Improvements in the Manufacture of Electric Cables, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
Improvements in the Manufacture of Electric Cables, and in
Apparatus therefor.
I, WILLOUGHBY STATHAM SMITH, of 13, Courtfield Road, South Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:
The object of this invention is to produce an electric cable in which there are
two or more conductors solidly embedded in insulating material, the conductors
being in the form of similar co-axial helices parallel to but not touching each
other.
Ineffectual attempts have been made to produce such cables for example by first
embedding the conductors in parallel straight lines in the insulating material and
then twisting the whole but it is found in such a case that the conductors tend to
draw together and twist around each other at the axis.
According to this invention I produce such cables by feeding the conductors from
separate bobbins on a rotating frame in a similar manner to that employed in
making wire rope and by causing the die box or its end plates through which the
conductors pass to rotate.
1
100x
Improvements in the Manufacture of Electric Cables, and in
Apparatus therefor.
I, Willoughby Statham SMITH, of 13, Courtfield Road, South Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to produce an electric cable in, which there are
two or more conductors solidly embedded in insulating material, the conductors
being in the form of similar co-axial helices parallel to but not touching each
other.
Ineffectual attempts have been made to produce such cables for example by first
embedding the conductors in parallel straight lines in the insulating material and
then twisting the whole but it is found in such a case that the conductors tend to
draw together and twist around each other at the axis.

page_text: According to this invention I produce such cables by feeding the conductors from
separate bobbins on a rotating frame in a similar manner to that employed in
making wire rope and by causing the die box or its end plates through which the
conductors pass to rotate.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of
the die box to a larger scale, and Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 Figure 2.
a are four bobbins from which the conductors 6 are supplied mounted on the
disc e fixed to a shaft c¹ carrying the toothed wheel gearing with the toothed
wheel d fixed to the main shaft d. e is the die box having fixed to it a bevel
pinion e gearing with a bevel pinion f¹ on the shaft f to which is also fixed a
bevel pinion gearing with the bevel pinion on the shaft d. The die box e has
plates ee at its ends and rotates in the stationary tube g which passes through the
box or reservoir containing gutta-percha or the like under pressure. This part of
the apparatus is of ordinary construction and is not shown. h is a die through
which the gutta percha is forced it is connected to the tube g by four radial arms j
and two longitudinal plates k. The gutta percha enters between the arms j and is
forced between and around the wires 6 and passes out with them through the eye h¹
of the die h. The latter being stationary the friction prevents the finished cable
from rotating so that the twisting takes place near the eye h¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
is:-
1. The manufacture of electric cables by rotating the uncovered conductors
relatively to the finished cable substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for the manufacture of electric cables substantially as described
and shown in the drawings.