Electrical Conductor or Cable.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Conductor or Cable.
I, GEORGE HINDE NISBETT, of "Ashfield," Huyton, in the County of Lancaster,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
The class of electrical conductors or cables to which this invention has refer-
ence, is that in which the conductor proper is enclosed in a covering of paper
or other equivalent insulating fabric, and an air space is formed more or less
about the conductors; and the species of this class of cable to which it mainly
relates, is that of the multiple kind, in which two (or more) conductors or wires
are arranged together and insulated from each other. The chief objects of the
present invention are to produce a conductor or cable of this type, which will
not readily open at the joints of the paper and expose the wires; which enables
the jointing of the cable to be easily performed; and which, at the same time,
can be rapidly and cheaply produced.
Prior to this invention, various forms of twin and like conductors or cables
have been proposed and made; and while in some of them, the opening of the
paper cover or laps, when the cable or conductor is more or less unwound or
slacked, has been prevented; they have been more or less expensive to make,
owing to the method of manufacture adopted; but, as stated, by my invention,
the cable or conductor is produced very inexpensively, and, at the same time,
has not the defects referred to; and is, moreover, a good and serviceable con-
ductor or cable, having practical advantages connected with its form and
application.
.
According to the present invention, the two conductors are enclosed or folded
in separate wrappings or continuous envelopes of paper, or other material of a
suitable character but their enclosing or wrapping is effected simultaneously
by the one mechanism; and the two conductors are, also, by this one mechanism,
brought together and given a spiral twist of long pitch about each other, and
unified.
The mode of carrying out the production of the cable or conductor, as described,
consists in the employment of a revolving device or carrier, containing paper
strips or ribbons, stored on bobbins, reels, or the like; reels carrying the reels
or conductors; and two formers or dies so shaped as to gradually change a strip
or ribbon of paper to a folded or overlapped tube or envelope of continuous
form, and preferably flat at one side, namely, at the side where the edges overlap.
These two flat sides or parts come out of the formers adjacent to each other, with
the conductors or wires within them the wires or conductors being passed along
with the paper through the formers. Thus these revolving formers and parts
produce the enclosed paper covered wires with the flat sides, where the folding
or overlapping comes next each other; and by the revolution of all these parts

page_text: together, and by drawing the cable or conductor onto a suitable take off or
drawing roller, reel, or the like, the two tubes with their conductors, will be
wound round one another, forming a spiral having a long pitch.
The effect of the winding or twisting is, also, to draw the two wires towards
one another, and produce, practically, a compact or tight duplex cable as a
whole, having between the two wires four layers of paper, which is advantageous,
while outside them the air space is provided.
By this construction, the folds being on the inside, and between the conduc-
tors, they cannot come open, as the tightness and the conductors, prevent them
from separating to a sufficient distance to allow of this. Theoretically, the close-
ness of conductors of a pair is sometimes considered to be disadvantageous for
telephone work; but, inasmuch, as by my invention, four thicknesses of paper
are provided between the conductors of a pair, and only one outside, this objec-
tion (if such) is avoided; and the cable or conductor is very suitable for telephone
work, for which it is largely intended.
The invention, in some cases, may be applied to cables or conductors having
more than two conductors.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.
I, GEORGE HINDE NISBETT, of "Ashfield," Huyton, in the County of Lancaster,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:--
The class of electrical conductors or cables to which this invention has refer-
ence, is that in which the conductor proper is enclosed in a covering of paper,
or other equivalent insulating fabric, and an air space is formed more or less
about the conductors; and the species of this class of cable to which it mainly
relates, is that of the multiple kind, in which two (or more) conductors or wires
are arranged together and insulated from each other. The chief objects of the
present invention are to produce a conductor or cable of this type, which will
not readily open at the joints of the paper and expose the wires; which enables
the jointing of the cable to be easily performed; and which, at the same time,
can be rapidly and cheaply produced.
Prior to this invention, various forms of twin and like conductors or cables
have been proposed and made; and while, in some of them, the opening of the
paper cover or laps, when the cable or conductor is more or less unwound or
slacked, has been prevented, they have been more or less expensive to make,
owing to the method of manufacture adopted; but, as stated, by my invention,
the cable or conductor is produced very inexpensively, and, at the same time,
has not the defects referred to; and is, moreover, a good and serviceable con-
ductor or cable, having practical advantages connected with its form and
application.
According to the present invention, the two conductors are enclosed or folded
in separate wrappings or continuous envelopes of paper, or other material of a
suitable character, but their enclosing or wrapping is effected simultaneously

