IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH WIRES AND CABLES, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLI- CABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Henley, of Saint John Street Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH WIRES AND CABLES, AND IN APPARATUS
USED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLI-
CABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Henley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th May 1864.
!
I, WILLIAM THOMAS HENLEY, of. Saint John Street Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Telegraphic Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TELEGRAPH WIRES AND CABLES, AND IN
APPARATUS USED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
"
The first part of my improvements relates to the insulating of the con-
ducting wires, which may be of copper or other suitable metal, but I propose
to use for that purpose when the line is not of very great length what is
known as homogeneous metal, being a mild kind of steel produced by decar-
bonizing pig iron; this when drawn into wire, and well annealed, becomes
nearly as soft as copper, and at the same time possesses great strength.
Price 8d1

page_text: I insulate this or other suitable wire by the machinery represented in
Sheets 1, 2, and 3. In Sheets 1 and 2, A is a steam chest for keeping the com-
pound, through which the wires pass, fluid. The wire is coiled on the bobbin B,
and is taken from thence through the composition under the sheaves a, a, and
then passes up to the first covering disc b (this should be placed in an upper
floor some distance above the steam chest), the wire here receives a coating of
dry cotton or other suitable fibrous material from the bobbins, it then passes
over the sheave c, descends to the steam chest, and receives another applica-
tion of the composition, it then passes under another pair of sheaves, and on
leaving the steam chest it passes through a conical die which presses the hot
compound into the cotton, and at the same time takes off all the superfluous
material; the wire then ascends to the second covering disc and receives
another covering of yarn in the opposite direction to the former, and again
passes over a sheave and descends to the steam chest and gets another
covering of the compound, after which it may be taken away over the sheave
at the top and through the grooved rollers e and f, Sheet 2, to the taking off
drum; or the covering with yarn and composition may be repeated as many
times as may be thought necessary according to the amount of insulation
required. The axle carrying the upper sheaves is driven by the screw and
worm wheels same as the taking off drum so that there may not be too
much strain on the wire or covering by being pulled over the number of
sheaves. Instead of yarn the wire may be covered with tape, or the last
covering may be of tape. I am aware that attempts have been made
before to insulate telegraph wires by alternately covering with cotton or silk
and resinous matters, but owing to each covering having been made a separate
operation the work was so imperfectly done that the covering was useless as
an insulator.
Sheet 3 shows another arrangement of machinery for accomplishing the
same purpose as that shown at Sheets 1 and 2, A, A, being the steam chests,
and B, B, the covering discs, of course these may be multiplied to any extent
according to the number of coatings required. I do not confine myself to any
of the exact plans herein described so long as the arrangement is carried out
of applying all the coatings of composition and fibrous materials at one and
the same time, neither do I confine myself to any particular composition for
saturating the cotton, but find a very cheap and serviceable material in a
mixture of linseed oil and resin in or about equal proportions, resin, gutta
percha, and beeswax also answer the purposes very well.
My second improvement relates to the welding or joining steel or iron
wires for telegraphic or other purposes, or for the covering of cables. In the

