IMPROVEMENTS IN REWORKING COMPOUNDS OF INDIA-RUBBER AND SULPHUR. AND IN INSULATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS
Year: 1860

page_text: Surrey. India-rubber Manufacturer, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS
IN REWORKING COMPOUNDS OF INDIA-RUBBER AND SULPHUR. AND IN INSULATING
TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS."
Sealed the 21st December 1860, and dated the 25th June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hooper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
June 1860.
1. WILLIAM HOOPER, of Mitcham, in the County of Surrey, India-rubber
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN REWORKING COMPOUNDS OF INDIA-RUBBER AND SULPHUR, AND IN INGULATING
TELEGRAPHIC WIBES OR CONDUCTORS," to be as follows: -
This Invention has for its object improvements in reworking compounds of
india-rubber and sulphur. and in insulating telegraphic wires or conductors.
In reworking up compounds of india-rubber and sulphur which have been
vulcanized or converted, I reduce the same to a pulp by grinding them with
naptha or other solvent, and I add to this mixture raw india-rubber and
sulphur. In this state the mixture is moulded or otherwise brought to the
form desired, and is afterwards exposed to heat to vulcanize the same. When
copper or other conductors are coated with compounds of india-rubber and
[Price

page_text: sulphur, the sulphur is found to act injuriously on the conductors. To avoid
this I coat the copper wire or other conductor with a solution of shellac or
other gum resin combined with oxide of zinc or other suitable oxide, or
cover the conductor with cotton or other fibrous substance, and saturate the
same with the above varnish. or in order to keep the insulator apart from the
conductor interpose a layer of paper or fibre saturated with tannate of
gelatine or tannin, and collodion or tannin and shellac with or without oxide of
zinc or of other metal. or I apply collodion and oxide of zinc or of other metal
with or without one or more of the aforesaid substances. I then insulate with
india-rubber, and protect the india-rubber with a compound of india-rubber
and sulphur. The insulator and protector may or may not be kept from
uniting by a substance being interposed: or insulate with a compound of
india-rubber and sulphur, and subject the whole to heat to vulcanize or harden
the india-rubber and sulphur. Before exposing conductors, coated with india-
rubber and sulphur, to heat to convert the coating into vulcanite or vulcanized
rubber, sometimes imbed fibre or wire together or separately in the
coating. To make a joint between two lengths of a metallic conductor which
have been previously insulated and coated with india-rubber. vulcanite, or
vulcanized india-rubber, I solder the ends of the metal conductors together,
and protect the joint from the action of sulphur as before described, and coat.
the joint with india-rubber uncombined with sulphur to insulate the same.
then over or around this apply a suitable compound of india-rubber and
sulphur, and over this I put a sheet of vulcanized india-rubber, and submit the
joint to heat. Surfaces of vulcanized india-rubber may be joined by searing
them with a heater pressing the surfaces together with or without the addition
of sulphur, and then submitting the same to heat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hooper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HOOPER. of Mitcham, in the County of Surrey, India-rubber Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said William Hooper. Her special licence that . the said William
Hooper, my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Hooper. my executors. administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN REWORKING COMPOUNDS OF INDIA-BUBBER AND SULPHUR, AND IN INSU-
LATING TELEGRAPHIC WIRES OR CONDUCTORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Hooper, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their. or one of their hands and seals.
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner 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 William Hooper, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reworking compounds of
india-rubber and sulphur, and in insulating telegraphic wires or conductors.
In reworking up compounds of india-rubber and sulphur which have been
vulcanized or converted, I reduce the same to a pulp by grinding them with
naptha or other solvent, and add to this mixture raw india-rubber and
sulphur. In this state the mixture is moulded or otherwise brought to the
form desired, and is afterwards exposed to heat to vulcanize the same.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I reduce to a plastic state the
pieces or masses of waste vulcanized or cured india-rubber, together with a
solvent (preferring naptha for the purpose) by grinding between heated rollers
in place of reducing the waste, vulcanized, or cured india-rubber to powder
by grinding. before applying a solvent or raw india-rubber and sulphur as has
before been proposed to be done. By thus grinding the waste vulcanized
or cured india-rubber with a solvent the mass becomes soft and pulpy, at
which period a quantity of raw india-rubber and sulphur are to be added,
and the grinding continued till the whole is well and intimately mixed or
combined. The quantity of solvent used when grinding waste. vulcanized. or
cured india-rubber may be varied to some extent. I have, however. found
that in practice one pint of naptha to ten pounds of waste vulcanized india-
rubber is a good proportion. The quantity of raw india-rubber added may

