AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING OR INSULATING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS, FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES EITHER ON LAND OR UNDER WATER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING OR INSULATING ELECTRIC
CONDUCTORS, FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES EITHER ON LAND OR UNDER WATER."
-A communication from abroad by Messieurs Claes, Vanden Nest&Co.,
of Menin, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
Sealed the 19th April 1861, and dated the 1st November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents,66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING OR INSULATING
ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS, FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES EITHER ON LAND OR UNDER
WATER," to be as follows:-
This Invention of "An Improved Mode of Preparing or Insulating Electric
Conductors for Telegraphic Purposes either on Laud or under Water," has
for its object the more perfect insulation of the electric wire than is effected
by the processes now employed for that purpose. The improved mode of pre-
paring and insulating the electric conductors will also obviate some other
inconveniences, to which such conductors are now liable, such for instance, as
[Price 8d.]

page_text: confining air bubbles in the cable, to which cause the loss of several cables
may doubless be attributed.
In carrying out the Invention the electric wire is covered with a combined
fabric consisting of silk, linen, cotton or other filamentous substance attached
together by caoutchouc or other analogous gums which are to be submitted
to vulcanization either wet or dry. The fabric is covered on both sides with
a solution of caoutchouc prepared for vulcanization,and this is again covered
with a layer of caoutchoucmixed with the substancesordinarily used in vulcan-
izing. The telegraphic wires are to be previously tinued to protect them from
the sulphur, and any suitable number may be twisted together in the form of
a cable. In order to prevent the formation of air bubbles the wires after
being twisted are passed through a bath composed of a solution of caoutchouc
in naphtha mixed with calcined magnesia, oxide of zinc, white lead, silicate
of magnesia or French chalk, sulphur,and such other materials as are usually
employed in vulcanizing. If desired this bath may be contained in an air
tight case or chamber from which the air has been exhausted.
On being removed from the bath, the telegraphic conductors are passed over
a table heated by steam or gas so as to drive off the naphtha or other solvent of
the gum. The wires may be passed a second time through this bath and they
are then enclosed with a band of some textile material prepared and covered
with some of the same solution. The cable is to be passed through the bath
a second time and again covered with another band wound helically or other-
wise round and secured by another coating of composition. If desired the
covering composition may have added to it the dust or waste of silk, cotton or
other filamentous substances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office of Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that 1, the said William

page_text: Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton,my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREPARING OR INSULATING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS, FOR
TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES EITHER ON LAND OR UNDER WATER," being a communi-
cation from abroad by Messrs. Claes Vanden Nest & Co., of Menin, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, by au instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to effect the complete insulation of the wires
contained in cables to be employed for telegraphic purposes,either on land or
under water. Sufficient notice has not hitherto been taken of the accidents
resulting from the air which is confined between the conducting wire and the
insulating material or covering during the manufacture of the cables. It is
partly to this cause that the loss of several submarine cables is to be attributed;
moreover, the materials used in those cables could not long protect the wire.
Experience shews that, owing to its specific gravity, the wire cannot remain
in the centre of the gutta percha as now used, and that sometimes it even
breaks through its covering; for this reason also the wire would not remain
in the centre of non-vulcanized india-rubber. To obtain perfect insulation,
and to make a durable covering, the Inventors of the present improvements
proceed in the following manner :-The telegraphic wire is to be covered with
a combination of silken, linen, or cotton fabrics, or fabrics made of any other
material, or these different fabrics and india-rubber or other analogous gums
submitted to vulcanization by the dry or wet process.
In carrying out this Invention, the fabric is coated on both sides with a
layer of caoutchouc solution prepared for vulcanization, and then on one side
only, over this first coating of solution, with a coating of caoutchouc mixed
with the materials ordinarily used by and well known to manufacturers of

