Improvements in the Construction of Lightning Conductors for the Protection of Buildings.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 21st June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Lightning Conductors for the
Protection of Buildings.
SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY Electrical Engineer of 2 Hamilton Road Highbury London
in the County of Middlesex and GEORGE DRIVER Telegraph Engineer and Lightning
Conductor Manufacturer of 210 Euston Road London in the said County of
Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
When erecting Lightning Conductors for the protection of buildings a difficulty is
frequently experienced in making a sufficiently good electrical connection between
the conductor and the earth on account of the nature of the subsoil on which the
building is erected and in those cases where the subsoil is rock, a bed of pebbles or
gravel, or even earth liable to become dry it is found very difficult in practice to
make an efficient connection.
When a sudden and powerful lightning discharge strikes a Lightning Conductor
imperfectly connected with the Earth the electricity dissipates itself wherever it can
and finds its way to the body of the earth through numerous more or less imperfect
channels, in some cases leaping through the brick work or masonry to conducting
matter in the interior of the building, such as chimney flues, gas or water fittings,
and iron ties, girders &c., doing serious damage.
Our improvement consists in practically isolating the building so that there is
no tendency for the electrical discharge to choose any conducting material in the
interior in its passage to the earth, in preference to the Lightning Conductor or
Conductors down the building provided for it.
We construct a network of conductors below the base of the building, and we
prefer to do this at the time the foundations are being laid, but when applying our
system to buildings already erected we arrange a network of conductors under or
between the floor-boards at the base of the building.
The Lightning Conductor or Conductors may be fixed to the building and con-
nection made between it or them to the earth in the ordinary way and a metallic
connection is also made between the network of conductors below the building and
the Lightning Conductor or Conductors in the neighbourhood of their Earth-plates or
earth connections. We prefer to electrically connect all the external metal work of
the building with the Lightning Conductor or Conductors or where preferable the
metal work may be connected by independent conductors to the network underneath
the building.
By our improved invention there is established a metallic connection between the
Lightning Conductor and the metal work of the building and the net work of
conductors at the base, and therefore there is no tendency for a lightning discharge
to force its way to the earth through imperfect conductors in the interior of the building
as there is a direct metallic circuit of low electrical resistance connecting the base of
the building with the Lightning Conductors affording an easier route for the passage
of the Lightning.
The network of conductors underneath the foundations or at the base of the
buildings may be constructed of copper, or iron (preferably galvanized) or zinc or
any suitable metal either in the form of wire or strip.
The leading feature of our invention consists in the construction of a network of
conductors underneath the foundations or at the base and extending throughout the
length and breadth of the buildings to be protected such network being electrically
connected to the Lightning Conductors of the Building as previously hereinbefore
described.
Dated 22nd September 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Construction of Lightning Conductors for the
Protection of Buildings.
We SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY, Electrical Engineer of 2 Hamilton Road Highbury
London N in the County of Middlesex and GEORGE DRIVER, Telegraph Engineer and
Lightning Conductor Manufacturer of 210 Euston Road London N.W. in the said
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in
what mannor the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
When erecting Lightning Conductors for the protection of buildings a difficulty
is frequently experienced in making a sufficiently good electrical connection between
the conductor and the earth on account of the nature of the subsoil on which the
building is erected and in those cases where the subsoil is rock, a bed of pebbles or
gravel, or even earth liable to become dry, it is found very difficult in practice to
make an efficient connection.
When a sudden and powerful lightning discharge strikes a lightning conductor
imperfectly connected with the earth the electricity dissipates itself wherever it can
and finds its way to the body of the earth through numerous more or less imperfect
channels, in some cases leaping through the brickwork or masonry to conducting
matter in the interior of the building, such as chimney flues gas or water fittings, iron
ties girders &c. doing serious damage.
Our improvement consists in practically isolating the building so that there is no
tendency for the electrical discharge to chose any conducting material in the interior
in its passage to the earth in preference to the Lightning conductor or conductors
down the building provided for it.
We construct a network of conductors below the base of the building, and we
prefer to do this at the time the foundations are being laid, but when applying our
system to buildings already erected we arrange a network of conductors under or
between the floor boards at the base of the building and also around the walls.
The lightning conductor or conductors may be fixed to the building and connection
made between it or them to the earth in the ordinary way and a metallic connection
is also made between the network of conductors below the building and the lightning
conductor or conductors in the neighbourhood of their earth plates or
connections.
earth
We prefer to electrically connect all the external metal work of the building with
the Lightning Conductor or Conductors or where preferable, the metal work may be
connected by independent conductors to the network underneath the building, our
object being to ensure metallic continuity between the Lightning Conductor or
conductors, the network of conductors underneath the base of the building and the
external metal work such as water pipes gas pipes &c.
By our improved invention there is established a metal connection between the
Lightning conductor or conductors, the metal work of the building and the net work
of conductors at the base; and therefore there is no tendency for a Lightning
discharge to force its way to the earth through inferior conductors as there is a direct
metallic circuit of low electrical resistance connecting and practically embracing the
whole surface of the base of the building with the Lightning Conductors which affords
an easier route for the passage of Lightning.
The network of conductors underneath the foundations, or at the base of the
buildings, may be constructed of copper, or iron (preferably galvanized) or zinc or
any suitable metal either in the form of wire or strip.
The leading feature of our invention consists in the construction of a net work of
conductors underneath the foundations, or at the base and extending throughout the
length and breadth of the buildings to be protected. Such network being electrically
connected to the lightning conductors of the building as previously hereinbefore
described.

page_text: Having described the nature of our said invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed we wish it to be understood we do not confine ourselves
to the precise details hereinbefore described but what we do claim as novel and
original is :-
The construction of a network of conductors underneath and round the walls of
the building desired to be protected; and practically embracing the whole surface of
the ground on which the building is erected and secondly the electrically connecting
such net work of conductors both with Lightning conductors as ordinarily constructed
and erected for the protection of buildings and also with external metal work, such
as the gas and water pipes and metal fittings as herein before described.
Dated 21st June 1889
SAMUEL ALFRED VARLEY..
GEO. DRIVER.