AN IMPROVED COMPOUND OR PREPARATION OF MATERIALS FOR AND MODE OF COVERING AND INSULATING WIRES OR CONDUCTORS USED FOR TELEGRAPHIC OR ELECTRICAL PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Warne, John Americus Fanshawe, James
Archibald, Jaques, and Thomas Galpin, all of Tottenham, in the County
of Middlesex, India-rubber Manufacturers, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED COMPOUND OR PREPARATION OF MATERIALS FOR AND MODE OF COVERING
AND INSULATING WIRES OR CONDUCTORS USED FOR TELEGRAPHIC OR ELECTRICAL
PURPOSES."
Scaled the 20th May 1859, and dated the 21st March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Warne, John
Americus Fanshawe, James Archibald Jaques, and Thomas Galpin, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
21st March 1859.
We, WILLIAM WARNE, JOHN AMERICUS FANSHAWE, JAMES ARCHIBALD
JAQUES, and THOMAS GALPIN, all of Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex,
India-rubber Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED COMPOUND OR PREPARATION OF MATERIALS FOR AND MODE
OF COVERING AND INSULATING WIRES OR CONDUCTORS USED FOR TELEGRAPHIC OR
ELECTRICAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to cover telegraphic or electric wires with
such a compound or preparation of materials as to form a more perfect-insu-
lation of the electric conductors than has heretofore been obtained, and which
perfect insulation of the electric conductors is of the greatest importance for
submarine or subterranean telegraphic purposes.
Our improved compound or preparation is composed of caoutchouc or

page_text: gutta percha, or the two materials combined, in combination with bituminous
substances, to which may be added animal or vegetable oils, and earthy
matters, such as silicate of magnesia, rottenstone, &c.
In carrying out our Invention we propose to dissolve or soften the caout-
chouc or gutta percha by means of suitable solvents as is well known, and
then add the required proportion of bituminous matter, which may either bo
separately dissolved, previously to being added, or it may be mixed in a solid
state with the caoutchouc or gutta percha, and the mass of ingredients dis-
solved in the same solvent with or without the addition of heat. The caout-
chouc and bituminous matters may be dissolved or ground up with animal or
vegetable oils, with the addition of heat, the grinding operation being continued
until the mass becomes homogeneous. During this operation the earthy
matters may be added, so as to become intimately blended with the other
ingredients. The compound of materials having been produced in a plastic
state suitable for coating or covering the electric or telegraphic wires, the latter
are coated or covered therewith by causing them to be passed through a vessel
in which the plastic compound is contained, and from which it is expressed
through suitable dies, through which the wire conductor issues from the
vessel. If desired the wires may be passed two or more times through the
vessel containing the plastic materials, so as to receive two or more coats or
coverings thereof. After each coating it is desirable that the coated wire
should be passed through a warm air chamber for the purpose of driving off
or evaporating the solvent.
The wires may also be coated by being passed between grooved rollers, or
by means of other well-known mechanical contrivances, The electric or
telegraphic wires or conductors, having been coated with the insulating com-
pound above mentioned, we next propose to enclose the insulated conductor
within an outer covering, composed of some fibrous material, such as woven
fabric, which must be prepared by being payed over or saturated with a
solution of some bituminous, resinous, or other substance, so as to form an
adhesive surface, on which is to be dusted a coating of pulverized glass or
flints.
о
By passing the fabric so coated with glass between rollers, the siliceous
particles will be forced into the fabric, and will form a vitreous non-conducting
covering with which the electric conductor is to be covered as aforesaid.