and Means for Distributing the Conductors therefrom.
Year: 1887

page_text: and Means for Distributing the Conductors therefrom.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M. 1. M. E. 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide within an underground conduit system
for electric conductors means by which the wires or cables extending through each
duct of such system may be distributed for operative purposes to the best possible
advantage it further relates to new forms of underground electric conduits, and to
means for hauling the wires therethrough, and to other improvements in the general
and specific arrangement and structure of underground electric conduits and dis-
tributing stations and their adjuncts as hereinafter described.
The object of the first portion of this invention is to provide within an underground
conduit system for electric conductors means by which the wires or cables extending
through each duct of such system may be distributed for operative purposes to the
best possible advantage.
In the accompanying drawings sheet, 1 and 2 Figure 1 is a plan detail of a conduit
station or well with its cover removed, substantially illustrating this portion of my
said invention and its operative connection with the main line and distributing
branches of the system, which are likewise shown, the station or well being arranged
and adapted, as a matter of preference, to a conduit provided with a series of wire
or cable ducts or compartments. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of said station or
well and main line of conduit taken upon the line X X of said Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a
transverse section of the construction shown in said Fig. 1, being taken upon the
line YY thereof. Fig. 4 is a side elevation (in part broken away) of the station or
well and one of the distributing branches shown in Fig. 1, said view being taken on

page_text: the line ZZ thereof. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the main conduit taken upon
the line V V of said Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating one of the plates shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, employed for covering the sub-compartments of the upper compart-
ments, E, of the station or well B.
At suitable points through the length of the conduit are located in fixed connection
therewith stations or wells B, from which project wire distributing or diverging
branches of the main line A. Within said station or well B is located a U-shaped
diaphragm or sub-well, 3, of smaller dimensions, which divides the same into
distinctive compartments, as shown, the inner compartment or sub-well being divided
by vertical spacing-ribs or partitions into sub-compartments D, which extend
longitudinally parallel with the main line of conduit and form continuations or
extensions through the station of the ducts or compartments a thereof, and the outer
compartment, B, being divided by spacing-ribs into sub-compartments or ducts b¹,
which extend in a direction transverse the running direction of said sub-compartments D,
to the points of connection with the well B of the diverging or the distributing
branches of the conduit. Within said chamber 63, and supported at a suitable dis-
iance above the floor thereof, preferably by standards, is located a frame 6º, which
sustains binding-post boards E, the spaces within which said boards are located being
continuations of said sub-compartments D, and being designated as sub-compartments E,
which are closed by means of removable plates F', adapted and arranged each to
cover one of the said sub-compartments thereof. II from each sub-compartment D,
an opening or passage, is entered through the floor thereof into a corresponding
duct or sub-compartment 6. To the mouth of the station or well B is adapted a
cover, G, which may be secured in position by any preferred means. Contiguous to
said compartments, but isolated therefrom, is extended around said station or
well B compartments or ducts B2, (provided, when not employed for operative
purposes, with removable caps or covers, not shown) said compartments or ducts being
intended and arranged to connect with sub-conduits or other suitable auxiliaries to
the main system, when necessary or desirable, for the purpose hereinafter described.
In the main conduit A, I preferably employ spacing-ribs a', for the purpose of
dividing the interior thereof into compartments a, as particularly shown in Fig. 5, the
sub-compartments and D of the chamber & extending longitudinally parallel and
being of even number therewith. In the distributing branches C. I also preferably
employ spacing-ribs e, which form compartments in said branches corresponding to
the compartments, formed within said well or station, which extend in a direction
opposite to that of said other compartments.
The office of each particular feature of this invention will readily be comprehended
from the following description of its operation:
Wires or cables running without deflection through the system pass into and
athwart the station or well through the sub-compartments D of the sub-well ³, each
particular class or series or system of wires or cables being contained, in passing
through said chamber, in a compartment or compartments which separate the same
from those of another class.
When it becomes necessary to change the running direction of a wire or cable, the
same is run downwardly from its compartment within said chamber 6, through one
of the passages or openings 4, into a corresponding lower compartment or duct, 61,
and thence into the proper distributing branches C. Preliminary to entering
individual wires or cables into the said lower compartments, 1, (unless no benefit
would be derived from arranging them for testing purposes within the station or well
as, for instance if the wires contained within the cables were to be separated for
distribution purposes at a point beyond said station or well the same would be connected
to binding-post forming part of the boards E, and thence pass downward into and said
lower compartments or ducts; 61, into said diverging or distributing branches.
