the cable that it may be
reduced in diameter and elongated by rolling or drawing to any extent desired
without impairing the wire core or the vitreous insulating medium. Figures 1 and
2 illustrate, for instance, a cable which may be reduced to the extent shown in
Figures 3 and 4.
It is not essential in all cases that the outer casing of the cable should be in the
first instance in the form of a tube; the vitreous material, for instance, with the
internal wire may be enclosed in two semi-cylindrical tubes or bent skelps of
wrought iron; or the vitreous material may be surrounded by a billet of wrought
iron rods, reliance being placed upon rolling or drawing while the skelps or rods are
at a welding heat for a perfect union of the iron bars, and for their conversion into
a perfect outer casing for the cable.
The following plan of combining the wire core with a glass tube, or rather of
covering the wire with glass or other vitreous material is preferred.
A glass blower produces a bulb E (Figure 5) of glass or like vitreous material on
the end of a blow pipe F in the usual manner. The wire from a neighbouring
reel G is then passed through the blow pipe F until its end reaches the outer end
of the bulb, when an attendant, by a suitable instrument x, seizes the end of the
bulb as well as the end of the wire and draws both outwards in the direction of
the arrow while the blow pipe is held stationary, and this is continued until or
whilst a tube of vitreous material enclosing and tightly embracing a wire-core is
produced, see Figure 6.
It will be understood, that the vitreous material is at a proper heat at the
commencement of the operation, and retains heat sufficient to ensure ductility until
the conclusion of the operation.

page_text: The mode of uniting lengths of the cable together is illustrated in Figures 7
and 8.
By an emery wheel or other suitable device the adjoining ends of two lengths of
the cable are rounded off, as shown in Figures 7, so that the conducting wire shall
project slightly beyond the vitreous inaterial, and the latter beyond the outer tube;
hence in uniting the two lengths by an ordinary screw coupling H, as shown in
Figure 8, the two ends are brought forcibly together, the ends of the wire cores
being first compressed, then the ends of the vitreous coverings which are crushed
by the force applied, the pulverized material being compacted between the ends of
the metal tubes and around the wires where they meet each other, so that a positive
and permanent metallic contact of the two wires and their effective insulation at
the point of contact are assured.
In some cases it is advisable to make a cable with two or more conducting wires,
in which case it has been found necessary to flatten the tube, as shown in Figure 9,
and to introduce as many wires clothed with vitreous material as are required, and
arrange them side by side, the whole being reduced by rolling or drawing until a
compact cable, Figure 10, is produced with wires embedded in vitreous material
enveloped by wrought iron.
Different plans of uniting lengths of the flattened cable may be adopted.
It has been ascertained by the inventors that by simply introducing a tube of
vitreous material into a wrought iron tube, then subjecting them to heat, and
afterwards subjecting them to rolling or drawing so as to reduce the tube in
diameter and elongate it, the result will be the production of a tube lined with
vitreous material, the latter and the iron being in close union. Tubes of this class
may be used for containing clothed or unclothed telegraph wires and for other
useful purposes, such, for instance, as pipes for conveying water, acids, or gases,
which would have a corroding effect on a plain iron tube.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention communicated to
me by the said Morris Hopkins Alberger and Silas Wright Pettit,--
First. A telegraph cable consisting of a conducting wire or wires, an outer tube
or cover of wrought iron, and an intervening vitreous insulating medium, the whole
being compacted and made substantially as hereinabove set forth, and as illustrated
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The mode described of making telegraph cables; that is to say, intro-
ducing the wire into a tube of glass or other vitreous material, and one or more
tubes of vitreous material, each containing a wire, into a tube or other envelope of
wrought iron, and compacting the whole by rolling or drawing, all substantially as
hereinabove specified.
Third. The mode described of making telegraph cables; that is to say, inserting
a wire of wrought iron or decarbonized steel into a tube of vitreous material,
enveloping the latter in wrought iron, subjecting the whole to a welding heat, and
finally and while thus heated reducing it by rolling or drawing, all substantially as
hereinabove described.
Fourth. The mode described of clothing wire with glass or other vitreous
material that is to say, passing the wire into a pipe and into a bulb of vitreous
material which has been formed on the end of the said pipe, then seizing both bulb
and wire and drawing them outward from the pipe, all as hereinabove described.
Fifth. The mode described of uniting lengths of the improved cable; that is to
say, by so grinding or otherwise forming the ends which have to be united that the
wire core will project slightly beyond the vitreous material, and the latter beyond
the iron casing, and then forcing the ends together by a screw coupling or otherwise,
all substantially as hereinabove specified.
Sixth. A telegraphic cable composed of a flattened outer tube of wrought iron,
two or more conducting wires, and an intervening vitreous insulating medium in

page_text: which the said wires are embedded, all substantially as hereinabove described, and
as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Seventh. The mode described of making a wrought iron tube lined with vitreous
material; that is to say, introducing a tube of vitreous material into the iron tube,
and then subjecting them to heat and to reduction by rolls or by drawing, as
hereinabove described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
BRISTOW HUNT. (L.S.)