page_text: vulcanized india-rubber. In order to preserve the telegraphic wire from the
action of sulphur during and after the vulcanization it may be coated with
tin before or after the twisting of the wires, three, seven, or any required
number of which are twisted together. In order to avoid any vacuum or
entrance of air between the wires thus twisted together, they are passed
through a bath of solution composed of caoutchouc mixed (according to the
degree of resistance which it is required to obtain) with calcined magnesia,
oxide of zinc, white lead, French chalk, or any other materials employed in
the compounds used for the mauufacture of vulcanized caoutchouc, and with
naphtha or other solvents, and the necessary quantity of sulphur to effect the
vulcanization. If necessary, this bath may be contained in a vessel from
which the air has been exhausted. It is unnecessary to give the proportions,
as they are well known to manufacturers of caoutchouc, and may vary
according to the degree of softness or elasticity of the product which is
desired to be obtained.
After being submitted to the bath of solution, the conducting wire or
wires pass over a table heated by steam, or over an iron plate heated by gas,
or any other apparatus capable of giving out enough heat to evaporate
quickly the naphtha or the volatile spirit of the solution. The wires are then
passed through a second bath similar to the first to thicken the coating of
solution, and smooth or round the surface. The evaporation of the naphtha or
spirit of this second coating takes place in the same manner as the first (one
coat is enough when, instead of several wires twisted together, one single
wire only is coated). This second coating is then covered with a strip or
band of cloth previously coated on both sides with the same solution. This
strip or band is wound round it helically, care being taken that half the width
of the cloth always covers the half already wound on, thus one strip acts as
effectually as two; or, instead of winding this strip on helically, it may be
applied in the direction of its length. The cable thus partially formed is then
passed through a third solution bath similar to the preceding ones, and the
naphtha or essence being evaporated in a similar manner. It is then covered
with a second strip of fabric, having on one side a coating of caoutchouc,
(composed in a similar manner to that employed for the solution, with the
exception of the naphtha or essence,)and on the other side a coating of solution,
as herein-before described. It is to be remarked, that the side on which the
gum is laid should be in contact with the last layer of solution on the cable.
This band is also wound on helically or leng: hways, in the same manner as
the first. The cable is then passed through a fourth bath of solution, and
receives, after evaporation, another strip of cloth and caoutchouc, and soon,

page_text: till the thickness or the number of layers required are obtained. Instead of
coating the fabric with the caoutchouc compound, this compound may be cut
into strips of the desired thickness, and wound separately over the cemented
strip of fabric (that is to say) a strip of cloth coated only with solution is first
wound on, then over this strip of cloth a strip of caoutchouc, or the two at the
same time, the one over the other. The last layer receives a strip of coarse
cloth to protect the cable during the vulcanization, which is effected in a
boiler or stove into which steam is conducted, or in a chamber or stove heated
by hot air in the way known to caoutchouc manufacturers.
When it is desired to cover the conducting wire with an envelope having
less or no elasticity, a certain quantity of silk, linen, cotton, or other textile
rags, reduced to a comminuted state, are mixed with the gum. By proceeding
in this manner perfect insulation is obtained. By tinning the conducting wire
it is preserved from the more or less injurious effect of the sulphur mixed
with the caoutchouc to effect its vulcanization. By passing the wires through
a bath of caoutchouc solution, all the space between the wires is filled up, and
the air driven out. By passing each layer of cloth wound round the wires
through the solution, as above described, perfect adherence, and consequently
exclusion of air, is effected. By covering the wires with several layers, they
have as many insulators as layers, a single, one of which would, however,
produce complete insulation.
Vulcanized caoutchouc is capable of resisting the action of air, water, the
changes of temperature, acids, and chemical agents better than any other
material, and by its elasticity, homogeneousness, and tenacity it offers great
resistance, and, after having been compressed or stretched, speedily resumes
its former shape.
It has been above stated that, in order to prevent the injurious action which
the sulphur contained inthe vulcanized caoutchouc mightexertu ponthecopper,
the wires were to be coated with tin in the ordinary manner of tinning metals,
the wires may however, if desired, be covered by means of electro-deposition
with aluminium, or with a coating of gold. For greater security, the first
two or three coatings of caoutchouc when applied should be free from sulphur,
and horsehair or other hair bristles, or other insulating materials capable
of maintaining the wire in the centre of the cable during the operation of
vulcanization may be combined with the gum.
Having now described this Invention of an improved mode of preparing or
insulating electric conductors for telegraphic purposes, either on land or under
water, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim as the Invention

page_text: secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of
reparing or insulating electric conductors.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the First day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (LS.)