IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CABLES OR CONDUCTORS FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CABLES OR CONDUCTORS
FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication from abroad
by Patrick B. Delany, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Electrician.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING
TO ELECTRICAL CABLES OR CONDUCTORS FOR TELEGRAPHIC AND SIMILAR
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Patrick B. Delany, of the City
and State of New York, United States of America, Electrician.
The object of this Invention is to provide a multiple wire electric telegraphic or
other cable having great flexibility and strength, and in which the several
conductors will be effectively insulated from each other and protected from contact
with outside objects, the said cable being adapted for use either in the air or
underground.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 represents in elevation a portion of an aërial or overground telegraphic
cable constructed according to my Invention, and
Figure 2 is an end view of one of the buttons detached.
Figure 3 represents in perspective two of the separating stops.
Figure 4 is a detail end view illustrating a mode of supporting the cable.
Figure 5 is a side view partly in section of a portion of an underground cable
constructed according to this Invention.
Figure 6 is an elevation of a portion of a modified form of aërial cable provided
with a sheathing or guard-tubing.

page_text: Figure 7 is a side view partly in section of a portion of the said cable drawn to
an enlarged scale.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a tube bend, useful in laying the cable across
the comb or the edge of a roof.
A indicates the insulating buttons which support and keep separated the wires.
These buttons may be made of glass, porcelain, or any other suitable insulating
material, and of any desired diameter, and each button has a central hole a for
the passage of the supporting and strengthening rope or cable B.
Between the
central hole and the periphery of the said buttons, and at a proper distance from
such periphery and from each other, are formed the small apertures a' for the
passage of the conducting wires C. The outer apertures for the passage of the
wires should be at such a distance from the peripheries of the buttons that should
the buttons come in contact with the ground, a wall, or other object, the wires will
be held out of contact with such object.
In constructing the cable the buttons may be first strung upon the central sup-
porting and strengthening rope B, or the said rope and the conducting wires, which
may be covered with insulating material, may be passed through the apertures of the
buttons at the same time, the cable being constructed as it is laid or erected. The
buttons will touch each other loosely generally, but should have sufficient play to
permit the bending of the cable as desired. At such points as it is found necessary
to support the cable a stationary perforated button or disc is firmly secured for the
support of the wires alone, and the central rope is led out from the wires and
firmly secured by staples or cleats, or both, as shewn in Figure 4, where D
designates a pole, at the top of which the perforated disc E of insulating material
is firmly secured by an iron frame F. Below the said disc the pole is provided
with a stout and firmly braced cross arm G to which the rope is secured by staples,
the said rope being also preferably passed around a cleat H secured to the pole
to prevent slipping. After passing the pole the rope returns to its central position in
the cable. This rope is preferably formed of wire, and at such points as necessary
may be covered with insulating material to prevent its contact with the wires.
The disc E may be secured to a building, wall, or roof, and the rope B secured as
the circumstances of any particular case may suggest or require.
In order to secure space between any two buttons of the cable, I place upon the
rope B and between the said buttons a pipe or sleeve I, Figure 1, of suitable length,
and having a diameter too great to permit it to pass through the central holes of
the buttons. Screws K passing through this pipe impinge upon the rope and hold
the pipe in place. Short sleeves l' are in the same manner used to prevent the
movement of the buttons beyond a given point. Sleeves, such as that shewn at I,
will be used chiefly where it is necessary to branch one or more wires off from the
cable, as in Figure 1, or for affording room for testing or manipulating the wires
for any other purpose. But few poles or other stationary supports are required
for my improved cable, as compared with the number necessary in the present
mode of supporting telegraph wires in cities and other places where a large number
of wires run parallel to each other, as, the great strength given to the cable by the
central rope renders it self supporting for very long spans.
When the wire apertures of the buttons are not all filled up, additional wires
may be easily run, as a ladder with a suitable fender cross-bar may be raised to
and supported by the cable, the fender bar touching only the peripheries of the
buttons. In view of the addition of extra wires the outer apertures should be
left vacant, if any, for convenience, but this is not absolutely necessary, as a wire
may be easily added or removed near the centre of the cable, the wires in all cases
being properly spaced.