page_text: 1
by 'one mechanism; and the two conductors are, also, by this one mechanism,
brought together and given a spiral twist of long pitch about each other, and
unified.
The effect of the winding or twisting is, also, to draw the two wires towards
one another, and produce, practically, a compact or tight duplex cable as a
whole, having between the two wires four layers of paper, which is advantageous,
while outside them the air space is provided.
By this construction, the folds being on the inside, and between the conduc-
tors, they cannot come open, as the tightness and the conductors, prevent them
from separating to a sufficient distance to allow of this. Theoretically, the close-
ness of conductors of a pair is sometimes considered to be disadvantageous for
telephone work; but, inasmuch, as by my invention, four thicknesses of paper
are provided between the conductors of a pair, and only one outside, this objec-
tion (if such) is avoided; and the cable or conductor is very suitable for telephone
work, for which it is largely intended.
The invention, in some cases, may be applied to cables or conductors having
more than two conductors.
This cable is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1
is a cross section; Figure 2 being an outside elevation; while Figure 3 shows
a modified form, in cross section.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a a are the two conductors or wire, and b b are
the two continuous coverings or envelopes of paper, or equivalent material. The
edges b¹¹ of the strips of paper of which the coverings or envelopes are made,
are in contact with each of the wires or conductors a a; and are folded or over-
lapped directly one upon the other, so that each insulated conductor of the twin
cable is a separate thing, or distinct. These two conductors can be separated
from each other at any point, with facility, and either, or both, repaired, joined
up, and placed back; while, at the same time, by this complete over-lapping
of the edges of the envelopes in the manner specified and shown, the covering
does not open of itself when handled or slightly unwound, or the conductors be-
come exposed. It provides besides, a thick insulation of paper between the two
wires, viz., four folds or thicknesses.
As regards this multifold septum between the two conductors a, in some cases
a further fold or folds, as c, shown in Figure 3, is or are introduced between the
overlapping edges 61 61 of the two paper coverings.
After the two conductors or wires have been covered by the continuously folded
strips of paper, they, with these coverings, are twisted one about the other; the
pitch of the spiral or twist being a long one. The winding or twisting is so
carried out that the over-lapping edges or foldings 6 6 of the two covered
conductors come next each other; and the effect of the twisting is that the two
wires a a are drawn together, and so the two foldings and coverings are also
drawn together.
The carrying out of the production of the cable or conductors is conveniently
effected by machinery, as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings, which shows
the machines in side elevation. These are two machines, one of which carries
two formers or dies for shaping and folding the paper, and the reels of paper
and wire to be made up into the cable; whilst the other is a drawing off roller
or reel, by which the covered and folded in conductors are drawn off and coiled
or stored. Referring to this drawing, and, in the first place, to the machine
carrying the formers, and paper. and wire reels, e e are two separate paper folding
formers or dies mounted on a standard frame f, and adjustably attached or
fastened, if desired, on it, so as to be moved or adjusted nearer to, or further
away from each other. hh are the two reels containing a store of coiled paper
strip of any suitable kind and quality; and ii are the reels containing the wire
to be covered. These reels and are supported in bearings on the frame k, in
and out of which they can be readily placed, or taken.
This machine is a static one, i.e. none of the parts are driven, the formers

page_text: being completely stationary, and the paper and wire holding reels merely revolve
by the drawing off action in the manufacture of the cable.
The drawing off machine consists of a reel o, mounted in a revolving frame p
supported in bearings r on the upper ends of the frames r, which are fixed upon
the base s. The carrier frame is revolved by suitable means, as by belt and
belt pullies t; and the reel o is revolved in its bearings o¹ on the frame p. In
the drawing this is shown effected by the employment of a stationary tooth
bevel wheel u on the bearing frame r₁; a toothed wheel u¹ on a shaft u³, mounted
on the frame ?, with which u meshes; a worm on the shaft u²; and a worm
wheel u on the axle of the reel o, driven by u*.
By this gear the reel o is revolved upon its axis, and this action draws. the
paper b, and the wires a off from their containing reels through the formers. The
front journal of the frame p is hollow; and through it the two covered conductors
are passed to the reel o; while in front of it there is a hollow coned guide v,
mounted on the bracket 3, on which it may be adjusted longitudinally. By
this hollow cone the two conductors or elements to constitute the twin cable are
guided into a position for twisting one on the other.
A detail of a former and wire encloser is given in Figures 5, 6, and 7, Figure 5
being a view of the end at which the paper and wire are introduced, Figure 6 a
transverse section of the former, and Figure 7 an outside view of the end at
which the paper enclosing the wire or conductor leaves the former.
The former at the end of introduction is substantially a semi-circle, or horse
shoe shape, with the edges turned inwards. The centre section is somewhat
similar, but the turned in edges approach each other; whilst at the discharge
cnd these turned in edges are brought together, and over-lap one another.
Between the end of introduction and the discharge end the shape gradually
changes from that shown in Figure 6 to that shown in Figure 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The herein described improved electric cable, namely, an air space cable
comprising two (or more) conductors, each enclosed in a continuous paper or
like envelope or covering, the edges of which over-lap each other, and said
envelopes, with their conductors, being separable from each other, and twisted
or wound spirally about each other; for the purposes set forth.
2. The air space multiple wire electric cables shown in and set forth with
reference to the drawings.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.