Improvements in Access and Junction Boxes for Electric Conductors.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st June, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Access and Junction Boxes for Electric Conductors.
I, ALFRED Fox, of Collingwood Street in the City and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Tobacconist, do hereby declare the nature of said invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct the access and junction boxes used for
telegraph or telephone cables or conductors in such a manner that they may be
readily fixed where required, especially where branch junctions are to be made with
the main conductor, and shall be perfectly water tight throughout against leakage
in to them, especially where the pipes enclosing the cables or conductors enter the
boxes.
Each box is in two parts, viz. the bottom part below the line of the cable
and the upper part into which the pipes enter and receives the cover or lid.
The sides and ends of the bottom part have their upper edges formed with a half
lap groove or trough fitting a corresponding formation on the lower edges of the
upper part and the top edges of the sides and ends of the upper part have a similar
half lap or equivalent formation into which a corresponding formation on the lower
edges of the lid or cover fits closely, but so as to allow the lid or cover to be
readily removed, and thus leakage into the box is prevented. The joint between
the bottom and upper part of the box may be made with cement or with india
rubber or other packing.
The ends of the upper part of the box, where the pipes enter, may be made
with an opening of shape the semicircular top of which will fit over the upper
half of the pipe leaving a space between for the cement, or a half round opening
may be made in each part of the box, and in order to make this opening water
tight I place wood moulds in halves outside and inside the box with a space between
into which cement is poured completely filling the spaces around the pipes, and
when the cement is set the moulds are removed; or I may cast projecting flanges
on the inside and outside of the ends of the box leaving spaces between them and
the pipe and pour the cement into such spaces flat pieces of wood retaining it
until it is set.
When a branch junction is to be made with the main cable at any point where
there is no junction box, I propose to cut the pipe enclosing the main cable_and
insert a junction box made according to my invention which can be readily done
without disturbing the main line of cable owing to the box being in two parts the
bottom part being put in, under the cable, and the upper part placed upon the
bottom part over the cable for which the shaped or other shaped openings in
the ends provide. In this case there will be similar shaped or other shaped
openings in one or both sides through which the pipes enclosing the branch
cables will pass and the spaces between the pipes and the openings will be run
up with cement as previously described and made perfectly water tight.
Dated this 5th day of September 1894.

page_text: Improvements in Access and Junction Boxes for Electric Conductors.
I ALFRED Fox of Collingwood Street in the City and County of Newcastle
upon Tyne Tobacconist do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to construct access and junction boxes used for
electric wire or other cables or conductors or pipes in such a manner that they
may be readily placed or fixed where required especially where branch junctions
are desired to be made with the main wire cable or pipe and which boxes shall be
perfectly watertight throughout against leakage into them especially where the
pipe enters the box.
Each box is made in two or more parts viz.: the bottom part below the line
of the cable or pipe and the upper part or parts-into which the cable or pipe
enters while the extreme upper part or section receives the cover or lid.
The sides and ends of the bottom part have their upper edges formed with a
half-lap groove tongue or trough fitting a corresponding formation on the lower
edges of the upper part while the top edges of the sides and ends of the upper
part or parts have a similar half lap groove or tongue or similar formation into
which a corresponding formation on the lower edges of the lid or cover fits closely
but so as to allow the lid or cover to be readily removed and thus leakage into the
box is prevented. The joints between the bottom and upper parts may be
further secured by india rubber or other packing cement or other material if so
required.
The ends of the upper part of the box where the pipes enter may be made with
an opening shaped thus n (an inverted letter U) the semicircular top of which
will fit over the upper half of the pipe leaving a space between for the cement or
other material that may afterwards be used or a half round opening may be made
in cach part of the box where so required and in order to make this opening
watertight I place wood moulds made in half sections both outside and inside the
box with a space between them and the metal of the box into which cement or
other material is poured or placed thus completely filling the space or cavity
around the pipe and the outside and inside of the box and after the cement or other
material is set these moulds are removed or 1 may cast projecting flanges on the
inside and outside of the ends of the box leaving an open space or cavity between
them and the pipe and pour or place the cement or other material into such spaces
flat pieces of wood retaining it until set.
If similar shaped openings are required at the sides of the box the same
arrangements for making the apertures watertight can be observed as already
described for the ends.
Where a branch or other junction is to be made with the main wire cable or pipe
at any point where no junction box exists a box if made according to my invention
can be easily placed without disturbing the main wire or cable owing to the box
being made in two or more parts the bottom part being put in under the cable or
pipe and the upper part or parts placed on the bottom part or parts over the
cable or pipe for which the shaped openings provide and the space between the
pipes and the openings can be run in with cement or other material as previously
described and made watertight.
If for purposes of getting to the wire or pipe or for any other reason the
the pipe may be cut either before or after the box is placed in position.
For further explanation I show illustrations which I describe as follows viz. :
A Cross section of box.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
A watertight access or junction box for electric wire or other cables or pipes
which box can be placed at any desired spot and which which box junctions can be
made at any angle along the line of route of such wire cable or pipe without
breaking or disturbing such wire cable or pipe and which box when placed in
position allows easy access to its interior.
Doted this 21+ 1
1005