The buttons A it will be observed have an elliptical cross section, that is to say,
they taper from their centre to their periphery to allow the cable to readily bend
in changing direction, or to accommodate the sag between the supports, or in
swaying to and fro.
Such a cable will be found especially useful in cities, as it can be laid across a

page_text: roof or run alongside of a wall, either enclosed in a pipe, or otherwise, without
danger of interference with the wires, and hundreds of wires included in one
or more of such cables may be arranged in the space heretofore required for
but few.
When the cable is to be laid underground I enclose it in a protecting pipe, as
shewn at L, Figure 5, formed cither of lead, iron, or earthenware sections connected
by suitable joints, as also shewn in Figure 5. In laying the cable underground
it may be wound upon a reel and drawn thence through section after section of
pipe, a very few splices being necessary.
When the cable is placed in a pipe the space unoccupied by it may be left
vacant or filled with insulating material, as desired. The flexibility of the cable
will permit the use of any of the ordinary pipe bends in changing direction.
In the modification shewn in Figures 6 and 7, an aerial or overground cable is
shewn enclosed in a sheathing formed of light tube-sections L', each having at one
end a collar for the end of the adjoining section to fit into. These tube sections
may be made of sheet iron or any other suitable light material. In this form of
cable the central supporting or strain rope is omitted, and an outside supporting
rope B', or a wire or cable is used, the said rope being passed through loops m
secured to each end of each tube for sheathing section, and at points where
the cable is suspended the said rope is hung upon hooks, as shewn in the Drawing,
at the points where the cable is suspended from the arms of poles. When a wire
or wire rope is used for the support of the cable it may be soldered to the sections
of sheathing. Owing to the loose joints the cable can sag without separating the
sections of sheathing. In crossing the combs of roofs and similar places, the cable
lying upon the roof or other elevated object tube-bends of suitable angle, such as
shewn at L, Figures 6 and 8, will be found useful.
The tube or sheathing sections should be painted preferably with so called water
proof paint to protect them. It will be understood that it is impracticable to use
any insulating filling for this form of cable other than the buttons.
I do not limit myself to short tube sections in this form of cable, as it is obvious
that long flexible sections of light tubing of lead, india rubber, gutta perchia, or other
suitable material might be used, such sections being provided with loops for the
rope at proper points.
This form of cable is especially useful in conducting the wires of electric light
circuits over which are passed dynamo electric currents of very high tension, which
currents are extremely dangerous, as when a ground connection is accidentally made
from one of such wires through the body of a human being, loss of life is likely to
occur.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The combination with a cable composed of one or more electrical con-
ducting wires passed through perforations in a series of insulating buttons strung
upon the said wire or wires, of a strain or supporting rope connected with and
arranged to bear the entire weight of the said cable, substantially as above
described.
Second. A telegraphic or electric cable composed of the central supporting and
strengthening rope or cable, the perforated buttons of insulating material tapering
from their centre to their periphery, and strung upon the said rope or cable, and
the conducting wires arranged or passed through the perforations of the said buttons,
substantially as herein described and for the purposes specified.
Third. The combination with the central rope and the buttons of suitable sleeves
for separating or limiting the movement of the buttons, substantially as above
described.
Fourth. The combination with a cable composed of the central rope, the convex
buttons and the conducting wires of an enclosing pipe, substantially as above
described and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Fifth. The combination with a telegraphic cable, composed of one or more wires,
a series of insulating buttons strung upon the said wire or wires, and an enclosing
sheathing or tube, of a supporting or strain rope, wire, or cable, connected with the
said sheathing, and arranged to be suspended from suitable supports, substantially
as above described.
Sixth. A telegraphic cable comprising one or more electrical conducting wires
strung or laid through holes in a series of glass, porcelain, or other non conducting
buttons which decrease in thickness from their centre to their periphery, sub-
stantially as described, whereby the wires are kept apart and insulated from each
other and external objects, and the cable is at the same time capable of being freely
bent.
Seventh. The combination in a telegraphic cable of one or more electrical con-
ducting wires, a series of perforated glass, porcelain, or other non conducting
buttons, decreasing in thickness from their centre to their periphery, and strung
upon the said wire or wires, and an enclosing tube or sheathing surrounding the
said buttons and wire or wires, whereby the wires are protected from moisture and
access of dirt and dust.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight bundred and eighty one.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)