IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATING TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, THE IMPROVED MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Thomas Truman, of Old Burlington Street, in
the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATING
TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY FOR
MANUFACTURING TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, THE IMPROVED MACHINERY BEING
ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Thomas Truman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1880.
EDWIN THOMAS TRUMAN, of Old Burlington Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATING TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MODE OF
AND MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING TELEGRAPII CONDUCTORS, THE IMPROVED
MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
It has been customary when using stranded wire as a conductor for telegraphic
purposes to strand the wire before covering it with gutta percha or other plastic
material, and this has been done by machines variously constructed, but in all cases
The strand after having
by a machine specially constructed for that purpose.
been made, with its wires either uncovered or covered with compound, has then
been usually led into and through the nozzle of the machine used for covering it
with gutta percha or similar insulating material. The two operations have therefore
required two or more machines to effect them. Now one object of my Invention is
to make the stranding and covering of the wire one continuous operation, and this
I effect in the following manner :-
I place the bobbins or reels containing the single copper wire on a table or disc
in the manner now commonly adopted in making wire rope. The bobbins may be
caused to rotate with the disc to which they are fixed, or they may rotate
independently of the disc, always keeping the same relative position, as is well
understood in wire rope making. From these reels I lead the wires over or under
pulleys to straighten them, and thence through a plate perforated with holes to
receive the wires approximately arranged to form the strand, and approaching each
other but not in contact; this plate forms the entrance to a tube which passes
through a chamber containing a material which covers each wire in its passage.

page_text: through the tube, the tube being perforated to allow the material when hot to pass
into the interior. The exit of this tube I form of two plates, or a plate and tube,
for the purpose of laying the strand. The first plate, like the entrance plate to the
perforated tube, is perforated to allow the wires to pass through each in its own
hole, the holes being as before relatively in the position the wires are to occupy in
the strand. But the wires are now covered with a compound or material which
will fill all interstices, and on their passage through the second plate, which has
only one hole, or through the tubo, when such is used instead of the second plate,
they will be rendered quite solid. The wires are now passed (after being slightly
twisted together by hand) into a tube which leads to the back of the nozzle
of the covering machine, and passes through the centre of a screw, such as is
described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me, dated March
25th, 1870, No. 878, which screw communicates at its terminal with a chamber for
the reception of the gutta percha or other like substance, which is forced by the
screw into the chamber. The wire strand is here brought into contact with the
gutta percha or other substance, and they pass out of the chamber or nozzle
together, as is well understood.
The screw last named is caused to rotate by reason of motion given to the tube
or perforated rod, of which it is part, and which passes through the posterior wall
of the jacket or chamber containing the screw and gutta percha or other insulating
material, in which chamber the screw receives at each rotation its uniform quantity
to be passed on by it into the chamber in which the wire and gutta percha meet.
This tube or perforated rod is connected at its other end with the tube before
described, through which the wires pass, and in which they are covered with
compound, and which tube is in its turn connected with the disc carrying the wire
bobbins.
Thus it will be seen that the motor which gives action to the screw, also, by
means of the connecting tubes and other connections, gives motion to the disc and
reels, and this motion, when the wire strand becomes fixed to the pull wire,
commences to lay the separate wires covered each with its compound into a strand
even and solidly laid, and which strand, by reason of the rotation of the lay plate
or tube, finds no stationary point till it is received at the end of the water trough,
and, consequently, rotates during all its passage through the water trough for the
purpose of cooling, as is well understood.
To facilitate this rotation, and to add slightly to the lay at the finishing point
of the course of the strand before it passes to the pulling rollers and receiving
drum, I cause it to pass through a rotating frame with friction pulleys sufficiently
close to each other to grip and help the rotation of the covered strand.
In this arrangement, therefore, the strand is not completely laid until the wile
with its covering cold has passed the point of pull. The rotation added by this
rotating frame must be only just enough to produce the required rotation at the
exit of the nozzle, to compel the wire and gutta percha to rotate freely in the glass
tube, as described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me,
dated April 26th, 1872, No. 482.
Another arrangement which will also lay the wire to the required strand consists 4
in placing a nut or internally threaded tube of the required pitch with the requisite
number of threads to correspond. with the number of wires to be stranded, and of a
sufficient length in the place of the ordinary lay-plate, and causing the wires to be
led through it after they have passed from the reels over pulleys to straighten and
guide them through a small plate perforated so as to bring the wires together in 5
their right position just before they enter the nut. The action of this arrangement
is as follows:-The wire in passing through the nut is laid to the required strand,
and is caused to rotate at its exit from the nut when pulled by a sufficient force to
effect its passage; this arrangement lays the wires very evenly, and gives a good
rotation, it also avoids rotating the bobbins from which the wire is taken. The 5
strand, after passing through the nozzle and being covered with the necessary coat
of gutta percha, as is understood, will now be passed along the trough of cold

page_text: water to be solidified, and then it may be passed into a rotating frame, as described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated January 9th, 1874,
No. 124. This rotation at the lower end of the trough ensures an equal rotation
during the cooling of the gutta percha, and preserves the centralization of the
conductor.
