Improved Means for Jointing and Protecting Electric Conductors, Specially Applicable for use in the Wiring of Buildings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1806
Complete Cancification Loft
1007
On 1007
Complete Specification Left, 21st June, 1907 Accepted, 31st July, 1907
Improved Means for Jointing and Protecting Electric Conductors,
Specially Applicable for use in the Wiring of Buildings.
I, VICTOR GEORGE MIDDLETON, of Broadway Chambers, Westminster, in the
County of London, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improved means for connecting and protecting
electric conductors, especially those used in the wiring of buildings, whereby
inter alia the conductors can be readily connected to and disconnected from each
other and surface leakage of electricity from the bared and jointed ends of the
conductors over the insulation on the wires prevented.
For this purpose the bared ends of the conductors to be connected together are
led through outwardly flaring or tapered holes in the wall of a highly glazed
porcelain box wherein they are mechanically connected together by a clamping
device such as a short tube with set screw, the bared ends being sealed in the
flaring holes by a suitable waterproof insulating substance that will become
plastic on the application of heat, such as Chatterton's insulating composition
which is applied around the metallic conductors so as to seal the holes and
prevent surface leakage of electricity from the conductors to their ordinary
insulating coverings. It is important that the smaller ends of the holes
should be each of such a size that the wire or wires with which it is intended to be
used can only be drawn through when bared, thereby preventing the introduction
of the ordinary insulating covering of the wire or wires into the box, which would
permit leakage to take place notwithstanding the sealing up of the hole. The
box is provided with a removable cover, which, when secured in place, and with
the aid it may be of a washer of suitable packing material such as india rubber,
will effectually close the box in an air tight and water tight manner. In order
more effectually to attain this end, the interior of the box may be completely
filled with a fusible insulating material such as paraffin wax or some resin
compound, the joint being thus entirely covered in.
According to one construction, the joint box, which I call a double pole joint
box, and which may be of circular shape as seen in plan view, is formed with two
deep recesses adapted to contain clamping devices and from the lower end of
each of which extends, through the wall of the box, a hole the outer end of which
is made outwardly flaring, and of a size adapted to admit of the passage there-
through of two or more bared ends of conductors which are connected together
within the recess by a clamping device and are sealed in the hole by composition
of the kind hereinbefore referred to the recess, if necessary, being completely
filled up with insulating material. The top of the box is adapted to be closed
by a screw cap, with or without the aid of a packing ring. The transverse wall
between the recesses may be provided at the top with an upward extension to
increase the length of surface. between the bared connections and so reduce surface
eakage from one connection to the other. This joint box is specially suitable for

page_text: use in pointing and protecting the ends of conductors from one or more incandescent
lamps to the pair of circuit conductors that feed such lamp or lamps.
In another construction, the porcelain box has a single central recess from which
extend two or more outwardly flaring holes each designed to permit only of the
passage of a single bared end of a conductor and to contain the sealing com-
position therefor. Two of such boxes are used for connecting the lamp conductors
to the circuit conductors, of which one passes to one box and the other to the
other box, where they are connected to the positive and negative conductors passing
respectively to and from the lamp or lamps to which they supply electricity.
For protecting the circuit and lamp wires or conductors used in wiring building,
I enclose them in metal pipes, preferably of wrought iron, that are all in metallic
connection with each other and one at least of which is well earthed, if need be
by a direct metallic connection with an earth plate or water pipe. By this means
should any fault then occur in the wiring, a circuit will be completed through
the piping and earth, and the general leakage on the supply network, to the
opposite main, and the fuse in the particular circuit in which the fault occurs
will break without doing any further harm. In carrying out this part of my
invention, each pair of circuit wires for supplying electricity to a group of lamps
is run from a fuse board through an iron pipe to a metal box, preferably of cast
iron, and hereinafter called an iron joint box, which is fixed in a convenient
position for the lights the circuit has to supply, and which contains either a single
porcelain box of the kind first herein described, or two joint boxes of the kind
herein secondly described, and wherein the circuit wires are connected to the
lamp wires. The latter wires are led away to the lamp or lamps through an
additional pipe or pipes metallically connected with the iron joint box and which,
or each of which, may be provided with one or more iron draw boxes to facilitate
the insertion and removal of the wires. The positive and negative wires for
each of a number of lamps may be led off through a single iron pipe and thence
through iron branch pipes to the respective lamps; or each pair of lamp wires
may be in a separate iron pipe.
