Improvements in Compounds for Covering Insulated Electric and other Wires and in the Treatment of the same.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 31st Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 4th Oct., 1887.
Improvements in Compounds for Covering Insulated Electric and
other Wires and in the Treatment of the same.
1, FREDERICK WALTON of Heatham House, Twickenham in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in compounds for covering insulated
electric and other wires and in the treatment of the same.
I employ as the principal ingredients for these compounds, the elastic residue
produced in the manufacture of candle stock from palm oils, combined with bitumen
(a residue of cotton seed oil and similar distillations) black wax (a residue of paraffin
candle manufacture), and in some cases I add a proportion of finely divided leather
fibre, asbestos and similar fibrous matter.
I thus produce a pliable and durable insulator without using expensive material
such as gutta' percha and india rubber to obtain the required toughness-and also
without using a large amount of resin or bitumen, which renders the covering hard
or brittle under cold.
When employing elastic candle pitch combined with black candle wax only a small
amount of bitumen or hard resin is needed to make the compound sufficiently hard
to stand storage provided the compound be afterwards hardened according to a process
already patented by me No. 8250 in the year 1885. The compound becomes changed
or hardened by heat without any oxidizing agent being employed such agents are
always prejudicial because the oxidizing process so set up may continue and ultimately
change the covering into a brittle compound.
I obtain as above described a covering which will bend without breaking in cold
or hot weather and which will not deteriorate by exposure.

page_text: Composed as 1000
20 lbs. Elastic Palm Oil residue
4 lbs. Black Ozokerit wax
8 lbs. Cotton seed or similar bitumen
8 lbs. finely divided Leather fibre
or sometimes I replace this fibre by 8 lbs. of asbestos fibre.
A small quantity of asbestos flour or ground silica may be added where harder
compounds are desired.
The way I prefer to act when using asbestos is to cover the wire with the
compound above mentioned using the asbestos fibre only and then to plait it over with
cotton or other thread by the usual plaiting machine, I then give the cotton covering
a thin layer of the composition, only replacing the asbestos by the Leather fibre, and
using a little extra hard wax to make it more fusible. The wire is afterwards put on
the hardening cylinder which completes the process as regards a single insulated
wire.
In some cases where great economy is not an object in the manufacture of the wire-
I first apply a thin coat of a compound composed of India rubber, oxidized oil and
Kauri gum and over this I apply a coating of the above mentioned compound
containing leather fibre in place of asbestos. This may be afterwards plaited with
cotton and the cotton treated to make it waterproof.
Where leather fibre is used and in some other cases the covering may not come
from the die perfectly smooth. I then use a second die which is heated at a very
much higher temperature by gas or other suitable agent. This has the effect
of semi-liquifying the surface only of the covering and of giving it a smooth finished
appearance. This operation sears the surface and produces a more impermeable
exterior.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1886
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: other Wires and in the Treatment of the same.
I, FREDERICK WALTON of Heatham House, Twickenham, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, 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 for its object improvements in compounds for covering insulated
electric and other wires and in the treatment of the same.
I employ as the principal ingredients for these compounds, the elastic residue
produced in the manufacture of candle stock from palm oils, combined with bitumen
(a residue of cotton seed oil and similar distillations), black wax (a residue of paraffin
candle manufacture), and in some cases I add a proportion of finely divided leather
fibre, asbestos and similar fibrous matter.
1 thus produce a pliable and durable insulator without using expensive material
such as gutta percha and india rubber to obtain the required toughness and also
without using a large amount of resin or bitumen, which renders the covering hard
or brittle under cold.
When employing elastic candle pitch combined with black candle wax only a small
amount of bitumen or hard resin is needed to make the compound sufficiently hard
to stand storage provided the compound be afterwards hardened according to a process
already patented by me No. 8250 in the year 1885. The compound becomes
changed or hardened by heat without any oxidizing agent being employed, such
agents are always prejudicial because the oxidizing process so set up may continue
and ultimately change the covering into a brittle compound.
I obtain as above described a covering which will bend without breaking in cold
or hot weather and which will not deteriorate by exposure.
The compound I prefer to use is composed as follows:-
20 lbs. Elastic Palm Oil residue otherwise known as "tough pitch."
4 lbs. Black Ozokerit wax.
8 lbs. Cotton Seed or similar bitumen.
8 lbs. finely divided Leather fibre or sometimes I replace this fibre by 8lbs. of
asbestos fibre.
A small quantity of Asbestos flour or ground silica may be added-where harder
compounds are desired.
The way I prefer to act when using asbestos is to cover the wire with the compound
above mentioned using the asbestos fibre only and then to plait it over with cotton or
other thread by the usual plaiting machine. I then give the cotton covering a thin
layer of the composition, only replacing the asbestos by the Leather fibre, and using
a little extra hard wax to make it more fusible. The wire is afterwards put on
the hardening cylinder and as described in the Specification of my said former patent
is exposed first to a gentle warmth and then to an increasing temperature as it

page_text: is able to bear it without softening. This treatment completes the process as regards
a single insulated wire. In place of braiding upon the covered wire I sometimes
lap a fabric around it; a batt of fibre consolidated with oxidized oil or india rubber
cement is suitable.
In some cases where great economy is not an object in the manufacture of the wire
I first apply a thin coat of a compound composed of india rubber, oxidized oil and
Kauri gum and over this I apply a coating of the above mentioned compound
containing leather fibre in place of asbestos. This may be afterwards plaited with
cotton and the cotton treated to make it waterproof.
Where leather fibre is used and in some other cases the covering may not come
from the die perfectly smooth-I then use a second die which is heated at a very
much higher temperature by gas or other suitable agent. This has the effect of
semi-liquifying the surface only of the covering and of giving it a smooth finished
appearance. This operation sears the surface and produces a more impermeable
exterior.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
22
1. Covering wires with compounds of which the principal ingredient is "elastic
residue or "tough pitch" and hardening the same by exposure to heat whilst wound
upon a hardening cylinder substantially as described.
2. Compounds substantially as described for covering wires the principal ingredient
of which is elastic residue or tough pitch" and which also contain asbestos fibre
or leather fibre.
3. Covering wires with compounds of which the principal ingredient is "elastic
residue" or
tough pitch" then plaiting upon the same with cotton or other thread
or otherwise enveloping it in a fabric and afterwards applying over the fabric a thin
layer of compound substantially as described.
4. Covering wires first with a compound of which the principal ingredient is
elastic residue" or «
tough pitch" with asbestos fibre and afterwards with a like
compound with leather fibre substantially as described.
5. Covering wires with compounds of which the principal ingredient is "elastic
residue " or tough pitch" with asbestos fibre, leather fibre or other fibrous matter
and afterwards passing the same through a heated die substantially as described.
Dated this 31st day of August 1887.