Improvements in Electric Cables.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Electric Cables.
I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, of Hollinwood, in the County of Lancaster,
Electrician and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention has for its object improvements in Electric cables of the forma
illustrated and described in a Specification No. 22923, of 1892, for which a patent
was granted to me for improvements in, or relating to, Electric cables.
According to my invention, when I desire to form any of the shapes of cable
illustrated in the above named Specification I prefer to strand up copper wires in
the usual way so as to make a circular conductor of approximately the same area
as it is desired that the segmental or other shaped conductor shall eventually have
when made up into cables. I take this stranded conductor and pass it through
a quickly reciprocating press containing dies of the shape which it is desired to
give to the conductor. This press may be run by means of a crank giving a
number of strokes per minute, or it may be in the form of a pneumatic hammer
or other similar device for quickly opening and closing the dies.
I form the dies of a tapering section in the direction of the motion of the cable
which it is desired to press, so that the end of the conductor to be dealt with may
enter the dies and only get, at the first blow, a small distortion, as, however, it
feeds through the tapering dies, every blow presses it more nearly into the eventual
shape which it is desired that the conductor shall take.
By means of running the forming dies at a high speed I can draw a circular
cable almost continuously through them, and bring it out shaped to the desired
section. The fact of stranding the wires into a circular cable in the first instance
gives the necessary flexibility, after the cable has been pressed to the desired shape.
I then take the cable so pressed and insulate it with paper or other fibrous
material by means of wrapping a number of layers or parts spirally, in the usual
way.
I may then take two or more of these conductors insulated as above described,
and place them together, giving them a final lapping of insulating paper or other
suitable material so as to make them into one circular cable. I then prefer to
cover the cable so formed with lead.
According to the above description I now have a cable which is formed with two
or more stranded conductors pressed into shape, insulated spirally, and with a
lead tube formed round about them.
According to another method I may lay the insulation longitudinally with the
conductors and turn over the edges so as to cover the conductors. This insulation
in its turn may be sheathed with lead.
I may make a further modification by combining the above two sets of insulation
with a cable formed as above described.
According to another method I may receive the conductor as it is pressed to
shape, upon a drum which not only rotates but whose axis also revolves in a plane

page_text: at right angles to the axis of the cable. I will then get a segmental or shaped
conductor which is stranded and which spirals round about itself. This conductor
I may insulate as above described and lay two or more together to form a stranded
segmental multiple conductor cable, with each conductor stranded within itself.
It is evident that I may insulate cables formed as described herein in any of the
other well known methods whichever may be most suitable to the duty which the
cables have to perform.
In making up the cables described, in some cases I draw two or more stranded
conductors through a similar number of reciprocating presses. They then pass
through a similar number of insulating machines which lay on paper or other
suitable insulating material as above described.
The various conductors to form the cable are then brought together and pass
through a further machine which puts on the outer insulation or material com-
bining the several conductors together. The cable thus formed may be lead
sheathed in the usual manner.
According to another method-I form the stranded circular conductor into the
desired shape by means of passing through properly formed rollers, but I prefer
not to draw the conductor through the rollers, as there is a tendency for the wires
to be displaced. I make the rolls of large diameter and drive them positively,
and in some cases I rough them upon their surfaces so as to give the necessary
amount of drive to all parts of the conductor which is being passed through them.
Dated this Eighth day of February 1897.
I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, of Hollinwood, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Electrician, 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:-
This invention has for its object Improvements in Electric Cables of the forms
illustrated and described in a specification No. 22923 of 1892, for which a patent
has been granted to me for Improvements in or relating to Electric Cables."
According to my invention, when I desire to form any of the shapes of cable
illustrated in the above named specification, I prefer to strand up copper wires in
the usual way, so as to make a circular conductor of approximately the same area
as it is desired that the segmental or other shaped conductor shall eventually have
when made up into cables. I take this stranded conductor and pass it through
a quickly reciprocating press containing dies of the shape which it is desired to
give to the conductor. This press may be run by means of a crank giving a
number of strokes per minute or it may be in the form of a pneumatic hammer
or other similar device for quickly opening and closing the dies.
In order that my invention may be better understood I will now proceed to
describe same, having reference to the drawings herewith. In Fig. 1, I show the
cable being stranded. At A, I show the cable in section, as it appears in a
circular form after stranding. At B, I show the cable after it has passed through
the reciprocating hammer or press. At C, I show a cable after each separate con-
ductor has been insulated. At I), I show where the two segmental conductors
have been joined together and insulated. At E, I show the cable wrapped round
by fibre, paper or other insulating material to hold the two segmental pieces
together to form a circular cable. At F, I show the cable armoured or covered

