IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF INSULATING AND LAYING DOWN INLAND TELEGRAPHIC WIRE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter. Augustin Godefroy. of No. 3, King's Mead
Cottages, New North Road, in the County of Middlesex, Operative
Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF INSULATING
AND LAYING DOWN INLAND TELEGRAPHIC WIRE"
Sealed the 12th February 1861, aud dated the 15th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Augustin Godefroy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th August 186".
I, PETER AUGUSTIN GODEFROY, of No.3, King's Mead Cottages, New North
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Operative Chemist, do hereby declare the
ature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF INSULATING
AND LAYING DOWN INLAND TELEGRAPHIC WIRE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a new method of insulating and laying down
iuland telegraphic wire in a more simple and efficient manner than by the
means hitherto adopted. I propose covering the wire with coarse unbleached
cotton, or any other non-conducting material in close contact with the wire,
and about the same thickness as the wire or wires previous to insulation. I
then cut the wire into suitable and sufficient lengths to be operated on in the
following manner :-I employ iron or any other metallic tubes, or earthenware
or clay tubes or pipes of sufficient diameter, and from 12 to 20 feet in longth
(more or less); these tubes or pipes I place in an upright position, for the
more conveniently insulating the wire; the wire or wires to be insulated are
*Price 82.1
i

page_text: to be placed within the tubes or pipes, and to be gauged at each end (top and
bottom), so as to be kept at equal distances apart after their strain, and
sufficiently taut to keep them in a straight line when they are ready for
insulating, which is accomplished by pouring into the tubes coal pitch, or
wood pitch, or asphalte, or any resinous matter; but I prefer coal pitch with a
portion of wood tar, or other homogeneous matter that is known as a non-
conductor I then heat the tubes so as to ensure the flowing of the insulating
matter freely through and around the whole of the wires, that when cold the
wires are embedded in or between a solid mass of the insulating material from
top to bottom; the tubes or pipes are then ready for laying down. The earth
having been trenched or laid open to the depth required to admit the tubes, I
proceed to connect the wires in the tubes as follows:-I join the copper or
metallic wires in the usual way, and then bind the joints of the wires with the
same or like material that I used on the lengths, after which I take two semi-
circular pieces of iron hollowed out, so as to fit and cover over the ends or
parts of the tubes to be joined together, and in the centre of these semicircular
pieces of iron 1 form an,aperture to admit of the flowing in of the insulating
matter, which I pour in a sufficient quantity to properly insulate the ends or
parts of the wires so joined and covered by the semicircular pieces of iron, and
which ends or parts will be then of the same circumference as the other parts
of the insulated wires in the tubes. Previous to connecting or joining the
ends of the wires I employ a shifting or sliding iron, or other metal cap or
collar fitted on to one of the ends of the tube lengths, say, about 6 or 8 inches
long (more or less), and this cap or collar is to be slid or drawn over the joint
after the semicircular pieces of iron are removed, so as to form a cover and
protection to the parts joined as above. And I then caulk each of the ends
of the metal covering of the joints with white lead and hemp, or any other
matter that will keep out wet or moisture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peler Augustin Godefroy in the Great Seal Patent Office :
on the 15th February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
AUGUSTIN GODEFROY, of No. 3, King's Mead Cottages, New North Road, in
the County of Middlesex,' send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters;
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Peter Augustin Godefroy, Her special licence that I, the said Peter Augustin
Godefroy, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Peter Augustin Godefroy, 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF INSULATING AND LAYING DOWN INLAND
TELEGRAPHIC WIRE," upon the condition-(amongst others) that I, the said
Peter Augustin Godefroy, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
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 Peter Augustin Godefroy, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):—
This Invention consists of a method of insulating and laying down inland
telegraphic wire in a more simple and efficient manner than by the means
hitherto adopted.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect as follows:-
I cover the wire with coarse unbleached cotton about the same thickness as
the wire, or with other non-conducting material in close contact with the wire
previous to insulation. I find wood, or balls of wood suitable for this purpose.
I then cut the wire into suitable and sufficient lengths to be operated on. I
employ iron or.other metallic tubes, or earthenware or clay tubes, or pipes of
sufficient diameter, and from 11 to 20 feet in length (more or less); these
tubes or pipes I place in a suitable position for the more conveniently
insulating the wire; the wire or wires to be insulated are to be placed within
the tubes or pipes, and to be gauged at each end (top and bottom), so as to
be kept at equal distances apart after their strain, and sufficiently taut, so as
to keep them in a straight line when they are ready for insulating, which is
accomplished by pouring into the tubes coal pitch, or wood pitch, or asphalte,

page_text: or any resinous matter; but I prefer coal pitch with a portion of wood tar, or
other homogeneous matter that is known as a non-conductor. I then heat the
tubes so as to insure the flowing of the insulating matter freely through and
around the whole of the wires, that when cold the wires are embedded in or
between a solid mass of the insulating material from top to bottom, or from
end to end; the tubes or pipes are then ready for laying down. The earth
having been trenched or laid open to the depth required to admit the tubes,I
proceed to connect the wires in the tubes as follows:-I join the copper or
metallic wires in the usual way, but I adopt, in preference, the following
mode: I level the ends of each wire to a sharp thin edge, say, an inch in
length, more or less; I then place or lap the ends one over the other (having
previously slid a piece of thin tubing on one of the two wires), so that when
together they form a thickness equal to the solid wire; I then slip the piece of
tubing over the ends, and thus cover the joint, when, by any convenient
pressure the ends and collar are forced into one solid mass of wire. I then
bind the joints with the same or similar material that I used in the lengths,
after which I take two semicircular pieces of iron hollowed:so as to fit and
cover over the ends or parts of the tubes to be joined together, and in the
centre of these semicircular pieces of iron I form an aperture to admit of the
flowing in of the insulating. matter, which I pour in a sufficient quantity to
properly insulate the ends or parts of the wires só joined and covered by the
semicircular pieces of iron, and which ends or parts will be then of the same
circumference as the other parts of the insulated wires in the tubes. Previous
to connecting or joining the ends of the wires I employ a shifting or sliding
iron, or other metal cap or collar fitted on to one of the ends of the tube
lengths, say, about 6 or 8 inches long (more or less), and this cap or collar is
to be slid or drawn over the joint after the semicircular pieces of iron are
removed, so as to form a cover and protection to the parts joined as above;
and I then caulk each of the ends of the metal covering of the joints with
.white lead and hemp, or any other matter that will keep out wet or moisture.
I would observe that when a flexible tubular insulation is required I
employ lead, and to insure a perfect insulation it is necessary that the con-
ducting wires should be guaged or supported by balls or oblong blocks of
wood, or other suitable material threaded upon the wire; or the wires may be
otherwise protected, so as to insure their not coming in contact with each
other during the filling up the tubes or pipes with the insulating matter. The
bends or elbows may be made by forming a pipe or tube with spiral wire, or
with flexible metal, such as lead, or the compound metal tubing used by gas
fitters. The protected or threaded conductor or wire may be first coated

page_text: with the insulated material, and afterwards drawn into the heated pipe or
tubes.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion, that I do not
confine myself to the precise method of joining the tubes or the wires, or to
the materials used for insulating the wires, as other compositions are well
known to persons conversant with electrical insulation to answer the same
purpose; but what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured to me by
the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the insulating and laying down
telegraphic wire to which a covering or protecting and insulating material
has been applied, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Augustin Godefroy, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
PETER A. GODEFROY. (L.S.)
5
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE, Agent for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.