MENTS IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF LAYING TELEGRAPH OR TELEPHONE LINES
Year: 1885

page_text: гогорцоно нис
(WILLIAM HENRY) Earl POULETT of Hinton St George, Krewkerne in the
County of Somerset, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE METHOD OR METHODS OF LAYING TELEGRAPH OR TELEPHONE LINES
to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to lessen the cost of carrying underground
telegraph and telephone lines; to reduce the loss of current through leakage
in the line; to protect the wires from damage more effectually than at present;
to give facility to replace one faulty wire without disturbing in any way other
wires placed in the same conduit; to reduce induction between various lines of the
same set; to make the receptacle of wires an efficient insulator in itself and to
diminish the leakage of current to earth and to adjoining wires thus enabling the
use of lighter insulation of wires and generally effecting a great saving in the first
outlay for underground lines.
For that purpose I use perforated glazed earthenware pipes, each perforation
carrying a single wire or a set of wires (cable) if desired. The ends of each pipe
have small flanges in order to hold the two adjoining pipes together and a central
by means of a joint which will be described hereafter. The two flanges are placed
at a certain small distance from the end of the pipe proper so that when the two
pipes butt, the flanges form a groove to admit a ring of india rubber or of any
other suitable flexible material to prevent the cement from running into the
perforations of the tubes. The ends of the tubes are also provided with notches
on one end and projecting pins on the other so as to ensure a perfect correctness of
the perforations when laying the conduit.
The socket joining the pipes is formed by two pieces of glazed earthenware
material fitting tight on the pipe and embracing the two flanges which form the
joint, but leaving an annular channel round the flanges to receive the cement which
grips the flanges all round from three sides. The top part of the socket has an
opening into which the cement is poured for making the joint. The perforations
are numbered from left to right on each outer rim of the flange, so that any wire
can be found in a moment without requiring to have any Label or Mark upon it to
identify it, thus avoiding all searching or twisting about other wires at the different
test boxes.

page_text: Glazed Earthenware Conduits for Subterranean Telegraph and
Telephone Lines.
I (WILLIAM HENRY) Earl POULETT of Hinton St George. Crewkerne in the
County of Somerset, 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:―
The object of my invention is to lessen the cost of carrying underground
telegraph and telephone lines; to reduce the loss of current through leakage in
the line; to protect the wires from damage more effectually than at present; to
give facility to replace one faulty wire without disturbing in any way other wires
placed in the same conduit; to reduce the induction between various lines of the
same set; to make the receptacle of wires an efficient insulator in itself and so
diminish the leakage of current to earth and to adjoining wires thus enabling the
use of lighter insulation of wires and generally effecting a great saving in the first
outlay for underground lines.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 1ª are. cross sections through the joint and pipe (hexagonal)
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the same, Figure 2 is a cross section
through the joint of a round. pipe, Figure 2 showing the pipe in full and the joint
in section, Figure 3 shows two views of the pipe with the cement interior, Figure 4
is a view of a pipe and portions of two others showing two joints, Figures 5 and 6
and 8 to 10 are details of the test boxes, and Figures 7 and 11 are general views
of the lines and pipes as laid between the rails.
I use glazed perforated earthenware pipes of any suitable section, round, hex-
agonal, octagonal etc; two forms of which are shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Each perforation D carries a single wire or a set of wires (cable) if desired.
The ends of the pipes have preferably round flanges by which they are held
together by means of the joint to be described hereafter.
The flanges are placed at suitable distances from the ends of the pipe so that
when the two pipes butt against each other the flanges form a groove E wherein is
placed a ring of india rubber or other suitable flexible material F to prevent the
cement which is used in joining the pipes from running into the perforations
which carry the wires.
In order to ensure the correct centering of one pipe with another, when round
pipes are used each fange carries two fugs C, C, Figures 2 and 3 which fit into
notches in the top and bottom of chair Band saddle A-as shown in Figures 2ª & 3.
The chair and saddle are made by two symmetrical pieces of earthenware fitting
on the pipe and embracing the two flanges, leaving a space or channel G round
the flanges to receive the cement.

page_text: The hollow parts of the chair and saddle are moulded with a slight taper
and when filled with cement a dovetail joint is formed which wedges the two
together and prevents their drawing apart as is clearly shown in section Figures 1
and 2 at b.
The perforations may be numbered in order to facilitate the finding of any wire
for testing, thus dispensing with the use of labels in the test boxes.
In some cases I, in the first instance, use unglazed earthenware pipes and joints
and subsequently glaze them by dipping into a suitable waterproofing and insulating
composition.
I also use a composite pipe the outer skin of which is ordinary earthenware with
the above described flange and joint but the perforations are formed by casting
Portland Cement and sea-sand or similar material in suitable moulds. This form
is shown in Figure 3.
The earthenware pipes are necessarily made in short lengths of two feet or there-
abouts but in order to facilitate the laying a convenient number of them can be
jointed up at the works as shown in Figure 4, the longer lengths thus produced
being subsequently jointed together in situ.
The large hole D in the centre is used for hoisting or lowering the pipes into
position and when they are laid this hole can be occupied by an ordinary telegraph
cable.
The test boxes H shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, are made of earthenware,
in the latter case subjected to the same process of waterproofing as the pipes before
described. I also use cast-iron test boxes where the nature of the ground, traffic
or other circumstances render it necessary.
The test-boxes are made in various shapes some of which are shewn in Figures
5-10 to suit any deviation from the main line or for crossings and junctions. at
right or other angles. The joint between the conduit and test box is made in two
different ways; First by using a contracted form of saddle and chair as shewn in
Figure which are placed on an outer ledge of the test box and filling the joint
with cement as before; Second by having an outer pocket L formed on the test
box in which case the saddle and chair are dispensed with. Figures 8 to 10 shew
the second arrangement.
The pipe is placed in its position by being passed down the slot and the pocket
filled up with cement as in the case of saddle and chair, the solidity of the joint
being the same as with the saddle and chair.
The top edge of the test box is provided with a groove J all round which is filled
with grease while the lid of the box, usually of cast iron, carries a fillet or pro-
jecting rim, K and when the lid is laid the fillet presses into the grease thus
effectually excluding water or damp.
For railway telegraph service I prefer to lay the conduits where possible in the
six foot way between the two roads with branches to signal boxes etc; as shewn
in Figure 7. When passing under the rails to or from the signal box or station
I make provision for the concussion caused by traffic by using two or three addi-
tional sleepers transversely as shewn at W Figures 7 and 11 or a cast iron casing
can be used to protect the pipes.
The cement is poured in through the hole M in the saddle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. As a means of securing the concentric disposition of the pipes when making
a joint the lugs C which fit into recesses in the saddle and chair substantially as
specified.
2. The dovetail recesses in the saddle and chair substantially as and for the
purpose specified.

page_text: 3. The combination with a test box of one or more chairs B or pockets L,
substantially as specified and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 and 8 to 10 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. The composite pipe or conduit having an earthenware exterior and a cement
or equivalent interior substantially as specified and shewn in Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawings.