Improvements in the Coupling of Electric Mains.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec. 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 8th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Coupling of Electric Mains.
We, HENRY WHITE BOWDEN, and ALBERT GAY, both of Kensington Central
Electric Lighting Station, Richmond Road, in the County of London, Electrical
Engineers, and ROBERT HAMMOND of 117 Bishopsgate Street Within, in the
County of London, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in the coupling of electric mains,
particularly those for high tension currents, whereby one length of conductor cau
be readily disconnected from another, as for example when it is desired to make
additional connections with the detached length, without interfering except for a
very short time with the supply of electric energy through the other length of
conductor.
For this purpose the adjacent ends of the conductors are surrounded by a casing
or covering of suitable insulating material such as india rubber that is or can be
secured to the insulating material on the conductors in such a manner as to effect a
water-tight joint therewith. This casing or covering may conveniently be made in
the form of two hollow or cup-like parts of india-rubber having tubular stems that
are arranged to form a water-tight joint with the insulating material on the
conductors by binding the tubular stems on this material by a strip of india-rubber
and vulcanising. The adjacent ends of the two parts may be formed with flanges
that are tightly but removably secured together by two screw threaded rings; or
the adjacent ends may be arranged to overlap each other and be compressed by a
nut or clamp over the insulating sleeve or part so arranged as to press or clamp the
lapped joints of the insulating cover tightly around an inner cylinder or sleeve of
insulating material surrounding the conductor.
In a modified construction the ends of the conductor are surrounded by a tube of
insulating material the ends of which are caused to form water-tight joints with
the insulating material on the conductors by means of a sleeve the ends of which
are split and caused to grip the insulating tube by means of nuts.
The conductors may be electrically connected together in various ways. In
one arrangement for this purpose a nut formed with right and left handed
screw-threads is arranged to screw on to correspondingly screw-threaded sleeves
soldered on the ends of the conductors. In another arrangement a slotted
tube is connected to one of the conductors, and a pin or projection to the other,
these parts being so formed and arranged as to form a bayonet joint that is made
secure by the action of a spring arranged between the adjacent ends of the
conductors. Or one of the conductors may be made to terminate in a socket within
which the end of the other conductor can be secured by suitable means such as set
screws. Or the ends of the conductor may be simply connected by a sleeve
provided with set screws. In a further arrangement, to the ends of the conductors
are connected tubular parts adapted to enter telescopically one within the other,
the parts being so constructed, as for example by making one or each of them in
the form of a split tube, that the one will spring towards the other and thereby
ensure a good connection between them; or separate springs may be used for this
purpose. Or one of the parts may be provided with a number of radially projecting
spring-like parts resembling a brush to enter the tubular end of the other part.
Surrounding the two telescopic parts may be a tube that is soldered to one of them
and adapted to be connected to the other with a bayonet joint after the two parts
have been slidden together. In this case a spring may be so arranged between the
two telescopic parts as to tend to press these parts away from each other and
ensure a good joint.

page_text: In another construction the end of one of the conductors is provided with or made
in the form of a T piece which when passed between two plates or projections
carried by a tube secured to the end of the other conductor and then turned through
an angle of say ninety degrees is prevented from being disconnected from the other
part, a good joint being effected between the two by a spring.
Deted this 22nd day of December 1891
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.Č., Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Coupling of Electric Mains.
We, HENRY WHITE BOWDEN, and ALBERT GAY, both of Kensington Central
Electric Lighting Station, Richmond Road, in the County of London, Electrical
Engineers, and ROBERT HAMMOND of 117 Bishopsgate Street Within, in the
County of London, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to improvements in the coupling of electric mains,
particularly those for high tension currents, whereby one length of conductor can
be readily disconnected from another, as for example when it is desired to make
additional connections with the detached length, without interfering, except for a
very short time and if necessary not at all, with the supply of electric energy
through the other length of conductor.
For this purpose the adjacent ends of the conductors are connected together by
devices that can be readily drawn apart or detached, and are surrounded by a
casing or covering of suitable insulating material such as india rubber that is or
can be secured to the insulating material on the conductors in such a manner as to.
effect a water-tight joint therewith, and which can be readily turned back or
withdrawn to permit of casy access to the connected conductors. The casing or
covering may conveniently be made in the form of two hollow or cup-like parts of
india rubber having tubular stems that are adapted to form a water-tight joint with
the insulating material on the conductors by binding the tubular stems on this.
material by a strip of india rubber and vulcanising. The adjacent ends of the two
parts of the casing or covering can be connected together in various ways.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a coupling for an electric main according to
this invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the coupling showing part of the insulating casing or
covering turned back upon itself to permit of access to the conductor therein.
AA are the detachably connected adjacent ends of two lengths of conductors.
BB is a casing or covering of suitable insulating material such as india rubber
arranged to surround the said connected ends. This casing or covering is made in
the form of two hollow or cup-like parts each having a tubular stem B₁ that is
arranged to form a water-tight joint with the insulating material A' on the
corresponding conductor, by binding it on the said insulating material by a strip of
india rubber and vulcanising the whole in the ordinary manner, either in situ or
not as may be desired. The adjacent ends of the two parts of the casing B are
formed with flanges B2 that are tightly held between two externally screw threaded
rings CC that work in an outer internally screw threaded ring D.
The conductors can be electrically connected together by coupling devices of
various constructions provided that they will admit of the conductors being quickly
connected and disconnected at will, soldering being dispensed with.
In the example shown in Fig. 1 the ends of the conductors are connected by a
nut E formed with right and left handed screw-threads, and arranged to screw on to

page_text: correspondingly screw-threaded sleeves F F soldered or otherwise secured on the
ends of the conductors. G is a compressed metal spring arranged between the
adjacent ends of the conductors for the purpose of improving the electrical
connection.
With the construction described, if one of the rings C or C¹ be withdrawn, the
remaining ring and sleeve D can be moved longitudinally out of the way, and
either of the hollow or cup-like parts B of the insulating material can then be
readily turned back upon itself as shown in Fig. 2 so as to leave the connected
ends A of the lengths of electric conductor exposed and permit of their being
readily detached from each other or of another conductor being connected therewith
as may be desired. When the two adjacent ends of the conductor are disconnected
the end of the live main is coupled up with a dummy cup so that in this way it is
thoroughly insulated.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 which is a similar view to Fig. 1, the
casing B is made double so as to serve for two electric conductors or mains, and
has therefore four tubular stems B₁ which are connected to the conductors in the
manner herein before described. The 'flanges B' are also connected in a similar
manner to those shewn in Fig. 1.
The electrical connection of the conductors is effected in this example by a plug
and socket joint formed of two parts G G¹ of which the former serves as the plug
and the latter as the socket both consisting of split tubes soldered onto the adjacent
ends A A of the respective conductors. The plug G is provided with spring
arms G2 which press against the interior of the socket G when the plug and socket
are pressed together as shown. It is also provided with spring clips G³ between
which and the corresponding spring arms G2, take spring arins G on the socket G¹
when the two parts of the joint are pressed together. To assist in securing the
parts firmly together, each socket G is provided with an expander H consisting of
a split metal plug that is caused after the plug G and socket have been forced
together to enter the corresponding plug G and causes the spring arms G³ thereof
to press tightly against the interior of the socket and prevent its withdrawal until
the expander has again been pressed back. Each of these expanders is provided
with lateral pins H that extend through slots in the socket G and by means of
which it can be forced into and removed from the plug..
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section illustrating a modified construction in which the
adjacent ends of the insulating casing B are arranged to overlap each other. The
connecting nut E is, in this case, tapered externally and is encircled by a ring of
insulating material B between which and an outer screw threaded split tube D*
the overlapping ends of the casing B are compressed by means of a nut D¹. The
split tube Dx is tapered and the nut D' is correspondingly formed.
A modified form of this construction is shewn in Fig. 5. In this case there are
two oppositely tapered insulating rings B* B*, between which and two corre-
spondingly arranged split conical tubes D* the overlapping portions are compressed
by means of two tapered nuts D'.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section illustrating another construction in which the ends of
the conductor are surrounded by a single tube B of insulating material each end of
which is caused to form a water-tight joint with the insulating material on the
corresponding conductor by means of a tapered tube or sleeve DX the smaller end
portion of which is split and caused to grip the insulating tube by means of a
nut Di.
With this construction when the nuts D¹ are slacked back and the tubes or
sleeves D moved endways, the insulating tube can be withdrawn from over the
joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A coupling for an electric main in which the adjacent ends of lengths of

page_text: conductor forming the main are provided with connecting devices such as will
admit of the said ends being quickly connected and disconnected at will, and are
surrounded by a casing or covering of insulating material, such as india rubber,
that is arranged to form a water-tight joint with the lengths of conductor and is
capable of being readily turned back or withdrawn when desired so as to permit of
the lengths of conductor being disconnected from one another substantially as herein
described for the purpose specified.
2. In a coupling of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, an insulating
casing or covering constructed in the form of two hollow or cup-like parts having
tubular sleeves secured to the lengths of conductor so as to form a water-tight joint
therewith, and connected at their adjacent ends by a detachable clamping device
substantially as herein described.
3. The improved couplings for electric mains constructed and arranged substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1
and 2, in Fig. 3; in Fig. 4; in Fig. 5; and in Fig. 6 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 7th day of September 1892
HENRY W. BOWDEN.
ALBERT GAY.
ROBERT HAMMOND.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.