IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Dering, of Lockleys, in the
County of Herts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
TELEGRAPHS.
Sealed the 27th October 1858, and dated the 15th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward
Dering at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th August 1853.
I, GEORGE EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS" to be as follows:-
The present Invention is applicable to submarine telegraphs, and
also to the means of communication by under ground or over ground
wires. Heretofore, in constructing electric telegraphs where the whole
circuit has been made of metal, and also where the conducting pro-
perty of the earth has been employed as a part of the circuit, it has
been usual, and it has been considered absolutely necessary, to cause
the wires to be thoroughly insulated each from the others and from the
earth, the consequence of which has been that the expense of laying down

page_text: electric circuits for electric telegraphs has been very great, particularly
where the same have crossed the sea or other waters, where not only
have the wires been insulated from one another, and from the water or
earth, but in order to protect the insulating matter from injury great
cost has been caused by the use of wire ropes or other means of pro-
tection. Now I have discovered that a metallic circuit formed of
wires either wholly uninsulated or partially so may be employed for
an electric telegraph, provided that the two parts of the circuit are at
such a distance apart that the electric current, or a portion of it, would
meet with more resistance in passing from one wire to the other by
the water or the earth, or by imperfect conductors which the wires
may be attached to or suspended from, than in following the wire.
And for this purpose I cause the two wires (which may be of plain
galvanized iron. either uninsulate or partially insulated by a coat of
varnish or otherwise), of which a circuit of an electric telegraph is to
be formed, to be placed in the water or in the Earth, or otherwise con-
ducted, at a distance apart proportionate to the total length of the
circuit. And I cause the wires to be insulated where they approach
one another to communicate with the instruments and battery, or
source of electricity, or with a continuation of conductors for carrying
on the current, in order to prevent the current passing through the
diminished space between the wires. And in the case of intermediate
stations I insulate the wires for a distance in each direction from the
instruments in order to ensure the current making the circuit of the
instruments, and not passing in a large proportion through the earth
or water, or other conductors, between the uninsulated parts of the
wire on each side of the station. The batteries employed to work tele-
graphs through circuits upon these principles are to be constructed in
the proportion of their parts and in all respects in conformity with the
well known laws which regulate the transmission of electric currents
through circuits, from which a portion of the current is diverted by
interposed liquids or partial conductors; and the. proper distance at
which to place the conductors from one another is determined by the
same laws, all of which will be readily understood by persons con-
Versant with the principles of electrical science.

page_text: The cost of laying down electric telegraphs, whether submarine or
otherwise, is, by this Invention of employing distance between the con-
ductors as a means of insulation, reduced to little more than the merė
cost of the conductors for the current, together with that of an insu-
.lated wire at cach end of the line to complete the circuit between the
extremities of the uninsulated line wires.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Edward Dering in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, 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 thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenthi year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto me, the said George Edward Dering, Her special
licence that I, the said George Edward Dering, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Edward
Dering, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Edward Dering, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
liately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW. KNOW YE, that I, the said George Edward Dering,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is
to say):
-
The present Invention is applicable to submarine telegraphs, and
also to the means of communication by under ground or over ground
wires. Heretofore, in constructing electric telegraphs where the whole
circuit has been made of metal, and also where the conducting pro-
perty of the earth has been employed as a part of the circuit, it has
been usual, and it has been considered absolutely necessary, to cause
the wires to be thoroughly insulated each from the others and from
the earth, the consequence of which has been that the expense of
laying down electric circnits for electric telegraphs has been very great,
particularly where the same have crossed the sea or other waters,
where not only have the wires been insulated from one another, and
from the water or earth, but in order to protect the insulating matter
from injury great cost has been caused by the use of wire rope or
other means of protection. Now I have discovered that a metallic
circuit formed of wires either wholly uninsulated or partially so may
be employed for an electric telegraph, provided that the two parts of
the circuit are at such a distance apart that the electric current, or a
portion of it, would meet with more resistance in passing from one wire
to the other by the water or the earth, or by imperfect conductors
which the wires may be attached to or suspended from, than in following
the wire. And for this purpose I cause the two wires (which may be
of plain galvanized iron either uninsulated or partially insulated by a
coat of varnish or otherwise), of which a circuit of an electric telegraph
is to be formed, to be placed in the water or in the earth, or otherwise
conducted, at a distance apart proportionate to the total length of the
circuit. And I cause the wires to be insulated where they approach
one another to communicate with the instruments and battery, or
source of electricity, or with a continuation of conductors for carrying on
the current, in order to prevent the current passing through the
diminished space between the wires. And in the case of intermediate
stations I insulate the wires for a distance in each direction from the
instruments in order to ensure the current making the circuit of the

