Improvements in Devices for Joining or Connecting Electrical Cables or Conductors.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1396
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Joining or Connecting Electrical
Cables or Conductors.
I HENRY EDMUNDS of 39 Victoria Street in the City of Westminster
Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide efficient means for connecting the
component wires, or strips, of electrical cables, or conductors.
According to my invention the bared ends of the wires, or strips, of the cables,
or conductors, to be joined, are received between conical, or inclined, surfaces
which can be forced the one over the other, so as to grip the ends of the wires, or
strips, between them.
A convenient arrangement for connecting the outer series of conductors of a
concentric cable consists in placing over the end of each cable to be connected,
a hollow pièce conically formed on its exterior the smaller part being towards the
end of the cable, which is passed through the interior of the conical piece, the
hared ends of the wires, or strips, being turned back over the conical exterior.
A correspondingly internally coned piece is then placed over the externally coned
piece with the ends of the wires, or strips, turned thereover and the said internally
coned piece is forced thereon so that the said ends of the wires, or strips, are
gripped firmly between the two coned surfaces. The coned pieces may be provided
with lugs through which screw bolts are passed to force the one coned piece over
the other. A similar arrangement is applied to the end of the other cable to be
joined and a bridge-piece connects the two devices to conduct the current past the
joint from one cable to the other.
For the central conductors of a cable a convenient device consists of a double
coned piece the bared ends of the wires, or strips of the inner conductor of one
cable being passed over the coned surface at one side, or end, of the doubly-coned
piece, and the bared ends of the wires, or strips, of the inner conductor of the
other cable being passed over the coned surface at the other end, or side of the
doubly coned piece. This form of the device can also be used for the outer
conductors of a cable if desired. Where the device cannot be placed on from the
ends of the cable owing for instance to the inner, or outer, member of the cable not
being severed the parts of the device may be formed in halves, or parts, binged, or
otherwise connected, together, so that they can be put on from the sides. Where
the conductors are in the form of strips, or small wires, the coned surfaces may be plain
but where the conductors are in the form of round wires of considerable diameter
it is preferred to make grooves in the coned surfaces for their reception; or soft
metal may be interposed to make a good contact. Although I have referred to
the surfaces as being coned they may of course be of other figure presenting
inclined surfaces between which the wires, or strips, can be gripped as described.
Dated this 8th day of January 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Loudon, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Joining or Connecting Electrical
Cables or Conductors.
I HENRY EDMUNDS of 39 Victoria Street in the City of Westminster,
Electrical Engineer 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 :-
My invention has for its object to provide efficient means for connecting the
component wires, or strips, of electrical calles or conductors.
According to my invention the bared ends of the wires, or strips of the cables, or
conductors, to be joined, are received between conical, or inclined surfaces which
can be forced one over another, so as to grip the ends of the wires, or strips
between them.
I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings a convenient
arrangement according to my invention for connecting the conductors of a triple
concentric cable from which its application to cables of any desired number of
conductors or to a single cable, will be clearly understood.
Figure 1 represents partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section a
connecting device constructed according to my invention and Figure 2 is a plan of
the same.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, illustrate modifications of the cable gripping device.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A A' represent two parts of a triple cable to be
connected, and over the ends of the outermost concentric conductors of which
cable, hollow conically formed pieces B are placed, the smaller part b of each
conical piece being towards the end of the cable which is passed through the
interior of the said conical piece, the bared ends a of the wires or strips, being
turned back over the conical exterior of the piece B. If desired the smaller end of
the said hollow piece may be presented away from the end of the cable instead of
towards it. A correspondingly internally coned piece C, is then placed over the
externally coned picce B, and over the ends a of the wires, or strips, turned
thereover, and the said internally coned piece C, is forced thereon so that the said
ends a of the wires or strips, are gripped firmly between the two coned surfaces
of B and C. The coned pieces B and C, by which the outerinost concentric
conductors are connected together are provided with lugs c through which screw
bolts D, are passed to force the coned pieces C, over the other coned pieces B,
whilst in the case of the central conductor or in the case of a single cable, the
outer cone pieces C only are thus connected. The cone pieces B on the two ends
of the corresponding conductors to be joined are connected together by a bridge
piece E to conduct the current past the joint of the inner conductor or the
innermost and intermediate conductor or conductors.
For connecting two portions of the central conductors of a cable a convenient
device consists of a double coned piece 12 the bared ends a² of the wires or strips
of the two portions of the said innermost conductor to be joined being passed over
or onto the coned surfaces or ends of the doubly coned piece B, and over the
bared ends a² of the wires or strips, the internally coned pieces C, are placed, and
connected together by bolts D.
This form of the device can also be used for the outer or concentric conductors
of a cable if desired, in which case the double coned piece B' is made hollow as
shewn in Figure 3 and divided longitudinally to permit of its being placed in
position on the inner or innermost conductor which is continuous. The outer
interually coned pieces C being also made in parts as hereinafter described with
reference to Figures 4 and 5, to permit of them being placed in position on the

page_text: double coned piece B. Where the device for connecting the outer or concentric
conductors cannot be placed on from the ends of the cable owing for instance to
the inner or innermost, member of the cable not being severed, the parts of the
device may be formed in halves, or parts as shewn in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 these
parts being hinged, or otherwise connected together, so that they can be put on
from the sides and connected together by bolts or the like. The bolts which pass
through the holes e in the case of the inner cone pieces B' serve also to connect the
bridge piece E to the said cones. Where the conductors are in the form of strips,
or small wires, the coned surfaces may be plain but where the conductors are in
the form of round wires of considerable diameter it is preferred to make grooves
in the coned surfaces for their reception; or soft metal may be interposed to make
a good contact. Although I have referred to the surfaces as being coned they
may of course be of other figure presenting inclined surfaces (for instance
pyramidical) between which the wires or strips can be gripped as described.
The cable connecting devices are preferably enclosed in a casing F as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 made in parts to facilitate fixing and provided at its ends with
chambers F to contain a suitable plastic compound to prevent access of water
through the ends of the casing the central portion of the said casing being filled
with oil or other suitable insulating liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A device for joining or connecting electrical cables or conductors consisting
of parts for surrounding the cables or conductors and having conical or inclined
surfaces which can be forced one over the other so as to grip the bared wires or
strips of the cable between them substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A device for joining or connecting electrical cables or conductors consisting
of parts for surrounding the cables or conductors and having conical or inclined
surfaces which can be forced one over another the said surfaces or one of the
surfaces between which the bared ends of the wires or strips are gripped being
formed with grooves or recesses or covered with soft metal to receive and give
efficient contact with the wires or strips substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A device such as is claimed in the first preceding claiming clause divided
longitudinally to facilitate the two parts being placed in position on the cable or
conductor, the divided parts being connected together by bolts or the like sub-
stantially as herein before described.
4. A device for joining or connecting electrical cables consisting of an externally
double coned or double inclined part and correspondingly internally coned parts
passed thereover substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. A device for joining or connecting the conductors of concentric electrical
cables comprising for the innermost conductor a double coned or double inclined
part and correspondingly coned or inclined parts passed thereover and for the
outer conductor or each of the outer conductors a pair of coned or inclined parts
as claimed in the preceding claiming clauses connected in each case by a
bridge piece
or connector extending across the joint of the inner conductor or the
joints of the inner and mid conductor or conductors substantially as herein before
described.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.