page_text: ordinary method of welding wires the union of the metal is very imperfect and
the joint is neither round or of the size of the other part of the wire.
I propose to obviate this by employing machinery as represented in Sheet 4,
where A and B, Figs. 1 and 2, are two grooved pulleys, shown also at Fig. 3;
these are made to suit the diameter of the wire to be welded. The lower
pulley has merely a semicircular groove, the other is of the same shape at the
bottom of the groove, but is deeper with flat sides so as to overlap the lower.
Both sheaves can be made with simple semicircular grooves only, but I prefer
the former plan. The upper sheave or roller has a part of its periphery cut
off so as to leave it somewhat of the shape shown at Figure 1, this is so made
that when at rest, as shown in the Drawing, the wire to be welded can be laid
on the anvil C. The two ends of the wire having been brought to a welding
heat when the apparatus is thrown into gear, the cam D forces the top tool E
on the wire, and partly welds it, and by that time the upper sheave bites it
and causes it to be drawn between the rollers and completes the operation, at
the same time elongating it somewhat, and giving the wire at the weld a
fibrous character. As soon as the weld is drawn through the rollers the
apparatus shown at Figure 4 throws the apparatus out of gear and the
machinery is brought to a state of rest ready for the next weld. The clutch
is thrown out of gear by the lug F on the wheel G which pushes back the
lever H. The springs I and J acting on the flat portion of the wheels K and
L and causing them always to rest in the same position suitable for the work
when thrown into gear again. I propose to use gas for heating the wire to
be welded, the wire being kept much cleaner and free from scale. The appa-
ratus is shown at Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 4, A is a dome containing the gas
jets, I prefer to make the dome of fire clay or some similar substance, although
metal will answer the purpose.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 4, show an improved blow pipe for heating the.
wire to be welded or for soldering. It has two tubes connected, one for the
supply of air, the other for the supply of gas. The two plugs a, a, when
pressed down by the springs close the passages, except that connected with
the gas, which allows a small quantity to pass just sufficient to keep it alight."
When used by hand, pressure with the thumb or finger on the button c opens
both plugs and allows air and gas to flow. When used with the forge, as at
Fig. 5, the movement of the lever d opens and shuts both cocks at the same
operation. The air should be connected with the inner tube at the nozzle.
Fig. 1, Sheet 5, shows a small machine for welding small wire. The two
ends of the wire are scarfed and held together by a pair of clamps a, à, so
that the ends are in a suitable position for the flame of a blow pipe b to play

page_text: on them when brought to a proper heat. A sharp pressure with the hand on
the lever c brings the jaws d, d, together, and perfectly welds the wire, and the
same motion shuts off the gas and air.
The third part of my improvements relates to apparatus used in covering
cables on the outside with bitumen or other substances to prevent decay of
the iron protecting wires. Hitherto when the cables have been covered with
yarn and the bituminous compound the covering has been left in a very
irregular and rough state.
To obviate this I use the hellow tongs and grooved rollers as shown at
Figures 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 5. The cable after having the hot compound
poured on it by elevators is clasped by the tongs A which are made of such a
size as to allow a suitable quantity of compound to remain on the yarn, whilst
the bell shape of the mouth of the tongs, as the cable passes through, causes
the compound to be forced into the yarn, whilst the tongs can be readily
opened and freed from the cable should any clogging or obstruction take
place. After leaving the tongs the cable passes between the grooved rollers
B, C, and is further compressed, and the two sides of the upper roller act with
the lower like a double pair of shears, all the superfluous compound which
would otherwise form a "fin" or rib on each side being thus removed. A
stream of water plays on the cable and rollers and prevents the compound
sticking, I am aware that simple grooved rollers have been described or used
before for this purpose, but what I claim as new in so far as the rollers are
concerned is the employment of one roller with deep sides to the groove, so as
to embrace the other, and form shears to pare off the superfluous compound,
as well as to compress the covering and give it its proper shape. As it is
desirable to be able to gauge the wire during and after the manufacture, for this
purpose I have invented an improved gauge as shown at Sheet 6, by this guage
the size can be ascertained very correctly. The jaw A is moved by the screw
B, or by pressure with the thumb, until it touches the wire to be gauged, and
by the rack and pinion gives motion to the index and shows the number of
guages and the size in decimals at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Henley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS HENLEY, of Saint John Street Road. in the County of Middlesex,
Telegraphic Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent; bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Thomas Henley, Her special licence that I, the said William
Thomas Henley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said William Thomas Henley, 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN TELEGRAPH WIRES AND CABLES, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN THEIR
MANUFACTURE, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Thomas Henley, 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 Thomas Henley, 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 fol-
lowing statement reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention relates to the insulating of the conducting
wires, which may be of copper or other suitable metal, but I prefer to use for
that purpose, when the line is not of very great length, what is known as
homogenous metal, being a mild kind of steel produced by decarbonizing pig
iron; this when drawn into wire and well annealed becomes nearly as soft
as copper, and at the same time possesses great strength. I insulate this
or other suitable wire by the machinery represented on Sheet 1.
In Figures and 2, A is a steam chest for keeping the compound through
which the wires pass, fluid. The wire is coiled on the bobbin B, and is taken
from thence through the composition under the sheaves a, a, and then passes
up to the first covering disc b. (This should be placed in an upper floor,
some distance above the steam chest). The wire here receives a coating of
dry cotton or other suitable fibrous material from the bobbins, it then passes
over the sheave c, descends to the steam chest, and receives another application
'

