Improvements in Materials for Insulating Electrical Conducting Wires, and for Making Carbons and Incandescent Filaments for Electric Lighting.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1892-Accepted 9th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Materials for Insulating Electrical Conducting
Wires, and for Making Carbons and Incandescent Filaments for
Electric Lighting.
I, GUSTAVE ADOLPHE CANNOT, of Bolton Road, Chiswick, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My present invention relates to improved methods of applying fibrous peat
together with other materials to the purpose of insulating electrical conducting
wires, and also of utilizing such peat for the purpose of making carbons for electric
are lights and filaments for electric incandescent lights.
For the purpose of insulating electrical conducting wires I take ordinary fibrous
peat and after thoroughly washing and cleansing it bring it by suitable carding
machinery or other suitable machinery into a fleecy state. I then stretch a sufficient
length of the wire which is to be insulated and I cover it with a thin coating of
melted bitumen. The fibrous fleecy peat is then applied to the bitumen to which
it adheres in sufficient thickness to form a uniform coating. I then apply to the
surface of this peat coating a thin layer of melted spermaceti, which I cover with
another coating of the fibrous peat as before. The whole is then coated with tar
and with another external coating of the peat, and the wire covered, as described
is preferably passed through a suitable guide by which its surface is levelled and
made uniform. Instead of one wire two or more may be used, and a cable thus
formed and immersed in the depth of the sea, after having had the usual wire
protecting cover added to it where necessary, will be of almost indefinite durability,
and will not lose any of the electric current passing through it, a matter of great
importance in submarine telegraphy.
The spermaceti has the property of neither becoming dry nor hard, and however
the cable may be bent and convoluted, the tangential fibres do not become
injuriously stretched. Such a cable is quite impervious to water, without liability
to decay, and of extreme elasticity, the properties of the greatest value in gutta
percha, whilst it is comparatively very cheap.
The method of construction described and of utilizing peat fibre may be modified
more or less. For instance, the fibrous peat may be made by suitable carding and
spinning machinery of the ordinary kind into a stout yarn with which the con-
ducting wires used for electric telegraphs and telephones and the like purposes
may be covered by means of covering machinery of the well known kind. Such
peat fibre so applied forms an insulating material of a very perfect and durable
kind.
Instead of the peat fibre being spun into yarns as just described I sometimes
form it by carding machinery into a sheet or web of considerable thickness which
I then compress by hydraulic or other pressure to the thickness of stiff paper and
I cut this compressed sheet into strips which 1 wind round the wires which are to
be insulated. Or where underground wires are to be insulated I lay such wires
upon à bed of the peat fibre prepared in the manner described, in a suitable trough
or support and I cover them with a liquid insulating compound or material of any
of the well known kinds.
Two or more wires covered with the insulating material of peat fibre may be
combined or laid side by side and surrounded with an outer coating of the peat
fibre.
Where peat fibre is to be used as a support for the purpose of insulating electric
conducting wires, I use pulverized peat fibre mixed with a sufficient quantity of a

page_text: solution of any suitable soluble silicate, such as silicate of soda, or with such
silicate or silex in powder, or with other non-conducting compound by which the
peat is agglomerated into a mass, and I compress such mixture by means of suitable
dies and presses into the required form for insulating supports for electrical
conducting wires which are attached to them in the usual way.
Where peat fibre is to be applied to the manufacture of carbons for electrical arc
lamps compress a similar mixture to that last described (the peat fibre having
been first carbonized) into the required form as ordinarily used for the carbon
conductors of such lights and the pencils or poles so formed are extremely effective
and lasting and uniform in their action.
And where the peat fibre is to be used for the purpose of making the filaments
for incandescent electric lamps I use it in the form of a yarn as first described and
I carbonize such yarn in suitable lengths by the methods ordinarily employed, for
the purpose of forming the conducting filament..
I do not confine myself to the precise methods of preparation herein described
which may be varied more or less as found desirable my invention consisting
essentially in the application of peat fibre, with other materials, to the several
purposes described.
Dated this 2nd day of Sentember 1891
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Materials for Insulating Electrical Conducting
Wires, and for Making Carbons and incandescent Filaments for
Electric Lighting.
I, GUSTAVE ADOLPHE CANNOT, of Bolton Road, Chiswick, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
My present invention has for its objects improved methods of applying fibrous
peat together with other materials for the purpose of insulating electrical con-
ducting wires, and for utilizing such peat fibre for the purpose of making carbons
for electric are lights, and filaments for electric incandescent lights.
For the purpose of insulating electrical conducting wires I take ordinary fibrous
peat and after thoroughly washing and cleansing it I bring it by suitable carding
machinery or other suitable machinery into a fleecy state. I then stretch a
sufficient length of the wire which is to be insulated, and I cover it with a thin
coating of melted bitumen. The fibrous fleecy peat is then applied to the bitumen
covering, to which it adheres in sufficient thickness to form a uniform coating. I
then apply to the surface of this peat coating a thin layer of melted spermaceti,
which I cover with another coating of the fibrous peat as before. The whole is
then coated with tar and with another external coating of the peat, and the wire
covered as described is passed through a suitable guide by which its surface is
levelled and made uniform. Instead of one wire, two or more may be used, and a
cable thus formed and immersed in the depth of the sea, after having had the
usual wire protecting cover added to it where necessary, will be of almost indefinite
durability, and will not lose any of the electric current passing through it, a matter
of great importance in submarine telegraphy.
The spermaceti has the property of neither becoming dry nor hard, and however
the cable may be bent and convoluted, the tangential fibres do not become injuriously
stretched.
Such a cable is quite impervious to water, without liability to decay, and of
extreme elasticity (the properties of the greatest value in gutta percha), whilst it
is comparatively very cheap. }

page_text: The method of construction described and of utilizing peat fibre may be
modified more or less. For instance, the fibrous peat may be made by suitable
carding and spinning machinery of the ordinary kind into a stout yarn with
which the conducting wires used for electric telegraphs and telephones and the
like purposes may be covered by means of covering machinery of the well known
kind. Such peat so applied forms an insulating material of a very perfect and
durable kind.
Instead of the peat fibre being spun into yarns as just described, I sometimes
form it by carding machinery into a sheet or web of considerable thickness, which
I then compress by hydraulic or other pressure to the thickness of thick stiff paper,
and I cut this compressed sheet into strips which I wind round the wires which are
to be insulated. Or where underground wires are to be insulated, I lay such wires
upon a bed of peat fibre prepared in the manner described, in a suitable trough or
support, and I cover them with a liquid insulating material or compound of any of
the well known kinds.
Two or more wires covered with the insulating material of peat fibre may be
combined or laid side by side and surrounded with an outer coating of the peat
fibre.
Where peat fibre is to be used as a support for the purpose of insulating electric
conducting wires, I use pulverized peat fibre mixed with a sufficient quantity of a
solution of any suitable soluble silicate, such as silicate of soda, or with such silicate
or silex in powder, or with other non-conducting compound (preferably in the
proportion of about ten per cent.) by which the peat is agglomerated into a mass,
and I compress such mixture by means of suitable dies and presses into the required
form for insulating supports for electrical conducting wires, which are attached to
them in the usual way.
Where peat fibre is to be applied to the manufacture of carbons for electrical
arc lamps I compress a similar mixture to that last described (the peat fibre having
been first carbonized) into the required form as ordinarily used for the carbon
conductors of such lights, and the pencils or poles so formed are extremely effective
and lasting and uniform in their action.
And where the peat fibre is to be used for the purpose of making the filaments
for incandescent electric lamps I use it in the form of a yarn as first described and
I carbonize such yarn in suitable lengths by the methods ordinarily employed, for
the purpose of forming the conducting filament.
I do not confine myself to the precise methods of preparation herein described
which may be varied more or less as found desirable, my invention consisting
essentially in the application of peat fibre, with other materials, to the several
purposes and in the manner described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of applying peat fibre to the insulation of electrical conducting
wires, consisting in coating the wire first with bitumen, then with peat fibre, then
with tar, and finally with peat fibre, the number and thickness of such coatings
being varied as may be found desirable, all substantially as described.
2. The modified method of applying peat fibre to the insulation of electrical
conducting wires, consisting in spinning the peat fibre into yarn or thread with
which the wire is covered, substantially as described.
3. The modified method of applying peat fibre to the insulation of electrical
conducting wires, consisting in forming the peat fibre into a sheet or web by pressure,
and coating the conducting wire with such sheet or web, with or without a covering
of insulating compound, substantially as described.
4. The method of forming electrical insulating supports of peat fibre by mixing
pulverized peat fibre with a silicate, or with silex, or other non-conducting com-
pound, and compressing the mixture in dies, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. The method of making the carbon poles of electrical are lights of peat fibre,
by compressing the mixture described in Claim 4, but the péat fibre having been
first carbonized, into the required form, substantially as described.
6. The method of making the filaments for incandescent electric lights from peat
fibre, by spinning the peat fibre into yarn, and carbonizing such yarn in the ordinary 5
way, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of Tuna 1905
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London. Agents for the Applicant.