Within the compartments or ducts B², I locate dead wires 3. (shown particularly
in Figs. 1 and 3 as projecting from the ends thereof) To these compartments or
ducts, as occasion may require, service pipes containing electric light wires are
attached and the wires contained therein connected with said dead wire 3, thus

page_text: enabling the intersecting of the conduit in the operation of transverse running wires,
which are essential to the economical operation of a lighting system and obviating the
under running of the conduit.
The compartments or ducts B2 are isolated from the interior of the station or wells
and the chamber 62 in order to absolutely separate wires of a very high potential
from other wires, the utility of which might otherwise be greatly impaired thereby.
While I have shown the compartments of ducts B2 as forming part of the well B,
or being attached thereto, the same may be attached to or form part of the conduit
system intermediate said stations or wells, or at any desirable point or points through-
out the system.
The second part of this invention relates especially to the work of hauling electric
wires or cables through the conduit system.
In the accompanying drawings sheet 3, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of part of.
a conduit systein, taken vertically through the center of the conduit and wells or
stations, said view substantially illustrating my present invention and the manner of
its operation. Fig. 2 is an end view of the construction shown in said Fig. 1, with
the hauling-cable, draw-rope, and electric wire or cable removed, said view being taken
from the direction of one of the wells or stations. Fig. 3 is a tranverse section of the
construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, taken on the line X X of said Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is
a side detail of the conduit referred to in said described figures, said detail being
particularly intended to illustrate the substantial arrangement and operation of the
cable sustaining and guiding mechanism which I preferably employ at the terminals
of the conduit within the man-holes, wells or stations. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional
view showing a modification of the construction of conduit embodying my said
invention shown in the several figures described. Figs. 6 and 7 are details showing
the construction and manner of operation of the device which I preferably employ at
cach end of the hauling cable.
To more fully describe this said invention, the conduit A is provided with a.
longitudinal duct, or chamber, a, formed within or without its main portion, as
particularly shown in the sectional views, Figs. 3 and 5, the said duct or chamber.
having a continuous longitudinal opening or passage, a', which enters into the conduit
and being permanently provided with a hauling-cable, C, which for the convenience
of handling, may be of a length somewhat in excess of the length of the conduit
between adjacent man-holes, wells, or stations, B, which are located at convenient
distances throughout the system.
of
To each end of the hauling-cable C, I preferably attach a ferrule, c, which is.
provided with suitable eyes, c, c, (or equivalent engaging points,) to which are
respectfully connected-to wit, to the eyes draw-ropes E E, and to the eye
one of the ferrules, as occasion may require, the electric wire or cable, D, to be hauled
through the conduit, the eye c¹ being formed in the outer end of each ferrule, and the
eye being formed in or near the outer or lower end of an arm, e³, which projects.
downwardly therefrom, and which, extending through the opening or passage a¹ of
the duct or chamber in to the main portion of the conduit, is intended to operate as a
guide to prevent the hauling-cable from twisting as it moves through said duct or
chamber.
C
When not in actual operation, the hauling-cable C is located within the duct or
chamber a, so that its ends, (shown as having the ferrules attached thereto) project
beyond the respective terminations of said duct or chamber into the man-holes, wells,
or stations B, being allowed to depend therein, or being suitably hooked or otherwise
fixedly held, as may be preferred.
To operate the lauling-cable, a draw-rope, E, being primarily attached thereto at
cach end, as substantially shown in Fig. 1, the electric wire or cable D (illustrated as
being held upon a drum F, located, for paying-out purposes, contiguous to one of the
man-holes, wells, or stations B) is connected to one end thereof. A sufficient
pulling force being then applied to the opposite end of said hauling-cable by means of
the draw-rope E, connected there to, which may be operated over a drum or roller,
G, located upon the street-level, as shown in Fig. 1, the wire or cable is readily

page_text: drawn through the conduit. As the electric-wire or cable is drawn through the
conduit the draw-rope E, which enters through the same man-hole, well or station,
follows the hauling-cable C, to which it is connected through the duct or chamber a
to its termination within the opposite man-hole, well or station, at which point the
electric wire or cable is disconnected from said hauling cable for connection with
another hauling-cable, (if it should be necessary to extend the same farther through
the system) or for such other purposes as may be desired. The said following draw-
rope E is then employed for pulling the hauling-cable C back to its original position.