page_text: of the composition, it then passes under another pair of sheaves and on leaving
the steam chest it passes through a conica! die which presses the hot compound
into the cotton, and at the same time takes off all the superfluous material, the
wire then ascends to the second covering disc, and receives another covering
of yarn in the opposite direction to the former, and again passes over a
sheave and descends to the steam chest, and gets another covering of the
compound, after which it may be taken away over the sheave at the top and
through the grooved rollers e and f, Figure 2, to the taking off drum; or the
covering with yarn and composition may be repeated as many times as may
be thought necessary according to the amount of insulation required. The
axle carrying the upper sheaves is driven by the screw and worm wheels in
the same manner as the taking off drum, so that there may not be too much
strain on the wire or covering by being pulled over the number of sheaves.
Instead of yarn the wire may be covered with tape or the last covering may
be of tape, I am aware that attempts have been made before to insulate
telegraph wires by alternately covering with cotton or silk and resinous
matters, but owing to each covering having been made a separate operation
the work was so imperfectly done that the covering was useless as an
insulator.
Figure 3 shows another arrangement of machinery for accomplishing the
same purpose as that shewn at Figures 1 and 2. A, A, being the steam chests,
and B, B, the covering discs, of course these may be multiplied to any extent
according to the number of coatings required, I do not confine myself to any
of the exact plans herein described so long as the arrangement is carried out
of applying all the coatings of composition and fibrous materials at one and
the same time, neither do I confine myself to any particular composition for
saturating the cotton, but find a very cheap and servicable material in a
mixture of linseed oil and resin in or about equal proportions, resin, gutta
percha, and beeswax also answer the purpose very well.
My second improvement relates to the welding or joining steel or iron wires
for telegraphic or other purposes or for the covering of cables. In the ordinary
method of welding wires the union of the metal is very imperfect, and the joint
is neither round or of the size of the other part of the wire. I propose to
obviate this by employing machinery as represented in Sheet 2, where A
and B, Figures I and 2, are two grooved pulleys shewn also at Figure 3;
these are made to suit the diameter of the wire to be welded. The lower
pulley has merely a semicircular groove, the other is of the same shape at the
bottom of the groove, but it is deeper, with flat sides so as to overlap the lower.
Both sheaves can be made with simple semicircular grooves only, but I prefer

