Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 12th Aug. 1887.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The invention relates to the construction of conductors for electric light, telegraph,
telephonic and other electrical systems.
The object of the invention is to produce a conductor or cable for outgoing and
return currents, which may be easily manufactured and which affords perfect insulation
between the individual conductors.
The complete cable consists of a central conducting core surrounded by an insulating
covering which in turn is surrounded by a second conductor consisting of two strips
or plates of conducting material applied to the opposite sides of the covered conductor
and conforming in shape thereto. This is in turn covered with an insulating material
which serves at the same time to bind the plates together and thoroughly insulate them
from surrounding objects.
The cable when finished may be soaked in any suitable non-conducting substance, if
it is found desirable.
In the accompanying drawing, figure 1 is an elevation of the conductor in the
process of manufacture, and figure 2 is a plan of the same, figure 3 is a section of the
complete conductor. Figure 4 is a view of a conductor bearing four separate curved
plates.
'
Referring to the figures, A represents a copper or other conducting wire. This is
covered by an envelope, B, of insulating material, such for instance as fibrous matter
permeated with pitch, parafine or other insulating material.

page_text: To the outside of the insulating cover there are applied two or more plates C¹ C²
of conducting material, preferably copper. These extend upon opposite sides along
the length of the insulated conductor. They are curved to the surface of the
insulating covering, being either previously prepared for that purpose or curved
during the process of applying them. A.convenient manner of accomplishing this,
is to pass insulated wires between two reels E' E' upon which the plates C¹² are
wound. The wire together with the plates are drawn between the mandrel-rollers E¹
and E which serve to press the plates upon the covered wire and conform it to the
surface thereof. The two plates may with advantage be in contact with each other
throughout greater or less portions of their lengths.
The entire conductor is then covered by a suitable insulating covering D. This is
woven, wrapped or otherwise applied, in any convenient manner.
It is not essential that the conducting plates C¹ C² be applied in the manner
described, but other machines and methods of applying them may be employed.
The entire cable, when completed, may be soaked in any suitable insulating
compound, and this will permeate not only the covering D, but also penetrate between
the plates and C" to the covering B.
Instead of two plates C¹ or C² there may be three or more applied to the outer
surface of the covering B. In figure 4 such a conductor is illustrated; there are here
shown, applied to the central conductor A outside the insulating covering B four
curved plates of conducting material C¹, C2, C3 and C. These are encased by the
outer covering D.
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 :-
1. The combination of a central conductor, a covering of insulating material and
two or more independent conducting plates applied to the opposite sides of the same
and curved to conform to the surface thereof.
2. An electric conductor consisting of a central conducting core, an outer conductor
constructed in longitudinal sections curved to conform thereto, and an intervening
insulating material.
3. An electric cable or conductor consisting of a central core, an outer conductor
in longitudinal sections curved to conform thereto, an insulating material between the
two, and an external covering.
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