It is obvious that the hauling-cable may be operated for drawing wires or cables
into the conduit from either direction, as may be necessary.
It may be noted that the construction of the duct or chamber a, with reference to
its opening or passage a¹, is intended to be such that the hauling-cable C cannot
drop there-through into the conduit when the weight of the electric wire or cable is
applied thereto or any other circumstances.
It will also he observed that by sustaining the electric wire or cable in the upper
part of the conduit, as it is being drawn therethrough, the frictional strain which would
present if the same were drawn upon the floor of the conduit or over wires or cables
already laid therein is materially overcome; also that by thus avoiding contact of the
hauling cable an electric wire or cable with wires or cables already laid, the
possibilities of displacement or entanglement, of or other damage to the latter is
entirely overcome.
. In order to lessen such friction as is necessarily incident to the operation of the
hauling cable C, and the drawrope E, at their respective points of entering and
passing from the duct or chamber a, and to sustain the electric wire or cable D), as
it is fed into the conduit, I preferably employ at each end of the duct or chamber,
grooved rollers G G¹, the office of which is fully shown in Fig. 1, in which the draw-
rope and electric wire or cable are seen passing between the same.
ay
To enable the hauling cable C, to be readily and properly entered into the duct or
chamber after the drawrope an electric wire or cable have been connected thereto,
by means of the ferrule e, or otherwise, it is desirable to have one of the rollers
removably located in its working position. To this end the roller-bracket g, is
provided with a slot or slots, h, in the bottom of which journals the spindle g¹, of the
lower roller G. The upper end of said slot or slots being open, the manner of
removing said roller from its operative location, as occasion may require, is manifest
without further explanation.
The principal object of the third part of this invention is to provide within the
main line and diverging branches of a conduit system, preferably intermediate main
distributing or testing stations, which form part thereof, simple and effective means
for distributing service wires or cables at any and all points from which it may be
necessary to run the same.
Sheet 4, Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the operative arrangement of this
invention and its connection with a conduit laid beneath the street level. Fig. 2, is
a transverse sectional view taken on the line X X of said Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a
longitudinal section of the distributing station, taken through the center thereof, as
indicated by the vertical line Y Y of said Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan sectional
views taken through said distributing station, respectively on the lines V V and Z Z
of said Fig. 3.
It may be observed that in the said views I have illustrated the distributing station
as being applied to a conduit having three parallel cable ducts. To adapt the station
to such form of conduit, it is provided with three corresponding parallel ducts, a,
which to all intents and purposes simply form continuations of said conduit
cable-ducts.
Vertically through said station an opening, C, preferably cylindrical in form, as
shown, enters into each one of said ducts a, extending below the floor thereof to a
suitable point from which it is intersected by one or more transversely running
openings or passages, c; Through the upper portion of said station similar transversely
running openings or passages, e, intersect said opening C. To the openings or

page_text: passages c are connected tubes or suitable auxiliary conduits, D, which extend therefrom
to the sidewalk, or other desirable point, for the purpose required. When the conduit
is located below the street level, as shown in Fig. 1, each one of .said openings C is.
provided with a suitably covered extention CC. The manner of employment of the
said station for wire or cable distributing purposes may be described as follows:
An individual wire, F, or cable E, running through the conduit, when entered into
a duct, a, of the station, is engaged in any suitable manner through the vertical
opening C, being then carried into and through an opening or passage, c, and thence
into and through its tube or auxiliary conduit D to the termination thereof.
In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated at G a duct or passage for each of the
chambers a, and communicating therewith by means of a longitudinal slot, as shown.
This duct is designed for the reception of the hauling-cable when the distributing
station is used in connection with conduits of the kind described in the second part of
my invention shown on sheet 3.
The fourth part of this invention is designed principally to facilitate the insertion of
electric cables into underground conduits, and insure their ready removable therefrom,
the operations being effected with the expenditure of comparatively little force,
with celerity and without undue wear upon the external coating or envelope of the
cables themselves, or upon the inner surface of the conduits employed..