Dated this 21st day of Santambor 1806
Improved Means for Jointing and Protecting Electric Conductors,
Specially Applicable for use in the Wiring of Buildings.
I, VICTOR GEORGE MIDDLETON, of Broadway Chambers, Westminster, in the
County of London, Electrical 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:-
This invention has reference to improved means for connecting and protecting
electric conductors, especially those used in the wiring of buildings, whereby
inter alia the conductors can be readily connected to and disconnected from each
other and surface leakage of electricity from the bared 'and jointed ends of the
conductors over the insulation on the wires prevented.
For this purpose the bared ends of the conductors to be connected together are
led through outwardly flaring or tapered holes in the wall of a highly glazed
porcelain box wherein they are mechanically connected together by a clamping

page_text: device such as a short tube with set screw, the bared ends being sealed in the
flaring holes by a suitable water-proof insulating substance that will become plastic
on the application of heat, such for example as Chatterton's insulating composition,
which is applied whilst it is in a plastic state around the metallic conductors so as to
seal the holes and prevent surface leakage of electricity from the conductors to their
ordinary insulating coverings and tapeing or braiding material. It is important
that the smaller end of each hole should be of such a size that the wire or wires
to be sealed therein can only be drawn through when bared, thereby preventing
the introduction of the ordinary insulating covering of the wire or wires into the
box, which would permit leakage to take place notwithstanding the sealing up.
of the hole. The box is provided with a removable cover, which, when secured
in place, and with the aid it may be of a washer of suitable packing material such
as india rubber, or Chatterton's composition, will effectually close the box in an
air tight and water tight manner. In order more effectually to attain this end,
the interior of the box may be completely filled with a fusible insulating material
such for example as paraffin wax, the joint being thus entirely covered in.
In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections on the
lines and y y respectively of Fig. 3 which is a plan, with cover removed,
showing one construction of joint box with conductors secured therein according
to this invention.
According to this arrangement, the joint box 1, which I call a double pole joint box,
and which, as represented, may be of circular shape as seen in plan view, is formed
with two deep recesses 2, 2ª from the lower end of each of which extends, through
the wall of the box, a hole 4 the outer end 4ª of which is made outwardly flaring
and of a size adapted to admit of the passage therethrough of two or more bared
ends of conductors 5. These ends, of which two are shown in each hole, are con-
nected together within the corresponding recess by a clamping device such as a
sleeve 6 with set screw 62, and are sealed in the hole by a plug of composition 7
of the kind hereinbefore referred to which is rendered plastic by heat and applied
to the conductors so as to closely surround them and part of their insulating
coverings 5 and fill the space between them and the surface of the hole, thereby
effectually sealing the conductor in such hole and preventing all possibility of
leakage of electricity from the bared parts of the conductors to the outer tapeing
or braiding material 5b, which, as shown, is cut away for a little distance from the
outer end of the hole. Each recess 2, 2ª may, if necessary, he completely filled
with insulating material 8, for example paraffin to increase the insulation. The
top of the box is closed by a screw cap 1, between which and the box a packing
ring 9, of material such as Chatterton's composition or india rubber, is preferably
placed. The transverse wall 10 between the recesses may be provided at the top
with an upward extension 10 to increase the length of surface between the bared
connections and so reduce liability of surface leakage from one connection to the
other. This joint box is specially suitable for use in jointing and protecting the
ends of conductors from one or more incandescent lamps to the pair of circuit
conductors that feed such lamp or lamps.