page_text: the former plan. The upper sheave or roller has a part of its periphery cut
off so as to leave it somewhat of the shape shewn at Figure 1, this is so made
that when at rest, as shewn in the Drawing, the wire to be welded can be laid
on the anvil C. The two ends of the wire having been brought to a welding
heat, when the apparatus is thrown into gear the cam D forces the top tool E
on the wire and partly welds it, and by that time the upper sheave bites it and
causes it to be drawn between the rollers and completes the operation, at the
same time elongating it somewhat and giving the wire at the weld a fibrous
character. As soon as the weld is drawn through the rollers the apparatus
shewn at Figure 4 throws the apparatus out of gear and the machinery is
brought to a state of rest ready for the next weld. The clutch is thrown out
of gear by the lug F on the wheel G, which pushes back the lever H; the
springs I and J acting on the flat portion of the wheels K and L, and causing
them always to rest in the same position suitable for the work; when thrown
into gear again, I prefer to use gas for heating the wire to be welded, the
wire being kept much cleaner and free from scale. The apparatus is shewn
at Figures 5 and 6, A is a dome containing the gas jets; I prefer to make the
dome of fire-clay or some similar substance, although metal will answer the
:
purpose.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 shew an improved blow pipe for heating the wire to be
welded or for soldering. It has two tubes connected, one for the supply of air,
the other for the supply of gas. The two plugs a, a, when pressed down by
the springs b close the passages, except that connected with the gas, which
allows a small quantity to pass just sufficiently to keep it alight. When used
by hand pressure, with the thumb, or finger on the button c opens both plugs,
and allows air and gas to flow. When used with the forge, as at Figure 5, the
movement of the lever d opens and shuts both cocks at the same operation.
The air should be connected with the inner, tube at the nozzle.
Figure 10 shews a small machine for welding small wire. The two ends
of the wire are scarfed and held together by a pair of clamps a, a, so that the
ends are in a suitable position for the flame of a blow pipe b to play on them
when brought to a proper heat, a sharp pressure with the hand on the lever c
brings the jaws d, d, together, and perfectly welds the wire, and the same
motion shuts off the gas and air.
The third part of my improvements relates to apparatus used in covering
cables on the outside with bitumen or other substances to prevent decay of
the iron protecting wires. Hitherto when the cables have been covered with
yarn and the bituminous compound, the covering has been left in a very
irregular and rough state. To obviate this I use the hollow tongs and grooved

page_text: rollers, as shewn at Figures 11, 12, and 13. The cable after having the hot
compound poured on it by elevators is clasped by the tongs A which are made
of such a size as to allow a suitable quantity of compound, to remain on the
yarn, whilst the bell shape of the mouth of the tongs, as the cable passes
through, causes the compound to be forced into the yarn, whilst the tongs can
be readily opened and freed from the cable should any clogging or obstruction
take place. After leaving the tongs the cable passes between the grooved
rollers B, C, and is further compressed, and the two sides of the upper roller
act with the lower like a double pair of shears, all the superfluous compound
which would otherwise form a "fin" or rib on each side being thus removed.
A stream of water plays on the cable and rollers, and prevents the compound
sticking. I am aware that simple grooved rollers have been described or used
before for this purpose, but what I claim as new, in so far as the rollers are
concerned is the employment of one roller with deep sides to the groove, so as
to embrace the other, and form shears to pare off the superfluous compound as
well as to compress the covering and give it its proper shape. As it is desirable
to be able to gauge the wire during and after the manufacture, for this purpose
I have invented an improved gauge as shewn at Figure 14; by this gauge the
size can be ascertained very correctly. The jaw A is moved by the screw B,
or by pressure with the thumb, until it touches the wire to be gauged, and by
the rack and pinion gives motion to the index and shews the number of guage
and the size in decimals at the same time.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improve-
ments in Telegraph Wires and Cables, and in Apparatus used in their Manu-
facture, Parts of which Improvements are applicable to other Purposes,"―
First, forming the conducting wires where they have to be covered with
insulating material of homogenous metal as herein-before described.
Second, the insulating of the conducting wires with one or several coatings
of compositions and fibrous materials at one and the same time as herein-
before described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Third, the welding or joining of steel or iron wires in manner hercin-before
described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, Sheet 2,
of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the employment of apparatus consisting of hollow tongs and
grooved rollers, one roller being formed with deep sides to the groove so as
to embrace the other, and form shears to pare off superfluous material from
the surface of cables, as well as to compress the covering and give it its proper

page_text: shape, all as herein-before described and illustrated at Figures 11, 12, and 13
of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, the construction of apparatus for gauging wire as herein-before
described and illustrated at Figure 14 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Henley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
W. T. HENLEY. (L.S.)