According to another arrangement for covering, the wire on its exit from the
conducting tube, or in other words, on its entrance into the gutta percha, is
caused to pass into a revolving chamber, which may be either entirely or partly
lined with glass, the exit of which forms the nozzle (or regulator for quantity),
which is rotated with the gutta percha and the wire. If a glass tube is used, this
also must rotate with the nozzle, to which it may be attached.
According to another arrangement the scrow filling apparatus, arranged as
described above, is placed beneath the ordinary cylinders as now used for covering
telegraph wire, either of the preceding methods of stranding being employed, or the
wire may be stranded at one operation and the covering at another, as now
performed.
When is is found advantageous to do so, my screw covering apparatus may be
combined with other filling machines such as have been heretofore commonly
used.
Another part of my Invention relates to the material with which the strand is
filled or coated before being covered with gutta percha or other like substances.
For this purpose, instead of using compounds made with tar, as has hitherto been
the ordinary practice, I use pitch and ozokerit, either with or without other
ingredients.
The machinery for stranding wire, herein before described, may be made applicable
to rope making or other spinning, or for unstranding by reversal, as will be well
understood. It is obvious that in some respects the details of the various arrange-
ments above described may, when found advantageous, be varied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Thomas Truman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th February 1881.
EDWIN THOMAS TRUMAN, of Old Burlington Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATING TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, AND IN THE MODE OF
AND MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING TELEGRAPH CONDUCTORS, THE IMPROVED
MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
"
It has been customary when using stranded wire as a conductor for telegraphic
purposes to "strand or twist the strands of the wire before covering it with gutta
percha or other plastic material, and this has been done by machines variously
constructed, and usually by a machine specially constructed for that purpose. The
strand after having been made, with its wires either uncovered or covered, has then
been usually led into and through the nozzle of the machine used for covering it
with gutta percha or similar insulating material. The two operations have thereforǝ
been separated and have required two or more machines to effect them.
one object of my Invention is to make the stranding and covering of the wire one
Now
continuous operation, and this I effect in the following manner:-
Strands of wire intended for use for telegraphic purposes are required to consist
sometimes of bare wires twisted in contact, sometimes of wires separately covered
or having separating materials introduced so as to separate or insulate the wires
forming the strand from one another.
When a strand formed of bare conducting wiros is intended to be used I proceed
as follows:--I place the bobbins or reels containing the single copper wire on a
table or disc in the manner now commonly adopted in making wire rope.
bobbins may be caused to rotate with the disc to which they are fixed, or they may
These
rotate independently of the disc, always keeping the same relative position, as is
well understood in wire rope making. From these reels I lead the wires over or
under pulleys to straighten them, and thence through a plate perforated with holes
to receive the wires approximately arranged to form the strand, and approaching
each other but not in contact; this plate forms the entrance to a tube which passes
through a chamber containing the covering material, which covers each wire in its
passage through the tube and fills the interstices between them, the tube being
perforated to allow the material when hot freely to pass into the interior. The
exit of this tube I form of two plates or a plate and tube for the purpose of laying
the strand. The first plate, like the entrance plate to the perforated tube, is 3
perforated to allow the wires to pass through each in its own hole, the holes being,
as before, relatively in the position the wires are to occupy in the strand. But
the wires are now covered with a compound or material which fills all interstices, and
on their passage through the second plate, which has only one hole, or through the
tube, when such is used instead of the second plate, they will be rendered quite 4
solid. The wires are now passed (after being slightly twisted together by hand)
into a tube which leads to the back of the nozzle of the covering machine and
passes through the centre of a screw, such as is described in the Specification of
former Letters Patent granted to me dated March 25, 1870, No. 878, which screw
communicates at its terminal with a chamber for the reception of the gutta percha 4
or other like substance which is forced by the screw into the chamber. The wire
strand prepared as above described is here brought into contact with the gutta
percha or other substance, and is covered and passes out of the chamber or nozzlę
as is well understood.

page_text: The screw last named is caused to rotate by reason of motion given to the tube or
perforated rod of which it is part, and which passes through the posterior wall of
the jacket or chamber containing the screw and gutta percha or other insulating
material, in which chamber the screw receives at each rotation its uniform
quantity to be passed on by it into the chamber in which the wire and gutta percha
meet.
