Improvements in and relating to Draw and Junction Boxes for Electric Mains.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Draw and Junction Boxes for
Electric Mains.
I, WILLIAM SYKES, of 18, New Bridge Street, Blackfriars, in the County of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to draw and junction boxes for cables & conduits in
connection with electric mains, made in stoneware or iron, where a cable is laid in
the ground direct without a conduit and where a connection from this cable is
required a junction box is necessary to afford access from the surface of the ground for
the purpose of making the connection to the cable it is obvious that when the cable
is laid a box cannot be inserted unless made in two parts.
I therefore make my draw box either circular square or oblong but preferably
circular, in two parts.
I accordingly make the lower portion circular fitted with a watertight bottom and
on the top a socket to receive the upper portion, with vertical or sloping sides. On
either side of the socket I make a slot to receive the cable these slots are made to
follow the line of the cable, fitting in and substantially attached to the said socket is
the upper portion of the box which consists of a short length of pipe with a socket
terminating in the footway I hermetically close this opening with a screw cover fitted
with bituminous screw linings attached to the socket and to the cover respectively in
accordance with my Patent No. 7498 of 12 April 1893 by which means it is easily
accessible and at the same time made watertight the stoneware cover is protected by
securely attaching thereto by Portland cement or other suitable material a chequered
iron cover fitted with two key holes for inserting a key to unscrew the same.
The spigot end of the upper portion of the box which fits in the socket of the
lower portion has also two slots cut out of same directly opposite each other to
correspond with those in the socket on the lower portion of the box which embraces
the cable and when the intervening space between the spigot and the socket is run in
with composition or other suitable material the upper and lower portions of the box
are substantially attached and secured and the whole made watertight.
Where the boxes are made to be used as draw boxes in connection with conduits
where the cable is afterwards drawn through I preferably make these square or oblong
with a socket to receive the upper portion in the same manner as previously described,
attached to this lower portion is a spigot at one end and socket at the other by which
the conduit is secured and attached to this lower portion of the box the upper portion
is similar to the one previously described and may have either vertical or sloping
sides, it is attached to the lower portion in the same manner as previously described
in this case the slots in the spigot & socket are not required as the cable passes
through the conduit.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Draw and Junction Boxes for
Electric Mains.
I, WILLIAM SYKES, of 18, New Bridge Street, Blackfriars, in the County of London,
Civil 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:-
This invention relates to draw and junction boxes for cables and conduits in con-
nection with electric mains which may be made in stoneware or other suitable
material, where a cable is laid in the ground direct (known as armoured cable) it
becomes necessary to insert a junction box for the purpose of holding the fittings to
make the connection to the main it is obvious this cannot be done so as to embrace
the cable unless the box is made in two parts.
It is also essential that ready access should be obtained to the various fittings
which may require repair and renewals.
I therefore preferably make my boxes so as to afford ready access from the surface
of the road or footway.
In order that the nature of this invention may be clearly understood I will proceed
to explain the same by the aid of the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show respectively cross and longitudinal sections also plan of my
box as used for armoured cable in which 1 is the lower portion, circular in plan having
a tray 2 with slots 3 at each end to admit the cable, the space 4 all round the bottom
portion of the box forms a receptacle for water as it is most essential that no water
should come in contact with the cable. A socket 5 is formed on the lower portion of
the box 1 in which is formed slots 3¹ Fig. 2 corresponding with those in the tray so
as to receive the cable, this socket is necessary to enable the top portion of the box
to be attached by pouring in bituminous compound into the cavity 6 which sub-
stantially attaches the top of the box 7 to the lower portion 1 the top portion of the
box 7 is also made with slots 32 Fig. 2 to correspond with 31 Fig. 2 and it will there-
fore be seen that when the cable is laid through the bottom of the box 1 the top of
the box 7 can be fixed so that the slots embrace the cable and the whole is sub-
stantially attached by pouring in the bituminous compound. 6 the top of my box
is formed with a socket in which is cast bituminous serew threaded linings 9 the box
is hermetically closed by the stoneware cover 10 on which is cast bituminous screw
threaded linings 11 so that when the cover 10 is screwel home in the socket 8 a water-
tight joint is formed with a luting of grease or if necessary a suitable washer 12 may
be inserted, these bituminous screw linings 9 and 11 are attached and formed in
accordance with my patent of the 12th of April 1893 No. 7498 to protect the stone-
ware cover 10 I attach thereto with compound an iron plate 13 in which are formned
holes 14 to receive a key to enable the top to be more readily unscrewed.
I fix an iron ring 15 to protect the cover 10 during the operation of screwing the
same in and out of the socket 8.
As it is of great importance that no water should fall into the tray 2 I form the
stoneware cover 10 with a sloping arch 16 which may be ribbed or serrated so as to
conduct any condensation water to the sides and the channels 4.
I form on the top of the box 7 a junction arm 17 formed with a hole 18 to allow the
cable to pass through, the cavity 19 is filled with compound by pouring through the
hole 20. I also form one or more holes 21 to allow the wires to pass through to make
the connection with the main in the tray 2.
The tray 2 is oval in plan and after the necessary attachments to the cable have
been made is filled with compound, to prevent any damp or moisture affecting the
fittings and as a further protection a lid 21 may advantageously be used Fig. 4 shows

page_text: a modification of this tray with the sides 22 extending to the socket 5 this
arrangement allows the whole of the cable entering the box to be encased in
compound.
Fig. 5 is an application of the same box to be used in connection with a single
conduit the upper portion of the box is subtantially the saine as in Fig. 1
the lower portion 221 is formed with a socket 23 to receive the upper portion of
the box in this case the lower portion 221 may be fixed when the conduit is laid
and a temporary cover fixed in the socket 23 until such time as a connection is
required when the temporary cover can be removed and the top portion of the
box fixed.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 5.
socket of the conduit.
24 and 25 are respectively spigot and
Fig. 7 shows another application of the box in this case the top portion of the box
only is used it is a case where a two way conduit 27 has been broken to tap the main
the lower portion being made good and moulded with concrete and the top of iny box
may advantageously be used for affording ready access to the mains, and as a means
of disconnecting the house or lamp service from the mains.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 shows a modification of my box to be used as a house service box in this
case the bottom is formed without the tray 2. As in Fig. 1 it is fitted with slots
similar to Fig. 1 for the purpose of receiving the cable one or more extra slots 28 are
formed to allow the house service cables to enter the box in a similar manner to the
main cable when the necessary fittings have been made in the bottom 11 the box
is filled with compound and hermetically closed by a screw threaded cover as
previously described, as this box will be buried in the ground there will be no need
for any iron protection plates and rings 13 and 15 as shown in Fig. 1.
Where the boxes are made to be draw boxes for drawing the cable through
the conduits I preferably make these square or oblong as shown by Fig. 10 the
lower portion 29 is made with one or more spigots 30 and likewise with one or
more sockets 31 it is formed with a socket 32 to receive the upper portion of the
box 33 which is preferably made with sloping sides and substantially attached in the
socket 32 with compound, access is obtained to the box and it is hermetically
closed and made watertight by a screw threaded lid as previously described in
Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A lamp connection box formed in two parts with slots formed to receive the
electric cable, fitted with tray to hold compound, with lid, and hermetically closed by
a screw threaded cover substantially as described and shown.
2. A lamp connection box formed in two parts where the lower part is fitted with
spigots and sockets to receive conduits and hermetically closed by a screw threaded
cover substantially as described and shown.
3. A lamp connection box where the lower part is formed with concrete.
Dated this Oth date of Than 1000