Improvements in and relating to Underground Mains for Electric Conductors.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Underground Mains for Electric
Conductors.
We, WILLIAM LOWRIE, Engineer, and CHARLES JAMES HALL, Electrician, both of
117 Bishopsgato Street Within, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
--
This invention relates to the main and branch pipes, pipe connections, and boxes
combined therewith, which are laid underground to receive insulated electric conductors
or cables.
Ordinary pipes, having thimble, flange, or spigot and socket joints, are used; and it
is to be understood that for convenience, the latter will he referred to throughout this
specification, as substantially the same as the two former kinds of joining. It is
further to be noted that as there is no internal pressure upon the pipes, tight joints are
unnecessary except in wet ground, or in crossing streams. The joints therefore may
be ordinary bolted, or turned and bored joints, or made with cement or lead, or in any
other convenient manner.
At required points in the line of mains short special castings are provided, which
at one end are formed as a spigot, while the other curves outward, like the mouth of
a bell. This bell mouthed end lias a flange in the form of a square, and bolt holes are
made in the corners thereof. These flanges are required to bolt the casting to the
boxes aforesaid.
Other special castings of a similar kind are made with a socket, instead of a spigot
ond, so as to suit the junction with the adjoining pipes in either direction. The curvo
of the bell mouthed ends, and the distance from centres of the corner bolt holes are tho
same in all cases, irrespective of the diameter of the pipes of which they form an
extension, so that they are interchangeable so far as it relates to their connection with
the boxes.
The boxes used are of different dimensions, but of two kinds. One, which may be
called the inain or street box is of a cubical character-all its sides being flat, but with
an open bottom, while the other kind is called a branch box, and virtually forms
a short piece of the line of pipe in which it is placed.
The flat sides of the street boxes have bolt holes corresponding to those in the
bell mouthed flanges aforesaid, and the two are bolted together. Corresponding
orifices are also made of the extreme diameter of the bell mouth; and in some cases,
the boxes are made rectangular and adapted to receive two or more bell mouthed
sections, side by side. The orifices are also curved inwardly to the box, thus
extending the bell mouth end of the attached castings. Around the upper part of
each street box is cast a channel, of some depth, to receive an extension piece which
is flanged internally at the top for a flat or recessed plate or cover; and at the
bottom an outward flange is formed, nearly as wide as the channel. The extension
piece is thus adapted to extend or reduce the depth of the box according to inequalities
in the roadway, and depth of the mains below the surface, the space in the channel
being filled with a cement beneath and above the bottom flange to hold the exten-
sion piece in position at the required height. The cover, if flat, is roughened on
the surface exposed to traffic, but if recessed, is adapted to receive asphalte, wood
or the like. A small slot at each end serves to admit lifting keys to remove the
cover when required for access to the interior of the box, or a lock may be provided.
A flat plate is bolted over any orifice not connected with a pipe line.
The junction boxes are similar to a short length of pipe, but with an open space
between its extremities formed by making the sides vertical at that part and flanging
heir tops. A cover is made for the opening, secured in position by a clamp catching

page_text: Branch exten-
beneath the side flanges, with a central screw bearing upon the cover.
sions are in some cases cast upon the sides of the junction boxes, opening into the
same by a curve, the branch openings being screwed to receive gas pipe connections
called house pipes, through which the house supply conductors are Inid. In other
cases, we may use special bell mouthed castings with a flange, and bolt them to the
sides of the junction boxes in the same manner as described for the street boxes. The
bottoms of the junction boxes are semi-circular, coinciding with the pipe line of which
it forms a part.
All the angles of the pipes, boxes, or connections, exposed to the friction of moving
cables, or around which they are bent for extension or branch lines are as fur as
possible rounded to avoid injuring the insulation of the conductora.
Dated this in a
1000
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Underground Mains for Electric
Conductors.
We, WILLIAM LOWRIE, Engineer, and CHARLES JAMES HALL, Electrician, both of
117 Bishopsgate Street Within in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature
_ of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the main and branch pipes pipe connections and the boxes.
combined therewith, which are laid underground to receive and contain insulated
electric conductors or cables.
In carrying out our invention we make use of ordinary pipes, usually with spigot
and socket. joints. But, as there is no internal pressure upon the pipes, (except in wet
ground, or in crossing streams), any other kind of joints, such as thimble, flange,
turned and bored, or cement made joints, may be used instead.
At required points, in the line of mains, short special castings, such as A, Fig. 11
are provided, formed at one end as a spigot, while the other end curves outward in the
shape of a bell mouth. The bell mouth end has a flange a, square in general outline,
with bolt holes in the corners thereof. These castings are bolted by their flanges to
boxes which are described hereinafter.
Other special castings, A', of a similar kind to A, are made with a socket instead of
a spigot end, so that these castings provide for joining with the respective socket or
spigot ends of adjoining pipes, in either direction. The box of these castings will vary
to accord with that of the pipes of which they form an extension, and the curve of the
bell mouth ends entering the boxes is modified to suit this but the distance from
centres of the corner bolt holes is the same in all cases, so that they are interchangeable
so far as it relates to their connection with the boxes.
The boxes used are of different dimensions, but of two kinds. One, which may be
called the main or street box, is of a cubical character: having flat sides, but with an
open bottom for drainage as is shown by B, Figs. 1 and 2; the other, a branch box,
virtually forms a short section of the line of pipe in which it is inserted, as shown
by C in Figs. 6, 7, and 8.
The flat sides of the street boxes have bolt holes, b, corresponding to those in the
bell mouthed flanges aforesaid, to enable the latter to be bolted to the boxes.
Corresponding orifices are also made in the sides of the boxes B, of the extreme
diameter of the bell mouthed curves aforesaid, continuing the said curve into the
interior of the box, as shown by b'. Where several junctions are made, or expected,
the boxes are made long enough to take in two or more of the castings or A', as
shown by the dotted circles and bolt holes in Fig. 2, and any openings of the kind not
used in communicating with a line of pipes is closed by bolting on the blank flange or
plate shown by Figs. 9 and 10, which has the same outline and relative position of
bolt holes as the flanges b, of Figs. 11 and 12.

