IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE ENDS OF LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS, AND ALSO THE ENDS OF SUBMARIN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wilde, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONNECTING THE ENDS OF LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS, AND ALSO THE ENDS OF
SUBMARIN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES."
Sealed the 6th July 1858, and dated the 16th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wilde at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
February 1858.
I, HENRY WILDE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN CONNECTING THE ENDS OF LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS, AND ALSO THE ENDS OF
SUBMARINE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," to be as follows
My said improvements relate to the mode, method, or arrangement of con-,
necting the various or numerous ends of the copper rope lightning conductor
to the elevating rod without the use of solder or other heterogeneous metal,
and also to the application of the same principle for connecting the end's of
submarine électric télegraph cables.
Firstly, I put the end of the copper rope through a short copper cylinder,
027

page_text: the hole of which I make of the same diameter as the rope. I then untwist the
end of the rope and bend the wires over the outside of the cylinder, one by
one, and lay them in regular succession round the cylinder, and cut the wires
to the length of it; a second cylinder or coupling, closed at one end and
screwed internally at the other, is driven tightly over the wires and the other
cylinder, a small cap being previously slipped on the copper rope, is screwed
into the end of the cylinder, which is screwed internally to prevent the
small cylinder coming out. On the outside of the coupling I make a male
screw, to screw into the elevating rod or any other connection which may be
desirable to niake.
Secondly, as a modification of the said improvements, I use a conical copper
cylinder screwed outside, from one end of which two slots are cut opposite to
each other, extending longitudinally to about three-quarters the length of the
cylinder, the other end being flanged. The copper rope is put through the
cylinder and extended a short distance beyond the end of it, the wires being
then bent over the face of the flange from the centre to the circumference. I
then fit a disc of copper, the same diameter as the flange, to the top of it, and
secure the flange by screws, in order to bind the wires firmly between the disc
and the flanges, a male screw being attached to the other side to secure the
connections. On the outside of the screwed cylinder I fit a conical nut, which
when screwed up towards the flange compresses the cylinder to the copper
rope, and prevents it being drawn from the coupling.
Thirdly, in the application of the principle of my Invention to connecting
the ends of submarine electric telegraph cables by putting a small metal
cylinder over the end of each of the cables to be jointed, the holes in the
cylinders being the same diameters as the outside of the cable. The outside.
wires or strands of each cable are then bent over the outsides of each cylinder,
the outsides of which are previously grooved for the reception of the strands
or wires, the central conducting wires being left to project a short distance
from the end of each cylinder, ready to be joined to each other. I then drive
over the wires and smaller cylinders two other metal cylinders, the same
length as the others, to prevent the wires being drawn out by the weight of
the cable, and bring the ends of each cable to within a short distance of each
other, to connect them to the conducting wires. The space formed by the
difference of the diameters of the cable and the outsides of the cylinders is
filled up with gutta percha, or other insulating material; the whole of the
coupling is then enclosed in a metal tube, and screwed internally at each end
with a cap slipped over the end of each cable before the joint is made, and
then screwed into the tube. The outsides of these caps are made conical, and

page_text: screwed to about three-quarters of their length, two longitudinal slots being
cut through each cap as far as they are screwed. I also screw a nut over
each cap, which presses them to the cable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Wilde in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WILDE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Wilde, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Wilde,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Wilde, 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 Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONNECTING THE ENDS OF LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS, AND ALSO THE ENDS OF
SUBMARINE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH CABLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Wilde, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
saine 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 Henry Wilde, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My said Invention relates to certain improved methods or arrangements of
connecting the various or numerous ends of the copper rope lightning condutor
to the elevating rod without the use of solder or other heterogeneous com-
pounds of metal, and also the application of similar arrangements for con-
necting the ends of submarine electric-telegraph cables.

