IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERGROUND CONDUITS FOR ELECTRIC WIRES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of the firm of W. P. Thompson
& Boult, Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
UNDERGROUND CONDUITS FOR ELECTRIC WIRES Communicated to him fron
abroad by William Plankinton of the City of Milwaukee in the County of
Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the United States of America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1883.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of WP Thompson and Boult Agents for.
Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERGROUND CONDUITS FOR ELECTRIC WIRES"
Communicated to me from abroad by William Plankinton of the city of
Milwaukee in the County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the United
States of America.
This invention relates to the laying of electric wires and will be fully described
hereinafter. In the drawing Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a broken
section of my device Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section of the same and
Figure 3 is an interior end view of one of the bridges. A represents piping of clay,
cement or any other suitable substance and B B¹ a bridge which is preferably of
the same substance. This bridge is preferably cylindrical and is of two sections
offsetted as at a to fit up on each other and through section B. I pass the ends of
conducting pipes C projecting them beyond its offsets a distance equal to the
thickness of the adjacent portions of the section B' so that when the two sections
are clamped together, the ends of the pipes C will just reach through section B' to
receive sleeves c by which they are joined to pipes C'; about the pipe openings on
the outside of section B¹, I form annular projections 6 to receive the ends of the
sleeves adjacent to the section B' and to centre them, I provide hand openings c¹
near the end of each of the pipes C through which to attach the tapping wires a to
the line wires d' and these tapping wires are passed down through. vertical

page_text: openings in the section B' and are soldered to the line wires while the two sections
of the bridge are separated for that purpose as shown in Figure 2 and then when
the sections of the bridge are closed the wires may be tightened as shown in
Figure 1 and connected to the building or tower wires and should it ever be
necessary to get at the openings c' the wires d d may be detached from the house
or tower wires so as to slacken them and then the section B¹ of the bridge may be
moved away from the section B to expose the hand openings, but when any of the
wires are to be tested it will only be necessary to lift the cover D and slide the
sleeves c back on the pipes C₁ far enough to expose the line wires between the ends
of pipes C C¹. The section B is slipped into the piping A after the pipe sections C
have been placed in it, and the section B¹ is slipped in through the other end, care
being taken to place the bridge so that it will be accessible from the opening D¹.
I propose making the bridge B B' as well as the piping both large and small of
vitrified clay, but they may be made of cement or any other non conducter of
electricity and I think it may be well to make the bridges of wood under some
circumstances and I propose to employ with my device any of the well known
devices for defeating induction. The small or line wire pipes may be filled with
resin, or a resinous compound or wax or any other non conducting material that
may be melted and run in, and my tubes both large and small may be made of
glass, vitrified clay paper pulp, compressed paper, or any suitable material other
than cement if desired and I may make these tubes double-walled-that is each
of two concentric tubes so as to have a dead air space and also a space for
moisture.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
performing the same as communicated to me by my.foreign correspondent, I claim:
1st The bridge consisting of sections B B adapted to separate and provided
with offsets to facilitate return to place, in combination with the large pipe
containing it, and the wire piping supported by said bridge substantially as set
forth
2nd The combination of the sectional bridge, with the piping C C' supported
therein and the sleeves c adapted to unite the ends.of said piping substantially as
set forth
3rd The line wire piping having openings to receive the tapping wire in combi-
nation with the sectional bridge perforated to receive the said tapping wires
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
Eight hundred and Eighty three.
ALFRED J. BOULT. (L.S.)