It is also designed to furnish a construction for conduit, wherein the induced
currents, exterior to the walls thereof, are grounded and destroyed by means of an
envelope of metallic fabric protected from external moisture by an outer coating of
conductive water-proof material.
In the accomplishment of these purposes, the construction and arrangement of parts
illustrated in the drawing upon sheet 5 has been devised wherein :
Fig. 1 represents a central vertical longituninal section of my improved conduit and
its appurtenances, illustrated in the location of the various parts after insertion of
the cable.
Fig. 2. represents a horizontal longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. 3. represents a vertical cross section thereof; and
Fig. 4. represents a detached plan view of the removable cable bed, prior to
employing the same for the removable of the cable.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.
The conduit itself is composed of a series of conduit sections as A, all preferably
of equal lengths and having a longitudinal chamber E at their lower portion
as shown.
Externally, the sections A, which may be of glazed earthenware or the like, are
enveloped first in a cover of paper K, outside of which is a further envelope of
covering of wire-gauze or the like K₁, protected from the moisture of the earth m by
an intermidiate layer of asphalt, tar or equivalent substance, having at the same time
sufficient conductivity to ground induced currents from the wire-gauze. The presence
of the paper envelope K prevents any possible moisture from the interior of the
conduit striking the wire-gauze, and the paper and asphalt covering combined prevent
the access of moisture from the earth to the interior of the conduit.
The insertion and removal of the electric cable is effected by means of the cable-bed
illustrated in the drawing. This consists primarily of a series of rollers, connected
together by the chain D or the like, so as to be adapted to be wound upon a windlass-
reel or drum.
Each of these rollers consists of a central shaft H bearing at its outer ends the
revoluble rollers F and the intermediate loose spools F¹, capable of independent
rotation with respect to each other and separated by intervening washers . The
extreme ends of the chains terminate in half links or hooks n, as shown. At the end
of the conduit is located a sheave c, mounted upon a shaft f
In the operation of inserting a cable, as B, within the underground conduit,
I avail myself of the device C, consisting of a metallic cap hollowed out internally and
provided with a perforated projection g² for attachment of a hauling-rope d, the lower
perforated lug g, for the attachment of a trailing cable g', and the side lugs hh, for the

page_text: reception of the half link ends n of the chains, said half links being retained therein
by means of the binding screws. The cable B is retained within the hollow cap ()
by means of the binding screws c¹ or their equivalents.
In carrying out this invention the rope d, which is originally contained within the
chamber E, is connected with the bale 2 of the piece C. Connections between the
piece C, the cable, the chains and the trailing-rope gare made as illustrated in
Fig. 1 and the rope d' is thereupon hauled through the conduit section, drawing after
it the cable, trailing-rope and removable cable bed. During this operation the
wheels F of the removable cable bed rotate, thereby insuring the rapid passage of the
cable through the conduit with comparatively small expenditures of power and without
injury to the interior surfaces of the conduit. When the cable is completely drawn
through the section, the cable itself and the rope gare detached from the piece, C,
whereupon the roller-bed is drawn out from under the cable and wound upon a reel
or the like for future use.
The cable itself rests within the conduit above the chamber E, the upper corners or
edges of said chamber being rounded off as shown, so as not to abrade the cable
covering. When it is desired to remove the cable from the conduit, one end of the
trailing-rope is connected to the removable cable-bed, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and
by means of the said rope the cable-bed is drawn beneath the cable until it supports
the latter throughout its entire extent. The cable may then be withdrawn by hauling
it through the conduit, over the surface of the cable-bed, whose intermediate rollers
revolve during such hauling operation, thereby taking off all strain from the cable
envelope. The roller bed may then be removed as before.
In constructing new systems in accordance with this invention it is preferable to
have all the conduit sections of substantially equal length so that the same length of
roller-bed and trailing-rope will suffice for each; it is obvious however that the
invention may be applied to sections of unequal length with like good results.