page_text: WIUR Tead
18
or Other suitable material according to what purpose it
desired the cable shall be used for. At Fig. 2 I show an arrange-
ment of reciprocating hammer complete with the dies for giving the
circular stranded cable its ultimate desired shape. The dies I form
preferably tapering in section in the direction of the motion of the cable which
it is desired to press, as shown in Figs. 4, 7 and 9, so that the end of the conductor
to be dealt with may enter the dies and only get at the first blow a small dis-
tortion. As it feeds through the tapering dies, however, every blow presses it
more nearly into the eventual shape which it is desired that the conductor. shall
take, as illustrated by drawings G, H, J, K, L and M.
By means of running the forming dies as shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 8 at a high
speed I can draw a circular cable almost continuously through them and bring it
out shaped to the desired section. The fact of stranding the wires into a circular
cable in the first instance gives the necessary flexibility after the cable has been
pressed into shape. I then take the cable and insulate it with paper or other
fibrous material by means of wrapping a number of layers or parts spirally in the
usual way.
I may then take two or more of these conductors insulated as above and place
them together, giving them a final lapping of insulating paper or other suitable
material so as to make them into one circular cable as shown at E. I then prefer
to cover the cable so formed with lead as shown at F, M, O and P.
According to the above description and as shown in the figures above referred
to, I now have a cable which is formed with two or more stranded conductors
pressed into shape, insulated spirally, and with a lead tube formed round about
them.
According to another method I may lay the insulation longitudinally with the
conductors and turn over the edges by means of suitable bent metal plates acting
as formers to turn over the edges similar to those used as hemmers in Sewing
Machines, so as to cover the conductors. This insulation in its turn may be
sheathed with lead. I may make a further modification by combining the above
two sets of insulation with a cable formed as above described and shown in the
drawings referred to.
According to another method, I may receive the conductor as it is pressed into
shape upon a drum, which not only rotates, but whose axis also revolves in a plane
at right angles to the axis of the cable, as illustrated in Fig. 10, Fig. 10 being a
diagram, which consists of two or more drums (f) of circular stranded conductor.
This conductor passes from the drums through the reciprocating presses (e, e),
where the conductor is pressed into the shape required. The conductor then
passes through insulating machines (g), where paper is fed on to the cables off
the rolls (h,h). The two or more segmental conductors are then passed through
the rolls, after which they are not only wound upon the drum (a), but owing to the
drum (a) being rotated as above stated in a plane at right angles to the axis of the
cable the two or more segmental cables are stranded round about themselves.
These stranded conductors are afterwards covered with lead and insulation or
other form of binding as may be desired to keep them together.
Another form of my invention may be carried out, substituting for the two
drums of plain unformed conductor two or more drums of formed stranded con-
ductor, the formed conductors being passed direct through the insulating
machines, then spiralled together as above described. In Fig. 10 at (r) the two
conductors may be widened out, and a lapping of compounding material or paper
wrapped on before spiralling on to the drum.
According to another method, I may form the circular stranded conductors into
the desired shape by passing through properly formed rollers, which may take the
place of the reciprocating presses shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the rollers being
similar to those shown in Fig. 5, sheet 1. I prefer, however, to make the rollers
of large diameter so that they perform the flattening or forming operation very
gradually. I also prefer to drive the rollers positively, so that there is no drag

page_text: upon the wire. The adoption of these two precautions enables the conductor to
be rolled down to shape without undue distortion.
Fig. 11 is simply a diagram, which shows 2 drums of cable of a circular
stranded conductor mounted upon revolving gear which gives the conductor a
stranding motion. The conductor leaves the drums, passing through the recipro-
cating presses (e). The conductor then has paper laid round it longitudinally
with its length, as already explained, in one or more layers, arranged
to break joint at the lapping. The cable then passes through rollers (k, k),
where the conductors are spiralled together and the cable is then
served with a circular insulation
or wrapping by the insulating
machines (g) and then wound on a drum (7) previous to being covered with lead
or other suitable outer covering. Or the lead covering may be applied direct
after the stranding.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
--
1. In an electric cable consisting of two or more segmental conductors so shaped
that with their insulation they form approximately a circle forming the con-
ductors out of circular stranded cable pressed into the desired shape.
2. In an electric cable consisting of two or more segmental conductors so shaped
that with their insulation they form approximately a circle forming the con-
ductors out of circular stranded cable rolled into the desired shape.
3. In the manufacture of multiple conductor electric cables forming the con-
ductors out of stranded cable pressed into the desired shape.
4. In the manufacture of multiple conductor electric cables forming the con-
ductors out of stranded cable rolled into the desired shape.
5. Multiple conductor electric cables in which the conductors are segmental in
section, are stranded and are spiralled round about each other to give flexibility.
6. In multiple conductor electric cables forming a segmental section spirally
about the conductors so that they may strand together.
7. In multiple conductor electric cables with segmental conductors insulated
from one another forming the conductors from a stranded cable rolled into shape
and afterwards insulating the conductors and laying them together to form a
cable.
8. Forming segmental flexible conductors for electric cables from flexible
circular strand by passing them through a reciprocating press with suitably
shaped dies for giving the desired section.
9. Forming segmental flexible conductors for electric cables from flexible
circular strand by passing them through a reciprocating press with suitably
shaped dies to give the desired section and tapered in the direction in which the
cable passes through so that each blow forms the cable as nearly as possible to its
eventual shape.
10. Forming segmental flexible conductors for electric cables from flexible
circular strand by passing them through forming rollers which are of sufficiently
large diameter not to injure the strands of the cable in the process.
11. Forming flexible segmental conductors for electrical cables from flexible
circular strand by passing them through rollers which are positively driven so as
to pass the cable through without undue distortion of the strands.
12. Electric cable making machinery substantially as described and illustrated
in Figure 10.
13. My means of longitudinally insulating segmental conductors which are
stranded and spiralled round about each other substantially as described.
14. In electric cables the combination of stranded conductors formed into
segmental section insulated with paper and protected by a lead sheath.
15. In electric cables the combination of stranded conductors formed into

page_text: segmental section insulated with paper laid in layers longitudinally and breaking
joint with each other stranded together and covered with a lead sheath.
16. In electric cables the combination of stranded conductors formed into
segmental section insulated with paper wrapped spirally the conductors so insu
lated spiralled together and covered with a lead sheath.
17. Electric cable machinery substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 11.
18. Improvements in electric cable making machinery substantially as
described and illustrated.
19. Improvements in electric cables substantially as described.
20. Improvements in the manufacture of electric cables substantially as
described.