page_text: also be varied, but I recommend fifteen parts by weight of raw india-rubber
and one part of sulphur to forty parts of waste vulcanized, or cured india-
rubber after it has been ground to a plastic state. In place of sulphur being
used other matters capable of giving off sulphur may be employed, as is
well understood. The product when subjected to heat and cured in the
ordinary manner differs but little from vulcanized or cured india-rubber where
no waste has been combined therewith. This part of my Invention consists in
grinding unreduced or unground waste with a solvent, and then adding raw
india-rubber and sulphur, as herein described.
When copper or other conductors are coated with compounds of india-rubber
and sulphur, the sulphur is found to act injuriously on the conductors. To
avoid this I coat the copper wire or other conductor with a solution of shellac
or other gum resin combined with oxide of zinc or other suitable oxide; or
cover the conductor with cotton or other fibrous substance, and saturate the
same with the above varnish; or in order to keep the insulator apart from the
conductor interpose a layer of paper or fibre saturated with tannate of
gelatine. or tannin and collodion, or tannin and shellac, with or without oxide
of zinc or of other metal or apply collodion and oxide of zinc or of other
metal with or without one or more of the aforesaid substances. I then in-
sulate with india-rubber. and protect the india-rubber with a compound of
india-rubber and sulphur. The insulator and protector may or may not be
kept from uniting by a substance being interposed. Where tensile strength
is required to be given to an electric telegraph cable when a coating of
vulcanite or vulcanized india-rubber is used, wires or yarns or both may be
embedded therein before applying heat to convert or cure the compound of
india-rubber.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I employ by preference a varnish
composed of oxide of zinc and shellac dissolved in methylated spirits of wine.
The proportions of these materials which I have found most suitable are
eight pints of methylated spirits of wine. one and a half pound of oxide of
zine, and one and a half pound of shellac. These proportions may, however,
be varied, and other guns or varnishes may he employed; or a varnish of
collodion and oxide of zinc or other metal with or without tantiu may be used
in place of shellac. The copper or other metallic conductor, before having
an insulating covering of india-rubber applied thereto, is coated over with one
of these varnishes capable of preventing the sulphur acting injuriously on
the metallic conductor; or in place of applying the varnish directly to the
conductor it may be first covered with cotton or other fibre. I prefer to use
a lapping of cotton yarn for this purpose and then to apply the varnish, or

page_text: the lapping and the varnish may be applied simultaneously. Care is to be
taken that every part of the surface of the conductor is well coated with the
varnish. The insulating coating of india-rubber is then to be applied in any
convenient manner. I prefer to do so by lapping on a narrow fillet or fillets
of india-rubber. taking care that the edges of the fillet or fillets overlap cach
other, the fillet being kept on the stretch as it is wound round the metallic
conductor in order that the overlapping edges may press closely together
and insure perfect joint when heat is applied in order to vulcanize or cure
the outer coating which is next laid on. This outer coating consists of india-
rubber combined with sulphur or matters containing sulphur suitable for
obtaining, when subjected to heat as is well understood, vulcanite or vul-
canized india-rubber. The peculiarity of this part of my Invention consists
in applying to the conductor a varnish capable of preventing the sulphur in
the insulating coating from acting injuriously on the conductor.
To make a joint between two lengths of a metallic conductor which have
been previously insulated and coated with india-rubber, vulcanite, or vulcanized
india-rubber. I solder the ends of the metal conductors together, and protect
the joint from the action of sulphur as before described, and coat the joint
with india-rubber uncombined with sulphur in insulate the same, then over
or around this I apply a suitable compound of india-rubber and sulphur,
and over this I put a sheet of vulcanized india-rubber and submit the joint to
heat.
In carrying out this part of my Invention the two ends of the metallic
conductor are to be laid bare for a few inches, and, by preference. hard soldered
together. Over the joint and the bare parts of the conductor a lapping of
cotton (if cotton has been used) and a coating of the oxide varnish are to be
applied, and when the varnish is dry a lapping or coating of india-rubber is
then applied. so as to extend somewhat beyond the exposed parts of the
metallic conductor. Over the coating of pure india-rubber a thin coating of a
compound of india-rubber and sulphur, or india-rubber cement or solution and
sulphur. is applied, containing. by preference. a less proportion of sulphur than
the coatings of the two ends of a cable which are to be combined. Then over
this is placed a sheet or tube, or any form most suitable, of cured or vulcanized
india-rubber. extending beyond the ends of the coatings of the ends which are
to be connected. And over the whole joint a clamp of metal is to be applied
closely embracing the whole length. These parts are then to be subjected in
heat in order to cure or convert. and connect the parts forming the joint.
The surfaces of vulcanized or cured india-rubber used in making joints are
rendered more suitable for the purpose by searing the edges or surfaces which

page_text: are to be joined with a heater. For this purpose employ a heater which
has been raised to a considerable temperature approaching to a red heat: in
this state it is pressed upon the surfaces of the vulcanized or cured india-rubber
until they become "tacky"; the surfaces are then placed firmly together and
held in that position by suitable clamps or otherwise, during the subsequent
process of submitting the joint to heat, so as to vulcanize the whole.
Where wires or yarns are used imbedded in or introduced interior of the
outer vulcanized or vulcanite india-rubber coating, then, in making a joint as
above explained, it is necessary to provide for making the parts at and near the
joint as strong as, or stronger than, the other parts. In these cases the ends
of the wires or yarns used for giving tensile strength may be connected to each
other in any convenient manner. but I prefer that the wires or yarns should
extend on each side beyond where the joint in the metallic conductor is made.
and that when the joint, in respect to the conductor and the insulating materials.
has been prepared, the wires or yarns of the two ends of the cable should be
placed correctly side by side, and the whole lapped round with a wire, or
thread, or yarn, and that the ends of the wires or yarns should then be bent
back and again bound round. The outer coating of vulcanized or vulcanite
india-rubber should then be formed or applied, and fixed by heat as above
described.
This part of the Invention consists in making joints in parts of an electric
telegraph cable. as herein described, when india-rubber and compounds of india-
rubber are used.
In witness whereof, I. the said William Hooper. have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM HOOPER. (.s.)