IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR TESTING THE INSULATION OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH WIRES OR CONDUCTORS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Reid, of No. 63, Adelaide Road, Haverstock
Hill, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS USED FOR TESTING THE INSULATION OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
WIRES OR CONDUCTORS."
Sealed the 11th November 1864, and dated the 16th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Reid at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th May 1864.
I, WILLIAM REID, of No. 63, Adelaide Road, Haverstock Hill, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR TESTING THE INSULATION OF ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPH WIRES OR CONDUCTORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for testing
the insulation of electric telegraph wires or conductors.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 27th
day of April, 1853, No. 1023, I described apparatus for testing the insulation
of electric telegraph wires, and such apparatus was suitable for testing con-
siderable lengths of insulated wire at one time.
Now the object of my present improvements is to arrange apparatus suitable
for testing joints and small lengths of insulated or coated wire or other form
of conductors. For these purposes a strong box or vessel is constructed, having
at the opposite ends or sides suitable packings or stuffing boxes. It is preferred

page_text: that this box or vessel should be made in two parts, although this is not essen-
tial. In testing the state of insulation of a joint that portion is placed across
the one half of the box or vessel, and then the other half is closed and secured
tightly, so that only a short length of the coated wire will be within the box
or vessel when the testing is to be conducted, as described in the Specification
of my said former Patent. The portion of the coated electric conductor
within the box or vessel being subjected to exhaustion and pressure, the packing
or stuffing at the ends or parts of the box or vessel where the wire enters and
leaves such box or vessel rendering such parts fluid and air-tight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Reid in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
REID, of No. 63, Adelaide Road, Haverstock Hill, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth 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 Reid, Her special license that I, the said William
Reid, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Reid, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED FOR TESTING THE INSULATION OF ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH WIRES OR
CONDUCTORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Reid, my executors or administrators, by au 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 Reid, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say: -
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for testing
the insulation of electric telegraph wires or conductors.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date the 27th
day of April, 1858, No. 1028, I described apparatus for testing the insulation
of electric telegraph wires, and such apparatus was suitable for testing con-
siderable lengths of insulated wire at one time..
Now the object of my present improvement is to arrange apparatus
suitable for testing joints and small lengths of insulated or coated wire or other
form of conductors. For these purposes a strong box or vessel is constructed,
having at the opposite ends or sides suitable packings or stuffing boxes. It is
preferred that this box or vessel should be made in two parts, though this is
not essential. In testing the state of insulation of a joint, that portion is placed
across the one half of the box or vessel and then the other half is closed and
secured tightly, so that only a short length of the coated wire will be within
the box or vessel when the testing is to be conducted, as described in the Speci-
fication of my said former Patent. The portion of the coated electric wire
within the box or vessel being subjected to exhaustion and pressure the packing
or stuffing at the ends or parts of the box or vessel where the wire enters and
leaves such box or vessel rendering such parts fluid and air-tight.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a plan; and Figure 2, a transverse section of the apparatus
employed when carrying out my Invention. In the arrangement shewn the lower
part of the apparatus is shewn to be fixed to a platform or upper surface of a
table, but when desired the apparatus may be mounted on wheels to facilitate
the apparatus being moved from place to place. The apparatus should be
made of a strength suitable for testing joints or other short sections or
lengths of a telegraph cable, or a pressure as large as or larger than that offered
by the depth of water in which the telegraph cable is to be immersed, and I
entertain the opinion that the testing should be at a pressure rather in excess
than below the pressure of water in which the cable is to be sunk. The appa-
ratus consists of an oblong vessel, by preference in two parts, capable of being
clamped or held together so as to resist the requisite internal pressure.
The form of the apparatus may be varied, but the arrangement used by me
is shewn in the Drawing, where a, b, are the two halves or parts of the vessel,

page_text: and c, c, are the two parts of the elastic packing, a joint or short section
of the cable d being put into position the two parts of the vessel are to be held
securely together by cross heads, bolts, and keys (not shewn in the Drawing)
or otherwise; the air is to be exhausted from the interior of the vessel, then the
vessel is to be filled with water, and by means of a force pump the portion or
short length of the cable is to be put under the desired extent of pressure; &
delicate galvanometer is to be placed in circuit with the two ends of the cable,
and any imperfection in the insulation will readily be detected. I prefer
that the apparatus should be suitable for testing about 8 to 12 feet of the
cable.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood, that what I claim is the mode
herein described of combining apparatus for testing the joints and short lengths
or sections of electric telegraph cables.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Reid, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.