page_text: instruments, and not passing in a large proportion through the earth or
water, or other conductors, between the uninsulated parts of the wire
on each side of the station. The batteries employed to work telegraphs
through circuits after these principles are to be constructed in the
proportion of their parts and in all respects in conformity with the
well known laws which regulate the transmission of electric currents
through circuits, from which a portion of the current is diverted by
intervening liquids or partial conductors, and the proper distance at
which to place the conductors from one another is determined by the
same laws, all of which will be readily understood by persons con-
versant with the principles of electrical science.
Another method of carrying ont my Invention consists in establishing
electrical communication by means of circuits composed in part of the
uninsulated or partially insulated conductors which I have described,
and in part of the conducting property of the sea or other water
across which the communication is to be carried, or of the earth or the
moisture contained therein in the case of land telegraphs. For this
purpose, instead of establishing the connections with the earth or water
near to the extremities of the conducting wire, as when the ordinary
insulated wires are employed, the connection is effected at such a
distance in a lateral direction from the conductor that the current, or
a sufficient portion of it, would meet with more resistance in passing
direct from the earth or water connection to the conductor than in
passing to the similar earth or water connection arranged at the other
extremity of the line. The communication between the conducting
wire and the earth or water connection is to be effected at each end of
the line by wires effectually insulated, the same as described with
reference to the communication by means of two distant metallic con-
ductors, uninsulated or partially so; the only difference of the present
arrangement being that the conducting property of the earth or water
is employed as a substitute for one of those conductors. The connection
with the carth may be effected in the manner usual in telegraphs
having insulated line wires. Or, in some cases, plates of dissimilar
metal or material may be employed at the two extremities, having a
tendency to generate an electrical current when the circuit is complete,

page_text: and this current may be applied to signalling purposes. And galvanic
batteries may be employed as auxiliary to it, if desirable.
Another method of carrying out my Invention consists in establish-
jug electrical communication by placing in the earth or water two or
more wires of dissimilar metal or material having a tendency to
generate a current of electricity by the action of the water or moisture
with which they are in contact. If at one extremity the wires be attached
respectively to the two ends of the coil of an electro-magnet or other
telegraphic apparatus it will be found that this instrument is acted on
by the electrical current generated by the wires. If now at the other
extremity of these wires a direct connection be established between
them, a portion of the current generated will at once pass by this path
instead of passing round to the electro-magnet or other apparatus, and
the action here will consequently at the same moment be diminished;
and if means be adopted to indicate the greater or less power of the
passing current, signals may thus be transmitted by making or breaking
at pleasure the connection at the opposite extremity of the wires. In
order to enable signals to be transmitted from and to either extremity
of the line, each extremity may be provided both with the apparatus to
indicate the passage of the current and the means of making and
breaking the connection between the outstretched wires; and inter-
mediate stations may be provided with similar arrangements, placed either
in circuit of one of the wires, or so as to form a connection between
the two. The means of carrying out this part of my Invention may be
greatly varied, and, if it be desirable, electrical currents derived from
galvanic batteries or other sources may be employed as anxiliary to
those generated in the outstretched wires.
In the different means of communication which I have described,
if strong conductors are required, as in submarine lines, wire rope may
be employed in place of the whole or any portion of the wire to conduct
or generate the electrical current, or chains may be employed, or wires
or wire ropes may be protected from injury by being attached to chains,
spirally or otherwise, and they will conduct the current more readily
than the detached links of the chain, or they may similarly be attached
to lempen ropes, or enveloped, within them. The wire or wire rope or