This tube or perforated rod is connected at its other end with the tube before
described through which the wires pass, and in which they are covered with
compound, and which tube is, in its turn, connected with the disc carrying the wire
bobbins.
Thus it will be seen that the motor which gives action to the screw also by
means of the connecting tubes and other connections gives motion to the disc and
reels, and this motion, when the wire strand becomes fixed to the pull wire,
commences to lay the separate wires, covered each with its compound, into a strand
evenly and solidly laid. The strand, by reason of the rotation of the lay-plate or
tube, finds no stationary point until it is received at the end of the water trough,
and consequently rotates during all its passage through the water trough for the
purpose of being cooled, as is well understood.
To facilitate this rotation, and to add slightly to the lay at the finishing point of
the course of the strand before it passes to the pulling rollers and receiving drum,
I cause it to pass through a rotating frame with friction pulleys sufficiently close
to each other to grip and help the rotation of the covered strand. This rotating
frame is described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me
dated 9th January 1874, No. 124.
In this arrangement therefore the strand is not completely laid until the wire
with its covering in a cold or sufficiently solidified state has passed the point of
pull. The rotation added by this rotating frame must be only just enough to
produce the required rotation at the exit of the nozzle to compel the wire and
gutta percha to rotate freely in the glass tube, as described in the Specification of
former Letters Patent granted to me dated 15th February 1872, No. 482.
Another arrangement which will also lay the wire to the required strand consists
in placing a nut or internally threaded tube of the required pitch with the requisite
number of threads to correspond with the number of wires to be stranded and of
sufficient length in the place of the ordinary lay-plate, and causing the wires to
be led through it after they have passed from the recle over pulleys to straighten
them and guide them through a small plate perforated so as to bring the wires
together in their right position just before they enter the nut. The action of this
arrangement is as follows:-The wire in. passing through the nut is laid to the
required strand, and is caused to rotate at its exit from the nut when pulled by a
sufficient force to effect its passage; this arrangement lays the wires very evenly
and gives a good rotation; it also avoids rotating the bobbins from which the wire
is taken. The strand, after passing through the nozzle and being covered with the
necessary coat of gutta percha, as is understood, will now be passed along the
trough of cold water to be solidified, and then it may be passed into a rotating
frame, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated
January 9th, 1874, No. 124. This rotation at the lower end of the trough ensures
an equal rotation during the cooling of the gutta percha and preserves the
centralization of the conductor.
According to another arrangement for covering, the wire on its exit from the
conducting tube, or in other words on its entrance into the gutta porcha, is caused
to pass into a revolving chamber, which may be either entirely or partly lined with
glass, the exit of which forms the nozzle (or regulator for quantity), which is
rotated with the gutta percha and the wire. If a glass tube is used this also must
rotate with the nozzle to which it may be attached. The rotation of the nozzle is
a new and important feature in my improved arrangement as employed by me.

page_text: According to another arrangement the screw filling apparatus, arranged as
described above, is placed beneath the ordinary cylinders as now used for covering
telegraph wire, either of the preceding methods of stranding being employed; or
he wire may be stranded at one operation and the covering be applied at another
as now performed. When it is found advantageous to do so my screw covering
apparatus with the rotating nozzle may be combined with other filling machines
such as have been heretofore commonly used.
When the finished strand of wire is intended to be composed of several strands
so formed as to make a compound core, each strand is first formed, and then the
compound strand or core is produced in a manner analogous to that above
described, which will result in a core of an absolutely solid nature. When required
the strand may be formed of wires, each wire being absolutely insulated from the
other wires in the strand or strands, in the manner hereinafter described. In the
processes of wire covering hitherto employed, although the wires have been passed
through compound before stranding, the operation has not been found to produce a
solid core, first, because the compound was not put on under pressure, and secondly,
it has been allowed to get cold before the gutta percha covering has been added
but my Invention oven if a strand is made before passing through the machinery
hereinbefore described, the heat of the compound and the pressure of the dies again
soften the covering compound which is already on the wire, and it is forced by such
pressure into all the interstices and the pores of the compound strand.
;
When I apply a compound to the wires as before described, before covering them
with an outer covering of gutta percha, or other like substances, and it is desired to
produco a strand composed of wires severally insulated, I have in practice found it
advantageous in order to insure perfect insulation of the wires, to use with the
compound a material of a porous nature, such as tape, cotton, or thread, or in some
cases india rubber or gutta percha in the form of cord or tape may be used as
separating media, or other materials, such as paper, may be employed. I cause the
tape or material to pass off a reel placed with the wire reels or otherwiso to
facilitate the action, and onto or around all or any of the wires in their passage
towards the point at which the strand is perfected, in which case the lay-plate and
guide plates will of course be modified to enable or compel the solid insulating
material to surround the wires, or fill the interstices between the wires, and
receive the melted or softened compound. The solid insulating material becomes
thoroughly saturated with the compound, and being twisted with and around the 3
wires forms therewith a solid strand. A good arrangement when tape is used with
the wires to assist in forming the core and ensure perfect insulation is to pass the
tape through the centre opening in the plates, which opening in this case will be a
slit either straight or in the formn of the letter S, or it may be of any other shape
which will ensure the tape taking the right direction during the twisting, and 4
prevent the twist passing backwards; or it may have two spring lips to press the
tape and keep it in shape.
