An Improved Method of and Means for Electric Wiring.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Electric Wiring.
I, REGINALD FREDERICK YORKE, of The Red House, Barham, Canterbury, in
the County of Kent, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of and means for laying and pro-
tecting wires for the transmission of clectrical currents, for lighting or other
purposes, and is designed to give an efficient protection to the wires against damp
in a cheap and simple manner thus ensuring greater safety from fire, to enable the
said wiring to be done by unskilled workmen with great ease and to be laid with
little damage to walls.
It is now generally accepted that the ordinary wooden casing usually used for
electric wiring does not give absolute protection from damp is unsightly in external
appearance when fixed and is liable to decay and to accidental firing should there
be a slight flaw causing leakage in the leading wire tending to cause sparking.
Further, other systems which have been introduced, such as a concentric disposal
of a naked return wire about an inner insulated lead, though avoiding the dis-
advantages and cost of the system of wooden casings, have the disadvantage of
requiring switches cut-outs etc. of special design and elaborate special means for the
making of joints in the leads. state that my improved method and means as
herein after fully described offer a much cheaper and more reliable protection than
the wooden casing whilst at the same time the ordinary switches cut-outs and fittings
may be used as at present.
Where the electric current is to be distributed for lighting or other purposes in
the usual manner known as the parallel system (the size of the wires being always
proportioned to the currents they will have to carry) I arrange a lead and return
conductor in a protecting metallic tubing which may be of lead or tinned lead such
as is used for gas. Only the leading or positive conductor is insulated the bare
return wire being laid in the said tubing.
Joints for branches etc. are easily made in the following manner.
The insulated
leads and the bare returns are soldered to their respective branch wires, and the
joint of the positive lead is then covered with tape or other insulating material. The
joint in the protective tubing is made as follows:-the ends of the tubes enclosing
the wires are brought within a short distance of one another, and are connected
together by an outside metallic sheathing of lead or tinned lead, made in the form
of a T piece or Y piece, or suitable shape split as regards one part of the T, or
split into two parts, so that the connector sheath can be laid over the joint after the
wires have been metallically connected.
The split parts of the sheath are then soldered together and the ends soldered to
the tubes, so as to make the whole joint water and air tight as in a soldered joint
in a gas or water pipe.
The wires are thus entirely surrounded and protected by the metallic covering
and no access of moisture to the wires is possible. No partial faults can therefore
occur by moisture and there is either high insulation or short circuit, in which case
the safety fuze would act.
Wires can thus be laid in damp places, such as exposed to the weather, or in wet
mines, without fear of injury to the insulation or deterioration and decay and the

page_text: pipes may be buried in the walls or between lath and plaster walls so as to be out
of sight.
Dated this 9th day of March 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Electric Wiring.
I, REGINALD FREDERICK YORKE, of The Red House, Barham, Canterbury, in
the County of Kent, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved method of and means for laying and
protecting wires for the transmission of electric currents for lighting or other
purposes, and is designed to give an efficient protection to the wires against damp
in a cheap and simple manner, thus ensuring greater safety from fire, and enabling
the said wiring to be done by unskilled workmen with great ease, and to be laid
with little damage to walls.
It is now generally accepted that the ordinary wooden casing, usually used for
electric wiring, does not give absolute protection from damp and is unsightly in
external appearance when fixed, and is liable to decay and to accidental firing,
should there be a slight flaw causing leakage in the leading wire.
Further, other systems which have been introduced, such as a concentric disposal
of a naked return wire about an inner insulated lead, though avoiding the disad-
vantages and cost of the system of wooden casings, have the disadvantage of
requiring switches, cut outs, etc., of special design, and elaborate special means for
the making of joints in the leads; and I state therefore that my improved method
and means, as hereinafter fully described, offer a much cheaper and reliable protection
than the wooden casing, whilst at the same time the ordinary switches, cut outs,
and fittings, may be used as at present.
Where the electric current is to be distributed for lighting or other purposes in
the usual manner, known as the parallel system, (the size of the wires being
always proportioned to the currents they will have to carry) I arrange a lead
and return conductor in a protecting metallic tubing, which may be of lead or
tinned lead such as is used for gas. Only the leading or positive conductor is
insulated, the bare return wire being laid in the said tubing. Joints for branches etc.
are easily made in the following manner :-The insulated leads and bare returns
are soldered to their respective branch wires, and the joint of the positive lead is
then covered with tape or other insulating material. The joint in the protective
tubing is made as follows:-The ends of the tubes enclosing the wires are brought
within a short distance of one another, and are connected together by an outside
metallic sheathing of lead, or tinned lead, made in the form of a T or Y piece, or
of other suitable shape, split as regards one part of the T, or split completely into
two parts, so that the connector sheath can be laid over the joint, after the wires
have been metallically connected. The split parts of the sheath are then soldered
together, and the ends soldered to the tubes, so as to make the whole joint water.
and air-tight, as in a soldered joint in a gas or water pipe.
The wires are thus entirely surrounded and protected by the metallic covering,
and no access of moisture to the wires is possible.
No partial faults can therefore occur by moisture, and there is either high
insulation, or complete short circuit, metal to metal, in which case the safety fuse
would act.
Wires can thus be laid in damp places such as where exposed to the weather, or
in wet mines, without fear of injury or deterioration and decay to the insulation,

page_text: and the pipes may be buried in the walls, or between lath and plaster walls, so as
to be out of sight, and with little injury to the walls.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. An improved method of laying electrical wires, consisting of an insulated
and covered leading or positive conducting wire, and a separate and distinct return
naked conducting wire, both enclosed within a damp-proof and hermetically sealed
metallic case, such as gas piping, substantially as described.
2nd. In such an improved method of laying electrical wires the means for
covering and protecting the joints of branch mains, consisting of T or other suitably
shaped pieces, split as to one part or throughout, the parts of the said joint-sheaths
being soldered to one another, and to the main tubing, after the wires have been
metallically closed, thus producing a damp-proof and hermetically closed casing,
substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of October 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.