page_text: The methods in which my said improvements are to be performed will be
clearly understood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with
the figures and letters of reference thereon. Fig. 1 is an external elevation,
and Fig. 2, a section of one of my improved arrangements for connecting the
copper rope to the elevating rod of the lightning conductor; Fig. 3 is a part
detached; Figs. 4 and 5 another of my improved connections; Fig. 6, a
section; and Fig. 7, an external view of my improved mode of connecting the
ends of submarine electric telegraph cables. In the method shewn in Figs. 1,
2, and 3, I pass the end of the copper rope a through a hole in the short
copper cylinder b, taper on the outside. I then untwist the end of the rope
and bend the wires over the outside of the cylinder b, one by one, laying them
in regular succession round the cylinder, and then cut off the wires to the
length of it, as seen in Fig. 3. I also employ a second cylinder or coupling c,
screwed internally at one end and closed at the other, which is furnished with
an external screw d, the interior of the said cylinder being of the same taper
as the exterior of the short cylinder b. The internal screw is fitted with the
cape, in which there is a hole to allow the rope a to pass through. Thus, when
the short cylinder b with its wires is covered with the cylinder or coupling c,
and screwed firmly together by the cap e, the copper rope is efficiently con-
nected to the said coupling without the use of solder, the screw d being
employed to screw into the elevating rod, or any other connection which may
be desired.
Instead of making the short cylinder 6 taper on the outside, it may be
parallel, in which case the cylinder or coupling which covers it would have to
be driven tightly over the wires, the cap being employed to keep all the parts
more firmly together, or to prevent the cylinder being drawn out by the weight
of the conductor. Or instead of bending the wires of the copper rope over
the short cylinder, I may, if desired, tie the ends in knots and allow them
to rest on the top of the cylinder; the second cylinder or coupling being
screwed firmly upon them by means of the cap, so as to hold them fast; or if
the bending of the wires be preferred, they may be placed in a spiral direction
instead of the vertical one shewn in the Drawings.
In Figs. 4 and 5, which represent a modification of the aforesaid improve-
ments, I employ a conical copper cylinder f, screwed outside, in which there are
two or more slots g. The said cylinder is bounded at one end with a flange h,
and has a hole through which the copper rope a can pass, the conical screw of
the cylinder being furnished with a nut i having a conical thread.
In order to make the connection, the copper rope a is passed through the
cylinder and extended a short distance beyond the end of it; the wires are then

page_text: bent over the face.of the flange, from the centre to the outer circumference;: I
now fit a second copper disc or flange k to the top of the first, and secure.thein
together by the screws 7, in order to hold or bind the wires of the rope firmly
between the flanges, thus securing them without the use of solder. The
conical nut i, when screwed up towards the flange, compresses the cylinder to
the copper rope,
, and prevents it being drawn from the coupling. The upper
flange is furnished with the screw m, so that it may be attached to the
elevating rod or other connections.
In Figs. 6 and 7 I represent my improved mode of connecting the ends of
submarine electric telegraph cables. The ends of the cables to be joined are
shewn at 2, and are passed through small cylinders o, having holes of about
the same diameter as the outside of the cable. The outside wires or strands p
are then bent over each cylinder o, the outsides of which are previously
grooved for their reception; the central or conducting wires.q.project a short
distance from each cylinder, ready to be joined to each other. I then drive
over the wires and smaller cylinders two other metal cylinders 7, of the same
length as the others, in order to prevent the wires from being drawn out by
the weight of the cable, and then bring the ends of each cable to within a short
distance of each other, so that the conducting wires may be connected in the
usual manner. The space formed by the difference of the diameter of the
cable and the outsides of the cylinders is filled up with gutta percha s, or
other insulating material. The whole of the coupling or connection is then
enclosed in a metal tube t, screwed internally at each end. Before the joint
is made, caps u and nuts are slipped over the ends of the cable, and the
caps screwed into the ends of the tube, in order to keep the parts of the
coupling firmly together. The outsides of the caps u are furnished with
conical screws w, having two or more longitudinal slots cut through them of
about the same length as the screw. After the caps are screwed into the tube,
the nuts are screwed upon the conical screws w, which yield, in consequence
of the slots, and press with great force upon the cable, maintaining all the
parts firm, and preventing the possibility of the wires being loosened.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth, as such may
be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but I
claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge and belief
has not been hitherto used within the realm, the various improved modes,
methods, or arrangements of connecting the copper rope to the elevating rod
of lightning conductors or other desired object without the use of solder;

page_text: and also the improved arrangements for connecting the ends of submarine
electric telegraph cables, as all such improvements are herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wilde, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Wilde, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
HENRY WILDE. (L.S.)