The guide holes for the wire will be placed above and below in line with the
centre of the tape, so that the tape and the two wires (or more if requisite) will
come out and pass into the compound in the same relative position, and through 4:
the lay-plate also in the same position, only closer to each other and covered with
compound. The rotation will then lay the tape around the wires when rotation is
given to the strand, and each wire will be lapped in its half of the tape and
divided from its accompanying wire by the centre of the tape. In other words the
wires passing through this lay-plate, one on either side of a tape, the width of the 50
diameter of both wires coming close to the tape at its centre on rotation, one half
of the tape is turned over one wire, whilst the other half is turned over the other
on the other side, and the centre remaining between the wires prevents them
touching, and enables the compound or insulating material to penetrate to each
wire and insulate it from its neighbour, whilst the gutta percha completes the 55
insulation of both from outer influences.

page_text: I am thus enabled to make strands of various forms and combine them and cover
them for telegraphic or telephonic purposes or for the two purposes combined.
I am aware that attempts have been made with more or less success to place
several wires insulated from each other in one core, but this has always been
effected by building up the wires in layers. The entire core has not been solidified
at one operation, because constant rotation of all the parts of the strand has not
hitherto been kept up during the combining and solidifying of the core, and
therefore the relative positions of the separate wires have only been obtained by
working and keeping some parts of the structure cold or not rotating.
Another part of my Invention relates to a material or compound with which
the strand may be very advantageously filled or coated before being covered with
gutta percha or other like substances. For this purpose instead of using compounds
made with tar, as has hitherto been the ordinary practice, I use a compound
formed by mixing ozokerit and pitch, which mixture though it may be used alone
is much improved by adding Venice turpentine, which gives the compound
material the required viscidity and prevents it from becoming brittle at low
temperatures; rosin, gutta percha, or other like insulating material may also be
used with ozokerit in proper proportions, Venice turpentine also being added, and
proper proportions must be employed so as to insure in all cases that the resulting
compound will remain in a viscid condition and not be brittle at a low temperature.
The proportions which I have found to answer best, but which will be varied
according to the time of year and other circumstances, are,-
Ozokerit
-
Pitch, rosin, or gutta percha
Venice turpentine
-
-
10 parts.
5 parts.
5 to 10 parts.
The Venice turpentine must not be allowed to throw off the spirit. It evaporates
by heat and should therefore be added last, as will be well understood.
The machinery for stranding wire, hereinbefore described, may be made applicable
to rope making or other spinning, or for unstranding by reversal, as will be
well understood. It is obvious that in some respects the details of the various
arrangements above described may when found advantageous be varied.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The manufacture of telegraph conductors or covered wires by the use of
apparatus consisting of parts coinbined and employed in such manner that the
stranding of two or more wires and the covering of the same with an insulating
material arc effected and a solid core produced at one continuous operation,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The respective combinations of parts, constructed substantially as herein-
before described, and forming improved machinery for stranding and covering
wires, and applicable also to rope inaking or other spinning and to unstranding.
Third. The use of a lay-plate, such as is above mentioned, in machinery for
stranding wires, rope making, or for analogous purposes so that it rotatos, the
strand finding no stationary point until it has passed the lay plate, and used
substantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The manufacture of telegraph conductors where the strand or core is
formed of separately insulated wires by inserting between the wires tapes, cords,
or threads, and twisting them together immediately after the said wires and tapes
have passed through a suitable compound, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
Fifth. The use of the combination of parts formed, as hereinbefore explained, of
the screw covering apparatus, hereinbefore described, with the ordinary cylinders
as now used for covering telegraph wire, or with other filling machines such as
have been heretofore commonly used.
Sixth. The employment for filling or coating wire strands before being covered
with gutta perchu or other like substances of a compound formed of ozokerit,

page_text: combined with other materials mixed together in such proportions that the
compound will remain in a comparatively viscid condition and not become brittle
at a low temperature, substantially as bereinbefore described.
Seventh. The use in the manufacture of telegraph conductors of a compound
consisting of ozokerit and other matters, as herein mentioned, in combination with
tapes or threads used so as to form a solid stranded core consisting of two or more
separately insulated wires, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Thomas Truman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
EDWIN THOS. TRUMAN. (L.S.)