Figs. 4 and 5 show respectively in vertical section and plan, another construc-
tion. The porcelain box 1 has a single central recess from which extend several
outwardly flaring holes 4, 4" each designed to permit only of the passage of a single
bared end of a conductor 5 and to contain the sealing composition 7 therefor. Two
of such boxes are used for connecting the lamp conductors 5 to the circuit con-
ductors 5, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, one of the latter conductors
passing to one box and the other to the other box, where they are connected to the
positive and negative conductors 5 passing respectively to and from the lamps
to which they supply electricity.
Fig. 7 is a side view, and Fig. 8 a sectional plan on the line of Fig. 7,
showing a modified construction in which the box 1 of highly glazed porcelain
with a single central recess, is provided with three holes 4, 4* formed in three
tubular extensions 1b. The box is made in two parts the plane of division between

page_text: which contains the axes of the holes, the two parts being held tightly together
by metal clamping bands 11. The bared ends of the conductors 5 are secured
within a tubular tee-shaped metal holder 5 by set screws 6, which can be done
away from the box, after which the said ends with the clamping device are placed
within and between the two parts of the box which are then clamped together,
and the bared portions of the conductors within the holes 4, 4 sealed by com-
position 7 as herein before described. The interior of the box may be filled with
insulating material, for example paraffin, which may be run in through a hole 12
in the top of the box. This construction may advantageously be used for
connecting large conductors such as street mains.
For protecting the circuit and lamp wires or conductors used in wiring buildings,
I enclose them in metal pipes, preferably of wrought iron, that are all in metallio
connection with each other and one at least of which is well earthed, if need be
by a direct metallic connection with an earth plate or water pipe. By this means
should any fault then occur in the wiring, a circuit will be completed through
the piping and earth, and the general leakage on the supply network, to the
opposite main, and the fuse in the particular circuit in which the fault occurs
will break without doing any further harm. Fig. 9 shows diagrammatically an
arrangement for carrying out this part of my invention. Each pair of circuit
wires 5 for supplying electricity to a group of lamps is run from a fuse board
through an iron pipe 13 to a metal box 14, preferably of cast iron, and
hereinafter called an iron joint box, which is fixed in a convenient
position for the lights the circuit has to supply, and contains either
a single porcelain box of the kind herein before described, with refer-
ence to and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or, as in the example shown,
two joint boxes of the kind hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in
Figs. and 4, and wherein the said circuit wires 5" are connected to the lamp
wires 5. The latter wires are led away to the lamp or lamps through an additional
pipe or pipes 13" metallically connected with the iron joint box 14, and which, or
cach of which, may be provided with one or more iron draw boxes 15 to facilitate
the insertion and removal of the wires. The positive and negative wires 5 for each
of a number of lamps may be led off through a single iron pipe and thence through
iron branch pipes to the respective lamps; or each pair of lamp wires may be
in a separate iron pipe, as in the arrangement shown. Also a switch may be
inserted in any one or other pair of lamp wires 5" as shown at S.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The herein described improved means for jointing metallic conductors the
bared ends of the conductors being led through outwardly flaring or tapered holes
in the wall of a highly glazed porcelain box wherein they are connected together
and the said bared ends being sealed in the flaring holes by a water-proof insulating
material of the kind set forth applied around the conductors so as to seal the holes
and prevent surface leakage of electricity from the conductors to their ordinary
insulating coverings, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
drawings.
2. The improved means for jointing electric conductors herein before described
with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; in Figs. 4 and 5; and
in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings annexed, whether or not the interiors of the
joint boxes be filled with insulating material of the kind mentioned.
3. Protecting the circuit and lamp wires or conductors used in wiring buildings
by enclosing them in metal pipes all of which are in metallic connection with each
other and one at least of which is well earthed, the circuit and lamp wires being
mechanically connected together in the manner and by the means specified in
claim and the porcelain joint box or boxes being enclosed in a metal box

page_text: metallically connected to the said pipes, substantially as described and shown for
the purposes set forth.
Dated this 21st day of June 1897
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.