Improvements in Street and like Boxes for Containing Transformers used in Electrical Distribution.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street and like Boxes for Containing Transformers
used in Electrical Distribution.
We, The Honourable. CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, of Heaton Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Engineer, and JAMES
BONELLE WILLIS, of 145 Stratford Road, Heaton, Newcastle-on-Tyne aforesaid,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When a district is electrically lighted by a high tension system of distribution
with transformers in sub-stations or where the current is transformed down to a
low pressure suitable for the lamps or other purposes and is distributed by low
tension mains or network of mains to one or more consumers, it is usual to place
the transformers in cellars or in boxes in the streets.
The present invention relates to these boxes and consists in arrangements of
boxes whereby the said boxes can be formed of one metal casting or of several
castings bolted together so as to be watertight.
In one arrangement in which our invention is carried into effect the cover is made
removable and it is jointed watertight by a rubber ring or insertion and held down
by one or more bolts, which bolts are suitably recessed in the cover so as to present
a flush surface and operated by box spanner or other suitable device capable of
operating from the surface.
The top of the cover is made flush with the road or path way and its surface is
formed in any suitable manner to offer the necessary foot hold.
We prefer to arrange the cover joint as a rubber ring let into a recess in the
said cover and pressed upon by a comparatively narrow seat or edge formed in
the box.
At each side of the box are cast chambers or receptacles for containing
respectively the high and low tension fuses, which fuses are preferably contained
in watertight metal cases suitably secured to the box. The cables enter through
watertight glands in the boxes or are protected by watertight junction pipes.
On each side of the box are run the high and low tension pipes with their
respective cables enclosed and the pipes are suitably coupled up to the box. The
box may receive and be cooled by air circulating or caused to circulate in the pipes
aud suitable gills or radiating plates may be formed on the transformer case or box
to assist cooling.
The transformer may be immersed in oil in its case to assist the conduction of
heat and improve the insulation.
The high and low tension cables may be contained in one pipe instead of in two
pipes as hereinbefore described and the box may be correspondingly arranged to
couple to one pipe.
We preferably arrange the transformer box in open communication with the
cable pipe or pipes as hereinbefore described for the purpose of assisting in
maintaining the pipes and cables in a dry condition.
Our boxes are cast either of iron or steel.
Dated this 28th day of March 1893.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Street and like Boxes for Containing Transformers
used in Electrical Distribution.
We, The Honourable CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, and JAMES
BONELLE WILLIS, both of Heaton Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Engineers, 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 :-
When a district is electrically lighted by a high tension system of distribution
with transformers in substations or where the current is transformed down to a low
pressure suitable for the lamps or other purposes and is distributed by low tension
mains or network of mains to one or more consumers, it is usual to place the trans-
formers in cellars or in boxes in the streets.
The present invention relates to these boxes and consists in arrangements whereby
the said boxes can be formed of one metal casting or of several castings bolted
together so as to be watertight.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of drawings :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a box constructed in accordance with our
invention.
Figure 2 is a similar section but on a plane at right angles to that shown in
Figure 1.
In one arrangement in which our invention is carried into effect, A is the street
box of cast iron or steel and the cover B is made removable and it is jointed water-
tight by a rubber ring or insertion B' and held down by one or more bolts as B²,
which bolts are suitably recessed in the cover B so as to present a flush surface
and operated by box spanner or other suitable device capable of operating from
the surface.
The top of the cover B is made flush with the road or pathway and its surface is
formed in any suitable manner to offer the necessary foothold.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the cover B is cast with a cup or hollow having
strengthening ribs and the said cup or hollow is filled up to the level of the roadway
by cement concrete, asphalte, or other suitable material indicated at B³.
We prefer to arrange the cover joint B' as a rubber ring let into a recess in the
said cover and pressed upon by a comparatively narrow seat or edge A¹ formed on
the box.
At each side of the box we cast or insert chambers or receptacles as E E¹ for
containing respectively the high and low tension fuses and switches, which fuses
and switches are preferably contained in watertight metal cases as E E' suitably
secured to the box. The cables enter the boxes E E through watertight
glands as E2 E2 in the said boxes or they are protected by watertight junction
pipes.
In Figure 1 the fuse box E is shown with its cover removed.
On each side of the box A are run the high and low tension pipes indicated
at D D with their respective cables enclosed and the pipes are suitably coupled up
to the box.
The box A may receive and be cooled by air circulating or caused to circulate
by mechanical means such as a fan or pump either blowing or exhausting or by
induced currents of any kind in the pipes D D' and suitable gills or radiating plates
may be formed on the transformer case or box C to assist cooling.
The transformer case C is also provided with watertight glands as C¹ C³ for the
introduction of the cables.
The transformer may be immersed in oil in its case C, to assist the conduction of
heat and improve the insulation.

page_text: The high and low tension cables may be contained in one pipe instead of in two
pipes as hereinbefore described and the box A may be correspondingly arranged to
couple to one pipe.
We preferably arrange the transformer box A in open communication with the
cable pipe or pipes D D as hereinbefore described for the purpose of assisting in
maintaining the pipes and cables in a dry condition.
To further ensure the dryness of the interior of our pipes and boxes and their
contained cables and apparatus we sometimes arrange a drying apparatus to dry the
air circulating through or entering into the system. The said drying apparatus
may be chemical or mechanical or have a combination of chemical or mechanical
devices for drying the air.
The chemical drying may be performed by passing the air over surfaces on
which we place caustic lime, caustic soda chloride of calcium or other hygroscopic
material and the mechanical drying may be accomplished by baffle plates or
perforated plates devised to intercept and drain off suspended water in the air
or by compressing the air, draining off the water deposited and expanding into
the pipes. We thus intercept by the drier both suspended moisture and water
vapour.
Our boxes are, cast either of iron or steel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
:-
1. A street or like substation or transformer box, formed wholly of metal, having
a watertight metallic cover as set forth.
2. A street or like substation or transformer box, formed wholly of metal, having
a watertight metallic cover, and containing watertight fuse and switch boxes also
formed wholly of metal, the said fuse and switch boxes having likewise watertight
covers and watertight glands as hereinbefore described.
3. A street or like substation or transformer box, formed wholly of metal having
a watertight metallic cover in combination with a system of pipes connected to it
for the purpose of carrying the cables or of circulating air or for both purposes
together substantially as herein before set forth.
4. The system or method of connecting transformer or substation boxes such as
claimed in Claim 1 by suitable pipes through which air is passed by blowing
or exhausting by pump or by any other device in such manner as to circulate
air through the pipes and box or boxes thereby cooling, drying and preserving
the cables and other apparatus contained in the boxes and pipes as herein set
forth.
5. In combination with the system of air circulation claimed in the preceding
claim, a drying apparatus either chemical or mechanical or both so applied as to
dry the air circulating within or entering into the said system substantially as and
for the purposes herein before set forth.
6. The special arrangement and construction of street, substation or transformer
box having fuses, with or without switches as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the said box being dried by air introduced or
circulated and dried as specified.
Dated this 14th day of December 1893
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.