In- PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRO- TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Boggett, of Lindsey Row, Chelsea, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRO-
TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES."
Sealed the 15th June 1866, and dated the 21st December 1865. :
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Boggett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1865.
I, WILLIAM BOGGETT, of Lindsey Row, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRO-
TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The use of a single wire for the conductor of submarine cables has.in
practice been found extremely disadvantageous, whilst on the other hand
the larger surface presented by several small wires (although only of the
same sectional area) is objectionable, by reason of the increased induction.
To remedy these defects is the object of my Invention, and the end in
'view is attained in the following manner :-
Firstly, I take two half round copper wires, one of them having on its
inner or flat side a recess slightly undercut, and the other a-corresponding

page_text: projection, and when the two are placed together and passed through a
draw plate or rollers, the pressure causes them to dovetail together and
become equal to a solid wire for the intended purpose, with this advantage,
that it can be made of any length without a break of continuity or solder-
ing of joints, because the two segments being made purposely of unequal
lengths the joints are always wide apart. Other ways of dovetailing wires
together may be used, but the foregoing is the method I prefer.
Secondly, I make use of copper wire that has been flattened by passing
between rollers, for the purpose of covering one or more other wires; this
is done by first enfolding one end of the-flattened wire or fillet lengthways
round an end of the wire to be covered; they are then drawn together
through a hole in a draw plate, by which means a uniformly smooth and
closely adhering cover is formed. The following methods of covering
wire according to this part of my Invention will shew the utility of such
covering in securing continuity of conduction and avoiding the soldering
of joints:-
+ . Istly, I use round copper wire for the centre, which I enfold in an outer
covering of the same metal as above described, and when the end of the
first length of inner wire is reached I connect it with another length, either
by a long scarfe or dovetail joint, and continue the outer covering over it,
and when the end of the flat wire is reached a second length is added,
bringing the two into contact.
2ndly, I take any required number of small copper wires, about the size
known as No. 25, which, with a view to their occupying the smallest
space, I make hexagonal (either by drawing them through a hole of that
'form in a draw plate or by means of suitably formed rollers), and I enclose
them within a flattened wire or fillet as previously described.
3rdly, I take a round copper wire, which I surround by a circle of small
wires of square or other approximate section, and I enclose the whole in a
.longitudinal cover or fillet in the manner herein-before described.
4thly, I take a round copper wire which has been corrugated lengthways
in the shape of pinion wire, and into each of the recesses or grooves so
formed I lay a small wire of a size to fill them or thereabouts, and I then
enclose the whole in an outer covering, as previously described; or they
.may be combined so firmly together by the process of drawing or rolling
ras to dispense with the outer, covering.
In all cases where it is necessary to give additional strength to a joint in
joining conductors, I make a screw thread on the surface over the connec
tions, and then bind it firmly by a small copper wire wound in the thread

page_text: of the screw, when a slight pressure with a pair of suitably formed plyers
will hold the small wire firmly in its place. In each case the outer covering
or fillet may be amalgamated with quicksilver or coated with black lead,
in order to diminish induction.
Although copper is the most suitable metal for the conductors of sub-
marine or subterranean cables, I do not confine myself to the use of that
metal, as other metals or alloys may be used for the outer covering with
greater advantage and at less cost, particularly for the purpose of preserving
wire conductors suspended in the air or otherwise from oxidation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Boggett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BOGGETT, of Lindsey Row, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Boggett, Her special licence that I, the said 'William
Boggett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Boggett, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WIRE CONDUCTORS FOR ELECTRO-
TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Boggett, my executors or administrators, by an instrument.in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Boggett, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
The use of a single wire for the conductor of submarine cables has in
practice been found extremely disadvantageous, whilst on the other hand
-the larger surface presented by several small wires (although only of the
same sectional area) is objectionable by reason of the increased induction.
To remedy these defects is the object of my Invention, and the end in
-view is attained in the following manner :-
In the construction of wire conductors according to the first part of
my improvements I take two half round copper wires as shown in the
enlarged section at Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed, one of them
having on its inner or flat side a recess or groove a slightly undercut, and
on the other a corresponding projection or longitudinal rib b, and when
the two are placed together and passed or drawn through a draw plate
(or closed together between suitably formed rollers), the pressure causes
them to dovetail together and become equal to a solid wire for the intended
purpose, with this advantage, that wire conductors can thus be made of any
length without a break of continuity or require any soldering of joints,
because the two segments being made purposely of unequal lengths the
joints are always wide apart. Figure 2 shows a transverse section, and
Figure 3 part of a side view of a wire conductor formed and dovetailed
together in two parts as above described. Other modes of dovetailing
wires together to construct wire conductors in accordance with my. Inven-
tion may be employed, another mode being shown in section at Figures 1*.
and 2*, but the method I prefer is to construct them by combining and
dovetailing three segments or lengths of wire together, as represented in
section at Figures 4 and 4*. The two outer segments or lengths of wire
are formed or drawn with longitudinal grooves or recesses a, a, the central
segment or length being formed with grooves which give it the character
of a double dovetail, so that the oval form of the parts, as shown at
Figure 4, when pressed together (by passing between suitably grooved
rollers or by being drawn through a draw plate, as is well understood,) are
caused to assume a cylindrical form by the sides of the grooves a, a, being
forced into the longitudinal grooves b, b, of the central rod or wire, thus
binding.and locking the three lengths firmly together to form one solid.
wire conductor, as shown at Figure 4*.
.

page_text: -According to the second part of my improvements in the construction
of wire conductors for electro-telegraphic purposes, I make use of copper
wire that has been previously flattened (by passing it between rollers), for
the purpose of covering one or more other wires. This is done by first,
enfolding one end of the flattened wire or fillet lengthway's round on end
of the wire to be covered. The flattened wire with the wire to be covered
are then drawn together through a hole in a draw plate, by which means a
uniformly smooth and closely adhering cover is formed, enclosing the inner
wire.
The four following methods of covering wire according to this part,
of my Invention will shew the utility of such covering in securing
continuity of conduction and avoiding the soldering of joints.
1
- Firstly, I use round copper wire for the centre, which I enfold in an
outer covering of the same metal as above described, and when the end of
the first length of inner. wire is reached I connect it with another length,
cither by a long scarfe or dovetail joint, and continue the outer covering.
over it, and when the end of the flat wire is reached a second length is
added, bringing the two into contact.
.
Secondly, I take any required number of small copper wires (about the
size known as No. 25), which, with a view to their occupying a smaller,
space, I prefer to make hexagonal (either by drawing them through a hole
of that form in a draw plate or by means of suitably formed rollers), and
I enclose them within a flattened wire or fillet, as previously described.
Figures 5 and 5* show enlarged sections of a wire conductor constructed
in this manner.
Thirdly, I take a round copper wire, which I surround by a circle of
small wires of square or other approximate section, and I enclose the whole
in a longitudinal cover or fillet, in the manner herein-before described
and shown by the enlarged section at-Figure 6 of the Drawing.
.
Fourthly, I take a round copper wire which has been corrugated length-
ways in the shape of pinion wire, and into each of the recesses or grooves
so formed I lay a small wire of a size to fill them or thereabouts, and
then enclose the whole in an outer covering, as previously described, or
they may be combined so firmly together by the process of drawing or
rolling as to dispense with the outer covering.
In cases where it is necessary to give additional strength to a joint in join-
the connections,
ing conductors I make a screw thread on the surface over t
and then bind it-firmly by a small copper wire wound in the thread of the

page_text: screw, when a slight pressure with a pair of suitably formed plyers will hold
the small wire firmly in its place; or the connections may be formed by
filing the ends so as to form steps and inclines, as shown at Figure 7, which
fit together, the joint thus formed being afterwards covered by drawing or
rolling (by means of portable rollers) a piece of flattened wire over it.
But in joining wire conductors such as shown by Figures 2, 2*, and 4*, I
prefer to employ a pair of portable rollers, the upper one of which is
removable, in order that a portion of the ends of the conductors to be
connected may be rolled in the form of the external segments of Figure 4,
when by overlapping the two ends together with a piece of copper between
them of the form of the interior segment, and passing the joint between
rollers to make it cylindrical, a perfectly secure connection is made.
⚫ For the purpose of joining the ends of the conductors shown at Figures 5
and 5* I remove a portion of the outer fillet or covering from the ends to
be joined; I then cut off one-half of the projecting wires, when, by inter-
mixing the remaining long ends and covering the joint thus formed with a
fresh piece of flattened wire, and compressing it by means of a pair of
portable rollers over the joint, a perfect connection will be made. In each
case the outer covering or fillet may be amalgamated with quicksilver or be
coated with black lead, in order to diminish induction, to which, however,
I make no claim.
Although copper is the most suitable metal for the conductors of sub-
marine, subterranean, or other cables or conductors, I do not confine
myself to the use of that metal, as other metals or alloys may be used for
the outer covering or other portions with greater advantage and at less
cost, particularly for the purpose of preserving wire conductors suspended
in the air or otherwise from oxidation.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements in the construc-
tion of wire conductors for electro-telegraphic purposes, and the manner in
which the same are or may be carried into practice, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein described, as
the same may be greatly varied without departing from the true character
of
my Invention; but what I claim is,―
First, the drawing or shaping of two or more wires into such forms
longitudinally that when combined or laid together the subsequent com-
pression employed in passing them between rollers or through draw plates
causes them to be firmly united into a single wire conductor, as herein
described.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the use and application of a fillet or band of flattened
wire, which is either rolled or drawn longitudinally upon wire conductors
of electric telegraphs, so as to firmly enclose and thus serve to form a part
of such conductor, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Boggett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM BOGGETT. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.