Year: 1895

page_text: We, FRANKLIN STREATER RANDALL, Electrician, and JOHN SHALLCROSS,.
Lawyer, both of No. 1514 Orthodox Street, Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, 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 an improvement in the covering and insulating of
electrical wires with parallel fibres; and the invention consists in applying the
straightened fibres evenly around the wire parallel or longitudinally on the
electrical conductor.
It is known to those skilled in the treatment of raw cotton or other fibrous
growths in order to produce thread for weaving purposes, the fibres after being.
separated by the use of certain machines, are then run through carding engines and
drawing frames which approximately causes the fibres to lie parallel in the strip
known as the "sliver," the regular thickness and bulk of this strip of fibres for my
purpose being regulated to suit the thickness of the covering preferably by the
second drawing frame; however I may still draw it much more for special
purposes.
The principal plan heretofore adopted has been to wind the "sliver" composed
of fibres spirally around the wire or electrical conductor, such a plan of applying it
however is practically impossible, for the reason in so doing the mass comprising
the sliver strip is compelled to support itself which it does not possess sufficient
tensible strength to do, and more especially will not be able to do when a very thin
covering of fibres is required.
Further than this many of the practical advantages are defeated, among them
may be mentioned a loss of flexibility to the covered wire, and again the seams
or lines of juncture of the spiral laps, which, upon bending the wire fracture the
covering and expose the metal core.
In the placing of the fibres axially on the wire core these disadvantages are
entirely overcome and the naked wire may be covered in the manner described to
any desired thickness at a single operation.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a piece of
wire covered in the manner described.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view thereof.
Referring to the said drawing b, represents the wire or the electrical conducting
core, and a, represents the covering of parallel fibres.
Fibrous growths of any kind may be used in this manner, either as an.
insulation in themselves, or to retain and hold any insulating compound.
Inexpensive and rapidly operating machinery is used at present in the production
of the "sliver" strip and a thoroughly even product is secured in which the fibres
or staple are approximately parallel, and in this condition I have devised simple
machinery by which it can then be further drawn and regularly fed to the wire as
set forth in the Specification of my Patent No. 11376 of 1895.
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:
The combination with an electric conductor of an insulating covering therefor,.

page_text: consisting of straightened fibres evenly applied parallel with the conductor, the
said straightened fibres consisting of sliver which has been drawn longitudinally
until the fibres have been rendered parallel.
Dated this 10th day of June 1895.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.