IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CABLES OR CONDUCTORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A. M. and
W. Clark of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
CABLES OR CONDUCTORS communicated to him from abroad by Louis
Adolphe Fortin-Herrmann, of Paris, France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CABLES OR CONDUCTORS." [communicated to him
from abroad by Louis Adolphe Fortin-Herrmann, of Paris, France]
This Invention relates to such a construction of the insulating covering of electric
conducting wires or cables that the wire or wires shall be bathed in a free
circulation of air or gas, or even a liquid within an external envelope or tube.
To this end the wire or cable is insulated and held in place within a tubular
envelope or covering (which may be of conducting or non conducting material) by
stringing or threading upon the wire or cable short tubular pieces of insulating
material having more or less the external form of beads which leave spaces to
allow of a free circulation of air or a gas around the wire or cable.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I have illustrated
some examples of the same in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a longi-
tudinal section of a cable composed of seven wires, and Figure 2 a cross section of
same on line 1-2. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a cable of seven wires,
and Figure 4 a cross section of same on line 3-4. Figure 5 shows the mode of
splicing two lengths of cable, and Figure 6 a cross section of the splice taken on
line 5-6. Figure 7 shows a modified form of splice, Figure 8 a cross section
taken on line 7-8 and Figure 9 a plan of same. The same letters of reference
denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is the conducting wire or cable upon which are strung short lengths or bead
like pieces b of insulating material such as wood, glass, enamelled ware, or

page_text: porcelain, which may be either round as in Figures 1. 2. 5. 6. or elongated as in
Figures 3. 4. 7. 8 and of any size desired. The wire or cable after being threaded
through these bead like pieces, is introduced into a tubular envelope. c (which
may or may not be of insulating material) leaving vacant spaces d in which air or
gas, or it may be a liquid, may freely circulate. Any number of wires or cables a
strung with insulating beads or tubular pieces b may be laid side by side and
enclosed within the same envelope or tube c of sufficient diameter.
The wires or cables may before being strung with bead like distance and
insulating pieces b may receive one or more servings and the envelope or tube may
be sheathed if desired.
The splicing of the wires is effected by introducing the ends which are bevelled
off so as to form a scarf joint, are introduced into a small tube e e of thin metal
(figures 5 to 9) open on the upper side at ff for soldering the whole together with
tin or silver. In Figures 7. 8 and 9 the tube e e is shown as enclosed in a distance
piece b which may be of the sectional form shown at Figure 8 for example, against
which the ends of the two tubes or envelopes c abut, but in Figures 5 and 6 this
piece bis absent, the ends of tubes c abutting together. In both cases the joint of
the envelope c is enclosed in a sleeve g soldered at h h.
The form, dimensions, and details of the various parts may be varied without
departing from the Invention. i

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th August 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane In the 'County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC CABLES OR CONDUCTORS" A communication to me
from abroad by Louis Adolphe Fortin Herrmann of Paris France.
This Invention relates to such a construction of the insulating covering of
electric conducting wires or cables that the wire or wires shall be bathed in a free
circulation of air or gas, or even a liquid within an external envelope or tube.
To this end the wire or cable is insulated and held in place within a tubular
envelope or covering (which may be of conducting or non conducting material) by
stringing or threading upon the wire or cable short tubular pieces of insulating
material having more or less the external form of beads which leave spaces to allow
of a free circulation of air or a gas around the wire or cable.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I have illustrated
some examples of the same in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a longi-
tudinal section of a cable composed of seven wires, and Figure 2 a cross section of
same on line 1-2. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a cable of seven wires,
and Figure 4 a cross section of same on line 3-4. Figure 5 shows the mode of
splicing two lengths of cable, and Figure 6 a cross section of the splice taken on
line 5-6. Figure 7 shows a modified form of splice, Figure 8 a cross section
taken on line 7-8 and Figure 9 a plan of same. The same letters of reference
denote the same parts in all the figures.
a is the conducting wire or cable upon which are strung short lengths or bead-
like pieces b of insulating material such as wood, glass, enamelled ware, or porcelain,
which may be either round as in Figures 1. 2. 5. 6. or elongated as in Figures 3.
4. 7. 8. and of any size desired. The wire or cable after being threaded through
these bead-like pieces, is introduced into a tubular envelope c. (which may or may
not be of insulating material) leaving vacant spaces d in which air or gas, or it may
be a liquid, may freely circulate. Any number of wires or cables a strung with
insulating beads or tubular pieces b may be laid side by side and enclosed within
the same envelope or tube c of sufficient diameter.
The wires or cables may before being strung with bead-like distance and
insulating pieces b receive one or more servings and the envelope or tube may be
sheathed if desired.
The splicing of the wires is effected by introducing the ends which are levelled
off so as to form a scarf-joint, into a small tube e e of thin metal (figures 5 to 9)
open on the upper side at ff for soldering the whole together with tin or silver
solder. In Figures 7. 8 and 9 the tube e e is shown as enclosed in a distance
piece 61 which may be of the sectional form shown at Figure 8 for example, against
which the ends of the two tubes or envelopes cabut, but in Figures 5 and 6 this
piece 6 is absent, the ends of tubes o abutting together. In both cases the joint of
the envelope c is enclosed in a sleeve g soldered at h h.
The form, dimensions, and details of the various parts may be varied without
departing from the Invention.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is:
1 An electric conductor or cable consisting in the combination with the

page_text: conducting wire or wires of bead-like lengths, pieces or cylinders of insulating
material, strung thereon and of an outer tubular covering (conducting or other-
wise) enclosing said bead-like pieces so as to permit the free circulation of a gas or
liquid substantially as shown and described.
2nd The grouping of a number of wires or cables in the same envelope each
naving beadlike lengths of insulating material strung upon it, substantially as
described
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighteenth day of August A.D. 1883.