Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in electrical conductors for telegraphic,
telephonic, and other purposes and has for its objects to provide a support for one
or more insulated electric wires; to obviate induction and leakage; and to form a
metallic circuit when desired.
The said invention consists partly of an electric conductor, composed of a bare or
core-wire, of steel or iron, or of other suitable material, that is a good conductor of
electricity, and preferably one that combines strength and durability, having one
or more grooves along its length either longitudinally or spirally, one or more
insulated electric wires lying or being disposed in each of said grooves; a covering
or coating of any suitable insulating material such as india-rubber or gutta-percha
or the like; and an outside covering such as silk, cotton, or other suitable fibrous
material, either braided, wound or wrapped spirally or longitudinally thereon, or
applied in any other suitable manner; or such as lead applied in any suitable
manner.
The invention also consists partly of a longitudinally or spirally grooved bare or
core wire having an insulated electric wire or wires in each groove and the whole
covered with a 'fibrous material.
It also partly consists of a longitudinally grooved bare or core wire having
an insulated electric wire or wires in each groove and the whole covered with a
fibrous material and an exterior covering of lead.
It also partly consists of a longitudinally or spirally grooved bare or core
wire having an insulated electric wire or wires in each groove and the whole
covered with any suitable insulating material, all substantially as hereinafter fully
described.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 shows inside view the electric conductor constructed according to this
invention the bare or core wire having a groove, in which groove is an insulated
electric wire covered with an 'insulating material, and an exterior covering of
fibrous material.
Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 figure 1.

page_text: Figures 3, 4, and 5 are cross sections similar to Figure 2, but showing a bare
or core wire with two three and four grooves respectively with an insulated electric
wire in each groove.
Figure 6 is a side view of a bare or core wire having a spiral groove along its
length with an insulated electric wire in said groove.
Figure 7 is a cross section similar to Figure 2 but showing two insulated electric
wires lying within the groove.
Figure 8 shows in side view a bare or core wire having a groove in which is an
insulated electric wire, and covered with an exterior covering of fibrous material.
Figure 9 is a cross section on line 9-9 figure 8.
Figure 10 shows in side view a bare or core wire having a groove in which is an
insulated electric wire, a covering of fibrous material and an exterior covering of
lead, and,
Figure 11 is a cross section on the line 11-11 Figure 10.
A represents a bare or core wire of steel, iron or copper or other suitable material
that is a good conductor of electricity, and preferably a material combining strength
and durability.
:
This wire A, as shown in figures 1.2 and 6, has a longitudinal groove B. In
this groove B is laid or disposed an insulated wire C, the groove being preferably
of a depth for the insulated electric wire C with its insulating material a to lie
entirely below the circumference of the wire A, and of a width preferably for it to
closely fit the same.
After the insulated electric wire C is placed within the groove B the whole is
coated or covered or surrounded with an insulating. material D, such as india-
rubber or gutta-percha or any other suitable insulating material, and the insulating
material is covered with a fibrous material E such as a cotton or silk, either
braided, wound or wrapped spirally or longitudinally thereon, or applied in any
other suitable manner as a protection to the insulating material D, and to hold all
parts firmly and closely together.
•
In figures 3, 4 and 5 are shown in cross section, a core wire A, having respec-
tively two, three, and four longitudinal grooves B, in each of which grooves is an
insulated electric wire C; each core wire is covered or coated with an insulating
material D, and an exterior fibrous covering E.
In Figure 6 is shown in side view, a core wire A, having its groove B running
in a spiral direction around the wire, in which groove is laid an insulated electric
wire C, the whole being covered with an insulating material D, and an exterior
covering of fibrous material E as before described.
In Figures 8 and 9 is shown an electric conductor wherein the insulating
, material is dispensed with the fibrous covering being applied directly on the core
wire and insulated electric wire C, in its groove; and in figures 10 and 11 the
fibrous material is laid on the core wire and insulated electric wire as in figures 8,
and 9 and the fibrous material is covered with lead F, which is applied by running
the lead in a molten state on to the fibrous covering as it and the wire are drawn
along, or in any other suitable manner.
The insulated electric wire C can be made of any suitable electric conducting
material and insulated in any of the usual and well known ways, this invention
not being limited to any particular kind of insulated electric wire to lie in said
groove.
The groove or grooves B, in the bare or core wire, can be made either by rolling
the wire; by drawing it through a properly constructed die; by cutting, planing,
milling or burring it; or in any other suitable manner. The spiral groove or
grooves can be made in a spiral direction around the wire; or, after the straight or
longitudinal groove or grooves have been made in the wire, the wire can be twisted
to give the spiral direction to the groove or grooves, the invention not being
limited to any particular manner of making the groove in the wire, or to the
number of grooves.

page_text: The wire can be of any shape in cross-section, instead of round as shown, such
as square, triangular or elliptical. The lead covering F can be applied directly to
the insulating material D in lieu of using the fibrous covering; also the fibrous or
lead coverings can be dispensed with and the core wire and electric insulated wire
covered only with the insulating material D, and so used.
Electric conductors prepared as above described have many advantages viz the
insulated electric wire or wires are better protected from injury, either mechanical
or otherwise, than if laid or wound on the outside of the bare wire; as being
within the groove, only a small portion of its surface is exposed; also, when the
insulating material, such as india-rubber or the like is applied to and covered over
the combined wires much less of such insulating material is required, owing to the
smaller diameter of the combined wires, than would be the case where the insulated
electric wires are on the outside of the bare wire; also, in drawing the wires
through the machine by which the insulating material is applied liability to injury
by the machine, of the insulating material of the insulated electric wire or wires is
avoided.
In the use of an electric conductor prepared and arranged as herein described,
when the core wire has only one groove and one insulated electric wire the core
wire can be used as a return wire so as to form a metallic circuit; and when two
or more insulated electric wires are combined with the grooved core wire, the core
wire can be connected by a suitable electric conducting wire with the ground by
which induction and leakage will be obviated to a great degree; the core wire
also serves as a good support and protector to the insulated electric wire.
The figures in the drawing represent the conductor as enlarged and the core wire
as somewhat larger in proportion to the insulated electric wire than would be the
case in practical operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. An electrical conductor composed of a longitudinally grooved core wire A,
an insulated electric wire or wires C in the groove or grooves of the core wire, an
insulating covering material D surrounding the whole of the core wire and
retaining the electric wire or wires in the groove or grooves, and an exterior
covering of fibrous material.
Second. An electric conductor composed of a longitudinally grooved core wire A,
an insulated electric wire or wires C in the groove or grooves of the core wire, an
insulating covering material D surrounding the whole of the core wire and
retaining the electric wire or wires in the groove or grooves, and an exterior
covering of lead.
Third. An electric conductor composed of a longitudinally grooved core wire A,
an insulated electric wire or wires C in the groove or grooves of the core wire, and
an exterior covering of fibrous material.
Fourth. An electric conductor, composed of a longitudinally grooved core wire A,
an insulated electric wire or wires C in the groove or grooves of the core wire, a
covering of fibrous material, and an exterior covering of lead.
Fifth. An electric conductor composed of a longitudinally grooved core wire A,
an insulated electric wire or wires C in the groove or grooves of the core wire, and
an exterior covering of insulating material.