page_text: chain may be formed of iron or copper or any suitable metal, and S
coated with other metals, if desirable, and it may be coated with some;
suitable varnish, by which means the amount of exposed surface will be
diminished; and, the metal preserved from corrosion. The electrical:
currents to be employed, as I have described, may be derived from
galvanic batteries or by induction from maguets or currents of electri-
city, or from any other suitable source. I find in practice that from
one twentieth to one tenth the total length of the line wires or con-
ductors is an effective distance to place them apart from one another.:
And with regard to the currcuts of electricity employed, I find it
advisable that they should possess the properties generally understood.
by the term "quantity" of electricity in a considerably greater degree.
than is usual for telegraphing by insulated wires, which may be effected;
if galvanic batteries be employed, by the use of plates of larger dimen->
sions, or by other alterations in the exciting liquids or plates, as is welb
understood.
In order to explain more clearly the means of carrying out my
Invention I will now suppose the case of a line to be carried out upon
the principles which I have described, say a submarine line from
Holyhead to Dublin, a distance of about sixty miles. For this purpose
it would be necessary, first, to select two points on each coast at a
listance apart of, say, from three to six miles, and to unite together the.
two points on cach coast by an insulated wire. Next, the two northern
points are to be connected together by a submerged uninsulated con-
ductor, and the two southern points by a similar conductor, as near as
may be parallel to the first, unless the water be employed as a
substitute for one of the conductors in tlic manner which I have
described. Thus an oblong parallelogram of continuous conductors is
formed; having for its longer sides the uninsulateil conductors, and for
its shorter sides the insulated wires along the coast. And if now the
coast wires on each side be divided at any parts, or disconnected from
the sea wires, and instruments and batteries introduced into the circuit,
siguals may be transmitted by any of the means ordinarily employed
with insulated line wires. Or, to take the case of a longer line, suppose.
it were desirable to unite Great Britain with America, I should select

page_text: two points in each country at a sufficient distance apart from one
another, say the Land's End in Cornwall and the Giant's Causeway in
Ireland, or some suitable point on the west coast of Scotland, and cor-
responding points on the American coast. Next, I should unite the two
points in each country by insulated wires, and, finally, submerge two
niinsulated conductors across the Atlantic, or one, if the water be
employed to complete the circuit. Then by introducing telegraphic
instruments and batteries into the circuit of the land wires the com-
munication will be established. And I would observe that for crossing
wide seas such as the Atlantic, where difficulties might arise as to the
stowage of a sufficient length of conductor, my plan possesses peculiar
advantages, inasmuch as the space ordinarily occupied by insulated
wires is avoided, and at the same time nearly equal strength is obtained.
and thus a far greater length of line may be coiled in the same
compass. And I believe that in deep water, beyond the reach of ships
anchors, a single wire will effectually answer for cach conductor,
provided it be of good material and sufficient strength to bear the
strain of laying down. The method of carrying out the various
modifications of my principle, and its application to land telegraphs.
will be readily understood from the examples which I have here given.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the cost of laying
down electric telegraphs, whether submarine or otherwise, is, by this
Invention of employing distance between the conductors as a means
of insulation, reduced to little more than the mere cost of the conductors
for the current, together with that of an insulated wire at each end of
the line to complete the circuit between the extremities of the uninsu-
lated conductors; and the numerous difficulties which attend the
insulation of long lengths of wire are avoided, as also the chances of
the communication being interrupted by accidents to the insulation.
And having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I wish it to be
understood that I do not confine myself to the details of the description
which I have given. But what I claim is, the use of the element of
distance between uninsulated or partially insulated wires or conductors
as a means of insulation for telegraphic purposes, whether such wires
be employed merely as conductors, or also as generators of clectrical

page_text: currents, and whether or not the conducting power of the earth or
the moisture thereof, or any body of water, be employed as one
conductor.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Dering, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
GEORGE E. DERING. (L.S.)