In Fig. 5 I have illustrated in cross-section in combination the distributing station
and the hauling-through device for electric cables, shown on sheet 3, the duct
containing the latter being continuous beneath the distributing station.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
-
1. In a conduit system for electric conductors, a distributing station or well B;
provided with an inner chamber or sub-well, 63, the interior of which forms a
continuation or extension through said station of the duct or ducts composing the
conduit to which it is connected, and an outer compartment B', forming one or more
ducts, &, which extend to or about the points of connection with said station of the
diverging or distributing branches C of the conduit, said duct or ducts 7, being
connected with the duct or ducts formed by or interior of the chamber or sub-well 3,
cach by a suitable opening, 4, formed through the floor of said chamber, all arranged
and adapted to be operated substantially as and for the purposes described, with
reference to sheets 1 and 2 of the drawings.
2. In a conduit system for electric conductors, a distributing station or well, B,
provided with an inner chamber or sub-well b³, and a compartment. B',-contiguous
thereto, provided with a suitable number of distributing-ducts, 6, which are connected
with the interior of said chamber or sub-well 3, cach by an opening or passage,
formed through the floor of said chamber or subwell, the whole being so constructed
and arranged that wires or cables passing through the conduit to which said station or
well is connected may be entered into said chamber or sub-well 3, and thence into
and through a distributing duct or ducts, into a diverging or distributing branch or
branches of the system, substantially as described, with reference to sheets 1 and 2 of
the drawings.
3. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the transversely-located electric-
light-wire ducts B², constructed, arranged, and adapted to form part of the stations or
wells B, or of the conduit intermediate said stations or wells, or both, and to be

page_text: connected with auxiliary electric-light-wire conduits or service-pipes substantially as
and for the purpose described, with reference to sheets 1 and 2 of the drawings.
4. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination, with the conduit A,
of a hauling-cable located in its upper portion and a support at the conduit end, for
maintaining the conductor at the upper portion of the conduit during the hauling
operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth, with reference to sheet 3 of
the drawing.
5. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination, with the conduit A,
having the longitudinal chamber a, provided with a continuous longitudinal slot, of a
hauling-cable located within the chamber a, and provided at its ends with ferrules
having eyes for attaching a following rope and downward projections for attaching the
electric conductor, substantially as and for the purposes set forth, with reference to
sheet 3 of the drawing.
6. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination, with the conduit A,
having the longitudinal chamber a, provided with a continuous longitudinal slot, of a
hauling-cable located within the chamber a, and provided at its opposite ends with
ferrules, the friction-rollers G, and removable rollers G', substantially as and for the
purposes set forth, with reference to sheet 3 of the drawing.
7. In a conduit system for electric wires or cables, the distributing-station B, having
a series of passages, a, separated from each other throughout their entire extent, and
cach communicating with and forming a continuation of a separate electric conduit
separate vertical passages C, intersecting said horizontal passages and each located in
a different transverse plane with respect thereto, and transverse ducts leading from
the passages C, substantially as and for the purposes set forth, with reference to sheet 4
of the drawing.
8. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination with the conduit
and the cable, of a removable cable-bed, for facilitating the insertion and removal of
the cable, substantially as described, with reference to sheet 5 of the drawing.
9. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination, with a hauling-
cable, provided with means for connecting the electric cable therewith, of a removable
roller-bed, substantially as described, with reference to sheet 5 of the drawing,
10. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination with a hauling-
cable, provided with means for connecting the electric cable therewith, of a removable
roller-bed and a trailing rope, substantially as described, with reference to sheet 5 of
the drawing.
11. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination with a hauling-
cable, of a removable roller-bed, having carrier wheels and independently-revolving
intermediate spools, substantially as described, with reference to sheet 5 of the
drawing..
12. In a conduit system for electric conductors, the combination of a trailing-
rope g, electric cable B and removable roller bed D, of the piece C and hauling-
cable d, substantially as described, with reference to sheet 5 of the drawing.
13. An underground conduit provided with a longitudinal chamber E, communi-
cating therewith by an opening of lesser width than the diameter of the cable
contained in the conduit, and a rope located within said chamber E, substantially as
described, with reference to sheet 5 of the drawing.
14. An underground conduit for electric conductors, having an exterior envelope,
composed of a layer of paper, of wire-gauze and of asphalt, substantially as described,
with reference to sheet 5 of the drawing.
Dated this 50:1
ր
1000