Improvements in Flexible Brackets for Electric Lighting and other Purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flexible Brackets for Electric Lighting and
other Purposes.
FREDERICK WILLIAM KETLEY, 17³ Great George Street Westminster S.W.
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improved bracket is a pipe bracket & is intended to be bent into any required
position without joints other than the well-known joint throughout flexible metallic
tubing constructed by a helically wound ribbon. Such above mentioned tubing is
covered by me with an elastic outer coating in a manner making it capable of
holding the tube in the position it is required to be retained in after it has been
forcibly bent into any position temporarily desired. I cover the metallic tubing
either with an india rubber tube or I build up on it by painting & lapping round
on the flexible metallic tubing as the foundation. With the india rubber may be
incorporated fibrous strands or the coated metallic tube may be overbraided with
suitable material—the india rubber is not to make the tube air tight but to act as
a clip or retaining power on the tubing coils.
Dated this 6th day of April 1893.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flexible Brackets for Electric Lighting and
other Purposes.
FREDERICK WILLIAM KETLEY Electrician 17B Great George Street West-
minster 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 :-
Ordinarily jointed pipe brackets if used for holding the wires of electric lights
are liable to twist or damage the wires at their swivelling joints or by reason of
being turned more in one direction than they get reverse turns. They are also
rather clumsy contrivances for adjusting the lamp to a variety of temporary
positions. Better means for securing a lamp in any optional position are extremely
desirable for such purposes as for the fitter at his bench; for the operating
dentist &c. &c.
Now my invention is designed to fulfil the above mentioned requirements with
the utmost simplification of mechanism.
The invention consists in giving the power of being self retained in any position
to flexible metallic tubing such as is used for conveying fluids & liquids even under
high pressure. Such tubing as is well known is constructed of helical coils over-
lapping each other with a very close grasp but it does not appear to have been
manufactured capable of permanently retaining by itself its free unsupported end
when loaded with an electric lamp (or lens or object desired to be similarly adjusted)
in the great variety of temporary positions desirable.
The flexible metallic tubing guards the internal electric wires not only from.
injury but from danger of becoming twisted or nipped as they might be where a
swivelling pipe joint is used.
I give the flexible tubing the desired power of holding itself, the internal wires,
& the lamp &c. with sufficient rigidity by overlaying the flexible metallic tubing
D077

page_text: with a very tightly grasping covering tube of elastic composition or material
than which nothing seems able to excell india rubber of one kind or another.
After experience & many trials I find that the best clipping or squeezing power
of the outer covering for retaining the joints of the flexible metallic tubing in the
position into which they are temporarily forced is by a careful process of building
up the outer elastic cover or coát. There appears to be difficulty in securing good
results with any considerable length of tubing by merely stretching an elastic
rubber tube over metallic coils. Hence I prefer to build up the tubular coat
"in situ"; first painting over the metallic coils with rubber solution and then
proceeding as in the ordinary manner of rubber pipe or tube manufacture. Of
course the first coating might be applied in the way of a close wrapped (preferably
warm moist or sticky) layer without actual painting. The flexible metallic tubing
above mentioned is now constructed in a very much improved manner and used for
conveying fluids & liquids even under high pressure. The overlapping and clasping
design which fits such tubing for its ordinary work suits the novel requirements of
my invention but it will be evident any other good grasping design may be available
for my purpose which might not be calculated at the same time to resist internal
pressure, a requirement obviously unnecessary for my invention. My adjustable
or flexible brackets may be made either with their whole length of my combined
retaining tube or the latter may be a portion only of the entire bracket's length,
the remaining part or parts being of firm piping. My bracket of combined
metallic flexible tubing with outer elastic retaining coat thus manufactured
excellently fulfils the objects of my invention and all those thus made since
the acceptance of my Provisional Specification continue to give great satisfaction
in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The use of an elastic outer coating gripping an inner tube of flexible metallic
coils so as to give a stiffness and position retaining power to the combined tube for
the purposes above mentioned.
2. Adjustable flexible brackets for electric light holders or for similar purposes
entirely or partly composed of a length of the compound flexible and position
retaining tubing manufactured as above described.
Dated tbis 12th day of December 1893.
FREDERICK WILLIAM KETLEY.