page_text: Around the upper part of each street box B is cast a flanged projection ³ to form a
channel of somo depth. In this is placed an extension piece, 63, flanged internally at
the top to receive a flat or recessed cover 64, and flanged outwardly at the bottom to
nearly occupy the width of the said channel. The extension piece is adapted to extend
or reduce the total depth of the box to accord with inequalities in the roadway, and
depth of the mains below the surface; the space in the channel being run in with
cement above and beneath the bottom flange to hold the extension piece ³ and
cover at the required street level.
The cover is shown in the sections Figs. 1 and 3. and in the plan Fig. 4 as recessed
to receive asphalte wood, or other paving material; but in the section Fig. 2, and
plan Fig. 5, a flat cast iron plate is shown, roughened at one corner only, by small
projecting diamonds which are formed over the general surface of the plate. Further-
more, a key hole 65 and pivoted bolt in the plans and section of these street boxes,
show a means for locking the covor, or unlocking the same and moving the same by
means of suitably formed lifting keys, when access is required to the interior.
The branch or junction boxes are shown by C in a longitudinal section of one in
Fig. 6, and transverse sections Fig. 7, and Fig. 8, and is similar to a short section of
the line of pipe in which it is laid, and of which it is a continuation. It is formed
however with an opening at the top covered by a cover c which fits upon a flange c¹
projecting on each side of the opening. A clamp c³ fits over the cover and takes
hold beneath the side flanges c', and a screw down holt c³ secures the cover in
position. Openings are cast in the sides of the brauch box, as shown at e', and are
sometimes tapped for the reception of wrought iron or other small pipes, intended
to contain branch conductors or cables, which are connected to the main cables
insido the said box. The internal angles of these boxes, at their intersections with
the branch openings, are greatly rounded to avoid injuring the insulation of the
conductors when drawing the same through the tubes, and this is also done at any
point in the pipes, boxes, or connections around or against which the cables may be
bent.
Instead of casting the branch openings c in the manner shown in Fig. 7, separate
socket and spigot castings c and c respectively are boited to the sides of the branch
box C, by means of flanges thereon, in the manner indicated by Fig. 8, and two
or more of these may be arranged side by side as described for the street boxes in
Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. A line of underground mains for electric conductors comprising a series of
ordinary pipes combined with surface covered open bottom street boxes inserted in the
said line at intervals and secured thereto by special ends with bolts, and branch boxes
having semi-circular bottoms and screw clamped covers; substantially as and for the
purpose herein described.
2. In a line of underground mains for electric conductors a pipe casting having one
end formed as a socket or spigot, and the other end bell mouthed and Hanged with
bolt holes situated in the angles of the said flange; substantially as shown and
described.
3. In a line of street mains for electric conductors, an open bottomed street box
with flat sides, openings therein corresponding with bell mouthed junction pieces
secured thereto, an extension piece and cover adapted to suit the relative surface of
the ground in which it is placed, and a channel around the upper part of Lox for
receiving the extension piece; substantially as described.
4. In a line of street mains for electric conductors, a branch box formed in a pipe
casting having a spigot end and a socket end with an open top, a cover for same
with a clamp for securing the two together, and one or more branch openings into the
said box; substantially as shown and described.

page_text: 5. The combination of a street box having two or more orifices upon its sides of
the same diameter with two or more pipes of less but varying diameter enlarged at
their junction with the said box to the dimensions of the orifices aforesaid; substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein described.
Dated this 16th day of October 1889
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicants.